Xena Crystal L C Huang 黃昶 - 艋舺 No Ads
Greetings!
During the last 22 years, I was an enthusiastic educator, engaged in integrating Arts, and Educational/Learning Technologies into Social Science teaching and learning.
Due to life circumstances, I earned several majors: Sociology/Social Psychology, Socio-political Science, Studio Art/Art Education, Learning/Educational Technologies, with minors in Computer Science, Journalism, Women's Studies, and Military Education. I enjoy energetic, dynamic, and inspiring andragogy.
With a unique teaching load (an average of 18-21 credits/6-7 classes of multiple preps Per Semester, or 36-42 credits Per Academic Year), I managed myself as an educator-scholar to inspire students, friends, and folks for the common good.
I taught courses related to my majors and minors: Multiple Delivery Formats (MDF: f2f, online, blended/hybrid, teleconference, accelerated and weekend formats) to Art Appreciation, Sociology, American Government, Contemporary American Society, Diversity Studies,
Areas of Interests-
Innovation in Online Education Programs;
Transdisciplinary collaborative (Art, Technology, and Social Sciences) Learning.
---------------------------------------Three language versions of the Gettysburg Address
Recorded by Xena LCH #75 b on May 13, 2014
Echoed Ken Burns' recent video (everyone is encouraged to recite and record the Address. So I did), aired on PBS on April 16, 2014.
The film tells the story of a tiny school in Putney Vermont, the Greenwood School, where each year the students are encouraged to practice, memorize, and recite the Gettysburg Address. In its exploration of the Greenwood School, the film also unlocks the history, context, and importance of President Lincoln's most powerful address.
In fact, I recorded today but planned to post on Earth Day. And you know what - too impatient! So this is a PRE post! Share with you. (And you might have tried it?) This is a great Teaching-Learning-Sharing experience!
Thursday, November 19, 1863, Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
--------------------------------
President Lincoln's powerful words are still across time and space addressing many people and countries.
The Taiwanese version of the Gettysburg Address
Recorded by Xena LCH #75 b on May 13, 2014
Recorded by Xena LCH #75 b on May 13, 2014
The English version of the Gettysburg Address
This is a Mandarin version of the Gettysburg Address.
Sociology: a part of my lecture notes, PowerPoint converted into videos:
Art Appreciation (Introduction to Visual Arts)
Diversity Studies: Section Two
I moved some communications and students' writing for the Diversity Studies course to my teaching-n-learning site:
Spring 2019, Students' reflections on Diversity Studies
Spring 2019 Online Intro to Diversity Studies : 809-172-004
Weekly reminders
Mark All ReadAlerts
Mark readW17 5/15
Date: 05/15/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Just a kind reminder: Exam 4 on FE4 and reading#37 will expire on 5/17.
90% of peers have completed. 25 peers completed this class early.
Attention!! Please check your gradebook. If any errors found, email me for correction.
The gradecell without score means missing assignments or not received.
Let me know.
Crystal
Mark readW17 5/13 (M)
Date: 05/13/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read and graded your last assignment on FE4 with actions.
Many of you genuinely reflected on what was learned and provided good ideas to enhance human understanding.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts and advocacy. Well done.
2 incomplete (the peer review, 3 points) and 5 peers have not submitted yet.
Reminder:
1. Please check your gradebook. If errors found, inform me to correct them.
If you have any missing assignments and want to earn partial points, inform me to read.
No later than 5/14 (Thursday). I need to wrap up to submit the final letter grade.
2. FE4 exam will expire on 5/17 (F).
15 peers have completed this course early and did very well - congratulations!
Let me know if you have questions. Crystal
Mark readW16 Reading#56
Date: 05/06/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read your Reading#56. Most peers expressed appreciation and took away
some inspiring thoughts and ideas for actions. Good job!
6 peers have not submitted yet. Inform me when you turn in late work.
Reminder:
No more hands-on project.
See below. If you want to complete this course early, you can do so.
Week 16
You have spent a great amount of time on designing 3 hands-on projects.
For the last Framework Essay, you only need to do:
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
To save time for instant reading, you need to Copy and paste your contents on Discussion.
(If not by copy and paste, 2 points deduction. )
Total 25 points.
5. Due on 5/12 (Sn) before 10 pm.
Keep up the good work. Crystal
Mark readW15
Date: 04/30/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Here is exam 3 score distribution (total is 60 points):
60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60,
58, 58, 58, 58, 58, 58, 58, 58, 56, 56, 56, 56, 56, 56, 56, 56, 56, 54, 54, 54, 48, 42, 26,
and 4 peers did not take the exam.
Reminder:
1 Now we are in the last Unit of learning: Bridging the difference.
Assigned reading#56
What can we do?
Becoming part of the solution by Allan G. Johnson
(pp. 502-507)
Due on 5/5 (Sn) before 10 pm. via Dropbox.
2. You can complete this course early, if you want.
Keep up the good work. Crystal
Mark readW15 Exam 3 reminder
Date: 04/29/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Just a kind reminder -
Exam 3 will expire at 10 pm. tonight (4/29 M).
90% of peers have completed the exam and did very well.
Coming up Unit 4 learning lesson links are available.
Some peers have been working ahead of our schedule.
If you want to complete this course early, yes, you can.
Note, there is also an opportunity to earn extra points - optional!!!
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark readW14 4/25 (R)
Date: 04/25/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read Learning Community Sharing on Discussion (due on 4/24 W).
Please check your score. (Some peers did not complete the peer reviews).
If errors found, inform me to correct them.
If you submit/post late work, let me know, so I will read it soon.
Reminder:
1. Coming up is FE3 Exam, due before 4/29 (M).
Keep in mind, 4/27, the school will close E360 for maintenance.
2. After the exam, we move to Unit 4.
Reading#56 is a wonderful article. You will enjoy reading it.
Due on 5/5 (Sn).
Email me if you have questions.
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark readW14
Date: 04/24/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read early birds' community sharing on Discussion.
You did very well on these 2 videos and related them to the hidden/unconscious perceptions (such as ideology, implicit biases...etc.).
A couple peers missed the peer reviews.
Let me know if you want to complete it before due (at 10 pm. tonight 4/24(W)).
Reminder:
Coming up is FE3 exam, from 4/27-29 (Sa to M).
We are close to the end of the semester.
There is an opportunity for extra credits (optional).
Keep up the good work.
Email me if you have questions.
Crystal
Mark readW14 FE3
Date: 04/22/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read and graded FE3 project and peer reviews.
Please check the score. If errors found, email me for correction.
The majority did very well on this "Abstract" framework Essay.
2 incomplete, 2 late, and 4 have not submitted yet. If you submit late work, inform me to read and grade.
Reminder:
1. Coming up is a learning community sharing.
I want you to relate reading #38 IAT (Implicit Association Test) to
FE3 (in particular, ideology and natural law language) via two videos regarding implicit,
hidden biases, ideology, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
2. Watch both videos carefully and answer questions with peer reviews.
See instructions (also in the Lesson Link).
Learning community sharing#3 Total 20 points.
Copy and paste (or 2 point deduction)
your writing on Discussion before 4/24 (W)
Instructions:
1. Give each of the following videos with 50+ word summary.
Each summary is 3 points. Total 6 points.
2. How do you relate to reading#38 about IAT, the implicit
associations/biases?
Write your thoughts or reflections about these two links
with 100 words to each.
Each is 5 points. The total is 10 points.
3. Review and comment on a peer's post with at least 50 words.
2 points.
4. All need word counts. 2 points.
Here are videos:
Video A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6mJbquNKyY The false consciousness and ideology
Video B: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0iP2Zm6a4&nohtml5=False
Email me if you have questions. Crystal
Mark readW13 Personal account
Date: 04/15/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read and graded W12 personal account (due on 4/12 F).
The majority shared great stories with deep reflections.
But more incomplete and late assignments for this week: 2 incomplete, and 4 late.
5 peers have not submitted yet.
If you decide to submit late, with efforts and high quality, you might earn extra points to offset some lost ones.
Inform me to read and grade.
Reminder:
Coming up is your last BIG hands-on. You can complete by yourself or work as a team.
Start early!! Due on 4/21 (Sn) before 10 pm.
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark readW12
Date: 04/08/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Reading#37 grade and feedback is available.
Most of you reflected/commented very well.
3 late, 1 incomplete, 1 could not be opened, and 3 have not submitted.
If you decide to submit, inform me to read and grade.
Reminder:
Coming up is a short reading (personal account). It takes about 1 to 2 hours to complete.
Save time for the last hands-on project on FE3.
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark readW11 reading#38
Date: 04/01/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read reading#38 with feedback and a score. Please check. If errors found, email me for correction.
Good to know the majority participated in the original test designed by the Psy Dept of Harvard Univ. Here is the link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Some peers reported a sense of uneasiness or feeling bad after the test. Keep in mind, IAT phenomena are prevalent in most peoples and cultures in the hidden/unconscious level due to different socialization, values/beliefs/ideologies, and cultural-environmental factors. Being aware is the first step to enhance human understanding.
The majority did very well. 4 peers have not submitted, and one submitted the wrong assignment.
If you submit late assignments, always inform me to read and grade.
Reminder:
Coming up is a heavy-duty worksheet on reading#37 The supreme court cases and civil war Amendments.
Due on 4/7 Sn. A BIG article, start early!!
It is very interesting and informative. Select and read carefully. Do well!! (For this reading will be included in the final exam).
After this, will be a short Personal Account worksheet,
then FE3 hands-on (the last hands-on of this semester).
Keep up the good work.
Email me if you have any questions.
Crystal
Mark readW10 FE2
Date: 03/26/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please check FE2 hands-on project score and feedback.
If errors found, email me for correction.
The majority did very well on FE2. But more late and incomplete projects happened this time.
4 peers have not submitted, 4 late and 3 incomplete.
FE2 exam score distribution (total 35 questions for 70 points):
70, 70, 70, 70, 70. 70, 70, 70, 70, 70, 68, 68, 68, 68, 68, 68, 68, 68,
66, 66, 66, 66, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64,
62, 62, 62, 62, 62, 60, 58, 58, 58, 58, 58, 58,
56, 54, 52, 48, 44, 38, 28, and 3 peers did not take the exam.
Reminder:
Attention! The midterm grade was based on week 1 to submitted FE2 course works.
If you have late assignments to turn in, which will not be reflected in the Midterm Grade.
Now we are moving toward Unit 3 learning on FE3 and worksheets.
Reading#38 regarding IAT (regarding implicit association) is a very interesting topic for pondering.
Due on coming Sunday (3/31).
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readW8
Date: 03/11/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Just a kind reminder: FE2 project is due on 3/17 (Sn).
Again, you can complete it by yourself or work as a team.
Attention!!
If you have late assignments to turn in for partial points,
inform me to read and grade no later than 3/15 (F) before 10 pm.
Extra efforts might earn extra points to offset some lost points.
After that, the missing grade cells will turn into 0 point, which will affect your grade a lot.
After 3/17, I need to submit the Midterm Letter grade.
Email me if you have any questions.
Crystal
Mark readW6 worksheet
Date: 03/04/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have done social class worksheet reading, grading and sent feedback.
Please check the score. If errors found, email me for correction.
Majority did well.
Social class is not so visible as Race or Gender, thus, most of us are less likely aware of its power.
It penetrates in every aspect of people's life.
Social class affects people's 5 types of social mobility (vertical, horizontal, structural, inter-generational, and intra-generational), health, lifestyle, income, prestige, status, POWER, and the rest.
2 late, 1 incomplete, and 3 have not submitted yet.
If you submit late assignments, email me to read.
Reminder:
Coming up is FE2 hands-on project.
Again, you can complete by yourself, or invite peers to do a team project.
For the team project, please type members' name on the Discussion,
in addition to the first slide of the project.
You have plenty of time to complete it. Due on 3/17.
But always start early. FE2 is a rich and fascinating article.
I think you will enjoy it.
Keep up the good work.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readW6
Date: 02/28/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have done reading, grading the early birds' worksheet.
A kind reminder:
Week 6 worksheet is due on 3/3 (Sn).
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark read the personal account
Date: 02/25/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read, graded, and sent feedback to your personal account writing.
Very interesting to read your account or other people's stories related to Diversity issues.
This writing helps me know you better.
2 late, 2 incomplete, 2 did not choose Personal Account short article, and 3 have not submitted yet.
If you submit late assignments, inform me to grade them.
Reminder:
Week 6, you will choose one reading from #12, 13, and 14.
They are all about social class - a very invisible theme of Diversity.
Some peers have completed it. Will read soon.
Due on coming Friday.
Email me if you have any questions.
Crystal
Mark readW5 reminder
Date: 02/21/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am reading early birds' Week 5 personal account writing.
This is a very short and pleasant homework.
Just a kind reminder:
1. W5 personal account is due on 2/22 (F) before 10 pm.
2. Several peers have completed the next week/6 assignments.
I will read it soon.
keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark readDIV exam 1
Date: 02/19/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Here is exam 1 score distribution (64 points):
64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 64, 62, 62, 62, 62, 62, 62, 62,62, 62, 62, 62, 62, 62,
62, 62, 62, 62, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60, 58, 58, 56, 56, 52, 52, 52, 48, 48, 46, 46, 40, 34, 32,
and 3 peers did not take the exam.
The majority did well on exam 1.
Reminder:
Coming up is a very short (half page) reading - personal account, due on 2/22 (F).
Several peers have completed and are moving on to Week 6 assignment.
Keep up the good work.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
.
Mark read Div online
Date: 02/17/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am still reading and grading FE1 project and peer reviews.
28 projects were graded, and still have 24 to go.
I will read your project soon.
Reminder:
1, Exam 1 will expire on 2/18 (M) at 10 pm.
So far, 70% of peers have completed the exam and did well.
2. Unit 2 is available. Some peers have been working on Week 5
the personal account which is a very short and pleasant assignment.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readFE1 project
Date: 02/17/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have almost completed reviewing peers' projects and peers' comments.
I encountered some projects that I was unable to open. Please read and follow the instructions.
I also don't know some peers whether to complete a team project or not.
If you did, let me know who your teammate(s was/were. Then I will change your grade (now is 3 points).
5 peers have not submitted, 4 did not do the peer reviews. and 1 incomplete.
If you submit late projects/assignments, you need to inform me to read and grade (I have 3 online and 4 face-to-face. Your reminding me to read and review can help me grade effectively and efficiently.)
Overall, most peers understand the differences between Essentialism and Constructionism.
These two perspectives can explain why some people see/understand/interpret the world so differently from others.
Reminder:
1. This is your first project. The majority did very well. Some of you will do much better for the FE2 project.
2. Again, FE1 exam will expire on 2/18 (M) at 10 pm.
3. Unit 2 learning activities are available in the next lesson link.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readW4 project and exam reminder
Date: 02/13/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am still grading the early birds' FE1 project and peer reviews.
Just a kind reminder:
1. FE1 project is due soon, at 10 pm. tonight 2/13 (W).
2. Exam 1 on FE1 will be held from 2/16 -18 (Sa to M).
After that, we will move forward to Unit 2 learning activities.
Email me if you have questions.
Crystal
Mark readW4 About project 1
Date: 02/11/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read with feedback on some early birds' projects.
Reminder:
1. The project due date was extended to 2/13 (W).
Now you should have had at least 70-80% done.
2. If you are doing a team project, please type the team members' names
on your post (in addition to the first slide of your project).
3. Don't forget to complete step 5 - peer review.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readW2 reading#1
Date: 02/04/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read, graded, and sent feedback to your Reading#1.
Please check the score. If errors found, email me for correction.
70% did very well, who read this complex-condensed historical article about RACE development
with patience and insights. Good job.
6 peers have not submitted, and 3 incomplete,
and 2 did not provide enough information from the reading.
If you submit a late assignment,
please indicate how many days late and inform me to read and grade.
Reminder:
Coming up is a SUPER BIG project (the biggest one among the 3) about Framework Essay 1.
This is hands-on work. Due to 2/13 (W)
You can complete by yourself, or invite peers to do teamwork
(no more than 4 peers and each one has to do the peer reviews.)
I suggest you start early and chunk down step by step (in the instructions).
Though you have plenty of time to complete this project,
don't wait, unless you enjoy stress (too much - is NO good!!)
Email me if you have any questions.
Keep up the good work.
Crystal
Mark read Week 1
Date: 01/29/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have done with Meet and Greet with feedback and score.
The majority did very well. Glad to know a little bit about you.
1 peer did not post and 3 incomplete.
Please check. If you found errors, email me for correction.
Now I am reading Treasure Hunts. Will reach your work soon.
Reminder:
1 The week 2 article#1 is interesting but heavy reading.
Be patient and read carefully so you can do well on the worksheet (due on 2/1 F).
2. I have 3 online and several other face-to-face classes.
I read grades, and send feedback on more than 200 assignments weekly.
So it takes time to complete grading.
If you have questions for me, please indicate which class
(Div, Soc, Art..etc.) online or face to face, so I can answer quickly.
Let me know if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark read DIV Meet and Greet and the final reminder
Date: 01/23/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read, graded, and sent feedback to your Meet-n-Greet.
Please check your score. If errors found, email me for correction.
If you did not complete all the required steps, please let me know if you want to be graded as it is.
A final reminder:
1. Meet and greet is due tonight at 10 pm. (1/23 W).
2. I will soon begin to read the Treasure Hunt (due on 1/27 Sn, several peers have completed it).
Email me if you have any questions.
Crystal
Mark read Meet and Greet
Date: 01/21/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have read, graded and sent feedback to the early birds' Meet-n-Greet.
Thanks for sharing part of you with our class.
Just a kind reminder:
1. Meet-n-Greet is due on 1/23 (W) before 10 pm.
2. Some peers missed step 9 - peer interactions (very important as an online class).
3. Several peers have been working ahead of our schedule and completed the Treasure Hunt.
I will read it soon.
Email me if you have any questions. Crystal
Mark readWelcome from Crystal!
Date: 01/12/19
Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to our Diversity Studies (DIV) class!
This is Li-chin Crystal Huang, your DIV facilitator/instructor.
You can call me Li-chin or Crystal.
Before our class begins, I would like to remind you of the following important information:
1. Our school officially begins on Jan 21 (M).
You can access early on Jan 14 (M)
to preview the course information.
2. Attention!!! our the textbook title is : The Meaning of Difference:
American Constructions of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class, and Sexual
Orientation, 7th Edition by Karen E. Rosenblum & Toni-Michelle C. Travis.
You need to use the current edition to complete this course.
The book store has corrected the book title with the display. If you got a wrong one,
change it as soon as possible!!!
3. If you want to start early for this course (available early on Jan 14 M),
you can work on week 1 two learning activities. Go to Lessons
(1) Complete "Meet and Greet" on Discussion (due on 1/23, W), and
(2) Do the course orientation: Treasure Hunt (due on 1/27, Sn)
This will help you do well in the Online Learning Environment.
You have to complete these 2 activities during Week 1 (1/27 before 10 pm.)
to avoid the No Show Report.
From now on, all assignments, sharing, and exams are due on specific dates at 10 pm.
Attention! You have to submit and/or participate on time.
1. Late assignments will incur a 10% deduction of the allocated points per day.
2. I attached our syllabus and course schedule on the E360 course home page (at the right bottom corner).
Please preview, and if you found errors or questions,
email me as soon as possible for an explanation or correction.
3. Very important! If you email me questions, please provide class information, see below
For example, Maci B, Online DIV section 001
- this step helps me to answer your questions quicker.
Cannot wait to meet you online !!
Crystal lhuang@cvtc.edu
W16-17 FE4 summary and actions
Weeks 16- 17. You have spent a great amount of time designing 3 hands-on projects. For the last Framework Essay, you only need to do: 1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4)
pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points 2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points 3. Share what you can do to enhance human
understanding related to diversity issues with
200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point. related to diversity issues with 200+ words.
8 points. Add word count 1 point. 4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points, save time for reading, you need to Copy and paste your contents on Discussion.
(If not by copy and paste, 2 points deduction. )(If not by copy and paste, 2 points deduction. )Total 25 points. 5. Due to 5/12 (Sn) before 10 pm.
Posted By Li-Chin Huang
05/08/2019 10:41 am
Comments
05/05/2019 4:25 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ words. 3 points
1. Starting out the Essay it states that it is hard to change these problems because it is so universal and it happens almost everywhere. It will take a lot to change these things because many won’t listen and there are so many that won’t follow the rules or laws because many today still don’t. This essay is pretty much-summing everything up, like the idea of looking at the race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability are just some of the things the book focused on. Understanding all of the simplifies across groups opened up new ways of thinking and how experiences could be accumulated towards the big pictures rather than just looking at that one certain point. Then it brings up that we make the road by walking forward and it focusses on the main ideas of examples that refer to the topic. One thing that I mentioned and it is important is that you need to be your own resource, and you will never have. All the answers you need and it takes some digging sometimes and looking into it more. Another important one is working on yourself first because in the long run it only helps you. The important things is to increase you tolerance you making mistakes and appreciate the statuses and learn to sit in the fire meaning that you have able to handle things that mess certain things up. Be an ally and appreciate your allies which is so important because once your past this it will proved happiness. Total words 267
2. Diversity studies was a course that I was excited about because it was a different class than all of my others ones. This class was one that I enjoyed because the topics were very relatable and there was many context included which gave great understandings of what their point was. I learned many things regarding race, prejudice, racism, family and simply other things that occur in life. Learning about the many different races and how racism occurs so much just showed me that the world has gotten better with racism but it still happens quite a bit when it shouldn’t. I wasn’t very educated on how prejudice works and I never knew the full understanding of it but now that the class is very close to be over I now have a full understanding of it. I have noticed that I can be prejudice also at times that I should not be. Every essay and assignment that was assigned I had a full understanding of what the topic was after I finished it because it consisted of carefully reading the readings and the essays. Now that this course is coming to an end I have a full understanding of al of the topics that were discussed in it. Total words 211
3. Things that I have noticed that I do is that I catch myself being prejudice when I shouldn’t be, I needed to learn to look into things more deeply before I make a final decision because by thinking about it more it is likely that the best decision will be made. Instead of jumping to conclusions thinking more deeply about the situation and looking at it in every aspect will help you understand more of not one side of the story but both because there is always two sides to the story. There are many diversity problems that occur in the world and there are any things to help it. By spreading the word about stopping racism would help the situation by having it not happen anymore. I think that it will happen because we simply can’t control everyone but by publicizing about it maybe that it could make people think more about it so that before they say something or do something maybe they will think before they act. There were many stories in the readings that were about how unequal many things were to different people and it shows the truth. By seeing the truth of things it is proven to be true. Total words 209
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05/06/2019 2:09 am
You did a very good job summarizing the last Framework essay. I wasn't too sure on this class when I signed up for it but I ended up learning alot and really liking it. This class was definitely different from all my other class that I have taken which kept me interested. I also feel like it gave me a better understanding on diversity. Good luck in your next classes!!!
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05/07/2019 7:00 pm
Hello Alexis!! I really enjoyed reading what you learned from this class. I had the same feeling when taking this class. I definitely agree with your understanding of prejudice. It was something that was often mistaken for a different meaning but the book make it very easy to understand along with all of the other topics that were discussed. Have a great summer!! Word count 65
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05/06/2019 2:03 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
1. In this essay, it talks about how this book was written for us to understand and recognize the power of master statuses and the significance of our conceptions of difference in everything from personal identity to world events. The idea of us looking at race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability all together opened up new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances. Working on yourself and challenging social constructions of difference by increasing your tolerance for making mistakes like taking more risks and learning from them. Appreciate the statuses that you occupy for instance honoring, valuing, and having some reasonable level of comfort about being white, black, Asian or Latino, etc. We need to learn to "sit in the fire" meaning if you are the one angry, try not to let it overwhelm you. Be an ally by eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses and appreciate your allies. (152 words)
2. In this class, I've learned about race, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and disability. This book covered many different topics and changed a lot of my thinking. This course definitely got my brain working and did a lot of thinking. I feel like it gave me a whole other view on everything and helped shape my understanding. I've never really had to write all of my thoughts or opinions down about these topics before so I did enjoy this class. This book did show us how the world has changed and that it was a lot of different back then than it is now. Racism has changed and I feel like is much different than it was back then. I also learned that we all do things that we sometimes do not realize, for instance being prejudice. (135 words)
3. Things that we could do to enhance our human understanding of diversity would be learning to understand and accept people different from ourselves is very important in our world. Encountering new concepts, values, and behaviors lead to thinking in deeper, more complex, and more creative ways, rather than furthering past ideas and attitudes. Just as people are different in diverse ways, people from different backgrounds and experiences learn in different ways. Consider your own "unconscious" stereotypes. While we should be careful not to stereotype people or whole cultures, we need to be aware of the potential differences among cultures when interacting with people. We can all learn things from people whose ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, backgrounds, experiences, and behaviors are different from our own. (124 words)
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05/08/2019 11:18 am
Hi Ashley,
Your summary was written very well because you explained all of the key components and explained them very well. By reading the passage it helped me understand more on the essay. Also in the class I have learned about the variety of topics. Coming into this class I didn't know what to expect and it covered all of these topics. I thought it was also a very interesting class. Good post!
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05/12/2019 11:55 am
Hi Ashley!
I have very similar feelings about this course as well! I really felt like with each reading throughout this course it really worked my brain and made me think a lot on how it connected to society. I explained this in my post as well. Also, I really enjoyed how you said that each person can learn something from someone else to help human understand because we are all different. This was a very simple but interesting thought that I feel can be easily overlooked. Great job and good luck finals week!
Word Count: 94 Words
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05/12/2019 12:14 pm
Hi Ashley!
I have very similar feelings about this course as well! I really felt like with each reading throughout this course it really worked my brain and made me think a lot on how it connected to society. I explained this in my post as well. Also, I really enjoyed how you said that each person can learn something from someone else to help human understand because we are all different. This was a very simple but interesting thought that I feel can be easily overlooked. Great job and good luck finals week!
Word Count: 94 Words
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05/06/2019 10:45 am
Hi Ashley,
Nice summary, I think there was definitely a lot covered in this book. I like what you said about how the world has changed over time and how we can be the change for the future. It is important because it takes just one person to start to make the difference.
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05/06/2019 9:50 pm
At first, the authors of this book let us know that they did not write this book. “The meaning of difference,” to make us feel powerless. They felt that looking at race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability opened new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances. The emphasis is higher education and how it is the source of social change. Educational institutions teach us our rights and our history, sharpen our thinking and decision- making, and open us to other’s lived experiences. When you recognize the paradoxical nature of higher education, it means that an element of choice is involved in whether you are discouraged or inspired by the end of this course. The others encourage us to move beyond our sense of powerless and move forward for social change, they offer us some suggestions.
The two famous educator activists Myles Horton and Paulo Freire taught us basic lessons about transforming learning into action, by reminding us of the phrase: “we make the road by walking.” This phase helps us to remember that we are the best person to know which social interventions work for us. It also makes is realize that we will need to be our own resource while you will never have all the answers that you need.
Working on yourself is the first step to challenging social constructions of difference. The others give us four lessons which we should concentrate on:
You must increase your tolerance of your mistakes or risk giving up all together, and you must try to focus on learning from the good, bad, or ugly attempts. When trying to build connections across difference, you will make mistakes, learn to move past it.
Appreciating your status means not being ashamed of who you are, by doing this it allows you to respond with more clarity to others’ experiences of their statuses. We all have a sense of shame in who we are but recognizing the existence of shame and its dysfunction is an important first step.
