ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: racism

In 1991, MacLeod went back to Clarendon Heights to look at the achievements of Hallway Hangers and the Brothers who had different expectations and aspirations when they were teenagers. He discovered that members of both groups are struggling to find stable employment and both failed to get themselves out of the poverty. MacLeod realized that the dynamic of the neighborhood and its surroundings have changed as blacks took over doorway #13. As anticipated, MacLeod re-interviews with members of the Hallway Hangers revealed that they don’t have any career of family stabilities. Most of the Hangers are working hourly waged dead-end jobs with very limited opportunities for advancements. On the personal level, they are still alcoholics, drug addict, racists, criminals, and treat women like objects. Following the path of their parents, members of the Hangers are having no respect for family life and romantic relationships. Most of the Hangers don’t have steady relationships and treat their women as objects. As a result of such attitudes, some Hangers are fathers to children that they hardly see and care for. Not to mention the issue of child support and the neglect of the importance of being a role model in their children’s lives.
Topic: racism

How could they be in their children’s lives if they are economically devastated? Looking at their career path, Hangers’ job history they have been holding unstable “Shitty” with small firms, which have a high chance of failure and downward mobility. Although they realize the importance of having union jobs or at least jobs with benefits they claims that the current politics are favoring black and that limited their opportunity in the labor marker. Also, the Hallways partly hanged their career failure on their skin. They claimed that race policies such as Affirmative Action provided blacks with better opportunities in the job market. “Well I look today, and if anyone should have a chance to make it, it’s fuckin’, and its black people. They got a chance to make it. Cuz there’s fucking quotas to be filled.” MacLeod explained the Hangers’ failure to keep steady employment to their background and the use of their social network “Informal networking”.
Topic: racism

As a result, they were hardly able to get any unionized or stable jobs. Also, members of the Hangers revealed the issue of class control of the job market and how the middle class youths with their privileged background, have access to superior social networks and hence better jobs. Under such social issues and material demands, the Hangers supplemented their income using the drug market where they believe they came make more money without out the pressure of being closely supervised and micro-managed. Even the relationship between members of the Hangers themselves are lost and the notion of being tied together for even is lost to the survival struggle of the late discovery of the need to change to and worry only about their own problems individually. One of reasons to such break through their relationships is the life of the neighborhood and the issue of gentrification inside and around Clarendon Heights.
Topic: racism

In this chapter, MacLeod, was surprised to find members of the Brothers who hoped to be on their way to middle class by 1990s are similarity struggling in the job market just like the Hangers regardless of their educational attainment. When they were teenagers, the Brothers had high expectations and aspiration believing that school would provide them better life than their ancestors, their life did not go as they hoped. Although, the Brothers held educational levels between high school diploma and some college they are career struggling just like the Hangers. But, they did not lose hope for better future and are trying to achieve their teenage goals. Facing reality, the brothers are aware of their social class and the political obstacles enforced by the (Republicans and Ronald Reagan administration) the keep the social class gap) that create more obstacles to achieve their dream of moving up the social class by getting to middle class life through their jobs. When MacLeod looked at the Brothers’ romance and family life, he found them, contrary to the Hangers, the Brothers have steady relationships with girlfriends and almost none of them have children with their partners except one. It seemed that the brothers’ background and the way they were raised were they reasons why indicated their full awareness of the moral and financial requirements to raise kids.
Topic: racism

Even with Juan who has two daughters from two different relationships is a proud and supporting father. Derek who was married after finishing high school did it because his girlfriend at the time was pregnant and he felt obligated to marry her. Generally, they have more respect to women and appreciate their romance friendships than the Hangers. However, the Brothers failed to achieve their desired success and blame themselves for this failure. There are several key factors behind the two groups’ struggle. First, there are numerous barriers in the society that blocked their quest of getting themselves out of poverty as well as the issues of politics, racism, poverty, gender, education and social mobility. There is an issue of generational mobility where members of the two groups could not find their way to the next social class. There are several schools of thoughts that could explain the two groups’ struggle.
Topic: racism

The lower class family history of the two groups dictated how far they could go in life. Some members of the Hangers used drug dealings as a shortcut to make some money and avoiding the effects of poverty after their failure of keeping regular jobs which reflects the social class background. A little improvement in the life of the Brothers is a result being raised by a male figure in their life they tend to appreciate family. Also, although the Brothers are not in any better situation than the Hangers, they still dreaming about a better future by keeping their motivation and good thoughts. After looking at the lives of the two groups, there are crucial evidences that regardless of poor people’s ambitions and motivations to have better lives, there are several social forces will keep pushing them to pass poverty from generation to another. MacLeod showed the impact of social welfare policies, incarceration, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, and insufficient educational credentials explain why all of the men struggle to find stable employment in the primary labor market for most of their adult lives.
Topic: racism

