posted by Sam and Michelle
Post your 450 word (minimum) comment and 100 word (minimum) response to a classmate. You should be responding to the lecture about affirmative action. You can write anything you want about whatever you hear in the lectures.
Lesson 14 Blog 7/13/10
I really do not think inequalities will ever be solved. I mean all the opportunities that you have are as a result of the equality standard that you live. I have used nepotism to get summer jobs during college. My mom works at a hospital and I would work in a department in the hospital for the summer. That is not it, I would also get a pretty good pay. For the first summer I was making $9.50 an hour for filing papers. The second summer I got a raise from $9.50 to $10.50 basically because my mom work in the hospital.
I would always want to be the victim of nepotism and when I have kids one day I am going to be sure to use my resources so they have a beneficial life. I mean from these opportunities gates open up and you do not have to work as hard as the other person coming up in the rank. Who would not want their father to be the CEO of a fortune 500 company and you know that as soon as you step out of college you are easily making six figures. If I had that opportunity I would definitely take that offer, you would be crazy not to take it.
I think that affirmative action is a weird word to actually define. Most people think of black people trying to get money from the whites when they hear affirmative action. I just do not think that these people really sit down and think what the definition of affirmative action. I think that people just get pissed at the word because of the label that has been given for the word.
In addition to nepotism, Penn State is all for this. Penn State believes in the networking theory, which is not a bad theory but it is definitely nepotism. I know that if you network and have ton alumni that you talk to then you will most likely get a job. It does not start just when you get into college because you can benefit from your families nepotism. See if your parents graduated from Penn State then you can build of their network and their friends. This is continuing the nepotism because if one of your parents friends that they graduated with is working for a company that is in your interest all your parent has to do is make a phone call. Then you can submit you under worked resume which they will not even look at and they you can get through to the interview process. Then if your parent’s friend is the interviewer well most likely you have known this person for a portion of your life so you are comfortable talking to this person. Of course you will get the job with a good pay because of nepotism!
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dancediva2191 Reply:
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Posted: 7/3/10
Due: 7/7/10
I couldn’t agree more that you want to be the victim of nepotism and you want to be able to use your connections to get ahead. The part about nepotism that bothers me is that when people do not work hard and yet they benefit and get opportunities they shouldn’t. Like I have a friend who is walking into dad’s business and has known from the time he was 2 that the business was going to be his, he has always fudged his way through school and got alright grades but he could have done better but he didn’t because he knows it wouldn’t matter because he had a job within a business that would eventually one day be his. That is what bothers me about nepotism. If he worked hard and deserved the job that would be a different story and I’m sure we all know people who have this type of situation.
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cym5201 Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 4:56 am
I definetly agree with you. Heck I used my families name for everything. I now use my husbands name to my benefit also. However, when I used my families name or when I use my husbands name, I try to make a name for myself. When I used my families name back in Pittsburgh, I got the job I wanted, discounts, whatever. This was partially because I think, people thought my grandfather was in the mob, so not true! But back thenI didnt care, I just wanted an easy way in, and then I would make a name for myself. I have friends who have used their mothers name to become apart of different sororities. Yes, affirmitive action, is a name which has a bad rap. Affirmitive Action is not just for POC, but all nationalities.
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crr171 Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I agree with you that inequalities will ever be solved. And I have also used nepotism to get my summer jobs. In fact all of the jobs I have ever gotten had have been a result of nepotism. The first job I got was at a dry cleaners that my neighbor worked at, so she got me the job. And for the past two summers I have been a nanny for a family whose dad works with my mom. I have really benefited from nepotism and when I have kids I will use all of my resources so they have a beneficial life too.
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nrd5040 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
7/6/10
Nepotism is everywhere and I think that everyone has benefited at one point or another in their life from nepotism. I know that I have benefited. The internship that I am working at this summer is a direct result of my father working at the company. I never had to go out and look for an internship on my own because I knew my father had a job lined up for me. Networking and using connections is just the way that society works. It is a way to get a leg. Is it always fair? No, but it is something that has become the norm in society and is a reality we all live with and help perpetuate. Nepotism has been going on for centuries, as the kings and wealthy nobles left their kingdoms or estates to their children. From the look of things it does not appear that this system is going to change anytime soon.
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lmbrown2006 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Lesson 14 response 7/6/10
Due 7/7/10
I believe some people used opportunity to their own benefit some in a good way some in a bad way. And to me Nepotism is wrong to a point but it is a part of life. I to got my current job at the local hospital because of my mom she is currently a 40 year employee, I have been there for 7 years. And as teenager I volunteered at the hospital every summer while in high school but I didn’t have to do the work other volunteers had to do, I got to work in my mom’s department helping her. It’s funny because when I first moved back here I tried to get in the hospital thinking My status of a honorable vet would get me in and over a year went by and I was never called but when I reapplied using my mother’s name they called the next day, I put in my two week notice at the job I had and I’ve been at the hospital every since.
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aks5248 Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Definitely, No question about it. Inequalities are apart of out life no matter what. I got my summer job because my brother put in a word for me to the boss. I now work exactly the amount of hours that I want to and make a good wage all because my brother called our boss one day. If it were not for him, I would be working another bad job making a dollar less and working half as much as I wanted to. It really is about who you know. There is an article in the shadowboxing with race book about how most people on the Forbes list admit that they in fact are completely lucky about their fortune, most being of who they knew to get to where they are now. No one will be willing to give up an offer to be apart of a fortune 500 company, there will be no one who will say, well I don't deserve this, I need to find a job where I work harder. It doesn't make sense unless the person is a Buddhist who gives up all pleasures who denies the job offer.
