Class evaluation

There are many things I can say about my class room experience but I will attempt to fit it into a reflection that can be read in one sitting. I must begin with the content taught during this class. I found the content to be very appropriate and meaningful. The topics we often discussed in class were relevant and were applicable to real life situations. I found myself in many instances asking the question “How does this information relate to my profession or life in general?” I appreciate how the body of knowledge that I have obtained challenged me to grow as a pre service teacher. One the most intriguing topics discussed during this semester was culture. The many illustrations and example through your life as an educator caused me to reassess how I evaluate culture and the belief, values and attitudes of that culture. I found the work load challenging especially for a six week term. Although it was challenging it was necessary. I felt the work load I experienced will prepare me for my upper level studies and potentially a graduate degree. I am thankful that you did lower standards although the class whimpered murmured, cried and pleaded. I found the work to be very meaningful. The reflections gave me the opportunity to express my thoughts and give meaning to our studies. I believe that the reflections were a very important aspect of the class. The lesson plans were challenging also. I received good grades for my lesson plans prior to this semester. The criterion that was now being asked for the lesson plans caused me to strive towards producing better work. I enjoyed finishing the lesson plans more than doing them. The class as a whole was pretty well behaved. There were few distractions during class and the environment was conducive for learning. I found the computer accessibility in the class helpful through the duration of the semester. If I had to grade the class experience I would give it an “A”. As for the professor, I found your approach to teaching effective. You helped understand things which I was sketchy about and was willing to provide assistance outside of class. Although you set high standards it is evident that you are a professor who cares. I truly feel like for the first time in a long time that I am in college. Your vast knowledge on the topics covered during class surprised me. It is obvious you are a brilliant individual. I appreciate the compliments and the criticism given when needed. If I had to grade you I would give you an “-A” because you never told us exactly what you belief concerning God.

Transsexuality and Intersexuality

I understand an intersexual is someone who has a mixture of male and female traits. For example there are intersexual people who have an ovary and testes. The most familiar type of intersexuals are called the hermaphrodite. There are three types the true hermaphrodite, male psuedohermaphrodite and female psuedohermaphrodite. The true hermaphrodite has one teste and one ovary. The male pseudohermaphrodite is a male based on their chromosomes. They have no ovary but they have some features of female gentiles. Based on their genetics the female psuedohermaphrodite is a female although they do not have they have ovaries. They also have features of male genitalia. These intersexuals are usually a result of increases in certain hormones and or androgen insensitivity. Transexuals are individuals who are born in who believe that they were born in the wrong body. For example transsexual males believe that they were supposed to be a female. This is very startling because these individuals are not sexually ambiguous they are either biological males or biological females and yet the psychological experiences dictates to them otherwise. People make the common mistake with confusing homosexuals with transsexuals. There difference between a homosexual and a transsexual is the homosexual believes that they are who they are biologically but they are sexually attracted to the same sex, where as the transsexual believes that they were supposed to be the opposite sex. Transsexual male likes males because he believes he is a female where as a homosexual male believes he is a male and like males. These transsexuals’ beliefs of themselves are so strong that they would go to great lengths to become the sex in which they believe they are. There are many of them who undergo sex change surgery. This surgery is called Sex reassignment surgery. The sex reassignment surgery is a procedure where males are constructed a virgina, breasts and other female exclusive features. For the women this surgical procedure constructs a penis and other male exclusive features. These individuals will also take hormones to increase and reduce sexually exclusive traits like facial hair, breasts and muscle. The information that I have acquired during this study has been useful to me in the way I will deal with these individuals with sexual anomalies. This information has provided me great insight and now I will refrain from quickly judging a book by its cover.