1. By looking at the intersection between structure and agency for the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers, how can you explain how social class, race, education and family dictate life outcome? 2. MacLeod indicated that the experiences of the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers with the job market are the results of their social network and social capital. Do you believe that in today’s job market it is “who you know and not what you know.”? 3. Out of your own experience, do you believe in the American Dream? Explain why or why not? 4. What is the best social theory that could explain the employment struggle of the Hallway Hanger and the Brothers? Why do you think it is the best? 5. How the social reproduction of poverty affected the dreams of the brothers are compare to the Hallway Hangers? How the education system determined the social roles of the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers. How social and cultural capital interacted in the lives if the two groups.
Topic: racism

Chapter eleven starts with an interaction between MacLeod and a BMW driver. While this man describes those in Clarendon Heights as ignorant, it seems as though the shoe is on the other foot so to speak , he is the one to actually seems ignorant due to lack of understanding concerning the complexity of the issue of poverty .He is eager to place the blame on a poor work ethic. Poverty cannot be explained through solely the individual. The structure must also, be considered. MacLeod states, “Our society is structured to create poverty and extreme economic inequality” (241).This is an ongoing theme in this chapter. While an excessive number of African Americans live in poverty, it is no longer an issue of race. It appears to be better described as an issue of class rather than race. MacLeod goes on to explain how the white poor face just as bleak an outcome as do minorities. Because of their class history, both the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers have trouble finding jobs that can provide a living wage.
Topic: racism

The Hallway Hangers did drugs and dropped out of school. And yes, the Brothers avoided drugs and stayed in school, but neither group could elevate themselves out of the working class (with the exceptions of James and Mike). This does not mean that race doesn’t play a role in attaining or maintaining employment. In the case of one mother, a job was lost because of her skin color. Boo Boo was told that an establishment was “not hiring” (248). MacLeod also mentions the greater social network of the Hallway Hangers, leading to more employment opportunities. Within certain jobs (with the example construction), people of color have less of a chance of promotion.
Topic: racism

Even as we are presented with this evidence of economic sources of discouragement, the Brothers and Hallway Hangers blame themselves for their lack of success, often saying how they “fucked up.” These outlooks are caused by their situation, not the other way around. Their failures are so often attributed to their level of desert, they begin to agree. They believe they are jumping, when really they are being pushed. The chapter ends with a look to what can be done. Schools can be improved, as can our welfare system (more support with less regulation), but what really needs to change is our society. MacLeod makes a strong argument for distributing wealth more equally. MacLeod urges that we become less like the Eiffel Tower and more like an onion.
Topic: racism

In this chapter McLeod uses edited transcripts of recorded interviews to relay the later life details of the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers. By this time several of those on the fringes were of the Hangers were deceased in addition to Boo Boo. However, many of the Hallway Hangers are still alive at this point. During his interview Frankie spoke of connections, “I applied. You know the way them jobs come, Jack only one way you get those jobs. You have fifteen thousand applications; they don’t just pull your name out. Connections. That’s how it works” (279). , Frankie recognizes the power of social capital in landing a decent position of employment. He adds that everyone doesn’t have a chance for success in this country because much success is derived from privilege. He sees economic disparity as a class issue rather than a racial issue. Frankie’s son Darren even sheds some light on the race vs. class issue. He states that there is a lack of unity between poor blacks and poor whites and the two groups are pitted against each other by the government. This causes many of us to view race as the conflicting issue however the real issue is class differences. The controlling powers make all out attempts to portray race as the prevailing issue this prevents the lower classes from recognizing that the real issue is class.
Topic: racism

Jinx recognizes how the upper classes amass profit from f the labor power of the working class. “If it wasn’t for us little fucking peons, down there in the fucking trenches, busting our balls, guess what: You wouldn’t be a fucking millionaire. The raises you get – ten, fifteen cents a year – the cost of living is going up more than fifteen cents an hour” ( 295) . He sees that the upper (owning) classes are not making any attempts to bridge the gaps which result in economic disparity. Steve expressed that he is unhappy with how his life has turned out; substance use has caused his downward spiral. He has done jail time , lost his automobile , he isn’t able to keep any licenses that would allow him to become gainfully employed due to nonpayment of child support .He now lives with his mother .
Topic: racism

