laisun03

[laisun03]

How Does the News Media Cover Social Class and Inequality?

Marx's theory of social class: News Story: "Amazon Employees on Strike in Germany on Prime Day", published by the Wall Street Journal on June 21, 2021. Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-employees-on-strike-in-germany-on-prime-day-11624213371

This news story illustrates Marx's theory of social class by showing how Amazon workers in Germany are using collective action to demand better wages, benefits, and working conditions. According to Marx, social class is determined by one's relationship to the means of production, and workers who do not own the means of production are exploited by capitalists who profit from their labor. The Amazon workers in Germany are part of the proletariat, a class of workers who sell their labor to capitalists in exchange for wages. By going on strike, they are exercising their power as a class to demand fair treatment and better working conditions.

Weber's theory of social class: News Story: "Gina Rinehart is Australia's Richest Person", published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on October 29, 2020. Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-29/gina-rinehart-australias-richest-person-again/12826230

This news story illustrates Weber's theory of social class by highlighting the wealth and social status of Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person. According to Weber, social class is determined by a combination of factors, including wealth, occupation, and social status. Rinehart's immense wealth, derived from her family's mining interests, places her in the highest echelons of Australian society. Additionally, her social status is elevated by her philanthropic activities and connections to political elites. This story demonstrates how economic and social factors combine to create a stratified class system.

Bourdieu's theory of social class: News Story: "Why Working-Class Scholars Feel Like Impostors", published by The Chronicle of Higher Education on August 25, 2020. Link: https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-working-class-scholars-feel-like-impostors

This news story illustrates Bourdieu's theory of social class by examining how cultural capital and social reproduction perpetuate inequality in higher education. According to Bourdieu, social class is determined by one's access to various forms of capital, including economic, cultural, and social capital. Working-class scholars may have limited access to cultural capital, such as the knowledge and skills associated with academic discourse, and may feel like outsiders in academic settings. This can create a sense of "impostor syndrome" and lead to difficulties in navigating academic culture and advancing in the academic profession. The story highlights how social class can shape individuals' experiences in higher education and limit their opportunities for upward mobility.

[laisun03]

Interview Questions

[laisun03]

 How Is Race Constructed Around the World?

Concept 1: Colorism Example: Beyonce’s “Brown Skin Girl” music video

Beyonce’s music video “Brown Skin Girl” celebrates and uplifts brown-skinned Black women. The video showcases a range of skin tones, from light brown to dark brown, emphasizing the beauty in all shades. This example highlights colorism, which is the preference for lighter skin tones over darker skin tones. This concept is prevalent in many cultures, including the United States, where lighter-skinned individuals are often seen as more desirable or successful.

Concept 2: Stereotypes Example: Apu from The Simpsons

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the fictional character from The Simpsons, is a stereotypical portrayal of South Asians. The character has a heavy accent, runs a convenience store, and is obsessed with money. This example demonstrates how stereotypes can be harmful and perpetuate negative perceptions of certain cultures. It also highlights how media can perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Concept 3: Racialization Example: The “model minority” myth

The “model minority” myth is the idea that Asian Americans are a successful minority group who have achieved the American Dream through hard work and perseverance. This example highlights racialization, which is the process of assigning a racial identity to a group of people. This concept demonstrates how racialization can be harmful and perpetuate stereotypes, as it creates a false narrative that all Asian Americans are successful and ignores the challenges that many Asian Americans face.

Concept 4: Intersectionality Example: Laverne Cox’s advocacy for trans rights

Laverne Cox is an actress and advocate for trans rights. Her advocacy highlights the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality. As a Black trans woman, she faces discrimination based on her race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This example demonstrates how different aspects of a person’s identity can intersect and impact their experiences and opportunities.

Concept 5: Whiteness Example: “All Lives Matter” movement

The “All Lives Matter” movement is a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and highlights the concept of whiteness. Whiteness is the social and cultural norm in the United States and is often used to perpetuate systemic racism. The “All Lives Matter” movement ignores the specific experiences and challenges faced by Black people and reinforces the idea that white lives are more valuable.

Concept 6: Cultural Appropriation Example: Katy Perry’s geisha performance

In 2013, Katy Perry performed at the American Music Awards dressed as a geisha. This performance highlights the concept of cultural appropriation, which is the use of elements from a minority culture by members of a dominant culture without permission or respect. This example demonstrates how cultural appropriation can be harmful and perpetuates negative stereotypes and perceptions of a culture.

[laisun03]

Henrietta Lacks (Ethics Order)

Today we watched a video about Henrietta Lacks and about her family is doing now after the world has been using her cells for well-known medicine and Research. And basically, portraying her family in a positive light and making it seem like there was no problem with the whole situation and saying how strong she was. We put AAA Ethics in order based on the video we watched.

1) Do Not Harm 2); Obtain Informed Consent and Necessary Permissions 3); Be Open and Honest and Honest Regarding Your Work 4); Maintain Professional Respectful and Ethical Professional Relationships; 5) Weigh Competing Ethical Obligations Due Collaborators and Affected Parties; 6) Make Your Results Accessible; 7) Protest and Preserve Your Records

I agree with the order we decided to put it in because based on the video we watched I believe this would be the correct and respectful way that things should have been handled for Mrs. Lacks. And this way she could've chosen to be in the situation or not.

No, my ideas did not change after watching the video because I've heard Henrietta Lacks story several times and every time, I hear it upsets me because they had no right to take her cells without her knowing and even go far as to not compensate Mrs. Lacks or her family. After watching the video, it was no better because one of my classmates said they were trying to put on an appearance for those watching the video to make it seem like there was nothing wrong and Mrs. Lacks was such a strong lady. But the research should not have been done in the first place.

[laisun03]

The Culture of Consumerism

What I learned about myself while doing this assignment is that I tend to buy and use a lot of unnecessary items. There are a lot of things that I have repeatedly. But in my mind, I need them because if I lose one then at least I have backups. I feel as though if I spent more time investing my money and really thinking about things, I truly need them then I would have a lot of things that benefit me in the long run. Looking at the amount of money that I had spent on most of these items had me really thinking that if I saved that money, I could've bought something big like a car or had enough money for school. But I'm not going to sit here and blame myself for buying all these unnecessary items because it was the influence that brought to buy these things. I definitely think that I contribute to consumerism culture because of the things I'm constantly seeing on social media and on tv that influences me to want to buy it. Especially TikTok, I can be on TikTok for hours just scrolling to see things i can buy on amazon or any other app. I think that nowadays we really depend on consumerist culture to guide us with our money because we really don't know what to do with it. And don't get me wrong there are plenty of people who know where to put their money, but a good majority of people like myself find themselves getting stuck on what to buy so instead of thinking of things beneficial we get stuck on things that will please us in the moment.