Crash

1. In the film, it's very obvious that people's stereotypes get in the way of truly getting to know other people. In the scene where the Hispanic locksmith is working for the Persian man, we can easily tell that the Persian man sees the Hispanic differently because of his race. This is ironic though, because we have seen the Persian man get treated differently for the same reason when he was trying to buy a gun. In this situation, he doesn't realize how he's be hypocritical; his racism overshadows it. It's extremely obvious too, because the locksmith is completely cordial to the Persian man, even though he's yelling at him, saying that the locksmith is trying to cheat him. Later however, when the Persian man goes to the locksmith's house with a gun and tries to shoot him, he seems to realize that maybe he was wrong. This act could have had dire consequences, but he was lucky, and he only has to live with the guilt of what could have been.

4. One of the most prominent stereotypes in the film is the two black men. They essentially create this stereotype for themselves, like when they steal the District Attorney's car. They are aware of how they are viewed, and complain about it, but they only perpetuate this stereotype because of how they act. In the beginning, we view them as criminals for stealing the car. But as the film goes on and we get to know them a little better, we can almost sympathize with them. I think the real "twisting" happens with one of the black men gets picked up by the cop, Ryan Phillipe. It seems as though because the man is black, the cop is more cautious, and gets extremely nervous when they start to argue. And when the man reaches into his pocket, the cop automatically assumes he's pulling out a gun, and he shoots him. I think this is one of the most surprising parts of the movie. It makes the viewer realize that you really can't stereotype people, no matter what, because you never know when someone can surprise you.

What Would You Do?

When we were watching the clips in class focusing on racism, what struck me the most were the clips from ABC News about how people handled racism in an upscale store and a restaurant. I was shocked that more people didn't respond to the blatant and uncalled for attacks on the African American women by the store worker. So many people were too consumed looking for things to buy than to help someone who was being verbally abused. It seemed like many of them had the same attitude as the worker, that the woman had done something wrong or deserved to be harassed. Many people seemed too distant, uninterested, or too intimidated to react. This is unsettling, as civil rights have made so much progress, and yet an African American woman can still be abused in a store, and no one will do anything about it. The same goes for the Hispanic day laborers at the restaurant. There were a lot of people who automatically assumed that the men were illegal immigrants, and told them they didn't have a right to be there, or order food. The fact that people wouldn't even give them a chance because they didn't speak English shows so much intolerance. However, the people who did stand up for the men provided a better outlook. They didn't seem to be concerned with the fact that the men could have been in the country illegally, they were just human beings. In our world today, we sometimes forget that we are all people, and deserve to be treated with the same respect and equality as everyone else.

Fair Treatment in Schools

I went to a middle school where there was a high population of Hispanic students. To me, it was obvious that the people I hung around with were many times separated in higher classes. I was in accelerated classes, and it was rare that a Hispanic student was in one as well. However, I still got to know some of these students in classes like gym and art, and knew that many of them were capable of doing the work that I was doing. Granted, some of them just didn't apply themselves, but in a lot of cases, I thought, it was because of the kids in their classes. The students who could be smart, but weren't in the right classes, were hindered because of the fact that they were distracted by the other kids in these core classes. I believe that if they were in the classes they should have been in, they would have succeeded. It also seemed difficult for them to be put into higher classes in the first place. It was always just recommended what classes they should take, which didn't give them a chance to improve their skills in any way. The activity we did in class reminded me of this, and how these types of problems still happen today. Everyone should have the right to be treated fairly when it comes to their education, because it truly is what you make of it.