There is a lot of emotion that comes into play when bridging differences, that means we must be willing to sit in the fire of conflict and intense emotion. Regarding guilt, do not succumb to it. When you focus on how bad you feel you are the subject of attention, not the person whose experience you are trying to understand. Regarding anger, when its someone else’s anger, listen carefully and do not let their anger trigger your own. When it’s your anger, try not to let it overwhelm you and try to avoid self-righteousness.
An ally is someone who is committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. The authors mark this lesson- “Be an ally. Appreciate your allies” – as the most important. Being an ally is not only about what you can do on your own, it is also about joining with others sin collective action, can be called for one’s friends and family. Getting allies can be a lot of work; it requires dedication, commitment, and appreciation of others. As Paul Kivel stated in reading 58: “Appreciation leads to action; condemnation leads to paralysis.”
Word Count: 523
In the beginning, I wasn’t really all for taking this class, but now that we are towards the end, I realize that I really enjoyed this class. I not only learned about race, ethnicity, social class, sex, sexuality, and disability; the differences between them and how the world sees them; but I also learned a lot about myself and how I view different people, cultures, and religions. I feel there is a whole other side of the world that I didn’t know about and now I know about it. Learning about the different stereotypes has really opened my eyes on the world today, how we all see others, and how change is very important. I didn’t fully understand the meaning of prejudice until taking this class; after reading about it, I noticed that whether we say we are or not; we all are prejudice in ways; we can be prejudice and not even know it. Everything in this class was so interesting to learn about; I have never really had the chance to think about and talk about this information. I feel I just grew into what I believed in and thought and was never taught about the other options and information that was/is out there in the world. Not only did I learn a lot in this class, but I feel I grew as an individual, I found out information about myself that I never even knew before.
Word Count: 238
As I watch and listen to; not only myself, but others, I realize that we always assume things and judge others without even knowing the person. These two issues aren’t the only ones though, there are many issues related to diversity. To enhance human understanding, I think we need to stop assuming and judging, we need to work on accepting individuals as whom they are. We need to work on learning about other cultures, instead of shaming them. We need to remember that we can learn things from other cultures just like others can learn things from our culture. Life is a learning experience, nobody, no culture, no group is ever the right or wrong option. I understand that not everyone is going to even attempt to work on these things but just like the last framework essay stated, we need to learn to sit in the fire and stand up for what we believe in if we want to make a change. We also need to understand that change doesn’t happen in a day, it takes more than a lifetime but, one’s contributions could lead to other individuals’ contributions, then families, then groups, then communities, and eventually the world.
Word Count: 200
Total Word Count: 974
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05/07/2019 1:37 pm
Hi Alexius!
I agree with you, I wasn't sure what this class was all about when my friend suggested it to me. I learned more in depth about the differences of people and that I find myself judging unconsciously as well. All of the subjects in this class are touchy to talk about. Glad we got to learn more in depth about them.
Word count: 61
Have a great summer!
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05/08/2019 11:15 am
Alexius,
Like you, I feel that I have learned a lot more than I expected to in this class. In my opinion the greatest lesson that I learned from this course is more about my self than anything. In FE4 the first step to make any change is to work on yourself first, mission accomplished!
Word Count: 55
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05/11/2019 10:10 am
I could not agree more with your last question response. Assuming is a human habit that seems to get people into more trouble than it does good. I am just as guilty for assuming pretty much anything which leads me to be a more judgemental person. I very much so loved your post, you had amazing points and I related a ton to each of your responses.
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05/17/2019 8:38 pm
Hey Alexius!
I have to agree that I catch myself being judgmental towards others as well and then think why was that even a thought that I had when I haven't even taken the opportunity to get to know this person first. It's so easy to judge, rather then to sit and listen to understand a person. I believe your statement about "...learning to sit in the fire and stand up for what we believe in if we want change," is a very important idea. It's hard for us as humans to face scrutiny or judgement for being the "black sheep" of the group but if no one is, nothing will change.
(Word Count: 112)
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05/07/2019 1:25 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words.
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words.
1. After reading Framework Essay 4, the authors try to connect more with the readers. As they state "A book such as The Meaning of Difference runs the risk of leaving students with the feeling that there is little they can do to challenge the constructions of difference." In the previous Frameworks Essays, they discuss the reasons why were are where we are within our society. FE4 gives more insight as to what we could do as students, friends and a community member regarding making changes to better ourselves and our community. As one person you can feel overpowered, and hopeless when it comes to wanting to promote change. As "Ghandi once said that nothing we do as individuals matters, but that it's vitally important to do it anyways." Even it we think it won't or we don't see a quick change, over time it will.
Word count: 290
2. A friend of mine suggested I take Intro to Diversity Studies over Economics, which I did so. While reading each Framework Essay, I was kind of a ball of mixed feelings during and afterwards. I felt as though the main discussions were mainly about whites and how they prevail against others, rise to the top, and are high and mighty; privileged. I believe everyone has the same chance as everyone. Using your resources wisely and doing what's right in society can get you far as an individual and a member of society. There is racism in all races. There is poverty in all races. There is prevalence in all races. Although, this book to me, focuses on the bad actions (history and present) towards one specific race. I learned that we unconsciously judge others based on appearance or 'package'. We tend to strive towards a similar race, as it is natural to do - we feel more comfortable. As an individual, you will never understand what others went through, unless you have been through it yourself. I did however enjoy learning more about the Amendments of our past, which was fun. A favorite quote of mine is "the simple way to help others make different changes is to make them myself." In this book; Ghandi said "nothing we do as individuals matter, but that it's vitally important to do it anyways." Both of these quotes are powerful.
Word count: 236
3. We all have unconscious thoughts. In our daily lives we judge and make decisions for what is best for us. When it comes to judging people based on their skin color, ethnic ways of living, clothes they wear and how they act, this has been around for many years. These are years in the making, you can say. So how can we change these ways of thinking in a society that is so quick to judge or get offended. It certainly won't happen overnight. I don't have an answer besides everyone making daily changes regarding stereotypes. Enhancing human understanding related to diversity issues is a problem as we all are accustomed to our ways of living. We could start by understanding that everyone is different than the next person, and by accepting that our society is made up of all of these differences. Not judging someone based on their appearance 'package' could be an option. On the contrary, how can we not judge people based on their actions, when this is their self portrayal to others. As a mom of three, I want a better society for my children. I fear what our society and world will be like when they are old enough to make decisions of their own. With ways of how to enhance the human understanding, why is it not acceptable to not want change regarding certain issues within The Meaning of Difference. Can we have the best of both worlds?
Word count: 244
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05/07/2019 5:51 pm
Hi Ashley!
I was also a ball of mixed feelings as I read the framework essays, there were many emotional topics that we have never had the chance to discuss before. I also agree with you about wanting a better society for our children. I don’t have children yet, but society has me questioning my future; why would I want to bring a child or children into the world when I don’t even know how my future is going to be, it’s very concerning.
Word Count: 84
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05/07/2019 6:55 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
The authors stated right away that this book was a risk of leaving us students feeling that there is little we can do to challenge the constructions of difference. The idea was intended for us to look at race, social class, sex, sexuality, and disability which would open up new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances. The energy that produced this book was from realizing how readily people could generalize form their own experience of stigma and privilege to what others might experience. Learning changes us and higher education is explicit in its intention to produce that effect. We are the best person to know which “social intervention” will work for us. It is important to know who you are, finding and honoring ourselves, recognizing that it is multifaceted, complex and evolving and making sure that it is you who wants to pursue a social change and not an impersonation of somebody else. We do not have the power to change everything but we do have the power to change some things. They want us to move beyond our senses of being powerless and get on with the work of social change. They encouraged us to work on ourselves first by increasing your tolerances for making mistakes, appreciating the statuses we occupy, learning to “sit in the fire”, and to be an ally, appreciate your allies. Word count 227
I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like this class but by the end of semester and thinking it was over soon I was a little upset because I really like learning about the different issues that we deal with every day that we might not really realize are going on around us. I enjoyed learning about race ethnicity, sex, social class, sexuality and disability as well as learning things about myself. It was interesting learning about the different ways I view others or different cultures of people. I was challenged with almost every assignment when we had to express our thoughts and opinions on different topics with not just a small paragraph but with a clear understanding of each topic relating to other things around you. I also really enjoyed this class because it was different than all of my other classes and it wasn’t something that we all were experts on. We all were able to learn and take different perspectives from each other on each project and discussion assignment. After taking this class I truly have a better understand on each topic and will pay more attention to my surroundings with the knowledge I have gained. Word count 202
There are so many things that can be taken out of book and put into today’s perspective. For instance, being quick to judge somebody based on looks appearance without getting to know the individual. Nobody is made the same and everybody is different in their own way which is why the world is so interesting and different. Our unconscious thoughts are something we have every day whether we like it or not and do it for the best of ourselves. Social interactions are something that everybody is familiar with but may not have noticed. We all have to find our own interactions that work best for ourselves. We also can’t expect change to happen overnight but we also can feel powerless like we can’t fix any issues that we have in the world or community. Each culture brings different people, perspectives, learning experiences that everybody can learn from. We can’t just stay focused on 1 road it is okay to go off the path and experience different people/places. It might be something that pushes us out of our comfort zone but it won’t hurt us it will only make us learn and grow form each experience. Every day we wake up and learn something new and grow as an individual. Word count 211
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05/08/2019 5:05 pm
Modify Date: 05/08/19 5:06pm
Hi Maci,
I totally agree with your thoughts on this class! I was sad to see the class being over with as well. This class opened my eyes up to a lot of things and I also liked to read about different peoples perspectives on certain topics. I would also say that I too have a better understanding about the topics that we have learned about. 66 Words
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05/08/2019 7:41 pm
I agree with you about not knowing exactly if I was going to life this class, but by the end it surprised me that I did. I also like how this class involved something we all know about in some sort of way. Wether some people were experts or just new comers to the topics involved in this course. It was interesting to get a more in depth understanding of how "difference" affects our society in such a great way.
Word Count:80
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05/09/2019 2:23 pm
Maci,
I really like what you said in your third paragraph about going off the path and out of our comfort zone. In my opinion, trying new things is essential for our life. I feel that we only have things to gain from straying from our comfort zone. We can turn anything into a learning experience!
56 Words
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05/12/2019 10:03 am
Hey Maci,
I agree with you on this class, I was not sure I was going to like it but actually really ended up enjoying it. I learned a lot about not only myself but also others’ perspectives on topics I never put much thought in to. I found it really interesting to learn about so many topics at a more in depth level and am walking away with a lot more knowledge.
Great job this semester.
(word count 77)
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05/08/2019 11:05 am
Framework essay IV: Bridging Differences explains that the intent of this book, although may leave some readers discouraged or with feelings of powerlessness, was meant to make us feel energized by opening new possibilities, understanding, and creating alliances. That talking about people’s experience can help others without those experiences understand. Essay IV explains how to change that feeling of powerlessness by working on oneself first and following four critical guidelines. First, increase your tolerance for making mistakes. If you are scared to make mistakes, you hold back and more and likely miss an opportunity for a connection. We learn from our mistakes. Second, Appreciate the statuses you occupy. Be proud of who you are as it will give you more clarity into others’ experiences of their statuses. Third, learn to “sit in the fire” meaning if you are the one in a stigmatized status, try not to let guilt or anger succumb you. Listen and try to remember it usually isn’t personal. Interaction about difference will create disagreements and conflict, but benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Lastly, be an ally and appreciate your allies. All of us are more receptive to suggestions to change when we know we are liked. (page 409) Joining with others in a collective action creates power within society. After reading this essay, it just verifies that we, as an individual, can carry more power for making changes in society than what we realize that we hold.
Word Count: 245
In taking this course, I have a better understanding not only of others’ experiences, but really of my own. I feel one of the most important lessons that I have taken away from this class was awareness of privileges I hold and my unconscious prejudices. This class was challenging for me as I feel like I am one of those who like a yes or no answer, a right or wrong answer, and this class is far from that. In FE4 it talks about being okay to make mistakes, in my mind I know that, but I am defiantly one of those people that would choose to hold back for fear of being wrong. When I made that decision to enroll in school, I consciously told myself that this was something I was going to work hard on, as I feel that it does hinder my opportunities of learning. After taking this course I also feel a new appreciation for myself, that it is okay to be proud to be white and that it doesn’t mean that I am racist. This seems like such a simple concept but admitting we see race was like admitting racism instead of awareness. The last, but not least, lesson I retain from Intro to diversity was how one person can make a big difference. It takes only one individual to show other paths of least resistance that can and has led to significant changes in society. Even the smallest changes can have large impacts, even if we are not around to see the end result.
Word Count: 261
If the readings in this course have taught us anything, it is that we, as individuals, can make small changes to create extraordinary outcomes. As to my role in helping others understand diversity is to start with my children. To teach them to be proud of who they are and to understand that different is not bad or as scary as it may sometimes seem. Teach them to not be silent, to stand up for what they believe, but open minded enough to listen to the other side. To be that person that listens and not pass judgement. To be aware that there are two sides or more to every situation and reasons behind every action and reaction. Learn from others’ experiences by listening and staying open to listening even if anger or guilt start to bubble up. Get involved even if it is something small, if I feel that something needs to change, be a participant in making that change, whether it be as simple as writing a letter or making a phone call. We need to wake up everyday proud of who we are, our differences, how far we have come, and lift others up to feel the same way. It’s not about changing people, its about accepting people for who they are, why they are the way they are, and embracing our differences. All our differences make the world interesting. It is the foundation of what makes our world grow in so many ways for the greater good.
Word Count: 251
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Jenna
05/09/2019 9:23 am
Hi Jodi,
I like your honest reflection. The part that stuck out to me was that you became aware of your privileges and unconscious attitudes. I feel the same way. Upon doing some of the readings, I felt a little disturbed about how easy I had it in life compared to some that occupy statuses that face extreme discrimination. I sometimes catch myself casting judgement, which is normal as a person in society, but I think the important part is how we correct our thinking so we can be more understanding of others' experiences.
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Miranda
05/12/2019 10:11 am
Jodi,
I enjoyed reading your take on the framework essay in this chapter. It seems to be that you took a lot away from this class. it is wonderful to hear how this class has taught you exactly what I think the authors are trying to portray to us. I admire that you will take what you have learned and put it to good work starting with your children. (69 words)
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Elizabeth
05/08/2019 4:51 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point
This framework essay starts off by the author talking about why this book was written. It is explained that the book was not written because the authors felt powerless or wanted its readers to feel like there is little they can do to make a difference. They wrote this book because they wanted to open up new possibilities for the readers to think about when it comes to making a difference. The essay them moves onto the topic on some suggestions that they have for their readers that the authors found to be inspirational and practical to the reader when it comes to making a difference in society. One of their main suggestions to the reader is to work on yourself first because its one of the first steps that lead to making a difference. The essay was concluded by the authors revealing that they were worried that this book would make its readers feel powerless and insignificant. They want all their readers to know that they hope their readers will understand that while it really can be hard to make a difference, but it is still something that we can all achieve if we set our minds to it. 201 Words.
Going into this course, I was not really sure what it would be like. I knew what diversity was, but I did not realize how much deeper we would be learning about diversity. I learned a lot about different social classes, court cases, and overall what the meaning of difference really means. I think that something that really stuck with me through this course was the IAT tests that we had the option to take. It really opened my eyes to some things I never thought of before and it gave me a new perspective for what this course was really about. I also found the supreme court cases that we learned about were very interesting. I had learned about some of the cases in the past, but I learned a lot more details about all the cases. I also enjoyed reading the different personal accounts because I think it gave you a really good perspective of what different people have to go through in their lives. I definitely think that after taking this class that I have a better understanding of each topic that we have learned about and I think that it is going to benefit me in the future! 203 Words.
There are many things that we could do that could enhance human understanding related to diversity issues. One of them being that we should be accepting others and to be constantly learning new concepts and ideas that revolve around the idea of diversity issues. By doing this, you could enhance others understanding about the topic because it will help to understand certain issues more and to even understand these issues in a deeper and more meaningful way. I think that a lot of people do not see some of the diversity issues that are happening in the world because it is not directly affecting them. That’s why I think if we brought more attention to the issues and were learning new concepts and ideas that it could not only enhance a person understanding of diversity issues, but maybe we could see some changes being made because as the book states, we all have the ability to take the steps towards making a difference. 164 Words.
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Kayla
05/10/2019 2:23 pm
I totally agree with you that we should be accepting of others no matter what. I also would say that I learned a great amount of material from this class which I did not intend to learn about. This class did give me a different perspective of what others may go through as well. Great post! Word Count: 56
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Jenna E
05/08/2019 7:36 pm
As the beginning of Framework Essay 4 states, "A book such as The Meaning of Difference runs the risk of leaving students with the feeling that there is little they can do to challenge the constructions of difference." The authors of this book wanted to focus more on race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability to help new possibilities for understanding and creating a group. The Framework Essay describes how the similarities between groups can bring a new way of thinking and new experiences between those groups. To create social change, you need to realize that most people feel powerless and incapable of achieving any social change. Although it takes more than a couple people and many years for a change like that to show. First you have to look at yourself and be confident in your own power and what you can do in your own community. There are four main lessons to focus on when trying to understand the social construction of difference. First, increase your tolerance for making mistakes. Second, Appreciate the statues you occupy. Third, learn to “sit in the fire”. Four, be an ally, appreciate your allies. Understand that you are capable of what you may thought you couldn’t be capable of.
Word Count:207
Before taking this class I was kind of worried it was going to be boring and not interesting. I didn’t have a good understanding on what diversity studies was. After completing this course, I have learned a lot about sex, race, disability, social class, and ethnicity. Some of the previous framework essays we had assigned went very in depth with how sex, race, disability, social class, and ethnicity plays a role in the world, either positive and negative. The topics that were described more in depth had to do with how it affected our world and each community in a negative way. How racial discrimination was a huge factor in the earlier years of life. How social class and occupation gave each individual a stereotype or “label”. How everyone wanted to have a high class “master status”. It was interesting to learn about all the factors that affected living situations back in the day. I have never seen much about how those factors have affected people I know or myself in a bad way. Racism isn’t as big of a problem. People don’t hold master statuses as much anymore. All of that just shows how much the world has evolved in such a positive way.
Word Count:205
I believe the most important thing to enhance human understanding related to diversity is to just be understanding. A lot of people see something difference, or not like themselves judge it so quickly. Being understanding and putting that person in your shoes can help you understand how they feel a lot easier then judging them. I get that having unconscious thoughts is normal for everyone and we can’t help it but we need to learn how to control those thoughts. In our society, it has become normal to point out the differences between individuals and cultures. I believe being in school now days is a great help in understanding the differences between each person and culture. I have noticed that I find myself less judgmental if I already know the cultural background of a person from another place. It is easier to connect with them and understand how they have grown up. Another thing that could help limit the amount of judgement you give is going to travel and see for yourself how things work in different areas of the world. I learned a lot from this being in this class and reading the textbook. It definitely makes me for conscious on what I think and what I say to other people.
Word Count:112
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Shelby
05/10/2019 8:09 pm
Hi Jenna,
Great job on your summary! I was similar to you in the fact that I thought this class was going to be uninteresting and boring and wow was I wrong. I agree with your statement that we all need to be more understanding. We are so quick to judge a book by its cover. We need to take a step back and try to put ourselves in each others shoes. I like your idea of traveling to other places. If traveling wasn't so expensive, I would love to go to other countries to see how their world differs from mine. Great job!
Word count: 102
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Jenna C
05/09/2019 9:19 am
FE4 Summary:
This last part of the book focuses on Bridging Differences. As students, we feel that we are unequipped for making social changes and differences for the better of society. In fact, it’s much the opposite. We are actually learning about these concepts and we can now put our education to use to bridge differences and fight against social injustices. To make these changes, we must learn about and accept ourselves: our flaws, complex personalities, and ever-changing minds. After all, we don’t learn if we don’t try and that’s why the author urges us to go for it and learn along the way – from ourselves and others. “We make the road by walking” is an adaptation of a Spanish proverb and explains this concept of putting ourselves out there, going for it, and learning along the way. There are four things we can do to work on ourselves and challenge social constructions of difference:
1. Increase our tolerance for making mistakes
2. Appreciate that statuses we occupy
3. Learn to “sit in the fire.”
4. Be an ally and appreciate our allies
Challenging ancient social constructions is no easy task but with the help of ourselves and many others, it makes the feat possible. Even those in very privileged, statuses are a very big help as they are most likely to be heard.
(222 words)
What I Learned:
I already knew a bit about what it means to be a person in society, but this course has transformed my understanding. I learned that there are so many differences that set us apart, yet we are all so human and very much the same at heart and in the soul. I learned that there are facts and empirical evidence that support how differently we are treated because of our outward appearances, rather than our similarities. I learned that prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination all belong to their own term, even though they are related in social theory. I learned that so many people who occupy stigmatized statuses face such difficulties because of their race, gender, religion, sexuality, and ability. I learned that it’s acceptable (even encouraged) to recognize our privileges and use them to help those that occupy stigmatized statuses. I learned that people can make a difference when they come together, and that our collective ideas as a society can change over time as we learn more about ourselves and others. I learned that we can and should embrace our differences to be our true, authentic selves. There are so many social theories, concepts, data collections, and social constructions that I learned about in this course, but the most important thing I learned were the ideas that touch closest to our hearts: acceptance and tolerance towards others.
(228 words)
What I Can Do To Enhance Human Understanding Related To Diversity Issues:
It’s important, after all we learned from these Framework Essays, personal accounts, and readings, that we acknowledge the diversity in our world. Since we only belong to a certain area or region, this might be difficult, but it is still significant to do. There are so many experiences that are different than our own because of our differences in race, age, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. Personally, I like to put myself in other peoples’ shoes. When I catch myself casting judgment upon someone else, I take a moment to imagine if I were them and what challenges they might face. We’re all people with our own problems and setbacks in life, and that’s why I try to be a kind, accepting person. We can always improve our attitudes towards others, but we can’t take hurtful words and actions back and that is something we may regret forever. There will always be a system that sets people apart, but in the end, we are all human and we all deserve kindness and respect. I want to be a positive ally for people who may not have the privileges and the voice that I do in this society. We’re only getting closer and closer to dismantling stereotypes and prejudices and it should be something we continue to work on as a society. Of course, no one is perfect, but we can do our best to be accepting, tolerant individuals.
(237 words
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Amber
05/09/2019 10:39 am
Hi Jenna!
I really like your plan to enhance human understanding. I agree that it is very important start by acknowledging even if sensitive subjects make us feel uncomfortable. I like it that you take the time to see things from other points of view before judging or becoming angry. You could meet someone who is really rude at the grocery store and realize that they could just be having a bad day. The smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest differences.
Word Count: 83
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Amber
05/09/2019 10:28 am
Instructions:
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
Framework Essay 4 Bridging Differences discusses how to overcome the feeling of powerlessness caused by overwhelming social forces. The authors went over the importance of finding new ways of thinking by understanding the similarities between groups. They state that “people could generalize from their own experience of stigma and privilege to what others might experience”. Gandhi’s paradox is also used work for social change by says that everyone has the power to change some things. The authors state the importance of education in social change but to remember that you wont always have the answer. They continue with four lessons for how to work on yourself. They are to increase your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate your status, learn to “sit in the fire”, be an ally and appreciate your allies. They stress the importance of not being ashamed of who you are and avoid self-righteousness. “Remember that every person is important, even those who belong to majority groups that have historically oppressed other groups.” The authors also state that the most important thing is to say or do something on someone else’s behalf; be an ally. Everyone has the potential to change dynamics and become role models. Everyone has the capabilities to make a difference. Word Count: 207
I have learned a lot about differences in this course these past 16 weeks. Stigma and privilege are words I have heard around and in the media but had never given too much thought about. I recently saw an interview about the new Ted Bundy film and they said that he used his white privilege to get away with things that would not happen today. I also learned that we can feel bad about our privileges and unconscious bias or we can take what we learned and use it to make a change. Education is power when we use it as a tool to make a difference. I have also heard the saying “ignorance is bliss” because if we don’t know that there is discrimination then we can’t be expected to make the effort. If everyone believed that, the world would be a miserable place. I liked learning about the history of different things and how names evolved (negro to black to African American). It was also really interesting reading about the Supreme Court cases and how many of them seem ludicrous to us today. The biggest thing I learned was the importance of being aware, being kind, and to reach out and make a difference. Word Count: 205
Enhancing human understanding for me would start by working on myself like Framework Essay 4 discussed. I need to be proud of who I am and not worry about saying the wrong thing. I need to learn to listen better when someone is angry or upset. I also need to be an ally and say something on someone’s behalf when they are being treated unfairly. Allan G. Johnson is reading #56 also said that the best way to make a difference is to shift our own pattern of participation in systems of privilege and make it easier for other people to follow. This is showing the importance of leading by example. This course has also taught me the importance of education on enhancing human understanding. When you look at individuals and organizations that are striving to make a difference, the common thread is going around the world to educate others through lectures or even public service announcements. I want to better at learning about the causes of these different organizations and strive to create an inclusive community. Overall, it’s important to treat everyone with kindness, respect, and compassion. One must remember Gandhi’s paradox, even though you do not have the power to change everything, you certainly have the power to change some things. Word Count: 214
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Sakee
05/10/2019 11:51 pm
Amber,
You did a good job on summarizing FE4 with the different part of the essay. I like your thoughts and writing on what you have learned on this course. It is interesting to learn about those Supreme Court cases. Many of those cases have brought social changes in making our society better today. I also agree with you that education and knowledge enhance our understanding and open up the possibility for others to hear our voice in order to enhance human understanding.
(word count: 82)
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Sierra
05/09/2019 2:24 pm
The final framework essay talks about the purpose of this book: to open up the reader’s eyes and mind. It also aimed to show others that they aren’t alone. Other people are also experiencing the same things that they are. In the first section titled “We Make the Road by Walking” the reading talked about how we, ourselves, are capable of so much, we just have to be willing to put in the effort. The saying, “we make the road by walking,” also means that we have to pave the way to our desired destination. In the next section, the reading talks about how you need to work on yourself first. It breaks this section of the reading down even further. 1. Increase your tolerance for making mistakes, 2. Appreciate the statuses you occupy, 3. Learn to “sit in the fire”, and 4. Be an ally. Appreciate your allies. The first section says that we will make mistakes and that we need to understand that. We need to make mistakes in order to learn. In the next section the reader is told to appreciate the statuses that you hold. We should not be ashamed of who we are. Section number three talks about how we should handle our anger, and how it affects or understanding of other’s experiences around us. It also says, “your having been injured doesn’t mean that you have not also inflicted injury.” The last section of the reading focuses on being there for others and be willing to find others that will support you.
259 Words
This course has really opened my eyes, as it was intended. I feel that I am now so much more aware of things that are happening in our society and things that are happening in my own life. I was even surprised that while reading, there were some things that were brought to my attention that I knew subconsciously but didn’t realize that I actually had an understanding of, until reading “The Meaning of Difference” in class. It was as if a lightbulb went off in my head. All of a sudden, I realized that other people had experienced what I had witnessed, and that there were names for certain incidents, and that research had been done on these topics. It may be hard to understand what I’m trying to say, but that is the only way I really know how to explain it. I thought it was really cool to have that “aha moment.” This class has also helped me feel more comfortable in sharing my opinion and being vocal in the fight for change. I no longer feel that I have to stay quiet in certain situations, and that I am allowed to stand up for what I believe in.