If he were able to change anything thing about his life, he would value education and refrain from substance use. He realizes that his life chances were unlike those of other children because his family was poor. He states “Money gets you the good schools. Money brings you power …….If you’re a rich kid, then you have parents and shit to fall back on, or some sort of stability” (315). With Stoney we see that his children are following the same path of destruction that he did as a child. I see this as being highly representative of the reproduction of class “My kids are in and out of trouble. Same story as me maybe worse, starting a bit younger …….” (319). although Stoney had a very troubled childhood it appears that music and his strong relationship with his wife has made positive changes in his life. He feels that successive generations are getting worse and worse. If he had it to do all over again he would have concentrated more on his education and refrained from substance use.
Topic: racism

His sentiments are similar to those expressed by Steve. At the same time Stoney is of the opinion that education isn’t always a guarantee of financial success “ When I was nineteen , working at Carlucci’s and making a decent paycheck for a kid , I got a waitress that’s standing over there that just did six years in college but she’s making twenty bucks less a week than I am. It’s like four years of college doesn’t get you shit anymore” (323). Toward the end of this chapter McLeod poses the question “́To what extents are they, they individuals responsible for what happens to them and to what extent is it the society and the opportunities available to them”? Slick believes that you can only blame society to a certain extent he adds that it is up to the individual to take responsibility for themselves However , at the same time he seems to blame society when he speaks about the universities in the area where he grew up , he states “ They’ll take interest in the people that got money . But those motherfuckers don’t need the help. It’s those people that are poor that need help” (348).
Topic: racism

1. McLeod argues that race and class are incapable of being disentangled; do you believe that to be true? Why? 2. What major element is to blame for the lack of successes among these two groups of kids? Is it structure, culture, or agency? 3. What suggestions does McLeod offer for how society could address the issue of social reproduction of the class system? 4. Are you in agreement with McLeod’s suggestions on how society can address the social reproduction of the class system? , please explain your answer! 5. What do you see as an explanation for where the men eventually end up? Which matters more with regard to their situation, race or class? Please explain your answer! 6. Do you believe that an individual is able to change their life chances via the attainment of higher education? If so why, If not why? 7. What is meant by becoming less like the Eiffel Tower and more like an onion?
Topic: racism

In chapter 13, author, Jay Macleod summarizes what each brother from Clarendon Heights ends up doing as an occupation and ultimately overall where each ends up and what living situation each ends up in. Their conditions are pretty similar. Each of their jobs and situations stems from their pasts, decisions, networking opportunities and mainly from where they began in high school in Clarendon Heights. They all seem accepting if not satisfied of what they have become. Mokey
Topic: racism

Jay Macleod follows up with Mokey in 2006. Mokey ends up as a salaried night shift manager at a scanning machine company that produces and scans documents. He was able to manage to work his way up by paying close attention and doing well. They liked him and therefore moved him up. He moved from Clarendon Heights to Colorado. Macleod describes Mokey’s physical appearance as “evidently fatigued” based on Mokey’s dark eye circles and his overall tired looking face. He ends up in a happy long term inter-racial relationship with his companion Karen. They live in a two bedroom apartment with their son Rayford. He is accepting and comfortable of what his life has become. Super
Topic: racism

Super is the only brother who continues to struggle financially due to his lack of steady employment. His immediate past is full of drug dealing. Macleod labels him as “The Hustler” due to the poor situation that he continues to face. His job at the moment is moving furniture at a moving company in which he earns eleven dollars an hour. He expresses that he feels that he can do better job wise. His boss refuses to pay him more. He is divorced and has three children, one of which is not in his custody. Mike
Topic: racism

Macleod finds Mike in the industry of Real Estate after having been working for the postal service before. Mike manipulated and networked his way into Real Estate Brokerage actually earning a decent substantial five digit income in the business. He is by far one of the most successful of all of the men- both Hallway Hangers and Brothers. He has been with his girlfriend for fourteen years. They decided not to get married. She has two daughters that Mike assists her with looking after and raising. Juan
Topic: racism

Juan winds up as a mechanic and engaged to his fiancée Brenda. They live in an old “Mill Town”. Together they live with four of his five children. He continues to work at “Jim’s Tow”. He drives trucks there on at eight to five schedule working forty hours a week. He continues to resent having to be “dirty” all the time due to the nature of the work. He admits to Macleod that he yearns for a cleaner job where he gets to look better and wear a suit. He says that people judge you buy the way you look. He is happy that he has a house and a mortgage that he can afford and his children will benefit from but he does not have a car. James
Topic: racism

