Last asignment of my high school career.

1. Blog about what we've covered about race so far.
a. Explain the difference between a sociological definition of race and a biological one.
The main difference is that there is a sociological definition of race, and there is NOT a biological one. Biological race doesn't really exist. It is completely a sociological aspect. It's a way for people to group others by a set of visual factors, but, biologically, there isn't a definition because race is not biological.
b. What do you believe is the purpose of using the IAT test? Were you surprised by your results? Do you believe this test is measuring what it is trying to measure?
To be honest, I wasn't surprised, but I disagree with some of my results. The purpose was, to measure if you have an automatic preference to something to another. And while some of it is valid, I feel like it's flawed. I feel like I must say I don't actually know HOW they were measuring this. But, for instance, I got a slight preference to lighter skin than darker skin. I won't necessarily deny that, I just am more attracted to lighter skin tones. However, that doesn't mean I would like the people IN that skin any less or judge them any differently. At least, for me, there are A LOT more factors into aesthetic preferences than skin color. I would probably have an automatic preference for an attractive African American than an ugly European American. I only bring attraction into it because as humans, we like things more that we think are pretty, no one will deny that. So, I also then, think it's flawed to say I prefer European people to African people when, obviously, If I am more attracted to lighter skin tones, I would get that result, because of skin tone. It doesn't mean I have a preference to the PEOPLE though. I think it more measures your aesthetic attraction to someone of a skin color rather than a preference towards an entire group of people.
c. Did you believe that African Americans were biologically superior athletes? Do you still believe that they are? Why are why not?
I wouldn't necessarily say that I believed African Americans were biologically superior athletes, although I did believe that people from Africa, living there did have a biological advantage of height and lung capacity. And I still believe that to some degree as well as people from different areas of the world. That's not to say that ALL Africans are biologically superior, or that there is a vast difference in our make up.But there are differences in people from different areas in the world that have been there a long time. For instance, the indigenous people in Peru have "high lung capacity and development of the chest, hold 2 liters more blood than the average high content of red blood cells, which gives them great physical endurance". Or that the typical Russian has a larger liver. It's not that EVERYONE in an entire ethnic grouping is physically better than EVERYONE else in a different one, and, for the most part, we are all the same, no extra muscles, or thicker bones, but, I still believe that, a strong blood line in a place were people have lived for a very long time, can create people on average who have a slight advantage in some things than people elsewhere.

2.
I have always felt I have maintained a sense of fairly adequate cultural relativism. I've traveled to places like sub Saharan Africa, and Rural Peru and tried to understand that, just because *I* think something is weird, doesn't mean it is. Like eating guinea pig, and having soup for breakfast, like in Peru. It's really good, but it won't be, and you lock yourselves up to experiencing so many wonderful things. I think, more than me gaining a better sense of world wide cultural relativism, I think I gained a sense of national cultural awareness.I think, I more understand how culture and society effects us in this country, and how important society is to how we live our lives. It's like how I view sound design: it's subtle, and most people don't notice it, but it completely dictates how we view things. It's total manipulation of feelings, without being noticed. For instance, referring to the poverty stricken people in Appalachia, and how, part of the reason they don't get out of that area is because it's considered disrespectful to your roots to leave. As someone not part of that aspect to our society, you don't think about it. I also now realize how BIG society is, in terms of how many sub-society's there are and how many things they all effect and how it all ties in together. I think I would have liked to talk about food more, but besides that, I felt like the syllabus was an antiquate overview of sociological functions. 

For the Love of stawberries

This whole week, we have been discussing and watching a video about Class in America, which, as I believe it should, has made me start thinking about my own class in relationship to the rest of american society. And I realized: I don't know where I fit in. I think this is because, though all we've talked about is class, the video this week has failed to actually explain what class is. What makes someone in a different class? Is it money? Is it truly solely determined by what you say and how you act? Because of my own personal struggle with my place in a society where class is important, I've talked to several other people about how they define class, and what they think about it. The topic is so confusing, and difficult, I believe, because it's NOT a caste system. There is no definitive one thing that sticks you in a class. One of the people I talked to, was my mother. She is a priest and is very invested and interested in social class. When I told her about my own struggle with where I fit, she said, "Well, one of my friends once said, 'class is contacts.' It's who you know." Meaning,  If you are a peasant that saves the kings daughter, and befriend the royal family, It will seriously raise your class status, regardless of personal merit. I think that this is fairly accurate. You can be poor and loved and kind and know the right people and because of who you know be invited to the right parties and know the right people: or, you can be rich and hated and no one will return your phone calls. Personally, I think It's a combination of this, and comfort. Even if you know the right people, are fabulously wealthy, and well liked, but feel more comfortable living in a small house and going to block parties rather than a mansion in the hamptons, your not exactly in the class with those that are the opposite. You can't "fit in" with people you are uncomfortable and anxious being around. I believe class is more about who YOU FEEL you belong with, and having a way to get in to that group of people more than it is just having or working your way to financial success. And I think this is what confuses me.

Let me explain.

When I was young, I went to Pungo Virginia every week. This is it's one stoplight. For the entire town.

And every summer, The highlight was going strawberry picking and the Strawberry festival that accompanied strawberry season.

I listened to Country music, and have a distinct memory of feeding watermelon rinds to horses and square dancing. I had baggy clothes and short hair, and rode around on the kids vision of ATVs up and down the street. While watching the movie this week, I realized, I could still fit in to that rural, almost lower class life style of the rednecks and people living in rural areas down south. I still feel comfortable there, and still slip into a slight southern accent every now and then. I didn't live ever in a lower class style of life economically, but I was around it enough that I'm comfortable there.

Then I lived in Boston, where there were Projects (the government funded housing developments) that a lot of my classmates lived in. I lived in a 900 sq. foot apartment, and was a honest, city girl, and blended right in with the middle to upper middle class mixed with working class radical liberal city life.

And now I live in Barrington: the upper crust. One of the wealthiest cities in America. And I'm still in my comfort zone. I can "compete" socially with my significantly wealthier counterparts.

So, where do I fit? Perhaps, it is possible to transcend class based on your own personality. Perhaps it truly is more who you are than what you have. All you need is a way to get there.