tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58400692303330612682024-03-16T23:53:04.723-07:00The Grumpy SociologistSociology blog with heavy emphases on sports, masculinities, popular culture, and violence.David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-6017945509598792252020-06-14T20:23:00.000-07:002020-06-17T04:28:40.719-07:00CrossFit: An Exercise in Everyday Racism and White Fragility<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
Events from the past few weeks have shaken the world, not because something new or different happened, but because the world was forced to watch a particularly bothersome and lengthy image that reflected what has been happening for centuries. The power inequalities symbolized through George Floyd’s blackness and Derek Chauvin’s whiteness represent the racialized power inequalities that have flowed for so long through a range of institutional spheres – criminal justice, education, politics, work, media, and let’s not forget, sport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a result of sustained and intense activism, mainstream organizations across the world finally began responding supportively to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. And, a greater number of white people have started discussing the notion of white privilege in the media, including across social media.<o:p></o:p></div>
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CrossFit Headquarters, however, remained silent on the issue, that is until its then CEO, Greg Glassman responded to a Tweet regarding racism as a public health issue by writing insensitively, “It’s FLOYD-19.”, something most of us have probably seen:<o:p></o:p></div>
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On top of this, <a href="https://morningchalkup.com/2020/06/09/glassman-in-zoom-call-to-affiliates-were-not-mourning-for-george-floyd/" target="_blank">Glassman stated of Floyd's death</a>, "We're not mourning for George Floyd, I don't think me or any of my staff are...Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than it's the white thing to do."<br />
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<b>Understanding Racism’s Layers<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Before going further with an inspection of CrossFit, it’s important to understand racism. Most of us think racism is no longer systemic, built into law, and instead believe racism only materializes when extreme, fringe radicals display a swastika symbol or if someone <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/protest-workout-held-against-racism-at-torrance-park-where-woman-was-filmed-unleashing-racist-rants/" style="color: purple;">hurls racial epithets</a> at an ethnic minority. Of course those are examples of racism. But racism carries other elements, ones which resonate more strongly with ethnic minorities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again, racism reflects power inequalities. In countries like those across Western Europe, Canada, Australia, the United States (where I’m from) and Aotearoa New Zealand (where I live now), white people are the numerical majority, which gives them a dimension of power. But on average, white people are also more likely to wield institutionalized power, meaning it’s more likely for them to hold formalized leadership positions, where their decision making power disseminates across organizational spheres. Additionally, they are more likely to hold influence in mainstream media platforms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another important aspect of racism worth noting is that current racialized power inequalities across society reflect historical manifestations of racism. To this end, encounters with racism are not singular, unique events for ethnic minorities. They remind us of patterned inequalities that have impacted our families, friends, and communities for decades, sometimes centuries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Racism also comes in different forms. Again, it’s not just the odd loudmouth or angry gunman targeting people of color. The more common form of racism today is called “<a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/everyday-racism" style="color: purple;">everyday racism</a>,” or the so-called “subtle” micro-aggressions that put down black, Indigenous and other people of color, perhaps not on literally an everyday basis, but regularly enough that clear patterns exists.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Wow, you’re really smart for a Mexican.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Can I touch your hair?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“You’re lucky for affirmative action.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s also about body language, noticing people rolling their eyes at you, getting interrupted more than white peers, having to hear “minor” racist jokes, reading racist comments on the Internet, having white people belittle you online when you expose racism. Here’s another thing, white people tend not to notice these instances, and tend to be less aware these actions are in fact racist. Women can probably relate with respect to everyday sexism. If instances of everyday racism happen once a year, it’s not a big deal. But once a year isn’t reality, and dealing with everyday racism gets exhausting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Additionally, racism gets institutionalized. As stated previously, within organizations, white people are more likely to be in authoritative positions. Thus, formal leaders are less likely to intervene when overt or everyday racism transpires; anti-racist policies are less likely to be developed (same too with anti-sexist, homophobic and transphobic policies).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two last things before we get back to CrossFit. When an ethnic minority confronts someone about racism, it’s frequently the ethnic minority who gets called out as the trouble-maker, cast as being hyper-sensitive, because racism is supposedly only a thing of the past. Enter <a href="https://nationalseedproject.org/Key-SEED-Texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-knapsack" style="color: purple;">white privilege</a>, a reference to the unearned benefits white people experience in majority-white societies. White privilege doesn’t mean white people don’t have to work hard, but they don’t have to overcome racism to get where they’re going, and that’s a significant form of privilege (think also heterosexual/male privilege).<o:p></o:p></div>
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What black people, Indigenous people, other people of color wish, is when we point out racism that more white people would back us up, listen to us, believe us, try to understand us. It’s much more frequently uncomfortable for us. If us pointing out racism is uncomfortable for you, don’t respond by demonstrating <a href="https://nationalseedproject.org/Key-SEED-Texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-knapsack" style="color: purple;">white fragility</a>, doing something hurtful to us that makes it more comfortable for you. Unfortunately, we’ve recently seen white fragility manifest among CrossFit leadership.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, finally, back to CrossFit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>CrossFit’s Recent White Fragility<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Following Glassman’s racist Tweet, waves of criticism ensued, eventually prompting Glassman to Tweet, “…the CrossFit community will not stand for racism,” and, “My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Classic white fragility. By contending that his initial comment was “not racist,” Glassman attempted to exonerate himself from any responsibility of being racist, consciously or unconsciously, thereby re-establishing his own social equilibirum. Instead, he <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/article243463556.html" style="color: purple;">should have admitted</a> to making an insensitive, racist Tweet, and clarified he will do the hard work to learn more about racism’s complexities so that he can be an active anti-racist ally. This would include taking on advice from those who experience racism so he can use his power to address institutionalized and interpersonal racism in CrossFit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Institutionalized Racism in CrossFit?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Remember that hashtag, #OscarsSoWhite? How about #CrossFitGamesSoWhite? But wait, this is sport, and people earn their way to the top absent of systemic racism, right? To a degree, yes, but just like golf, swimming, skiing and tennis, CrossFit is an expensive sport that is inaccessible to a disproportionate number of black, Indigenous and other ethnic minorities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This varies from community to community, and even between countries. Individual exceptions will rise from time to time. However, we need to acknowledge the racialized membership patterns that flow throughout the global CrossFit community. An intersection between race and class cannot be ignored.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back at a 2019 CrossFit Games press conference, <a href="https://youtu.be/2QnQfrKNzbo" style="color: purple;">Dave Castro was asked</a>, “These are all amazing athletes right here, but they all look alike. What are your plans for, or if any plans to add diversity to the roster?” A few fans in the audience yelled, “Next question,” as Castro chuckled. He then ignored the question by describing the next morning’s event (see last 2 minutes of <a href="https://youtu.be/2QnQfrKNzbo" style="color: purple;">video</a>).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once more, classic fragility. To be fair, I’m not sure if Castro is white (his surname leads me to believe he isn’t), but I’m guessing he’s not black or Indigenous, and him evading a question on diversity demonstrates both privilege and fragility. I mean, even before Floyd’s death, wasn’t ethnic diversity important across all sectors of society, including CrossFit? When a leader walks away and dismisses diversity as worthy of discussion, he (or she) is re-establishing the status quo. This is racism, not in its most acute form, but it stops us from having the uncomfortable but necessary conversations. In this way, everyday racism upholds severe racism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In turn, when someone else in leadership makes a more obvious racist statement (like Glassman’s), CrossFit doesn’t have a leg to stand on. They had chances to address racism and their lack of racial diversity, but they very publicly let those chances slide and could only release <a href="https://www.crossfit.com/why-didnt-crossfit-just-say-something" style="color: purple;">a very tardy statement</a> regarding their prolonged silence after Floyd’s murder and Glassman’s racist Tweet. Part of their <a href="https://www.crossfit.com/why-didnt-crossfit-just-say-something" style="color: purple;">statement reads</a>, “We weren’t sure how to get the message right, and as a result, we failed catastrophically by not effectively communicating care for the Black community, all as the online world was watching and experiencing extreme pain,” to which I ask, how many senior members of staff at CrossFitHQ are woke ethnic minorities? Did that contribute to your delay?<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And here we are, CrossFit Boxes de-affiliating, elite athletes withdrawing from The Games, members infuriated and arguing with each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So What Now?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">More elite athletes need to stand up. Katrín Davíðsdóttir, Brooke Wells and Amanda Barnhart have all posted the following types of statements, showcasing that their morals around racial justice supersede their athletic goals (apologies to other athletes who’ve made similar posts), as they problematize the fact that Glassman still holds the key position of power within CrossFit.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
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Will other elite CrossFit athletes do like Colin Kaepernick and Muhammad Ali, fight for justice in the midst of their career when they have more influence? Will the new CrossFit CEO, Dave Castro, tackle the issue of poor ethnic diversity, and do so carefully by listening to individuals from black, Indigenous and other ethnic minority communities, including those excluded from CrossFit due to economic disparity? Will woke ethnic minorities be hired in leadership positions? Will gym owners and members step up, including those who are white, to act as anti-racist allies when ethnic minorities need them? Silence is compliance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These conversations are not easy. I’m a heterosexual male, and I don’t like admitting I get privilege from those statuses, but I do. It appears <a href="https://youtu.be/tTxzym5KHjQ" style="color: purple;">everyday and overt sexism exists in CrossFitHQ</a>; these conversations are essential. If you have privilege, don’t let a sense of fragility stop you from reflecting on social inequality. Those of us who are minorities, we may not always need you, but it feels really good to get your help, and no doubt, your help stimulates change.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>David Tokiharu Mayeda is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology & Criminology at The University of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand. His teaching and research expertise are in everyday racism and ethnic minority student success in higher education. He has been an active CrossFit member for approximately five years.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-49268759838866570682020-05-30T18:53:00.001-07:002020-05-30T19:32:56.730-07:00From Rodney King to George Floyd: Racism Still Trumps Panoptic Proof<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"...when the looting starts, the shooting starts"</i> (U.S. President Donald Trump). </div>
