American Dream

Does the American Dream exist? Should it exist? I've been thinking a bit about this since we discussed in on Tuesday. In some ways it exists, however it is definitely not as attainable as many people believe. There are far too many limitations, as we learned in class, that get in the way of this idealistic dream. Now the question is, is the American Dream a harmful or helpful sentiment. I'm still not so sure. I know that if people believe too much in this, it will be extremely difficult to affect any change. However, it's such a nice ideal, and I think it keeps many people going.. effort full...I remain a bit confused about the pros and cons about such a dream.

final blog!

Hi guys (for the last time)

Just wanted to add in some of my thoughts from this years class. I enjoyed being in a small setting where as a student I actually got to know some of the other students in the class this is the first small class I have taken at UB. Also having the teacher personally know you was enjoyable too. Our discussions were great and this is also my first time taking a class that actually has discussions and not just a lecture and listening and taking notes. This class made me want to take more classes where I can actually add in my opinion. Its nice to actually learn through not only the teachers but through what your peers also have to say. Everyone have a good rest of the year and goodluck on finals!

Thoughts on AMS 107

The class in general was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't think I'd enjoy coming to class, but it was actually fun to hear the discussions and arguments. I think the zine was fun and it was researching experience.

When it comes to the course material itself, I was happy with the topics covered. Some of my favorite discussions we had include the white privilege issue, the detroit urban zoning crisis, and also the food inc. topics. I think the way John and Kritika taught the class was excellent as well, being able to weave together all the course material, and the way you guys carried on with class was great.

I'm going to take a lot out of this course. I'm definately not going to see things the same way in terms of equal opportunity in this country. I'm also going to consider the way media exaggerates things, and laugh at the news for covering mindless things

AMS 107 Final Review

I am not sure how this class has affected anyone else, however i thought that we were exposed to a lot of things that people often sweep under the rug. Being African American, i knew about he blacklist housing for african americans, and i was really surprised that it was brought up in this class. I think that if people took a positive approach to things class they would've learned a lot about other types of people. Someone that is 'sheltered' or has lived around people that look just like them their whole life are often ignorant to the things that don't directly affect them. Also someone that may have judged a homo, bi or trans sexual may change their opinion after this class, after some of the essays we've read. I learned a lot of new things this semester that will help me to be a more well rounded adult. Good Job!

Fast Food is EVIL

Now days since the American culture has changed and women work much more that in previous history the Fast Food business have soured! It is quick, convient and cheap thats perfect right? Wrong! As we all know fast food is filled with salt, sugar and grease that can clog our arteries, give us diabetes and high blood pressure. What exactly is in a hotdog? We eat a lot of things that we have no idea where they've come from. Why are fast food restaurants there still in business if everyone knows the harmful effects? I think that the convince beats out the harmfulness in most people's minds also a lot of people don't think that they'll ever get sick from eating a burger or two from McDonalds. Without Fast Food restaurants mothers would almost be forced to cook for their kids and this may decrease the obesity rate in America. Though it would be nice to do away with the fat burgers and 'diabetes' sodas it is unrealistic because so many people are so accustomed to these restaurants.

Racism and the world

Racism is alive and well in the world still. It's sad, but the truth hurts. As long as there is different races out and about in the world there will forever be racism. For people throughout the world, the election of Barak Obama to the U.S. presidency seemed to signal in a new era, that of the end of racism. It's not as noticeable, but racism is alive in the minds of people. Everyone has the same rights in the U.S., but the reason why some people don't become who they want is because of different race and politics.

hometown crisis

im not really sure how much this pertains to our class but i wanted to share with you guys how much my home time is going on a downward slop. so many things have been happening and every single day i hear of something new...literally! a freshman in highschool killed herself because of bullying...then there was the incident where a 10 year old boy walked into his parents MURDERED...the mom with an ax in her throat and the dad had been shot. now the most recent news is about a 15 years old boy setting his house on fire and killing his dad 2 brothers and his sister and mom are in satisfactory condition. this all happened in a 2 week time span. it makes me sick to think that this world is not getting any safer! and to know that that is happening in my home town is crazy. the 15 year old boy may not get as much jail time as he should just because he is under age! ugh it disgusts me.