Macleod follows up with James in New York City where James now resides. He worked for several years working part time as a tape librarian at a bank for a temp agency. James mentions that he worked at Calvin Klein for several months but was laid off. James discusses how dynamics in offices and in the work place are often complicated. They can be abundant, immoral and detrimental. He also discusses how race plays a factor. People judge him based on the fact that he is black. Nonetheless he’s ended up as a Help Desk Administrator making about fifty two thousand a year with full benefits. James married a pre-school teacher and they have two children. He tries to motivate his children to do well. Derek
Topic: racism

Derek lives in the basement bedroom of “a small house in a working class neighborhood.” Derek went from one major airline, “Commercial Airlines” to another, “Travel2.com” from 1996 to “the present.” He now works as a “trainer”. He trains new-hires and he has always made an hourly wage. Derek explains that he has had several serious relationships with women and none of them really worked out. He explains that he just gets bored and ends the relationships. He doesn’t mind feeling lonely.
Topic: racism

He needs space sometimes. Sometimes he just wants to be alone. He has several children with the different women and he is a grandfather as well. He has paid child support to the mothers for the children that he fathered despite his low wages. He is unhappy that he isn’t making more money but has come to accept his financial situation as it is. He feels comfortable doing customer service and is looking forward to being “a helicopter pilot in the next year.” Derek prides himself for being optimistic and being a good person. Boo-Boo
Topic: racism

Before the following analysis of the book, Macleod briefly expresses his astonishment at the true harshness of social inequality. He says “It is more entrenched in the United States than he thought”. However, many of the men succeed in becoming something more than they began as. They are now working class and some may even be middle class. They don’t go as far as they’d hoped but they do make significant progressive improvement from the 1980’s, 1990’s to the 2000s. Macleod mentions that when he discusses the outcomes of the men with his friend Isaac who read the book and grew up in Emerson Heights, he was shocked and unhappy because he feels that the brothers are far more capable than their outcomes suggest. He says that many of them were academically gifted (talented) and intelligent. Macleod comes to the conclusion that individual agency is severely inferior to social conditions and structural constraints. The truth of their outcomes has more to do with their social surroundings. That is where the patterns and true meanings of their outcomes lies.
Topic: racism

He then introduces the next section of the chapter, an analysis of the lives of the men based on social structure, and things like stratification, social class and the reproduction of social class. My Summary and Analysis of Chapter 14: “Analysis” by Katherine McClelland and David Karen This analysis is about the surroundings that the men faced as well as how their lives formed due to their surroundings and who they are. First we heard about their lives through their views and now we are able to understand their lives from a sociological and social class standpoint. McClelland and Karen begin by analyzing all of the men, both the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers altogether. They state that one’s primary social class has a major impact on life’s destinations. Social agency is not as powerful as structure and social reproduction. McClelland and Karen focus on factors and motivations on two different levels as lenses in order to understand why things turned out the way that they did for the men. Social and cultural capital are very important when it comes to understanding what happened to the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers because social and cultural capital that they all had are the primary determinants of what opportunities they had to begin with.
Topic: racism

Their lack of class consciousness causes them to have increased social agency- despite the positivity that the brothers have they seem to, for the most part, end up in the same types of financial situations as the negative Hallway Hangers. The conditions of the economy contributed to the hardships that the men faced. Minimum wage fluctuated between the 1980’s and early 2000’s. Housing prices rose, etc. These conditions combined with race, class, culture and capital all contributed to the ending circumstances of all of the men. The achievement ideology states that a good education will bring a great career and wealth. However, it is established that having the right contacts is even more necessary when it comes to winning a well-paying job. Who you know is very important as well as “who knows you”. A(n) (potential) employer’s perception of who you are matters when it comes to whether or not they want to hire you to work with you.
Topic: racism

and the Hallway Hangers’ behavior in school disadvantaged them in the labor market. However, McClelland and Karen also state that the right cultural and social capital are not always enough to open the right doors to success. “Choices [and actions] are constrained by available opportunities”. They state that if their examples, Derek and Stoney were in a better situation from the very beginning, then they would have had more effective resources to resist hardships and trouble and strive toward their goals. Drugs, crime and alcohol also played major roles in the lives of the men. The men were negatively influenced by the drugs, crime and alcohol that was present and highly abundant in their neighborhoods growing up.
Topic: racism