Homosexuality

I believe there can be many intrinsic factors that can lead to homosexuality. I do know that scientist cannot pin point a exact cause for homosexuality. I am also aware of the scientific research that is being conducting today where scientist looking for genes that can be a predisposition for homosexuality. One way I believe how homosexuals come to be is experiences during early childhood and adolescents. Children who display a secure attachment that greatly exceed the attachment between the child and the same sex can be a predisposition for homosexuality. This idea sounds funny to most people because of the concepts of “mama’s boy” and “Daddy’s girl”. There have been many studies which demonstrate many homosexual men having a great sense of security in their mothers as opposed to their fathers. As young boy bonding with your father is important. Through the bond of a father, sons learn how to socialize and connect with boys in school. Here is the problem when this does not occur these young boys tend to assimilate themselves with what they are familiar with. Since these young boy bonded with their mothers and not their fathers when they start school they associate themselves with the opposite sex. During early years of childhood children begin to demonstrate gender associated play. These boys who are comfortable with girls still have the desire to bond with males but if not handled properly this desire to be with other boys become sexual. For many homosexual men these experiences of sexual desire for the same sex start around ten years of age. This desire become increasingly great and drives them to becoming full blown homosexuals. There are other ways people become homosexual like traumatic life experience like rapes and molestation. After my studies my views of homosexuals have not really changed. I think because of my beliefs and values as a Christian people think I hate homosexuals or I am homophobic but, this is far from the truth. I live in Miami shores and have plenty of homosexual neighbors in which I socialize with from time to time. I do not agree with their life style but I do not consider them to be less than human. My studies help me to have a greater empathy for them. I learned as young boy to love my neighbors as myself and this principle has translated into all areas of my life. I find the general population and even some Christians to not act in love concerning individuals who hate and hold bitterness in their hearts towards homosexuals. In closing, I do not believe we can ever explain why and how every homosexual has come to be.

"Tale of Two Islands"

As a Haitian-American this article hits very close to home. I know several individuals that have risked their lives to get to America. There are even members of my distant family that crossed the sea by way of a small raft for an opportunity to give themselves and their families a life that they could not obtain in Haiti. This article provided me the opportunity to revisit these stories. When we consider policies for Cuban migrants in contrast to the policies set in place for Haitian migrants it is quite discouraging. We have a clear bias towards a particular set of people. Haitians are not allotted the same privileges as Cubans because of the stigma that is attached to being a “Boat person”. I can remember the rumors about the introduction of aids to America through Haitian migrants. I found these rumors ridiculous and extremely offensive. I have been to Haiti three times in my life and I remember the condition of many of the cities I have visited. As a young boy I saw poverty, oppression and hopelessness for the first time. It was an experience that stays with me even today. I believe it is unfair how America has dealt with Haitian Migrants. I think the article “Tale of Two Islands” does a great job in exposing the heart of America and the American agenda. I can honestly say that immigrant policies are set up at the disadvantage of Haitian migrants. It’s amazing to see how resilient the majority of Haitians are in Miami but yet they are not largely accepted. Here is another instance where the demon of racism is asserting its authority over U.S. policies. America and the U.N. have inflicted a large amount of damage to Haiti’s economy and government. One would assume based upon the great suffering of the people imposed upon them because an unstable government the U.S. would give Haitians political amnesty. As much as I love this country I strongly disagree with the way the discriminate against Haitian. What I found very ironic is how Haitians oppressed and denied the same privileges as Cubans when they assisted in the civil war to free the south. I remember the stories I heard about America exploiting America and depleting Haiti’s natural resources and found it hard to believe. After reading this article, testimonial and personal research it is true. America has taken everything from diamonds to gold. I believing charges can be made on institutional racism but it will take shift in the beliefs and the attitudes of the general public. As long as the majority does not see an issue this racism will continue.

Race and Racism

As I reflect on what I have learned about race and racism I cannot help but to remember the images that were in “The Concept of Racism” article. It is sad to see how most Caucasians viewed people of color just a few decades ago. As a matter of fact some still view colored people the same way now. One of the most interesting aspects of racial bigotry is how it can be handed down through generations. We can observe generations that handed racial bigotry down to their offspring and it see how their ideas are not even challenge by their children. This is a perfect example of accepting truth by authority. Once these children come to the stage of being able to think abstractly and analyze their beliefs, values and attitudes they are often faced with making a decision. But this was going on in the 50’s and 60’s but it was more popular to exploit, humiliate and oppress people of color and those Caucasians who advocated for the people of color often met the same fate as the oppressed minority. One of the most important things I learned about race and racism is how to discern the differences of racial bigotry and racism. Understanding this concept changed my perception of racism. The contrasting difference between racism and racial bigotry is that racism is the institutionalization of racial bigotry in government law. This means that individuals who commit murder, hate crimes, harassment, oppression and other such behaviors are justified by the law for their actions. The most powerful statement I have heard about race is that there is no race. This idea was established by man and his has been consistently used as a means to separate or distinguish people. The reality is that we all come from the same place whether we want to accept it or not, this concept is only logical. I also obtained more information on many events that occurred throughout the course of the transformation of this nation. Surely the nation was giving birth and experienced great hardship through the labor pains. There were many lives taken by the demon of racism. I found it shocking how just a simple wolf whistle became the motivation for brutally murdering a young boy, Emmitt Teal. Sometime when I think about how United States elected a black president it makes it difficult to imagine that these monstrosities were going on in this country.

