America is built upon the code of liberty and justice for all with multiple free opportunities for its citizens. By definition, freedom is the ability to will and decide wholeheartedly in favor of the good. This is the foundation of the American Dream. This dream pledges that anyone who is willing to work hard enough for his/her goals in favor of the good (not just individually, but for the person’s family and society) will definitely succeed.
While this style of life can apply to many of us fortunate to be brought up in a middle-class family, it’s much more of a far-away dream than reality to others. One of the professors from NPR made a very good point: The New York Times presents the wealth inequality distribution issue to Americans in general, as if this can apply to everybody in the U.S. People need to be more aware that not everybody has a well-paying job, enough leisure time to spend with his or her family, take care of children, or even go to school. This applies not just towards the poor… but especially to African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. They are less likely to access opportunities and have less wealth, because this is something historical that can trace its origins back to founding of America. Today, there aren’t many black middle class families, and those who achieve social status (like President Obama and Oprah) are the relative few. So, even if these people do work hard enough for their goals in America, following the great Dream, it can’t be so readily obtained compared to whites.
If people were more aware of how drastic wealth inequality really is, according to social status and race, they may be more sentimental to those outside the social status and support polices that care for the unrepresented and overlooked.
The important thing to remember is this: human beings are not just numbers in a social class, and they shouldn’t be categorized like library books or files on a computer. The respect of human dignity and our natural rights goes for EVERYONE, not just the social elite. Policies, peoples, and petitions that support this everlasting truth should be answered by American government, as well as in all cultures everywhere.
This reminds me of a quote from John Adams:
“Liberty is not built on the doctrine that a few nobles have a right to inherit the earth. It stands on this principle: that the lowest and the meanest of the people are, by the indefeasible laws of God and nature, are as well entitled to the benefits of air to breathe, light to see, food to eat, and clothes to wear as the nobles or the king! That is liberty! And liberty will reign in America!”
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Chapter 10: Class and Caste-Abbey Dahl
Generally speaking the optimistic "American Dream" is the belief that, "through means such as education, marriage, good luck, hard work, and taking risks," (236 Culture Counts) ANYONE can become successful. The "American Dream" evolved from the time in 1776, when America's Declaration of Independence was signed. In the document that defined our country it stated that all men are to be created equal, and everyone has the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Once immigrants heard about the opportunities America held people began to poor into the country, making it the diverse melting pot it is said to be. Ideally we all hope to achieve this wonderful life with wealth, power, and prestige. I am not surprised at all that, "eighty percent of Americans still believe that it is possible to pull yourself up by the proverbial ladder," (Class Mobility). It is called the "American Dream" because most people dream to be successful and live in a nice neighborhood, be educated, and be respected. Realistically the "American Dream" is very difficult to achieve because of how history formed the specific class systems in the United States, and how history made race and diversity a negative than a positive. People who are born into wealthy, educated families are more likely to have more opportunites in their life, than those who live in poverty and are given a mediocur education. With all of the population growth and little job openings the dream is disinegrating in many peoples thoughts. Aslo in America unfortunately there is a, "binary form of American racial classification," (242 Culture Counts). Currently it has become much more accepting to diversity, but prior to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans were treated as if they were inferior to whites. People came to this country for freedom, and the chance to create a substancial income, and instead the majority were repressed from be capable to achieve this dream. I hope with this slowly economic healing process, and more acceptance to diversity more "American Dreams" can be achieved.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
American Dream
The "American dream" is something that is just displayed in the movies because it is fictional. When people see this in the movies they go out and try to experience that sort of life for themselves. Once they realize that this life cannot be achieved. The real life experience is getting a good education, support a family, and get a steady job. This is what real life is all about and achieve them is very achievable. Once people realize this they begin to spread their way of doing things to others and they start to do it.
The real vs. The "American Dream" is a very big difference. The real life experience is a goal that can be reached. It is much more fulfilling to live life to the fullest. It also has it pros because raising a family and getting a good education is a wonderful life to live.