Sociopoly

When we were playing sociopoly during class, it was very eye-opening to how definitive social class is. I was the upper-upper class, and I didn't have to worry about money during the whole game. I was basically given wealth from the beginning, so I had it easy. It's just like real life. People in the highest classes inherit things from their parents, so they don't really have to worry about their financial situation. And when I was sent to jail, it was very easy for me to get out, because realistically I would have a good lawyer or be treated differently due to my situation in life. I almost felt bad when people had to pay me when they landed on things that I owned, because I was taking what little money they had. I also felt that though I was at the top of the spectrum, everyone else had much less money than me. There was a significant jump from the upper-middle class to me. And although no one went into debt or went on welfare, the lower classes barely had any money, and had to basically only save, and not spend. They had to keep what they had just to stay in. I felt like this game was such a good depiction of today's social class system, because it was so easy to see how the system stays the way it is.

http://insideandout.chicagopublicradio.org/content/marcus-run

I read this story about a 14-year-old named Marcus who had been getting involved with the wrong kind of people. He was into gangs (because he got encouragement from gang members) and running away from home for extended amounts of time. From this, he acquired a stigma of being a troubled kid, and was then constantly viewed this way at school. He grew tired of getting into trouble, and said he just wanted to learn, and liked to write. But he was getting wrongly accused of things at school because of his reputation. His mother would try to set limits for him, but they weren't strict enough, and he ended up running away again. He ran away for months and at the end of the article, he hadn't been found but when he is, he will be arrested, because he was already put under house arrest several times.
This kind of story is frustrating to read, because you realize that if Marcus had been growing up in a more nurturing environment, he wouldn't have had such troubles with the law. He had realized he had done wrong by participating with the gangs, but felt as if there was no true way out. He felt alone, as no one would believe him when he said he wasn't guilty of something at school. The stigma he carried, the one he got at the age of 14, affected the rest of his life. Now, I realize we can't simply eliminate gangs and bad influences in neighborhoods, but I feel like if kids were provided with people at school who gave them a chance and didn't judge them, they maybe wouldn't get into such trouble. No one really believed in Marcus; no one gave him an alternative to getting into trouble. If we would only give kids this chance, and try to understand them, I think more kids would be able to stay out of the court systems and make something of themselves.

Gender Roles, According to Who?

Media has everything to do with the way we behave and the kind of people we've become. Its influence is immense, and is seen as the be-all end-all of what we are. We see it as if we see other people doing something, it is OK for us to do it. This is especially true in regards to gender roles in today's society. This has changed a lot over the years, but we still see the typical husband/wife roles in almost every kind of TV show. These stereotypes are only enforced and perpetuated when we watch these shows. It's like people morph to resemble these people on TV, rather than the shows adapting to how real people actually act. We especially saw this in the episode of According to Jim, where Jim was the insensitive, rude, messy one and his wife took care of their social lives and took care of the house. While this may be true in a great number of households, times are still constantly changing and the media should be adapting to this change. They shouldn't portray women as images of perfection (or make them strive to be so) and men as lazy womanizers. They should take advantage of the huge platform they have and sell positive images that actual people can relate to.

Consuming Kids (Figuratively)

When we were talking about how marketers cater to childrens' wants and desires, I couldn't have agreed more with many of the people in the video who made the argument that this type of advertising and product placement is having a truly negative effect on today's youth. Children are extremely impressionable and vulnerable, and for marketers to be taking advantage of this is wrong. Sure, they need to make money and have jobs, but there are ways they can still do this without sacrificing ethics. We know that kids love junk food and toys, especially with any of these involving their favorite characters from TV and movies. And it's not necessarily wrong to include these characters in certain products. But marketers should consider which characters they're pushing on kids. Certain products can seem like the most innocent things, but when you really think about what they're promoting, you question what kind of message this sends to kids. Characters like the Disney princesses seem harmless, but what do they really teach girls? That being pretty and finding Prince Charming should be your only goals in life? Also, companies use these characters to sell all kinds of junk food, when they should really be using this technique to sell good, healthier things. It's as simple as that, but then it's about giving people what they want. There is a fine line between the two, but for anything to change, people sometimes have to do what they believe is right, not what is popular.