202 Words
Ultimately, we can’t help people understand unless they’re willing to. Even with that being said, at some point in everyone’s life, I do feel that people are willing to hear what others are saying and will open their minds ever so slightly. It is important that for those who are willing to listen that we do a good job with our explaining. As we talked about in the book, one step at a time, we will make change happen. A key factor that I had realized helped people to open their minds to embracing diversity, is meeting those who are not of the minority. When you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and listen to their story, it is easier for you to understand what it may be like for them. When an experience is coming from the person standing right in front of you, it helps you to really see what things are like, rather than reading about it, or hearing about it on the news. From what I have seen, it makes thing seem a lot more personal for the person who allowed themselves to understand someone else’s situations and experiences. It also proves that we can peacefully coexist with other’s whose opinions may not be exactly the same as those around us. Again, we have to be willing to open our minds.
225 Words
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Lindy
05/10/2019 10:32 am
Sierra,
I feel like I had an "aha" moment like yours as well, and I think I know what you mean. I was surprised to find out how much I didn't know. I agree that it's necessary for people to be open-minded in order to hear new concepts. It does make a big difference to hear a personal account from someone face-to-face than to read about it in the news, or in another way. (74 words)
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Rebecca
05/09/2019 6:24 pm
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
This essay starts out explaining that as we read this book and learned more about the power of our master statuses, we likely feel powerless and overwhelmed. This was not their intent though. They wanted to open up new possibilities for us to understand and create alliances. Understanding the similarities in groups allows us to see the big picture. People can be different but have the same experience, and people who have never had the experience may still understand it. Higher education is more about understanding than doing, but it is still an educational institution, therefore it is expected to have an impact on society. It can both empower and disempower in that it is our choice to feel discouraged or inspired to change.
The Spanish poet, Antonio Machado’s adapted the ancient proverb “se hace camino al andar”, “We make the road by walking”. What he means is we make the way as we go. We need to be our own resource and realize that we will never have all the answers we need. We just need to start doing and learn from it, Horton said. People learn from each other, we don’t need to know the answer.
The first step in the road is to work on ourselves. There are four main lessons to concentrate on.
First, increase your tolerance for making mistakes. Increasing tolerance of our mistakes or risk giving up all together. If we fall, get back up, learn from our mistake and try again. When you are worried about saying the wrong thing, we miss opportunities for connection. Next, appreciate the statuses we occupy, this allows us to respond with clarity to others experiences of their statuses. Don’t be ashamed of who you are! Next, learn to “sit in the fire”. There is allot of emotion for those in privileged and stigmatized statuses. We must be willing to sit in that emotion. Listen to other people’s anger and don’t take it personally and let it trigger our own. The benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Interaction about difference will have periods of disagreement. No matter how homogeneous a group seams there will be difference, and taking the time to see and welcome those differences can be invaluable. Last, be an Ally. Appreciate your allies. An ally is someone who is committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. Think about a time we were stigmatized and what we wish someone would have did, this can help us see how important an ally is. Being an ally is also about joining others in a collective action. Sometimes getting allies requires asking for help or telling people what you want, they can’t read your mind. (454 words)
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
I went into this class thinking I was well versed in diversity. I am supportive and even encourage people’s differences. It turns out I had plenty to learn. I found it interesting to learn about our master statuses and realize what privileges we have that I never even thought about before. I always thought I didn’t fall into the white privilege category because I grew up fairly poor and have had to work hard for everything I have. However, I now see that I am still privileged. I learned a lot about this history of diversity and how things have changed. I learned that just because we think we don’t have any bias or prejudice things like the IAT can prove us wrong. No matter if we intend to or not we sometimes treat people differently based on their traits and knowing this we can hopefully help adjust the way we act. I also learned that the writer’s intention was to make us learn and feel empowered to change. Knowledge is power. Things may not be perfect in our lifetime but slowly we can shape our future society to be less discriminatory and racist. One person and one act at a time we can make a difference. (207 words)
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
I can enhance human understanding in diversity in sharing what I have learned. As the book said, “we make the road by walking.” We know which social interventions will work for us. We also need to be a good example and practice what we preach. The four main lessons in the last FE will help us be a good example and lead a better life. First, we need to focus on us, learn to love us, our race, sex, and our status. Don’t be ashamed of who you are, be comfortable in our own skin. Realize we likely will make mistakes, but it’s those mistakes that will help us learn and grow. Don’t let our fear of screwing up make us give up all together. Be an ally to someone and appreciate our allies. If we notice someone from a stigmatized status being bullied stand up for them or even be their friend. The more diverse people we interact with the better understanding we can have for their feelings and the better we can avoid making them feel stigmatized in the future. We are all different in our own ways, realize that arguments will arise and not let them anger us. Let them help us learn and grow instead. (209 words)
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Lindy
05/10/2019 10:25 am
1) Our reading begins by sympathizing with readers feeling overwhelmed in the face of what we’ve learned about diversity issues. Through their writing, the authors found that, although people are different in many ways, it’s possible for us to have the same experiences. They then point out that learning “…can both empower and dis-empower” and “…an element of choice—your choice—is involved in whether you are discouraged or inspired at the end of a course.” (page 483)
What we can do with what we’ve learned is support change gradually in small ways, or “make the road by walking”. (page 483) We must figure out who we are, and live our lives according to that self and our beliefs. For example, if we believe the world needs more racial equality, it wouldn’t make sense for us to participate in jokes or other things that perpetuate discrimination or prejudice against those who appear different than us.
The reading even gives us steps in order to change ourselves so that we can support positive change. It’s suggested we increase our tolerance for making mistakes and learn from them, appreciate the social status we occupy and recognize dysfunction, “learn to sit in the fire”—meaning don’t give in to guilt or become discouraged by someone else’s anger—and be an ally to others. (pages 486-488) The reading ends with the reminder that angrily condemning people or shaming them is not the method we should take to support change. Peaceful conversations are the way to go. (251 words)
2) From this class, I learned how much I didn’t know about diversity issues. I had thought I was fairly aware of the short-comings of society, but it turns out I didn’t know much. The initial reading on the origin of the concept of races stands out in my memory the most. It seems like such an unnecessary concept, and yet our society places so much weight on race as an identity. The concept of dichotomization was probably the first instance where I realized I was in the habit of unfairly categorizing people. The idea that a person is either in one group or another definitely seems to be an immediate system of sorting that happens in my own mind. I also got a lot out of the section of Framework Essay 2 that was about experiencing your social status, or the idea that our statuses act as filters through which we experience the world around us. “Just as status helps to explain what we notice, it also explains what we don’t notice.” (Essay 2, page 195) I also learned a lot from Framework 3’s section on ideologies and the idea that these dominating ideologies can invalidate even our own experiences if they don’t align with what is commonly believed by society. Overall, I got a lot out of this course and I think it was a valuable experience that I wish I could share with more people. (237 words)
3) My action plan to enhance understanding is to firstly be kind. I know people don’t respond or listen to angry screaming about social issues—It has to be kind. I can respond to things with empathy in order to open up conversations about diversity, because we need to be able to talk about it. I also need to break down my own internal assumptions based on myths as mentioned by the reading, What Can We Do? “It’s always been this way” (page 502) is a common ideology where I’m from, and it simply isn’t true. I also like what this same reading had to say about visible change: “…if we’re going to be part of the solution, we have to let go of the idea that change doesn’t happen unless we’re around to see it happen.” (page 503) The rest of my action plan would be based on this same reading. Simply refusing to participate in things that perpetuate societal issues is a step in the right direction. I don’t need to condemn those who do, but by not participating, I can set an example and show that things don’t need to stay the way they are—without being self-righteous about it. For example, not praising older movies that make a joke out of things like sexual assault because it wasn’t considered that at the time, or—as the reading suggests—not laughing at a joke made by someone. “By our example, we can contradict basic assumptions and their legitimacy over and over again.” (What Can We Do? Page 506) (260 words)
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Heidi
05/13/2019 12:58 pm
Hi Lindy,
I enjoyed reading the quotes and topics you touched on. I did not realize the depth of dichotomization and effects until reading more from the book. I also took away insight from the "It's always been this way" ideology. I really enjoyed the readings and how easy it was to connect with something and find an application in my own life. I think it was refreshing to know that there are people open to having conversations about diversity. I've always appreciated diversity but found so many people weary of talking about it. I believe it was in one of the videos I watched, the person talking mentioned something to the effect of, if we ignore diversity and talking about it we ignore a lot about a person and cannot truly know each other well.
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Gabriel
05/10/2019 2:01 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
Framework essay #4 was about what we can do, as individuals, to work towards social justice and equality. In the first part of the essay, the authors acknowledge that it may be easy for a person “to feel powerless in the face of what appear to be overwhelming social forces.” But they go on to assure us that one of the main reasons that they wrote this textbook was to help empower students, through education, to become active forces for social change. Besides a possible feeling of powerlessness, the authors note that the observative, somewhat sterile nature of academics often doesn’t help to enable students to become passionate and engaged advocates of change; the questions of what should be done about certain issues lie outside the scope of academics. To summarize, the authors use Peter Berger’s “Janus-faced” analogy that we play a part in the creation of society and we are also made by it.
As far as what we as individuals can do, and to further dispel any fearful indecision on our part, the authors point out that “we make the road by walking”. To quote my father, “Let’s do something, even if it’s wrong.” I never understood that statement as a youth, and it could certainly be misconstrued, but the idea is that we learn a lot through action, even when that action entails a certain number of mistakes. We learn nothing by doing nothing.
The authors then go on to suggest that to be most effective in our efforts we must first work on ourselves. To do this we must:
1. Increase our tolerance for mistakes
2. Learn to appreciate the statuses that we occupy (not being ashamed of who we are)
3. Learn to sit in the fire (let go of guilt and/or anger and learn to appreciate other perspectives)
4. Be an ally and appreciate your allies 312 words
What did I learn from this course? I learned about the creation of human difference, especially as it pertains to our current society here in North America. I learned about the creation of race, as we understand it in this country and why it was done. How this creation of a human hierarchy, with white men at the top of the pile and all others sorted out below was used to justify slavery, manifest destiny and the westward expansion of the United States (at the peril of the Native Americans), global colonialism, disenfranchisement of women, and many other things that served to keep white men in power. I learned about the concept of “master statuses” and what statuses are considered privileged and which ones are considered stigmatized. I learned about ideologies, that they are usually the perception and values of people in power and may not be at all in line with my own perceptions and values. I learned that often, ideologies and stigmas are perpetuated by the powerful to protect their own self-interests and, I believe, to divide and conquer. I learned about some of the methods and language that are used to perpetuate and enforce oppressive ideas and institutions, such as stereotyping, and natural law language. I got an opportunity to have a closer look at myself and learn about some of the ingrained, subconscious prejudices that I have. And finally, I learned a bit on how to be a part of change for the better 248 words
What are some of the things that I can do to enhance human understanding? I think the first thing I can do, and probably one of the most important things, is to have a good look at myself and my values – to see where there may be prejudicial, subconscious ideas at work in my life and to part ways with them, as best I can. This could be a very difficult thing to do and, I suspect, may be a life-long endeavor. If I had to be perfectly honest, my prejudices are self-serving and letting go of them, even in exchange for something more truthful could prove to be uncomfortable and a blow to my tender ego. I think that’s what the authors were talking about in Framework Essay #4 regarding learning to appreciate your own statuses (warts and all) and learning to sit in fire (learn to feel your own discomfort at new found insights).
I think a big thing for me is learning how to better appreciate other people’s experiences and perspectives. It’s very easy for me to say to myself, “Well, that’s never happened to me” and it becomes easy for me to minimize or completely dismiss that person’s experience. So, I think I would do well to admit and live that idea that my experiences are not THE WHOLE TRUTH. They may be a part of the truth, but then I need to concede that other peoples experiences and perspectives may just as likely contain truths.
Also, I can be a better advocate and ally to people in oppressed or stigmatized statuses. Especially as a white man. I’ve spent most of my life saying, “That doesn’t affect me” when things got sticky. I can find some courage to stand up for the people around me who may be experiencing stigma or oppression. I can do the right thing. 312 words
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Rebecca
05/12/2019 2:01 pm
Hi Gabriel, I like that you mention that it's easy for us to shrug off others experiences if we have never experienced them ourselves. Just because we haven't experienced it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Also just because we experienced it one way doesn't mean they experienced it the same way. We can gain a lot of perspective on listening to others. Different perspectives can change our ideas and the way we treat people. (74 words)
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Kayla V
05/10/2019 2:18 pm
Summary
This essay was about the sense of feeling powerless and ways to overcome that feeling. There were four important main points. The first one was “Increase your tolerance for making mistakes,” which basically says get used to making mistakes and learn from them. The second one was “Appreciate the statuses you occupy,” which is about appreciating your status whether it be stigmatized or privileged. The third one was “Learn to sit in the fire,” is about anger and not letting other people’s anger become yours and not letting your anger overwhelm you. The last point was “Be an ally. Appreciate your allies,” which is exacting what it says, and the authors ended with this lesson because it is what they thought was the most important lesson out of them all. They go on to explain that “an ally is simply someone committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses.” The essay also talked about how you can’t make social change without learning who you are first. And that “if you are going to pursue something as important as social change, it might as well be you who is doing it, not your impersonation of someone else.” Word Count: 200
What I learned from this course.
There were so many things that I learned from this course. I was surprised about how much I didn’t know and about how much material we would get through. Before this class, I really didn’t know a lot about diversity and what it all entailed, but now I can say I know a lot more on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, social classes, sexuality, and disability and know the differences between them. I learned that race is “the conception that people can be classified into groups based on skin color, hair texture, shape of head, eyes, nose, and lips.” Before this course, I thought it was only based on putting people into groups based only on their skin color. I also learned what a stigma is and what it means to be stigmatized or privileged. Another main subject I hadn’t known about was master status which I found to be very interesting. I even learned more about the history of race and social classes, which I thought I knew a decent amount about before this class. I also thought it was neat how at the end everything came together and all related to each other. In the end, I enjoyed the class and learned more than what I thought I would. Word Count: 210
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues.
I feel that there are many ways to enhance human understanding that are related to diversity issues. Many people think there is nothing they can do to change the world and how people see diversity issues, but anyone can make a difference if they try. There is so much discrimination in the world and we can stand up to it. I think one thing everyone can do is to just be kind and respect to everyone because we should all be treating equal no matter where we come from or how we look. One thing I can do is standing up for others who are discriminated against. Everyone seems to be quick to judge others and group them in categories. Everyone is different in their own way and come from different backgrounds and we must not so quick to judge by appearance. Another thing we can all do is teach younger generations about diversity and how diversity is good. It is important for them to learn about diversity and be able to ask questions about it and to be able to feel comfortable with themselves and in this world with all the diversity. I think in general by being a positive, kind, respectful, and caring person can go a long way and make a difference in this world. Word Count: 218
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Shelby
05/10/2019 8:02 pm
FE4 Summary
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
Framework Essay 4 talks about bridging difference or making a connection to two different things. This essay encourages us to work on social change and it begins with ourselves. Myles Horton and Paulo Freire published a dialogue called “We Make the road by Walking.” In my opinion, they are trying to say they we need to create our own path. We are the ones that have the most control over our situations. We need to learn on our own, make decisions on our own and not impersonate others. FE4 talks about four lessons it suggests working on ourselves so that we can challenge the differences that we all have.
Increase out tolerance for making mistakes. -we need to understand that we are going to make mistakes, we just need to accept that and learn from them.
Appreciate the statuses we occupy – or accept ourselves for who we are. We are our biggest critics. If we can accept ourselves then we have a better chance of accepting others no matter their status.
Learn to “sit in the fire” - or we need to learn that things are not always going to be easy. We must face conflict head on.
Be an ally. Appreciate your allies – or help each other; be a voice for someone who can’t. We need to have each other’s back.
FE4 wants us as humans to “understand that challenging the constructions of difference is well within our capabilities.” (page 490) Word count: 256
Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
I feel like I learned a lot from this course. To be honest, when I first started this class, I almost decided to drop it because I felt it was boring and pointless. Maybe it was more so because it was trying to teach me something that I really didn’t think I could change, I honestly felt powerless. Now, I have noticed myself looking at differences more differently. I find myself seeing more diversity but in a positive way. I am starting to incorporate it into my everyday life. For example, I had to write an analysis essay in my English Comp class, and I wrote it on the diversity of the winners from the show The Voice. I never would have thought about writing something like that if it wasn’t for this class. I have heard the words privileges, statuses and stereotypes but I didn’t understand completely what they meant. I always looked at them as a negative, when in reality it can be a positive thing for people. It also amazed me to really see how much we as a human race have improved compared to the “olden” days. It means there is room for more change, and we are growing. Do I think we will never have an issue with racism, stereotypes and stigmatism at some point? No, but we can hope and start making the changes ourselves.Word count: 231
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
I feel like I can enhance human understanding related to diversity issues by talking about it. Usually I just keep my mouth shut but I feel the need to speak up about things now. If someone cracks a racist joke around me, I am going to make them feel uncomfortable and tell them not to talk about that around me. I am going to discuss more things with my children. I strongly feel that certain issues get passed down from generation to generation. If my great grandfather was racist, there is a good chance that my grandfather, father and myself would also be racist. So, to avoid that, I want to talk to my children more. Make them understand that it is ok to be different and to not care what others think. I want them to be apart of the change as much as I want to. I want to teach them to listen and be helpful instead of ignoring or keeping quiet. Things will never change if we do not teach this to our children so they can teach this to their children. I want to start with myself first. I need to be more confident and love myself for who I am and then I will teach my children the same. All we can hope, is they listen.
Word count: 221
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
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Sake
05/10/2019 11:33 pm
Summarize Framework Essay 4
This last framework of Bridging Differences goes over the recognition of the power of the statues. We may feel powerless but it was meant for us to understand and create alliance in race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability. While we think we can’t do or change anything, there are things that we can also make a difference. “We make the road by walking,” if you want to make social change, you need to be the one who start doing it. That you might not have the answer to everything and be your own resources but you will just have to start doing it. Once you start with yourself first, you will find that you may make mistake along the way. The authors stated that this fine and there was no way avoid but to increase your tolerance on your mistakes and learn from it. The author said another thing you should be doing is appreciating the master statutes you occupy. This is because once you realize and happy your own statues, it can be spread to other statues in making changes. The last couple thing you can do are learn to understand and listen from other statues rather than anger. The final thing the author stated here is learn to be an ally and appreciate your allies. We need to learn how to live and connect with other statues. That is how you can make social change collaboratively along with others.
(word count: 242)
Share what you learned from this course.
I learn many things from racism, discrimination, prejudice, privilege, stereotype and all other statues. I now have a deeper understanding and more aware of the people around and our society. I know that I occupy on a statue that often being judged because of my race and it was difficult for me to cope. With the information on the text, I realize that there are people who may not have the same experience and have different status. The text also refreshes some of the court cases from “The Meaning of Difference” framework. It was something I learn long time ago in grade school but now it really makes much more sense. We can’t change everything but through laws and constitution, we can challenge and bring these issues to make social change. One of the amazing things I learn is FE4 about be ally and appreciate them. I truly believe social change can be done through alliances. I have channel some of my social concerns to friends and people I know along my life which they are white statues. By allowing them to understand my need and cause, they can help me spread the cause and change social equality. Overall, I find this class enjoyable and the knowledge and differences I learn from the text, instructor and my classmates.
(word count: 218)
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding.
I believe one of the most important in human understanding is communicate and sharing your status. I think once people start to understand who you are and why certain things about your race, sex, class, sexuality and disability, they will eventually see that differences and accept it. You will also need to listen and willing to accept that everyone is different as well. Whether you occupy a higher or lower master statues, you should be proud and appreciate it. Happiness and change start with you therefore, when you appreciate yourself, other will too. Not only that, you can pass that same happiness to others by making them understand who they are. To make further social change, you should look at the benefit for the long-term and willing to act on it. This mean that what you do today or tomorrow might not matter but 10-20 years from now may have impact on it. The path might seem impossible and lonely but as the text stated, “Work on Yourself First.” By doing so, we can set good example for our children, family, friends, and the community and hope one day, they will walk that path and making a change as well.
(word count: 200)
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Lucas
05/11/2019 2:21 pm
Sakee,
I really enjoyed reading your final section. I agree whole heartedly with what you have written. My favorite line is "Happiness and change start with you therefore, when you appreciate yourself, others will too." This is so true. You need to love yourself, before you can start to love others. We all need to accept where we come from, no matter where we come from.
Great job! (68 words)
Lucas
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Erica
05/11/2019 10:06 am
The beginning of this essay is an explanation of why the authors wrote the book, they state that It is not to make the people who read the book feel powerless but rather to open new doors and show some options for things that people would otherwise pass up or look over. This frame work essay then continues to explain what it would be like if you chose to feel completely powerless in the eye of social change. They decided that it was education and personal decision that would decide if one was completely powerless or if they rose to the occasion. Myles Horton was someone that the framework essay talked about, stating that Horton used education as an instrument for bringing new social order. The end of the framework essay gave steps for working on yourself first, they are the following; increase your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate the statuses you occupy, learn to ‘sit in the fire’, be an ally/appreciate your allies. The first step, increase the tolerance for making mistakes is pretty much what it sounds like, allow yourself the opportunity to make mistakes. The second step is appreciating the statuses you occupy, allowing yourself to be content and happy in your status will give a great foundation for you to respond to questions from others. Step 3 learn to sit in the fire. Learning to be in control of the anger so it doesn’t possess you. Step 4 be an ally and appreciate your allies. This one is super self-explanatory, and the book deems this one as one of the most important, because to have allies means you’re not alone and you have a solid foundation. 280 words
I learned a lot in this course, the different definitions that I would have otherwise just believed they were the same, like race and ethnicity. I also learned that race and ethnicity aren’t the only way to discriminate or have prejudice there are several other categories of people that face the same amount of discrimination as people with different races or ethnic backgrounds. For example, gays and lesbians, those that are disabled, mentally or physically. Which is weird to think about at first but then once you are aware you see it everywhere. I also learned that stigma plays a huge role in how people interact with each other, as well as how people treat each other. The most interesting thing that I have learned was reading one of the framework essays and it was about not being able to change your social status. That your social status was ultimately the same as your parents and no matter how hard you worked it would be very unlikely that you’d move social status. Which is amazing to me because the saying I’ve heard was always that you can achieve whatever you want you just have to work hard for it, and this just shut down that idea. 206 words
I believe to enhance human understanding; people need to experience it or have further knowledge on the subject of diversity. I believe that judgment and hatred come from misunderstanding and miscommunication. I think that people fear what they don’t know and because the subject of diversity covers so many different topics with a lot of information it’s very difficult for the average person to understand and accept most of what diversity is. So, I am a firm believer that if a diversity class of any type was offered more or even was a required course, people would be less inclined to judge or have hatred because they would have been exposed to the subject at least once or twice in their life time. Aside from learning and being educated, to enhance the human understanding experiencing diversity will always be an option. I enjoy travelling so I love to experience the diversity of cultures, and religions, and food. I believe that experiencing diversity allows for a different perspective than if one just read about it which of course would further enhance the human experience. In my opinion, experiencing diversity will enhance the human understanding of diversity, as well as further education people on diversity. 203 words
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Lucas
05/11/2019 2:11 pm
Summary: The final framework essay in our textbook really ties together everything we have learned so far. It is the perfect ending point to such a broad topic. It is properly named bridging differences. After everything we've read so far, this final section wraps everything so that we can bridge our differences with other cultures. In this section, there are four main lessons on what we should concentrate on. The first being to increase our tolerance on making mistakes. We are so afraid of saying the wrong thing, so we tend not to say anything, and that doesn't help build connections. The second lesson, appreciate the statuses you occupy. Whether you're at the bottom, middle, or top of the totem pole, be grateful for what you have. Third, learn to "sit in the fire." Do not let someone else's anger or hate get a reaction out of you. It is also okay to be the one who is angry. But if you are angry, do not let it overwhelm you. It's good to feel strongly about something, but not so strongly that you push people away. Finally, you can be an ally. Be there for those you need it. As Uncle Ben once said, "with great power, comes great responsibility." Use the power you have for good, before that power gets taken away. (222 words)
What I've learned: There's been a lot to take in after the past 5 months of being in this class. It really helped me learn the terminology of issues I have already known about, and some issues I can better identify. Two things I've learned that have stuck in my head are looping and natural law language. I have seen these things in my life for so long and it wasn't until a couple of months ago that I could properly identify them. It makes me feel better to know that I understand the history and meaning behind these terms and become better educated on diversity topics. After being in this class, I have become more self aware of my own privilege. As a middle class white male living in the United States, I have world at my finger tips. I have and can obtain the tools I need to be successful in life. I can also recognize that others do not have it as easy as I do. Learning about biases was also very interesting and better understanding my psyche. The world as a whole can be so different because of where you're from and how you're raised. People experience life differently and I find it very interesting to hear people's experiences. (210 words)
What I can do: What I can do for my fellow man is very important to me. I want to be an advocate for those who need it. As a teacher I love to help, and not just children. I want to be a bridge builder. I want to help build connections from my community to those who need the help. I wish to shed the light on certain topics and concerns in this world that other people might not realize are happening. I can do this by keeping myself informed and sharing with those who wish to help. That also have the same goals as me. I would like to live in a world where people can feel comfortable in their own skin. They don't have to worry about getting verbally assaulted, physically assaulted, or sexually assaulted. We as a human race don't necessarily have to all become one group, but we can cooperate when necessary. We can speak out for each other, lend a hand when needed, and just be kind. We need to educate the uneducated to stop these unnecessary phobias. There's all kinds of kinds of people in this world, it is okay to be different. If everyone were the same, life would be pretty boring. (206 words)
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Courtney
05/11/2019 10:57 pm
I absolutely love your answer about what you can do to enhance human understanding of diversity. We don't necessarily all have to agree on the same things or have the same beliefs, but it would make life so much easier and simpler if we could just overlook the differences and be decent human beings to everyone we meet. It's just like going to a place of employment. We may not agree with or enjoy all of the people we work with, but we're still expected to treat them with respect, dignity, and professionalism. We expect that for ourselves and we need to project that onto others.
Word count: 106
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Deven
05/11/2019 4:17 pm
The idea behind this framework essay was to wrap the book up in a way that made the reader not feel powerless when it came to the idea of making social changes. We are introduced to a paradox called the “Janus-faced” nature of human society. What this ultimately represents is, “just as individuals are rarely wholly powerful, neither are they wholly powerless”, and “we both make society and are made by it”. It is paradoxes like these, as well as Gandhi’s paradox that make known to us our place in society and how we can change it. We read about how education has the power to produce social change, but at the same time you must realize that you will never have all of the answers and must be your own resource. To bring about this change, we read about four steps that involve looking within and staring with our own change. The first step is to increase tolerance for making mistakes; there is no way around making them, so get used to it and accept that they will happen. The second step is to appreciate the statuses you occupy; don’t be ashamed of who you are and learn the full history of your people. There will be shame and dysfunction, but heroes as well. Third, learn to “sit in the fire”; these discussions come with heavy emotions and conflict. Don’t focus on your own guilt, as it brings attention to you and taking it away from the people you are trying to understand. And finally, be an ally; be someone committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. Educate yourself about those you’re standing up for. Word Count: 282
The course and our readings have taught me so much about not only how I view the world around me, but how I am contributing to the social constructions I encounter. I am able to better connect with others that share my statuses, both stigmatized and not. I have also gained insight of my own prejudices, both conscious and unconscious. I was fascinated to learn the history behind how many of the stigmatized statuses came to be that way. I now have more ways to open myself to the experiences of others. When I came to the framework essay for section four of the book, I really did feel a lot of the things that the authors wrote about; feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the grand scheme of things. I knew what being an ally was, but I didn’t realize how best to be one. I do feel like just doing a little can help a lot, and I’d like to think there are many people like myself out there who can help just a little; power in numbers can make a change.