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In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, coming at the hands (or knee) of white police officer, Derek Chauvin, uprisings have sprouted across the United States. The largest and most intense are understandably in Minneapolis, where the tragedy transpired. Not too long ago or far away in 2016, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/police-shooting-trial-philando-castile.html" target="_blank">Philando Castile</a> was shot and killed by an officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota after indicating he was carrying a legal firearm and telling the officer he was not reaching for it. Both tragedies share a range of key characteristics that are all too familiar and anxiety-provoking for African American communities:<br />
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<li>The deceased victims are African Americans, mostly, though not always male;</li>
<li>the law enforcement officers (or figures*) are not African American and typically white;</li>
<li>the African American victim is inaccurately stigmatized in advance as disproportionately dangerous, perceived as large, armed, aggressive, criminogenic;</li>
<li>the officers (or figures) use excessive force;</li>
<li>the tragedy is often video recorded, either by bystanders, or in a few cases through technologies connected to the police (e.g., body cameras);</li>
<li>the officers (or figures) normally do not face legal repercussions, even with video evidence, or legal repercussions are extremely delayed and only enforced because video evidence goes public.</li>
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* In some cases, vigilante figures are not formally connected to law enforcement, but claim enforcement rights in their neighborhood or hold former law enforcement connections. Think George Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin and Gregory and Travis McMichael who killed Ahmaud Arbery.<br />
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Over-criminalization of African American males is nothing new in American history. Following the abolition of slavery, the American south saw the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Absent the institution of slavery, legal mechanisms that could oppress African Americans were less ubiquitous and less formal. Thus, the Klan implemented their own form of terrorism, relying on a strategically constructed image of black men as sexual predators. As Hodes (1993) writes, "In the minds of Klansmen and their sympathizers, the rape of white women was the logical extreme to which black men would go without the institution of slavery to restrain them" (p. 409); in short, without slavery, white racists needed to fabricate dangerous images of black men in order to justify their continued violent oppression. Unsurprisingly, it was after slavery's abolition that lynchings festered in the south under that region's enforcers.<br />
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But that was roughly one and a half centuries ago. Since then society has advanced tremendously, specifically with respect to our justice systems and technologies. Today, we have established law enforcement, court and corrections systems that are not supposed to demonstrate biases. And more germane to this piece, we have technologies that can capture interactions between police and alleged criminals that were non-existent even in the 1980s.<br />
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<b>Panoptic Eye over Police Undercut by Power of Racism</b><br />
Michel Foucault's notion of pantopticism suggests that in the modern era, technologies control workers, as managers are able to maintain a constant watch over employees. Management may not actually be watching, but workers wonder if they are, and they can't watch management. Thus workers are incessantly anxious and in turn obedient. Given the level of technology in modern society, shouldn't police be anxious enough not to abuse their authority?<br />
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If we go back to March 1991, Los Angeles resident George Holliday used his VCR to film four white LAPD officers - Stacey Koon, Theodore Briseno, Laurence Powell and Timothy Wind as they beat Rodney King, striking King with metal batons at least 56 times, resulting in 11 skull fractures. Indeed, King was committing crimes (driving under the influence, evading arrest), but the level of punishment was disproportionate, to say the least.<br />
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Of course the other key element of the story emerges April 29, 1992, when the four officers were acquitted, in spite of the video evidence that was disseminated across the world. Their acquittal sparked an uprising across Los Angeles resulting in 58 deaths, over 2000 injured and $785 million in property damage (Loyd, 2012, p. 432). Why so much rage, why so much destruction?<br />
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For African Americans in Los Angeles (and beyond) King's violent victimization wasn't an isolated incident. Rather, it represented the first time a pattern was proven through visceral video imagery to the international public, catalyzing a rage also reflected during the Watts uprising of 1965, but which at that time lacked the panoptic power of citizen journalism.<br />
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Moving forward to the 2010's, citizens across the world were armed with quickly accessible smart phones, there to film and live stream potential cases of police brutality, including those gone lethal. With patterned examples of deathly excessive force inflicted upon African American victims proven through video and disseminated to the world, society would expect to see a change judicial outcomes. Of course instead, justice has been denied, as communicated through this post spreading across social media, also speaking to white privilege:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can go jogging (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/amaudarbery?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">AmaudArbery</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can relax in the comfort of my own home (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/bothemsean?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">BothemSean</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">, </span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/atatianajefferson?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">AtatianaJefferson</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">, </span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/breonnataylor?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">BreonnaTaylor</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can ask for help after being in a car crash (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/jonathanferrell?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">JonathanFerrell</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> and </span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/renishamcbride?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">RenishaMcBride</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can have a cellphone (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stephonclark?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">StephonClark</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can play loud music (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/jordandavis?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">JordanDavis</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can sell CD's (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/altonsterling?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">AltonSterling</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can sleep (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/aiyanajones?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">AiyanaJones</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">)</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can walk from the corner store (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/mikebrown?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">MikeBrown</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can play cops and robbers (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/tamirrice?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">TamirRice</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can go to church (Charleston9).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can walk home with Skittles (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/trayvonmartin?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">TrayvonMartin</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/seanbell?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">SeanBell</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can party on New Years (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/oscargrant?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">OscarGrant</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can get a traffic ticket (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/sandrabland?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">SandraBland</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can lawfully carry a weapon (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/philandocastile?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">PhilandoCastile</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can break down on a public road with car problems (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/coreyjones?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">CoreyJones</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can shop at Walmart (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/johncrawford?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">JohnCrawford</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">) .</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can have a disabled vehicle (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/terrencecrutcher?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">TerrenceCrutcher</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can read a book in my own car (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/keithscott?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">KeithScott</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/cliffordglover?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">CliffordGlover</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can decorate for a party (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/claudereese?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">ClaudeReese</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can ask a cop a question (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/randyevans?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">RandyEvans</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can cash a check in peace (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/yvonnesmallwood?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">YvonneSmallwood</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can take out my wallet (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/amadoudiallo?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">AmadouDiallo</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can run (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/walterscott?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">WalterScott</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can breathe ( </span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ericgarner?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">EricGarner</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can live (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freddiegray?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">FreddieGray</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I can ask someone to put a leash on their dog when it is required in the public park we are in (</span><a class="_3l3r" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/christiancooper?__eep__=6&hc_location=ufi" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_3l3v" style="color: #8d949e; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_3l3w" style="font-family: inherit;">christiancooper</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">).</span><br style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">I CAN BE ARRESTED WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING MURDERED. (#GeorgeFloyd)</span></span></div>
