ttttake away

This class has provided me with the insight I need to examine the inner-workings of our gendered society. Honestly, my favorite part about having taken this class is being able to point things out to my friends. I like being able to take a gender-critical outlook on everything I interact with. More specifically, the issue of pink v blue, domestic workers, plastic surgery, masculinity, etc. Whenever friends of mine make comments like "oh he does/looks like this, he must be gay," I can swoop in with my knowledge and provide my newfound insight.

Take Away

Besides my newfound inability to watch TV without analyzing every commercial and trying to somehow relate it to a concept we've talked about in SWMS, I believe that I have learned a lot from this class. First of all, what this new mindset shows me is that I definitely think a lot more critically about things that would have surely gone way over my head before. Not everything is the way it is because of some natural phenomenon - pink isn't for all girls just because that's the way it is and women aren't housewives because their bodies are biologically hardwired to perform as such. Rather, our culture has evolved in a manner to promote these ideologies and that is why they may seem so "natural." Secondly, I believe I have a better understanding of human interactions and relationships. Before I took this class, everything seemed very easily categorized - you could be straight, gay, or maybe even bisexual. But after having taken this class I have learned that this is not necessarily the way things work. People ascribe to different sexualities, different attractions, for different reasons at different times; not everyone fits as cleanly into a slot as one may think. Third, and perhaps the most important point that I've learned, is that self-identification is an important aspect of one's life. I don't mean that everyone has to decide who they are and label themselves as such, but I mean that it's important to think for yourself, to realize how much of yourself is actually you versus how much of yourself has been taught to you, or rather shoved in your face by a longstanding society. At often times it may be hard to differentiate between the two, but it's important to think more critically about what you learn in everyday interactions and to not automatically accept anyone's opinions or rules without thinking them through for yourself.

Take Home Message

I have learned so many concepts and beliefs that American society has set forth for millions to believe in the categories of race, gender, sexuality, and class. Each of those categories have issues that we face everyday; men being superior to women, homosexuals vs. hetersexuals, and race and class. America is an unfair, messed up place where many people believe anything that the majority believes. Men should be over women, homosexuals is invalid, people of color are unequal, and people that live life under the expected standard of living is not important. I just hope and pray that America will recognize all these problems and strive to correct them. Nobody is perfect and each and every human on this Earth should have an equal opportunity and should be able to live life without worrying what others think of them.

Take Home Message

What really sticks with me from this course is how society easily downgrades women. I never realized how much pressure through the media that is put upon a female to achieve a perfect image. As a male I get self conscious myself, it could be from the past knowledge I learned from growing up or just a natural feeling I have. I don't really pin point it on the media that I see today, but how the media emphasizes the perfect women I cant imaging how it would be if it was the other way around for men. If being self conscious was just a natural feeling, the media definitely enhanced that feeling for women over men and put a far more pressure to achieve a certain appearance.

Take home message

This class made me more aware of gender ideologies, and how it seems that as a society, we hold on to stereotypes about men and women that are not always true. We classify people according to male or female, and many times it is difficult to move past that category because of the way people view others according to their gender. I also saw how gender is a societal construction, fiercely upheld by society: from the way fathers discourage their sons from playing with toys that may be feminine in any way, to how men discourage undesirable behaviors by calling them gay. These types of thoughts are everywhere and the only way to escape them is to realize they are present and try to change our outlooks on them. The problem is that most people do not even realize they possess these ideologies because they are so engrained in us from birth that they seem natural, or even biological, not socially constructed.

Take away message

It’s my first time that I’m taking a class related to gender issues. But this class changed my view point about different things that I’ve accepted without even thinking about them. It got even more interesting towards the end of the semester. I learned a lot about the concepts of femininity, masculinity, domestic labor and etc. However, one of the important things that this class taught me was that advertisements always portray something which is not real. Likewise, Disney movies always show female characters that are perfect in every way, and this is why women in real world try so hard to reach the same unreachable perfection. The important message that I got from this class is that media has a huge influence on us, even though we are not aware of it.

Take Away

I'm glad this course re-educated me on the definition of feminism.  I understand the roles society has created for gender better and do see it a lot of my life now; smaller things such as the products I buy and the characters from the movies I see remind me of the concepts I learned in this class.  Sometime, I do feel a little bit self-conscious about my choices because they do follow a lot of what society expects of femininity, but I've learned to stop caring about gender constructs.  I realized it's not about fitting into any role, but keeping myself from being pressure to consider them in terms of separate categories.

Looking Back

I think some of the things that really stuck with me from this last semester were things like, structures of feminity and masculinity, the differences that race can have on these structures, and of course, the talk about body image.  However I've gotta say, the thing thats stuck with me the most was the final book we read, by Orenstein.  The whole princess culture and pink culture really hit home with me since interactions with said culture basically defined my entire childhood, and will probably help define the way I choose to raise my daughter some day.  How to balance my love for all things Disney, with my understanding that such an obsession has many negative connotations.  It was a real eye-opener for me.  I really appreciated this class as it helped me to see every day interactions in a new light, and while I may not have been given a solid answer on how to fix the problems i see, at least I can now recognize that theyre there.

Take away message

I thought this class was extremely enlightening and very interesting, for I had never delved into the implications of gender and masculinity/femininity in today's society.  My overall take away message from the class is to just be conscious and aware of others' situations and strive for tolerance and equality.  Although the message is broad, I think that all topics we covered in this class relate to this motto - sexuality, masculinity, femininity, domestic labor, and race relations.  As mentioned in a previous blog post, this class tends to present a problem in society, but fails to offer solutions, so one of the most important things we can do (in my opinion) is to spread awareness on the problems in hopes of instilling tolerance and acceptance in society.  This in itself will help solve many problems of racism, bias, and intolerance.