American Dream, Sam Stangl
The real "American dream" is living the life you're given, and pleasing your life needs whether it puts you in debt or not. However, the ideal perception of the "American dream" is equality among Americans, rich or poor, with equalized opportunities for ourselves and our children, and even our children's children. Sadly, this is not so; Americans' opportunities are as unequal as their wealth. In the first article, it is described that both rich Americans and poor Americans thought that wealth was divided or distributed about evenly among all Americans. However, it was proven that rich and people own more than 80% of America's wealth, and thus poor people are not very equalized in seizing opportunity.
I think that the perceptions of the real vs. the ideal "American dream" are different because of the fact, as mentioned in one of the articles, that people make up for their lack of wealth with increased debt. They spend money they don't have in order to make themselves feel like they have net worth, and thus owe more money and decrease their net worth. These people are imagining that they have it just as good as wealthy people, when in fact they do not, and they are making it harder for their coming generations to recieve opportunities. Wealthy people feel that poor people have it just as good as them because they pay higher taxes, not realizing that they are not necessarily paying for poorer people to live. This is almost a selfish assumption, in my opinion. Either way, both sides feel that they are equal and yet it is far from true. It is crucial to be aware of the fact that social class, not specifically race but actually your status financially, is directly correlated with opportunity and finding your American dream.
I think that the perceptions of the real vs. the ideal "American dream" are different because of the fact, as mentioned in one of the articles, that people make up for their lack of wealth with increased debt. They spend money they don't have in order to make themselves feel like they have net worth, and thus owe more money and decrease their net worth. These people are imagining that they have it just as good as wealthy people, when in fact they do not, and they are making it harder for their coming generations to recieve opportunities. Wealthy people feel that poor people have it just as good as them because they pay higher taxes, not realizing that they are not necessarily paying for poorer people to live. This is almost a selfish assumption, in my opinion. Either way, both sides feel that they are equal and yet it is far from true. It is crucial to be aware of the fact that social class, not specifically race but actually your status financially, is directly correlated with opportunity and finding your American dream.
The American Dream - Stephanie Reynolds
The American Dream, in my opinion, is when an individual has an easy job that pays him/her considerably, or he/she has no job and little responsibility, but still has plenty of money. Many celebrities live the American Dream it seems, since they have enough money to travel and do whatever they want. I know I would want to just fly off to the Bahamas for the weekend whenever I wanted, but normal people like me have to work for a living.
The perception of the American Dream has both a real and an ideal aspect to it. The real perception of the Dream is that everyone can acheive it, but getting there is not always easy. Many Americans work hard day after day just to put food on the table and support their families. Forget about taking exotic trips, it is hard enough just filling up our car(s) to get to work on time. However, the ideal perception of the American Dream is that with hard work and perserverance, and with a little good luck, almost anyone can live the care-free life of the rich/wealthy. Discrepencies between the ideal and real perceptions of the American Dream certainly do exist, but that does not mean achieving it is completely impossible.
The major reason for the discrepency between real vs. ideal perceptions comes from how much times have changed during the genereations. In my grandparents' day, the American Dream meant something else. As the economy began to slowly decline, the American Dream changed as well. Instead of having just a nice house with a white picket fence; people dreamed of wealth and freedom of responsibility. With the money, a person could buy expensive cars, big houses, and travel to exotic places without worrying about getting time off for vacation. This may hold especially true if people had money at first, or worked hard to acquire it, and then lost everything as the Stock Market went down. Another reason the perceptions are so different is because people's expectations for the future have dramatically changed as well. About 10 to 15 years ago, the economy was going up and more people had more money to spend, so the American Dream was even more possible to achieve. As the economy changed, the public saw a less brighter future. As a result, the real vs. ideal perception of the American Dream changed as well.
The perception of the American Dream has both a real and an ideal aspect to it. The real perception of the Dream is that everyone can acheive it, but getting there is not always easy. Many Americans work hard day after day just to put food on the table and support their families. Forget about taking exotic trips, it is hard enough just filling up our car(s) to get to work on time. However, the ideal perception of the American Dream is that with hard work and perserverance, and with a little good luck, almost anyone can live the care-free life of the rich/wealthy. Discrepencies between the ideal and real perceptions of the American Dream certainly do exist, but that does not mean achieving it is completely impossible.