The Holocaust

There is much to say about the atrocities of the Holocaust. I must begin with discussing how Hitler was able to accomplish such a crime that redefines hate. In order to slaughter millions of innocent people one must first dehumanize them. I believe it would be difficult to murder millions of people if one is constantly reminded of how these targeted individuals are human. Once one has successfully convinced the general population that the target race, ethnic group or culture is less than human then it is easy to exterminate them. In the eyes of most who participated in this repulsive hate crime the victims where nothing more than animals. Hitler was applauded by his followers because they perceived him as doing the world a great service. One often observes the worst comes of people in groups. There are behaviors that people do not exhibit unless they are in group or crowd and they find safety in the multitudes. Understanding this concept I’m sure that there were many that were participators and they performed orders that they would not have if they did not have reinforcements and encouragement by those around them. Now let’s observe the problems that have been a so far. We have a neurotic charismatic leader, a ethnic group or groups that targeted and labeled as less than human, a are a nation that adores him, institutionalization of these ideologies and his ideology and the general population reinforcing these heinous ideas. This is the recipe for a holocaust. I find it very disturbing and the worse part about this event is that it can happen anywhere and is still happening in other places in the world. The testimonies of those that survived are compelling, stomach turning and touching. The Jews and other ethnic groups suffered unimaginably at the hands of Hitler and the Nazis. I found that those who survived and have moved passed those horrors in their lives prove the resiliency of those people. As for those who do not believe it really happened, I believe they are insensitive, sadistic and foolish. When some individuals say it didn’t really happen I believe they are trying to find a way to not hold themselves accountable for what happened. It is sad that people can actually make that people have the boldness to even speak those words out loud. That is a feeble attempt to clear their conscious of wrong doing. I find it disgusting and disappointing that these events happened and even more depressing that people can say that it never occurred.

Cultural Chauvinism, Cultural Degradation, Cultural Pride

Cultural chauvinism, Cultural pride and cultural degradation are all aspects of ethnocentrism. In order to compare and define these aspects of ethnocentrism we must first have a clear definition of ethnocentrism itself. Ethnocentrism is the simple belief of the superiority of an individual’s culture. Ethnocentric individuals often believe that their culture is superior to others in every aspect. Chauvinism is an unreasoning devotion to race, sex, country, region and ect. When we add culture to chauvinism we now have an unreasoning devotion to one’s culture. This cultural chauvinism is the beliefs that one’s culture is superior and one can infer from the article that cultural chauvinism is accompanied with acts. In order for this to be an ism it had to be implicated through government practices. One example of this is the oppression of men who were not European men throughout the history of America. Men who belonged to minority groups were oppressed and had their rights as American men and citizens alienated. The law during those periods allowed cultural chauvinist to be justified in their oppressive, prejudice and degrading behaviors. Cultural degradation is the feeling of one’s culture being inadequate. Cultural degradation is normally followed after the oppressive acts implicated by cultural chauvinist. Those who are victims of cultural degradation often have a sense of low self esteem, self hatred and low self worth. They give into to the beliefs of chauvinistic people after continual discrimination and oppression. Last Cultural Pride is a healthy esteem in one’s culture. This differs from cultural chauvinism because it does not condone discrimination, oppression and overall superiority of one’s culture. These people also engage in healthy political action that affects their culture in many ways. They also raise awareness of microcultural thoughts. It’s like having school pride in school. One thing we should be mindful is that most cultures adopts beliefs, values and attitudes from other cultures. Many cultures have interconnecting beliefs, values and attitudes which prohibit them from being completely exclusive and unique because of similarities. Is there such thing anymore as a complete unique culture or a “Pure Culture” (meaning untainted from its original state)?