Word Count: 184
I think that making others understand diversity starts with yourself. Recognize where you stand in society, but don’t guilt yourself over things you may have said or believed in the past about others. Learn about those different from yourself. Recognize that those differences exist; I think a lot of people say that we are all the same, but I don’t agree with that. Differences are not inherently wrong or right, and different does not mean bad just as same does not mean good. I also like the idea of the power of education to produce social change. While I realize that people have to want to change and see the best in others, I aim to use myself as an example to those around me what it means to embrace diversity and model how they can as well. The reading has made me realize that this change will not happen overnight, but I hope to have a hand in how the next generation sees the world and it’s people around them.
Word Count: 172
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Courtney
05/11/2019 10:49 pm
Modify Date: 05/11/19 10:49pm
1. Summary of FE4:
In this framework essay, it teaches us about change and that the power that each of us holds. The ability to do so and helps us to understand that this will take time and we may not see the affects in our lifetime. “People learn from each other. You don’t need to know the answer.” Small efforts by any person can start a chain reaction and we just need to focus on doing the right thing. This essay makes a person feel insignificant, but powerful at the same time. We all have choices to make. We can be the ones to make jokes or to even allow another person to make jokes based on race, ethnicity, gender, social class, sexuality, and disability. Or we can be the one to stand up and to have the confidence to say something. This essay explains that it’s the bravery to be different that is most important. Once the first person has the courage to stand up to the mass, it will then make it much easier for others to follow. They explain how most people are most likely to travel the road with least resistance, but it only takes one person and the initiative to lead others down another path. “We make the road by walking.”
Word count: 213
2. What I learned from the course:
I was nervous to take this course, because I have never been that interested in “fighting a system” and being an activist for change. I thought I would be uninterested in the course, but it was the opposite. It made me much more aware of my own conscious, subconscious, actions, and thoughts of others. This class has also inspired me to want to be part of the solution. I want to make a difference and influence the world in a positive way. I want to help make the world a more equal place for all different groups or classes of people. Wouldn’t it be great if no one felt judged, unincluded, or outcasted? This class has taught me that everything is not always so black and white. It’s not as simple as it may seem to some. Diversity, stereotypes, and the daily dilemmas that we meet every day can have such a huge impact on our beliefs and actions. We also need to understand that not everyone will share the same ones with us, but we should always stand up for what we believe to be the right thing. I also learned a lot of history from this class. I see how societies have evolved and improved, but I can still see that we have so much more we can do.
Word count: 221
3. What I can do to enhance human understanding of diversity:
There are so many things we can each do to create acknowledgement of the issues people face. You can play a very active role and protest, speak out, and go to rallies. Or you could play a more subtle role such as asking someone not to make any more comments that make you feel uncomfortable or that you don’t like, a bumper sticker, a t-shirt with a saying, or just trying to educate others in daily life. We can take examples from this book and include them into our daily lives. Sometimes it doesn’t take a big gesture or screaming it from the rooftops. I personally know that I am not that kind of person to push my beliefs onto somebody else, unless that person were to try to do it to me. I know that I am more of the subtle type person. Even with this, I can’t say that I would plaster this on my car or my clothing. Some may see it as a cowardly thing, but I think that it just draws more negative attention than positive. No matter what I or others choose to do or what route they decide to go, if we don’t encourage or join in on the discrimination, stereotyping and secluding of others, then we will be improving our society. I know that I will be doing more than this and I will be taking a more active stance in standing up for the ones that are mostly affected by it and I just hope that my small efforts create a change in others around me as well.
Word count: 267
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Nich
05/11/2019 11:25 pm
Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
In this course, I learned that we need to be open to new ideas and just because something has always been a certain way it probably has not been. I learned it may take a long time for change to take place but we need to be willing to take steps to be the change. One thing that I remember well from this course was the IAT test we took from the reading. The IAT test showed how our unconscious attitudes can be incompatible with our stated conscious values. When mixing two very different categories in an IAT test it showed how much more difficult it was to complete. I also saw how things like even height can reflect how you are viewed in a professional way and how it can affect your earnings. This was just one thing that helped me see how biases can affect our lives. Allan talked about challenges we face with patterns of exclusion, rejection, privilege, harassment, discrimination, and violence that are everywhere in this society and have existed for hundreds. Most people have not done anything to help create a change because they don’t see themselves as part of the problem or the solution. One myth that has come from this is “IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY, AND IT ALWAYS WILL”. “It’s only a matter of how quickly, by what means, and toward what alternatives, and whether each of us will do our part to make it happen sooner rather than later and with less rather than more human suffering in the process.”
Word Count: 259
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
I think the biggest thing we can do to enhance human understanding is first to educate yourself on varies diversity issues and then we can help be the change and influence to those around us. I think that we can be a change to those around us but it is not going to happen overnight so it is important to realize to change we must continue to keeping working at it.
Word Count: 71
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Ling
05/12/2019 12:21 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
1.Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points
The framework essay 4 is trying to connect with readers and give us hope that challenging the constructions of difference is well within all of our capacities. In this book, we have recognized the power of master statues and the significance of our conceptions of difference in everything from personal identity to world events, it is easy to feel powerless in the face of what appear to be overwhelming social forces. For the authors, the idea of looking at race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability all together opened up new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances.
Educational institutions teach us our rights and our history, sharpen our thinking and decision-making, and open us to others’ lived experience. They urge us to move beyond your sense of being powerless and get on with the work of social change. Challenging social constructions of difference by working on yourself first is the unavoidable first step on the road. There are four main lessons on which to concentrate: increase your tolerance for making mistakes which means just get used to making mistakes; Appreciate the statuses you occupy which means not being ashamed of who you are; Learn to “sit in the fire” which means bridging differences sometimes means we must be willing to handle the conflict and intense emotion; Be an ally and appreciate your allies;
221 words
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 point
In this course, I learned a lot about how difference is constructed in contemporary American society. I learned that master statuses like race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability are currently the primary axes of difference in America society. And what can we do to make a difference.
From the assignments we did and the personal accounts in the books I have a better understanding of the master statues we carry and how it affects our daily life. It’s interesting to learn the different ways we view others and other culture. Also I realize that the privilege and stigma we carried can change according to the situation we are in.
I also have struggles to finish the assignments on time. This course requires lots of reading and digesting the materials and give my own thoughts according to my personal experiences. The best thing I’ve learned from this course is that acknowledging the existence of difference and accept it. Never judge a book by its cover, because you won’t know the stories in it unless you read it first.
179 words
3. 3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
To enhance human understanding related to diversity issues, here are something that we can do.
First, we need to understand and be aware of what diversity is and what master statuses people carry with them and how they affect people’s lives.
Second, accept the existence of difference and respect it.
The last but not the least, be part of the change to enhance it.
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Selina
05/12/2019 4:47 am
Weeks 16- 17.
You have spent a great amount of time on designing 3 hands-on projects.
For the last Framework Essay, you only need to do:
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
Summary:
Framework essay four is about how to make connections with others in spite of and because of differences. The essay describes ways to make these connections such as, working on yourself first. The four key concepts listed to begin working on yourself to better be able to make meaningful connections with others starts with, “Increase your tolerance for making mistakes” (486). You may not know exactly what to do or what to say to make these connections and relationships and that is okay, what is important is that you make the effort. The second key concept is, “Appreciate the statuses you occupy” (486). You need to understand where you come from so that you can figure out where you are going. Even if a master status you occupy has shame associated with it, it is important to overcome the shame and be proud of who you are while also avoiding false pride. The third concept is, “Learn to “sit in the fire””(487). Coming to terms with your own statuses and making relationships with others may involve talking and working through emotional and uncomfortable topics but is worth it in the long run. The last concept is, “Be an ally. Appreciate your allies” (488). The main message of the essay is to make an effort and allow yourself to make mistakes. There are no exact instructions on how to overcome differences so mistakes will happen but with genuine effort and care it will be worth it in the long run. Word count 250.
What I learned from this course:
This course was very eye opening about the differences, real or perceived, between people. I learned all about master statuses and the discrimination and stigmatization of some of these statuses. What stood out to me the most was the concept of aversive racism, where people avoid interactions with someone of a different race out of fear of saying or doing something unintentionally offensive. I feel like this is a common thing happening in society right now. I was surprised while learning about status privileges and discrimination. I knew that these things existed but I had never really taken the time to stop and reflect upon it and any role I may unintentionally be filling in the process. I was also a little surprised to learn about all the discrimination and stereotyping that is still common in society today. I think it was helpful and important to learn about these topics so that I may be able to change my behavior and thinking to hopefully make an impact in changing the status quo. This last unit was encouraging and helpful to get me thinking about things I can do, inwardly and outwardly, to make an impact. It might seem like nothing you do as just one person can make an impact but it’s by everyone doing their own little part that things change. Word count: 222.
What I can do:
I can help promote understanding by what I do on a day to day basis. I can be friendly and understanding to people who may be different than me in some way. I can fight against these stereotypes by ignoring them and promoting ideas about people that go against whatever stereotype may be associated with a status they occupy. I can help promote understanding by working on myself first and understanding my own stigmas and privileges. I can treat everyone I meet with kindness and respect and hopefully that behavior will be contagious. From the perspective of my future career as a library worker I can help promote understanding by treating all customers with respect and kindness. I can make the library a place of acceptance and understanding where everyone is safe regardless of the statuses they occupy. Then maybe the attitude and atmosphere of the library will spread to other aspects of the community. I can lead by example and respectfully inform others of any unintentional discrimination that may be taking place on a company or personal level. People won’t change their behavior until they understand their behavior may be hurtful. Not to say that it is appropriate to go around and shame people but that there should be appropriate standards in place at a workplace and that both parties involved can grow from a mutually respectful and open conversation. Word count: 231.
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Miranda
05/12/2019 10:04 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
In Framework Essay 4 they go on to talk about when they were writing this book it was not meant to show how things are and that we can not control them, but to recognize certain behavior patterns and how things can be changed when understood. This essay talks about when you understand these concepts of the differences, we all have. Although some do not need to have the experience having the knowledge is power. “Learning changes, us, and higher education is explicit in its intention to produce that effect.”
In this essay, they also talk about how important education is. Myles Horton stated “Use education as one of the instruments for being about new order” what Horton was stating here is that the more we educate ourselves the less ignorant we are due to our knowledge of the past, present, and future. Horton also goes on to say that we can learn from other people without having been told the answer. Four lessons to live by are also stated in this essay which is 1.) Increase your tolerance for making mistakes, 2.) Appreciate the statuses you occupy, 3.) Learn to “sit in the fire”, 4.) be an ally. Appreciate your allies. With each lesson, it is self-explanatory what the meaning means that represent. (216 words)
When I began this course, I thought it would be a review of what I already knew or that some of the things we would learn about were already common sense. I was wrong, there are many terms that I have heard of but never knew the complete meaning to. I was not sure if this course would have any impact on my career choice as a registered nurse, I now know it does have a big impact on my career choice as we see many different types of situations that arise. Having taken this course I can say I am much more aware of the complexities that involve communicating and understanding one’s thoughts and opinions. Understanding the concepts that some behaviors may show if important to be educated wit in any situation. We all have the chance to change how we look at the world, we have the chance to change the world too. If we all carry the same thoughts and actions to make the world a better place, we can if we do it together. Learning more about the concepts that we carry and the reasons for them had me intrigued. Going through the chapters I did not feel as though the authors were making me feel powerless but knowledgeable. (215 words).
One thing that I have noticed in this book was understanding human behavior myself. I think that if we are all educated on why some people have different approaches to things can also help people stop judging and running with “ideas” they may have. If everyone was more open minded and took the time to understand others the world would be a much better place. As humans, we are all different, in the way we think, act or how we perceive others. Understanding the concepts that shape us into who we are today is fascinating to learn and read about and can help others understand why certain people do certain things and the reasons behind them. When we know how or why things are the way they are it leaves no room for judgment. If we were to rid judgment and understood more the human race would be more pleasant. To enhance human understanding people would have to be more open-minded to the differences we all have, and someone to educate those who are not educated on the complexity that makes us who we are. (words 201)
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Kelly
05/12/2019 10:32 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
1. This framework essay was written to help the reader understand what this book was trying to teach us. The readings were not meant to scare us or make us feel bad. They were meant to give us some awareness about the world around us. The summary talked about increasing our tolerances when making a mistake. This is a huge one for me. Being a perfectionist, it is sometimes are for me to tolerate a failure. “Appreciate the statuses you occupy”, I really enjoyed this one, this on is saying to accept yourself and who you are. Don’t hide things about yourself from people, be proud of who you are. Next this essay talks about guilt, which I think is a huge problem for some people. As a single mom I do carry around a lot of guilt about not spending as much time with my kid because I’m busy working or doing homework. The book’s advice is to not to succumb to it which I think it great advice. It is very easy to wallow in the guilt one is feeling.
Words 180
2. What I learned in this class is to be less judgmental and that it sometimes takes a team to change something in society. This was a very informative class and I did learn a lot from it. The Framework essays were a large part of this learning experience. The PowerPoint projects were large, but they helped one walk through the essay and explore and understand it more. I enjoyed finding videos to place in these projects. Also finding pictures for the vocabulary terms helped place a visual on what we were learning. The other half of our learning experiences came from readings from the book. I found these to be enjoyable. They are all very knowledgeable and gave insight to different people’s lives or experiences.
Going into this class I had no idea what to expect and what I can say is that I enjoyed it very much. The readings that were picked for us were well worth it.
Words 159
3. One way a person could enhance human understanding would be by education. The more a person is educated the more a person can understand the information that put in front of them. Education such as school, books, lectures, etc. will help the learner understand and learn new things. No matter the way of learning the learner must be open to learning about new things. The learner must be open to learning otherwise the knowledge given to him or her will not sink in. I have always felt that learning was a wonderful experience. Always keep your brain working. Like the old saying if you don’t use it then you lose it.
Words 111
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Mollie
05/12/2019 6:17 pm
I wasn't really sure what to expect when registering for this course either, but I was happy with the outcomes. I also feel that I learned a lot from the readings, and I understand how important diversity really is.
Education is such an important tool that can be underused or sometimes unavailable, which is unfortunate. I hope that education can become more readily available for everyone in the future, so everyone has the same options as more privileged individuals do.
Word Count: 80
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Payge
05/12/2019 11:00 am
Summarize Framework Essay 4 with 200+ words. 6 points.
Framework essay four was written to help us understand why the book was written and what it was trying to teach us. The book was not trying to make us feel bad but to open our eyes and show us the world around us. This essay talks about how “nothing we do as individuals matters, but that it’s vitally important to do it anyways.” One of the ways we can do that is by working on ourselves first by working on ourselves we are able to challenge social constructions of difference. The four main lessons on which to concentrate on are while working on yourself are increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate the statuses you occupy, learn to “sit in the fire”, and be an ally- appreciate your allies. They also talk about how it is important to recognize that to some extent you will need to be your own resource and that you will never have all the answers that you need but it is still important to ask for help from your allies. The authors of this book hope that we are walking away with an understanding that challenging the constructions of difference is well within all of our capabilities and no longer feel powerless and insignificant.
(word count 210)
Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
Starting this class, I was not sure I was going to enjoy it. However, as the weeks went on, I found out a lot about myself. Just because I think I feel a certain way about something, like prejudice against others, it does not mean that my actions show that. Figuring out that we all have some sort of prejudice even when we truly believe that we don’t made me feel guilty. I was raised to treat everyone as an equal no matter who they are or what they look like but reading the readings and reflecting on them made me realize that my actions do not always reflect that. I also learned that the world is always slowly changing even if we don’t see rapid results from our efforts to make sure everyone has equal rights despite their race, sex, social class, disability, or sexual orientation. This class also taught me to open my eyes and watch the world around me instead of just my narrow path. My actions change the path and lives of other people even if I don’t realize that it does. This class has also made me realize I need to do a better job at making sure that my own children are part of the change and not part of the problem. They need to make sure they are aware that just because something isn’t a problem for them it doesn’t mean it’s not a problem for someone else.
(word count 245)
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points
There is a lot we can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity. However, the first step should always be to reflect upon yourself and look within to see how you can change yourself. Making sure that you are not quick to judge others by their appearance, social class, race, sex, sexual orientation, or a stereotype should be the first step for everyone. By first doing that yourself you can then help others to make sure that they are doing the same. Not accepting things like that bullying or even treating someone different based on their social class as a social norm will make huge steps towards the world being a more equal and safer place for everyone. A lot of judgement against others comes from a lack of knowledge about others around us. By taking the time to learn about other cultures beyond our own we will be able to quickly stop a lot of stereotyping and judging that happens on a daily basis all around us. One other thing we can do to enhance human understanding is simply just asking questions and talking to other people around us. No two people’s journey is the same and by taking the time to talk to others it will open our eyes to the world around us.
(word count 217 )
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Alexis P
05/12/2019 12:15 pm
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
Framework Essay 4 is about why this book was written the way it was. This essay starts out by discussing how students feel that there is little they can do to challenge the constructions of difference in our society. The authors of this essay and book wrote this essay to help us understand what we can do to challenge the social constructions of differences. The first step before anything else in challenging the social constructions of differences in to work on yourself first. This is the unavoidable first step. There are four main lessons following working on yourself first. The first lesson is increasing your tolerance for making mistakes. This means you must not hold yourself back and allow yourself to make a mistake so you can learn from each one. The next lesson is appreciating the statuses that you occupy. This lesson means not being ashamed of who you are and appreciating the stigmatized and privileged statuses that you have. The third lesson is to learn to “sit in the fire”. This lesson means that with the emotion like guilt and anger that accompanies some statuses, you must be able to sit and take the heat and repercussions that come with them. Lastly, the last lesson is be an ally and appreciate your allies. This lesson means finding those like you with similar views and sticking with them and appreciating them . The authors concluded this essay by saying they are sure many of their readers felt powerless in the beginning, but they hope now with the four lessons that the readers feel that it is in their hands to make a difference.
Word Count: 274 Words
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
This course really helped me expand my thoughts on overall diversity. For as long as I can remember, I always thought diversity was just a variety of races and cultures. But it is so much more. This class taught me that diversity is described by differences, sexual orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, etc. I was super excited to take this course of Diversity Studies because I knew it would teach me much more than I already knew. This course taught me the basics but also explained into great detail how each component of diversity went hand and hand with each other. Diversity correlates a lot with racism and prejudice. I didn’t know much about racism and prejudice besides the generic definitions. I am thankful for this course because it also taught me a lot behind of thinking of conscious and non-conscious thoughts. Before this course, I never understood and even knew what either of these were. It now makes a lot of sense as to why people say things and do things when they do. This course helped broaden my understanding and ability to connect the topics of diversity to the readings, the rest of my education, and outside/society occurrences.
Word Count: 200 Words
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
Things I can do to help human understanding are very simple. I would like to help people be able to understand the simple terms of diversity and how they play into society. I think people knowing these simple terms would help human understanding by knowing people are different and to accept them into society like we do everyone else. Another thing I could do to help human understanding is helping others know about and understand the major Supreme Court cases that made our societal views the way they are today. These cases really helped me see things more clearly and I believe it could do the same for other people too. People will only want to embrace change and diversity if they want and are willing to. Embracing change and diversity will help human understanding. Understand these Supreme Court cases really helped me to embrace change and diversity because our society is always changing. I would love to share with people what I have learned to also help human understanding. Sometimes hearing something from another human on a person level, rather than reading it from a book or article helps human understanding. I believe sharing my personal stories in connection to this course and book and also examples from the book that are easily connectable will be a strong support to help human understanding of how diversity works and plays into not only our society but everyday personal life as well.
Word Count: 241 Words
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
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Megan S
05/12/2019 3:18 pm
Summary of framework essay 4-
Framework essay four talks about power of master statuses and the significance of our conceptions of difference in everything from personal identity to world events. It looks at race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability all together to open new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances. The essay helps us learn the similarities across groups opened new ways of thinking. Feeling powerless is not uncommon in higher education, nor is it distinctive to this subject matter.
Education is the source of much social change. Educational institutions teach us our rights and our history, sharpen our thinking and decision-making, and open us to others’ lived experience. Learning changes, us, and higher education is explicit in its intention to produce that effect. Higher education can empower or disempower which means that an element of choice is involved in whether you are discouraged or inspired at the end of a course.
Framework essay four says that while you do not have the power to change everything, you certainly have the power to change some things. This essay inspires you to make a change. It talks about both inspirational and practical lessons. You are important. Word Count: 196
What iv learned in this course-
In this course I have learned to understand the difference in constructed contemporary American culture. I now understand how categories of people come to be different. This course goes in depth on the understanding of the commonalities among these categories of difference. Explains the historically grounded discussion of the supreme court decisions critical to the structuring of these categorical differences.
The course is designed with an eye toward the pedagogic difficulties that often accompany this subject matter. It goes into depth on race, sex, and gender, social class, sexual orientation, and disability. Lots in this course focuses on construction of difference and inequality. I also learned that everyone single person is important and can make a difference in this world.
The course gives special attention to the idea of intersectionality and the interaction of stigmatized statuses. It talks about women studies scholarship and makes complicated ideas more understandable. Talks about privilege and underclass. I also learned that everything can be a factor in choices. Word Count:170
What I can do-
I can remember that noting will always be this way or any other, contrary to the notion that privilege, and oppression are here to stay. We can count on change even if its hard to see the change right away. You need to remember that everything is a process. Many things are temporary.
Social systems are also fluid. A society isn’t some hulking thing that sits there forever as it is. The reality of male privilege is not permanent. Individuals can contribute to change by choosing paths of greater resistance, as when men don’t take control and women refuse their own subordination.
People can always choose paths of greater resistance or create new ones entirely, systems can only be as stable as the flow of human choice and creativity, which certainly isn’t a recipe for permanence. I also need to remember that the system isn’t too big and powerful for us to affect it. Individually we must alter how we see ourselves in relation to a long-term, complex process of change. Many changes in fact can come about quickly enough for us to see them happen. Word count:190
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Mollie
05/12/2019 6:14 pm
Summary:
The authors of this book are not trying to make the reader feel as though there is nothing they can do to make a difference, although it may feel that way. They are opening up new possibilities of understanding for a variety of individuals. The power of education can be produce social change. It can be very influential. We must discover who we are first before we can have any influence in social change though. “We make the road by walking” relates to the change we can make by discovering ourselves and creating a road for ourselves. We must not only understand who we are, but continually work on ourselves. It is okay for us to make mistakes, but we must learn from them. We must also appreciate the statuses that we already occur, no matter what they are. People who are in privileged statuses can appreciate their status without feeling guilt. Individuals in stigmatized groups shouldn’t resent privileged groups because it is not their fault they were born into those statuses. Getting rid or limiting those two emotions can open learning opportunities for both sides. It is important to take those opportunities and appreciate them. Lessening those feelings allows privileged individuals to become better allys and stigmatized individuals to become more appreciative to those allied individuals.
Word Count: 217
What I learned in this course: (200 words)
I feel as though I have learned a lot from this course that will be applicable in the real world daily. Diversity is certainly something to embrace, and it is okay to be part of a stigmatized or less privileged status. Being less privileged does mean that you are less of a person. Being a privileged individual does not mean that you are automatically better than a person with stigmatized statuses, and it doesn’t automatically mean that they are going to become richer, better, and more powerful than others. These people with privilege may not even notice the effects on a day to day basis, but a person with stigmatized statuses will. There are different stigmatized statuses that may receive different treatment or attention than other statuses such as being a woman may get different treatment than being black. Sometimes certain statuses override other statuses. It is also important for us to always be proud of who we are and what statuses we occupy. None of these statuses truly change who we are as people; it doesn’t matter what society tells us or trains us to think. It is also important to use your privilege whenever you get the opportunity to, such as standing up to a racist joke when you are a white person. Being involved and accepting is a great first step to stopping discrimination and prejudice.
Word Count: 229
What can I do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues: (200 words)
It can be difficult to make some individuals understand the importance of diversity. A great place to start is just by accepting and appreciating diversity yourself. By being a model, other people will see how you are acting and responding to diversity and that can be influential by itself. Practicing what you preach is one of the first steps. Especially, when you are in a place of privilege being an ally to stigmatized statuses is so important. Having a simple conversation with individuals who may not understand the importance of diversity or may completely discriminate against certain statuses. Explaining why you support a group of people or most groups of people will humanize that group to someone who may discriminate against them. Taking the time to actually talk with someone rather than just getting upset and yelling will make a huge difference. Don’t vilify the person who is prejudice because that will also cause them to shut down and become defensive. Also talking about how a certain group of people are just that, people. They may look, talk, or act differently than you, but that doesn’t mean that they are bad people. People from diverse backgrounds and statuses can bring different points of view to a conversation, which can completely change it. Advocating for diversity publicly is another great way to bring attention to how important diversity is.
Word Count: 228
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Sarah
05/12/2019 7:11 pm
People from diverse backgrounds and statuses can bring different points of view to a conversation, which can completely change it.
When you said that, it reminded me of a study (I can't remember if I read it in this class or just from a random video/article that I read at some point), but it went on about how when there were people from similar backgrounds, they were not able to solve the puzzle/problem that was placed before them. When people from different walks of life were put together, they actually were able to come up with different ideas and find a solution together to figure out the problem and solve it. Just have those different view points can be a huge change in how we see things and react to them.
Word Count: 111
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Xao
05/12/2019 10:20 pm
Hi, Mollie.
You did a great job at summarizing Framework essay 4 and sharing about what you learned about this course. I truly enjoyed reading what you said you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity studies issues. It was very thoughtful and well put together. Keep up the awesome work!
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Sarah
05/12/2019 7:02 pm
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
In Framework Essay 4, the authors of the book are working to help us, the readers, understand that “We make the road by walking” and not to feel powerless to make change. We have the ability, even on our own, to do something to help people, causes, and movements, even if it is minor in the scheme of things. As Gandhi’s Paradox reminds us, although nothing we do as individuals matter, it is important to take action anyway.
The authors give ways that we can take a change to make a difference, by becoming an ally to a group or cause, by appreciating the statuses that we occupy, and realizing that we will make mistakes and to raise our tolerance for doing so. We are all humans and mistakes are how we can learn and try again. Not everyone can be a smooth talker, and sometimes we say the wrong things or do something that others do not agree with, but we learn from missteps, take a couple steps back, and try again. That is a key point in this reading, along with the other areas that I mentioned, as well.
Word Count: 250
Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points.
From this course, I have learned how being privileged can come in many different ways and can be set apart by how the master statuses are. Depending on where we are placed in those based on our own views and society can change how privileged we are. A prime example of this is from a video I watched that one of my classmates had for an example on an essay PowerPoint. It had several people from all different walks of life standing on a line and as the announcer read out different things, people either took steps forward or back. Those who were at the front were primarily straight, white males, while the lone figure in the far back was a black female woman who was also homosexual. There were several people at different places in the room from that experiment, but it clearly showed how some paths were open more to others. That is what this course helped to show and to explain how things have changed from ancient history when people were more like, “You have dark skin because you are from this area,” to now when we see people of all different colors and life choices and we have the audacity to think we can decide how they are supposed to be.
Word Count: 215
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
In the readings, it explained about being an ally. I have never seen myself as being such, I am just my own person and I try to treat people the way I would want to be. In my own life, I have experienced many different aspects of life. On my own, I am female, have been in bisexual and heterosexual relationships, been deaf, diagnosed with PTSD, and many other aspects that could be counted against me in some way or another. I also know people who are in wheelchairs, who do not identify with the sex they were born in, have mental disorders, are single parents, are homosexual, another race, and so on. As I met and react to them, I go about how I would want to be treated. One friend goes by the pronouns “they/them,” and does not associate as a female. It is a challenge for me, but I try to use those pronouns for them and instead of saying “wife,” I say partner. One time when I slipped up on my words, I went to them later and apologized saying that it was strange for me, but I was trying my best. They were just happy that I understood and that I was trying because so many people would just ignore that part of them and continue using “her/she/wife” with no regards. Maybe this makes me an ally, I never considered myself one, to be honest. I would more say I am being a leaf on my own mind and if others see what I am doing, maybe they will help me keep a tree alive by banding together in treating people like humans.