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liz_11o Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 1:47 am
I can definitely relate to that way you are thinking and experiences you have had. I agree entirely about your statement regarding opportunities resulting from the equality standard you live in. As much as I don't think I am proud to say that most of my opportunities have arisen because of nepotism (jobs, school, etc), I can't say I have ever really tried to stop it. You put it very well when you said always wanting to be the "victim". Especially in my town, nepotism goes a veryyy long way. To this day, my grandfather will still say "we'll get ya in to vet school, just get okay grades, I know people". So I know where you are coming from when you say that you have used nepotism. Finally, I agree entirely with your thoughts on Penn State and nepotism.
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brisnug Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 2:26 am
I agree one hundred percent with what you said in your post. Everyone uses nepotism to some degree, whether it be to get a job, get into a good college, or just about anything else. It is ingrained in our society. Yes, people would be crazy not to use nepotism to their advantage. Networking is a term I hear all the time at Penn State. And it is no coincidence that one of the first things a prospective student is informed of is that one in every one hundred and fifty Americans has a Penn State degree. This is using nepotism as a promotion.
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Posted: 7/3/10
Due: 7/7/10
I think it is interesting to look at the fact that affirmative action and nepotism are pretty much the same thing, but that they are looked at in such a different light. I am also going to guess that all of us have noticed or benefited from nepotism in some way even though we were not the most qualified person. I really do think it happens in the work force all of the time. A teammate of mine sent her résumé to my dads company and he made sure he put the résumé on top and that his boss looked closely at the résumé. It is all about who you know. Just the other day, someone I know told me to put his name down as a reference because he knew the boss and if the boss saw his name I would have a greater chance of getting hired. It is all about who you know and the connections you make.
And most of us do not see a problem with this only when it is benefitting us. I know we do see the problem when we can blatantly see that someone else is benefitting because of who they know. My brother plays lacrosse and was trying out for a travel team and so was his friend. My brother, who is a better player and a year older than his friend, did not make the team and his friend did. The friends dad is the coach. So obviously, we are going to assume that the friend made the team because of his dad, he benefitted from who he knew.
The ten commandment responses I found were pretty comical. It is so interesting to see that people think they are so much better than everyone else. I actually think this is pretty ridiculous but it says a lot about people and how they think they are better than everyone else. The honoring your mother and father question, like why wouldn’t you assume that the majority honor their mother and father. Look around you, the relationship with your parents is something that should be cherished and most people do. We think that we are okay, and that other people are wrong but this really is not the case.
I think it is interesting how Penn State uses admissions counselors to recruit students to come to Penn State who normally might not have thought to come to the school. I do not see anything wrong with this. In my mostly white, suburban school, we had plenty of admissions counselors come to the school to try to recruit students to come to their schools. Like Dr. Richards said, if the sports team can recruit players and the administrators can recruit faculty, why can’t we recruit students who are smart and would succeed at Penn State? It might just open up these students eyes to a world of possibilities that they did not see before.
I couldn’t agree more with what President Obama has said about his girls because they have so many opportunities because of who he is. They shouldn’t benefit from affirmative action. Affirmative action programs should integrate class, race and ancestry. I think this would only help solve some of the problems and more people who need to benefit from these programs will be able to benefit from the programs. We must look at the whole picture.
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Mycouchpullsout Reply:
July 4th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Lesson 14 Blog Response 7/4/10
I thought that the Ten Commandments were also very comical and I am a Catholic. I could not believe these people and how they thought that they can do no harm. It is almost like that mom who has a kid that she does not stop talking about the kid just is an angel in the mom's eyes but when the mom turns her back the kid goes on a rampage and really is not that much of an angel. I mean do these people really think that they are better than everybody? I do not know what goes through some people’s heads in today’s world but it seems like they are pretty self-centered.
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jav5188 Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
It is really unfortunate about your brother. I feel like even if your dad is the coach, you shouldn’t have that advantage. You should be able to show the potential to be that great athlete and then, if you are deserving, you should be rewarded with a position on the team. I also, have seen an example of when a kid slacked in school because he knew his future was already set with his parents business. I feel like this is the downfall of nepotism but there is nothing we can really do about this. The only thing we can do is try as hard as we can to benefit from nepotism because it will never go away.
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Easygoing96 Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
7/7 About what you said regarding recruiters for students to go to a particular university. I understand that's its not really a bad thing because, yes like you said, most of those students would never really have though about that particular school or even college as an option for them. But what about the other students in the school? They are also the victims of their less than qualified school and resources. They are also being subjected to a crappy education and being lost "in the system" but because they aren't seen as good enough to succeed they won't get recruited either. I once heard that there may very well have been people as smart as einstein before and after him, but its all about the timing. He came at a time when technology was no really taped into and became the genius that he is. There are people as smart as him today but you don't hear about it as much because our amount of knowledge is so extensive now, that progress is moving at a slower rate. To my point, these other high school students who are not being recruited, may very well have the potential to be someone great also, but they are being overlooked, so how will we ever know?
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rmb5202 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 2:34 am
I agree that most people have benefited from nepotism and it does happen in the work place all the time as well as in other cases as well. I have the same story as your brothers with my boyfriend. He was trying out for the baseball team for his high school but did not make it because he did not have the connections some of the other kids had. He went to several of the baseball teams games to see how good the other boys were compared to him and they stuck but just because they knew somebody they were on the team.
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This lecture was very interesting in the facts and some of the surveys that were taken to show how this country really operates. First off, nepotism is something that, I feel, can’t be avoided in today’s society. It is one of those things that are encouraged by most people, especially here at Penn State and by various employers as well. I have been told from a young age that I will succeed in life, not because I was the smartest person or because I got the best grades, but because I am very outgoing and very personable. In the industry I am studying, hospitality, it is especially important to network and it is preached in every class that it is who you know not what you know. We are encouraged to make business cards and when we go to conferences, just meet employers, talk to them, and give them a business card because that one time you talk to someone at a conference, it could be that one person that helps you get a job or that person that knows an alumni. Even though nepotism is something that is being frowned upon in this class, it is unfortunately a way of life and a way to get ahead in this world.