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African American communities and their allies realize nearly 30 years after the uprisings in Los Angeles, even with the advent of digital proof, we still fail to see justice. To this end, "<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-30/its-worse-today-than-it-was-back-then-watching-minneapolis-some-angelenos-recall-rodney-king" target="_blank">It's worse today than it was back then</a>."<br />
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<b>Anger - Including Violent Anger - must be Contextualized</b></div>
By sating, "...when the looting starts, the shooting starts," the POTUS is expressing an insensitivity to the most recent example of lethal police misconduct inflicted upon African Americans. Additionally, he is demonstrating an ignorance to patterned racial injustice. The mass anger we are seeing now is far more reflective of a revolution grounded in demands for justice than it is looting. Thus as POTUS and his followers fixate on looting and responding to it with threats to "shoot," they are dismissing the fundamental social concern.<br />
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When critique, outrage and anger regarding looting overtakes critique, outrage and anger regarding patterns of lethal police discrimination, a deep seeded racism is exposed. As <a href="https://www.facebook.com/foxcarolinanews/videos/622824581668380/" target="_blank">activists are demanding</a>, if society wants to see less violent revolution, it needs to see its justice systems and political leaders admit their racist faults and radically shift their practices.<br />
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<b>References:</b><br />
Hodes, M. (1993). The sexualization of reconstruction politics: white women and black men in the South after the Civil War. <i>Journal of the History of Sexuality, 3</i>(3), 402-417.<br />
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Loyd, J. M. (2012). The fire next time: Rodney King, Trayvon Martin and law-and-order urbanism. <i>City, 16</i>(4), 431-438.David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-4050441363436618182019-12-05T00:12:00.000-08:002019-12-05T12:25:15.737-08:00Survivor's Sickening SexismI'm a few episodes behind on season 39 of CBS's Survivor, so no doubt others have written at length and in shorter social media posts, but I can't help myself. The episode reeks of both interpersonal and institutionalized sexism. The production team (i.e., institution) confirms their heightened awareness of the issue at hand by opening the episode with this warning:<br />
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The concerns revolve around contestant, Dan, who's alleged of sexually harassing a number of female contestants. Without getting into all the details, a visibly upset Kellee asserts, "He literally has done this (touched inappropriately) to five different women in this game. This sucks." The production team responds, informing her they can intervene if she wishes (see below, right):<br />
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From there, the following messages are shown to the audience, confirming that concerns of sexual harassment are real, as producers state they have met with all contestants and individually with Dan, who was formally warned. Bottom line, the allegations and feelings expressed by female contestants were not considered fabricated.<br />
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But then the game play begins. This isn't a blog about who tricked/out played who. This is about manipulating discrimination. In the end after Kellee is ousted from the tribe, Janet finds out she was played by Elizabeth who told her that she felt uncomfortable about Dan's touching. But really, Elizabeth was working along side Dan, and the pitch to Janet about sexual harassment was just game play.<br />
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Elizabeth outright admits this, but the primary thing Dan, Missy or anyone else involved really cares about is if their alliance is stable. To be clear, sexual harassment is a form of gender-based discrimination. That's indisputable. Therefore, Elizabeth (and potentially others) consciously used a form of discrimination as game play.<br />
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Would it be permissible for a white player to go up to an African American player and say, "Hey, 'player X over there used the n-word'", as a means to advance their game? I don't think so. Why then is it acceptable for people in this season of Survivor to consciously manipulate sexual harassment as part of their strategy?<br />
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Then Tribal Council happens again in the episode. The contestants are discussing the issue as the now exiled Kellee must watch in silence. And how problematic is that - the rules of Survivor prohibit a victim from speaking about her victimization while everyone else talks about it right in front of her. Jamal extremely eloquently lays it down, explaining why men should acknowledge their privilege and not question when women and girls express feeling uncomfortable when males touch them inappropriately and/or are sexually assaulted. Listen, it's less than 90 seconds, or read below.<br />
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<i>"...I think this issue is a lot bigger than the game of Survivor...from my positionality with my gender, far be it from me to speak for women, what I can do as a man, I can give a little bit of advice as to how hear these stories, when we're talking about harassment, when we're talking about discomfort, when we're talking about male entitlement. It behooves us all as men to take a step back and look at our own behavior, and imagine that you had no idea that what you were doing was inappropriate, that was making someone uncomfortable, and you believe women if they choose to bring that up because it's difficult enough to do that in and of itself. We have a responsibility to hear women, listen to women and believe women when they're ready to tell their stories." </i><br />
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And ultimately what happens after Jamal says this? He's voted off. No, not because he said what he said. The problem is he was kicked off in spite of what he said. Ultimately, the players cared about advancing in the game more than they cared about someone who had the courage to say all the right things regarding this particular form of discrimination, including that sexual harassment is bigger than the game of Survivor.<br />
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Unfortunately, no, not in this world. A game for $1,000,000 and all kinds of status ended up being bigger than the manipulation of sexual harassment. Not for Janet - she put aside her game play to try and oust someone who she was told was harassing women. Not for Jamal - he expressed what society needs so desperately to understand. But for the players who colluded to kick Jamal out, his and Janet's efforts to stand up to sexual harassment were superseded by our society's pathetic desire for money and fame, and that's just sad. Unfortunately that's what Survivor is - yeah, a microcosm for society at large, whose values are disgustingly twisted.<br />
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And what about Survivor's production team? Are they going to let this go? Apparently it's now acceptable for players to use discrimination as a form of game play. Will they bring this up at the season finale, and do so appropriately? Or will they simply convey, "Sexual harassment is bad and won't be tolerated." Cause fact is, on this episode sexual harassment wasn't just tolerated, it was outright allowed as strategic trickery (Elizabeth admitted it on camera), and the institution sat idly by when that happened.<br />
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Discrimination can never be game play, period, because if it is, it communicates that discrimination can be used as "game play" in other social institutions (e.g., work places, schools, sports teams). Why can't the Survivor production team get that? <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/arts/survivor-dan-spilo-women.html" target="_blank">Apologies</a> <a href="https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2019/11/survivor-island-of-the-idols-merge-apologies-responses/" target="_blank">from the contestants</a> are something, but the institution should have intervened appropriately and immediately.<br />
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Further reading: <a href="https://tv.avclub.com/survivor-s-metoo-moment-protected-the-game-instead-o-1839874098" target="_blank">Survivor's "#MeToo moment" protected the game instead of the players</a><br />
<br />David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-84060531382687666332019-09-29T16:57:00.000-07:002019-09-29T17:01:56.734-07:00Trends in Contemporary Social Movement Leaders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beginning with Malala Yousafzai, she along with Emma González and Greta Thurnberg, have been leading major campaigns since the early 2010's. Lots of patterns to recognise here, not only with respect to these three individuals, but also in how segments of society have responded to them.</div>
David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-65956725543490480632013-08-28T14:18:00.001-07:002013-08-29T00:04:30.204-07:00Check out SociologyInFocus.com!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Check it out! -- <a href="http://sociologyinfocus.com/" target="_blank">SociologyInFocus</a></div>
David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-85526294649818917642012-12-09T03:34:00.002-08:002012-12-09T03:34:46.849-08:00Contemporary Slavery in ThailandOver at Sociology in Focus, I have a completed 4-part series on contemporary slavery in Thailand based on a recent trip I took in August with <a href="http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/thailand-delegation-end-modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking" target="_blank">Global Exchange</a>.<br />
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Part 1 is titled "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/09/26/contemporary-slavery-developing-and-preying-on-vulnerability/" target="_blank">Contemporary Slavery: Developing and Preying on Vulnerability</a>".
It explains the socio-political backdrop to worker exploitation and full-fledged slavery in Thailand. The two groups that face the greatest levels of exploitation are Burmese migrants and rural hill tribe Thai, both of whom lack critical citizenship rights, thereby increasing their vulnerability.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cuph3VNnPtk/UMRs1me8IgI/AAAAAAAAGbw/0KGGXbIpxok/s1600/Thailand+Myanmar+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cuph3VNnPtk/UMRs1me8IgI/AAAAAAAAGbw/0KGGXbIpxok/s320/Thailand+Myanmar+border.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Part 2 is titled "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/10/03/contemporary-slavery-how%E2%80%99s-that-shrimp-you%E2%80%99re-eating/" target="new">Contemporary Slavery: How's that Shrimp You're Eating?</a>". This post examines the shrimping industry in Thailand - one that doesn't receive much media attention, but is extremely large, and rests upon massive labour exploits.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57AaVWQesmg/UMRv5_qe1XI/AAAAAAAAGcE/4NsY4Clrp8U/s1600/LPN-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57AaVWQesmg/UMRv5_qe1XI/AAAAAAAAGcE/4NsY4Clrp8U/s400/LPN-A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Part 3 is titled "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/10/31/contemporary-slavery-connections-to-thailands-war-on-drugs/" target="new">Contemporary Slavery: Connections to Thailand's War on Drugs</a>". This post ties Thailand's harsh war against methamphetamines that began in 2003, describing how such punitive and violent measures carried out by the state exacerbated social inequality and was particularly harmful to those groups in Thailand that were already most vulnerable to being exploited.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bytMP4Wg6s/UMRxl7Lg16I/AAAAAAAAGcQ/fJfp-_w6Zok/s1600/Mirror-Foundation-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2bytMP4Wg6s/UMRxl7Lg16I/AAAAAAAAGcQ/fJfp-_w6Zok/s400/Mirror-Foundation-2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Part 4 is titled "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/12/05/contemporary-slavery-thailand-matrix-of-domination/" target="new">Contemporary Slavery: Thailand's Matrix of Domination</a>". In this final post, I discuss how hill tribe Thai males are driven into commercial sexual exploitation, operating in an extreme limited opportunity structure.
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Click on any of the links above to read the stories; in each one there are additional links, videos, and pictures accompanying the content.