My Take Away

This course ended up being my favorite one this year. This class challenged me to think beyond the social constructions that I've been raised with. I needed to view everything objectively, and analyzing how restrictions in some areas have a profound impact on other areas of life. Such an example is how the fanily wage restricts women's ability to be economically independet. It's topics like these that we've taken a deep look at and it has helped change my outlook on opportunity and results in the this world.

My Take Away Message

Before this class, I had never taken a gender or social issues course. For the first time in my academic life, I had to closely examine the world around me and unearth the factors that create our norms and beliefs. It was great to have an opportunity to hear new ways of viewing things that I had previously accepted so readily. One of the things that most impacted me was our discussion about sexuality. I had known that female beauty was portrayed in one very specific way about the media, but I had not considered masculinity and our culture's aversion to blatant sexuality before. I found it really interesting that our perception of sexuality, in some ways, affects and is affected by patriarchy. I also liked hearing about the fear of sexuality that culture has linked to childhood.

Take home message

What I have learned from this class was not only concepts on gender roles but also different views regarding something I haven't recognized before. For example, As everyone does, I also like Disney movies. Until this class, I've never even imagined what the Disney movies really portrayed. Who can even realize the Disney movies actually display an appropriate image for a women and also delivers stereotype about the female to the world. For example, in the Disney movies, the main female characters are always very beautiful and well-shaped. As a result, girls just believe they should also have such skinny and well-shaped body which is not good for their health. One of the main message I got from this class is that even though we haven't realized so far, we have been exposure by media which encourages stereotype of women and it delivers misunderstanding  of gender roles in society.

Take Away

My take away from the class was about gender roles, as well as other identities that are prescribed to us, from most facets of life whether it be through media, peer interactions, interactions with adults and so forth. How conventional gender roles perpetuate themselves, and why deviance is stigmatized, or controlled. As a kid I never understood why it was that girls could wear pretty anything, but boys could wear pants or how come boys were supposed to do this and girls were supposed to do that, while everyone else around me just blindly accepted it. I remember being very upset when I wasn't allowed to do some things, because it wasn't appropriate for my gender,  or even feeling ashamed about it and it's good to feel sort of redeemed by learning how it's only a social construct.
I also never thought as deeply about how race and class affect gender intersectionally, and my eyes are opened now.

Take home messages

This class has made me much more aware of the fact that gender is socially constructed, and that gender is also something that is not predetermined; rather, one becomes a woman or a man.  This class has opened my eyes to the underlying meanings of several of the things in my life that I encounter on a day-to-day basis.  For example, advertisements are something that everyone encounters in their everyday life, especially with the influx of media and technology in today's society.  This class as a whole in addition to my media project allowed me to realize the power that media has over society, and how people's ideologies are truly constructed based on what different mediums integrate into our lives.  After taking this class and being exposed to the several different topics we've discussed, I've come to view advertisements in a much more critical light, and I've also noticed myself not immediately assigning gender to someone by solely looking at them because this class has certainly taught me that not everything is as clear as what meets the eye.  As cliche as it is, you can't judge a book by its cover, and this class definitely reinforces that ideal.  After reading Simone de Beauvoir, I started to reflect on my own relationships with the women in my life and ask myself if we build each other up and strongly support one another, or if we aren't too supportive for one another.  Some relationships, like with my mom, are very strong and I know that she always tries to encourage me in my pursuits.  However, sometimes with friends I can sense that they aren't as happy for me as I am for myself in a given situation.  I think a good example of this is in relation to college acceptance letters.  When I was accepted to USC, I was ecstatic, but when I told my best friend, I could tell in her voice that she wasn't as happy for me as I was for myself.  These the main lessons I have learned from this class and the ones that I will take away from this class.

Thoughts on this class

I had never taken a class that revolved around masculinity and feminism and about race and gender issues before, and at first honestly I thought it was just too repetitive and that some people took it too personally. But now I've started to have a different view on these issues and also became more interested in this class after getting into more diverse topics. I still love Disney but can see the negative affects of it too, and I still love fashion advertisements even though I know they cause harm to other people. Therefore from this class I will take on a more open-minded view on matters. Also, I think what this class lacks is a solution. We talk about all the problems with media and society, but we never think about solutions, what can be done to change this. So, many questions still remain on my mind, such as what could be the substitute of Disney Princesses in young girls lives?

Take home message from course

The main take home message i got from this course, in addition to concepts on gender roles, is actually something we talked about in discussion today. Although I consider it only one take home message, it is something that i think is very interesting and that i will remember in the long run. As a girl, I always was fascinated by Disney movies, as are most girls i suppose. However, it was not until this class that i truly analyzed what the Disney movies portrayed-- from both lecture, discussion, and the readings. I learned that Disney movies not only display an image for a women that is unreachable but also a stereotype of the female that is a part of society. I say "unreachable" since the main female leads are always beautiful, skinny, princesses who end up with their prince charming happily ever after; this is not accurate in real life as we can see with the constant divorce rates and quarrels in dating/marriage. I also think that it portrays a stereotype of women being dependent on men and as domestic housewives doing housework. This is one message that i will take from this class: that even Disney movies are representative of gender roles in society.

domestic work.