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I have also, like Dr. Richards, have been the victim of nepotism when it comes to getting jobs. The only job I actually got myself was the one that I currently have. All my other jobs have come from family members, knowing people that own businesses or just name dropping one of my friends names in an email so that I could get it. To me though, as stated before, I would love to be a victim of nepotism whenever I can because that is the only way we can advance in today’s society.
One thing that I found extremely comical, especially since I am a catholic, was the response to the Ten Commandments and how all these people feel they follow it in daily life. I know for sure that people do not follow this at all. I try to use this in daily life but even trying to do this is hard. The only one that is even reasonable to follow is do not kill. Otherwise, most of those people in the survey were blatantly lying.
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The one thing that I really agreed with at the end of the lecture was the fact that President Obama knows his girls will benefit from affirmative action. I feel like just because you have a notable father, or a notable last name, such as Paris Hilton, doesn’t mean that you should have the right to be able to do what you want when you want, or get the jobs you want when you want.
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jjlayton Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Due 7/7
I agree it shouldn’t matter who your family is everyone should have to work toward a certain goal and not be handed it on a silver platter. However, that’s not how the world is sadly. I’ve had to work hard for everything I have and I’m still working hard, being in college, to achieve the goals I set for myself. I’ve seen other people around me stride through life always getting what they want and never having to work for anything. In a way I feel bad for them because they have no idea what hard work is about and they don’t appreciate anything in life and take advantage of everything and everyone. At least I appreciate the things I have and by working hard my whole life I understand the struggle many people have and I appreciate them and my family for making love and family the most important thing.
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Inequalities are never going to go away. They are a part of life. I wish that life and opportunities could be equal and fair for everyone, but that is impossible because everyone wants different things. I also think that everyone has been a victim of nepotism. Nepotism benefits you. And the majority of people put themselves (and their family) first.
The first time I used nepotism was when I started babysitting. I have only ever babysat for families my family knows. My parents were the ones who got me the jobs, but that doesn’t mean I was not qualified. I have always loved kids and I am really good with them. And with babysitting you have to learn through experience. Today I am still receiving the benefits of nepotism in regards to babysitting. Last summer I was a nanny for a family with twins. My mom and their mom work together so my mom basically got me the job. I still had to interview for it, but she hired me instead of the other girl because she knew my mom. This summer I am a nanny yet again, but it is for a different family. However, the dad of the girls I watch works with my mom too. And the only reason they hired me instead of the other girl is because the dad knew my mom, but I still like to think that I got it because I deserve it. I am highly qualified to be a nanny, but I know the real reason behind being hired.
I plan on using nepotism to benefit me for a really long time. And I think that is the way most people think. If you have the resources, why not use them to your advantage? I am always looking for ways to volunteer in elementary schools around my house because I want to know as many people as possible who can help me get a job when I graduate.
And because my mom has used nepotism to help me, I know that I will for sure use it to help benefit my children. Everyone wants their children to have an even better life than the one they had. And I feel like one way to really improve their life is to use all of your resources.
I think that my favorite part about this lecture was the Oprah video. I have seen it before and it was really eye opening. It is so amazing how different schools can be when they are only an hour away from each other. I have also seen this in person. I went to a very wealthy suburban school district. My school had everything a student could have ever needed or wanted. And then I took a PSU class where I student taught in an urban school. This school looked run down, had very few computers, and no books in the library. It was one of the most depressing things I had ever seen. And the fact that the school was only 45 minutes from my house made it even worse.
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COLOUROFCHANGE Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 1:24 am
Reply 7/7/10
Opportunities can be fair and it has nothing to do with everyone wanting different things, as what you want thousands or millions want the same thing! That is why they don't make on vehicle, or build on house. You have nepotism mixed up with assistance. It was nepotism when they hired you because they knew your parents. It was not nepotism for your mother to say you were good at what you do. That is promoting which is a form of assistance. I think that all parents and people in general should promote their friends and family. The question is are you going to exercise nepotism when it does not benefit the person or the organization? I have seen may people fall using nepotism as sometimes people believe, because there is a tie they can do what they want! In addition, talking about everyone wanting different things…Do you believe you will be the only one applying for the job that you desire? What if every job you desired someone used nepotism and you are out of work for eons because of it? I think you would take a different approach to nepotism. To say you would always use nepotism is to say you support racism, because unfortunately people are hired because of their race not just friendship. This includes ALL races. I have interviewed White and Black civilians, and when I made MY decision and told my superiors they looked at me weird and said, "Wow, I thought you were going to pick the "Sista"! My son is graduating from college and I have been around a long time. I will take it one step further as I have seen this myself. I think you will understand the severity of nepotism once you apply for a job that will "help your family" and the person doing the hiring graduated from Pittsburgh and hates Penn State. There goes your resume in the trash!!!
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soitgoes00 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
July 7, 2010
I agree that inequalities are a part of life. Of course, if we are on the “winning” side of whatever is unequal, we are okay with inequality. Also, everyone wants different things as you said, and I like how Dr. Richards pointed out that some of us want to work and be successful while others are happy under their coconut tree. I actually babysit too and have gotten most of my babysitting jobs due to nepotism – I did not even think of that! I too would like to think I am qualified for the jobs that have been handed to me, even if they have been handed to me. Is this what Dr. Richards was trying to point out when he said we put ourselves up on a pedestal or are we TRULY capable of doing our jobs efficiently? I think it may be a mixture of both. I too will use nepotism to further benefit me and my family. It just seems like the obvious thing to do…
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soitgoes00 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
July 7, 2010
I too have seen the Oprah video before and can relate to it just like you. I went to the “better” school, which also happened to be about 35-40 minutes away from my home district’s school. It is a shame that some children are subjected to such terrible learning environments. It is worse to think that there could be A LOT of really bright kids that could make a significant impact on this world and we are restricting their education and learning capacities. I think school is one place where opportunities could be made the same for most children, and while everything else seems to be unequal, this is one thing the government could equalize but has not yet done.