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<a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size: 10px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">academics blogs</span></a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-13903452616797268652012-11-07T05:57:00.001-08:002012-11-07T05:57:42.520-08:00Let's Hold Obama To ItOkay, so Obama pulled it off. I'm happy, but more so relieved that Romney didn't win. In typical Obama fashion, a well delivered victory speech:<br />
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@ 11:00:<br />
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<i>"We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant's daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag..."</i></blockquote>
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@ 19:05:<br />
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<i>"<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.71666717529297px;">America, I believe we can build on the progress we've made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. You can make it here in America if you're willing to try."</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.71666717529297px;">Well, in reality, I disagree because discrimination and inequality still exists. Too many Americans won't keep that promise because America is still ensconced with significant bigotry and ignorance that won't let so many minorities succeed no matter how hard they work. However, the ideal is nice to express, and let's face it, you would </span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.71666717529297px;">never </i><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.71666717529297px;">hear such a message from Romney or really any other prominent Republican candidate that speaks appreciably to that level of diversity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.71666717529297px;">So, now, it's time to hold President Obama to being the progressive president he claimed to be four years ago. There's no campaigning to worry about four years from now. Get it done!</span></span>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-59382084171142040862012-11-05T09:02:00.002-08:002012-11-05T14:49:50.478-08:00Voting for Romney is Voting for Patriarchy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">Patriarchy is <a data-mce-href="http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?query=patriarchy&widen=1&result_number=1&from=search&id=g9781405124331_yr2012_chunk_g978140512433122_ss1-10&type=std&fuzzy=0&slop=1" href="http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?query=patriarchy&widen=1&result_number=1&from=search&id=g9781405124331_yr2012_chunk_g978140512433122_ss1-10&type=std&fuzzy=0&slop=1" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">defined as</a> “…a form of social organization in which cultural and institutional beliefs and patterns accept, support, and reproduce the domination of women and younger men by older or more powerful men. Literally the ‘rule of the fathers,’ today sociologists view as patriarchal any system that contributes to the social, cultural, and economic superiority or hegemony of men.” If the American public elects Republican nominee Mitt Romney to presidency, they will be further entrenching a system of patriarchy where old men utilize methods of social control to repress women.</strong></div>
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Throughout the 2012 U.S. presidential campaigns, women’s rights have been a major issue. While President Obama has offered more specific examples of how his administration supports women’s rights, candidate Romney has argued his proposed policies would be more supportive of women through a revamping of economic policies. A closer look at Romney’s perspectives on social issues specific to women’s rights, however, demonstrates that Romney would push America into a patriarchal abyss where wealthy men in positions of power dictate women’s decisions.</div>
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First of all, let’s not forget that Romney has openly supported Republican politician Richard Mourdock, a man who <a data-mce-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q9gWmGh2V4" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q9gWmGh2V4" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">claims</a>, “Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” Irrespective of how such sentiments are framed (<em style="border: none; line-height: 1.5;">i.e.</em>, focused on offspring or how offspring were conceived), you have men in extreme positions of power supporting one another in an attempt to limit women’s control over their own bodies (tell ‘em Cher; see video, below).</div>
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Romney's support of Mourdock is a classic example of patriarchy, where the institutions of government and religion combine to constrain women’s choices. The connection to government is obvious (these are politicians talking here), but also note Mourdock’s quote, which pays homage to “God.” Hence, it is simultaneously government and religion that are used in tandem as institutions of social control, which would render most women criminal if they were to choose abortion under a Romney presidency. As stated on Romney’s <a data-mce-href="http://www.mittromney.com/issues/values" href="http://www.mittromney.com/issues/values" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">official website</a>, “[Romney] believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade” (and notably limits “defining marriage as between one man and one woman<span style="line-height: 1.5;">”).</span></div>
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Romney, of course paints himself as a “moderate” Republican. The party’s official stance on abortion, and that of Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, calls for <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">total elimination</strong> of abortion rights – even if conception was the result of rape, incest, or if the birth of a child threatens a mother’s life. There would be literally no exceptions. As a self-proclaimed moderate, Romney would allow for these three exceptions to stand. Still, as <a data-mce-href="http://www.thenation.com/article/170808/ladies-dont-fall-moderate-mitt" href="http://www.thenation.com/article/170808/ladies-dont-fall-moderate-mitt" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Katha Pollitt argues</a>, a Romney change in policy would criminalize the vast majority of women who want and/or need an abortion:</div>
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<em style="border: none; line-height: 1.5;">Romney, in fact, supports banning abortion except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the woman’s life. He’s running ads that tout these exceptions as evidence of his moderation, but what kind of moderate wants to criminalize 93 percent of all abortions? Among those who would not be lucky enough to qualify for Romney’s exceptions are women carrying fetusus with fatal conditions, the mentally ill and pregnant women at risk for any injury short of death. In reality, Romney would criminalize most abortions for rape and incest victims, too, since most rapes and incest are not reported…</em></blockquote>
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Furthermore, a Romney administration would likely end aspects of “Obamacare” that <a data-mce-href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/obamacare-women-supreme-court-contraception-pregnancy_n_1634480.html" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/obamacare-women-supreme-court-contraception-pregnancy_n_1634480.html" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">enable working women</a> “to obtain contraception, annual well-woman visits, screenings for sexually transmitted infections and gestational diabetes, breastfeeding support and supplies, and domestic violence screenings without any co-pays or deductibles.” And finally, a Romney administration would certainly end all federal funding to Planned Parenthood.</div>
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As <a data-mce-href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/11303553-452/romneys-parenthood-plans.html" href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/11303553-452/romneys-parenthood-plans.html" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">stated by Romney</a>, “Planned Parenthood is a private organization. What I want to get rid of is the federal funding of Planned Parenthood.” But deteriorating support for Planned Parenthood means decreasing federal support for cancer screenings and perhaps unsurprisingly related to the criminalization of abortion, birth control. So here we have a man hoping to end access to birth control, which would help decrease unwanted pregnancies and in turn, abortions, a practice this same man wants to criminalize! Neither the irony nor the patriarchy in a Romney/Ryan administration could be more obvious.</div>
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Granted, voting for Obama will not end patriarchy in the United States or even in government specifically. The Obama administration has not been perfect and <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/11/03/tom_frank_obamas_made_left_futile_and_irrelevant/" target="_blank">could have done much</a><a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/11/03/tom_frank_obamas_made_left_futile_and_irrelevant/" target="_blank"> more</a> the last four years. But to vote for Romney/Ryan is to vote for a much more overt and pointed patriarchy; it is to vote for a country where a few men in extreme positions of power control women by limiting their choices. Is this the direction our world should be moving?</div>
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<u>Related posts</u>:</div>
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<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Bitstream Charter, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">"<a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/171042/election-eve-women-voters-break-strongly-obama" target="_blank">On Election Eve, Women Voters Break Strongly for Obama</a>"</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Bitstream Charter, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">"<a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/11/05/how-are-women-voting-now-and-yesterday/" target="_blank">How Are Women Voting? And Why?</a>"</span></span></li>
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David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-90220832354938670232012-11-03T22:28:00.000-07:002012-11-03T22:28:05.856-07:00Obama, Romney, the 2012 Presidential Election and DiversityWithin the party, leadership admits Republican disapproval directed towards President Obama is tied heavily to ongoing racist values. Via the <i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/lawrence-wilkerson-colin-powell-sununu_n_2027721.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=3614766,b=facebook" target="new">Huffington Post</a></i>:<br />
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Such trends noted above by Lawrence Wilkerson help to explain that which has been made clear by the <i><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/poll-shows-widening-racial-gap-in-presidential-contest/2012/10/25/9d5be0d4-1ed1-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story.html" target="new">Washington Post</a></i> -- the upcoming presidential election looks to be one very much divided along racial lines. As noted in the article, comparing trends from 2008, "Romney appears to have made no inroads in chipping away at Obama's support among Hispanics and African Americans" and further, that "Fully 91 percent of Romney’s support comes from white voters." Oddly enough, the Romney preference among white voters is tied heavily to perceptions that Romney would do more to help the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/poll-shows-widening-racial-gap-in-presidential-contest/2012/10/25/9d5be0d4-1ed1-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story_1.html" target="new">American economy</a>:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">There is no way to tell from these findings what role, if any, racial prejudice may play on either side of the racial gap. But the data suggest that concern about the economy is amplifying the division, as Obama’s decline in support among white voters appears to be closely linked to views of his handling of the economy. And yet minorities have suffered severe unemployment and housing foreclosures in the current economy as well.</span></blockquote>
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Romney's economic policies, however, are most clearly illustrated in action. Production for Romney paraphernalia is not happening in the United States. Rather, it is happening abroad. How exactly does that promote American jobs and the broader economy? It doesn't. See picture, below:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CYrzQDRLanc/UJX5eRJb8OI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/pvGjSvw5DaE/s1600/hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CYrzQDRLanc/UJX5eRJb8OI/AAAAAAAAGbQ/pvGjSvw5DaE/s400/hats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And if considering global perceptions, the <i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20008687" target="new">BBC</a></i> polled a sample of 21,797 people from 21 countries to get a gauge on the world's preference between Obama and Romney. Only Pakistan showed a preference for Romney, and a narrow one at that. Those polled from every other country expressed a strong preference for Obama, exhibiting the more positive global reputation Obama has achieved over the past four years. See the graphic, below:<br />
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We don't live in isolation, and the United States is not an ethnically homogeneous country. Romney is <b>NOT</b> the answer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size: 10px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">academics blogs</span></a><br />
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<br />David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-89426858477263389272012-09-22T08:23:00.000-07:002012-09-22T16:23:56.285-07:00The Sociology of MMA: MMA Compared to Pro Wrestling and Other SportsShane Logan has an interesting 15-minute presentation through TED on masculinity and MMA. There's some good sociology in the talk (good conceptually, I would have liked to have seen more empirical evidence from his 2 years in the field, but he only had 15 minutes), specifically pinpointing how meso and macro forces influence men's decisions to engage in the sport. See the video, below:<p><br>
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Personally, I believe the meso reasons to be more valid. A desire towards some form of hegemonic masculine status in my experience appears to drive more men into practicing MMA, as hobbyists, semi-pro's, and full on professionals. I wonder if Logan's interviews actually revealed that a large number of MMA practitioners followed WWF back in the 1980s. I am sure some did, perhaps even a substantial proportion (I know I did). But my guess is a large number didn't as well, and even despise the comparison.<p>
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Also, there's quite a few mentions of MMA being compared to a "fight to the death" kind of thing, or at least using that kind of sensationalized language. That's just not necessary. The sport's been around long enough that any critique can and should be more objective. It's not 2 guys trying to kill each other in practice/competition, though the mainstream MMA media may present it that way to sell tickets.<p>
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And finally, the close noting that MMA is an escalation of violence from WWF/WWE is a bit premature. Are there really more injuries or deaths from sanctioned MMA than pro wrestling? More steroid use? Are the social messages expressed in MMA (<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/07/06/the-sociology-of-mma-fight-sport-theatre-silva-vs-sonnen-ii/" target="new">harmful as they often are</a>) <i>more</i> harmful than those expressed in <a href="http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=216" target="new">professional wrestling</a>? I'd like to see some empirical evidence to prove MMA is more dangerous than pro wrestling and the most dangerous sport out there before such things are stated.
