So, in class today, there was a point brought up that I had never considered (shocking, I know). Anyways, we were talking about what it was like to be a minority in a country. In South Africa, about 10% of the population is white, but in Cape Town it's closer to 20%. So, clearly we are a definite minority; however, to say that one finally understands what it's like to be a minority in The States is certainly a mistake. Emily brought up the fact that while we are a minority in Cape Town, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Whites are not the lower class, rather they are in the upper-most class, even 15 years after Apartheid ended. So, for us to say that we suddenly understand what it's like to be a minority would be a grave mistake. It definitely has taken some adjustment (more for some than others), but I feel like I got used to it pretty quickly. Maybe it's just my personality, because I will definitely admit that I've been pretty much surrounded by white people my entire coherent life (Chaminade? Notre Dame? Really, the most diversity I've got is Koch Park). Anyways, just a thought.
Class is officially over! It's kind of scary, but relieving. I leave tomorrow, which is weird. I'm not talking about it. Anyways, I'll be sure to post at least once more (Nica?).
Till then,
Jason
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
BrAwlma '09
So, one of the many topics to come up repeatedly in class is the Ingroup/Outgroup Effect. What this theory teaches is threefold:
At Notre Dame, groups are incredibly apparent (see TNDSL #24). At Notre Dame in Cape Town, groups are also apparent. While there are only 14 of us, it is very easy to see the groups that are forming. The Dunvegan kids, the Alma kids, the black kids, the white kids, the girls, the boys, etc. There are also groups forming that have less to do with given attributes as they do with similar personalities and friendships. In America, these have come to be known as cliques (I'm sorry, I had to say it).
So, where does Brawlma '09 come in? Well, it all started with two cliques (I'll try to make this as non-West Side Story as I can but it's pretty hard). We were in someone's room when mounting differences started to divide us. At first, I thought that our differences were reconcilable, but I soon realized that wasn't necessarily the case. And then it happened, BrAwlma '09 (if you haven't figured it out, its a combination of Brawl and Alma, the name of our house). So there we are, duking it out, 4 stubborn-as-hell college students who are all refusing to budge. Never before had our differences been so clear, or at least so clearly vocalized. How did it end, you ask? Well, eventually I walked out because I had places to be, but I'm pretty sure there were no resolutions found, no concessions made, and certainly no compromises.
I find it interesting when things like a mass genocide happen over seemingly insignificant differences (Darfur, Rwanda, Uganda, the Middle East, need I continue?), yet I repeatedly fall victim to the same problem. I claim open-mindedness while I am cemented in my ways. I say that I hate intolerance, yet I am intolerant to those I hate.
In sum, people scare me.
Sincerely
Jason
- People like groups.
- People want to belong to groups [This coincides with Anre's theory that all people have a desire to be a.) loved, liked, and belong b.) unique, special, and different]. In order to belong to a group, there must first be a group. In order to make a group, there must be multiple parties with noticeable similarities and differences.
- People will assign similar attributes to members of their Ingroup, thereby "creating" similarities, and assign another set of opposite or at least contrasting traits to the Outgroup, thus "creating" differences [I use quotes here because they can be made to seem apparent even if they don't already exist].
At Notre Dame, groups are incredibly apparent (see TNDSL #24). At Notre Dame in Cape Town, groups are also apparent. While there are only 14 of us, it is very easy to see the groups that are forming. The Dunvegan kids, the Alma kids, the black kids, the white kids, the girls, the boys, etc. There are also groups forming that have less to do with given attributes as they do with similar personalities and friendships. In America, these have come to be known as cliques (I'm sorry, I had to say it).
