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Critical Thinking Activity: Manor Park

I feel that the money should be used for affordable housing and youth development. If there is affordable housing people will not have to commit big crime as much to afford houses. Youth development is always very important so that the next generations can have a positive impact on things; it is crucial to show them morals and the right way to go about their lives. The money should go more toward long term solutions. Short term solutions are like bandaids that fall off, so what’s the point. The city needs long term, permanent changes to be seen. Any information about legal or financial problems with citizens is relevant information here. If there was a larger sum of money I would want that money to be divided up evenly to go toward all of them to see improvement in more areas.

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Group 2 Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5HzK85VgOPn7MQokTEyG1L?si=cRMHvZ7lRNafIHVUG6j12w&nd=1

Ben- I picked "Marry You "by bruno Mars because it reminds me of chapter 9 when we talked about kinship and marriage.

Johnna- My song choice is "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar. I chose this song because in certain sections of textbook genetic and kinship being tied to status is discussed. In the song "DNA" Kendrick Lamar talks of having "loyalty", "royalty," and other positive traits in his DNA involving wealth. I read about how family ties, kinship, and ethnicity play a role in what someone does have access to due to their "DNA."

Noel- I chose the song "KEEP IT UP" by Rex Orange County. The songs lyrics explain exactly why I chose this song. This semester has been stressful and I had to give myself motivation throughout these past few months. My song is more generalized for the entire semester rather than a specific chapter.

Jordan- I chose the song "Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music" by Drake featuring Jay Z because in chapter 11 we discussed the global economy and this song goes in great detail about being a millionaire and giving back to the family and friends who gave you everything when you had nothing. It is also a great song for studying too.

Naomi- I Chose the song "Last Last"by Burna Boy because in the song the artist switches from his native language to English a lot. This reminds me of chapter 4 LANGUAGE. This song shows code-switching which is a term we studied for chapter 4.

Team 2 Group Song- "Interlude" by J. Cole. The song talks about survival from adversities. We survived as a team and overcame the tests and quizzes that were thrown at us this semester. He ends the song with a quote from Maya Angelou's, "And Still, I Rose".

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Who are Today’s Migrants?

     People migrate to different locations for many different reasons. Sometimes it is expected of them; at times people choose to migrate for things such as finances, career opportunities, or to seek refuge. Every immigrant has a unique experience on their journey. I had the privilege to interview someone from Bogota, Colombia. They migrated to the United States in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

     Immigrants often have forces that cause them to migrate; these are referred to as pulls. The person I interviewed was pulled to the United States for two different reasons. One of the reasons was to earn their degree and in turn have solid career opportunities. The second reason the person I interviewed was pulled to the United States was to pursue a collegiate athletic career. They have been a dedicated bowler for ten years, so they wanted to contact college coaches in the United States to get into a good college bowling program. Overall, the opportunity to prosper as an athlete and a business person pulled them to the United States. 

     Sometimes people who migrate have factors that push them away from their home country. The person I interviewed had things that pushed them away from Colombia. The lack of easily accessible educational and athletic resources pushed them away from Colombia.  They explained that in Colombia there were not as many resources to learn about leadership. It was also explained that organizations in schools are harder to be a part of due to exclusivity and lack of advertisement for them. In Colombia they explained that college bowling is not offered, so in order to be part of athletic organizations people have to go through bigger organizations and the government. They explained that these obstacles stunted their growth as a student and an athlete. Ultimately, the lack of easily available educational and athletic resources pushed them away from Colombia. 

     When the person I interviewed was in the process of migrating they encountered different barriers. Barriers are obstacles that make migration difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic made appointments to obtain things they needed hard to secure. Also, paperwork for housing in the university they were coming to was heavily delayed in getting processed in time. Another point they made was that certain programs in the United States were more difficult to get into when they were still a non resident; being a non resident would cause disqualification from certain resources. An unfortunate barrier that was encountered as well involved this person’s race. They felt that because of their accent and ethnicity they were not treated fairly or taken as seriously sometimes. They even said people assumed she was here to aid with the sales of illegal drugs! To summarize, the person I interviewed encountered different barriers when migrating. 

     Bridges were also experienced by the person I interviewed when they migrated. Bridges are things that enable a person to migrate. My interview subject has family who live in the United States; they helped them get settled and prepare for life here. By the time they arrived they were set for the most part in terms of what they needed to live. It was also helpful for them to have their whole college bowling team to help them acclimate and get resources. They emphasized how grateful they are for the people who helped her move and settle in. In short, bridges were also experienced by the person I interviewed when they migrated. 