One thing that I do know for certain, after going through this class and a couple others, as an aspiring author, I am going to change some of how I write and set things. Before I barely had any characters that were described as different races, though I barely described characters besides hair or eye color before. Now I want to be sure I emphasis some differences in some of those who I write about, and maybe that will help spark a change in those who read what I write.
Word Count: 368
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Xao
05/12/2019 10:14 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
Summary: In Framework Essay 4, the authors wanted us readers not to feel powerless and overwhelmed by social forces but rather open up new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances in race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability. It discussed about the information we have learned in the pass 15 weeks. Like Gandhi 's paradox, they argue us to to get to work on social change.
Also in Framework Essay 4, it also talks about working on yourself first. There are four main components to this; Increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate the status you occupy, learn to "sit in the fire", and lastly be an ally and appreciate your allies. The author's four reasons tells us to experience a little to see the true effects and problems that are out there. They're telling us to be comfortable in our race and social class. Saying its okay to make mistakes, and that mistakes isn't always a negative way. When someone's mad or angry learn to listen instead of zoning out because you didn't like. And when you're the one that is anger try not to let it affect you. Change starts with the person before it starts as a whole.
Word Count: 266
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
What I learned from this course is that it is okay to be different and it is okay to have your own opinion. What I also learned is it is not okay to shove it in someone’s face just because you think it is right. I also learned how important diversity truly is. All the lessons and framework essays we did in class really helped me develop a better understanding of diversity. Master statuses such as race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability are some of the problems that is happening right now in American Society. And throughout this semester, this course went over these master statuses one by one. I also learned that change may take a long time to happen and that is okay. Learning from experience and seeing the differences may sometime alter your initially opinions too. Learning and working on yourself to better understand what is happening around you, rather than being naive about certain situations.
Word count: 202
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
What I can do to enhance human understanding is to listen where they are coming from and to always communicate. Rather than insulting someone back that just did me wrong, I would instead inform them in a kindly and friendly manner. It goes a long way. To understand someone, you first have to be kind to them. It shows them respect and that you are willing to listen what they are trying to reach out. Of course, you don’t have to agree with their opinions but being kind will also make them understand where you are coming from. It’s a mutual respect thing. I also think that to enhance human understanding you have to work on yourself first. Don’t let someone’s opinion of who you are affect you. Embrace it proudly because it is your life and not theirs at the end of the day. I often see too much people not living their lives because they’re afraid of what someone might say. The more you work on yourself and understand what is happening around you, the less you care about someone’s negativity.
Word Count: 201
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Heidi
05/13/2019 12:31 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
The fourth Framework Essay is all about Bridging Differences. In the start the authors explain how talking about the subjects in this book with others as they started the book allowed them to understand similarities across groups as well as differences. That the sharing of experiences allowed for them to see a bigger picture and not feel like they were suffering in isolation but that there were other people with empathy and understanding for their personal experiences. There are some particle advice pieces in this essay. That you yourself are the best person to know you. That discovering who you really are is one of the foundational parts of starting social change (484).
The author states that, “although there are many helpful resources, you will not find a recipe book designed for all the situations you will face” (484). While it is helpful to read things and learn. Ultimately, the best learning will come from interactions and real life experiences of learning from people. There are also four specifics given to work on becoming a better you in situations, from increasing tolerance for mistakes, to appreciating the statuses that you occupy, to learning to handle emotions of guilt and anger, and lately to be an ally and show appreciation to those that are allies to you.
(216 words)
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
In this course I learned that there are people willing to have conversations on topics that may push people out of their comforts. I learned about other cultural perspectives. I learned more about myself and how I view life and other people. That people all handle and express anger in different ways and to be mindful of that and willing to not always view it as an attack but as an expression of relationship building. Conflict can have a healthy ending and lead to deeper relationships where both parties feels heard and cared for. I learned that there are two mindsets and one is open to seeing room for change. People may have disabilities but they can be enabled with thoughtfulness and planning.
We all have choices on what we do and how we will react. We will slip up and make mistakes. Continuing to try and not let failure keep us from trying again is so important. Each situation will be different and we may not always handle them perfectly, but we need to try to learn and be intentional about putting effort into showing that we value other perspectives. One ally can make a difference in a persons life.
(201 words)
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points. Add word count 1 point.
Be open and engage in conversations about personal experiences because only you have your unique experiences. Have open ears to listen until you understand another person and their perspective. Don’t shut down in uncomfortable situations and not say anything when you know you should stand up for someone. Find a non-threatening way to let them know that they are making people feel uncomfortable.
Share the internal bias test with friends and have a discussion about results. Take opportunities to interact with people of diversity. Some people may feel like blogging or research to share with people and give resources. Find videos and resources that are interesting and thought provoking and share them on your social media or in personal messages to people. Try to spark a conversation with people or just provide opportunities to shift thinking in areas of importance.
Changing how we act and react is one important step to changing someone’s experience and understanding of diversity. We cannot control how other people with our statuses interact with people, but we can change our own. Hopefully, our interaction with them will start to shift in how they view people and give them hope. As well as open room for conversations about diversity.
(203 words)
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Kayla
05/14/2019 11:43 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 200+ words. 6 points.
,The point of framework essay 4 is to explain to readers the point of this book and class. That change is always possible. "While you don't have the power to change everything, you certainly have the power to change some things." nothing we do is that important, but it's important that we do it. The author makes the point that opening our awareness to these pressing issues is the first step. We need to recognize these negative things like prejudice, racism, status and more to be able to fix them. The author also points out, it's okay to make mistakes, we all say or do the wrong thing, but focus towards a positive goal that helps others around you. To challenge the many diverse things around us, improve and reflect on them. The book was not meant to belittle anyone, but to empower and educate us and others in our community.
151 words
2. Share what you learned from this course with at least 200 words. 8 points
"We learned that understanding the similarities across groups opened up new ways of thinking: experiences could be accumulated toward a bigger picture, rather than being suffered into relative isolation; that people could be different but still have had the same experience: people who never had an experience might still have ways to understand it. Most of this class was about understand and valuing our differences instead of disowning and one-upping everyone. It gave insight to real issues within today's society and related it to different time periods in history. We learned about race, class, gender, identity, disability, sexual orientation and much more. The point of this course wasn't to give us a specific feeling or opinion but to give us some background, data and resources to form an educated opinion on the issues we face today. This class taught a lot about privilege and status, which was very interesting. Stigmatization, racism, are all a very real thing that everyone in their lifetime will face, its important to be educated about it. My favorite section was about conscious and unconscious thought, the race test and how much of our thinking is "pre-programmed" but can be easily changed with a bit of knowledge and understanding for one another.
206 words
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 8 points.
Always, and I mean ALWAYS treat people with respect. Don't judge someone based on one aspect of their life because chances are you are being judged in some way too. We all have our faults, don't blame others for things they cannot change. Be aware of how you are treating and reacting to people. Be the change. Like Allan said, you;re not trying to change the world, just impact it. Try to understand others, but also yourself. Practice what you preach and watch your influence rub off onto others. Try not to come off as hostile, understand others are not as open to diversity as you, and be patient with them. Leading these people to some articles or videos might just open up their eyes. If you are in a place above others, help them achieve the same. Life is not an arms race and if it was, some people would start off halfway through the track. Be humble. Question things.
167 words
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Jessica
05/17/2019 8:29 pm
1.) Summarize Framework Essay 4:
The last framework essay, Bridging Differences, was written with the intention of helping the readers understand all the information included through out "The Meaning of Difference" without feeling overwhelmed or powerless. The authors wanted readers to feel empowered with this knowledge to create social change and provide the tools to understand how we as individuals can do that. "Janus-faced" was a term coined by sociologist Peter Berger with the intention of understanding just as individuals are rarely wholly powerful, neither are they wholly powerless; we are both the authors and the victims; we both make society and are made by it. In order to create social change, we must look at issues from many perspectives to understand the "bigger picture." To be successful, we must understand that the road has not already been "built." We are the best person to know which social interventions will work for ourselves, we must be our own resource, and we will NEVER have all the answers. Challenging social constructions of difference by working on ourselves is the unavoidable first step on the "road." The "road" is constructed of four main ideas. First, we must increase tolerance for making mistakes. In trying to build connections across difference, you will make mistakes that you must learn from. Second, is to appreciate the statuses you occupy, both stigmatized and privileged. You must not be ashamed of who you are by recognizing the existence of shame and its dysfunction. Third, we must learn to "sit in the fire" by listening carefully to other's anger, as well as our own, knowing that such interactions about difference will inevitably entail periods of disagreement and conflict. Lastly, be an ally and appreciate your allies by joining with others in collective action. Sometimes to gain allies requires asking for help and even telling people what you specifically want or don't want them to do, even if this can be hard at times.
(Word Count: 320)
2.) What you have learned from this course:
This course has completely changed my mind and thought process about diversity and what that means. Before taking this course, I wasn't as informed about the social processes that affect gender, sex, race, and ethnicity, disability, and sexuality as well as the way each of those social classes can be affected by one another. I never thought about how much importance is placed on the naming of categories of people. A change of name involves, to some extent, the claim of a new identity. I believe there's a huge misunderstanding that uneducated people have about the difference between someone's race and ethnicity. Honestly, I had never thought too much before about how stereotypes truly affect individuals and groups of people, possibly because I have not been "classed" in a stereotyped group myself or more possibly because I have never realized the privileged status I hold as a young, white women. Overall, this course has taught me a greater understanding of people in general from different perspectives I had never thought of before. Humans are truly amazing creatures that just wish to be understood and respected. I hope that someday that could happen. To do that we must learn to open our ears and listen with intent and purpose to others when they speak their truths. Looking at things from an altered perspective that is not your own.
(Word Count: 227)
3.) Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues:
I believe becoming education can help sharpen our thinking and decisions-making, and open us to others' lived experiences. Learning changes us as people. It opens our minds to ideas that we had never even known before and how those issues affect others. Just as we learned in this last unit: "We Make the Road by Walking." In order to do that, first we must understand that we are the best person to know which "social interventions" will work for ourselves. Second, we must understand that the road has not already been "built," rather it is constantly evolving. Finally, you need to be your own resources and know that you will never have all the answers you need when trying to understand diversity issues. Working on yourself first can help to increase your tolerance for making mistakes. When trying to build connections across difference, you will make mistakes. You must acknowledge that failure happens and then continue to move forward, learning from your mistakes. Learn to appreciate the statuses you occupy, including both stigmatized and privileged. Learn to "sit in the fire," especially when that includes conflict and intense emotions. If you succumb to guilt, you will only switch the focus to yourself and away from the people whose experiences you are trying to understand. We must learn to be an ally and appreciate your own allies. Getting allies sometimes requires asking for help, even if you wish not too. I believe we must also listen to others with the intent of understand or being willing to understand the issues from their perspective.
(Word Count: 262)
Check Originality The Last week assignment of Diversity Studies (Spring 2018 Online section 004)
W16 FE4 Summary, action and Peer reviews
Week 16.
You have spent a great amount of time on designing 3 hands-on projects.
For the last Framework Essay, you only need to do:
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491
with 200+ words. 6 points.
2. Share what you learned from this course
with at least 200 words. 8 points
3. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words.
8 points. Add word count 1 point.
4. Review at least one peer's post with 50+ word. 3 points
Copy and paste your contents and post on Discussion.
Total 25 points.
4. Due on 5/13 (Sn) before 10 pm.
Posted By Li-Chin Huang
05/04/2018 11:31 am
Comments
04/25/2018 3:59 pm
Modify Date: 04/25/18 4:00pm
When reading through this essay it really summed up the book well on what we have really learned throughout the book. The first thing that stuck out to me was “experiences could be accumulated toward a big picture, rather than being suffered in relative isolation; people could be different but still have had the same experience; people who never had the experience might still have ways to understand it. (p.482) So, we really no matter who we are could all experience that same thing, just in different ways. We make the road by walking is so true, we really just need to make sure that we are positive and continue being that way, so that we can be a positive influence, because who knows maybe our road hasn’t been built as of yet. It is important to recognize that “you need to be your own resource, and you will never have all the answers you need.” (p. 485) It all begins with work on us with 4 main areas to concentrate: 1. Increase your tolerance for making mistakes: We are all going to make mistakes. By increasing the tolerance or our mistakes it will make us less likely to want to give up, and thus we can try to focus on learning from all these attempts – good, bad, or ugly. (p. 486) 2. Appreciate the statues you occupy: This can sound odd, but as the reading pointed out it is the foundation that allows you to respond with more clarity to others’ experiences of their statues. This also means that we cannot be ashamed of who we are. 3. Learn to “sit in the fire”: For this it could be how we feel about ourselves when it comes to our statues, guilt seems to be the most common reaction to discussions of prejudice and discrimination. So for us to “bridge differences we sometimes need to be willing to “sit in the fire” of conflict and intense emotion. (p.487) Also as we are experiencing sitting in the fire, remember that “the benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Interaction about difference will inevitably entail periods of disagreement and conflict.” (p. 487) 4. Be an ally. Appreciate your allies. An ally is someone committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. We want as an alley to not only do what you can on your own, but also join with others in collective action. (p. 488) In conclusion I really appreciate what I have learned from this class. This week has really taught me that it is ok to be different, and yet have your own opinion. Don’t just go with the flow, be an ally and be an ally to others. (456 words)
What I have learned from this course it that I really need to watch myself and see how my reaction is to being diverse. This course has taught me the different areas of diversity and where I really need to be watchful of myself and others. I like how the book was laid out and taught from front to back on the different levels of diversity and how they all interact together. Statues, stigma, and all these large words that can be hard to understand really make sense to me now that I have learned really what the background is for them. Really we all have some of these that we don’t really know we sometimes put forth, but we do need to be aware and this has really taught me to watch how I am towards all people, not just those close to me, but those that I meet and interact with every day. I also want to be an ally to others and search out other ally’s so that we can network together to show others the positivity that can come from this. As was brought out in the concluding notes I did feel powerless and insignificant, but now after completing this I feel I understand the challenges and the differences and that I am capable of understanding it. (221 words)
What can I do? I can honestly say share, share, and share more information. When I began this class I honestly thought what am I going to learn, I am a diverse person what does it matter, but whoa I learned a TON of information and the best way to enhance human understanding is to share with others what you have learned and come to understand. Being diverse is more than just thinking that you get along well with others and are not a racist, it is your way of thinking, your way of feeling about others, the way you act towards those around you, honestly it is so much more than that. It’s what you were exposed to, what group you are in, how you were raised. Sometimes is how much understanding a person has versus how much education they have gotten on a particular subject, so to help the change we need to be out there giving people the correct knowledge on the subject and assisting them to learn about diversity and how they can be the change also, be an ally like ourselves. We are the first step, so we need to make sure that we are sharing what we have learned and showing others how they should be. (212 words)
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04/26/2018 12:53 pm
After doing all sorts of assignments for this course and learning about many of the differences that divide each and everyone one of us, one many have feelings of accomplishment and some feelings of being slightly overwhelmed by all of them content. Some may even feel a little powerless to bring about social change in their own life. These feelings are all normal, and there are a few things that one can keep in mind.
One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that learning changes us. Seeking higher education, keeps us informed about the world around us, and teaches us about the problems we have seen and continue to see in our society. Rather than ignore the problems, you took time to learn about them through your schooling which is more than some people will ever do.
You must be willing to work on changing yourself before you can work on changing others. You must understand that the process of becoming the best person that you can be takes lots of time with many mistakes. You must be willing to understand your mistakes, rather than get frustrated at making them. It is okay that you have privileges and statuses. Everyone has them, but you need to be willing to learn about them, the good things and bad things in order to grow and avoid false pride.
Lastly, another thing to remember is that social change also takes time, and you will never have all the answers you exactly need. The path to social change is never already there. One must be willing to go their own way, using their own methods to create the social change that they want. No one else will do it better than you. You must be willing to constantly search for some answers, even though you may never get them. (308 words)
This was my first ever completely online course at CVTC. I think that overall, I did well in this course. I had to learn how to use my time wisely to get assignments done on time and to do a thorough job on them. This first online course has made me more comfortable with a different and new type of learning. I think that in the future I may take more online courses since I had a very positive experience with this online course.
Looking back at this course’s overall content, I can say that I have learned many different things about human diversity that I had not heard of before or was not super comfortable identifying. I am now more comfortable when it comes to thinking and acting about many of the subjects that were talked about in this course. I am also able to apply most of the content studied to my current and future jobs that involve working with the public. This course has overall made me more aware of the history of diversity in the United States, and I would now like to learn more about some of the subjects if I get a chance in the future. (202 words)
While there are many things that this course has taught me that I can do to enhance diversity, one of the main things that I as an individual can do is to constantly use what I have learned or experienced to teach others. I must also practice what I share and teach them about. We as humans are constantly learning and adapting to our environments. If our environments or the people around us do not present a change to us, we cannot grow and change ourselves for the better. Sometimes this process is hard because people will not listen to what you have to say to them. It often seems easier to keep doing the same thing, even though it is not right. However, you must be willing to keep teaching and sharing information with them, even when they may not listen to you the first or the twelfth time. You do not have to win over everyone, you just have believe that what you are doing is making a difference in the world around you, no matter how small it may seem. No one has ever said that equality was an easy path to take. However, in the long run it can result in remarkable things. (207 words)
05/01/2018 1:25 pm
Modify Date: 05/01/18 1:26pm
Emily, Great job summarizing the course. I too enjoyed and learned a lot throughout the course. Thank goodness that we have the ability to adapt to other things and to see and understand that we could be wrong and know that we have the ability to make a change in ourselves and in others. Congratulations on completing your first online course, this will be my final one after many at CVTC. Good luck to you! (word count 75)
04/27/2018 7:40 am
Emily,
I love your comment about learning changing us, that is such a true statement. We all have to be willing also to let that learning change us to. Also I agree that changes will take time, and in order for that to happen.
Great job doing your first online course, you have a good understanding of the material and you showed good time management to get all your assignments done thoroughly.
I agree that teaching others on what you have learned and experienced is so very important in our world today. I have always liked that saying to practice what we preach, and I feel and agree with you that this is so important. (115 words)
05/01/2018 1:19 pm
Essay IV talks to us about what we need to do as individuals and a society to change the way we look at the changes to the opinions that we believe to be the truth, but many times are stigmatisms, stereotypes, or ideologies. It talks about how we can change these beliefs through educating ourselves and those we influence to understand the differences in our society and to help to accept them as right even though we have been taught they are not. It tells us to become involved in the choices that we make to create the changes that we need to see, even if it means that we may not be here/there to see them. It helps us to believe that we can do small seemingly insignificant things that can create amazing changes. It explains to us the that the beliefs, stereotypes, ideologies, and stigmas were created by humans therefore are easily changed by humans. We need to learn to lead by example and stand up for the right things to say, speak and believe rather than those that we have been taught to believe to be true but in reality, are false. It encourages us to “work on yourself first” then the rest will follow. (word count 208)
The next question was one that I am kind of excited to answer. And the third is a big part of the answer to the first. What did I learn from this course and what can I do to enhance human understanding?
First, I do have the power to change the way I think and the beliefs that have been passed on to me based on the beliefs of others.
I also have the power to influence many others because of the things I do. I can educate my children to tolerate others that are different from them, to ask questions, rather than assume. To teach them the differences in what is a stereotype and an ideology. I can show them proof, by pointing things out to them in the world that we are all individuals, that we/they may be part of something but that does not mean that they are all of something. For example, the belief that all African Americans are great athletes. I can show them there are those that are clumsy or musically talented or artistic or many other traits. I can teach them to see past color, gender, sexuality, and all other differences and to see the person under those things. Help them to realize that they are startling similar to themselves. I have as an educator to do the same for my students. I can stand up for those and help others to see the way they are treating others and that it is wrong of them to do so. I also have the ability to praise those that initiate the changes and to encourage them to continue to do so.
I understand that I can disagree with the beliefs that were taught to me as a child and to do the things that are right and to help to change the opinions that they have. This can be achieved by simply educating them. I have the power to initiate change by doing small things that start a chain reaction to big things. I have learned that asking is not bad and people are happy to answer questions to help others to understand who they are and what they believe. We all have a story, we need to ask and be amazed at the story of others as well as that of ourselves.
I am very pleased with the things that I learned in this class it has helped me to be proud of the accomplishments that have been achieved to date but to also see that there are still many things that need to be addressed. (word count 433)
05/13/2018 5:14 pm
I like that you stated a few times that we have the "power" to change and to make change. It often seems that, well I am just one person, how can what I do matter. Like you state, you educate your children, that in itself is power to make a change now and in the future as they will educate others around them. The ripple effect can go on forever. We need to realize the "power" we have, and treat it with the respect it deserves. (86 words)
05/01/2018 7:06 pm
1.This essay talks about how you have to forge your own path. We must make the road by walking it. This essay talks about how we are both architects and prisoners of social life. It talks about how we need to break down the walls that separate us and work to build a road that leads us together and to better understanding. It talks about how we have to work on ourselves first. We need to learn how to make mistakes and be ok with making mistakes because if you aren’t and you don’t you are more likely to give up. We need to appreciate the statues that we occupy. We can’t be ashamed of who we are, we have to live and be proud of who and what we are. The book talks about how we need to learn to sit in the fire. We need to not only be allies but we need to find allies. We need to come together with other people to stand up for each other. It talks about how white men who are straight with no disabilities can be such strong allies, because they are more likely to be heard, because he doesn’t appear to be acting out of vested interest. (208)
2. I learned so much from this course. What an amazing opportunity to get to know so much about diversity. I am sure that this class could go on for many more months and there would still be more to learn. I learned that we need allies in the fight against oppression. I learned that someone can occupy more than one status at a time. I learned all about privilege and what that looks like. I learned just how privileged I am. I also learned ways that I can use that to help those that aren’t as privileged. I consider myself very lucky to be able to call myself privileged and I want to do whatever I can to help those that aren’t afforded the same luxuries as I am. I learned that a small way that I can bring about social change is to call people out when the make a sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise intolerant comment or joke. I learned that I need to be patient with my time table. I have come to realize through this course that the time table is very extended. Nothing is going to happen overnight. I need to allow my small ripple in this world to grow and maybe impact those around me in small ways. I need to remember that just because I don’t see the change doesn’t mean that the change isn’t happening. (233)
3. To answer this the quote from the book seems most appropriate, “be an ally; find allies; appreciate your allies. There is nothing complicated about the idea of an ally: an ally is simply someone committed to eliminated stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses.” This quote relates to what we can do to enhance human understanding. We must find the people that are there to support each other. We need to rise together to show each other that even if we are different we all have similarities. We are all humans, we are all part of humanity. We may have differences but we all deserve love, care, compassion, and respect. In order to enhance understanding I can stand up to those around me. I can call people out on inappropriate jokes. I can make my voice be heard so that in the future people don’t have to dry their tears wondering when they lost their voice. We must show one another care and compassion, in small ways and large ways. I will enhance understanding by educating my children on diversity. I have four kids so I’m hoping that my tiny ripple creates a ripple in them which extends to their families one day. Change doesn’t happen overnight. I am willing to do my part even if I can’t see the change right now, with the hopes that by the time my grandchildren are grown the world will be a different place. (243)
05/06/2018 10:39 am
To begin Framework Essay 4 states the obvious fact that the contents of this book may seem overwhelming and overbearing to the reader. Framework essay 4 shows that all of these things such as race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability may make an individual feel powerless to stand up and make a difference. Rather this text was meant to teach and create an understanding and the possibility of alliances between the diversity of people. The importance highlighted by Framework essay 4 is to recognize the power of one’s own decisions and actions. The ability of one to have an impact on society and to make a difference is up to choice. Whether an individual is encouraged or discouraged to attempt to make a change or to make a difference. Unlike many sciences, social science allows people to be not only the ones trapped within but the ones looking in at the chaos of life. Furthermore within Framework essay 4 the section “We Make The Road By Walking” demonstrates its up to each individual to make their own path, there is not one already laid at their feet. There may be resources to help you along the way but there is no one who can dictate how you will go about using them or where you will ultimately go. In order to make a difference one must work on themselves first. The major aspects of self that can be highlighted are Increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate the statuses you occupy, learn to “sit in the fire” and be an ally and appreciate your allies. In order to challenge social constructions one must work on themselves. It is only human to make mistakes so being able to make mistakes and learn from them and build off of them instead of letting them tear you down. Next is to appreciate and understand the statuses we occupy and be able to be judged for it (sitting in the fire) this opens up our experience to understanding many perspectives of difference and finally to be an ally and to appreciate allies you may have. They may be your most powerful resource as well as being able to be one for others. These things come together to empower individuals to be able to make a difference and understand their capabilities. (387 words)
I learned from this course the true meaning of difference, as cheesy as it may sound it is true. To understand the master statuses that ultimately influence and dictate a large portion of our society and more than we may be aware of. Race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability all play a major role of who we are but also how we differ from one another. I learned how we construct categories based on these statuses. We learn to ask what is race, sex, social class and so on. Why are they an important aspect of society? The importance of how these are constructed goes on to be attributed to difference and how we can connect these differences. Furthermore we went on to learn how we experience difference. We see the presence of difference as constructed by society but never do we truly understand what it is to experience all difference. So through this text I was immersed into an opportunity to begin to understand from others perspectives what it means to experience difference. The two last aspects of this course which were to define difference and make connections between them is the most important part because it is the defining point of today's society, the one most miss or dismiss. We need to understand what difference means in order to make a change or to make a difference ourselves. (231 words)
What can we do to enhance human understanding? Where does one start to enhance human understanding is the better question. To begin enhancing human understanding we need to open the eyes and ears of all individuals to the opportunity of understanding and accepting difference, no matter what form it may come in. Going back to the master statuses, race, sex, social class, sexuality and disability they are all forms of difference that we either are aware of or are unaware of. However they are differences constructed by society where there may not need to be any, but insteads of trying to change the existence of these statuses we should learn to understand them and appreciate them. This is the first step in enhancing human understanding, appreciation. To continue this trend individuals should also look within, to themselves where they should also be aware of their own differences to what makes up their “self’. Being aware of yourself and others opens a whole new door to openness and acceptance just by trying to learn and understand such as we did in this course. This creates knowledge where otherwise stigmatization would develop in place of the gained knowledge. Lastly, to enhance human understanding we need to be able to keep an open mind so that we may always be willing and able to learn. To learn is to understand and to understand is to create acceptance and the opportunity or possibility of equality. (241 words)
05/08/2018 2:53 pm
Framework essay 4 has to do with what we can do to make a difference in our world. After reading the last three essays and the readings in between, I have been excited to see what change I can make in the world around me. This essay has to do with the different ways we can go about that. The author talks about making that first step to making a change around us. By stepping out and working for what we want and believe in, it will make a change even if we don’t see it right away. We have to be willing to make mistakes and know that they are going to happen often. We must also appreciate who we are and accept it. Be proud of the person you are and have become. That will reflect in the changes you make around you. I love that the author is pushing for people to not be afraid to take a leap of faith and be the difference we would like to see around us. It’s also important to make allies, even if they don’t seem like the “ideal” person you would like. As the author says, “that challenging the construction of difference is well within all of our capabilities.” (210 word count)
What I learned from this course is that there is difference all around us, even if we can’t see it on the surface, it is usually there if we dig a little deeper. People are going to be different than us, we have to be able to accept it. I learned that there are different statuses that people occupy and those affect the way we see the world. The way we see the world will contradict with the way someone else sees it. I learned that differences in race and ethnicity weren’t that big of a deal way back then. People have not always been this way when it comes to looking at the statuses other people occupy. We are so quick to judge the way a person is because of the group that they belong to instead of looking at the person as the individual that they are. It is up to us to make that change that we want to see the world. We can’t just leave it up to other people. We must all work together to produce a change and impact in the world around us. Reading this book has really opened my eyes to see all the people that are around me and to praise their differences instead of looking down on them. (218 word count)
What I can do to enhance human understanding of diversity issues is to educate or inform them as best as I can based on what I know. You shouldn’t push your beliefs on someone so this can be tricky especially with certain types of people. I think it would be good to refer this book to people so they can see diversity issues that are going on around us. I can encourage my family and friends to help me make a difference in society. By helping out at different programs in my community, I can show to those around me that it’s not that hard to make a difference. I would support them to be proud of who they are, the background they came from, and who they are going to grow to be. It’s important to be supportive of those around us. It helps to show that we are one united front. We are not all going to agree on the same things but we shouldn’t let that stop us from expressing what we believe and trying to make that change in our society. I would encourage those who want to know more about this to take a class in this area. (203 word count)
05/09/2018 8:00 pm
I really liked how this essay summarized the book and everything that we have learned. It talks about understanding the similarities across groups and how experiences can help build to a big picture. We could all experience the same thing, but because we are all different, it effects us differently. We need to live our lives as positive as we can. That way other people will see how positive you are, and they might be influenced to do the same. First you have to work on yourself. There are four main lessons to concentrate on. The first is to increase your tolerance for making mistakes. "Realizing how little you know about other peoples life experience is a way to prepare for the absolute inevitability that, in trying to build connections across difference, you will make mistakes." The second is appreciate the statuses you occupy."Appreciating your status means not being ashamed of who you are." The third is is to learn to "sit in the fire". "When you are the one who is angry, try not to let it overwhelm you." This can be hard, but if you work at it, you can learn to control your anger so it does not affect other people. And the last lesson is be an ally, appreciate your allies. "There is nothing complicated about the concept of an ally: an ally is simply someone committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. (242 words)
I have learned so much about how I can change myself and be a role model for other people to want to change for the better. I have learned how privileged I am and how some people don't have that ability. It really makes you stop and think about what you have verses what your own friends do or don't have. Especially for people from long ago, how privileges were for certain race or culture. It has torn friendships apart and it makes me sad. I learned how to be patient and how to show people patience when they need it. I loved reading about how to social change people and making sure everyone, no matter what race, feel welcome. People think that this is a quick fix, that you can become happier just like that. But it takes time and hardship from people, it doesn't just come to them, they have to work for it. I know everyday I try my hardest to smile and be patient. Reading this book really opened my eyes to how people are treated and how to treat them better and how to improve this world to make everyone accept everyone. I really enjoyed reading this material as it will help me improve myself. (210 words)
Basically all you can do is share. Share as much as you can. Share what you have learned and share your positivity. You do have to watch what you say as you don't want to push your beliefs, like religion, on other people, but you can help influence them to be more positive. You need to show support for peoples different beliefs, but also encourage them to better themselves. You need to be supportive with everyone helping out whether it is a small help or a large help. Make sure you have an open mind about things and ensure that you surround yourself with positive people as well. Share that we are all human, we are bound to make mistakes, but there is always room for improvements. Share how much society and culture has changed from 100 years ago verses now. You need to be aware of yourself so others can see and possibly follow in your footsteps. Not everyone is going to agree on what you say, but you can still try and make a change to the society without offending anyone. I feel everyone should take a class like this in order to better understand each other and everyone. (201 words)
Summary of Framework Essay
This Framework Essay begin by talking about how, as students, we may feel powerless to create change after all of the readings and information about the “master status” and overwhelming social forces. They in fact created this text book to teach students how to open up new possibilities for understanding and creating alliances that can create change. In the writings of Spanish poet Antonio Machado’s adaptation of a proverb: “se hace camino al andar,” or “you make the way as you go,” “We Make the Road by Walking” talks about how change begins by doing things that no one has done before. If you follow down the path that someone else has created, then you are not challenging the status quo. To help in the process of creating your own path the text gives 4 ways to work on yourself. By doing this it will better help you to challenge social constructs and begin the change process. The first is to increase your tolerance for making mistakes. There is no doubt, you will make them. Use it as a learning process and take that to your next decision but don’t give up. Second is to appreciate the status you occupy. By accepting who you are and not being ashamed of it you will be better able to respond with more clarity to others’ experiences of their statuses. Third is learn to sit in the fire. Everyone feels some sort of guilt about their status, their advice is to not give in to it. The book states, “The benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Interaction about difference will inevitably entail periods of disagreement and conflict.” The last thing is be an ally, appreciate your allies. This statement is pretty simple. Remembering a time when you were treated unfairly about something can help you understand how others feel when it happens to them. (word count 314)
What I have learned from this course.
