Crash

There are many stereotypes in the movie Crash that are proven not to be true. One is the locksmith that was fixing Sandra's locks. Because she had been carjacked, she assumed that her subconscious racism was actually justified and believed in her prejudice against the Hispanic looking locksmith. Because of his physical features, tattoos, and clothing, she assumed he was a gangster and felt like he was going to end up hurting her. In reality, however, he is a loving father with no gang affiliation. In fact, he is trying to escape the bad neighborhoods in order to provide a safer place for his daughter. The viewer feels and emotional attachment to him because he is a really excellent and caring person without any connections with trouble.

Another incident caused by stereotypes was when the store was vandalized. The owners were Persian and trying to start a new life in America. However, they are stereotypes the whole movie as Arab and are accused as being terrorists because of their middle eastern features. But the viewers know that they aren't and feel bad that their store is destroyed just because of how they look and speak. In reality, the woman is a doctor by night and the father just wants to provide for his family.

I have been stereotypes before, but not for my race. When I tell some people that I'm a dancer, people assume its like the movie Black Swan, which is annoying... But I have had people ask me if I was anorexic, which is fe from the truth and offensive to me that people would think I treat my body that way. A lot of people assume I'm dumb because I'm a dancer with no time to study, and I'm blond. While a common saying amongst dancers is "Why learn math? We're dancers!" Many of us are actually really smart because we tend to be driven and focused in all aspects of life. I'm a straight A student and a dancer. Go team! Some of the stereotypes are positive and accurate too. People assume I'm a hard worker, I'm healthy and strong, and that I have a good memory. These are true for me, but not true for everyone. In any stereotype, characteristics don't apply to everyone, and while stereotypes might subconsciously sit in people's minds, people should also be socially mindful in their thinking and why they are thinking it. This way, people can change perceptions of race and stereotype through actions as opposed to perpetuating them.

A Just Harvest

A little while ago, I visited the food pantry in Evanston with some of my sociology class where we served food to those in poverty. Upon arriving, I was already nervous because the are seemed very run down and sketchy. I felt a lot better walking into the building and meeting the staff at A Just Harvest. The people volunteering there were so friendly, inviting, and funny. When the entire class arrived, we were all assigned different jobs. I was to be the "resetter," the person that puts out new place settings after people leave and the busboy picks up their dirty dishes. Before doing this however, I volunteered to help carry in a bunch of food from the outside truck, where a saw a line of people starting to form outside the kitchen, waiting to get their meals. I was nervous at first to interact with them, but soon found out that they were very nice, and they held the door open for me as I carried food in. I also poured drinks for all the tables, which included water, coffee, and tea.

The person in charge encouraged us to talk to the people a lot, and to put ourselves out there to be friendly. I'm usually really shy when meeting new people, so this was kind of hard for me. However, I ended up talking to way more people than the suggested five I introduce myself to. While waiting for tables to reset, I talked to a baker who knew the bagel shop my dad used to own near the area, two little boys who liked batman and superman, a man dressed in a nice suit, a woman who drew pictures and photocopied them to color in later (she even gave me a few of them), a man who told me that I always needed to have a positive outlook on life, a preteen boy who liked to read, and a man interested in WWII who was reading Stalingrad. I talked to many more people than this, but these were the people that stood out to me. Everyone was so polite and nice when they were talking to me. Many would call me by the name on my name tag, or "miss", and would excessively say "please," "thank you," and "very much appreciated." I would also have who I didn't even serve thanking me before they left. 

I had a really good time at A Just Harvest. The people were very friendly and the atmosphere was very community like. I felt like I was making a more direct impact on people than I was at Feed My Starving Children, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to do community service.  It's an experience I could see myself doing again in my own free time. It was nice to see how grateful everyone was for my time, and I felt like I was making a difference.

Race

So yesterday in sociology, we were talking about race and I had this mind boggling epiphany. I've been taught throughout my whole life to be tolerant and accepting of all people. Black, white, Asian, Irish, Hispanic whatever. And I am accepting of all people. I try not to stereotype based on race or other factors and try to keep an open mind to different people and situations. So naturally, when I learned we were going to be talking about race, I tried to apply this concept of acceptance. 

I noted that race is definitely a factor of identification, not quite a stereotype, but a category none the less. One of the first things we notice about a person upon meeting them is their race, which we categorize through skin color, hair type, and facial features. Humans like to categorize things, it makes it easier for life in general I guess. But then we read this article that made me question what race actually is. Genetically, it's impossible to tell someone's race, and on the other hand, how do we categorize people with mixed ethnicities? If someone's mom is white and dad is black, than does that make the child white or black? Does it depend on how dark their skin is, or is us how they behave? Where are the guidelines? Of you really think about it, race doesn't make much sense. It's a social construction of reality where people categorize people based in stereotypes, just to make it make sense on their brain. I think a lot of the concepts of race have to do with societies need to categorize. People are more comfortable knowing all, and keeping people in categories just to feel in control when they meet new people.

Poverty an Joyriding

Last week in sociology, we talked about poverty. Although it doesn't feel like it, I learned that I am wealthier than 50 percent of the nation. Most of America is in poverty and shares a small amount of the total wealth in America, while there are very few wealthy capitalists that have the majority of the money. It's difficult for people to move up and out of their social classes because of social constraints and the set amount of money in the US. Congress can't just print up money to move people out of social classes. Because of this, not everyone can move up.