Yes. For a number of years growing up my dad had a housekeeper come clean our house every other week. My dad always tells me that when he was growing up he decided that as soon as he had enough money to hire domestic help, he would. He wouldn't buy a nice car or a nice house, he would hire someone to clean up after him. And when he got more money, he would hire someone to make his meals for him. While the latter did not happen, the former did and for some odd years. Gabriela. Our house was never really messy because he never really had any furniture and my father would always make me clean my room before she came to clean it because he just wanted her to do the vacuuming and washing and not actually putting away my clothes and my father would seemingly complain every other week about the crappy job she did and yet when we moved to the new rental she followed us and when we moved to the other new rental she followed us and when we moved to other rental she followed us. And while I didn't interact with her too much (she always came while I was at school) I would see her on the occasional Wednesday off and we would make small talk. My dad always tried to go out to run errands when she came because he didn't want to get in her way but I know they talked often because he would tell me about her children and her husband and her life and honestly it seemed as though my dad took a liking to her (I mean he kept her for years so I would assume that anyway) because my dad really isn't a big people person. Unless he has to be. But he would give Gabriela a bag full of the clothes I didn't want because he figured it could help her out. And during the holidays he would give her a pretty large bonus. And we were by no means rich but my dad liked to have a clean house and he didn't like to clean the house. We moved up to LA last summer and after a few weeks living in another new rental, I remember him joking "I miss Gabriela." And I think he did. And I don't know if it was just him missing having someone clean our house or if he actually missed her as a person, but I do like to think of it being the latter.

My grandparents, on the other hand, have a great deal of money and have a housekeeper or live in maid or something. I feel like she's not there all the time but I also feel like whenever I come visit, she's there. Her name is Thelma and just last weekend I went over to their house for a large family dinner and my grandma thanked Thelma and referred to her as her "other daughter." And while I don't really know the whole situation there, I know my grandparents are both getting old and I know my grandma doesn't cook so I'd assume that they're both pretty reliant on Thelma.

Domestic Workers

I have never had a nanny or a maid at my house, but when I was in elementary school in Taiwan, a cleaning lady in her 60s would come to my house once every week and swipe the floor, windows, and also clean the bathrooms. My family’s relationship seems was pretty nice with her. Every time she saw me she would ask how I am doing and give me a warm smiling face. Sometimes, I would visit my friend who has a Pilipino maid at her house. The maid cleans their house and helps maintaining their garden. Her relationship seems to be pretty good with my friend’s family. Once in a while my friend’s mom would buy some of her favorite food for her, such as fried chicken. The costs of labor in Taiwan are extremely low and the domestic workers are treated well. It was a shock for me after seeing clips from “Maid in USA” because I have never seen maids treated as hostile as the maid in the movie.

Domestic work

I don't have a great deal of experience with domestic labor, but my mother (a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan) spent time in college cleaning houses to help pay tuition. I asked her if it felt demeaning at all; she said no. She said that she was treated very well by the families who employed her, and that although it was difficult work, it was still worthwhile. She was satisfied with the time she spent as a house-cleaner; in fact, she did such a good job that her employers requested her again and again until she simply got too busy to continue. Personally, cleaning other people's houses would be a last resort for me in terms of job-searching, but that makes me respect domestic workers even more for doing such hard work daily. In my mother's case, her employers did treat her with respect. I suppose her experience demonstrates a good, healthy relationship between domestic laborer and employer--which goes to show that although there are many instances of domestic workers being mistreated or unfairly looked down upon, positive relationship examples do exist as well.

Domestic workers

In the movie we watched in discussion, Douana was treated as a maid who would cook and clean when she originally thought she would take care of the children. Her employer was not honest with what her responsibilities would entail; yet, she was supposed to go along with it anyway and not complain. The owner of the house mostly bossed her around, and did not treat her with much respect. She even openly watched one of her guests kiss Douana without Douana’s permission. She did not stop the action when it was inappropriate. Once again, Douana was expected to go along with it. Douana came to France with the expectation that she would be able to see the country, go outside and experience the outside world, but she is trapped inside the house. She is not allowed to leave. She seems to be bound to another’s household just because she works there, which does not seem right. It is situations like these that show how people treat domestic workers. They treat them as if they are lesser, which is completely unfair because they are people just like anyone else.

Domestic Workers

It was truly awful to watch how some, if not most, people treat domestic workers. My familiy's experiences with domestic workers have been great, as we've always treated them well and they always said we were their favorite house to come to. Domestic workers deserve respect like any other person, and judt because you are paying them doesn't mean you have the right to belittle them.

Domestic Labor

Since women used to keep working even after they marry, the number of domestic workers has been increased. In my case, my family has never had domestic workers in our house nor no one of my family had worked as a domestic worker. It might be a reason that I do not have any connection or relation with domestic workers, but I have some thoughts on them. It is reality today that domestic workers are not judged as high class people by their job. However, they are the same people who are trying their best to work with their abilities in their positions as members of social groups. There is no proper reason to underestimate them. It is totally a person to person, not a job to person.

Domestic workers

We talked about domestic workers in class. My parents and I have a great relationship with the domestic worker who works for us. We always talk about different things, eat on the same table and etc. We try to make her comfortable as much as we can, and we treat her like a member of our family. All of my friends, who have a maid or nanny in their house, share the same experience. Also some of my friends have a maid who lives with them. I think domestic workers deserve respect more than anyone else, because they are taking care of someone else’s house and it’s a huge responsibility that not everyone can afford it. Nevertheless there are some people who do not appreciate them.

