face to the race

After doing the activity pairing the face to the race, I realized pretty much all assumptions about physical traits of races are all stereotypes that often are not even correct. We grow up learning information about race that is not true. Why else would our class only get 4 of the 20 pictures correct? We see people and automatically label them as a certain race because thats how our culture works. If someone looks different, there must be a reason why. Instead of thinking about why they look different, we waste our time stereotyping them as a meaningless race and ignore the biological part of it. Its embarrassing that this is how the world works. It is odd how race can change depending on a plane ride, yet in Americans' minds we still assume race is biological. Yet, that is impossible if race changes with a plane ride. All over the world people classify people by race. I traveled with my cousin who is a quarter Filipino and a quarter Japanese to Thailand. The Thai people would pay extra attention to my cousin and some would even ask her if she lived in Thailand. Although she did not look Thai, it seemed odd to them that a non Caucasian was with a group of whites so they assumed sh must be one of the Thai counselors. This shows the entire world is obsessed with race.

The Lunch Tables

The day of give-a-thon my friends and I were not able to find a table in our normal spot for lunch because the collection of gifts and food took up alot of the wood commons. After searching for a table, were were unsucesful and finally decided to just sit at a random table where two girls had left their backpacks. We were in the old builiding in the random spot with a few lunch tables and all the vending machines (the tyson and coffee one). We were planning on just asking the girls if they minded sharing a table with us when they returned. Wehn they did return, they seemed very confused and left immediately, I guess to get more food. A few minutes later thy returned and took their bags and food and said that they were going to sit somewhere else. They could it be. They left and my friends all felt kind of bad because we technically stole their table, seemed very nice and they assured us we weren't the reason they were moving, but what else even though we were happy to spend a lunch at the same table as them. This reminded me of the video we watched in class of the high school girls. It is kind of pathetic that even at Stevenson we can not mix different groups. However, at SHS I don't think we have cliques as extreme as the school in Texas. Yes I have a group of friends I normally hang out with but that does not mean I won't spend time with my other friends if I see them. I think the reason we have these groups is for secuirty. It is always good to have people to go to football games with, go to dinner with, and just have their when you need them. So at lunch when the girls left it probably wasn't because they were afraid it was just simply because we weren't in their group and out of their comfort zone.

The Fancy Fridge- Wealth

I think that all the extra stuff in life is a very accurate predicator of social class. Everyone needs a house with the basics such as a bed, a refidgerator, a shower, etc. Yet a bed can range in price from $50 to $50000. The things we buy, regardless if we need them or not, show our social class. Everyone needs a roof over their heads, yet why is it that the wealthier people spend over $1 million on a house when in Waverly, Ohio, you can get the same house for only $2oo,ooo. Things like this convince me that class is related to the things we own and how willing we are to spend money on the basics (such as a bed). When my parents decided to redo my kitchen, my mom picked out a fridge that is paneled in wood with a touch screen water dispenser. Because the fridge is covered in wood, I literally have to plant my feet and yank the door with both hands to open the door to the fridge or else it won't open because its so heavy. Also, I couldn't hang any of my A+ tests on the fridge when I was younger b.c magnets don't stick to wood. Although the water thing is cool, that too is a pain. Because it is touch screen, there is a button called control lock that I sometimes accidentaly press. When that is pressed then I can't get water or ice because the buttons lock themselves. It takes like 10 minutes for the stupid control lock to turn off and I have to deal with sink water. It does not make sense that my parents would pay extra money to make a kitchen that is more difficult to handle. My only explanation is that my parents wanted an "up to date" kitchen to show off when they entertain.

The Saints and the Statesman

In class we have talked a ton about deviance, or breaking the norms of society. However, there is not one strict definition to deviance because deviance is very relative to money, time, class and much more. In the Saints and Roughneck article, the author highlights the relevance between deivance and money. Although Stevenson might not be as severe on the level that Chambliss study was, our high school has both saints and roughnecks roaming the halls. The recent statesman article that was never published about NHS students and FMP students highlight the saints at SHS. Altough National Honors Society students should be the role models of the school participating in community service with outstanding grades, many of NHS members are far from the "saints" that they are percieved to be. In the article, two NHS students admitted to drinking. Like the police did in Chambliss study regarding the saints, the board at SHS did the same. They ignored the fact that NHS students were drinking by banning the publication of that article. If it was published, then SHS would look very bad because it shows that even the ideal students are not truly saints. I would say, regardless of NHS and FMP, the majority of students are saints. Although we all appear to be perfect at school, no one is the perfect angel that the Stevenson society wishes to percieve them.