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<a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size: 10px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">academics blogs</span></a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-45605940593095028322012-09-14T19:20:00.002-07:002012-09-14T19:24:48.235-07:00The Sociology of MMA: Feminized Labels as Insults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cikSb83h1ic/UFPRJEUQaGI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/evGoa8dWVxg/s1600/Roy%2BNelson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cikSb83h1ic/UFPRJEUQaGI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/evGoa8dWVxg/s400/Roy%2BNelson.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just another quick example here of how men in sport - particularly those in "rough and tumble" sports where women are largely excluded - continue to put down their adversaries by feminizing them. In this example, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter, Roy Nelson, identifies UFC President, Dana White, as his wife as a way of insulting him. Okay, this broad tactic of men feminizing other men to insult them is nothing new, but it's the way Nelson does it that is interesting. See, below, via <a href="http://www.mmamania.com/2012/9/13/3328084/ufc-quick-quote-roy-nelson-and-dana-white-are-like-husband-and-wife" target="new">MMAMania</a>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"You just got remember that mine and Dana White's relationship is like we're a husband and wife. I do the man's stuff around the house. I do the fighting, all the man's stuff and he does all the woman stuff - all the yapping. He's more the 21st century, he's the one who goes out and probably makes more money. Where as I might make sure the house is clean, and all that, but at the end of the day I still do the man's stuff - the lawn, the fighting, all the hard stuff. It's one of those relationships were there's love and hate. We're in one of those things like a speed bump. I don't know if we need a separation from one another. I think The Ultimate Fighter was our separation ... but now we're back together and holding hands and all that stuff."</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The most interesting part of Nelson's quote is how he likens White to his wife in order to insult him by (1) spotlighting their income differences, (2) associating White's higher income to women's upward social mobility, and therefore (3) trivializing women's increased income relative to so-called "men's work" (mowing the lawn, fighting, and hard stuff). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As women in societies move closer to men in various spheres, such as work, men will cope with their gendered insecurities by finding ways to re-claim their power and control over women. Hence, with the so-called man-cession, "real" men like Nelson can still point out their physical, rugged masculinity as identifiers of superiority over women (and feminized men), even those who have higher incomes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And this is how <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/12/21/the-sociology-of-mma-hegemonic-masculinity-unleashed/" target="new">hegemonic masculinity</a> works. Whether it's in jest or not, men try to feminize others (other men and women) as a way to put them down. White could just as easily come back and feminize Nelson by insulting his physique, lower income, or lack of power in the mixed martial arts industry as un-manly. So basically in this hyper-masculine context, <i>anything </i>associated with femininity is bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Picture via <a href="http://www.mmamania.com/2012/9/13/3328084/ufc-quick-quote-roy-nelson-and-dana-white-are-like-husband-and-wife" target="new">MMAMania.com</a>.
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<a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size: 10px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">academics blogs</span></a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-64405035484219827942012-02-20T18:17:00.000-08:002012-02-20T18:24:21.959-08:00Hegemonic Masculinity in 2012 Super Bowl CommercialsGot a new post up over at SociologyInFocus.com titled, "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/02/20/hegemonic-masculinity-in-super-bowl-commercials/" target="new">Hegemonic Masculinity in Super Bowl Commercials</a>. It analyzes the three commercials shown below, within the hegemonic masculinity framework:<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eQb_-OY7Z0E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fMjavRu4v5c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4igYHZ-hmGo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Check it out. Come on, lots of people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, not the game itself. The link, again: <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/02/20/hegemonic-masculinity-in-super-bowl-commercials/" target="new">Hegemonic Masculinity in Super Bowl Commercials</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="blog directory" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size:10px;">academics blogs</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-53261613707537456222012-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:002012-02-13T11:48:44.171-08:00"Linsanity": Post UpUPDATE: The post is now up -- "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/02/13/linsanity-jeremy-lin-dispelling-the-model-minority-myth/" target="new">Linsanity: Jeremy Lin: Dispelling the Model Minority Myth</a>."<br /><br />Look, I cannot just sit back and let Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks keep blowing up without posting something about it. I have something coming up in <a href="http://sociologyinfocus.com" target="new">Sociology In Focus</a>, but there's a bit of a lag. Dude just <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320210018" target="new">knocked down 38</a> on the Lakers while playing at home in MSG. That's four more than Kobe and the most by any Knicks player this season.<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LiwSUxszuN0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TZxdJ2Ig7zA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zPVFjmiR7qo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I'll insert the link to the SIF piece when it's up.<br /><br />UPDATE: The post is now up -- "<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/02/13/linsanity-jeremy-lin-dispelling-the-model-minority-myth/" target="new">Linsanity: Jeremy Lin: Dispelling the Model Minority Myth</a>."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="blog directory" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size:10px;">academics blogs</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-55218713042782788342012-02-07T18:15:00.000-08:002012-02-07T18:26:09.734-08:00Police Force, Legal-Rational Authority, and State Violence<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4fMlbZtmu4/TzHbcH4Tq-I/AAAAAAAADPw/pfs24NFUBuA/s1600/london-riots2_lpmtmmnc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4fMlbZtmu4/TzHbcH4Tq-I/AAAAAAAADPw/pfs24NFUBuA/s400/london-riots2_lpmtmmnc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706583479053167586" /></a><br />Okay, one more entry I've posted over at Sociology In Focus uses Max Weber's element of legal-rational authority to dissect the pepper spraying that happened at the University of California, Davis back in November 2011, as well as the London uprisings around the same time. Actually the entry is more focused on the legal-rational authority granted to police forces in these cases -- how their authority contributes to and excuses their perpetration of physical violence.<br /><br />Link to the story: <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/11/21/social-movements-and-state-violence/" target="new">Social Movements and State Violence</a>. Videos for analysis over there...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2KAmb8dScY/TzHbAtTM81I/AAAAAAAADPk/XcCFpeQw1K4/s1600/UC-Davis-Police-pepper-spray.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2KAmb8dScY/TzHbAtTM81I/AAAAAAAADPk/XcCFpeQw1K4/s400/UC-Davis-Police-pepper-spray.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706583008061748050" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="blog search engine" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size:10px;">academics links</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-11065480183505966162012-02-07T00:43:00.000-08:002012-02-07T00:57:09.100-08:00The Sociology of MMA<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZkWyTNJ5Ww/TzDkz8P8cbI/AAAAAAAADPY/8_WsW6YEIjI/s1600/AllStars2_11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZkWyTNJ5Ww/TzDkz8P8cbI/AAAAAAAADPY/8_WsW6YEIjI/s400/AllStars2_11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706312308875882930" /></a><br /><br />The other thing I've started at <a href="http://sociologyinfocus.com" target="new">Sociology In Focus</a> is a series on the sociology of mixed martial arts. Thus far, I've made three posts in the series:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li><a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/12/12/the-sociology-of-mma-how-do-you-define-violence/" target="new">The Sociology of MMA: How Do You Define Violence?</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/12/21/the-sociology-of-mma-hegemonic-masculinity-unleashed/" target="new">The Sociology of MMA: Hegemonic Masculinity Unleashed</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/01/25/the-sociology-of-mma-do-real-men-have-emotions/" target="new">The Sociology of MMA: Do 'Real' Men Have Emotions?</a></li><br /></ul><br /><br />No doubt, more on the way in the months and years to come.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="blog search engine" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size:10px;">academics links</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-70200005300684527722012-02-07T00:27:00.000-08:002012-02-07T00:42:39.898-08:00Post-Holiday Sales and Contemporary Slavery<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZC2PNX-qEQ/TzDhjos4VyI/AAAAAAAADPM/0M5U0GWFz2U/s1600/Slavery%2B1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZC2PNX-qEQ/TzDhjos4VyI/AAAAAAAADPM/0M5U0GWFz2U/s400/Slavery%2B1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706308730215749410" /></a><br /><br />I have been completely neglecting my "Grumpy Sociologist" blog here since also blogging over at <a href="http://sociologyinfocus.com" target="new">Sociology In Focus</a>. Back in January, while walking around one of the innumerable mini-malls in Irvine, California, I noticed as I do every year in January the massive sales.<br /><br />I started seeing clothing items on sale for $5, some for less, as merchants attempted to get their un-sellable merchandise off the shelves. Were they still turning a profit? Hard to say, but it made me think about how inexpensive these clothing items were for the middle-class Irvine shoppers. And why were they so cheap? Because they were made by exploited labour, perhaps even enslaved labour.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3u9H2tUrwWw/TzDhb1r1GUI/AAAAAAAADPA/7dqm2_-geYU/s1600/Slavery%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3u9H2tUrwWw/TzDhb1r1GUI/AAAAAAAADPA/7dqm2_-geYU/s400/Slavery%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706308596262050114" /></a><br /><br />I get into more at Sociology In Focus here: <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2012/01/05/by-hitting-up-those-post-holiday-sales-are-you-supporting-contemporary-slavery/" target="new">By Hitting Up Those Post-Holiday Sales, Are You Supporting Contemporary Slavery?</a>. Check it out if you have a minute.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="blog search engine" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/" style="font-size:10px;">academics links</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-73513063665207482562011-10-24T15:49:00.001-07:002011-10-24T16:11:05.216-07:00The 2011 Rugby World Cup and New Zealand's 99%<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QraD-ZMTp6Q/TqXrqE-EwGI/AAAAAAAAC7k/ILIbJu9UBNI/s1600/RWC%2BNo%2BDistract.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QraD-ZMTp6Q/TqXrqE-EwGI/AAAAAAAAC7k/ILIbJu9UBNI/s400/RWC%2BNo%2BDistract.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667194814236770402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Over at <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/" target="new">SociologyInFocus.com</a>, I just posted a piece on the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) and its contextualized place in New Zealand society. The piece examines the RWC accounting for:<br /><ul><br /><li>its own status as an entity driving consumerism</li><br /><li>the typical notions of gender in sport, and </li><br /><li>how the RWC has masked the global "Occupy Movement" present in Auckland</li><br /></ul>Developing conspicuous consumption...