The dream

The dream for everybody is to have all the money and a good stable job. To have everything you ever wanted and maybe even more. Getting out there and being successful is what everyone is doing. The world wants to be in everyone's hands. The time starts now for everything.

Pop Culture and the world today

Popular culture is a form of commercial culture where movies, television, radio, cyberspace, advertising, toys etc. come into place as things that everyone wants or wants to do. All your favorites and interest is usually pop culture.Most pop culture comes from the media. The media generates signals and has the world following certain pathways. Media such as celebrities and their life, music, entertainment shows, videos etc.Popular culture is different in most places. It depends on where you from or how you were raised. What’s popular to you may not be popular to everyone else.

Food Inc.

I've been thinking about the film "Food Inc." a lot since we watched it. I was pretty disturbed by a lot of the images of the animals being abused. Yet, I eat meat and I still do. I don't think what really bothered me was that they killed the animals, it was how they killed them. It seemed so entirely inhumane. The animals had a terrible life and a terrible death. Turning farms into corporations has obviously done much harm. If all animals were raised and killed as the independent farmer in the film had shown, I would be far less disturbed.

Food Inc.

During the Food Inc. movie, one female from the food industry said how the general public does not need to know about these chemicals they are putting into our food. She wanted to wait until there was more research done so they didn’t scare people. How about you DON’T but these chemicals into our food and perform the research before putting it into our food! Why wait to learn about!
I just couldn’t believe how she thought it was not necessary to tell us about OUR FOOD! We are the ones eating and paying for our food. We should know everything about it! Everything should have labels on it explain the harmful chemcials in there. And if we still eat it, thats our own fault.

House and Ford

I was watching House last week and during the show, one of the doctors was driving a new ford truck. As she was driving she said something like “Oh did you know that if I take a turn too fast, this Ford (whatever model it was) will tell me!” I thought it was kind of weird that they were talking about cars during a doctor show. When the show went to a commercial the first one was about that same truck! It also said that this House episode was sponsored by Ford. I guess the big name companies really do control what we see, hear and watch.

Sexism

I saw this and thought it was a good representation on how companies look at women and men in corporate America. For the zine I did a lot of ads that looked at the way gender is stereotyped in the media. It is interesting that I found a cartoon about how the interviews go for different genders when trying to make it in the news business. With all the female correspondents and talk shows, and anchorwomen out there today, do they really still treat them on such opposite ends?

Occupy What?

The other day is class when we were talking about how to make changes in order to resolve all the problems and inequalities and privledges and we agreed that protesting in a pretty efficient way to do this.protesting at UB would get a lot more done than protesting in the United States. I feel like UB is a proactive, openminded community that actually listens to what the students have to say. The whole United States, however is not proactive at all and has been stuck in its ways for years. So for something like Occupy Wallstreet to try to change something so deeply rooted in our society, they had their work cut out for them. I actually appreciate what Occupy Wallstreet is doing, as they are making a lot of people aware of what is going on in our country, but the bottom line is that nothing is changing as a result of it. This is why I have little faith in protesting. Even if the protesters are peaceful, you will still get arrested and your ideas will be shot down. Nothing has become of Occupy Wallstreet after months of intense media attention and hundreds of arrests. It just makes me think, "Will anything ever change?"

My American Dream

I think that the first thing that should be thought about when mentioning the American Dream, is the name itself. It's the American DREAM. Just a dream. We all have them every night, but does that mean that they will come true? Of course not. The American Dream is an imaginative thing that was made up in our parents generation. I think the validity of this dream has faded entirely as years go by. In terms of what I consider to be my American dream, I just want to be happy and live comfortably, that's all that I really want out of life. I don't think that I will ever be a billionaire or millionaire. I will probably work my whole life, with a successful job and a family of my own, in a house that is reasonable for the amount of money I make. I aspire not to struggle throughout life, and anything greater than the things that I just mentioned would be a genuine surprise to me. I think that it is important to think realistically about your future and not to get too crazy about this so called American Dream.