During this course I have learned about the different types of statuses and how big of a role they have played during our history. I knew the basics of how things came to be like slavery and the progression for rights for those who were slaves. Women’s right and how far they have come was a bit of a surprise and the fact that they had been considered as a sort of sub category for so long. It is hard to think that we have come so far because we live such a short life compared to how long it takes change to happen. I remember the quote, “You can’t change the world overnight.” This was said by many people and it is right on point. What you can do is begin that change and inspire other to make changes. It was also interesting to learn how the master statuses use laws and courts to keep themselves on top. Over time the interpretation of those laws has changed because they didn’t think that some races would ever be or have the influence they have now. I never realized how easy it was to look at the way things are now and think that it has always been that way. I know change happens all of the time but to see it laid out on a time line and see how long some things took to change was an eye opener. I think the biggest lesson I got out of this class is that you can’t change the world until you accept who you are and set the example of what you think things should be like. (word count 276)
What can I do to enhance human understanding?
I think the first thing I can do is to shed any preconceptions of what the social classes should be or how they should act. We get into the thinking that the poor are poor because they are lazy, and they do not have the motivation to better themselves. Although in some cases this may be true we need to go into every situation with an open mind. Prejudging an individual on where they come from or what they look like is the mind set of the past and we have come so far that it would be unwise to start taking steps back. In my job I meet a lot of different people from all walks of life. I am not perfect and at times I will see someone and think to myself “what have I gotten into.” But I try to shake that off and go in with an open mind and simply have a conversation with the individual. Through all of this I am see one thing emerge that I don’t think was such an issue before. We as a people need to get back into taking responsibility for our own actions. If I could lead one change, that would be the one. We are the product of our own decisions and if we are not
05/10/2018 6:41 pm
(Summarize FE4)-
This framework essay is essentially summing up the entire book so far. It starts off by covering the meaning behind why the authors wrote this book, it was to shine a light on the less privileged in our country and society. They wanted to make the reader adopt a new mindset on the inequality regarding race/sex and disability’s in our current society. When writing the book, they all shared their personal experiences with stigmas, inequalities, and racial profiling in their past experiences. One of the best quotes of this framework comes from Gandhi. He says “nothing that we do as individual’s matters, but its vitally important that we do it anyways”. This is based off of the fact that to have change in a society, people need to get rid of the mindset that society can’t be changed by just them. With this mindset, nothing will get changed. Another good topic this framework touches on, is that you should appreciate whatever status you occupy. You can’t change who you are, so you have to make the best of whatever situation you are in. If you are unhappy with the results of being in this group, speak up, make change and try to fix the issues you see. Overall, this essay sums up the main topics of the book, and shows us the main issues in our society today. (WC:228)
(What I learned from Class)-
In the period that I was enrolled in the Diversity Studies class I learned many topics and facts that I would not have known without this class. It really opened up my eyes into the inequality that many people of color, different race and genders face every day in our society. Our society has many issues that cause these people issues on a daily basis. We as a society need to come together to change these issues. This class also was very helpful due to the fact I’m going into Law Enforcement as a career. In that career, you have to be totally unchanged by someone’s race, ethnicity or gender. This can cause major issues if you racially profile, or treat people differently based off of who they are. All of the frameworks in this book really helped me better understand what happens to some people in our country, and how to avoid doing that in the future. Overall, this class has really changed my viewpoints on discrimination in our country by providing real world example showing exactly how our country needs to change. It has been extremely helpful. I would keep doing what you are doing in this course, it was very well put together, and helped me a lot. (WC:211)
(What can be done to enhance human understanding of Diversity Studies)-
I think the understanding of diversity studies in our country is at a low point currently. Not many people (including me before this course) have any idea about diversity issues in our country. People who aren’t in the situation of minority, very rarely understand what other go through on a daily basis. I think more books like this need to be put out to enhance the visibility of this issue. Also, more shows, interviews and personal accounts could be made to better show the issue in our country. The average white person in the US will never know the things that a black person has to go through that they never will. Typically, if you tell a white person this they will deny it because they are not aware of the situation, implementing things such as what I stated, would help give this problem more of a spotlight, and hopefully diminish it in our country. It’s a big issue, so I thinks teps like this should and need to be take, to greatly improve the quality of life in our country for minorities, people of color and women. By doing this, our community would become better, relationships between races would increase, and it would just change our country for the better. (WC:214)
05/10/2018 8:11 pm
As I read through framework essay four, I notice that it is about people making the path that they take in life. They use the quote “you make the way as you go”. That to me means that as we go through life, the things that we do shape the direction that we go. I also notice that it talks about working on yourself first and do this by increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, basically saying that everyone makes mistakes and don’t make yourself feel bad when you make them. Another way is to appreciate the statuses you occupy, saying to be proud of yourself for what you are doing. Another way is to learn to “sit on the fire”, this means that we need to bridge differences when it comes to people and things that we do in life. We are all different people and do different things. Some people need to “sit on the fire” in order to bridge these differences. The last way is to be and ally, and appreciate your allies, it states that this is the most important out of the four. This is basically saying to appreciate how people treat you and treat other people the way you want to be treated. (209 words)
As I reflect on the class and all that I have learned. I would say that the biggest thing that I have learned throughout the course would be to treat everyone as the same person. People are different, but weather is it by race, gender, sexuality, social class or disability, we are all really the same. I think that this as a whole stood out to me most because I work with children everyday all day and there are many different races in the room and I see that children are not sexist. There are parents that come in and make comments to me and it makes me feel super uncomfortable. I understand that people are different and have different views on people, but after this course, I have really begun to understand how much people are different and how much people are all the same. I feel that more people need to be aware of this so that there is less racism and sexism in the world. I also learned that one people cannot make a difference and make a change, but it can sure help if one people has the drive to start something and get other people involved so that a change can happen for the better. Overall, this course has taught me a ton and I really enjoyed it. (225 words)
I feel that I could help to enhance human understanding when it comes to diversity issues by helping to educate more people about the differences we have from other diversities. I was raised up in a household that taught me that knowledge is power. The more knowledge that you have on something, the smarter you are about it and the better your opinions are. If more people are educated about the differences that people have, I feel that people would be more excepting because they would understand the differences and also the similarities at a more in-depth level. If people are educated about the differences that people have, they might realize that a lot of people have similarities to each other even if they do not stand out as much. You have to learn about someone before you can judge or have an opinion about them. (148 words)
05/11/2018 9:43 am
Summary of FE4:
This last essay seemed to be a summary of the whole pieces in the textbook. It discusses how even though we are all different, we experience the same situations but in different ways. It also talks about what we can do in society to make a difference in society. Even though the change we need to pursue won’t happen in our lifetime, it will be the first step to change our world. The author seems to make this a big point because they don’t want you to be afraid. Mistakes are going to happen, everyone makes mistakes every day. Even people around us make mistakes. The way to do this is mostly how you react to making these mistakes. It is important to be positive and accept mistakes. Being positive and reacting respectively and calmly makes yourself more approachable to others. The author used the phrase “learn to sit on the fire”. This phrase is for when you are the one who is mad. It means that you need to forgive and let go of something that is overwhelming. Change needs to happen with more than one person. Reacting this way would allow allies to form; allies are needed to make a bigger change. This needs to be done even if they aren’t the person you would choose to begin with. Appreciate yourself and your allies.
Word Count: 226
What I learned by taking Intro to Diversity Studies:
I was surprised by how much I didn’t understand what was going on in our society. I realized that there was an issue regarding race, but I didn’t know how bad it actually was. It made me see that I had adopted these common stigmas in society to think certain ways. After taking this course, I am going to be more aware of how I communicate with other sexes, races, and religions. I need to be the one to stand up and share my information that I learned from this course with others. Especially those who seem to not understand why it is not okay to say what him/her is saying to others. Sharing my information with others would help in fighting societies problems because there would be allies. Even though I can’t fight a lot of issues in society by myself, it’s a change that needs to be started. Before I started this course, I knew that people were different due to his/her outer image, but I finally can see what is going on in society to make me think that they are different. It’s the stigmas and other problems in society that made me think this. I need to make a difference.
Word count: 204
What can I do to enhance human understanding?:
One way I will enhance human understanding is to use knowledge from this course. I will continue to share my knowledge from this course and be understanding of other people’s beliefs or opinions. This idea will not spark conflict, rather, it will start a discussion. Today, we constantly undergo disagreements, however, it is the way that we handle these conversations that truly matter. We need to be able to understand each other’s differences. This shall be done not by saying what’s wrong with the other person, but rather accepting what is different between us. The stigmas in our society need to be broken. Just because one person has a certain characteristic, doesn’t mean that all individuals of that same religion, sex, or gender has the same characteristic. People can say that they are diverse, but it’s a matter of doing rather than just saying. Don’t assume and don’t “judge a book by its’ cover”. It is important to meet new people with an open mind, rather than a closed mind. There are always ways to improve how you see the world. Be able to adapt to new surroundings and be open to changes. These ways and much more help to enhance human understanding.
Word count: 203
05/12/2018 10:00 pm
Framework Essay 4 did a great job at tying everything we learned from essays 1-3 together and giving us the tools to make a difference. It explains how a book like "Making a difference that focuses on understanding than doing can leave people feeling powerless to challenge the constructions of difference. When in reality by understanding the different master classes, and all the different stigmas we are able to use our knowledge and understanding to become an ally for others in stigmatized groups, and sometimes that means joining together as a group to invoke change, which may mean we have to tell people what we need them to do.
This essay also explains how we may not be able to change everything but we can change somethings. Now that we are educated on the different race, gender, stigmas, master classes, ethnicity, and sexuality, it leaves us with a better understanding of others and also ourselves, and instead of us being ashamed of our differences this is our chance to embrace our differences in a positive light and be proud of what we see. These master classes were made by humans which means we have the power to change them, by the way we choose to get involved to stop oppression. (211 words)
I have learned a lot from taking this class a lot more than I thought I would in the beginning. I never realized how little I knew about the differences in race ethnicity and diversity. I have learned that we all have prejudice thoughts whether they are conscious or not, but what is important is what we choose to do to eliminate these false stigmas. I learned that race referred to the color of your skin but not necessarily what you identified as. When I thought of discrimination I thought of age, race, ethnicity, gender, and social class but I never took in to thought that disability would fall in there as well.
I learned that Native Americans weren't seen as citizens of the United States in the beginning which I felt was so strange since they were in America first. The constitution gives us the right to sue, and after reading all the supreme court cases it showed me how something as simple of standing up for your rights, and the rights of others even though it may not be instantaneous can provoke change. Instead of being ashamed of our differences we should proudly embrace them. Stigmas will not completely disappear in our lifetime because it is a long process but we can initiate change. (215 words)
What I can do to enhance human understanding is to continue to educate myself and others on our differences, which will hopefully spark discussions rather than conflict to help people eliminate their preconceived notions. I hope to stand in my own power and to appreciate my differences instead of being ashamed of them and help others do the same. I think owning and being proud of who we are is the first step to ending stigmas. I plan to be allies for people who need it and I won't be afraid to except allies as well.
I will be open minded when I meet new people and not judge them by race, ethnicity, sexuality or social class or the stigmas related. I will not judge a person based on physical appearance, or economic standings but try to enter every conversation with an open mind and an open heart. I will not stand on the sidelines and be neither the problem or the solution. I will teach my children to not laugh at racial jokes ,and to stand up for people who may not have a voice, and teach them that they can make a difference by setting an example for others by choosing a new path.(208 words)
05/13/2018 12:08 pm
Summary of FE4:
This last Framework Essay is a summary of everything we have learned or discussed throughout the whole book. It also brings together the whole idea of the meaning of difference which is that we are all different but we still experience the same things. The author then discusses how we can make a difference in our society and how that starts by changing things around ourselves first. We have to be okay to make mistakes in our lives and understand that we aren't always going to be perfect. In the book it even italicised the phrase ".., you will make mistakes." which in my opinion is very powerful and shows you that understanding that is the first step to change. Then the next step to making a difference is to appreciate the statuses we occupy. Which means we have to learn to be okay with the fact that were either stigmatized or privileged.The final step is to learn to "sit in the fire" meaning that whether you are privileged or stigmatized don't let your emotions run your life. This essay then ends by saying that they started this essay worried their readers felt powerless but hope that now at the end you have hope and feel empowered. (WC: 207)
What I have learned:
I have learned a lot while taking this class and I feel as if I now have a new and better way to look at life. I had always known about discrimination and privilege but I never really knew what it was all about until I took this class and got to learn more and more about those kinds of things along with other key concepts from this book. This class has helped me with see how I view certain aspects in life and how I can change what I do on a daily basis to make society equal for all. I also got to learn more about court cases which I find is super cool. I never knew how many court cases there are on just discrimination. That really opened my eyes to how much injustice there was in the world before I was born and how much is still present. I've also learned that trying to change things in society takes longer than just a couple years. I now know that if I want change I need to start now and I have to be okay with not seeing the change in my lifetime. I always use to quit things when I couldn't see the end result but if everyone did that change would never happen. I think that is one of the most important things I have learned in this class. (WC: 234)
Enhance Human Understanding:
I can start by talking to my friends and telling them about all the information I have learned about in this class. I will share with them that we cant keep judging people by their skin color or their social status and that we need to get to know them before we jump to conclusions. I will also become more open to meeting new people and learning about new cultures or sexualities. Recently a rapper (Childish Gambino) has come out with a music video that shows discrimination and prejudice within America. The song is called 'This is America' and it is supposed to help people understand what minorities go through everyday. I think that can also be a way I and others can help enhance human understanding. By bringing this into the view of my peers on social media and in person I and singers, actors, even those in our daily life can help enhance the understanding by putting it into a way everyone can understand and relate to. I also can help teach people about the three steps we learned in Framework Essay 4 about working on yourself. I can teach them that being okay with mistakes, appreciating our statuses and learning to 'sit in the fire' can help us become okay with our differences. (WC: 216)
05/13/2018 12:51 pm
Modify Date: 05/13/18 12:54pm
In this framework essay we learn about what to do next now that we have a better understanding of what it means to be stigmatized or privileged and how biases and prejudices are formed. One of the concerns expressed by the authors of our text The Meaning of Difference was that the reader would be left with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. Good instruction or guidance can be found in a dialogue between educator activists Myles Horton and Paulo Freire titled, You Make the Road by Walking. This essentially means that although attitudes, biases and prejudices have become implicit to our society the outcomes to follow do not need to be inevitable. As evidenced through both their individual lives and their published dialogue, education is a powerful means by which to foster social change. The process is not an easy one. It is full of many starts and stops, good intensions and mistakes. However, we must keep walking and increase a tolerance for mistakes as they are inevitable. Also, it is necessary to appreciate your own status, whether it is privileged or stigmatized. Do not be ashamed of who you are. Instead used your status to promote understanding, tolerance while bridging differences among all people. Reflecting on one’s status will likely evoke many intense emotions such as anger or guilt. Making this new road and walking it will require one to sit in these emotions and feel them but not be consumed by them. Being consumed by guilt or anger does nothing to make positive lasing changes which bridge gaps and bring people together, instead we must come together, seek out allies, appreciate them and be an ally yourself. Finding others who are also working to eliminate stigmas is critical because the task cannot be completed alone. (297)
There was much that I learned in this course. First, I learned that prejudices and biases stemming differences have no scientific basis. There is no biology that suggests the differences among people necessitate one group having power or privilege over another. Yes, we are different, but this does not mean that one group is better than another. Historically many of the subjugation of groups was made for economic gain and not because those groups were inherently insignificant. This is something I assumed to already know. However, many of the biases and prejudices have become so ingrained in our society that most people are unaware they too have them. This leads me to the second thing I learned from this course. I learned that biases and prejudices, though many times overt can also be subtle and unconscious. There is much implicit bias in the way we think in our culture. I too am guilty of it. I’m afraid that I would probably not do well on the Implicit Awareness Test or IAT. However, having this information guides me towards intentionality in my daily life. This leads me to the last and most important thing I learned in this course. That is that outcomes are not inevitable no matter how ingrained attitudes are within our society. With intentional living changes can be made which counter the separation of people. Intentional living can bring people together. (233)
Perhaps the biggest thing I can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity is to live my day to day life through thought and intentionality. Now that I am aware of my own implicit biases and prejudices I can make efforts to counter those biases and prejudices as I go about my day interacting with other people seeing them for who they really are and not through the lens some preconceived ignorant idea that has no basis in truth. It will not be easy. It will take effort. It will require me to stop and reflect often. I will make many starts and stops. I will make mistakes. I will make the road as I go. If I make changes in my own life I will be better able to make changes the lives of others, changes for the better.(255)
05/13/2018 12:52 pm
The final essay really summed up The Meaning of Difference. It explains how we can make a difference and bring about social-change. We first need to work on ourselves before we can do this so we don’t feel powerless or hopelessly insignificant in the face of social forces. We can make changes by educating ourselves and those around us to accept things as right even though we are taught not to think it is right. We do have the ability to make change and make a difference in this world, but we can’t just step back and assume others are going to make a change. We may not see it right away, but it can happen. In the section of Essay 4 where it talks about We Make the Road by Walking, it explains how we have to make our own path because there isn’t one laid out for us. We have to accept ourselves and increase our tolerance for making mistakes, appreciate the statuses we occupy, learn to “sit in the fire”, and be an ally. Appreciate your allies. We can learn from our attempts if we fail but we can not let that bring us down. We need to be thankful for the statuses we occupy as individuals because there are people out there who aren’t as privileged as us. As the book states, “benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Interaction about difference will inevitably entail periods of disagreement and conflict.” We can learn about being an ally by asking people what would be helpful and also by educating yourself about stigmatized groups. All of this comes together so that us as individuals can make a difference in this world. (282 words)
What I have learned from this course is that difference comes in all forms and that there is more than we may think or see. But we need to be accepting of these differences and realize that not every person is going to be the same. We as humans can be quick to judge a person by the outside on what they wear, how they talk, or how they look before we even get to know them personally. Just because the outside looks different doesn’t mean they are any different from us on the inside. We easily stigmatize groups and are quick to judge a person by their race, color, or sexual orientation because of what we are taught as we are in this world. We are so easily influenced by the media and expect that someone not as the same race as us can be dangerous or we should stay away from but really, they are not dangerous. This book has opened my eyes in a way that we all need to work together to make a change in this world, so that we are all accepting of one another and can see past the ugly that we have learned to see. We can’t keep looking at the differences in a bad way but to accept and appreciate them. (220 words)
What I can do to help enhance human understanding is to educate or inform people as best as I can from what I have learned over this course or have already known. Nothing will change if we don’t stand up and inform others. If we lay low and don’t try to make a difference than no one else around us will either. We obviously can’t push beliefs onto someone or make them change if they don’t want to. But we as people who are around each other need to educate one another about the differences we see in this world. We need to see how differences are not a bad thing and how we all are the same on the inside but aren’t always viewed that way. We are so quick to judge, and others need to be informed how we need to look passed what we are taught to believe but to truly have our own opinion and view on it. We need to work on ourselves before we can begin by making a difference in this world, because if you don’t figure out your true self and what change you want to see, than you aren’t going to know what path you want to create. (207 words)
05/13/2018 1:18 pm
Framework Essay 4
Summary (200+ words)
This chapter of the book is a bit of a summary of what we have went over this year. One of the big main things this chapter talks about is how you don’t think you can change social events but to challenge yourself and try the 4 steps. The four steps are:
Increase your tolerance for making mistakes
Appreciate the statuses you occupy
Learn to sit in the fire
Be an ally. Appreciate your allies
All of these steps work together in bettering yourself. In a sum they are all talking about how you need to forgive others there is no point in holding onto grudges. Also, to learn from your mistakes it’s going to happen to everyone and there is nothing you can do to avoid it from happening. Another thing this chapter talks about is how “We Make the Road by Walking” which is based off a poets writing. This is saying that no matter who or what social class you are from it shouldn’t matter you can make your own history and future. Just like everyone else has done in the past and everyone to come will do, we all need to start somewhere and starting in the present is the only way to move forward. (209 words)
What I learned (200+ words)
This class has taught me a lot over the semester. I have learned that you shouldn’t judge people based on who they are or even their social class because you never know what someone has went through to get where they are. You also have to take into consideration how people want to be perceived as now you can’t assume just because someone came from nothing doesn’t mean they can’t make a different future for themselves and work to achieve more. I have also learned that there are many different types of people in the world and many different variations, whether it’s from how you look at life and either think everything’s going to happen anyways and I can’t make a change or if you’re the opposite and think I can make a difference and without me trying to do something nothing is going to change. I have learned from this course is that we need to be able to accept diversity in all of its forms no matter what, and that making a difference will always count. This class has also taught me that everyone is unique and special in their own way and if we all work together to support each other’s differences we could make an impact on our society. (213 words)
What can I do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues (200+ words)
One thing that I can do to enhance human understanding is to educate others about all the differences among our society as a whole and to work together to make a bigger impact than working by ourselves. We can also be open to everyone’s differences and be more accepting of others. If we are willing to work with everyone and support them it will make a greater difference on society for the greater good. I can also work on showing appreciation of everyone’s differences and help support their different cultures. Another thing I can do is to be respectful to other people no matter who they are or where they come from. I could be an advocate for people that are afraid to stand out and use their voice to speak their opinions, I would also make sure people are aware of the things they say because it could be offensive to a person around and make them feel bad before you even get the chance to make it up to them. The last thing I can do is to educate the people around me in giving them more knowledge to understand all the differences in people and teaching them that no two people are the same in our society so treat everyone how you want to be treated. (219 words)
05/13/2018 1:56 pm
Framework Essay four touches on several important topics. It reads very similar to the classic novel “The Art of War”. I say this because it basically repeats Sun Tzu’s teaching of avoid what is strong, strike what is weak. The author of this essay says to avoid name calling and making others feel guilty and have and show a human heart. The author even admits that this may be difficult to, even suggesting for us to “sit” in our anger until we can think with our hearts. This helps us to avoid what is strong, their arrogance, and strike what is weak, their deepest sense of human connection.
The author also talks about “The benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation”. What the author means by this is there are some very strong allies that you can make in life, with straight white men being the strongest, and how we need to stop fearing diversity. We can have our close friends and allies to get or stay where we want to be in life, but it’s also important to have diversity. We cannot learn about others from simply by observing them. That would be like a doctor diagnosing a problem with a patient without ever having met them. (210)
I learned a lot from this course and it would be impossible for me to share all of the very valuable lessons that I have learned from this class. However, I believe the most important thing that I learned was how everyone has some type of a diversity issue to work on. We all need to start seeing everyone as an individual and not as a collective group. For me, my discrimination has little to with skin color or gender, but physical appearance. In high school I suspected that my principal only got his job by looking like a principal. He wasn’t bright in general, didn’t actively use what he learned in college about child with special needs, is a terrible public speaker, and has the personality of blank sheet of paper. This may be a little bit of an overused statement, but I’ve met rocks kinder and smarter than him.