<br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/woBULV7Tm1U" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity anyone?<br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZgwBE5Tu4nc" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/slIoMKpFH6Q" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Check it out if you have minute:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">"<a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/10/24/the-2011-rugby-world-cup-and-new-zealand%e2%80%99s-99/" target="new">The 2011 Rugby World Cup and New Zealand's 99%</a>"</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IW8KGCQB1aU/TqXrvU8YyGI/AAAAAAAAC7w/i7dq451gU54/s1600/IMG_0845.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IW8KGCQB1aU/TqXrvU8YyGI/AAAAAAAAC7w/i7dq451gU54/s400/IMG_0845.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667194904424007778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Numerous pictures and YouTube videos are included in the entry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="Academics Blogs" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/" style="font-size:10px;">blog directory</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-64586815464801062942011-10-15T01:43:00.000-07:002011-10-15T01:52:47.116-07:00Occupy Auckland - We Are the 99%!More on this later...<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HZ6c1_dcRMo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-48008386389163246292011-10-13T15:26:00.000-07:002011-10-13T15:52:39.190-07:00Aljazeera's "Slavery: A 21st Century Evil" Video Series<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6s4dEGAD-Y/TpdlnIgewUI/AAAAAAAAC7U/zplZooQujSc/s1600/2011101072825866734_8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 46px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6s4dEGAD-Y/TpdlnIgewUI/AAAAAAAAC7U/zplZooQujSc/s400/2011101072825866734_8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663106779414708546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In assigning mini-documentaries for my courses, I rely on Aljazeera more than any other news site. A pretty high majority of my students appreciate the videos, but it's not uncommon for a student to say something like, "Of course this video is biased, as it was produced by Aljazeera." I suppose that may be true (just as it would be true for virtually any site). Still, the depth that Aljazeera goes to in addressing issues of global inequality and exploitation is truly unparalleled.<br /><br />Once again, Aljazeera has outdone itself by producing a large series of videos titled, "<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/" target="new">Slavery: A 21st Century Evil</a>." Augmenting the outstanding piece titled, "<a href="http://thegrumpysociologist.blogspot.com/2011/08/globalization-poverty-and-slavery.html" target="new">The Nigerian Connection</a>," this series has documentaries on:<br /><br />The largest contemporary trial on slavery in the United States (City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii) - "Food chain slaves"<br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IbAr368CKGg" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Coming soon:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/20111010134454998749.html">Sex slaves</a></li><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/20111010144417942321.html">Bonded slaves</a></li><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/20111010152040468529.html">Child slaves</a></li><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/20111010114656316634.html">Charcoal slaves</a></li><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/2011101013102368710.html">Bridal slaves</a></li><li><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/2011101091153782814.html">Prison slaves</a><br /></li></ul><br />And perhaps most impressive, the series offers guidance on our global responsibility as consumers who assist in driving slavery industries through a piece titled, "<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/2011/10/201110994925174703.html" target="new">Your purchase is advocacy</a>":<br /><br /><blockquote>My consumer purchase therefore may be my most powerful act of advocacy against slavery. When a million consumers start shopping with their conscience, they shift the economics of the market.<br /><br />After all, supply chains do not follow immutable laws of production. They operate as "value" chains, because economic value is assigned to those factors that the market rewards. At the moment, the human story gets lost in complex international supply chains, and hence gets assigned minimal economic value.</blockquote><br /><br />You can also measure your own estimated contributions to contemporary slavery by taking this "<a href="http://slaveryfootprint.org/" target="new">Slavery Footprint</a>" test (courtesty of <a href="http://globalsociology.com/2011/09/30/the-visual-du-jour-i-have-some-thinking-to-do/" target="new">The Global Sociology Blog</a>).<br /><br />Be sure to check out Aljazeera's site for updates on this <a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/slaverya21stcenturyevil/" target="new">very important series</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="Academics Blogs" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/" style="font-size:10px;">blog directory</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-46726261095560738102011-09-23T20:32:00.000-07:002011-09-23T20:36:53.221-07:00For-Profit Education?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNRsBiQ_swA/Tn1P86Sq3EI/AAAAAAAAC7M/LIIRSwrrv_g/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 362px; height: 139px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNRsBiQ_swA/Tn1P86Sq3EI/AAAAAAAAC7M/LIIRSwrrv_g/s400/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655764614905519170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In the United States, a recent phenomenon in higher education has gained steam – the increasing number of for-profit colleges/universities. Typically, universities are state-subsidized institutions or private non-profit institutions. As such, the traditional university is not centrally driven on the supposition of making money; instead education remains the centrepiece of the university, where students and staff produce and disseminate knowledge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Under the growing for-profit, private enterprise model, universities are emerging that are characterized by a number of values that are antithetical to educational excellence:</span><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li>A desire to enrol as many students as possible</li><li>Targeting of under-prepared young people from low-income communities who will rely on expensive federal student loans</li><li>An increasing number of courses offered online without in-person instruction, tutoring or assistance</li><li>A standardization of curriculum, overseen by university management<br /></li></ul><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In essence, this model of education is comparable to fast-food restaurants, with one key caveat. At a fast-food restaurant like McDonalds for example, a Big Mac is relatively cheap and produced the exact same way at virtually any McDonalds across the globe. Its production is standardized, available for anyone to purchase who has a fairly small amount of money.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Likewise at for-profit colleges/universities, education is readily available to anyone who can pay, who has online computer access, and who is willing to receive a standardized education that is exactly the same, irrespective of the instructor or campus location. The caveat is that unlike a Big Mac at McDonalds, tuition at for-profit colleges/universities is quite expensive relative to traditional universities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">These conditions at for-profit educational institutions are established and enforced by institutional management. I have friends and colleagues who have taught at some of these institutions. They have told me that the textbooks and PowerPoint lectures they use are set ahead of time by the management, and that a managerial assessor is present in their classroom to insure that they are not deviating from the set curriculum.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This rigid and policed educational model is one that has three critical ramifications. One, the degrees students attain (if they attain them) are not valued in society. Thus, if a student graduates, s/he exits the university often times with a massive student debt and near worthless degree. Two, innovation is completely stifled. University staff and students are not encouraged to creatively investigate the many dimensions of our local and global communities. A uniform “cookie cutter” curricula devalues innovation and the production of knowledge through research, something no university should desire.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Three, the strict managerial surveillance of university staff discourages dissent, both of the curricula and of anything happening in society at large. Obviously, this is a crucial problem, as historically universities have been vital stimulators of social movements against oppressive conditions in society. The for-profit model of education eradicates all modes of a collective critical consciousness; students and staff are denied academic freedom and freedom of expression.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So what does all this have to do with the University of Auckland? Nobody is suggesting our university be completely transformed into a for-profit institution, are they? Probably not. However, it is absolutely essential that our university does not move in the direction of the for-profit model where management makes unobstructed universal decisions, rendering staff and students completely powerless in the university’s daily operations. As we see student tuition and debt rise, while our university’s international ranking simultaneously goes down, it is imperative that we at least make connections and ask the relevant questions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">There is no reason that university management should be privileged to such a degree that staff and students are excluded from major decision making processes. The for-profit model values students as dollars and staff as static informational cogs. Is the University of Auckland moving towards the for-profit model? If so, we need to turn things around now as this would certainly not be in the students’ best interests.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">See also here: <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/12/136238528/for-profit-colleges-targeting-people-who-cant-pay" target="new">For-Profit Colleges: Targeting People Who Can't Pay</a><br><br /><a href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/academics/"><img style="border:none;" src="http://www.blogtopsites.com/v_17033.gif" alt="Academics Blogs" /></a><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com" style="font-size:10px;">blog</span></a><br /><br /></span>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-83741124227185346592011-08-29T15:29:00.000-07:002011-08-29T16:00:53.226-07:00Labeling and Deviance at the 2011 Track and Field World Championships: Oscar Pistorius<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NXo8c06tJxQ/TlwX5b5GpiI/AAAAAAAAC68/Xapjqa-Knqs/s1600/Oscar-Pistorius-007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NXo8c06tJxQ/TlwX5b5GpiI/AAAAAAAAC68/Xapjqa-Knqs/s400/Oscar-Pistorius-007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646414308323010082" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">So I'm blogging over at </span><a href="http://sociologyinfocus.com/" target="new"><span style="font-family:courier new;">SociologyInFocus.com</span></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> now as well. Track & Field afficionados are well aware of South African 400m sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who made it to the semi-finals in this week's World Championships. While he had an outside shot, he </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/29/oscar-pistorius-400m-final" target="new"><span style="font-family:courier new;">failed to make the finals</span></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">.