Domestic Labor

Unlike many of my classmates, I have never had domestic workers in my household nor has anyone in my family worked in domestic labor. I do, however, know several friends who have had housekeepers or nannies. The relationship between the families employing the domestic laborers and the employees themselves varied from friend to friend. One of my friends hired a housekeeper that had no connection to the household at all. Her job was to come in once a week and clean the house and she did so while remaining as invisible as possible. The other friend I talked to told me that she had a nanny that did all of the jobs a mother usually does (but couldn't due to work). She drove my friend places, cooked for her, and helped her with homework. Their relationship, though professional-based, was very friendly and close. Because the nanny assumed the role of a mother figure, my friend grew to see her as such.

Domestic Labor

My family has had several housekeepers and we have had good relationships with all of them. I did not have a particular close relationship with them like previous posts have stated. But I also was not around my housekeeper as much. I would see her in the morning and she would be gone by the time I got home from school. All of our housekeepers were very friendly and we enjoyed having them in the house.

Domestic Labor

Up until I was eight years old, my family had a nanny/housekeeper who worked for us full time, 9:00am - 5:00pm, but did not live with us.  But even though she did not live with us, she was part of our family.  My family brought her with us on trips and when she had important events in her life, she always invited us and we always attended.  When she no longer worked for us, she still sent me and my brother birthday gifts every year, and we always sent her gifts for her birthday and for the holidays.  We were all incredibly close and my parents loved her, and I know she loved us too.  My family had a great relationship with our nanny/housekeeper, and everyone else in my family who has employed domestic labor have also had great relationships with their nannies/housekeepers.  Although I know that some families and the people working for them are not as close or as friendly as my family was with our nanny, I have not personally experienced or witnessed a less-than-wonderful relationship between employer and employee (the domestic labor).

Domestic Workers

As I have stated in class, my family and I have had wonderful relations with the domestic workers whom we have or had hired. It's very hard for parents who have full-time jobs, to take care of the domestic work.   Thus they need a domestic worker. And, in my opinion, the most important process of making sure everyone is happy, is through an interview; where one sees if to employer and employee are compatible. I am very glad to have had domestic workers around. I have had very close relationships with our domestic workers, and I am very sure that they were happy working for my family. The same goes for some of my friends and their domestic workers, who have had similar relationships to their domestic workers, as I have. I have many memories were I would have conversations with my domestic workers, asking for advise, sharing my secrets with them, and just watching TV or singing with them. Many times they would eat with us at our table, they would be like another family member. And I know many people who share the same view. Yes, I do know that there are negative turn-outs for many domestic workers. But in my case and our domestic workers' case everything was 'positive'.

Domestic labor

Earlier in the semester we talked about how a woman's duty exists primarily in the home (and that is viewed as less valuable than a man's wage-earning occupation outside of the home). Therefore, when someone else is willing (perhaps even desperate) to do the job that society already deems as lower or less valuable than other jobs, society probably deems these people as less valuable to the community. And because they are deemed as lower in society, other people (i.e. their employers) are more likely to mistreat them or not respect them. However, there are exceptions to these cases where their employer accepts them as a part of their family. But although this sounds noble and kind, people often forget that the domestic laborer has family of their own and being assimilated into the employer's family is probably not their primary concern. Thus, it is a sticky situation because in a capitalist society, people always have wage-earning occupations for the most basic chores, tasks, and jobs. But human desires and priorities (like being with and supporting one's family) are frequently disregarded in order for the domestic labor force to persist for the domestic laborer still needs to earn a living.

Domestic workers

My family has never employed domestic workers, so I don't have such experience like the one in the movie. However, I know that issue was sometimes on the news in Korea. The relationship between a mistress and a maid is really case by case. I remember the news that a maid sued the family who had employed her for their violence and rudeness. The maid was a foreigner from one of east Asian countries. She insisted the family had treated her as a slave and she was so humiliated. I believe the family didn't respect her as a family because they inappropriately misunderstood that everything is ok if they just pay to her on time. However, they didn't really care her feeling. On the contrary, my friend's family hired a foreign maid as well, but they had very good relationship. My friend learned an English from the maid and his family treated her like a real family. She has had good memory until she left for her country. They still keep in touch each other. Likewise, the black girl in the movie would not be unhappy if the mistress treated her more warmly and took care of her feeling.

Domestic Labor

I have never personally had a relationship with domestic labor. When I was a kid and visited relatives, sometimes they would hire maids to clean house for them. It wasn't a regular thing, but they would have the same people come every once in a while. I don't recall if it were as hostile a relationship as the movie we watched in discussion, Black Girl, but it was impersonal, and we didn't converse with them they just did their thing. Work is hard to come by, and domestic work, is something we usually do anyways, so I supposed it is convenient to get paid to do someone elses.  However, I don't think it's right to treat someone poorly like they did in the clip we watched in class, where the maid was pretty much not seen as human and treated without dignity or respect. It's as though they considered her a possession or a robot.  It is pretty complex and in other movies I've seen, such as the Help or the Color of Friendship, the children tend to have a relationship with the maids/nannies because it's intimate to have a caregiver, but it's different with their actual employers who expect the workers to bow down to them yet trust them in their homes.