     The person I interviewed was surprised by different things in the United States. One thing was how difficult the culture shock was for them. They claim that in comparison to Colombians, Americans are much more selfish. They said people in Colombia are more inclined to lend a helping hand, greet people warmly, or do important favors for strangers. As a result, they said they made the character adjustment to be less affectionate and outward automatically. A positive surprise was the amount of opportunity. They knew they wanted to come to the United States for opportunity but the amount of resources they obtained was still a shock. To sum up, the person I interviewed encountered some surprises in the United States. 

     Everyone has their own idea about “the American dream.” The person I interviewed said their American dream of coming to pursue and excel in their passions is coming to life. They have more opportunity than they ever could have imagined. They said they are extremely glad they chose to migrate to the United States. Every immigrant has their own unique experience with their migration. It was very interesting to hear about what influenced someone’s migration, their obstacles, and how they feel overall in another country away from their country of origin.

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Theories of Social Class

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/lori-loughlin-college-admissions-scandal-case

The article above details a case where actor Lori Loughlin used money and her status to get her daughters enrolled into a high profile college. Other celebrities were involved in this as well. Max Weber’s theory says that prestige determines someone's life chances, and what resources they can access. Due to Lori’s status of being a famous actress, she was able to bribe the right people using her wealth for her and her daughter’s gains. Someone who is not of that status like myself wouldn’t have the means or perceived prestige to even come close to doing something like that. Celebrities in particular can use their names to have an easier path than someone that is not of their status.

https://mynorthwest.com/3695404/spanish-workers-demand-higher-wages-to-ease-inflation-pinch/

The article above talks about workers demanding higher wages in response to inflation. Workers arguing that they cannot meet their basic needs off of their salaries is an all too common conflict. Karl Marx speaks of the bourgeoisie, the capital class, and the proletariat, the working class. In his theory he says that there is always going to be a constant conflict between the two classes and it is necessary. He also says that the conflict of the workers and capitalists are used in a capitalist society to keep the capitalists in power and the workers constantly struggling to better their circumstances. The article above shows the struggle of the Spanish workers well. 

https://www.elonedge.com/blog/2022/4/30/the-kardashian-empire

The article above talks about the Kardashian empire. Bruce and Kris Jenner’s wealth and connections were the reason that their children were able to eventually be multimillionaires. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory talks about cultural capital. Cultural capital is the knowledge, habits, and tastes learned from parents and family that individuals can use to gain access to scarce and valuable resources of society. This can include family wealth. Due to Bruce and Kris’ kids having access to their wealth and status, they were able to give them a multitude of opportunities and connections. Their children must have felt motivated, and like their options were unlimited due to the amount of resources they were born into. 

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Kinship Chart

     In doing my kinship chart I noticed/ realized some things about each side of my family. One thing is the relationships I have shown for my mother’s side are very minimal. Every relationship I have on that side of the family is shown. In contrast, on my father’s side I have so many cousins; I have cousins that I have never met all over Ohio. My father has six brothers and one sister total. Every single one of his siblings chose to have children. Most of their descendants decided to have children early on while unmarried as well. It is more taboo on my mother’s side of the family to have children before an older age of around 25 years; it is also frowned upon to have children outside of marriage. I say this due to conversations I have heard and events in the family. Another thing I realized is that I have no parallel cousins on my mother’s side, and it would not be possible to have them. Most of my cousins on my father’s side are parallel, the only exception is the descendants of my father’s sister. 

On my father’s side of the family it is hard to keep track of every relative a lot of the time. Someone in the family made a kinship chart for everyone to refer to, but the trouble is it is constantly changing. It is not uncommon for me to visit them and meet a few new cousins every trip. On the contrary, I know all of the relatives on my mother’s side very well. All of them reside in my home state unlike the relatives on my father’s side. 

     My mother’s mother has kept very detailed stories and records of all the family members on that side. She has documents, photos, stories passed down, and more. Since I spent more time with them I have been exposed to their stories more and their culture. I would like to know just as much about my father’s side one day. 

     Another pattern I noticed is that I have far more male cousins overall than female cousins. Even including the relationships I did not display, this is still the case. Due to my mother’s passing and more male cousins and figures, I have definitely had more male influence when growing up. 

