Homework - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages... For instance, the above example of paternity leave for fathers highlights the difference in the parenthood experience of different genders. Maternity leave allows a mother to be carefree about her work and pay and totally focus on her health. It also leaves her with more time for her child after the birth. These benefits may not be available to the male which could leave him frustrated. Another such phenomenon of disparity is the ‘glass ceiling’. A couple may be working in same/similar organization(s), they may have similar qualifications and achievements, but the male may climb the career ladder faster than the female. Although this situation can reverse if the female’s organization’s management has a bias towards female employees. The reason can be a female manager or a symbolic gesture on management’s part. These things also create problems in marriages/live-in relationships. In these cases there can be gradual build up of elements such as jealousy and resentment which could destroy the relationship. The rising level of divorces in the times of economic prosperity can highlight the role of non-economic factors in marital discord. Question 2: I think that Ms. Elliot was very successful in creating the two races; blue-eyed and brown eyed, in the class. I would rate her attempts as seven out of ten. Although I think that the races created were quite similar to the real life races, I don’t think that the experiment was perfect. This is because of the short time-frame of the whole process and also the fact that third-grade students can’t represent mature adults in studies about racism. Ms Elliot was successful in creating race and ‘planting’ racism in the minds of children. I disagree with the school of thought that race and racism are two sides of the same coin. I think that race formation leads to racism only when there are any stereotypes attached to the race. For example in the video, on the first day Ms Elliot tells children that brown –eyed kids are inferior. She gives an example of how one brown-eyed kids father (himself brown eyed) kicked him. She said that this was never the case with blue-eyed kids. I think that these stereotypes are the basis on which racism develops and engulfs the communities in hatred against each other. I extend my same argument to the concept of class. The concept or recognition of a race or class doesn’t naturally invite racism and discrimination. It is the imposition of a certain definition or image which creates the conflict. One party, due to its selfish interest or hatred, may tarnish the reputation of certain race and give it certain characteristics. It is these definitions which create racism and not the differentiation or categorization. Question 3 Both the videos demonstrate the level of hostility that exists towards the black community in the United States. This hostility may be a mere distorted perception of the black people. But the statistics and facts provided in the videos especially The Jim Crow Video corroborate the observations of Liebow’s Street Corner Men. The fact is that even now, half of young black population is either behind bars or declared as perpetrators of felony by the American Government. This means that there has been a great level of racial profiling for the drug crimes. Many American people may view black people as outsiders. They think that the term African-American doesn’ ...Download file to see next pagesRead More