There were in fact many invitations for them to join the scene. The socialization involving drugs, crime and alcohol in Clarendon Heights influenced participation in drug and alcohol activity for the Brothers and Hallway Hangers. This too is another social contributor to hardships and failure in their futures. This primary ground that they are born on is an original culprit of social inequality. When it comes to race, the Hallway Hangers all seem to agree on the same idea that racism is reversed because blacks are allowed jobs over whites due to affirmative action. They only see race as far as how it negatively affects them as opposed to considering a bigger picture of what race really means and how society manages it. The Brothers are all aware of racism and racial tensions when it comes to work and life. Each merely acknowledges it and simply minds their matters to the best of their ability. They seem to just accept race for what it is.
Topic: racism

When it comes to race, Karen and McClelland conclude that race can hurt a person more when it comes to run-ins with the law. They state that the Brothers find personal ways of accepting and handling race but the Brothers seem to be ignorant or neglectful in understanding the structural aspects of race and the impact of race. Class reproduction is likely to continue to occur when it comes to the men’s children and following generations. They all seem to love their children despite any absences but they cannot rescue the children from social structure. Their children are likely to end up in similar situations due to social structure and social factors. Unlike middle class children, poor children do not have social and economic capital to fall back on in times of need and throughout vulnerable life events. This is a major threatening disadvantage. Close knit family/ relationships make for a personal inner strength that is extremely helpful in order to tackle life obstacles. Many of the men are not fortunate enough to be born into such kinds unbreakable relationships.
Topic: racism

Class Consciousness is a very important concept when it comes to where people stand in a given society because it is an account of not necessarily where a person stands, what their social class or socio-economic status actually is, but it is instead in fact, what one thinks their class is. Many people may think of themselves as working class when they are in fact middle class or vice versa. Our perceptions of where we think we stand and where we actually do stand are both very important factors when it comes to understanding socialization, behavior, influence, aspirations and social agency. Personal perception is important as well. The Hallway Hangers had somewhat of an idea of class consciousness, particularly Jinx. He blamed many of his failures on employers, politics and social structure. They rejected school and a few of them had goals when it came to succeeding with respect to class consciousness. They all seemed to realize that there is some sort of a social structure that dominates and as individuals, there is only so much we can control with our social agency. The brothers believed that as individuals, they could overcome many aspects of racism and racial tension. They never seem to really see let alone understand social structure and social class.
Topic: racism

Awareness of/ class consciousness can allow for an individual to set realistic attainable goals such as owning a pizza shop (like one of the Hangers aspires to do) but a complete unawareness of it can cause lifelong detrimental disappointment. It’s difficult for all of the men to see the world through the lens of race and class. They just see things as they do and that’s it. Unfortunately social reproduction is highly likely to re-occur for the children of these men. Despite any positive relationships that any of the men have with their female companions and children, their offspring are automatically born into social inequality considering their neighborhoods and even physical factors such as premature birth due to parents’ drug issues. Despite whether or not or how much they assert their learned upbringing or any rational parenting techniques that they decide on, social inequality still exists all around them, in their pasts most definitely and in the present for some of them as well.
Topic: racism

A penetration into the middle class could prevent their children from experiencing social inequality of the same magnitude but unfortunately, their kids are not born into that much luck. Karen and McClelland conclude that the odds of achieving success are heavily dependent on luck and structural circumstances. The achievement ideology does not at all teach this reality. They explain that, lifestyle choices matter but are greatly inferior to the larger social setting that we all inhabit. The United States has many programs to help lower income people, those who need help due to drugs, etc. but many things are limited as politics and times change. This changes what resources are available for people like these men. Karen and McClelland refer back to Bourdieu. The given society determines what takes place in it. If the Brothers and hallway Hangers lived elsewhere their life experiences would be different. Another thing is that social structures set up choices and influence choices as well.
Topic: racism

We are mostly influenced by our primary dispositions and then our pasts stay with us for life. For example, one’s childhood plays a significant role in who one may most likely grow up to be as an adult. No matter how much or how little he makes of himself, he will always be somewhat influenced by his childhood and his past. Anything that created a lasting impact during a time of vulnerability (an entire childhood can reasonably be understood as a period of vulnerability considering that children can only control very little about their homes, schools and overall surroundings. They are required to follow their parents, and schools guidelines and are unable to effectively dispute and change their surroundings). Karen and McClelland conclude with hopes that our society can come to an agreement of what it means to be respected and hopes that we can use the resources that we do have to create healthcare and programs that can help people like the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers.
Topic: racism