Women as Domestic Workers

I missed this discussion section, so I never saw the clip regarding the maid and her employers, so instead I'm just going to write about the topic as a whole. Women as domestic workers is something I have experienced my entire life. Growing up in Dubai, there is not one household that doesn't have a full-time or part-time maid; and it is almost always a woman. Why? Because the cost of labor in Dubai is extremely low, and there are so many immigrants looking for jobs that it is hard to resist. The maids I came across were all treated extremely well, having worked for their individual families for many years and therefore having extremely close bonds to the kids. However, I did hear many stories regarding the ill-treatment of maids, which usually led to their abandonment of the family or disappearance altogether. When someone agrees to come into your home and take care of your housework, and especially if they are taking care of your kids, I can't see how people could in any way think it's okay to not treat them as if they are family. They do your dishes, wash your clothes, clean you toilets; if it wasn't for them your life would probably be a mess (metaphorically and literally). It has been said that a lot of stress that builds up within families comes from the amount of housework that constantly needs to be done everyday, housework that no one actually wants to do. If anything maids are saving marriages from falling apart, and they should be greatly thanked.

The Race Card Project

"End the difference, end the hate"

I think once we start recognizing that we are in fact all human beings, who experience the same emotions, feelings, and senses, then it will finally be possible to move past all the hatred that is still separating the different races in the world. We are all citizens of the world. It seems like an easy concept to grasp, but it's astonishing how many of us actually can't accept it. In order to end the hatred we feel towards people who look different than we do, we need to recognize how similar they actually are to us.

Women--Domestic workers.

I have never personally had a domestic worker employed at my home. However, whenever i go visit back to my country, and went to my friends and families houses, there were domestic workers always employed. However, the circumstances there were a little different than what we have been discussing in lecture. We have discussed domestic workers in one context-- as those who leave everything behind and travel to america to start a new life and earn (most for their families back home). However, what i witnessed was a number of domestic women workers who lived in the same city constantly coming to my family and friends houses and working for them. At times they used to live in the house, but most were close to their own families and friends and didn't have to travel far to meet them. In addition, many formed good friendships with my family and friends. I know, however, from the context with which we have discussed domestic workers in class and from the clip we saw in discussion, that many domestic workers have to sacrifice a huge amount and then don't get paid enough for the job they do. This personally reminds me of marx's critique of capitalism--where workers don't get the profit they work for. A similar story is portrayed through domestic workers who come to America to work; the clip showed this. The black girl ended up doing work she didn't expect she was going to do after sacrificing an enormous amount and being excited endlessly about getting a job, an opportunity, which in the end she questioned.

Women as Domestic Workers

In the film that we watched in discussion, I noticed that the mistress and the master had little respect for the maid. When she first arrived he didn't open her door or even ask to carry her bag; even though she is their employee she is still a women. The mistress was very rude to the maid demanding her in a rude manner and making her dress like she is a servant. I feel that domestic workers have to take the disrespectfulness and throw it behind them because they have to provide for their family. I also feel like they have a hard time because they are away from their family, but knowing that she cant provide for her family makes her stay and handle her business. Some people say that their maids are happy and are a part of the family, but I disagree because they might seem happy and a part of the family, but they are missing theirs dearly. I guarantee domestic workers are not happy 100% of the time that they are there.

Domestic Workers

I dont have a relationship with any domestic workers, as we never had any kind of a housekeeper or nanny and neither did any of my friends growing up (at least, none that I knew of).  So I am going to respond to the clip we saw and the discussion we had in class.  For a start the clip, like most films I've seen about domestic workers, speaks from the side of the maid/housekeeper/nanny or what have you, and tells a tale of neglect, or abuse, or even just of their employers ignorance.  As the only experience I have had in regards to this topic comes from watching films such as this and from hearing the people in class (and others I have met at USC) talk about their own personal experiences I am not sure my opinion is terribly valid but... I have noticed a trend.  The trend is that those who talk about employing a domestic worker, and even claim to have a good relationship with them, tend to be the children which said worker raised.  I would like to hear from the actual employer as well.  Because I still believe that the issue of money and taking an employee from their home and putting them in yours throws a wrench into the idea of truly accepting them as a family member.  As far as I'm concerned, as much as a person can pretend and sugar coat a relationship with someone, there will always be a slight disconnect because that so-called "member of the family" is being paid to be there.  She/he is paid to care and follow orders.  Sure, they have the ability to say no, just like any employee in any business, and sure they may even come to love the people they work for, but they are still remaining in the home on the basis that they will do work and be paid for it.  Therefore their relationship with their employers is never truly "family" because how can you pay someone to be your family?

Race Card

"Life's confusing, but we muddle through."

I believe that it is worth it to discuss all the racial issues in our society, worth it even to push for change.  Yet in our daily lives, when we are going about our classes or our work, the best we can really do is to try and change how we see the world, to be aware of our own faults, and to recognize when we exhibit them.  Basically what I'm saying is that none of us have all the answers and as we try to work on finding them... well, in the meantime lets just try to keep on going and keep our hearts and minds open.

the race card project.

I gotta ask- what ARE you?

I get this question all the time. I guess people don't like looking at me and not being able to know where I'm from. And I don't see why that's a problem. It's a question that literally comes up eventually in nearly every friendship I have. Most people think I'm Latina or Mexican because I have darker skin and darker hair and darker eyes. Freshmen year in high school at my homecoming football game, I actually had a very large samoan security guard tell me that I was Mexican and I shouldn't be ashamed to admit it and even though I kept telling him no, no I'm not Mexican I promise, he kept pushing it. It's interesting how people seemingly need to look at someone and see and understand right on the surface level. They can't look at me or others and be confused. Our culture is obsessed with race. You're white. You're black. You're asian. You're mexican. You're something. What ARE you? My race doesn't define me. And I don't think race should define anybody.
And I'm Indonesian, by the way. I've got darker skin and darker hair because I'm Indonesian.

The Race Card Project

"Deep rooted history; hard to forget."

