The organization I think I'll do is called the Indianpolis Urban League. It uses 5 points to ensure that everyone, especially minorities, get the help they need in order to succeed. It has youth groups and connections out of state. It helps people become more culturally aware- "building brides" between the races is what it says.
I chose it because I didn't know of any such organizations and I found this one on Google. It has a website : here and sounds interesting.
Wednesday 3 October 2007
Tuesday 2 October 2007
Cultural Myth
The first step in getting rid of a cultural myth is making sure that people know that it exists. If people don't think that there is a problem, then they won't help to fix it. And to get rid of such a vague, vast and intransigent concept as a myth lots of people need to understand what is happening.
Then you have to educate people against it. A lot of myths (this one too)exist simply because people don't know they exist. I certainly never thought about the misconception of the American Dream until when we read "Nickel and Dimed" over the summer.
Then you address what's wrong. In this case, what's wrong is that people are being discriminated against, are not getting enough payment/economic support and in general don't have the opportunities that could help them achieve success. All this is really hard to do and usually controversial.
I think why the cultural myths still exist is because people don't want to spend the energy needed to fix them. It's easier just to accept them than it is to disagree, and harder still to do something about them
Then you have to educate people against it. A lot of myths (this one too)exist simply because people don't know they exist. I certainly never thought about the misconception of the American Dream until when we read "Nickel and Dimed" over the summer.
Then you address what's wrong. In this case, what's wrong is that people are being discriminated against, are not getting enough payment/economic support and in general don't have the opportunities that could help them achieve success. All this is really hard to do and usually controversial.
I think why the cultural myths still exist is because people don't want to spend the energy needed to fix them. It's easier just to accept them than it is to disagree, and harder still to do something about them
Monday 1 October 2007
Documentary vs Alger
Compare the reality of the documentary to the reality presented in the reading. Which is more real?
I think that the documentary is more real. Of course, we saw very little of it, but from what we did see, it wasn’t as off-the-wall as the reading.
Alger’s presentation of the world seems to me ridiculous. It’s all very perfect and excellent and unreal. Seriously, who really learns to read and write in a year as an adult, have the opportunity to save a drowning boy and have the father really do something in response? Even if Rockwell didn’t pay the 10,000 dollars he said he would, for Dick, the job he gave is just as good. The main character is just as perfect as the world he lives in. He’s brave and good enough to jump in after a drowning child without thought of reward, thankful for his success, successful and has a loyal friend. Alger’s world is extremely unrealistic. It’s the world we would all like to live in but can’t. I think the word I’m looking for here is ‘cheesy’. At least, that’s how it seemed to me.
Now, the documentary had some ridiculous stuff in it, too. On the whole, though, I think it represents reality more real that Alger does. The people in it are crazy (the rabbit-lady, the one woman who got so depressed because she was the wrong ‘colours’, etc), but they’re crazy in the way all humans are crazy. They’re not perfect. Now, there were some moments, especially in the beginning when they interviewed those singers, that it did border on cheesy. (That’s not a very good word to describe this, but it’s the best I can do). All the interviewees talked about how perfect Flint was, how anyone could drudge up from it, how there were loads of jobs and opportunities, etc., when there clearly wasn’t.
I think that the documentary is more real. Of course, we saw very little of it, but from what we did see, it wasn’t as off-the-wall as the reading.
Alger’s presentation of the world seems to me ridiculous. It’s all very perfect and excellent and unreal. Seriously, who really learns to read and write in a year as an adult, have the opportunity to save a drowning boy and have the father really do something in response? Even if Rockwell didn’t pay the 10,000 dollars he said he would, for Dick, the job he gave is just as good. The main character is just as perfect as the world he lives in. He’s brave and good enough to jump in after a drowning child without thought of reward, thankful for his success, successful and has a loyal friend. Alger’s world is extremely unrealistic. It’s the world we would all like to live in but can’t. I think the word I’m looking for here is ‘cheesy’. At least, that’s how it seemed to me.
Now, the documentary had some ridiculous stuff in it, too. On the whole, though, I think it represents reality more real that Alger does. The people in it are crazy (the rabbit-lady, the one woman who got so depressed because she was the wrong ‘colours’, etc), but they’re crazy in the way all humans are crazy. They’re not perfect. Now, there were some moments, especially in the beginning when they interviewed those singers, that it did border on cheesy. (That’s not a very good word to describe this, but it’s the best I can do). All the interviewees talked about how perfect Flint was, how anyone could drudge up from it, how there were loads of jobs and opportunities, etc., when there clearly wasn’t.
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