When I was driving to dance the other day, I was thinking about how wealthy I am compared to most. I was driving with my windows down in my lime green beetle, blasting music, cruising down the highway on a bright sunny day. And I felt rich. Not just fortunate, because I'm fortunate for my life most of the time, but rich. I took on this new mindset that I was rich and happy and I felt like I was on vacation. The sun was out, the weather was warm, and I was healthy. I felt like the Queen of England probably does on a daily basis. Thanks to this lesson on poverty, I've realized not only how fortunate I am, but also how rich I am too. Not every girl my age can drive down the highway in her own car playing music off her iPhone with fancy equipment to connect it to the speakers on a warm sunny day :)

Coin Tossing and Social Classes

This week in sociology, we played a game that replicated the distribution of wealth in America. Each person received three pennies and would bet against others for the coins. Once a person ran out of coins, they were out and the winner would go on to bet against other winners. Throughout the simulation, our teacher would stop and record how many pennies each person had. 

Throughout the game, more and more people went into poverty by losing all their coins, while a couple would gain more and more. At the end, most of the class had zero, excluding my 6 and another students 30 or so. The results mimic the distribution of wealth in America. The majority of wealth in the country is held by a few, while the middle class (like me with my six coins), held a little less, and the majority of America sharing an extremely small amount. While everyone was equal in the beginning, the rules of our society kept people from moving up. In the simulation, once we lost our coins, we were out; there was no way to get back into the game. In society, we don't all start out equal, but the situations we are born into are difficult to overcome. The unwritten rules of society make it so that a poor person is less likely to succeed. This is not because of a lack of will or intelligence, but because of society around them and how it influence influences them. It is hard for a poorer kid to achieve success because he doesn't have the best quality teachers at his school and he can't afford an act tutor. A lack of money prevents him from getting out of the situation he was born in into, much like in the game, the rules kept is from achieving more wealth.

 On top of this, social class stereotypes also keep people down. We read an article with a chapter titled Social Classes and the Self Fulfilling Prophesy. When people are born into social classes they are raised thinking of their limitations and are often discouraged to leave their set social class. Thats why its called the self fulfilling prophesy; because people predict how a person will behave within their social class and the person himself is so constantly surrounded by these messages that he loses hope in rising up and ends up staying where he is expected to stay.

Love is all you need?

I was telling a friend about the LGBTQ panel we had in class today and she showed me this short film on YouTube that I thought was really powerful. It takes place in a world where basically everyone was gay and the majority are heterophobic. At first watching the video is so weird, because the roles have been reversed and the "what ifs" kind of mess with your mind. However, it really easily puts it into perspective for straight people who could never understand how someone could love another gender. I've always been accepting of LGBTQ people (my mom took me to the gay pride parade and let the transvestite mermaids hold me lol), but this made me understand more what its like to be bullied for something you can't change about yourself. I think more judgemental or homophobic people could relate to this video because the roles are reversed, and they know in their hearts that they could never even imagine being gay or lesbian, even if the whole world was telling them too. The story is also really sad, because the main character, a girl in middle school, kills herself because of the abuse she gets from the kids who know she has a crush on a boy. It kind of pulls on my heartstrings, and disgusts me how anyone can treat another human being that way,  gay, straight, lesbian, or whatever. meh.

But here's the video for anyone interested. I think its really good and really worth watching. It does get a little graphic at the end though, so be warned. Overall, I think the message is really powerful.

Freshman Ignorance and Media Stereotypes

The other day, I was leaving the dance studio from school, and I passed by the Stevenson poms audition for incoming freshmen. Instead of waiting for my mom to pick me up at the point, I opted to spend my time watching the auditions. After a little while, two girls (who I assumed to be freshman) walked passed and stop a few feet away from me to watch the audition. They were also talking very loudly and rudely. The conversation went as follows (excuse the language please, it's not mine):

Girl 1: Look at all of those girls down there with their butts hanging out, acting like sluts.
Girl 2: Yeah those poms girls are such bitches. They're so full of themselves.
Girl 1: Ugh I hate them... Oh my gawd, I'm so sorry are you...?

This she said to me, as she had just noticed my presence and the fact that I was wearing dance attire similar to the poms girls. She clearly thought that I was on poms, and looked incredibly guilty. When I responded, "no, I dance," she said okay good and kept talking to her friend.

Girl 1: Ugh see that one in the pink? I bet she's a huge bitch. Just look at how she's standing.
Girl 2: oh yeah, she wet to my school and she's really fake and mean to everyone.

And I'm standing here looking at them like, Are you serious? Are they really flat out talking smack about people they probably don't even know in front of a stranger? I actually did know some girls at the audition. None that they were ridiculing but still, I do know a lot of really nice girls on poms, and these freshman were sounding ridiculous judging people they've never personally met before. So at this point I interject into the conversation:

Me: I actually know a lot of really nice girls that are Patriettes.
Girl 1: Oh I'm so sorry, do you know those girls auditioning?

And her guilty expression came back. She should've been embarrassed that she didn't learn to keep her mouth shut the first time but, that's just my opinion.

Me: I don't know any of those girls personally, but I know a lot of really nice ones. They're not all bitches like you say they are.
Girl 2: But the majority are.
Me: Do you even know any of them?
Girl 2: No...

I responded with a disapproving look and walked away. I think this is a perfect example about how media shapes us. Just like media forms the way we view the different sexes from a young age, it also teaches and perpetuates stereotypes. These girls clearly have been misinformed sine they were young children about stereotypes in the media. After growing up with shows like Lizzie McGuire, Hannah Montana, and even oldies like Sister Sister, these freshman learned that cheerleaders and poms teams are the enemy. The stereotype that values beauty, popularity, and well, bitchiness. So because of the way that I know media formed their views, I know I shouldn't judge them so severely, but at the same time, you'd think they'd be old enough to think for themselves, and not what from media has taught them. So in class when we discussed whether or not changing the way media categorizes males and females would be easy, I sided for no. Because if today's youth is still caught up in something as individualized as television stereotypes, trying to dissolve the the barriers between how men and women are portrayed in the media is going to be a lot harder.