I chose these six words because, as I said in class last Wednesday, the history of race and discrimination traces back to well before our times and has caused our modern society to be plagued with the numerous racial issues we find ourselves in. Although progressive thinkers are constantly agitating to move past all of our previous issues surrounding race, the fundamental facts that these issues ever arose and how much of our past conflict has revolved around them causes our culture to still be deeply involved with them. Regardless of whether an individual is racist or not, the mere fact that the concept of race exists divides us and keeps us from holding any prejudices. It is sad but true and the only way we can move past this is to acknowledge that these prejudices are stereotypes and are unfair and untrue and fight for them to die out. The more we realize how unrealistic race and its implications are, and the more we fight against the prejudices that arise with racism, the faster the lines will be blurred and the sooner racism will die out. It will surely take lots of effort and lots of time, but if we start now, the sooner it will be a reality.

Race Card

"All through the lens of equality"

When contemplating race, I feel as if all races should be looked at, examined, and appreciated through an equal lens of equality. I am not saying that everyone should be seen as one, for we should embrace all differences and accept them as tokens of diversity. However, all races should have the same opportunities and be perceived through an unbiased and tolerant lens, which can be enabled by acknowledging them in a non-judgemental (and without a negative predisposition) perspective. As Patricia Williams said, it is hard to "unthink" racism, for it has such a long history. Thus, we must start a new standard of thinking entirely which allows all races to be looked at through the lens of equality and justice.

Race Card

“We shall all be equal someday”

I chose these words because it is a hope to me that someday, we could see each other as equals, not only in regards to race, but also with gender and class. In discussion, it was interesting to me to hear such discord in the class. Some people thought that we had achieved something close to racial equality while others strongly disagreed. I think as of now we have not achieved equality. Racial stereotypes still exist, and we believe many of these stereotypes are true. I believe equality, if it is ever possible, can only come with time and new generations who choose not to  believe in past stereotypes.

Race Card

You don't really want to know

I have trouble discussing issues surrounding race because it seems like many people aren't willing to listen to any other viewpoint other than their own.  I also don't like the defensiveness or the conflict that comes up in discussions of race because I tend to feel guilt over being defensive myself.  I don't know if it's fair for me to think that Asians have been discriminated against in the past and even now and that this fact is often overlooked.  Racism against the African American community has been so thoroughly spoken against that I'm afraid of bringing up stereotyping Asians for fear of being seen as single-minded.  It seems insensitive to say that black people sometimes do seem in my opinion to be prolonging past discriminations.  I've seen instances of reverse racism before, and I'm wondering how long it will be before the white community is no longer thought of as stereotypically privileged and discriminatory.

Race Card

"People are unique individuals, not clones."

I feel like a lot of people lump others together based on their race and assume they're all the same. So many unfair generalizations. For example, when I was growing up, there were so many times that I'd hear peers referring to "those nerdy Asian kids" and "those people from China," joking about how they couldn't tell them apart. Yes, most Asians have dark hair/eyes, and many are academically talented. But every single person has a unique personality, and if people would take the time to get to know the individuals they stereotype, they'd realize that.
P.S. It would be nice if some ignorant people realized that not every Asian is from China. It's rude to call someone Chinese just because it's a commonly mentioned Asian country; it's like someone assuming you're a Mexican because you're from North America.

In any case, I like the idea of the Race Card Project; it's interesting to see a variety of perspectives on race. I hope that the project will raise awareness and help chip away at ingrained societal intolerance and prejudice.

Race card

According to the studies, white parents tend to feel uncomfortable to talk with their children about racial issues than parents of difference race. Even though it is true that a lot of positive progress has been made so far, there are still issues about race in this country. I believe we should talk freely and educate children to prevent racism. If we do not talk about it, we never be able to get solutions. We should let children know that everyone is different but difference does not mean wrong. They should learn the value of diversity in this society and they will never learn if their parents don't even try to talk about it.

Racial

"Awareness of the fuel of judgement"

In discussion this week the point got brought up of unthinking racism. How do we pull apart automatic judgments? The conclusion most agreed upon was being aware of the fact that racial profiling does in fact happen. We need to first find out why we think the way we do before we can change our judgements.

Race Card Project

Has it really come to this?

I chose this phrase because sometimes I truly question how far humanity can go. It seems ridiculous to me that once we realize how much harm and hurt we are causing that we wouldn't do everything possible to stop it. I know that people are capable of knowingly hurting others, but what I don't want to believe (and don't quite understand) is how those individuals who claim to have morals and compassion can just remain passive while this hurt goes on. Racial issues are still very much a part of our society and all I can do is hope that we are capable of eliminating that someday. If it has really come to the point where a large majority is satisfied with watching from the sidelines while others suffer, than something is very wrong with our world.

Race Card

"Don't judge us by our appearance."

I chose these six words because this project is based on avoidance of racism. Some people used to judge others by their skin of colors. I hope this project will have a big influence to protect people who are victims of racism.

Our past is shaping the future

It's important to look back at the past in order to shape the future. The legacy of the past still exist till today. If we forget about the past how are we going to fix the problems that exist because of the past. In order to make sure that people don't repeat the same mistakes as the past we have to know what the past was like.

Race Card

“We should be talking about race.”

Studies show that more white parents are uncomfortable to talk about their race to their children than non-white parents,who are three times more likely to talk to children about race. There is a downfall in not talking about race. If we do not talk about it, the more our children will think about it. A solution to teach children is to let them become ‘colorblind’, or pretend not to notice races. However, noticing races is inevitable. I agree that addressing races and biases to children is important because by highlighting everybody’s differences, we can teach children that one race is not less or more valuable than the others.