The major reason for the discrepency between real vs. ideal perceptions comes from how much times have changed during the genereations. In my grandparents' day, the American Dream meant something else. As the economy began to slowly decline, the American Dream changed as well. Instead of having just a nice house with a white picket fence; people dreamed of wealth and freedom of responsibility. With the money, a person could buy expensive cars, big houses, and travel to exotic places without worrying about getting time off for vacation. This may hold especially true if people had money at first, or worked hard to acquire it, and then lost everything as the Stock Market went down. Another reason the perceptions are so different is because people's expectations for the future have dramatically changed as well. About 10 to 15 years ago, the economy was going up and more people had more money to spend, so the American Dream was even more possible to achieve. As the economy changed, the public saw a less brighter future. As a result, the real vs. ideal perception of the American Dream changed as well.
Inequalities - Becca Libby
"...but a recent mobility study suggests the American Dream may be more style than substance." I was trying to think of a way to describe how I feel about the "American dream", but this is it. I think when this phase came about, (maybe in the 30s or 40s? I don't actually know) it meant simply a way of life. An American historian described it as "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". Without any immediate thought, you might think this would apply to everyone, and I'm sure peoples hearts were in the right place, but this statement almost promotes inequality. The quote says "according to ability or achievement", ability I can understand but achievement sounds like only those people who have risen to a high social standing should be privy to the American dream. Today I'm sure most people think of the American dream as having a close and comfortable family relationship, a good job that supports you enough to afford a nice house, 2 cars, and a little left over for savings or vacations. It's freedom of having the things you need without wanting for things you don't have, this is the ideal perception. For some people today, this is an achievable goal, but not for very many. The real perception is, very few people are actually capable of achieving this dream, and many who had no longer have it due to credit card debt, or losing their jobs, or just the downfall in our economy. The differences in perception have a lot to do with being informed. Most upper class members are aware of what is happening in the country, a lot of lower class do not (at least not enough to fully understand the extent) mainly because they are not educated about it, so they still think the ideal American dream is still achievable. I'm not saying all lower class people have the wool pulled over their eyes, or all upper class people know exactly what is going on with our country, but that is what I see every day. Also, I think if there is someone who appears from the outside (probably not in the inside) to be living the American dream for real, it's Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Sex and Gender
Most of you mentioned the role of Christianity in shaping our ideas about gender. Religion - in our society and in American Indian societies - plays a key role in a societies ideas about sex and gender. America was settled primarily by Europeans from a Christian tradition and that influence is still with us today.
The relationship between sex and gender is also an important point, particularly in regards to our society. In American society, sex and gender are viewed as the same thing. In fact, sex is a biological term and gender is a cultural term. Yet, we, as a society, do not make that distinction. Hence, we have difficulties dealing with people who don't fit into our traditional gender roles - homosexuals, transexuals, transvestites, hermaphrodites, etc. If you are biologically a male there is a pretty rigid gender role that you are expected to fill. It is the same with females. And, a large part of that gender role has to do with sexuality - heterosexuality. Those that fall outside of those traditional roles are seen as deviants.
A third gender is a cultural category, not a biological one. And, third gender is not the same thing as homosexuality. It refers to a person's social role and behaviors, not necessarily sexuality. Third genders generally take on the role associated with the opposite sex, but not necessarily engage in homosexual behavior. In some African tribes, such as Nuer, women who are infertile may take on the traditional male role and "marry" a woman. However, this is not a sexual relationship. The "husband" gives gifts to obtain a wife and bring her into the residential compound just as a man would. The wife contributes her labor to the household. There is no sexual relationship between "husband" and "wife." The "wife" has sexual relations with a man to have children, yet those children belong to compound into which she married. In a society where a woman is defined by her child-bearing role, this provides a place in society for women who cannot have children.