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<br />At SIF I argue that as Pistorius has become faster, his ascribed statuses have shifted, and are now labeled deviant by some due to his "blade runner" prosthetic legs.
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<br />Check it out here: "</span><a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/2011/08/29/disadvantaged-the-changing-statuses-of-oscar-pistorius/" target="new"><span style="font-family:courier new;">(Dis)Advantaged? The Changing Statuses of Oscar Pistorius</span></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">"
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<br />Watch the video below for Pistorius's qualifying sprint at 45.07 seconds:
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<br /></span><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6smGf875jck" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />And the quarter-finals of this year's champ's, clocking 45.39:
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<br /><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RtFsQ3I7FHg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Photo via </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/29/oscar-pistorius-400m-final"><em><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">The Guardian</span></em></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span>
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<br />David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-70509988845733470332011-08-20T06:12:00.000-07:002011-08-21T00:50:05.189-07:00Globalization, Poverty, and Slavery - Aljazeera's "The Nigerian Connection"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJab1UF76cs/TlC4pHK8ulI/AAAAAAAAC6c/wvoIfh0AH74/s1600/Nigerian%2BHuman%2BTrafficking%2BTrail%2B2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mJab1UF76cs/TlC4pHK8ulI/AAAAAAAAC6c/wvoIfh0AH74/s320/Nigerian%2BHuman%2BTrafficking%2BTrail%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643213349534349906" border="0" /></a>
<br />Drug use and sex work are topics that tend to evoke high emotion in the general public. Viewed as victimless crimes by some, others note that victimization is an integral component of international systems where people are trafficked as contemporary slaves in robust drug and prostitution rings.
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<br />Aljazeera’s People & Power recently produced an outstanding two-part series on human trafficking that focuses on global connections between Italy and Nigeria. Titled “<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/peopleandpower/2011/08/201189141348631784.html" target="new">The Nigerian Connection</a>,” the first piece examines an Italian community, Territorio di Castel Volturno, where Italian and Nigerian Mafia’s compete for supremacy of the local organized crime scene, as the second piece turns to Nigeria.
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<br />In sociology and the broader social sciences, globalization is hot topic that refers to the increasingly efficient connections facilitating economic exchanges across the global landscape. This includes everything from legal modes of communication (e.g., the internet), to money exchange industries (e.g., Western Union, typical banking corporations), to the trafficking of drugs and human beings, provided these transactions cross international borders.
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<br />While globalization has existed for centuries, today’s international exchanges occur much faster, and illegal exchanges frequently transpire under the radar of law enforcement, that is unless corrupt law enforcement agencies are directly involved in the trafficking. Conservative figures estimate that approximately 27 million people are trapped as slaves in a given year, more in absolute number than at any time in the 18th or 19th century. Most are forced to work in the agricultural sector, though slaves are also forced into drug trafficking, sex work, and industrial tasks.
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<br />Kevin Bales, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-People-Slavery-Economy-Revised/dp/0520243846/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313812153&sr=1-1" target="new"><em>Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy</em></a>, defines slavery as the total control of one person by another for purpose of economic exploitation. Bales argues that overpopulation in low-income countries has created an increasingly large and vulnerable labor class. An extremely exploitable proletariat, this class is treated by greedy and corrupt capitalists as disposable. Bales further notes that contemporary slavery is characterized by seven qualities that distinguish it from slavery in centuries past:
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<br />1. Legal ownership of slaves is avoided
<br />2. Slaves can be purchased at very low cost (for as low as US$90, see <a href="http://globalsociology.com/2011/03/09/slaves-get-yours-while-theyre-cheap/" target="new">here</a>)
<br />3. Slavery yields high profits since slaves are inexpensive
<br />4. Due to overpopulation, the world has a surplus of potential slaves
<br />5. Slaves are disposable, replaceable because of the global surplus
<br />6. Being disposable, slaves have a short relationship with slavers
<br />7. Ethnic differences between slavers and slaves are less important (it is not uncommon to see slavers and slaves from the same ethnic group)
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<br />Most of today’s slaves are tricked into slavery through debt bondage – the individual pledges him/herself against a loan of money tied to an inflated cost of transportation to a new country, where the individual will presumably work in a conventional, legal job. However, upon arriving in a new and unfamiliar place, the workers are forced into slave-based jobs with conditions that make it virtually impossible to pay off their debts, escape, or seek help from legal authorities (e.g., passports are taken away).
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<br />Watching Aljazeera’s two-part documentary, one can clearly see the seven qualities Bales presents that characterize modern-day slavery, as well as how globalization is facilitating slavery tied to prostitution.
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<br />Part I (25 minutes):
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<br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tMef3Xt0IHk" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />Part I offers additional insights into important sociological concepts. For instance, cultural norms are corrupted in order to control the Nigerian female prostitutes via a “Juju oath” that women are forced to take prior to leaving Nigeria (@16 minutes; and @ 12:00 minutes in Part II). This oath is used to control the women while enslaved in Italy. Patriarchy is also clearly evident, as systems are established that privilege men over women. With the prostitutes being predominantly female and without official paperwork, laws are established that further criminalize them. Though prostitution is legal in Italy, sex workers can be arrested (by mostly male police officers) if they do not have residency papers, which obviously these women lack since they are forced to work off the books (@ 17:30 minutes). Note also the comments by the nun regarding a male market (@ 22:30 minutes) that keeps the industry flourishing. Part II shifts to Nigeria’s economic deprivation and internal corruption that fuels an exploitable slave class.
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<br />Part II (25 minutes):
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<br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xw-aaFPLOdw" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />Returning to one of Bales’s key points, Part II displays how agents in Nigeria are often Nigerians themselves, who trick young Nigerian women into sexual slavery (@ 5:00 minutes). This further demonstrates the decreasing status of race and ethnicity as rigid markers in the slavery system. Mass poverty is also highlighted as a contributor to the human trafficking machine, with one third of the population in this Nigerian state living on less than $1 per day (@ 7:50 minutes). As such, becoming a human trafficker of one’s own people emerges largely out of economic desperation, while globalization and global stratification provide the distant places of hope that seduce poverty stricken Nigerians into deceit. Part II closes by exploring the illegal trafficking of Nigerian babies (@ 18 minutes).
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<br />The two videos provide for excellent pieces on discussions surrounding globalization and contemporary slavery.