The Un-TV Experiment

Staring at a blank TV screen is not fun. It's not exciting or enjoyable whatsoever. Sitting there staring at nothing was sadly one of the most difficult tasks I've had to do recently. It was hard to keep my eyes on the screen, since nothing was happening. It was also extremely difficult not to grab my computer or phone for relief. Just thirty minutes of silence. Sure, I got some peaceful thinking in. But that took all of five minutes. I was just counting down the minutes until I could stop looking at the TV and go to sleep. But staring at the TV made me realize that when we watch TV, we're essentially doing the exact same thing. There's just sound and movement in front of us. It's almost scary how much attention we give our televisions. They're our source for everything. They shape our culture by what we end up watching. We want to be like people on TV. It makes me wonder what we would be like without having grown up watching all these shows. We would have to come up with ways to act and dress all on our own. We would, in reality, be our own people, our true selves. Sure, there are always going to be influences. But there would be so much less pressure. Also, I just feel better when I don't turn on the TV for a day or two. It gives me time to do other things, like sleep, that are way more important. I truly believe our society would be greatly improved if we put so much less emphasis on the television. But seeing as there's another season of Jersey Shore, it won't happen anytime soon.

What makes us human?

This week when we talked about what qualities make humans unique, I found it somewhat difficult to think of examples. As humans, we really do have a lot in common with animals, probably more than most of us realize. What I find most interesting is the family aspect that most animals seem to have in one way or another. Some stick with their parents, who care for them, until they're old enough to be on their own, just like humans. In this way, we see the need for nurture exhibited, which is something that the isolated children we learned about didn't have. It was because they weren't cared for that they weren't able to function in society. We need people to guide us in our lives. They teach us things like morals, which is something I think is unique to humans. We have a sense of right and wrong, while for many animals it's about survival of the fittest. And although we have very complicated ways of thinking, we don't really know how many animals think. I think it's entirely possible that many animals are very smart. We just don't really know because we live in a totally different world.

Tuesdays With Morrie

Watching this movie in connection with what we've been learning about culture and values really brings everything closer to reality for me. The character Mitch exhibits all of the typical American values: he is consumed with his work, doesn't have time for the people he loves, and is afraid of expressing emotion. I can see that in a lot of people I know, and it makes me sad because there are more important things in life than work. It makes me question the true values of our society, especially at school. Every day we are work, work, work. Most people don't believe in taking time to just relax and hang out with their families, and enjoy life. When Mitch starts visiting Morrie, he begins to see that his priorities were out of whack, and makes a change in his life. It's almost too late for him, which really makes the viewer wonder if it's too late to change their own lives, and question whether what they've built their life on really matters. It makes you realize how precious life really is. Morrie is such a positive and inspiring person, but he doesn't know how much more time he has left. I believe that we should all live our lives just as Morrie does, appreciating everything good we have in our lives, and spending time with the people who matter most to us. I think that everyone should have to learn this lesson, in order to live full and happy lives.

Walk This Way

The norm I decided to break was walking on the right side of the hall. This was a very risky decision, as we all know walking through the halls of Stevenson is dangerous enough already, without going against the flow of traffic. One day when I was walking to lunch, I filled up my water bottle on the left side of the hall (already getting bumped into) and then just walked on my way to my table, still on the left side. Sooooo many people bumped into me. It varied from little nudges, from the people who tried to go around me, and actual pushes from backpacks, from people who saw me but didn't care enough to maneuver out of my path. It was very uncomfortable, physically and mentally, because in America we don't walk or drive on the left side. My Americanized mind felt that it was wrong to be doing this; I wouldn't have been surprised if a security guard had stopped me and told me to walk on the other side. It just made me wonder why us Americans ever deviated from the left side, which is what pretty much everyone else in the world uses. But we are so set in our ways that switching it up is completely out of the question. We do what we do because we like it that way and we're used to it, which is fine; every society has their norms. I'm just glad I made it to lunch in one piece.