Race Card

Your historical vision, doesn't cure today.

This referrers to how perspectives of the old generations need to get over the hump in order for a better tomorrow. Focusing on the past will only slow down a brighter future by keeping it fresh on everyone's minds. If people are looking at their past stereotypes it sets a standard of what they should become or be instead of living up to today's.

Race card

Easy to judge, hard to understand
The reason why I chose these 6 words is because a lot of people in our society judge others based on their skin color, race and etc, but they don't really understand how they are making those people feel by discriminating them. It is important for us to question exactly who gains from discrimination. No matter what aspect we look at, people gain nothing from these issues but a short term satisfaction while others suffer. I think one can and will only be powerful and great when he or she accepts everyone as being equal.

The Race Card Project

"See my face, judge my game"
I chose these six words because I believe that people judge others by the color of their face and by their facial expression. Some people are born with naturally angry looking facial characteristics, and almost all of these people are not harmful at all. I have a black-male friend who was complaining about how he has had many people scared of him (even one girl screamed from seeing him in the hallway) just because of his skin color and facial expression. Also, the other night while on campus express, we saw a black male trying to help a drunk girl (accompanied by her friends), and a girl in the campus express asked the driver should we call DPS. I was just sitting there thinking, wow is she serious?!

Race Card Project

"What you see, ain't what you get"

I chose these 6 words because we all "see" differently and have different perspectives based on what we are taught or grow up around, and that often is not an objective/accurate understanding, yet firmly believing they do and they are justified in these assumptions. Many people are probably guilty of judging someone else based on how they look or dress or speak (sometimes actions are also misread), and because they are different from us, we may not treat them fairly. I picked 'ain't' because (is not) would be too many words, and also some don't consider it proper English, which may lead to prejudice about them. It's also about assuming attributes to someone who may look a certain way, but not be a certain way As in the case of the movie Set It Off, and also with the recent Trayvon Martin case. These misconceptions create a gap between groups people, as they want to distance each other from other races. Race is a social construct as we are all one species. We're only judging the physical appearances and outward things and trying to find (and create) differences, when maybe instead we should try to focus on what we have in common.

Race Card

"My Culture, Your Prejudice, Our Problem"

This is my race card because I believe it sums up the basic premise of racism. There is nothing inherently wrong with someone's race, skin color, or culture, but many people within our society assign arbitrary values to each of these things. In this sense, the only thing wrong with "my culture" is your "prejudice." The difficulty is that when you stereotype a group of people or a racist towards them, it does not become their problem, or your problem, but a nuisance for both parties.

RaceCard Project

Young Black Men, The New Trend:
The reasoning behind these six words that I chose is because the recent racial crimes that happened in Pasedena and Florida. Two young teenagers being killed because they quote on quote look like thugs and gangsters who are up to no good. Assuming the young black men are automatically connect to crime. Not just this century,but a while back this happened also. It is sad how people play the race card and are incorrect about their assumptions. Any crime or bad situation that happens in the world, black men are the first to be the criminal.

Race Card

"I See You How You Are"

I thought of this race card because I think it describes two important points: society's current tendency to engage in racial profiling and stereotyping, while also serving as a call to action.  First, it describes how people's immediate reaction is to see other people how they are - to look at someone and immediately formulate specific, stereotypical beliefs and expectations about him or her.  For example, in Trayvon Martin's case, he was walking down the street with a hood on, which made an onlooker suspicious of him.  The call to action in this case would be that people need to stop making hasty generalizations based on appearances and instead need to see people how they really are, which means to talk to them and get to know them.  And perhaps most importantly, it means not to judge someone before you actually know them.  Although "judging a book by its cover" is practically a reflex among most people in today's society, the "powers that be" who have the ability to influence others and serve as ambassadors for change, should begin advocating to end (or more realistically, decrease) racial profiling.

Race Card Project

"We shall all be equal someday."
 I believe that although we still have racial issues here in the United States, and elsewhere in the world, alot of good progress has been made from the past. And i believe that any progress at all, whether it be small or big, is good because it impacts lives, and has the potential to make a difference in an individuals life. It can save a life, change a life, and influence lives of individuals who seek to influence other people's life. We have come such a long way, from being completely unequal--where a minority (Blacks) were considered slaves, to having equal rights under law in the constitution. Although we cannot change individualistic views, we can influence them not only through governmental laws that seek to provide equal opportunity to all, but also through education and changing people's cognitions and fears. I feel like we have come a long way from slavery, to voting rights, and now a black president. This creates hope in the future, that someday, every person will view another not through their race or judge another individual on the basis of race.

Beauty, Capitalism, & Patriarchy

The cycle of beauty, capitalism, and patriarchy is one that obstructs women from ever reaching a stature of acceptance. Through the apparent eyes of men, women are desired to exist as unobtainable realities, which not only subordinates but divides females to create a system of competition within the individual gender. In other words, women think that men want them to look and act a certain way, which causes them to alter their wants to fit that of the apparent truth. However, because this desired character is so extreme, women begin to clash with one another in this battle to "female perfection". But is it really the men that build this image of the perfect woman, or is it women themselves? There is no denying that men have specific cravings when it comes to the appearances and attitudes of females, but so do women when it comes to males. The difference is that men can more easily find the strength to put their own desires above that of society due to their link to hegemonic dominance in the world of gender relations. As unfortunate as it is, we still live in a patriarchal society obsessed with the apparent relationship between gender and capitalism. Because men are still the dominating gender in our social order, women feel the need to match their beauty to the desires of men in order to reach the same level of supremacy in our capitalist world. However, because capitalism is so heavily linked to our patriarchal system of society, no matter what women do they will constantly be challenged because they are the inferior gender. If we want to change this cycle of female negligence, first it is the females who have to break the conflicts within their own gender before they can counteract the superiority of men.