Remember that culture is integrated. As one aspect changes, it will affect other aspects of culture. As we become a more culturally diverse society those aspects of culture that were strongly influenced by one culture are likely to undergo changes as well.
And we are seeing changes in our society's accepted gender roles. I have seen many changes in my life time. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. That is what was expected. If families could afford it, the woman stayed home and raised the children. Today, most families can't make it on one income. Both parents work. That has resulted in changes in how we define the roles of men and women. Gender is culturally defined, and changes as cultures change.
Could the acceptance of a third gender be more likely in societies where cooperation is more important? As societies become larger, it is not as important that we "include" all people. We can afford to ostracize. In smaller societies, it is more important to include all people as productive members of the community, and the acceptance of these differences may be a way of doing that - providing them with a clearly defined role.
The relationship between sex and gender is also an important point, particularly in regards to our society. In American society, sex and gender are viewed as the same thing. In fact, sex is a biological term and gender is a cultural term. Yet, we, as a society, do not make that distinction. Hence, we have difficulties dealing with people who don't fit into our traditional gender roles - homosexuals, transexuals, transvestites, hermaphrodites, etc. If you are biologically a male there is a pretty rigid gender role that you are expected to fill. It is the same with females. And, a large part of that gender role has to do with sexuality - heterosexuality. Those that fall outside of those traditional roles are seen as deviants.
A third gender is a cultural category, not a biological one. And, third gender is not the same thing as homosexuality. It refers to a person's social role and behaviors, not necessarily sexuality. Third genders generally take on the role associated with the opposite sex, but not necessarily engage in homosexual behavior. In some African tribes, such as Nuer, women who are infertile may take on the traditional male role and "marry" a woman. However, this is not a sexual relationship. The "husband" gives gifts to obtain a wife and bring her into the residential compound just as a man would. The wife contributes her labor to the household. There is no sexual relationship between "husband" and "wife." The "wife" has sexual relations with a man to have children, yet those children belong to compound into which she married. In a society where a woman is defined by her child-bearing role, this provides a place in society for women who cannot have children.
Remember that culture is integrated. As one aspect changes, it will affect other aspects of culture. As we become a more culturally diverse society those aspects of culture that were strongly influenced by one culture are likely to undergo changes as well.
And we are seeing changes in our society's accepted gender roles. I have seen many changes in my life time. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. That is what was expected. If families could afford it, the woman stayed home and raised the children. Today, most families can't make it on one income. Both parents work. That has resulted in changes in how we define the roles of men and women. Gender is culturally defined, and changes as cultures change.
Could the acceptance of a third gender be more likely in societies where cooperation is more important? As societies become larger, it is not as important that we "include" all people. We can afford to ostracize. In smaller societies, it is more important to include all people as productive members of the community, and the acceptance of these differences may be a way of doing that - providing them with a clearly defined role.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Inequalities: Class and Caste
For this week (October 31 - November 6) read Chapter 10 in your text and the following articles:
Rising Wealth Inequality
Class Mobility: Is the American Dream a Myth
Discussion Assignment
What is the "American Dream?" Discuss the real vs the ideal perception of the American Dream. Are there discrepancies between the real and the ideal perceptions? If you see differences, what do you think accounts for the difference between those perceptions?
Respond to at least two classmates.
The Chapter 10 quiz is posted on Moodle.
Rising Wealth Inequality
Class Mobility: Is the American Dream a Myth
Discussion Assignment
What is the "American Dream?" Discuss the real vs the ideal perception of the American Dream. Are there discrepancies between the real and the ideal perceptions? If you see differences, what do you think accounts for the difference between those perceptions?
Respond to at least two classmates.
The Chapter 10 quiz is posted on Moodle.