America: Relative, Not Absolute

To me, America is home. The place I grew up, got an education, and the place where I have a future. It's a land of opportunity, somewhere where anyone can do anything; impossible is nothing. Living in this place, we know no different. But coming from another country that is so radically different is an entirely different story. We have no idea how difficult it is to start from nothing in this country. Watching the documentary about the Lost Boys made me frustrated because of how difficult it was for the boys to live normal lives. They were basically left to fend for themselves, which made them long for the small comforts of their home. This just made me realize how much we take for granted here. And the fact is, many of us know it, but don't do anything about it. I know there is a limit to what one person is capable of doing, but until I saw this documentary I wasn't even aware of the Lost Boys and the hardships they faced. I wanted to know more about them and where they are now. So I searched for Peter and Santino online, and found that they both had received scholarships to college. And while things are most likely still a bit difficult for them, it was comforting to know that they have found success, however big or small, in a place where they didn't know if they were going to be able to make it and so many things were stacked against them. Oh, and Santino finally got his driver's license.

A Generation's-Worth of New Language

When we read the article about how the word 'skanks' has become a regular greeting used by today's youth, it made me realize how much our generation has changed what is acceptable language to use on a daily basis. Half the words we use today would have been completely taboo twenty years ago. But a culmination of this language along with television and especially music has made many words and phrases alright to use. Our generation constantly tests and pushes the boundaries of what our culture considers politically correct.
On one side, this isn't such a bad thing. With less and less taboo words and phrases people don't have to be so careful about what they say, as people don't attach much meaning to such language. However, it depends on the person. People could still take something totally seriously even if another person meant it as a joke. Even though personally I don't have a problem with a lot of the language used in today's society, you never know who will, so it's best to use it carefully, depending on your audience.

New Culture, New Perspective

Before last summer, I had never truly experienced a radically different culture. I had been to England, but their customs and language aren't too different from ours. But this past summer I traveled to Spain, where I definitely experienced culture shock. Although I was pretty familiar with reading the language, I wasn't the best at speaking it, and the Spaniards' rapid chatting was very intimidating. Their customs were also new to me, and our group had to adapt to them. We woke up early, were busy all day with a rest in the afternoon, ate dinner at eleven at night, and went to bed around two in the morning, just like they do. This was extremely difficult to get used to, especially with the time difference. But we really didn't have a choice. And looking back on the experience, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Being immersed in their culture, I felt like, really added to the trip.
Like what we've been talking about in class, you have to remove yourself from your norms and become a part of the new environment to really understand it. This is exactly what I had to do, and it made me appreciate the experience a lot more. Adapting to the Spanish customs really helped me learn and appreciate their culture and customs. Although it was a challenge, I know that in similar future situations, I need to be less skeptical of new things and embrace them to really get the most out of the experience.

How social extremes show us social norms

When we think of cannibalism, we automatically associate it with being bad or gross. This would be an expected reaction from anyone in our society, as this is how we've been taught to think. Deviating from this opinion would most likely cause others to be looked down upon. In the article about the people stranded in the mountains, we see how they initially react to the idea of eating their dead. They're disgusted, because they should be. Or at least society tells them they should be. But once they realize that it is their only option, they begin to rationalize it. Since they need to survive, cannibalism becomes acceptable to certain members of the group. Thus, this social extreme has become a social norm.
People crave the approval of others. It's the way our society works. When you think about it, any type of social extreme could become a norm, if it was acceptable to everyone. We know that this is how different groups in society are formed. People flock to where others share their views, and their norms, because people want to be wanted, and to belong. More simply put, we shape our society through each other.

About Me

I'm Lauren. I tend to be a very introverted person when I'm in new situations, but around my friends I am the total opposite. I care a lot about being true to myself, and not letting anyone else negatively influence my decisions. However, what my friends and family think mean a lot to me, and I strive to make them happy.
I love spending time with my friends. I am a huge Cubs fan, and love sports in general. In the future I will be going to the University of Missouri and will be studying journalism. I can't wait for the freedom and new experiences that I will have in college, and being able to start a new chapter in my life.