4.5 Discussion Forum: The Invention of Race (GRADED DISCUSSION)

77 unread replies.77 replies.

Original Post Instructions (1 point each)

1. Identify one way in which present-day society mirrors seventeenth-, eighteenth-, or nineteenth-century America. Look for parallels in the realm of culture (recycled ideas, stereotypes, fears), politics (similar issues, agendas, practices) and everyday life (job market, romantic relationships, recurrent social problems).
2. How does the history reviewed in this chapter compare to the history of early America that you learned elsewhere? Discuss the reasons for such similarities and differences.
3. Review the multiple immigration laws enacted since 1880. How do you see the impact of these laws today?

Reply Instructions (1 point each)

Reply to two of your peers’ original posts. Be thoughtful and respectful.

To receive full points

Make sure your responses to the prompt AND your replies to classmates are substantial in content. I do not have a word count requirement (at this time), because I trust you all to engage with each other meaningfully.

Race in AmericaSECOND EDITION

Desmond and Emirbayer

Charlie Johnson“>Charlie Johnson

YesterdayApr 16 at 8:54pm

Manage Discussion Entry

1. Today’s society have many parallels from past society. One I notice is the way the black man is treat by society in all phases of life. Since the days of slavery black men have been the subject of most of the cultural terror from white men. That still happen today just in different forms. One recent example would be the Ahmad Arbury situation in Georgia. He was basically lynched for being in the wrong neighborhood. Politically black men have been the subject of policies for years. Most recent law that effect us today is the 3 strike law. This was designed to fill the prisons that were being built by private corporations.

2. The history learned in the course is similar to what I have heard in other classes along the lines of slavery and freedom. But we never viewed it as whites gaining there freedom from British. Sure they wanted to be there own country but the British did not per say own them. George Washington came from a wealthy family not a poor one. However even though they were rich they still wanted to be free from British rule.

3. There were no immigration laws in the US before 1880 people could come unrestricted. The impact of immigration laws can be seen in our population. Latino Americans now out number African American. This became possible because of immigration laws allowing people to become citizens.

Brandy Bennett (She/Her)“>Brandy Bennett (She/Her)

YesterdayApr 16 at 8:47pm

Manage Discussion Entry

1. Identify one way in which present-day society mirrors seventeenth-, eighteenth-, or nineteenth-century America. Look for parallels in the realm of culture (recycled ideas, stereotypes, fears), politics (similar issues, agendas, practices) and everyday life (job market, romantic relationships, recurrent social problems). One way that present-day society mirrors society in the past three centuries occurs in the fallacy of race in modern humans. In the video: Race, The Power of an Illusion from timestamp 2:30-2:42, “Physical differences are not what makes race. What makes race are the laws and practices the life chances and opportunities based on those differences” (California Newsreel). One may conclude from this afore mentioned quote that race is in fact made up to put all humans into categories in order to create advantage and disadvantages for humans that have certain phenotypes. This creation of race to favor some phenotypes over other phenotypes is wrong. This “illusion of race” creates fallacies in society like stereotypes, and fears. Reference:California Newsreel, Race, The Power of Illusion. Canvas. W.W. Norton.com, n.d. https://wwnorton.com/common/mplay/6.11/?p=/college/soc/sa-in-prac-videos/&1=americans&ft=mp4dcdn=1&cc=1 (Links to an external site.)“>https://wwnorton.com/common/mplay/6.11/?p=/college/soc/sa-in-prac-videos/&1=americans&ft=mp4dcdn=1&cc=1 (Links to an external site.)
2. How does the history reviewed in this chapter compare to the history of early America that you learned elsewhere? Discuss the reasons for such similarities and differences. In early American History the focus seems to concentrate more on assimilation and colonization glossing over any stories or information that disagrees with these ideas. In the past history was written and shaped by those that thought race was real, and the laws of the time favored assimilation, and even allowed mistreatment of minorities. Today there are laws against the mistreatment of minorities as well as laws that seek to promote pluralism in America.
3. Review the multiple immigration laws enacted since 1880. How do you see the impact of these laws today? These laws shaped the way assimilation affected the population from economic opportunity and prosperity, and further created stereotypes as well as fears. Even today there are still stereotypes, racism, discrimination, prejudice, fallacies, and ignorance.