Friends on the Hill

4 Blackwater employed truck drivers were ambushed, shot, burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah. Certainly a sad day, but it needs to be examined more closely. These drivers were knowingly sent into a dangerous area with vehicles that WERE NOT ARMORED and had no rear gunner for protection. Sending these men on this route like that is a common practice among private contractors in order to make more money. The families and loved ones were never told the truth and still are not. Once they sued Blackwater, rightfully, the contracting giant fired back a $10 million counterclaim, saying that these men signed a contract not to sue Blackwater. This is beyond wrong, this is pure greed. These companies run wild in Iraq burning whatever is slightly damaged so that the government can buy them a new one. Not only do they get away with murder and robbery but they get away with it. They are backed by the government. When you have Dick Cheney on your Board of Director's and other high ranking Department officials, you can get away with it. They have a lot invested in these private contracting companies so they will do whatever it takes to protect them. And it keeps the troops in Iraq, which allows these companies to get even more contracts. They want the troops to stay in Iraq.

The clown

I saw this while I was stumbling the other day and I really thought it was true. Especially after seeing super size me, it shows how much our country has become so accustom to the  fast food. In Food Inc. it talked about how McDonald's came to be and how it in turn changed the way we packaged food. Not only in quantity but in quality as well. Do you really think something can be done to stop this company? and if so do you think the success of the fast food industry relies on McDonald's success.

Response to Food Inc.

After having watched Food Inc. I must say I was pretty disturbed. I guess the thing that bothered me the most was the treatment of the animals. It really sickens me to the point of not wanting to eat meat. But the fact of the matter is that I won't stop. I feel like this is how a lot of people view this as well. We all don't want to see animals being mistreated and not being fed and being raised in horrible living conditions, but will that really stop any of us from eating a quick and easy hamburger on the grill? We are not subjected to seeing how these animals are treated on a daily basis so it is pretty much an out of sight, out of mind kind of thing. Also, it is way too convenient to just stop into the grocery store and pick up some chicken or pork or beef. Not to mention that it is pretty cheap as well. The way are food system is set up, is pretty manipulative and set in its ways. We can all try to eat organic or become vegetarians or vegans, but the majority of people will continue to eat the way that they have been eating for years. The only way I think that this can change is a major recall in food that probably would have to result in thousands of deaths for people to realize the dangerous way our food is produced. The fact is that cheap food is conveniant and usually what most of us can afford, so that is what we are going to keep on buying.

Legal Way to Steal Taxpayers Money

Blackwater, KBR, Halliburton, Titan, Parsons. Most people have only heard of Halliburton, if any. These are all government sponsored private contracting companies, and it's a huge industry. Halliburton reels in about $18.5 billion a year in "reconstruction and troop support". Parsons; about $5.3 billion in "engineering and construction". About 40 cents our of every dollar Congress controls goes to contractors. 40 CENTS!! With that in mind, these contractors aren't even doing much good in Iraq. These companies are scamming the government and pocketing taxpayers' money. They go into Iraq to help soldiers that don't need help, often times just wasting a soldier's time so that they can get paid for what that soldier already was doing just fine. The average cost for a bag of laundry to be done is $100. They even run empty trucks to make money for driving the routes, and often times these drivers are put in direct danger. They even put soldiers in danger by cutting corners to make more money. Instead of running a 24/7 cafeteria for our troops, these contractors only run mealtimes at certain points of the day. This allows them to make the same amount of money but only have to work a much smaller amount of time. Not only an inconvienience for the troops, but a danger. Once insurgents find out what time the troops eat, they attack during mealtime while they are vulnerable. This is the legal scamming of taxpayers' money and a disgrace to the American people every second these contractors are allowed to treat our troops and us like cash cows.

