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Participate in a Cultural Discussion Week #7

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Part 1: On page 15 in "Privilege, Power and Difference", author Allan Johnson presents his readers with a Diversity Wheel -- a way of of understanding oneself through the lens of one's social characteristics. I'd like you to complete the Diversity Wheel exercise for yourself -- to do what the author suggests and "go around the wheel and get a sense of where you fit in" (14) -- your "social" reality.

Next, I'd like you to write about what you experienced doing this exercise. Was this an interesting exercise, or are you already familiar with Johnson's idea of a person's social reality? Did you too think about what the author says, "that the wheel does not say much about the unique private individual you know yourself to be, your personal history, the content of your character, what you dream and feel. It does, however, say a lot about the social reality that has shaped your life in powerful ways" (14).

Part 2: What are your thoughts and feelings after reading/viewing the Jablonski video and the two additional readings (Locke and Jerkins)? Share your thoughts with your colleagues.

NOTE: To receive full points for this Cultural Discussion, you must respond to at least one other colleague's posting in Part 2.

Respond to others:

#1

Part 1:

Filling out the diversity wheel, it was pretty quick and easy, being that I've spent 23 years being me and I know who I am. 23 year old, Caucasian, Irish American, heterosexual, healthy aside from Hashimotos Disease and Hypothyroidism, woman. Outside of that I am a lower class, full time working individual, in a committed relationship, non military, non parent, agnostic, nursing student, with work history in hospitality/ food & beverage (bartender, server, front desk, housekeeper). On one hand I agree with Johnson in that this doesn't delve very deep into who I truly am, does not show my dreams, hopes, fears, trauma, ideas. But on the other, I think it is an accurate representation of who I am. My work, my studies, my relationships, my ethnicity all play a large role in creating the person that I have been, currently am, and will grow into.

Part 2: Reading about the experiences of both Locke and Jerkins I was once again ashamed at my whiteness and those I share it with. The sheer amount of ignorance and inability to look past skin color and to see people as people will never cease to shock me. It is nearly 2020, and yet racism and biases are still very much alive and well. How incredibly frustrating, that these individuals are successful, respected, well rounded, unique, educated, interesting, wonderful human beings- and all of that becomes lost at the sight of their skin color. Suddenly they are a criminal, they are less womanly, they are lesser in general. How disgusting that they work so hard and contribute so much to this world and yet are discriminated against? After watching Jablonskis Ted Talk I became even more frustrated at this, because there is NO reason for this hate and discrimination. It is entirely made up in our minds that we should feel more empowered or entitled because our skin is lighter, and the opposite if our skin is darker. To quote a few things from her talk, "There is a fundamental relationship between the intensity of ultraviolet radiation and skin pigmentation.. We all share the history of having been darkly pigmented 2 million years ago.. Melanin is a natural sunscreen." This is fact based evidence, that we all came from the same place, all of our ancestors were darkly pigmented, and it was literally evolution and the migration of humans that determined the skin color of different people. We are the ones who assigned meaning in the form of hate to skin color. Science and evolution are not evil or biased, but people are, and racism/ discrimination was an utterly made up myth used to pit people against each other and to feed the human ego, trying to convince ourselves that we are better than those around us when really we are all the same.

#2

Part 1:

When I complete the Diversity wheel, exercise in Chapter 2 of " Privilege, Power and Difference"

Allan Johnson. When I go through the Diversity Wheel I find myself to be an average women, who takes care of her family and works and is a full time student earning my degree for a career. I am not familiar with Allan's G understanding of the social wheel and how I can fit in, but I can try my best.

Part 2:

The reading of both Locke and Jerkins, I again felt ashamed of my whiteness and those with whom I share. Modern ignorance and inability to look at the subtle color of the skin and see people as people never cease to shock me. It's approaching 2020, and it's still racism and a warning to everyone still alive and well. How unbelievably frustrating that these people achieve, esteemed, comprehensive, unique, educated, interesting, wonderful people - and all that is lost when looking at their skin colors.

After watching Jablonskis Ted Talk, I got even more upset about it, with no reason for this hatred and discrimination. We have a completely conscious mind that we are trying to do more of the right things, and our skin is light, and vice versa, and our skin is darker. In her usual conversation with her talk, "there is a basic use of the effect between intense UV radiation and skin pigmentation.