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MDD1982 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Blog Response for Grade. July 7th.
I have to agree with you. Everyone uses nepotism and I think everyone will continue to use it. Like I said in my posting, I think those who have a problem with it are likely those who have not benefitted from it. Nepotism is everywhere and I do not think it is a white man vs everyone else issue. There are black people who know someone that can get them ahead, there are women who know people to get ahead too. I think people tend to see it as unfair because they are unfamiliar with what it truly is and that they have used it, as some level, in their lives.
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MDD1982 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 12:17 am
Blog Response for Grade. July 7th.
Nepotism is not soley for those who know the right person in the right place for a job; it can be for anything I just think most people relate it to jobs. I am also with you in that when my daughter and son grow up, if I can help them get their feets in the door, then I will. My mother, too, would have given me a foot in the door because of who she knew. Not for a job but because I originally wanted to get into law school and my mother knew (because of her job) our District Attorney and just about every sitting Judge; so getting a letter of recommendation for law school was not going to be a challenge for me. I obviously ended up on a different school course than law school but the point is, my mother would have had me benefit if I had wanted it.
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7/7In some ways I have always understood how blessed I was in many parts of my life. I a house to live in and food to eat everyday, I know I ‘m luckier than more than half of the world. But I didn’t begin to see the extent to which “nepotism” was in my life. My grandparents always talk about all the hard work they had to do to come to this country and establish themselves, and I don’t doubt that they “earned” a lot of what they now have. But I see how that “hard-earned” privilege has become diluted, first through my parents and now to my brother and me. I believe that people have the freedom to make certain choices, but that those choices are more often than not, determined by factors and forces outside of our control. So I had the choice to attend college after high school and be the first generation in my family to do that, but I see how I, unlike the rest of my family before me, didn’t have that choice. My parents have raised me with the idea of hard-work and responsibility of self, but they also are aware and make sure I am aware of the fact that knowing the right people, can a lot of the times, do more for you than anything else. Not to downplay hard-work, because I also think that people tend to appreciate more of what they have if they had to work for it on some level, but if there was an “easy pass” offered to us at some point to maybe skip a few of those hardships, most of us would take it.
I partially agree with the way Barack Obama wants to approach affirmative action. I see how focusing on race alone isn’t the way to attempt to attain social equality and that social class is important too. But it also goes closely with whole idea that we hear of before of “white privilege”. It would probably be easier for a poor white man than a poor person of color to get through certain obstacles and come out on top. (assuming both have the equal will to want to succeed) So how do you decide who gets the benefits of Affirmative Action. This white man in a sense was not responsible for the past of his people (with slavery and discrimination), so should he still be held accountable?
Education is the key to improving our society, in my opinion. Sam is always talking about how he just wants us to know some facts, so that we can make up our own opinions on an intellectual basis and not just be ranting like an idiot with misguided information. It’s easier said than done, I know, but if we invested more resources in educating our people, than in other things, we might have a chance at solving a lot of problems. And now the question is who wants to pay up, for this education plan to take effect? That one I still haven’t figured out, at least not to an extent that people will be happy with.
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sillyjuice Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 2:00 am
I do agree with you that education is the key to improving society because without it, it is very hard for someone to get around in life. Putting importance to not only education but also hard work and dedication will allow people to get far in their careers and in life. My family has always talked about how hard it is to come to this country and establish themselves also and I am very thankful to them because they have instilled the values of hard work in my head. I think that that alone with education can shape someone to be successful as a student or have a successful career. I also think that nepotism can help people out, but education and hard work has more to do with the success a person has.
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macwpsu429 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
July 7th Response
I defiantly have to say I agree with you when it comes to a “hard work free pass,” so to speak. My parents always raised my brother and sisters and I that you can’t get anything without hard work, and it is rewarding to work hard for what you want. From the age of 14 I was always working trying to save for a car, work to pay for a car, work to pay a cell phone bill. I was proud that I had worked so hard and got what I wanted. I would tell my friends how irresponsible they were for not doing things on there own and acted as if I was better than them. Really, I was screaming inside jealous that their parents gave them whatever they wanted and they didn’t have to work. I missed so many events, parties, and social events that I could have been out being a kid and having fun but instead I had to work to pay my bills.
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macwpsu429 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
My parents didn’t just hand me money to do things and sometimes, I wish they would have. Now, I feel confused, when I have kids, do I want them to learn to work for what they have and get out there at 14 to work and make money so I don’t give them everything…or do I give them what I didn’t have? Since I knew how it felt and how much I hated missing out on things because my parents wouldn’t help me, why would I do that to my own child? There is nothing wrong with hard work and there is nothing wrong with sometimes saying you want to take the easy pass.
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Blueskies21 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
7/6/10
As I was watching the lecture I started thinking the same thing. My parents have helped me with little things in the past, but for the most part, everything was on me. This makes me wonder how I should approach this topic with my future children. Of course I’m going to want them to succeed, but do I want them to benefit solely from their last name or whom they know? We all know the saying “you’re supposed to want better for your children” and I know that I too felt left out sometimes and I wouldn’t want my children to feel as such. But it makes me wonder how much I should help them.