Hand gripping the neck

I was in my American pluralism class the other day and we were watching a film called loose change 9/11. It was about the conspiracy theories behind the collapse of the world trade center. The bigger picture behind the whole thing was that our government is being controlled by the major industries of the U.S. to bend in order to give these companies more profit. This movie really shows just how much our every day lives are controlled by consumerism. We talked about it in class and I believe the question was asked how big does advertisements and media, and all these things contribute to our everyday life? If you believe in this movie then its clear that it plays a huge role. I for one am worried for our future if the major industries can control the government to the point where they would devise a plan to attack their own country and kill thousands of innocent people.

Decrease in Activism?

What happened to the days when college students openly demonstrated in public? I think activism has decreased in teh past decade or so with our generation. Back in the 60's and 70's, more students followed our country's politics and issues more closely than we do now. I think that we have become distracted with material fantasies and pointless technologies. We are losing focus on things that are going on that will shape the world we live in. We aren't aggressive enough with the protection of our rights and when we want something from our government, we shouldn't just leave it to Congress and a few interest groups, but rather take the matter into our own hands and demand it till we get it. What better way to let our elected officials know what we really want?

The American Dream 2.0

The American Dream certainly has been achieved by many, but did these people strive for the picket fence and the whole 2 1/2 kids thing? Or are they just trying to provide for their family and live comfortably? I think the American Dream is strongly material-driven, as it was back in the day as well. Since the 40's and 50's much has changed about our ideas of what is important and desirable. A family came naturally back then; I think now many would say that they wouldn't find that a requirement. Decades ago, starting a family and providing for them once you became wealthy was much more common than it is now. And nowadays divorces are much more common. Also, nowadays there are many more young people that succeed and can afford all those materials, but don't necessarily want to settle down with a family yet. They still have time to get richer and climb the material hierarchy.

Corporation cover-ups

After watching the Food Inc. documentary, it reminded me of the Wal-Mart documentary which I watched in another class. A lot of it has to do on how they miss treat their workers. In one part of the video it talks about how Wal-Mart ignores a black man who complains about other coworkers who are making racist comments about him to his face and play pranks on him because the color of his skin. It is really surprising to me that at places that are so successful, they can turn a blind eye to the mistreatment of patients that make their company so successful by putting up with the fact that they are asked to stay and work overtime without being paid for it which is illegal. We as a society need to stand up and put a stop to these companies so that everyone can have a better life. It’s not hard to do because as seen in the film people all over the country have started to protest the building of Wal-marts in their towns and have won.

food inc.

After watching the Food Inc. I was amazed at the conditions of both the workers and the animals. I knew that conditions were poor for the animals but I didn't realize that the animals were at their own "farms" where they were bread to slaughter. Whats even worse is the way they do it; making them so fat that they can't walk or move, picking them up by a fork lift. The workers aren't better off either. They worked in there and their finger nails fell off. This brings up the question, if its so unsanitary how can it be ok for us? They answer that by showing all the diseases that outbreak from poor manufacturing. It really repulses me to think of what actually goes into making the food I like to eat.

American Dream?

I was thinking about the discussion we had on Tuesday about what the American dream is today? We talked about the whether we thought it meant something different to someone else and I believe it does. While it could mean the white picket fence for some people, for me its what I am trying to achieve right now; becoming an architect and landing a decent job. When you live the dream it might not be what you think. I could become an architect but make very little money. I believe every dream should be realized with caution or else you lose sight of whats important; being happy. A lot of people I believe that if you live better then your parents then they are doing well. I remember a quote from a song called National Anthem by Less Than Jake which goes like "My American dream is to have it, a little bit better than my parents ever had it." and "one of my best pieces of fiction. And it's called I'll be getting by and I'll make ends meet. Just a forty our week has you bent at the knees and they can't even see that everything's kept just out of reach."

being gay in the military

Last night I was watching the real world and the topic of gay men serving in the military came up on the show. Zach on the show clearly protested and did not support gays being in the military. This really angered me. They are still people and are still risking their lives for us just like everyone whose straight in the military. What difference does someones sexual orientation make? They are fighting for our country and just because they are homosexual doesnt mean they shouldnt be able to. They risk their lives everyday for so many people who dont appreciate them.