1. Why do you think that almost all of the brothers mainly blame themselves for their current financial and personal situations? What does this say about who they are inside and how they view the world? 2. Considering their aspirations social agencies, motives, efforts and then their outcomes, what conclusion do you come to about the Brothers in general/ about who they are as people? Do you think that they should blame themselves for not being more successful? If so, to what extent do you think they should blame themselves? Why do you think they never consider social boundaries and the bigger societal picture when it comes to understanding their life outcomes?
Topic: racism

3. What role if any, do you believe race, racial tension and institutionalized racism and general racism has played in the lives of the brothers? How significant is race in the United States when it comes to a person’s disposition? 4. Based on the literature we have read/ this book, how effective do you feel education after high school is? How much do you think a given major or program matters when it comes to obtaining an education in order to get a better job? How relevant do you feel education in general is when it comes to entering the labor market? Do you think that schooling and meaningful employment go hand in hand quite as much as the achievement ideology suggests? If education is not a main determiner of class status and financial success, as this book suggests, then do you think that education should be marketed in a more realistic way? Should it motivate people in a different way? If so, how?
Topic: racism

5. Knowing, understanding and analyzing are the first steps in treating and curing social problems and conflicts. Now that we have read about social inequality from root to tip, that is, from realistic individual standpoints (the views of the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers) and also from the larger sociological lens (Macleod’s, Karen’s and McClelland’s overall views), what are some first steps do you think can be taken to effectively help socially vulnerable people (the people in Clarendon Heights) and first steps to ending social class inequality? 6. Assuming that you view poverty as a major social issue, can you think of any primary ground ways of preventing things like crime and drugs among low income people (such as educating low-income people about the influences of street life) or can you think of any more common social ways of helping low income people, such as by providing programs and things like affirmative action and awareness to assist low-income people. What do you think can be done or should be done?
Topic: racism

Deadly Unna? By Phillip Gwynne is a novel based on the fictional one year life of a fourteen year old boy named Gary ‘Blacky’ Black. The story shows a developing friendship between Gary, an Anglo-Saxon boy and Dumby Red, an Aboriginal boy. With this friendship Gary begins to understand his own morality with lessons of human dignity, racism, justice, death, courage, family and most importantly friendship. The story is structured around AFL and shows how sport can bring a divided community together every winter.
Topic: racism

From European settlement (1770) into the 20th century Aboriginal people have been considered by most as a sub-human race, therefore, they did not receive the same rights as Anglo-Saxon people in Australia. Stemming from that belief they were put into missions, separated from communities, denied access to their own spoken language and access to land, suffered high numbers of abuse and sexual assault. Children at young ages were stolen from their families and were essentially taught how to clean and made to forget about their families, culture and way of life.
Topic: racism

All that stemmed from one cultural group believing that they were superior to another group – therefore entrenching racists’ belief that ‘Aboriginals are an inferior race’. Whilst we understand in modern society that this belief is wrong, it is difficult to change the thought process of all people who see others that are different and believe that their cultural beliefs are better or more right than others. After all it is our own cultural beliefs that tell us what is right and wrong, what is beautiful or ugly. Aboriginal people are not inferior nor are other cultural groups inferior. As Australians we need to recognise and respect our differences to be a true peaceful multicultural society.
Topic: racism

He describes how education is the way children are able to learn about the world, which surrounds them, and eventually learns to connect the dots of the injustices that come with life. Baldwin alludes to his personal experiences of being an African American child growing up in Harlem. This is simply one way Baldwin creates ethos, or builds credibility with the audience to defend his argument. It shows that he is able to relate to his argument because he has lived through it firsthand, as an African American man living through the Civil Rights Movement.
Topic: racism

In the beginning of the speech he quotes, “Since I am talking to schoolteachers and I am not a teacher myself, and in some ways am fairly easily intimidated,” (Baldwin, 1). This particular opening immediately allows the audience of teachers to become familiar with the idea that Baldwin is establishing the fact that he is not a teacher, so he cannot tell them how to do their job, but simply suggesting ideas from a different perspective. He is trying to show that his purpose is not to talk down to his audience, and his intention is to build a common ground with them. Furthermore, this introduction to the remainder of the speech sets up the original tone of the author. The direct openness from Baldwin to the audience establishes the tone right off the bat, and how he will continue to be upfront with his audience throughout. To correspond with the directness coming from Baldwin, the immediate tone he gives off is strongly concerned with the current situation of society. However, he can speak with such ease that he makes the reader not as worried and feels more calm and casual about the topic, then they really should be.
Topic: racism