b c & p

Beauty, capitalism and patriarchy perpetuate each other. Man's control shapes what women are supposed to look like which fuels an industry that preys on women's desire to be beautiful. And yet this capitalistic industry also uses beauty to target men that are in control. It's a vicious cycle. And because this cycle has been going on for so long, the lines between the control of each aspect are blurred. Women want to look pretty/skinny/etc because they want to look pretty/skinny/etc but WHY do they want to look that way? Men. Right? Or is it capitalism? Or does it have to do with anything? The bigger question, in my opinion, is WHAT is at the root of all of this? Is it patriarchy? Or is it beauty? (I'm going to assume it isn't capitalism because beauty and patriarchy have been around for much longer, however the patriarchal society could be what has kept it going essentially). Or is it some other factor that we're not even considering? According to She's The Man, men invented heels for women to be beautiful but women buy the shoes to look beautiful which benefits the capitalistic society. It goes round and round and round.

Beauty, Capitalism, Patriarchy

It is hard to pin-point the exact relationship between beauty, capitalism, and patriarchy because it is difficult to discern which phenomenon causes the other. For example, it is likely that because people endlessly strive to be perceived as beautiful, markets boom and capitalism is furthered. However, it is also plausible that because capitalism is ever-growing in our society, people need to find new industries to sell their products (i.e. the clip we watched from Mad Men where Don Draper says that love only exists to sell a product). So, although I can't positively say which came first, I think it is safe to conclude that beauty and capitalism together fuel and endless cycle with people obsessing over physical perfection and sexual attractiveness. This becomes a major problem when the younger generation experience record high occurrences of eating disorders and cases of self-objectification. With said self-objectification, women's beauty/clothing/cosmetic market shoots through the roof and the cycle is furthered even more, prompting women to try even harder to appeal to the male (and female) gaze by spending money to achieve this standard of beauty.

Beauty and Capitalism

Capitalism is based on competition. As Simone de Beauvoir said, women have a natural intuition to compete with one another. Thus, a capitalist society, such as the one we have in America, perpetuates more competition between women. Beauty is one of the main aspects women consider when judging others and comparing themselves. Women are constantly purchasing products and going to great lengths to be more beautiful than those around them. Another part of capitalism that carries on this competition is the fact that women are able to purchase all of these things. The natural competition between women based on beauty allows for a capitalist society/consumer culture where women are willing to purchase products in order to become more beautiful – it is a cycle where both pieces work because of each other.

Beauty, Capitalism and Patriarchy

Capitalism and patriarchy are the two most dominant forces within American society.  Our economic growth or decline depends on the capitalistic market and consumer behavior, which is often determined or greatly influenced by the patriarch within our society.

For example, the primary purpose of advertisements is to make an audience feel that they must have a particular product or service.  In order to portray this point, the advertisement describes something in your life that is currently inadequate, but through the purchase of their product or service, this inadequacy will immediately disappear!  This strategy that companies use to drive people to their product or service is good for capitalism but poor for society.  It is in this situation - when advertisers make people feel inadequate - that physical and psychological problems begin, such as eating disorders or clinical depression.  Although I understand the capitalistic purpose behind advertisements, they are not always ethical, and companies should be able to find a way to get their point across to their audience without causing physical or psychological, and possibly long term damage, to any audience or group. 

Capitalism and Perfection

The emergence of capitalism created a situation in which women both have more open doors and more walls to keep them in.  While women have many more opportunities in the workforce and in social circles, the walls have been built in their heads.  Mass media, which constantly feeds women images of what they are supposed to look like, dictates societies expectations of women.   We assume that success in the workplace and the home also means a body which successfully fulfills societies expectations of beauty.  Surely an "ugly" woman cant be happily married and a forerunner in her field!  Capitalism is a system where corporations will manipulate people's ideas of happiness and success in order to sell them products.  To create a consumer culture, it must be made clear that one cannot be happy and successful without buying it.  And part of that culture means creating an idea of "perfection" which can only be achieved through buying products.  For women, a major part of this "perfection" is based on body image. In order to appear "smart" one must have a sharp pantsuit and square frame glasses.  Even dark eyeshadow and red lipstick can help!  This connection between personality, perfection, and body image, is a creation of the capitalist culture which, in many ways, keep women trapped.

Beauty, Patriarchy, and Capitalism

Todays culture and society that we live in today portrays the perfection of any subject whether it the perfection of technology, economic system, and beauty. With the dominance of capitalism, beauty is put up on a pedestal resulting in exploiting the imperfection of ones looks. Society does crack down on women to look better by putting these "perfect" women into categories of what they call models who only a select few can be. Also simply going into a mall the ratio of mens to women's clothes and accessories far out numbered by women meaning that our culture today is enhancing women to have as many different possibilities and combinations to fit their personality and style in order to look better. We live in a culture were we are to judge off visuals of ones appearance to dictate the outcome. Patriarchy comes in when the idea of a dominant man being successful and money can buy you anything, puts pressure on women to look perfect inorder to grab the attention of these men. Being beautiful is a gift just like talents in sports or other fields but today our system approaches beauty as a profit opportunity cause we are able to change ones looks and make money while you can't have a procedure to change ones athletic ability to run faster or hit a ball farther.