What is this world coming to

http://http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/566246/teen-charged-with-murder-and-arson-for-deadly-fire/

This is the second tragedy in the last two weeks involving a Rochester area high school student and being from Rochester myself this hits real close to home. I dont know why these events are happening and if they are a result of bullying or not but when I was in high school events like this just didnt happen. I never experienced bullying and trouble like this that I wasn't able to overcome but it seems like people are either getting more cruel to others or just getting crazier. All I know is that these last two weeks have been really saddening for the rochester community

My American Dream

I don't need much. By the time I graduate I'll have racked up quite a bit of debt, but if I'm fortunate enough to find a job in my field(physical therapy) I should be able to live comfortably as I pay it off. I don't need a big house or a fancy car; I would rather have extra money to spend on travel. Give me an older house with character and a healthy family and I'll be set. Even though this may seem pretty modest, for some people it is tough to attain. I am lucky enough to be getting a decent education that should give me some security throughout my life, but for others this isn't so easy.

Money rules

I believe that money is the root of evil and it rules the world. With a lot of money, you have power and respect. Money is the reason why everyone is in college and why everyone is trying to reach success. Money is what separates the men from the boys. Whoever said money can't buy happiness? That is a complete lie because money can buy you anything you want.

Lost faith in the American government

I fear that as a nation we become too divide amongst ourselves to ever even hope to begin to fix all the problems we’ve discussed in class. The petty infighting of congress has reached the point of infuriating. When I registered to vote I choose to be an independent because I cannot stand the two party system. Each side has become so consumed with only voting along with the rest of their party, that no voter or congressmen makes an independent decision anymore. This blind voting along party lines always ends in a stalemate. Take the recent debate on budget cuts for example, neither side could work together long enough to cut a fraction of our spending. And we want them to tackle the issue of wealth disparity of this nation… good fucking luck with that. Everyone, republicans and democrats keep calling for change but each side is so polarized in its views that there is no hope left for compromise. It’s logical to expect each side to make concessions here and there to reach an agreement in order to implement change. But when both sides refuse to give an inch, we remain dead in the water while our problems only get worse. Do the two parties honestly expect to get what they want all of the time? I mean it’s a lesson I learned when I was five, you don’t always get your way and not everyone is going to agree with you, deal with it. It’s stupid, Americans have and always will be divided in our views, but there is a middle ground to be found that has to be found. It’s time for our government to stop acting like children and start making an honest attempt at improving our country as a whole. Politicians have become so concerned with furthering their party’s agenda that is has become detrimental to this nation’s stability and unity.

Resources

Hi everyone! As the semester winds down, we wanted to leave you with a list of resources that you might find useful in case you wish to continue to explore some of the topics/issues we have read about and discussed in our class. Enjoy!

Books:

General History
- People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn
- Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American history textbook got wrong, James W. Loewen

Contemporary Native American Issues and History
- Custer died for your sins: An Indian Manifesto, Vine Deloria
- Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide, Andrea Smith and Winona LaDuke

Race/Whiteness
- Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race, Matthew F. Jacobsen
- Working Toward Whiteness: How America's Immigrants Became White, David Roediger
- The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism, and White Privilege, Robert Jensen

Class
- Where We Stand: Class Matters, bell hooks
- Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich
- A Brief History of Neoliberalism, David Harvey

Gender/Sexuality
- Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, bell hooks
- Manhood in America: A Cultural History, Michael Kimmel
- This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color, Ed. Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua

Prison Industrial Complex
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness, Michelle Alexander
- Are Prisons Obsolete, Angela Davis

The Food Industry
- Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, Raj Patel
- Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, Marion Nestle
- Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser

Here are some blogs/websites that you might find useful:
http://www.racialicious.com/
Sociological Images
http://blog.angryasianman.com/
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com/
http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/

If you know of any other resources that might be useful, please do share those in the comments!