Due Date 7/7/10
I do not agree with affirmative action at all, but I do agree that an unbiased system needs to be in place as the “politics” in America runs rampant. I was shocked by the student in the lecture who tried to make an excuse for nepotism for different races of people. I believe people should be employed and promoted on intelligence and knowledge but unfortunately, in my career I have seen people moved along due to friendships and race; all races included! It pisses me the heck off when I see a lazy bum get something that he didn’t deserve. On the other hand, if your friend is the best person for the job, let it happen. I observe people who put a damper on Affirmative Action yet they belong to a institutional fraternity or sorority. Not to include the biggest nepotistic society in the world; Masons, who take an oath that says you will take the Mason first! I must not forget the next, which is the Catholics. I know this for certain as I was hired at a job, but was not supposed to start for two weeks. When the Human Resources manager saw my school ring from a Catholic school and we conversed about Catholic High School, I started the next day! The outlook on Affirmative Action sometimes makes you wonder [if you are a part of the protected class] if it is worth it. Throughout the United States [especially in governmental agencies], there are so many backlashes against employees and lawsuits by White males who revolt against a system they gain from. It all comes down to ignorance I suppose as many of us are to certain aspects of laws. I was at a meeting a couple of years ago and a White male stated he had to wait to get his job because Affirmative Action stopped him and let all the Blacks in first. To his surprise, my girlfriend who is White said that’s not true because I got this job because of Affirmative Action. From the look on his face, you could see he wanted to crawl in a corner. Some people expect to get things handed to them because of their race. I was accused of being a “Whitey Loving, Uncle Tom” as a supervisor. I obtained a squad of officers that I of course knew where Black. Well, slowly but surely I replaced the majority of them because they were bums and didn’t want to work like many White officers. However, I guess they ASS-umed because I was Black I would not get rid of them. What is sad is that I did not realize I replaced them with all White officers until I was called “Uncle Tom”. I was looking for people who worked not race. My Black Captain even bought it to my attention! If everyone followed a similar work ethic and hiring practices, we could abolish Affirmative Action and let the workers work and the bums find their way through life! I am glad Dr. Richards explained why minorities are so frustrated and sometimes they say hurtful words and feel particular ways because the systems are not fair and minority is not a piece of trash.
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kac5293 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I could not agree with you more. I do not agree with affirmative action at all either. It's like if people really want to make society better, then let those who are better qualified get the job, not someone else because there are too many whites or too many blacks, or whatever, that already work there. It does not make any sense to me that if people want to make the job better, or most often a school, then why anyone would bring the dumber people or less qualified people into that school, or into that job? It only hurts the company/school more than it helps, in my opinion.
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7-7-2010
This lecture really made me seem how much inequality there is in the world today. The video with Oprah was very sad because a lot of students today don’t get the same equal opportunities as a lot of other students because of where they grew up. Even though the schools in the video were almost an hour apart, you can see huge differences on the quality of education. A lot of students are really cheated because they are not getting the equal opportunities and not learning in the same environment as other students in the same state, which can really affect the future of a student academically. Seeing this really makes me wonder how much I take my resources for granted, especially going to a school like Penn State. I feel that I am very spoiled because not only is it a very good school academically, it is also in a very nice and well-kept environment. A lot of the schools I visited where in very run down cities and I feel very fortunate to go to a school that honestly has a lot of money to make it how it looks today.
I also found this lecture to be an interesting one because it made me realize how people are affected by affirmative action and nepotism and how similar they are. I feel that 10% of all jobs, admissions to specific programs or schools is connected to some affirmative action program is a lot because it benefits people who may or may not deserve to get the job or into that program or school. In a way I find that it is good that females are getting benefits of affirmative action but I do not think it is fair that most of them are white women. It is crazy to think that affirmative action can really just be another program to help out white men, or white people in general when most people think that affirmative action is suppose to help people of color.
Nepotism is a word not often said but is widely used everywhere, especially at Penn State. Like Sam pointed out, one of the first things you hear coming into Penn State is that you should take advantage of the networking system we have here and that it is a lot about who you know. There are many networking opportunities even being in the Smeal College of business or any school of that matter because of the many socials and opportunities to meet so many alumni. Coming home for the summer from Penn State, I was able to experience how much being a Penn State student affected me. Just for part-time job interviews, I was able to interview with managers of companies who were Penn State Alumni. That alone gave me greater advantage than a lot of the people who also applied for that very same job just because I am a Penn State student and a lot of them were not.
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SaraMae22 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 2:38 am
I agree with you. I think that it’s horrible to know that there are students who struggle because of their school. What happened to this whole no child left behind? Millions of dollars were poured into this program and for what, this exact thing to happen. Those students from that poorly funded high school cant possibly be up to standards with the education system. There needs to be something done about this. Many Americans work hard for there tax dollars and something needs to be done about education. This is the most important thing for young children and it should be sacrificed because of poor funding.
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pennstategirl5 Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 12:19 am
July 6th, 2010 8:16 PM
It is crazy to think that I never really had any type of positive opinion about affirmative action, yet as you pointed out, I go to Penn State. Just the little bit of how you said it has impacted you in getting a job for the summer I could definitely relate to, yet never even considered comparing that to affirmative action. The networking opportunities that arise after attending Penn State are ridiculous and honestly not to use them is dumb, but it is just really crazy to think that two things are so completely similar but thought of in completely different ways.
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ViciousVirgo Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 3:09 am
i completely agree with you with the fact that a school's location can greatly affect the outcome of a person's life. I always say that a change in environment can change a persons life. whether it is a good or bad change, it still happens. For me, i am from Philadelphia but was priviledged enough to live in New Jersey while i went to school in Philly. I had a surburban lifestyle even though i went to school in the inner city. I went to a catholic school and that was a good education but once everybody got outside those doors and went home, it was the opposite lifestyle. There was a hectic environment and it is a very violent bad neighborhood. Since this was the area that the majority of my classmates grew up in, they were not offered the same opportunities as me and they also did not want to take the same route i did. that isn't a problem but it is also due to the fact that they were not surrounded by the same environment i was. I was the only one who went to, what i feel as though, is a respectable, well known, smart school.