Baldwin’s immediate tone of urgency coincides with one of his claims regarding racism in schools. The racism in schools is one of the factors that he argues that diminishes the self-image of a black child. He uses the appeal of pathos to build an emotional connection with the audience and to help strengthen his side of the argument that schools should be equal for children of all races. In his description, Baldwin writes, “Every street boy — and I was a street boy so I would know — looking at the society which has produced him, looking at the standards of that society, which are not honored by anybody, looking at your churches and the government and the politicians, understand that this structure is operated for someone else’s benefit — not for his,” (Baldwin, 3). In this quote, Baldwin clearly depicts the image of the possible isolationist feeling of the black children growing up in America. He is suggesting that this feeling of displacement beginnings in the school systems of American society. For example, Baldwin mentions that African Americans may never have the ability to learn about their real history, due to the lack of willingness to teach about their history rather than focus on the triumph of the white Americans of the nation.. Baldwin indirect states this when he says, “If one managed to change the curriculum in all schools so that Negros learned more about themselves and their real contribution to this culture, you would be liberating not only Negros, you’d be liberating whote people who know nothing about their own history,” (Baldwin 4). The use of this example of pathos is fulfilling because it is profoundly effective in different ways to the different members of the audience, possibly making them reflect on the way that history and background of their own race or races were perceived when they were in school. In particular, members of the audience who are African American may sadden or angered with the continuous problem of constant overpoweringness of one race and how this can cause children to perceive people of other races and their own.
Topic: racism

In continuance of issues mentioned by Baldwin, one of the most important ones is the “crucial paradox” of education. Baldwin explains the paradox as, “The whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society. […] The paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated,” (Baldwin, 1) The true paradoxical portion of this theory is how education is supposed to be a stepping stone in the process of people form their own individualist views, and to fight for they believe could be wrong society. However, just because education prompts this, does not mean that society wishes for people to take action. In fact, Baldwin argues that children are somewhat pressured to do the opposite, which is to console their individualism and obey the rules of society already set in place by the previous generations. Baldwin proposes that without simple changes being made, starting in the classroom, it can be assumed that the prejudices at the time will stay in tact.
Topic: racism

Making a Talk to Teachers summary, primarily the author appeals to a teacher, endeavoring to evoke the realizing of the fact that the history that they teach is wrong. The visions of African American as a cluster of society are old and need to reconsider information, which they deliver to their pupils, being on lectures. He tries to evoke the understanding of their wrong perception of the history. Moreover, he tries to deliver the idea that it is improper to raise the seeds of evil in the souls of schoolchildren.
Topic: racism

Baldwin claims that the primary aim of education is to enable a person to interact with the external world and the society as well as identification one’s position in that society. He considers that schooling lacked progress and was stuck on the same level as it was many years ago. Nowadays, the education distorts the people’s understanding of themselves from that one available in the society. It makes them try to change it; however, people do not accept those individuals, who have a strong desire to implements changes. The reality is harsh, and authors manage to illustrate this point.
Topic: racism

Baldwin manages to depict the cruel picture of reality. He illustrates the attitude of the society towards individuals, which are always victims of the prejudice imposed by the schoolteachers from their early years. He enhances his claims with plenty of real-life examples. He tells a story about an Afro American, who from the early years realize why his parents work so hard and why they are always stressed. He knows the reason why he is not allowed to sit in front of the bus. The next wave of bullying he faces at school. He provides the rude and harsh facts to the reader to make him removing rose-tinted glasses. At this point, the tone of the essay reaches the peak of reflectiveness and sadness.
Topic: racism

Moving to the next sense section of the essay, the author enhances the text with the facts of his personal life and tells about himself being a boy. He makes an emphasis on the several trades of character, making a man being a criminal aiming to survive in a harsh society. He enhances the text with plenty of adjectives, as severe, ruthless, and cunning. Baldwin managed to render the contrast between the lives of blacks and whites. Moreover, the writer emphasizes that “Because if I am no what I’ve told I am, then it means that you’re not what you thought you were either!” It is the turning point of the whole message.
Topic: racism

Ending an essay, the writer claims that it is the personal responsibility of everyone to influence the course of education and implements changes. The composition ends with the upbeat and inspiring tone, applies plenty of repetitions. What is more, he describes his model of behavior in case he was a teacher. The most influential part of the composition is the ending. The author appeals to the humanity applying both logos and pathos. Baldwin described the right way of educating the society. The position of the writer is clear. He dared to uncover the blunt truth about the education and tackled upon the myths of history that are still being used
Topic: racism