   To conclude, in doing this diagram I was able to see a lot more patterns and trends than I thought, and reflect on the comparisons I made. My main takeaway is that I should begin to look for ways to know my kinship on my father’s side of the family more.

[joyousjohnna555]

What Is the Relationship of Ethnicity to the Nation?

All of the details below are a result of two interviews. For my mother’s side I interviewed my grandmother, and for my father’s side I interviewed my father. Everything listed is their account of ancestry, events, and facts.

Mother’s Side of the Family

My great grandpa’s parents came to the United States in 1895.

My great grandpa’s mother was born in the United States, but his father came from Europe, from Croatia. 

My great grandpa was born in 1914. 

My grandpa’s mother came from Austria with her mother in 1920, she was two years of age. She and her parents had to learn English and gain citizenship. They were fully open to embracing American ways, and looked to have a better life. 

My great grandmother’s (my grandpa’s mother) parents belonged to social groups of the same nationality, and spoke Italian within these groups.

The relatives mentioned above brought traditional food recipes from Europe. Some examples are smoked sausage called Kielbasa, Polenta, and a Christmas dessert called nut horns.

A fun fact is that my great grandma’s dad was part of a group that started a “savings and loan” for people coming from Europe who did not want to be involved with other financial institutions of the time. 

Father’s Side of the Family

Ancestors have been in the United States since around 1600. They were scattered in states such as Kentucky and West Virginia. Ultimately, my fathers ancestors settled in Western Ohio.

My grandmother was born in 1920 in Ohio. She lived on a farm.

My grandpa was also born in 1920 in Ohio.

My grandma had eight children, and could not cook foods from her culture as much due to finances.

Earlier generations before my grandparents were brought to the U.S as slaves, and therefore did not embrace American ways willingly.

My father mentioned songs and dances being passed down, and hearing music in particular day to day.

Traditions began to be incorporated into American holiday’s at some point within generations, mainly having certain foods in place of traditional American holiday foods.

In my experience with this side of my family, we celebrate American holidays, but have more of an informal cookout with certain foods. 

[joyousjohnna555]

Race and Racism in the Media

 https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/life-town-white-supremacist-moved-33998184 

  When I saw the term white supremacy I immediately thought of Craig Cobb. He is a white supremacist who attempted to move into Leith, North Dakota, and create a town for white supremacists. In particular this video perfectly depicts Craig’s beliefs that whites are superior by showing his agenda to make a town consisting of all white supremacists, and his treatment of the news anchor after he finds out he is a man of color.

The image above is an example of a microaggression. It is from a movement where people brought attention to every day microaggressions they experienced. The sign in the gentleman’s hand reads “you’re not like the rest of them...” This implies that whomever said this would be implying that they view the people that are his race a certain way. It also implies that upon meeting someone the person saying this statement was expecting to perceive the person as negative because of their race, or how their skin color appears.

Individual Racism Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=051IjEsxJK4

This video displays individual racism. The woman in the video is showing her prejudiced beliefs toward Muslims and openly discriminates against them. She uses the n word, and spit on the woman’s husband. She clearly demonstrated her racism against them. 

This image demonstrates institutional racism in the job market. The man that is white is considered for the job, and the rest of the people of color are not; every single person in the photo is assumed to have the same credentials. There are many studies I read that show this does occur. Statistics from them show that people who have openly stated they are of color are less likely to get contacted; in contrast, more white men were looked at further for hire. Also, every applicant applied for the position with the same credentials, the only difference in their profiles was race.

This photo depicts a product of the Jim Crow laws. These laws made segregation in the south legal after slavery had ended. In the image the restroom sign says that one restroom is for people of color, and one is for white people. This shows segregation between whites and people of color. Each race is only allowed to be in a certain restroom due to the color of their skin.

Miscegenation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsl8b_VrJ74

The poster in this video displays miscegenation, a negative historical term for interracial marriage. In the video, a poster is shown that has a picture of a mixed race couple; the woman is white and the man is black. On the poster is also clear disapproval of them being together, and even reads “LOVE YOUR OWN PEOPLE.”

[joyousjohnna555]

College Students and Consumer Culture

Posessions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z21wrmNKP1VSV2sFLrN_oU1AI9u0G_fYOzrWxJOkdL0/edit?usp=sharing

The two images above are are two images of my living space on campus. 

