Dear all,
Please address any three (3) of the following questions for Unit #2. Make sure that you are clearly identifying a concept and that your total post is 200 words. That’s 200 words for all 3 questions, not each.
United Shades of America Season 4 Episode 2 – Not All White People
1. Kamau Bell meets with several European American anti-racist activists in this episode including the John Brown Gun Club and Antifa. He also meets with Alicia Garza, a co-founder of BlackLivesMatter. What are some of the myths and misrepresentations about some of these groups that are addressed in this episode? Discuss at least two significant groups.
2. In your view, why is it important for anti-racist European Americans to engage in political struggle against white supremacy? Is their participation necessary? What kinds of inter-ethnic partnerships can be gained from European American participation in civil rights struggles? Please point to at least one European American anti-racist group discussed in the episode as an example for your answer.
3. Several of the activists highlighted in this episode speak to how they use white privilege in order to advance their anti-racist agenda. Discuss at least one example of how this might be accomplished. Use a specific organization highlighted in the episode to make your point.
4. Our text often talks about “hidden stories” Does this episode reveal any hidden stories about European American participation in anti-racism and civil rights struggles? Were you introduced to any organization that you have never heard of before? Deal with at least two examples of organizations whose work represented “hidden stories” for you. Speculate why this kind of information is not readily available in the American media.
Chapter 3: The Social Construction and Regulation of Families
1. What is the social history of eating at the table? How has this behavior changed due to social circumstances? Do you see any benefit to this trend? Why or why not? Do you participate in this tradition on a regular basis? Why or why not? What does it look like when you eat dinner at home on a typical night? Are there any social events where your family eats together? Explain. How is placement at the table determined by gender? How might dinner behaviors vary due to race and social class? Provide specific examples.
2. Find someone in your community who immigrated to the United States from another country. If you are an immigrant, find another community member to interview, from a different place. Ask them the following questions: (1) where did they immigrate from, (2) why did they immigrate, (3) what was the process of immigrating to the United States like, (4) what has the process of acculturation been like, and (5) do they have any regrets regarding their decision to leave their home country for the United States. Carefully document their responses. What did you know about immigration before this interview? Did their responses confirm or refute your ideas related to immigration before the interview? Why or why not? How did this process of immigrating disrupt their family?
3. What practices did the US government engage in to force Native Americans to assimilate to American culture? What were their motivations? Does this trend continue? Explain. How might this affect the Native American culture in the eyes of Native Americans and non-indigenous Americans alike? Explain.
Chapter 4: Work and Wealth
1. How might being a person of color influence one’s ability to achieve wealth in America? Which racial category do you believe will have the most difficult time? Which do you believe will have the easiest path? Why?
2. In our application of the matrix perspective to the history of economic inequality, can you find insights that apply to your own family history? (You may need to talk with older family members to learn more about your family history.)
3. Which sociological theory do you think best explains differential experiences of wealth and income based on race in the United States? Give an example from today to support your discussion.
Chapter 5: Health, Medicine, and Health Care
1. Microaggressions can be understood as a death of one thousand cuts—seemingly minor experiences that, over time, can create significant health consequences. Do you believe that some people are too sensitive, or do you believe that microaggressions have the power to kill? Explain using at least one specific example to support your discussion.
2. There is evidence to suggest that simply living as a person of color in the United States can result in poor health. How might discrimination in education, economy, and housing create a perfect storm for discrimination in healthcare? Is it possible for people of color to avoid these related negative health outcomes? Why or why not?
3. Racial discrimination can come as a result of medical training. How would you work to improve training of medical workers to decrease levels of discrimination in healthcare settings? What do you think is the most important training that is required?
Chapter 6: Education
1. Stereotypes concerning Asian-Americans are damaging to their identity and can have negative effects on them during schooling. What is the “model minority” image and standard that many Asian-Americans are held to in American society? How does this negatively impact Asian-American students at all levels of education? What can be done to reduce or remove the negative effects of this stereotype?
2. How does one’s neighborhood affect one’s chances for success in education? What are some of the effects of social isolation that result from living in disadvantaged areas? How might one’s socialization experience be affected if they never come into contact with someone of a different race? Explain and give at least one example to support your discussion.
3. What is your family background with higher education? How many members of your family are currently enrolled in college? Have any graduated? What about high school? Were any members of your family, including yourself, ever expelled? Did you receive any awards? What was your favorite subject? How do you see your experience with education as shaped by your racial identification? Why?