Political Organizations - Becca Libby
All sides of our government have their sacred values from which they base their opinions, just like most individuals. In fact, many politicians use the values of particular individuals and groups of people to sway their feelings one way or the other. Much of the partisanship we see is based upon this. When politicans on either side of the political playing field use the people to create conflict between one another it splits the people apart. Here in the south, many people have very strong right wing views on things like sexual orientation, religion, and of course politics. So naturally, when politicians come to this area of the county to campaign, they know just the right topics to exploit. When people hear a politician bashing gays, or Muslims, they automatically assume whatever they have said must be correct without questioning it. This only further separates the groups of people in this country, and promotes ignorance. For some reason, even with our congress which was created to discuss issues and find the most logical answer to questions, we still cannot agree on even the simplest issues.
America is great because we have the right to choose what religion we practice, where we want to live, how we want to raise or children, all the way down to what we want to wear when we wake up in the morning. People are proud to be a part of this country for these reasons, so why do so many politicians and individuals still discriminate against people who choose not to practice Christianity? Freedom of religion means ANY religion. I understand the values that many people have, especially those that stem from their religion, but breaking these ignorant barriers we have built around anything and everything that is not white and christian would make us the nation we have always said that we are.
America is great because we have the right to choose what religion we practice, where we want to live, how we want to raise or children, all the way down to what we want to wear when we wake up in the morning. People are proud to be a part of this country for these reasons, so why do so many politicians and individuals still discriminate against people who choose not to practice Christianity? Freedom of religion means ANY religion. I understand the values that many people have, especially those that stem from their religion, but breaking these ignorant barriers we have built around anything and everything that is not white and christian would make us the nation we have always said that we are.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sacred Values-Sara Bugler
Once I read "Sacred Barrier to Conflict Resolution" I was more aware of what Americans value as opposed to other countries. For instance we have been in the war with the Muslim world now for a while and we still do not understand thier culture. They don't value the idea of personal freedom as much as Americans do. We see thier women being oppressed by wearing certain clothing or abiding by certain rules, but these are more laws of thier religion, not of oppression. I think that in some circumstances some women may be getting oppressed or devalued by thier oppressers, but as a whole the Muslim religion is not about oppressing a woman. The give and take from these is that Muslims can be angry that we are over there fighting a war for what we don't or won't understand. Americans see themselves as saviors to these poor oppressed people. We also are spending a great deal of money to fight this war, and not getting the results of apprehending the suspects we thought were out there. I know many people who are stationed in Afghanistan now and fighting for us, in no way am I saying what they are doing doesn't matter, I think the government needs to understand the situation better.
Political Organization-Sierra Armstrong
Political Organization-Sierra Armstrong
Sacred Values have a way of creating barriers that get in the way of solving political conflicts. Many countries have their own sacred values. America as a whole values freedom more than the Muslim countires as a whole, but I think as a whole Muslim countries value their religion far more than Americans value the religion they believe in. However we think or whatever we value, we think others should think it and value it too.
Our government has become very partisan especially in the war on terrorism. We have paid so much attention on how the Muslim people do not have freedom and are being suppressed. But what if freedom is not as sacred to them as we think it is. We believe that everyone should be free. But that is America. We are pushing our values on to them. Do you want another group of people invading your home for something that you don't care that much about. And that is what we have done, we have invaded a country and pushed what we value on to them. They are a different culture altogether and value different things.
A trade-off in this case is American soldiers being sent off to countries fighting people who care nothing about freedom. We are fighting for something that they don't value, even though we do. Another trade-off is all that money being wasted on countries who don't value it. Americans believe that freedom is the right and just thing and want others to able to enjoy it. But why use that money on it when they do not value it.
Our government has become very partisan especially in the war on terrorism. We have paid so much attention on how the Muslim people do not have freedom and are being suppressed. But what if freedom is not as sacred to them as we think it is. We believe that everyone should be free. But that is America. We are pushing our values on to them. Do you want another group of people invading your home for something that you don't care that much about. And that is what we have done, we have invaded a country and pushed what we value on to them. They are a different culture altogether and value different things.
A trade-off in this case is American soldiers being sent off to countries fighting people who care nothing about freedom. We are fighting for something that they don't value, even though we do. Another trade-off is all that money being wasted on countries who don't value it. Americans believe that freedom is the right and just thing and want others to able to enjoy it. But why use that money on it when they do not value it.
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