<br />David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-88809865627292431402011-08-19T20:15:00.000-07:002011-08-19T20:41:34.757-07:00South Korean K-pop, Perpetuating Patriarchy<span style="font-family:courier new;">In the 1990s, The Spice Girls had an infectious global impact on young people across Europe, North America, and Australia – girls in particular. While some may argue women’s sexuality, fandom, and business prowess mix in ways promote female empowerment, others claim that despite having a central position on stage, these mainstream girl groups reproduce male privilege. In contemporary South Korea, this topic is especially germane.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I recently attended a lecture by Associate Professor Stephen Epstein (2011), Director of the Asian Studies Programme at Victoria University of Wellington, where I learned that all female “girl groups” are having major influences in South Korea and across much of Asia through the phenomenon of K-pop.</span>
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<br /><center style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Wonder Girls:</span></center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M8oO-__5XnQ/Tk8nzejb_tI/AAAAAAAAC6U/yrjLLLtIeiA/s1600/800px-Wonder_Girls-HanyangUniv_05R.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M8oO-__5XnQ/Tk8nzejb_tI/AAAAAAAAC6U/yrjLLLtIeiA/s320/800px-Wonder_Girls-HanyangUniv_05R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642772623447031506" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">According to Professor Epstein, girl groups’ music and videos in the K-pop genre tend to fall in one of four typologies, which make for useful comparisons with popular female artists in the West.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:courier new;" >1. “Desire Expressed but Initiative Given to Males”</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> – In videos falling into this typology, female artists communicate a craving to forge romantic relationships with males, but the artists’ physical movements and lyrics privilege the desired male partners. According to Dr. Epstein, the following video, “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGP1cUk7cRs&feature=youtu.be" target="new">Tell Me Your Wish</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">” by Oh!, exemplifies this typology since the female artists ask their male partners how they can fulfill the males’ desires:</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Going back a few decades, one cannot help but compare this video’s genie theme to the sit-com, “I Dream of Genie.” It is no coincidence that “I Dream of Genie” emerged in the midst of America’s second women’s movement. With women in the broader society advocating for equal pay, “I Dream of Genie” portrayed a woman considered physically attractive with magical powers confined to a small lamp and controlled by her male proprietor. In South Korea’s contemporary K-pop industry, Oh! present a strikingly similar message.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">And while not a “genie in a bottle” or part of a larger group, one can still see similarities in Nicki Minaj’s recent video, “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JipHEz53sU&feature=youtu.be" target="new">Super Bass</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">.” In her video, Minaj and an entourage of female dancers exude a highly sexualized femininity as they indulge males with whom they hope to forge a romance. Hence, the males are ultimately in control, there to sit back as the women work for their affection:</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:courier new;" >2. “Power through Narcissistic Sexuality”</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> – The second typology includes videos in which girl groups supposedly garner power by brazenly accentuating their sexuality. Scenarios in these videos repeatedly show the South Korean female artists rejecting male suitors as they soak in compliments and climb the social ladder, their increasing popularity tied solely to their sexual prowess. The irony, of course, is that power garnered through sexuality does not alter the gender order. Rather, it reproduces gender norms with women (and girls) objectified as sex articles. This is seen quite clearly in the somewhat comical video “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6nrhqCfemE&feature=youtu.be" target="new">So Hot</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">” by the Wonder Girls (note how cheerleading and American gridiron football is built into the video's gendered dynamics, a sport hardly popular in South Korea):</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Again, this typology is not unique to girl groups in South Korean K-pop. Keri Hilson’s recent hit, “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtXOVKNazYU&feature=youtu.be" target="new">Pretty Girl Rock</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">,” includes a number of lyrics that encourage women to publicly flaunt their sexual supremacy: “…Mad cause I’m cuter than the girl that’s with ya. I can talk about it cause I know that I’m pretty and if ya know it too then ladies sing it with me…. Don’t question that this girl’s a 10. Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful.” As such, men are supposedly relegated inferior to the beautiful woman(en), but in actuality, women are valued strictly for their physical attractiveness. More to the point, Hilson’s video demonstrates this theme manifesting over generations:</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:courier new;" >3. “Objectified Female Solidarity”</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> – The third typology includes videos where members of the girl groups completely reject males, holding no desire for male attention. With such an overt rejection, a greater female solidarity is definitely present in these videos, and perhaps even a stronger sense of independence. Still, the girl groups’ body language and attire perpetuate the same visual narrative – that women are sexual objects, as seen in Miss A’s “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7f3lx9fNfE&feature=youtu.be" target="new">Bad Girl, Good Girl</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">”:</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Overlap may exist in these South Korean K-pop videos with those starring Lady Gaga. </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://onpoint.wbur.org/2010/06/24/about-lady-gaga" target="new">Lady Gaga has been heralded</a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> as a talent who questions authority and speaks to minority issues, but doing so while simultaneously reproducing a visual imagery in line with traditional gender norms.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6H4CkxJ7m78/Tk8nptMBm-I/AAAAAAAAC6E/ZLlq-yH_XI4/s1600/Lady%2BGaga.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 152px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6H4CkxJ7m78/Tk8nptMBm-I/AAAAAAAAC6E/ZLlq-yH_XI4/s400/Lady%2BGaga.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642772455576673250" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:courier new;" >4. “Revenge Narratives”</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> – The final typology stated by Dr. Epstein was that of the revenge narrative in which the girl group members plan and carry out vengeful acts against promiscuous ex-boyfriends. In doing so, girls bond to presumably reclaim a collective sense of power. However, the over-arching theme of these videos still places women’s and girls’ value in the framework of a heterosexual relationship. See, below, 4minute’s video, “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leZGxEbBPuM&feature=youtu.be" target="new">Heart to Heart</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">”:</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Though perhaps not a perfect comparison, Christina Aguilera’s “</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB7pQpNx-F4" target="new">Fighter</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">,” definitely holds similar tenets. Aguilera purports a strengthened individuality after being harmed, presumably by an ex-boyfriend. The song’s lyrics state, “Makes me that much stronger. Makes me work a little bit harder. Makes me that much wiser. Thanks for making me a fighter.” These empowering lyrics on the one hand continue to exist in the context of a woman’s central focus in romantic affairs, thereby cementing the current gender order.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Marketed as a means of increasing girls’ and young women’s power and independence, girl groups in the South Korean K-pop industry follow the same gender lines seen in music videos produced world-wide that emphasize femininity. The music videos may communicate slightly different points, but their messages have the same basic implications.
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<br />Girls’ and women’s worth is connected to (1) frequently unhealthy and unattainable beauty standards, and (2) romantic relationships with men. Despite being promoted as empowering for girls and women, the videos do not challenge patriarchy at all. To the contrary, they reinforce a world where gender inequality is embedded in its social systems.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:courier new;" >Reference:</span>
<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Epstein, S. J. (2011 August 4). Girls’ Generation?: Gender, (Dis)Empowerment and K-pop. School of Asian Studies Seminar Series 2001. Auckland: The University of Auckland.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">For more of Dr. Epstein’s work, conducted in tandem with his colleague, James Turnbull, go Turnbull's blog, </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://thegrandnarrative.com/" target="new">TheGrandNarrative.com</a><span style="font-family:courier new;">.</span></span>
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<br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogtopsites.com/" style="font-size: 10px; font-family: courier new;">blog</a>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-91196537156115283062011-08-18T23:55:00.000-07:002011-08-19T00:10:48.832-07:00Feminized Firearms: Marketing Violence Through Gender Norms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5XcGdz4Ab4/Tk4JZGJ_C0I/AAAAAAAAC58/cS_3t7LB-Ko/s1600/women_guns.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r5XcGdz4Ab4/Tk4JZGJ_C0I/AAAAAAAAC58/cS_3t7LB-Ko/s400/women_guns.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642457709895682882" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/18/139757899/gun-makers-set-sights-on-female-buyers">NPR</a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> has a story up that discusses the ways gun stores are now catering to an increasingly female client-base. The images pictured here illustrate the symbolic gendering of color plastered onto these feminized firearms.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">The story also has an interesting quote from a female buyer: "'If you listen to the news at night, all you hear are women in parking lots — someone coming up, or threatening them for their purse or threatening their life, or raping [them],' she says."</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">If in fact the news in this woman's community reports cases of women being assaulted in parking lots incessantly, her community is highly abnormal (or the news is probably over-reporting street crime, while not realizing violence within households between intimate partners is among the most under-reported type of crime).
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<br />Not to dismiss the seriousness of being attacked by a stranger, but research shows overwhelmingly that on average (1) women are at far greater risk of being assaulted in their own homes and/or by a friend than on the street; and (2) having a firearm does not enhance one's own protection (Plaxico Burress anyone?).</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">This just makes me wonder, is a moral panic being created to identify a new female market who will buy more guns?</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Pic vis <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/18/139757899/gun-makers-set-sights-on-female-buyers">NPR</a>.
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<br /></span>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5840069230333061268.post-70068239189670811392011-08-18T17:15:00.000-07:002011-08-18T17:25:06.920-07:00The Chi-square FormulaHere are two videos that walk you through the chi-square analysis.
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<br /><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XwaffNW2oZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<br /><iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/omryf5FVVHc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>David Mayedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582620428467738331noreply@blogger.com0