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7/7
Taking a good look at this weeks lecture I think that many of us know what affirmative action is, although we may not have know the formal definition we have all be effected by it. First off I thought that it was pretty ironic that nepotism and affirmative action both had the same meaning, of having the upper hand with something because you know someone. I think that there has been a situation that all of us have encountered that affirmative action has not occurred. I know personally I have had many jobs and opportunities because of this. To be quiet honest my career is based around affirmative action. My father in law is the sheriff of Lycoming County and I am a criminal justice major, when I apply I am to put his name down because that looks excellent on my application. I have been raised on the idea its all in who you know. Without knowing someone you really can’t get far. However, there is always a flip to what some see as a great thing.
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There are many children in this world who suffer and one thing is education. The first time I watched the video I just kind of brushed it off thinking o well you know that sucks they go to a crappy school but the second time I watched it, a whole different idea came to mind. These children go to a crappy high school where im sure that there is crime and drugs. They are trying their hardest to make something of themselves but are stuck between a rock and a hard place. How do you change that situation for students who can’t help the way that their school is? I feel horrible knowing that I go to a great school, get the best education and there are these student who would kill to be in my spot.
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ChelAmelia Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
7/6/10
I totally agree with you about the video we saw about the 2 completely different high schools. I have seen it before and didn’t think much about it. This time I really couldn’t believe how unequal the situation really was. The girl who got an A in trigonometry was completely lost and is probably going to have a much harder time in college than the other students. They have no option of what high school to go to. They are bettering themselves as much as they can in the situation handed to them. I’m sure there are some kids that go to the nicer school that slack off and only get by because they have too. Something needs to be done about education and it needs to take place soon before it gets out of control.
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Buddyruse21 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 4:42 am
I completely agree with you about the school systems. I went to a very poor rural school, and I lucked out getting into Penn State. However, I think that you’re wrong in assuming that they would kill to be in your shoes. What happens in some of these very poor schools is that the kids don’t realize that they are being screwed over by the poorness of their school and education. They just assume that things are as they are and you just do what you have to do. At my school, the kids looked at me weird when I didn’t go to the local school for college. It’s what everybody does. I was wrong because I saw how bad my education system was, and decided to change.
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Another thing that I found interesting was about the 10 commandments and where people placed them selves. I almost found it funny to see how people placed themselves. With each question they made themselves look and sound like they were saints and did nothing wrong. Then to take it one step further and place others in a category is something. Like Sam said in the lecture you point a finger three are pointing back at you. I think that an amazing saying why are you going to call someone out on something when you are three times worse then them. I think that this world is so full of judgmental people and cant step past worrying about others they don’t see what really going on in this world. If people just lived their lives and took their blinders off we wouldn’t have the issues we do today.
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07/07/10-Lesson 14 Comment
Initially going into this lecture I would say that I am not a supporter of affirmative action, but I am going into this lecture with an open mind. Because I have viewed affirmative action from a very close-minded standpoint I feel and would like to learn more about it. It was pretty interesting to see that affirmative action accounts for ten percent of new hires, students etc. I initially had thought that it mostly applied to people of color, so I was very surprised to find out that most of the beneficiaries of affirmative action programs are white women. Also, the beneficiairies that are people of color are from the middle class. After not initially supporting affirmative action I already had quite a realization because I grew up with a single mother. I was lucky however because my mother worked for a successful fortune 500 company as a credit manager and was paid very well. Because of my mother's job I was awarded a very good childhood, nice house, good school, nice clothes, vacations. It hadn't occurred to me until now, but I may owe my great childhood to affirmative action. My mother very well could have been hired under an affirmative action program because she is white and of course female. This was a very shocking realiztion for me. I had initially not supported affirmative action because I felt that in the field I am obtaining my Major in (law enforcement) that many over qualified white individuals were losing out on jobs to much less qualified people of color. I still feel that this is the case because I have seen it first hand and have been told “it was to fill quotas” so the part about it being illegal and unconstitutional I don't think that the N.Y.P.D. got the memo. I feel that when it comes to law enforcement the color of someones skin is irrelevant, it should be the best qualified and best performer who should get the position, when the job entails having lives in your hands affirmative action shouldn't even come into play. Nepotism is something that I can't say that I am not a supporter of. It helped me in my current job which is a great launching platform for law enforcement. I have had many jobs that I have obtained through nepotism and I am fully aware that affirmative action is put in place to combat this. I just feel that although nepotism is out of control in the field of law enforcement so has affirmative action. There is no happy medium and it seems as if we are in the midst of a see-saw battle between both. But, I don't think affirmative action will ever catch up to Nepotism.
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charlan10 Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
I to was awakened to my own bias in the world of affirmative action. I just always assumed rather than took the time to become educated on the subject. White women being the number one beneficiaries of affirmative action would never have been my guess. As most people I am sure who know little on the subject would have guess people of another race, but as the white man always does, we protect our interests. Even when people believe there is no beneficial way white people are benefiting from affirmative action we raise the curtains and show you other wise.
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7/7/10-Reply to SillyJuice
I agree with you, the video that was shown was pretty sad, but I must say unfortunately school budgets are based on tax bases and usually reflects the income of the area in which the school is unless state funded. On a side note, I came from an affluent town with a “good” school system and I can honestly say that the highschool shown from the suburbs is very rare and brand new. Most highschools in this country do not look close to that. I also went to a private catholic school where 90% of the students came from wealthy families and the other 10% were on scholarship and that school was in very poor shape as well. So in essence, it was horrible to see but, the reality is a state of the art school such as the one shown is very rare.