The writer issued a powerful and inspiring piece and using a few words managed to dwell upon the significant problem needing an urgent solution. He illustrated the root of the problem as well the consequences, which arose. His tone is strict, but outright. James Baldwin uncovers the truth that is overlooked and ignored by people. He issued a manifest endeavoring to imply changes. He was brave enough to announce the fact, which was silenced for many centuries. By this radical message, he tries tom appeal to the humanity. The writer wants to persuade people that such attitude is the old relic.
Topic: racism

James Baldwin turns to every person with a message that it is the personal responsibility of everyone considering oneself an educated person to change the society. Everything starts with the mentality of people and their level of perception of the external world, its rules and beliefs. Is we are not sheep following the shepherd, we have to think globally and turn off the stereotypes created by people with a limited worldview. By uncovering the ugly truth, he tries to change the minds of readers and influence the situation that needs urgent change.
Topic: racism

Delaney Mossbacher resides in the hills of Topanga Canyon, away from the rest of Los Angeles and its ethnic problems; he tells himself it is to feel at peace with nature. He disagrees with the idea of living in the seclusion of the white American neighborhood of Arroyo Blanco to escape ethnic disputes the city holds; he lives in Topanga Canyon to satisfy his environmentalist title. After letting Delaney’s character develop more to give further insight on who Delaney truly is, there is no need to address how one action of his gives him a specific trait.
Topic: racism

Delaney strongly stands by his liberal views when other characters criticize Mexican immigrants, but when he is faced with a situation possibly involving a Mexican immigrant his liberal views dissipate. Delaney can give off a sense of awkwardness when found in an uncomfortable situation, but he can’t be classified as being completely socially awkward. He does, however, possess an introverted personality. He will not be the type of person to take charge or one to freely initiate a conversation.
Topic: racism

At this point of his life Delaney is being bombarded with a number of incidents that cause him to formulate a dislike and anger toward Mexican immigrants. Delaney allows what occurs around him to dictate how he reacts to situations. This starts to promote contrast in his liberal views, making him a product of the society and cultural views that surround him. At first attempt to characterize Delaney it took a number of possible traits, and it summed up to: Delaney struggles to be a normal person due to his social awkwardness and lack of common sense, but that was only with part one of The Tortilla Curtain.
Topic: racism

After seeing further development of Delaney’s character, it is observed he does communicate well with others unless he’s uncomfortable, his marriage is normal and has its rough patches like most other relationships, and that Delaney isn’t completely irrational in the way he reacts in stressful situations. Delaney reacts on impulse and jumps to conclusions like most people do. “Delaney would be on his own. But Delaney didn’t want to be on his own (225).
Topic: racism

” In part one, solitude seems to enlighten Delaney, though he clearly states he doesn’t like being alone in part two. Yet he is alone for the majority of each day, Delaney enjoys the company of others and expresses how he eagerly waits for the Kyra to return at the end of each day. So Delaney keeps himself productive and finds things to do while Kyra is at work. So why did Delaney marry Kyra if she is a workaholic? Delaney finds happiness in his life by catering to Kyra, he feels she compliments him by completing everything he isn’t.
Topic: racism

Delaney is a proud liberal humanist, proud that he stands for the right for anyone to have to the right to pursue the American dream and pursue a better life. He is all for everyone having their rights when it best suits him, but where do these liberal views go when he assumes Mexican immigrants are camping in the canyon leaving their trash in attempt to make it a garbage dump, a little Tijuana (Boyle 11)? When he concludes Mexican immigrants stole his car? When he absolutely knows what Jose Navidad is doing in his neighborhood demanding the Mexican man to explain himself.
Topic: racism

Ever since he hit Candido, Delaney has sheltered inner conflict within him and doesn’t become apparent to what he is becoming until the incident in his cul de sac, “so devastated he couldn’t speak, what was happening to him, what was he becoming (229)? ” Delaney is back and forth between two different people, he is not a liberal humanist he is a hypocrite. The Delaney that’s shows concern for the immigrants, like after the news that the corner of Shoup and Ventura had been cleaned up along with the labor exchange, his thoughts are, “Where were these people supposed to go (193)?
Topic: racism

” The Delaney that still has glimpses of his liberal views is contrast with the new Delaney. The Delaney becoming a product of the society that surrounds him is starting to shape his thoughts, thus the first impulses and conclusions he has are racist. Delaney is from New York. The east coast has a large diversity of ethnic cultures due to the many European immigrants that had immigrated generations before. Delaney’s liberal views could have been shaped by the culture he grew up in because of the large diversity of race after so long.