*I would have done my living space back home, but I am too far away.

Pictured above is bottled water, my most needed item.

Pictured above is my stuffed animal, my least needed item.

Assignment Reflection: 

     After doing this assignment, I see that I have what i expected mostly. However, I did notice a trend in items I don’t need. Particularly they are items in cosmetics and hygiene. My make up and skin care are based on what is popular to a degree, and are nowhere near a need. When coming to college I tried to pack as light as possible. After looking at the table of my items, I think I did well. But, I also noticed that I have acquired more items while being here than I thought, and it is influenced by being a college student. My white board, and index cards in particular are wants that make me feel organized. Overall, my living space is very similar to my room back at home, so overall I wasn’t surprised by anything except the items I now own after a couple weeks of college.

      I have never been high maintenance, or a big shopper. I know so many people that have more items than they know what do with because of consumer culture. It is crazy how the right advertising, a promise to the customer they will feel better, and a seemingly cheap price can influence sales. I strive to find happiness and satisfaction from within, not through the technology or objects I own.

[joyousjohnna555]

Q-Tips

     The inventor of Q-Tips was Leo Gerstenzang. He was born in Warsaw, Poland, but later decided to become a United States citizen. He served in the U.S army in World War I, and was associated with the Red Cross Organization. In 1922, after serving in more organizations, Leo and his wife went back to the United States. The same year Leo founded the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty Co. The company had baby care accessories. 

     In 1923, he was watching his baby daughter in the bath while his wife held her. He thought it was funny to see his wife hold his daughter and attempt to put cotton on the end of a toothpick simultaneously. After watching the cotton fall off, he thought of the risks to his daughter. The cotton could get stuck in the baby's ear or nose, and the wood it’s on could be sharp.

     Leo looked to see if there was already a pre-made swab on a smoother stick available, and he found that no such thing existed. He decided to create a business and fill the need for a product like this. The next step was purchasing a machine to make cotton swabs, but none existed. 

     Several years later, he created his own machine after lots of intense work. His machine took certain sticks of Birchwood that did not splinter, and wound the cotton to both sides of the stick. The swabs were packaged in a sliding tray box so the user could grab one at a time.

     Different names for this product were considered, but they ended up being called “Baby Gays” at first, “Q-Tips Baby Gays” second, and finally “Q-Tips.” 

       A Q-tip gives me the ability to feel clean on a daily basis and complete everyday tasks easier. Cleaning my ears, removing excess nail polish, cleaning in tight spaces around my home is all made easier with a little cotton swab.

   The particular cotton swab I have was made in China. Some facilities where products like this are produced have good environments for workers, but unfortunately others do not. 

     Factory workers in China can be subject to horrible working conditions in production factories. On average, a worker will do a 12 hour shift with short breaks scattered throughout. Only some facilities allow for more reasonable break times, and set meal times. Most times talking, having water at their workstation, and using electronics is very difficult or not allowed. Workers also do not have the right to go on strike or talk about certain things amongst coworkers. On top of all of these things, their wages are low for all they endure. 

    Factories in China that are inhumane exist because large companies can get their products produced for much less cost, and people that have no education sometimes must turn to these jobs as well. Lots of the people working in production factories are working long and grueling hours every day to give back to their families, pay for schooling, and more. Their lives can be very difficult day to day, and have lots of uncertainty for their futures.

 Sources:

https://clickamericana.com/topics/health-medicine/the-history-of-q-tips-and-their-original-name-which-would-never-ever-work-today

https://heimduo.org/who-invented-the-q-tip-and-why/

https://www.laowaicareer.com/blog/life-like-chinese-factory-worker/#:~:text=While%20the%20life%20of%20a%20Chinese%20factory%20worker,some%20people%20out%20there%20can%20lead%20at%20all.

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Key Dynamics of Globalization

1. Time Space Compression

This image is a great example of Time Space Compression because if you send an email to someone they receive it, but it can be seen as slow or an outdated form of day to day communication. Texting and social media go by much faster.

2. Flexible Accumulation

3. Increasing Migration

Pictures are people migrated from Mexico to the United States. Increased migration is pictured because the number of people migrating from Mexico to the U.S in search of better lives, jobs, and circumstances.

4.Uneven Development

In the photo, the man is on an outdated computer that nobody else in his country can access easily. This is an example of uneven development because in The U.S.A for example, we have so much more technology readily available to us.