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Lesson 14 blog 7/6/10
Due 7/710
In my opinion opportunity is what you make of them if given an opportunity to improve one’s self take it and make the most of it and be thankful. Nepotism is a way of using people, places or things to get what you want or need and this to is done in a good or bad way because some people will use this for good and then some will use Nepotism as a way to take advantage of you, use you and throw you to the side once they got what they wanted. As I stated I did use my mother’s name to get the job I currently have or should I say to get my foot in the door and since I did that I have many opportunities available to me and for my children But I have in two cases tried to do the same thing for people because I now too have a good name at the company and it has back fired in my face. In one case my half sister and she has been working in the same field for a long time so when she needed to find a better job I used myself as I way to get her in the hospital
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And get her interviewed, hired and a start date she did all the paper work and all she had left to do was the drug and alcohol testing and we know the rest she didn’t show up for them so I looked like a fool she claims she got sick and was admitted to the hospital but I know better. Secondly, my first cousin at the time the hospital was hiring through a temp service for some positions I helped her through that process with the information that I knew to get her in my department once in she had to work so many hours to be considered for a regular position in the department she did everything and worked as many hours as she could and there was times I watched her children so she could work more hours so that she could get the hours in before a 6 month time frame. At the time of her max hours I was asked my the director and the managers about offering her a permanent position she wasn’t always the best employee, didn’t try her hardest but she did come to work and she did get her hours in I gave a good word and everything I could do
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to get her in and she did, they offered her a position in the department and as soon as they did what did she do the show her appreciation she began having an affair with one of the boss’s son-in-law and as the cover up she used my husband’s name and friendship as the person she was having the affair with. She was telling her personal business to other employees about this affair but using my husband’s name thinking they wouldn’t come tell me. In turn there was a big confrontation at the job site, I could have lost my job but My manager’s took my side and when the truth came out that it was actually the boss’s son-in-law she was fired because his wife was also a hospital employee. Needless to say I have never spoken to her again and I will never help anyone out again to gain a job at the hospital.
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I am taking some other online classes this summer, and one of the classes is law and society. Part of the class required to do a debate, and had to do research about a controversial subject. Because I was curious about this topic, I decided to look up more on affirmative action. I found an article that dated back to 2007 about this. It stated back in a 2003 a ruling involving the University of Michigan, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a limited consideration of race in admissions to allow colleges to create a diverse student body. However, the voters in Michigan have since passed an amendment to the state constitution that bans the use of affirmative action in the public arena.
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Two other states, California and Washington, had already taken similar steps. This makes me wonder, why not everywhere else? Some arguments state that diversity really helps out colleges or other work areas, but i can't fully agree to that. I found it interesting that in this article, a black man spoke out against affirmative action. he said that "it's often said that diversity has been proven to make for a better-quality education. Has it? How?…" The article continues to explain that people who try to prove it with studies, and none of them are conservatives, find again and again that, as I think we all knew, diversity does not really have anything to do with giving you a more beneficial experience in terms of how much knowledge you have in your head or how much moral wisdom you have in your head after you come from college.
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I found it interesting that they stated that conservatives are not the ones involved in this study, and this can be translated into the assumption that people believe conservatives to be racist. I have an older sister, and when she was applying for colleges she found out that she did not get accepted into one of the ones that she was applying for because she is white. She had a good gpa and her SAT scores were pretty high as well. She found out that a kid in her class, who is Spanish, got accepted into the school, even though he had lower grades and a lower SAT score. This upset her and she automatically knew that it was because of affirmative action. It's like if people want to make society better, and then let those who are better qualified get the right to go to that college, not someone who is dumber. It does not make any sense to me that if people want to make the school better, then why anyone would bring the dumber people or less qualified people into that school, or into that job.
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July 7, 2010
I am very happy that Dr. Richards brought a lot of these truths of affirmative action and nepotism to light. I for one never realized how very similar affirmative action and nepotism were. To backtrack a bit, I was shocked by the realization that most of the ten percent of beneficiaries of affirmative action were white women. I was further surprised when Dr. Richards pointed out that by white women being the beneficiaries, white men receive benefits as well (by being married to these white women). I think it is strange how these programs that are not necessarily made to benefit white males wind up benefitting them in some way.
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July 7, 2010
Before this lecture I was strongly against affirmative action. I believe that people should be hired for jobs or accepted into schools based on their qualifications. However, as a “victim” of nepotism, I now realize that I have been given opportunities without displaying my abilities first. When I was 15 my father got me a summer job at an office; my dad was the Chairman of the Board of Directors who made the executive decisions of this particular office. I started off being paid $8.50 an hour, and by the end of the summer was being paid $9.50 an hour. This was unheard of for someone my age where I live. Today I still hold this job at $12.50 an hour, which is more money per hour than any of my friends make. How did I get this “great job” as my friends describe it? Because I had connections.
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July 7, 2010
For as long as I can remember my parents have told me that it is not what I know, but who I know. I never wanted to believe this because I thought that I was perfectly capable of getting any job I desired or getting into any school I wanted because I could show that I was a good worker and a good student. However, when put up against someone who has a connection, I often lose out. I see now why affirmative action has been put in place. Dr. Richards asked an important question – is affirmative action really that bad? I can now honestly say it is not. I am also one who says nepotism is not that bad. Why? Because I have benefitted from it directly and will make contacts in life so that myself and my family can use these contacts for our benefit. Why do something the hard way when you can just call up someone you know? Why should I go through the rigorous process of applying for an internship when my aunt works at the place I want to intern at and can get me an interview right away?
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July 7, 2010
I do not think affirmative action and nepotism is bad if the people who are “advancing” or “benefitting” can prove that they can handle the job they were given and can prove beneficial to their company, school, etc. I know when I was given my summer job, I worked extra hard to prove that I was capable of doing the jobs handed to me because I did not want to be seen as “the boss’s daughter who got a job handed to her.” I feel like others who are like me may think in the same way and work extra hard to prove their competence. Some, however, may not.