So, where does Brawlma '09 come in? Well, it all started with two cliques (I'll try to make this as non-West Side Story as I can but it's pretty hard). We were in someone's room when mounting differences started to divide us. At first, I thought that our differences were reconcilable, but I soon realized that wasn't necessarily the case. And then it happened, BrAwlma '09 (if you haven't figured it out, its a combination of Brawl and Alma, the name of our house). So there we are, duking it out, 4 stubborn-as-hell college students who are all refusing to budge. Never before had our differences been so clear, or at least so clearly vocalized. How did it end, you ask? Well, eventually I walked out because I had places to be, but I'm pretty sure there were no resolutions found, no concessions made, and certainly no compromises.
I find it interesting when things like a mass genocide happen over seemingly insignificant differences (Darfur, Rwanda, Uganda, the Middle East, need I continue?), yet I repeatedly fall victim to the same problem. I claim open-mindedness while I am cemented in my ways. I say that I hate intolerance, yet I am intolerant to those I hate.
In sum, people scare me.
Sincerely
Jason
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Just Breathe
So, I thought that since this journal is technically for Anre's class, I should probably incorporate some sort of blurb on race/poverty/Africa/etc.
But first, I'm going to start off on a slightly different, but nevertheless related note. So, one of my biggest (and many) pet peeves is when people claim to "understand," to "know what you're going through." A lot of times when people say that, they have no idea what you're going through. Yes, they're just trying to be nice by claiming empathy but really, sometimes I just want to tell a ho to shut their trap. So, we're walking through the townships and I overhear a few people make side comments, probably without really thinking, about this experience allows them to really know what it's like to live in poverty. And here I am wanting to scream, because they have no idea! Now, maybe I'm a little too particular with words, but when people say that they finally understand, to me, that just shows how little they understand. We're walking around these townships for a few hours max. We don't get to go inside any of the homes; we don't get to really see the kinds of lives these people live beyond the exterior walls. Most of all, we have no actual concept of what it's like to live there. I started thinking a lot about Nicaragua and how a lot of the people had similar comments. Again, we live there for a week, we work in the village, but we know that in a week we'll be going home to our posh suburban mansions and four cars. So how much are we really understanding? How can we ever really know what it's like to live in poverty? While I would say that it's possible, I would also say that it's incredibly extreme, radical, and dangerous. It would truly require one to give up absolutely everything for the sake of understanding, a step that 99% of the population is not ready to take (I definitely include myself in that group). I'm not trying to criticize these people, because again, I'm one of them, and what we are doing as teenagers is more than what most Americans will ever do in their lifetime. I just hope that people will be able to recognize their experience for what it truly is, and not for any more.
Sincerely,
Jason
But first, I'm going to start off on a slightly different, but nevertheless related note. So, one of my biggest (and many) pet peeves is when people claim to "understand," to "know what you're going through." A lot of times when people say that, they have no idea what you're going through. Yes, they're just trying to be nice by claiming empathy but really, sometimes I just want to tell a ho to shut their trap. So, we're walking through the townships and I overhear a few people make side comments, probably without really thinking, about this experience allows them to really know what it's like to live in poverty. And here I am wanting to scream, because they have no idea! Now, maybe I'm a little too particular with words, but when people say that they finally understand, to me, that just shows how little they understand. We're walking around these townships for a few hours max. We don't get to go inside any of the homes; we don't get to really see the kinds of lives these people live beyond the exterior walls. Most of all, we have no actual concept of what it's like to live there. I started thinking a lot about Nicaragua and how a lot of the people had similar comments. Again, we live there for a week, we work in the village, but we know that in a week we'll be going home to our posh suburban mansions and four cars. So how much are we really understanding? How can we ever really know what it's like to live in poverty? While I would say that it's possible, I would also say that it's incredibly extreme, radical, and dangerous. It would truly require one to give up absolutely everything for the sake of understanding, a step that 99% of the population is not ready to take (I definitely include myself in that group). I'm not trying to criticize these people, because again, I'm one of them, and what we are doing as teenagers is more than what most Americans will ever do in their lifetime. I just hope that people will be able to recognize their experience for what it truly is, and not for any more.
Sincerely,
Jason
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