Eventually, I began to realise that people who look the part and carry themselves as the part are more likely to have power positions even though they are not qualified at all for the job. I have never met a short, introverted, brown skinned, female in a leadership role and quite honestly before I took this class I would have hired the straight white male over her even if she was more qualified. I have come to realise that this is discrimination and is something I need to become actively aware of. (243)
There are a multitude of things that we can all do the enhance understanding issues related to diversity. An educational institution can make mandatory diversity classes a requirement for graduation. Not only at the college level but from primary through secondary school. It’s much easier to change our ways at a younger age than when your older and more stuck in your ways. However, a single class enrollment at a local community college for the scholar or life long learner in your life might be a good option for them.
For the school aged children teachers could promote diversity in the classroom by pairing up more diverse groups and having the students engage in activities about privilege and diversity. This could help them start building a diverse groups of friends early on so that it won't be harder to start later on in life.
Another thing that you can do is encourage your friends to meet and hang out with a group of people or another couple that look differently from you. However, is there is a major lifestyle or economic gap between you and them that could potentially create major problems. It’s best to start small and take baby steps towards leading a more diversified life. (206)
05/13/2018 5:07 pm
This framework essay is about not being left with the feeling that you can not make an impact on social change. Just because we may start at a certain place in life does not mean that we can not change or challenge that place. Education is key to understanding the differences between statuses and classes of people. Also realizing that just because you may be of a certain status or class does not mean that your experiences have not been different then the “norm”. You, like everyone else, are an individual and your experiences will have a big influence over your viewpoint, so remember to take that in to account when you are dealing with other people. We can also use our experiences to become allies to those who need an ally. Be aware of where you are, “work on yourself first” and be prepared to make mistakes. Also “appreciate the status that you occupy”, it can have a major impact on your life and the more you are aware of how you and your status affects others, the more you can impact social change. Do not feel guilty about things that others in your status have done but learn what they did so that you are not distorting historical fact and taking away from others experience. (217 words)
The biggest thing for me in this course was learning about privilege. It was a hard pill to swallow when you are being told that you are privileged. I did not consider myself privileged, I didn’t understand what that meant. From my perspective I have had to work my butt off to get where I am at today, I started with very little, others can do the same. While this is true that others can work hard and achieve a lot, I did not realize how different their challenges where or how much their lack of privileges affected their starting point in life. I was raised in an area with very little diversity and did not see the challenges that others have had to face because of their different classes or statuses. I also didn’t realize my privileges because of this lack of diversity. The main differences between myself and those around me was financially, and I was on the lower income side, so from my viewpoint I was the underprivileged. So, the fact that from other points of view I am privileged, was an eye opener. Also, that certain things about me automatically give me privilege, such as being white. Because of the lack of diversity growing up I had very little firsthand experience with racial issues or the challenges that others face just because they are not white. Privilege is something that I will need to continue to educate myself on. (243 words)
I think one of the biggest things I can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity is to educate myself on diversity. Then make sure to really understand what it means to live in a world filled with diversity. Celebrate differences and acknowledge other perspectives on the world. Learn from other’s experiences and share my own experiences. Give people the opportunity to show me who they are as a person and not what their status or class says about them. Poor does not mean uneducated or lazy. Appreciate where I am and who I am and allow others to do the same. Help others by becoming an ally, help to change the perspective other people have about other “groups” of people. Do not just sit idly by when I hear others judging others based on race, sex, color, religion, or disabilities. (142 words)
05/13/2018 8:37 pm
Summary of Framework Essay 4:
When reading this chapter, I realized that it's pretty much just forgive in life and move on. This essay wanted you to know that you aren't supposed to feel like you can't do anything to benefit the world by the end of it. Just that it's hard to make a big enough difference for anything to change. This chapter had a lot of summarizing. but it was all important information. The most important ideas were the four steps:
1) Increase your tolerance for making mistakes
2) Appreciate the statuses you occupy
3) Learn to sit in the fire
4) Be an ally
This basically just means that you can't get ahead in life if you hold grudges and hate. You need to forgive and forget. To make a difference at all you need to move forward and keep moving forward without looking back. You can't get anywhere in life if your negative about everything. If the world if happy and at agreement, that's when you can make a difference. I think this chapter was about being happy with what you have and making the best out of every situation. I feel like that's a good way to go though life. Everything's free that way. (204 words)
What I Learned in this Course:
This course was defiantly worth the time. It teaches you about race, ethnicity, class, difference, acceptance, and so many other things. This course thought me how to look at things in a better way. That stereotyping is something that everyone does, but doesn't always admit it. I didn't think that I was someone to judge others so quick, but a little part of me thinks "this person looks safe, this ones professional. and this ones dangerous." I think that everyone thinks these things even though they don't know the other persons situation. People are so quick to judge others. I know I judge, and that so many others do the same. Some people even act upon there thoughts and cause harm or conflict with others.
This course taught me about the differences in everyone's lives. This is things like how different cultures, races, genders, and classes do things differently. That some cultures think some things are okay, and the culture next to them thinks it's completely inappropriate. This course had so many points and objectives and hit so many soft spots with people, most of all how people can be so cruel and unfair. This course taught me the meaning of difference. (207 words)
What I can to enhance Human Understanding:
I think the best thing that I or anyone else can do to help understand diversity is to be educated about it. Teaching myself and others could help everyone. Diversity isn't just about the color of peoples skin. It's about discrimination, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, and the way people are treated. This is also about harassment and judgment. People are too quick to judge and hate on others, the best thing for people to understand diversity is to teach them just that.
Everyone should be educated about how their actions and thoughts affect others and the life quality around them. I personally think that one person at a time can make a difference in the world. One person today knowing about diversity and another tomorrow can make a difference. I think we need to take steps to seriously teaching people the things that they really need to know vs. what they don't. Diversity is one of those things that everyone should learn about. Even if it just makes a difference in your community, that's a difference that could make life better, healthier and happier. People need to be educated about diversity with gender, race, class, and disability. Education is the key to the future. (205 words)
05/13/2018 8:41 pm
Modify Date: 05/13/18 8:50pm
FE4 Summary
Framework essay 4 starts by talking about how this book was not put together to make people feel powerless about social injustice. The goal was to look at race, sex, social class, disability, and sexuality all together to gain a deeper understanding and to hopefully create alliances. It talks about how this class induces a different kind of thinking than most college courses. “Learning changes us, and higher education is explicit in its intention to produce that effect.” Page 483 Relating societies effects to the Roman god Janus, we both make society and are victim to it. They then reiterate Gandhi’s words from Reading 56 that nothing we do individually matters, but it’s important. The authors then give some suggestions on what we can do with what we have grown to understand through this book. The first is to “Make the road by walking”. This little mantra tells us that we are the best people to know when and what we should do, and that the road to where we are going has not already been built. They then give an example of President Barack Obama “Making the road by walking” in Chicago years ago with the emergency medical care in a poor black community. The second way is to work on yourself first. They give many ways in which you can do this including: increasing your tolerance for making mistakes (get used to making mistakes), appreciate the statuses you occupy (reclaim pride in ourselves), learn to sit in the fire (embrace and try to understand emotional situations), and be an ally (do the right thing, speak up, speak out, be BOLD). (272 words)
What did I learn in this class?
I learned a lot about myself actually. I never really understood the concept of privilege and honestly mostly thought that it was just a “snowflake concept”. I really appreciated the format of this class and did most of my reading by listening to my text on my way to and from work but sometimes I had to, or wanted to, go back and read things again to fully process them. The Supreme Court cases were very interesting to me and I feel like they went into depth on a different level than what I learned about in history. Honestly that was a pretty good theme for everything that I learned in this class. The concepts were not really new, but I hadn’t looked at them from this perspective, or didn’t understand them on such a deep level before. I came to the realization that I need to check myself in certain situations. Just because I would never make a racist joke, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t still laugh along with one because I felt like it was funny and harmless. I learned how these behaviors perpetuate stigmas. I also learned the difference between prejudice and discrimination. I still think that the most impactful thing that I read in this whole class was in reading #56 with Gandhi talking about the tree. I’ve honestly been feeling defeated for most of my adult life about making a difference and I feel like my deeper understanding of different categories and my realization that while I won’t change the world, I will make an impact has given me new hope. (253 words)
What can I do?
Not much, and everything at the same time. I often avoided speaking out in situations where I felt uncomfortable with discriminatory language for fear of looking like I thought that I was better than people. I understand now that even if that does happen I really can make a positive impact and I can become an ally. I would like to say that I never had a prejudiced bone in my body but that wouldn’t be true. There were certain attitudes that I developed when I was young that I did correct as soon as I realized them but I also realize that there may still be some subconscious bias in me. If I ever do notice any behaviors like that in myself I know that I can correct them. If I notice those behaviors or attitudes in other people I will do my best to show them how disturbing what they’re saying actually is. I tend to give people the excuse that “they were raised that way” but I’m at an age where I don’t think that is valid anymore. People grow and change all the time and it’s on them, not their parents, to dictate how they’re going to treat other people. I will strive to be a safe haven for anyone struggling in the face of discrimination or prejudice from others or even themselves. (226 words)
05/13/2018 9:17 pm
This reading is about change and what individuals can do to change the world we are in today. While some after reading through this book may be discouraged this is meant to encourage. This framework encourages that one person can make different and encourages understanding of the social inequalities and discrimination. Education is one of the most important things we can do to change. Education teaches us that our rights and our history. Which increases our openness to other’s experiences in life. We learn from each other when we are open to hearing others life experiences and stories. The first thing we must do to make a difference work on ourselves. If we are unwilling to change that will not change the inequalities in our society. We also must be able to except that we will make mistakes and we must not give up or be discouraged. We must learn from our mistakes and keep trying. We also must be okay with who we are in society. We have to be comfortable with our privileges and our stigmatizations. If you are privileged you than you must stand up and be an ally for those in the stigmatized statues and stay strong for the ill-treatment of others.
Word count 206
From this course I learned many different things. I have never put too much thought in to diversity. I grew up in a different country for my childhood and then moved to the states. I feel like that has made me naive to the discrimination and stigmatization people experience. I never realized how much of how our society function is based on privilege and statute. This course helped me to understand that we all experience different stigmatizations and privileges no matter who we are. This course has given me a better understanding of others experiences and how we need to be open to other differences from these experiences. This course has given me a great understanding of how important it is to stand up for the rights of others and that one person can make a difference. We need to never take for granted the things that we have as there is always some who has less and is unable to stand up for themselves. There is no quick fix to the problems we face in our society; however, if we all do our part to make a different change will come. We all can make a difference in our own way.
Word count 203
To enhance human understanding of diversity we need to listen and be open to others experiences. We also need to be willing to share our own experiences. If everyone began to listen to each other and share their stories than more people would begin to stand up for the injustice. We need to always be willing to stand up for those who can’t stand for themselves. If we all walk away from this class with the understanding that we can make a difference we have already started to make our communities a better place. We increase human understanding of how diverse we are by breaking the social norms and being willing to stand against the inequalities in our daily lives. Like the books say use education to increase the openness of people by sharing what you have learned from this course.
Word Count 141
05/08/2018 10:14 am
As I read Framework Essay 4 It appeared to me that it was mainly about how we felt reading this book. How can we change the world? Education seems to be the source of much social change. Educational institutions teach us our rights and, our history, sharpen our thinking and decision-making and open us to others' lived experiences. I believe that learning about the history of things like this changes us. "We make the road by walking" was made by a poet "Antonino Mchado". Also the title of a published dialogue between two famous educator activists, Myles Horton and Paulo Freire. Myles Horton and Faulio Freire's lives provide power of education to produce social change. "We make the road by walking" helps us remember that we are the best person to know which social interventions will work for us. Learning who we are, finding and honoring ourselves, recognizing that it is multifaceted, complex, and evolving and then making sure the social change methods we are using are consistent with yourself. "We make the road by walking" is a road that hasn't been built. You will not find a recipe book designed for you and all you will face. This framwork essay explains how it is important for us to recognize that we will need to be our own resources and that we will never have exactly the answers we need. An example was Obama's experience. There are many steps to work on yourself first. Increasing your tolerance for making mistakes as we must learn from our mistakes no matter if they are good, bad, ugly to just get used to your mistakes. Appreciating the statuses we occupy, which include honoring, valuing, and having reasonable level of comfort of being your own skin color. Whether you are female, male, wealthy, poor, middle class, straight or bisexual. Learning to "sit in the fire" Guilt seems to be the most common reaction to discussions of prejudice and discrimination. There is a lot of emotion and experiences to those emotions. When you are angry it explains to try and not let it overwhelm you. Being an ally and appreciating our allies in which an ally is someone committed to eliminating stigma and ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. You can join with others in collective action, social movements historically have transformed the status of stigmatized groups in America, such as the women's movement and civil rights movement. Making a social change and what you can do to help (Word Count: 417)
I can enhance human understand by simply communication. Communication is key. Clear and easy to follow information to help one understand something they might know. Clarity of what people have been accountable for and that everyone needs to be treated equally. I know before this class and before reading these essays I had no idea about some of the things that have/been happening or simply the history and definitions about quite a few things, In just this 8 week course I learned a lot. Recognizing people as individuals and not stereotypes. Respect, compassion and education to others could help enhance human understanding to diversity issues. Starting with myself and what I could do to make a social change, starting with just letting others know what I have learned and some of the issues there are out there that they might not know about or haven't heard about. If there are people out there that didn't know some of the things we just learned they wouldn't know how bad diversity can be and that is when we don't have any change. From either people who do not know history or that might simply not want to do anything about it. It starts with us! (Word Count: 203)
05/09/2018 4:53 pm
Intro to Diversity
Framework IV Summary
Framework four discussed bridging differences. We all have differences and it doesn’t make us good or bad compared to another. Some are black and some are white, some are rich and some are poor, some have an education and some do not. We are all part of this thing called life, and we all must live with one another and get along. No matter what our backgrounds, we need to treat one another with respect and equality. We don’t have the power to change everything, but we can change some things. Like Gandhi said, “Nothing we do as individuals matters, but that it’s vitally important to do it anyway.” Making a difference in social change can start within ourselves.
When we take the road by walking it means that we are taking a road that hasn’t been traveled yet. There isn’t a recipe for life and how to succeed at it. We are responsible for ourselves and we have to be the best person to make a change. We can’t be the person we “think” we should be, or society tells us to be. In order to make a difference and change the way society’s stereotypes are, we need to stop the chain with ourselves. We will never have all the answers, but we need to use our own resources to figure out how we can make a difference starting with us. In the example about Myles Horton’s experience with the strike committee he stuck up for himself and didn’t want to tell them what to do. Even though they threatened to kill him, he did what he thought was right for himself. He didn’t let others influence his decision.
Allowing yourself to make mistakes and not giving up will help you become a stronger person. It will allow you to say what you think instead of being afraid of being wrong. If you are always afraid of saying the wrong thing then you tend to not say anything at all. Even when you know you are right or when you want to stick up for someone. You need to make the change and start speaking. Just get used to making mistakes, because we all do, but learning from them along the way will make us better.
Appreciate yourself and what you stand for. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Society has us so concerned over who we are and how we look that we forget to be ourselves. Maybe we are not proud of a certain characteristic of ourselves. Is that because society has told us we shouldn’t be? Reclaiming our pride in our identities entails knowing who we are and what we stand for.
Being an ally is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a human being. Be that someone that commits to eliminating stigma and ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. Be an ally, find allies, and appreciate your allies. These people are the ones that will stand up for someone that is being bullied, having racist remarks towards them, or not being included. Being an ally is something that can be done individually, or in joining with others to take action. Being an ally is valuable to anyone. When you see someone sitting alone at lunch, join them or ask them to join you. Making a difference in a person’s life will be a rewarding experience. Knowing you are making a change in bridging differences.
The change can start with you. Start by changing the way you think when you are around your friends. Don’t just go along with what the majority are doing or saying. If you feel the need to speak up then do so. Be strong and do what’s right. Be an ally; make a difference.
Word count: 634
Better Understanding of Diversity
In order to help people understand diversity I would inform them of how important it is to have diversity in the first place. Whether at work or in a social setting, diversity is important in the world we live in. I would explain to them how working in groups of diversity give projects much more meaning and creativity. Diversity brings with it ideas and cultures. Working or collaborating with people from different cultures is more educational than working with people from the same backgrounds. Doing research on different cultures and what they stand for would be a way for someone to learn more about living with diversity. This would help them understand why diverse people act the way they do, or believe what they believe. Understanding the meaning of race and ethnicity would help understand diversity. It is important to experience differences in people to help yourself be more well-rounded. We have to open our minds to the differences that people have with one another. Just because someone isn’t the same as we are, doesn’t make them any less equal to us. We have to be willing to learn about other cultures so we can understand it better. Knowing the meaning of difference and accepting people that do not follow the same road we do will help them better understand diversity. Just because someone chooses to be different doesn’t mean they have to “hide” themselves from others. We have to be more accepting of others that want to be different. I would also explain to them that we need to be the change in society. We need to be the ones that say it’s ok to explore avenues that we don’t consider “normal”. If we open our minds and get rid of the stereotypes life would be so much better.
Word count: 300
05/10/2018 3:03 pm
Our last framework essays, goal was to make sure that they aren’t leaving their readers powerless, but inspiring them to create social change. It’s fact that people inherit traits and actions from others, so we want to set a good example for others. To be able to do this we need to know who we are and what our beliefs are.
The book lays out four lessons for us to better understand and work on ourselves. The first lesson was to “increase your tolerance for mistakes”, which was my favorite one because I tend to be hard on myself with mistakes. They tell us that we need to be more tolerant so we don’t give up on ourselves, and if we are too busy dwelling on the mistake we will miss opportunities. Every experience is something to learn from, good, bad, and average, which will help us grow as people. Everyone makes mistakes, there’s no way around it, but we have to get over them. The second lesson is to “appreciate the statuses you occupy.” This means being proud of who you are and what statuses you hold, this will help you to communicated with people of other statuses. Away to increase your knowledge is to learn about your pass ancestors and see the bad they have done, and the good. Thirdly, was to “learn how to sit on fire”. Those who do have a privileged status tend to feel guilt of their status. Sometimes they allow their guilt to over power and take over the conversation. Then there is emotion on both sides which can be overwhelming. Instead of being too emotional and feeling guilty, try to be more understanding and just listening. When someone you are talking to is angry, just listen, and try to understand and don’t let your thoughts get in the way of listening. Lastly, “be an ally, appreciate your allies.” This eliminates stigmas, allows people with the same ideas to join together collectively. Sometimes the best way to do this is to ask for help to get allies.
(344-word count)
What I can do enhance human understanding related to diversity issues, I will start by simply not giving into the peer pressure of inappropriate jokes, and make it awkward for those telling the joke, so next time they will choose the correct pathway to not tell the insulting joke. I will work on not creating categories of people or stereotyping people by appearance. Something I’ve always unintentionally done is proving people with strong dichotomizing thoughts of gender roles wrong with my actions. I will encourage others to not “pass” as someone they aren’t. I will try to confront any discrimination I encounter, either in the workplace, or everyday encounters, trying to put an end to it. I am working on myself like the last framework essay instructed us to do, trying to tolerate mistakes, appreciating my statuses, learning how to react with my emotions aside, and being and making allies. It’s important to understand that we may not people to see the change we are trying to make, but as a group we are making change, but maybe our kids will see the change. Collectively we cannot feel powerless, we need to rise above and promote social change, together as a whole.
(202- word count)
Framework Essay SummaryFramework essay four talks about bridging differences. Reading this book leaves me to feel like there is little I can do to challenge the constructions of difference in everything, from personal identity to world events, which was not the point of this book. Rather, the point of this was to help us look at race, sex, social class, sexuality, and disability all together, which in return would open opportunities for understanding and creating alliances. People can be different but still have had the same experience in the same way that people who never had the experience might still have ways to understand it. That is what the writers wanted to happen. They wanted people to understand each other, but it might not always work out like that, especially in higher education.
The emphasis in higher education is more on “understanding” than “doing.” Most coursework stresses detached, value-neutral reasoning, not passionate advocacy for social change. This is odd considering that education is the source of much social change. Learning changes us and high education is an important aspect of that. High education can empower and dis-empower us, and the decision is entirely up to the individual. We will take the information and pick whether we feel discouraged or inspired; no one else but you can choose how you feel.
There is nothing more fundamental to social change than learning who you are. One of the important aspects of this class that I really got into was acknowledging and honoring who I am, although I am complex and evolving. We make the road by walking implies the road isn’t built yet, which makes it up to us to build it. “Although there are many helpful resources, you will not find a recipe book designed for all the situations you will face.” This just means that you can’t always prepare for everything and even if you could, you might not want to know how you’ll resolve them. It can be more beneficial to figure things out on the way. Word count: 336
Enhancing Human UnderstandingOne of the most honorable mentions when explaining diversity is the fact that we have it at all. Can you imagine a life where everyone was the same class? Gender? Race? We are not cookie-cutter shaped people. It’s basically impractical. We need to be very thankful for the variety we have.
Mentioning variety, I would like to bring up to the individual how exactly oppression would work if the person was oppressed. For example, if I was talking to a white male, I might try to explain the perspective of if white people were oppressed and black people were stereo-typically superior. Sometimes an individual may not understand how oppression works unless it is directed against them.
When it comes down to it, the world is so vast and incredible. It’s honestly a miracle that we’re alive as it is. The universe is crazy huge and we’re all very small and insignificant. If we could get along and try to figure out why we’re here, that would be ideal. We need to stop fighting against each other for these things. No one in the world is considered either “normal” nor “perfect.” If neither can be achieved, we might as well be happy with who we are and try to support and encourage those around us. Life is too short to hate each other. Word count: 226
05/13/2018 2:11 pm
The last framework essay “Bridging Differences” talked about what got this book started, which is the energy it got from realizing how readily people could generalize from their own personal experience of stigma and privilege to what others experienced. Then it talks about solutions to the issues in this book as it relates back to Gandhi talking about the relationship between individuals and society. They then go on to talk about how “the road is made by walking” and “you make the way as you go”. They hope to make the reader realize that YOU are the best person to know which “social intervention” is right for you, because you will learn who you are. It talks about how education shapes kids and how each kid should be able to be educated the same way but end up as different individuals. They also explained that “the road is made by walking” also conveys that the road isn’t already built. You aren’t already expected to do something, and you don’t know what you are supposed to do. Because you make your own road. You need to be your own resources sometimes, and you don’t need a definite answer for everything because you learn different things as you try them. I think the point of this last framework essay was to not only wrap up how we see the differences in this world, but to help us understand that they can and should be more positive differences. It does a great job of telling the reader how they can help by starting with themselves. The four ways to start by working on yourself are increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, appreciating the statuses you occupy, learning to “sit in the fire”, and being an ally and to appreciate our allies. They close the essay hoping that the reader now understands that challenging constructions of difference is well within al our capabilities. (word count 319)
What I can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues is literally just spread my knowledge in conversation. I think, depending on the situation, that the issues of diversity would need to be discussed first. Why it was ever made a thing, why the differences are treated as they are, and why change hasn’t happened yet. If it is ever brought up, or if I ever notice it and bring it up, I can spread the awareness that you’re not as little and useless as you thought, and everyone really does matter. I can spread the awareness that change, and difference should be a positive thing and we are wasting energy and time on being negative about it. I can correct people when they are being inappropriate, rude, or unaware of what they are doing. I would explain that they don’t need to talk like that just because its what some people do that it almost seems normal. We can change normal, we are just a leaf on the tree but together we are a beautiful sight and we are everything. I would explain that as well. And I think the last thing that would need to be explained is that the one thing that everyone needs to realize and understand. The reason change has not happened yet, is because enough people haven’t realized that you will not see the change. Not enough people have accepted that what they do to participate in the change will not be seen by then, and they need to accept that to make change happen. (word count 265)
Framework Essay IV Summary This frame work essay is about moving away from an individual sense of feeling powerless and work toward the social change because as individuals, we do not have the power to change everything. For us to do this process, we have to understand the adaption of a proverb that Antonio Machado wrote. The adaption or phase is “we make the road by walking” or “you make the way as you go”. This phase will help us remember that you are the best person to know which “social interventions” will work for you and convey that the road has not been built. For this process, we have to work on ourselves first, and there are four main lessons for us to concentrate on.
The first lesson is increase our tolerance for making mistakes. The quote, “Realizing how little you know about other people’s life experience is a way to prepare for the absolute inevitability that, in trying to build connections across differences, you will make mistakes,” (pg. 486) is about we either have to increase our tolerance or risk giving up on all of our mistakes. Basically, we have to get used to making mistakes because there is no way around these mistakes.
Appreciate the status we occupy is the second lesson. This lesson is about appreciating stigmatized and privileged because it let us to response with more clarity to other individuals’ experiences of their status. Even though getting over shame is not easy, we have to recognize that shame exist and dysfunction is an important step.
As for the third lesson, it is about learning to “sit in the fire” of conflict and intense emotion. When we are with someone who is anger, we should not stop listening just because we don’t like the message or the way it is said to us. If we are the one that is angry, we should not let it overwhelm us. We should remember that, “Every person is important, even those who belong to majority groups that have historically oppressed other groups,” (pg. 487).
The last lesson is “Be an ally. Appreciate your allies”. This lesson is about us finding allies and appreciate them because the concept of an ally is nothing complicate. An alley is more about joining with others in collective action. We can make a difference by becoming an ally.
In conclusion, we shouldn’t felt powerless and insignificant and “understand that challenging the constructions of difference is well within all of our capabilities,” (pg. 490). (Word Count: 415)
Enhancing Human UnderstandingsI can enhance human understanding related to diversity issues is by remembering that our differences are what make each one of us unique. As individuals, we shouldn’t try to change the way we are or how other people views us. Instead, we should acknowledge our differences and be happy for who we are. It doesn’t matter what race, ethnicity, sexuality gender, class, and the disability an individual have, we are still one nation and be able to share these differences. I will move away from feeling powerless and work on the social change. Even if it is a process for this change, I will be patient and understand that it is going to take me time to make that change. When there is a change without me knowing or wanting it, I will learn how to accept the change. Also, I can enhance it by following the four lessons that I have learned in the Framework Essay IV. Increasing my tolerance of making mistakes will help me build connections to the differences of each individual. Even if there are conflicts and intense emotion, I will remember to sit in the fire and try to calm myself in that situation. Having an ally can help myself to join other in a collective action and make a difference. (Word Count: 216)
Framework essay four talks about how we can bridge the gap by our differences. It starts out by talking about how some people may feel powerless and not feel able to even start to make a difference. This is because some individuals are stigmatized against or their master statuses hinder their walk in life. The number one hindrance is the ability to seek higher education or education at all. “Educational institutions teach us our rights and our history, sharpen our thinking and decision-making, and open us to others’ lived experience.” With education there is a sense of local community. Thought it has never been like this, education gives everyone a chance to change.
As people become educated they find themselves faced with adversity. The coined quote “We make the road by walking” by poet Antonio Machado goes to show that people have to blaze their own “roads” to ahead in life. “Just like Myles Horton founded the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee in 1932, when American racial segregation was still firmly in place.” If he didn’t start this school to help African Americans to become more educated and to blaze his own trail, then the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Wouldn’t have come into play. Blacks were not able to vote because they were illiterate.
The essay goes on to list four main lessons on which an individual may do to concentrate on one’s self. In doing so, focusing on yourself to be better person ultimately helps you and the community you are associated with. The four lessons: 1. Increase your tolerance for making mistakes. 2. Appreciate the statuses you occupy 3. Learn to “sit in the fire” 4. Be an ally. Appreciate your allies. Working on these four lessons help you grow as a person and also helps you grow in knowing individuals that are different from you. (308)
Personally what I can do to enhance human understanding is to first work on myself as a person. Focusing on how I may think and act towards certain situations and finding a way to fix that. Then I would help to stand up towards those of difference. Whether it’s bullying or jokes that seem inappropriate. I could make a ripple affect even if I don’t think I have made any kind of difference. I could learn to not try to make conversations uncomfortable but open to what people of difference might feel. Then once an effect was made then maybe help those around make their own changes. Being an advocate to people of difference can be a great way to make a difference even when I don’t feel I have done so. Being a person of Mexican decent I can relate to both privileged and oppressed people at the same time. (151)
After recognizing the power of master statuses and our differences in personal identity along with world events, we must not feel powerless.
While there are many different groups of people, we must realize that there are many similarities among these groups through shared experience.
The general theme in higher education is more on "understanding" than doing. However, education is also the source of much social change. Education teaches us everything about our history and rights and opens up many other doors. Education shows us possibilities but we are still the one that must make the choices on how to use and implement what we learn. We, as individuals, are responsible for our own actions. We choose to do what we do.
Though we do not have the power to change everything, we can change some things. We might think that what we do really means nothing in the big picture but we must do it anyway.
The phrase "we make the road by walking" reveals that, we, are the best person to know which "social interventions" will work for us. The social change methods we use or confront must be consistent with ourselves. We have to be true to who we are to facilitate real social change. We are our own best resource but will never have all the answers we need. People learn from each other.
We must first work on ourselves to challenge social constructions. We can do this in four main ways:
1. Increase your tolerance for making mistakes. We must realize that we will make mistakes or risk giving up altogether.
2. Appreciate the statuses you occupy. We must not be ashamed of who we are.
3. Learn to "sit in the fire". To be able to bridge differences, we must be able to engage in conflict and intense emotion.
4. Be an ally, appreciate your allies. An ally is someone who is committed, as you are, to eliminating a stigma. There is force and change in numbers. (329)
What can I do to enhance human understanding?
There actually are many things an individual can do to enhance human understanding. We must first realize that we are not powerless in what seems to be overwhelming odds.
One thing that we all must do is to continue learning. We must know the choices that are presented to us and be able to make the right decisions. We have to know which of these decisions are the best for us and are consistent with who we are. We need to work on ourselves first to then be able to make a difference in the world.
There are four main lessons on which each of us can work to not only better ourselves but to help change the way others in society think and operate.
First, we must not be afraid to make mistakes and/or to fail. To me the perfect saying that applies here is that there are no stupid questions. Really, there are only stupid people that don't seek to find answers. We all continually make mistakes and instead of apologizing for them we need to accept that fact and persevere in spite of them.
Next, we must accept our status. In doing so, we are able to claim responsibility, good and bad, of being a certain race, social status, and so on.
Third, in order to bridge societal differences we must be willing to engage in conflict and intense emotion.
Lastly, we must appreciate our allies. If we bind together for a common cause, this allows us to join each other in a collective action to change privilege and oppression. (264)
05/15/2018 8:57 am
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 300+ words. 10 points.
This essay makes it clear for us to see that there are steps for us to take open our eyes and create alliances. The framework essay's previous to this one, ran the risk of leaving people feeling helpless. Myles Horton was one out of two educator-activist that help bridge the differences between individuals. He did so as the founder of the Highland Folk School in Tennessee in 1932. This was a time were racial segregation was still in place. His goal was to, 'use education as one of the instruments for bringing about a new social order.' At his school, students were taught non-violence and southern blacks were taught how to read and write to make it possible for them to vote. The second educator-activist was, Paulo Freire. Both Freire and Horton were authors of a book called, "You make the way as you go." Paulo was also an author of the book,"Pedagogy of the Oppressed." In the 1960's, he was in charge of the Brazilian national literacy program before the government was over thrown by the military coup. Similar to America, Brazil's poor were also not allowed to vote, claiming that they were illiterate. Freire was forced to leave Brazil, but he continued to write and developed literacy programs elsewhere. Horton and Freire book also provides basic lessons on turning learning into action. "We make the road by walking" conveys two ideas of how an individual can make a change. First, it shows that, "... you are the best person to know which 'social interventions' will work for you." The best thing you can do is to learn who you are and make sure that the social change methods are consistent with you, and not someone else. Another point that, "We make the road by walking" makes is that the road has not already been built and it it up to us to pave that road. It is important to recognize that it is up to us to be our own resource and that we will never have all the answers we need. In order to challenge social constructions of difference, we have to work on ourself first. This framework essay breaks it down to four main lessons. The first lesson is to increase your tolerance for making mistakes. Doing this will allow you to learn new things through mistakes that you may make that are either good or bad. The next lesson is, appreciate the status you occupy. Whether you occupy a status that is privileged, stigmatized or even both, appreciating it allows you to respond to other individuals experience with more clarity. This means to not be ashamed of who you are. The third lesson is to learn to "sit in the fire." Occupying a privileged status or a stigmatized status may fuel a lot of a emotions. If you are considered to be privileged you may guilty. By focusing on how you may feel will take away from the peoples experiences you are trying to understand. If you are stigmatized, you may feel anger. The advice given in the essay says to listen to those who feel angry so you can understand it. Also, don't take the anger personally unless you are told it is about you. The fourth lesson is to be an ally and appreciate you allies. By recalling a time when you were treated unfairly and remembering how you wished someone would have done for you, will give you a good understanding of what being an ally calls for. Also, asking people what would be helpful in order to educate yourself on the history of the stigmatized groups can be another way for you to be ally. Overall, this essay was very enlightening and brought up great ideas in order for us to be able to make change for our society. 638.
2. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 10 points.
Some things I can do to enhance human understanding is to make myself aware of my actions and the things that I say. It is easy to get caught up with what everyone else thinks is "cool" or funny" that nobody wants to be the person to say otherwise. Reading 56 touches on this idea. Standing up for those who are a minority is a simple way for us to make step forward towards change in our society. Accepting who I am and others around me is another way I can help enhance human understanding. Whether we are privileged, stigmatized or both, that doesn't make someone better than the other. Accepting your neighbor's status and not making judgements towards them is another step to help social change. Being willing to learn and understand diversity and the issue's that are with it, is another way to help human understanding. Having an open mind to what others have to say or go through will not only make it easier for change to happen, but also make those who occupy a stigmatized status, feel like they are being heard. I believe if we all take these small steps, it will our world a much better place. 203.
05/15/2018 9:25 am
The framework essay begins by talking about the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee which was founded by Myles Horton and how the school is known for its contribution to the civil rights movement. They started “Citizenship Schools” that taught blacks how to read and write so that they could vote and taught about the methods of nonviolence. Paulo Freire, who is author of the book Pedagogy in the 1960’s, was forced to flee Brazil but began to write and develop literacy programs. “His belief that education must operate as a dialogue, rooted in values and committed to transforming the world, made him one of the most influential thinkers of the last century.” (Pg. 484, Rosenblum and Travis).
The reading continues to talk about how Myles Horton and Paulo Freires lives had a significant impact on the power of education to produce social change. “There is probably nothing more fundamental to social change than learning who you are; finding and honoring that authentic self; recognizing that it is multifaceted, complex, and evolving—and then making sure that the social change methods you use are consistent with that self.” (Pg. 484, Rosenblum and Travis). We need to recognize that we need to be our own resource and will not always have all the answers that we need.
There are four main lessons when working on yourself. First, you must increase your tolerance for making mistakes. It is given that you will make mistakes and it is important to increase your tolerance of making them and focus on learning from those mistakes. Second, you must appreciate the statuses you occupy. The authors mention how it might sound odd to appreciate your status (stigmatized or privileged), but it allows you to respond with more clarity to others experiences of their own statuses. Appreciating your status allows you to not be ashamed of who you are. Third, learn to “sit in the fire”. Those in privileged statuses often feel a sense of guilt when it comes to discussions about prejudice and discrimination. Those in stigmatized statues often feel anger. Those who fall under both can feel both guilt and anger. So, everyone can have strong emotional experience. The author gives the advice to not succumb to our guilt, anger is a little more difficult. When listening to someone who is angry, truly listen to them so that you can understand them and don’t let their anger trigger your own. Do not let your own anger overwhelm you and try to avoid self-righteousness. “As you experience sitting in the fire, remember that the benefits of diversity derive from engagement, not passive observation. Interaction about difference will inevitably entail periods of disagreement and conflict.” (Pg. 487, Rosenblum and Travis).
Fourth, be an ally. Appreciate your skills. The author finds this to be the most important lesson, to be an ally, find allies and appreciate those allies. You can learn about being an ally by asking others what would be helpful and also educate yourself about the history and experience of people in stigmatized groups. A majority of the personal accounts in this book have to do with the person wishing they had an ally or having one. There are many ways that someone can be an ally, even for example at lunch. This is public meal where those in stigmatized groups may find themselves alone, eating with other members of the same group, or hide. An ally would extend an invitation to join that person. You might also consider how you can become an ally who makes a difference. “Getting allies sometimes requires asking for help and even telling people what you specifically want or don’t want them to do.” (Pg. 489, Rosenblum and Travis).
Word-Count: 618
Some things that I can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues to talk about what those issues are and why they even exist. It is important to educate others on these topics because many people might not know much about diversity, therefore, if they don’t know much about it, how can they begin to truly understand it. I learned so much about diversity and the topics related to in just these short 8 weeks. The most important thing I will take away from this class and can also teach others is that although we may feel powerless when it comes to change, we are actually more powerful and influential than we may think, and our actions can have a strong impact on others and help create a path for others to follow. However, before we can begin to make any changes, we need to first know what needs to be changed and the diversity issues that we are currently facing in our world. I think the best way to help others understand something is to have someone think from another point of view or perspective. It can be difficult to do, but I think doing this is the best way to understand the differences another individual or group may face. We also need to stand up for others when we witness people being discriminated against, how can change happen if we all just stand by and do nothing? We are more powerful than we may know, and it is important to educate others on diversity issues before we can truly start to make bigger changes.
Word-Count: 268
05/15/2018 10:06 am
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 300+ words. 10 points.
“Having recognized the power of master statuses and the significance of our conceptions of difference in everything from personal identity to world events, it is easy to feel powerless in the face of what appear to be overwhelming social forces.” Feeling powerless could be because of the nature of society and not because of the nature of education. Nature of education, learning changes us. People often feel powerless to bring social change and hopelessly insignificant in the face of overwhelming social forces. In higher education its for more of the understanding than doing. “We make the road by walking” means only you know which social interventions will work for you. It also means the road is not already built, but you are to make your own road. You will never have all the answers you need, but you do need to be your own resource and not an impersonation of someone else. It is highly important to work on yourself as a person first. You must try to focus on learning from the good, bad, and ugly. You must increase your tolerance for making mistakes. You must appreciate your status, “stigmatized and privileged”, because it’s the foundation that allows you to respond with clarity. For those in the privileged statuses, guilt is the most common reaction to discussions of prejudice and discrimination. For those in the stigmatized status, anger is at the top. You have to learn to sit in the fire “every person is important, even those who belong to majority groups that have historically oppressed other groups. Be an ally and appreciate your allies, think of a time you or someone around you was treated differently because of the status they belong to, what you have done; what you wish someone did for you. The role of an ally is critical. The book says being an ally isn’t always what you can do on your own, it is also about joining with others in collective action. With this being said we shouldn’t feel powerless and insignificant because of the status we belong to and the levels of education we have. Challenging the constructions of difference is something we are all capable of achieving.
Word count 367
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 10 points.
To enhance human understanding we must first learn to appreciate and like who we are as people. We shouldn’t have to care what our race, sex, sexuality, social class, and disabilities are. As a society we shouldn’t be looking at our-selves or others for what they have or what their skin color is and what group they or we belong to. We need to make sure we do not feel powerless; Even when things are tough, and overwhelming. Growing as a nation instead of just as one single person in the world we live in would help. Learning about each culture and the differences everyone faces would help us gain our allies and allow us to make the change we all need to see. If we just open our minds and not think so lowly of someone who is different then we are, we would feel much better as human being. If your going to constantly be looking down on someone for what the have, what the look like, and how they act you aren’t a very good person to interact with. To make the change we need to see to enhance our human understandings of diversities we need to be more accepting of others.
Word count 205
05/15/2018 10:31 am
Framework Essay 4
This essay focused on what individuals can do when they might feel powerless to social change. It is important to educate yourself, and look for new ways to understand others, as well as create alliances. We all have differences, but this essay worked to bridge the gaps between them.
Poet Antonio Machado’s quote, “we make the road by walking,” is symbolic of people taking ownership of their lives and making their way as they go. We have to learn which social situations work for us as individuals and pick our battles. Myles Horton, an activist and educator said there are two was to approach inevitable incompleteness. First, the way to do something was to start doing it and learn from it. Second, people learn from each other. (pg 485.) No one will ever have all of the answers to every situation in life, but it’s important to get out there and try to do something.
This essay had four guidelines to working on yourself first before building the “road”.
Increase your tolerance for making mistakes. Sometimes people can get so caught up in the fear of making mistakes that they won’t even try. All attempts, positive or negative, are the chance to learn something.
Appreciate the statuses you occupy. Being able to appreciate your stigmatized or privileged status will help you understand the experiences of people in other statuses. Part of appreciating your status is being comfortable in it, and not being ashamed of who you are.
Learn to sit in the fire. Sitting in the fire symbolizes staying strong and not feeling the guilt, but face conflicts and emotions head on. When someone gets angry, it’s important to listen to them, and try to understand what they are really trying to say.
Be an ally. Appreciate your allies. An ally is someone committed to eliminating stigma and ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. (pg. 488) Allies are people who join together to be part of a social movement and can be very successful in doing so.Word count: 344
Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words
To enhance human understanding related to diversity issues we would first have to put people in more diverse situations. It could be things like, volunteering at a homeless shelter or a food pantry, to get a better understanding of people who are less fortunate than yourself, and erase the stigmas surrounding homelessness and poverty. I sort of forced my coworkers into being more diverse when I became the supervisor of the middle-aged, white male population at my company. It just helped erase some of the stigma that women are inferior to men. In 2018, we all need to practice being more tolerant because we have a diverse country.
Another way to enhance understanding is having more discussions. Someone in a privileged status has more opportunity to get their voice heard, so they have the ability to speak up for those in a stigmatized status. I think it is very simple to stop the spread of discrimination just by putting zero tolerance to it. I think of the T.V. show, “What Would You Do?” and how they put regular people in situations to see if they would really speak up and say something when they see violence or discrimination or dangerous situations. There are a lot of people that will flat out tell someone to stop what they are doing with no problem. But the more quiet, reserved people are looking around for that strong person to step up and say something or be reinforcement if they do decide to jump into confrontation. A voice, no matter how small, makes a difference to someone who is being discriminated against.
Word count: 268
05/15/2018 5:46 pm
The framework essay starts out by talking about why they wrote the book and the struggles with making people feel as though they can make a difference. The believe education teaches us about our rights, our history our decision making and it opens us up to others and is also a source for social change. It talks about how Myles Horton founded the Highlander Folk School which is a racially integrated adult education school and had a large contribution to the civil rights movement. He also started citizenship schools which taught southern blacks to read and write so they could pass the tests required to vote. "We make the road by walking" means that what we go through is not predicted and there is no book designed for all of the situation we go through in life. The reading talks about how President Obama had a hard time finding work even after writing to many civil rights organizations . black elected officials and many others. Obama was putting on a speech and it was getting close to the time he was supposed to speak and there was hardly anyone in audience until the very last minuet. The reading also talks about how you need to work on yourself which is the first step to challenging social construction. It also talks about how you need to increase your tolerance for making mistakes. If you do not increase your tolerance for mistakes you may risk giving up all together and you must learn from the mistakes. You must also appreciate the statuses you were given. By appreciating these statuses and stigmas you are showing yourself and others that you are not ashamed of who you are. You must also learn to "sit in the fire". This just means instead of getting angry you must listen to others so that you understand where they are coming from and to not stop listening because you don't like the message or the way it is packaged. Do not let another persons anger upset you because this will cause you to not listen to the other person and know that you can withstand their anger. You must also be an ally and appreciate your allies. An ally is someone who is committed to eliminating stigma and the ill-treatment of those in stigmatized statuses. "If you were ever treated unfairly because of a status you occupy and think about what you wish someone would have done or said on your behalf, you will then understand the critical role an ally can play, and you will have a good sense of what the role calls for." (Words 438)
To enhance human understanding we must appreciate ourselves and where we came from. Having diversity or being "different" should not be a bad thing. We should learn to embrace our differences and just because someone is not like us does not mean they are a bad person or not as smart. We should not stigmatize or be rude to someone with a disability or because their skin is a different color than our because that's what we were taught. We need to stand up and if someone makes a racial joke, we need to tell them to stop and then maybe others will stop also in hope it will reach more and more people. We must also learn about our ancestry and where we came from so we are able to provide facts if someone is being rude or saying harsh things about our culture. We must also put ourselves in other peoples shoes. We do not know everyone past or how they grew up but by learning about them and not making fun of them we might be able to make an ally or show people it is wrong to stigmatize people. If we see discrimination happening we must stand up for what is right and not walk away because we don't want to intervene. By walking away it is showing we don't care and showing that we are ok with what is happening. We must take small steps in our lives to make a bigger impact in other peoples lives. (words 252)
05/15/2018 7:52 pm
Framework Essay starts by talking about how they feared the book would discourage people and think that we are powerless when it comes to change. They wanted us to know that wasn't there intentions at all. They wanted to show us how we are share more similarities than we think we do with each other. Teaching us the history of people who struggle with being stigmatized or dealing with their privileges or lack of privilege helps us know what we should or shouldn't do. Horton started the Highlander School in 1932 that was an integrated school that taught people about history, the government and leadership. It was were Rosa Parks had attended school before she had boycotted moving to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. It helps us show that we can create the future we want. We can't rely on other people to help us be the way we want to be or create what we want. Hence why in the text Horton talks about how he refused to tell one how to do it even after being threatened because if someone is always telling us how to do it we will never leave how to do it on our own. We have to work on ourselves first in order to change the people and world around us. It tells us to increase our willingness to make mistakes. Don't be afraid to mess up or be afraid what others are going to think that will just hold you back from being you. Appreciate the statuses you occupy. If you want others to treat you differently because of your status you can't treat your status like there is something wrong with it. Be proud of who you and other will be proud too. Learn to sit in the fire. Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe it just because you don't want to deal with the conflicts. You have to put your guilt aside because that makes it more about you than someone else and you have to put your anger aside because it keeps us from actually listening to what the other person has to say. Be an Ally and Appreciate your Allies we talk about how in all the personal accounts we have read in this book we learn that the author just wanted someone to be on their side to understand where they were coming from. We end the framework with a better understanding of what we can do to make a bigger impact in the word instead of being discouraged by thinking that just one person can't make an impact. - Word count: 440.
2. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words.
In order for me to enhance human understanding I must first be proud of the privileges I carry. I must also learn to stand by the people who don't possess the privileges I carry. We need to stand up for people and stop being so afraid that we will be the next one to be picked on and realize that someone who feels the need to belittle someone is the problem not me because I am a female, or someone because they are disabled or a different skin color. I should also learn more about the history of my privileges and astigmatism the more we know the better we are to help the people around us. IT takes just little steps for me to make a small impact in someones life and I need to be better about saying what I feel verse staying quiet just so I don't have to start an argument with someone else. Word count- 176.
05/15/2018 9:21 pm
1. Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491 with 300+ words. 10 points.
After reading this last essay I have learned that this book was not wrote to make people feel powerless but to empower them. It gave examples of people that changed the path and made the road by walking. It gave steps and the first thing people should do is work on themselves first to make a difference in society. The first step in this change is to increase your tolerance for mistakes. If you do this and are not scared to make mistakes you will put yourself out there and not miss opportunities for connection. You should appreciate the status you occupy and not be ashamed of it. You should honor, value, and have some reasonable level of comfort about being whatever you may be. It is stated you should learn the full history, good and bad, and it will help you find heroes as well as avoid false pride. Often times people in privileged statuses guilt can be the most common reaction to discussions of prejudice and discrimination. If there appears to be no diversity in the setting you find yourself in then the odds are that is just how things look and no matter how homogenous a group may seem there will always be layers of difference. You should also be an ally and appreciate your allies. This means that if you remember a time where you may have been treated unfairly because of a status you occupy and you think about how you wish someone would have done something or said something on your behalf, that is when you realize how critical an ally can be. The main point in the essay is to empower everyone to realize that challenging the constructions of difference is well within all of our capabilities. word count: 327
2. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding
related to diversity issues with 200+ words. 10 points.
In order to enhance human understanding I must first change myself. This means I should allow myself to make mistakes and put myself out there so I do not miss opportunities. I should embrace the privilege and statuses I carry. Often times people are ashamed of them and feel guilty. I should learn to know the good and the bad of my people. I should not let myself succumb to guilt. I should not take an expression of anger personally unless I am told it actually is about me. When I am the one that is angry I should not let it overwhelm me. I should try to avoid self-righteousness. I should be an ally and appreciate my allies. I should join others in collective action. Social movements such as the women's movement had allies. They worked together to achieve this. Allies are often recruited more easily with appreciation rather than guilt. It is best to be an ally with a heart. It is stated that we all are capable of making differences. word count: 177
05/15/2018 9:57 pm
1. In the Framework Essay 4, the author explains that after all of these readings, we may doubt ourselves and our abilities to change people’s perspectives. However, there are many ways that this can be a possibility. The authors reference former president Barack Obama that “we make the road by walking” – meaning we can be our own resources. And so, the author goes into depth on ways that we can help society in an individual level such as working on ourselves. They list, 4 main lessons that will help encourage us to challenge social issues. We can increase our tolerance for making mistakes, we can appreciate the statuses we hold, we can learn to “sit in the fire”, and lastly, something that is very strong, we can become an ally.
Increasing our tolerance when making mistakes can begin to make us realize that we can learn from our mistakes and in that way, we become better. If we don’t allow our mistakes to be made, we then begin to hold ourselves back. Appreciating our statuses such as what race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, class that we are, will allow us to be more confident and not ashamed of who we are. Learning to “sit in the fire” will teach us how to criticize and analyze others and their opinions. This in away will help us as a society to become closer. Being an ally is very important and beneficial. It will allow us to assist each other when in need and it also allows us to be more educated about one another. As said by the authors, “we did not write this book because we felt powerless or wanted you to feel that way.” They conclude that they want us as readers to take away these lessons and put them to use for us as a society to become more fluid. WC: 311
2. There are many different ways that someone can help another understand topics that involve diversity issues. The number one action that I believe to be most beneficial is by educating people. Many people are not aware of issues on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, or any level of difference because they are not being educated about it. Ever since I’ve become a college student, these topics are finally being taught and spoken about and this very fact is frightening because everyone needs to be learning about this due to the divide that comes out of it. Many people will say that they didn’t know and that is why their judgements exist. It isn’t just being educated on the differences, but it is also being educated about why and when the differences began. Our human history tells us a lot about diversity and that needs to be acknowledged as well. Once we are all educated about the difference within our society, that is when we can begin to appreciate each other and hopefully have less hate and more understanding perspectives. We have to come together to be able to learn from each other and that also begins by becoming each other’s allies. WC: 202
05/16/2018 1:31 pm
Framework essay 4 seemed to summon up the reading we have done throughout this book. I think the main focus of this was to share the importance of educating yourself and improving on previous actions. It gave steps and inspirational quotes to challenging social constructions. These four steps give us a better understanding on the work we need to apply to ourselves. The first step is increasing your tolerance for making mistakes. The second is appreciate the statuses you occupy. The third learning to “sit on the fire”, and finally be an ally, appreciate your allies. These are the main steps to learning who we are and creating the best us we can be. Increasing your tolerance for making mistakes, we can become more tolerant of ourselves and then in return become more tolerant of others. Appreciating the status, you occupy makes you less entertainable of others that differ in their status. This will create an easy of stereotyping others, we will accept others. Allowing yourself to make mistakes will also increase your tolerance of accepting the mistakes of others. Sitting on the fire can have many meanings behind it. I think that in this case its specifically meaning that you cannot sit and do nothing and expect change to happen. That was a theme that was consent throughout this book was that you cannot sit by and expect change to happen.
Word Count:300
What I think that can be done to enhance human understanding in relation to diversity issue is something similar to this final framework essay. I think that if we all focus on working on ourselves. It can seem overwhelming to try and change the whole world, but if we start small and change ourselves I think the change in the world will come. What we put out into the universe is what you get back. I think if we work on enhancing human understanding relation then we can inform the rest of the world of ways to enhance human understanding. Simple communication between humans can start to make the change in people that we hope to see. We have to become accepting of others and I feel like that education is always key, the more we learn about others, the more we teach others, the more tolerable we’ll be.
Word Count:200
05/16/2018 9:19 pm
Modify Date: 05/16/18 9:20pm
Bridging Difference
Summarize Framework Essay 4 (FE4) pp.481-491This framework essay talks about how this book so far has left people feeling like there’s little they can do to challenge the constructions of difference but how we can be more helpful than with think. I like how it talked about how education can teach us our rights and our history to open us to sharpen our thinking, decision making, and how we experience life. Myles Horton used education and an instrument during the civil right movement to teach southern black to read and write, so they could pass the test required to vote. “We make the road by walking” helps you remember that you are the best persons to know what will work for you don’t let what society thinks about you but recognized that you are who you are by honoring your authentic self; that you are unique and evolving, and don’t let others change who you want to be. Also, that you will need to be your own resource and you will never find all the answers you need in life.But I think it’s very important that people ultimately learn the most from each other. People are there for each other in a community and have each other’s backs and motivate people to do their best. It’s important to work on yourself to challenge social constructions of difference. There are 4 steps the framework essay wanted to contrate on: 1. To increase your tolerance for making mistakes by realizing how little you know about other people’s life experiences and that we all make mistakes. 2. Appreciate the statuses you occupy; honor what makes you different. 3. Learn to “sit in the fire” meaning to deal with our emotions and how to do that. Try focusing on how you feel bad and that you are trying to understand the other person’s shoes.Try not to let someone else’s anger trigger your own, because that will keep you from listening and just remember that you can withstand someone else’s anger. 4. Be an ally. Appreciate your allies. Remember a time where you were mistreated because of a status you occupy and had wished that someone had done something or said something on your behalf. Be helpful by education yourself about the history and experience of those in stigmatized groups. Now knowing all of this makes me realize that that is all that with can all do to be a powerful influence in challenging what people view as difference
Word Count: 411
2. Share what you can do to enhance human understanding related to diversity issues.
We can enhance human understanding by first educating ourselves. Education is important, so we know the history and can have a better understanding of those in stigmatized groups. Having the knowledge helps up become more open and sharpens our thinking/decision-making. Also, if you educated yourself, you then have the knowledge to help educate other’s positively to make real change in accepting people who are different from themselves or from society’s norms. Another way you can help if by reflecting who you are and making yourself the best person you can be. If you are happy, challenging yourself, expanding who you are, then who cares about what other people think about you. Sometimes you must be your own recourse and need to learn that some things are always inevitable. But accepting your bias and prejudices just makes you who you are and have a better understanding for why it’s so important for others to realize that you aren’t ever doing to change that but can change how other’s view you. Inspire others to accept difference and to make themselves happy by being their true self. Lastly, to truly accept diversity people must learn from each other and be able to put themselves in each other’s shoes to understand it might be like to be labeled as “different”.
Word Count 218