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July 7, 2010
I also wanted to say that I agree that something must be done about our education system. It is so obvious that some children have a significant advantage over others. Sometimes, we can do something about these situations, and sometimes we cannot. I certainly think we should try to level the playing field a bit by giving students the same education on a national level. As the one student said in the video, wealthy people will still wind up benefitting a little more than others, but at least the gap will be closed a little. I believe this is the least we can do. It hurts to think that there are bright individuals out there who are not using their full learning potential because they do not have the opportunities to do so.
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DrCandle Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 7:23 am
7/7/10
I definitely agree whole heartedly with the idea of a national level of education. There are many flaws with our current system including the ridiculous "No Child Left Behind" act which may be leading to some places lowering the standard deemed average and therefore causing the overall intelligence to lower. I think we should give funding to schools equally based on student body size and this money could come from a national tax on all students. I'm sure you can guess, I’m a pro-tax proponent. They are essentially necessary for the system we have established. I feel that the current system of affirmative action is important in evening out the massive gaps caused by nepotism.
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July 7, 2010
Inequality will never go away as Dr. Richards said. The ones who are “on top” will never allow other groups to quite reach their level. While I understand this and admit that I would not want a totally equal nation, I must also say that the current gaps of inequality must be bridged together a bit more. Affirmative action is a way to help bridge these gaps, though I think there may be a better solution out there. What this solution is, though, I could not tell you…
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July 7th Post
I was most interested this week to read the survey given to the high school students. It is funny, being out of high school now a couple of years I can’t help but look back and think, how ridiculous. When you are in high school, you think you are better than this person, this person is a nerd, that person is a loser, that person is the most popular…so on and so fourth. Guess what? Where is that nerd or the most popular now? In high school we spend so much time judging each other and making up our own little clicks, and, none of it, absolutely none of it means anything at all. In my experience after leaving high school, that “nerd,” is now on his way to a masters degree in engineering and doing wonderful respectable things in his life and guess what, miss I am most popular and better than you ended up getting knocked up by mister popular at 18 right out of high school and they split up and now she is a single mother trying to work and go to school.
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In high school we treated each other so horrible, and don’t realize, high school is barely a fraction of what is to come in our lives and you don’t benefit at all from terrorizing one another. Of course, we know that now we didn’t realize that back then. Therefore, I was not surprised by the answers given by the students that they think they are better than such and such and that it was not surprising that some thought they deserved something or acted in certain ways.
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I also found the picture of “I deserve what I get when it is something I want,” to be amusing. Now a days people think that something is always “owed” to them or that they can simply get whatever they want without working for it. That drives me nuts. Although it doesn’t completely relate to it, but this reminds me of youngsters these days. Every child, yes child, about 8 and up has every electronic and gadget that is out there on the market. How ridiculous! These kids get whatever toys they want that cost hundreds of dollars and they are learning absolutely nothing except they can get what they want. I didn’t get a cell phone until I had a job and was old enough to pay for it. I got my own computer when I graduated high school; I got the newest electronics on my birthday or for Christmas, if that. I believe these youngsters are growing up believing they can get what they want because they want it. These kids are not learning responsibility or the value of nearly anything if they are being treated in this manner.
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I never thought I would find myself being like my parents, “back in my day,” but I am finding myself with no other words except those. I shake my head when I see the up and new coming generation, same as I am sure those before me did.
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7/6/2010
I think that everyone will face inequalities throughout their life. Some more than others but everyone will go through some. And like everyone else is saying inequality will never go away. I’ve never really had a lecture about Affirmative Action so this was a completely new topic to me. Listening to this lecture I realized that I have known a lot of people that have used nepotism to get the things they want. I live in a very small town and in high school it was all about who your parents were. My parents were very hard working and were involved in my schooling as much as possible. They didn’t have the chance to be on the school board. Well I had many friends whose parents were on the school board. Needless to say, these kids were always getting to go on special school trips, always winning school awards, and had no problems with any teachers. I’m not saying I have never used nepotism, but I never really had the opportunity. Even in college I have witnessed nepotism. My friend’s mother works for Penn State. She throws her name mother’s name out as much as she can, especially when she was applying for Graduate School. Yeah, it makes me a little mad, but if I had a family member that worked for Penn State I would probably do the same thing.
The slides about the Ten Commandments really made me laugh. People really will try to make themselves look better in any situation. I am a Christian and I will admit I don’t follow all of the Commandments. The one that really stuck out to me was the one about envying thy neighbor’s possessions; I think there was 71% that said they don’t do that. I in no way believe that. I will be the first to admit that I get jealous of other peoples things such as cars and iPhones.
The one thing I have heard about a million times since being at Penn State is the word network. Many, many teachers have told me networking is the most important thing you can do. It is so true. The world is really all about who you know. I am someone that doesn’t really have a name to throw out to employers. No one in my family is in or knows anybody in the field I am going to work in. I can’t use nepotism. So I must start networking.
The Oprah video was very eye opening. I have seen it before but to watch it again makes me even more aware of what is going on. This isn’t only a problem in Chicago it’s a problem everywhere. To me kids and their education are the key to the future. Every child should really have equal opportunity. In my high school we had no swimming pool and only 4 sports teams. We lived about 4 miles away from a school that had about every sport and 2 swimming pools. That doesn’t bother me as much as the educational opportunities. When I came to Penn State I met someone who had already had 36 college credits because of the classes that were offered at his high school. My high school offered 3 credits. This is clearly an example of inequality. What can be done to fix this? Whatever it is, it needs to be done soon.
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7/6/10
I think this was a great lesson and was something we could all relate to. Nepotism is a great thing and I certainly am thankful that it has helped me in the past. However, I have not received that much help from my parents and I got my job on my own. When I was in high school I worked as a waitress in a small restaurant. The owner had hired her nephew to work as one of the bus boys. He never did his job and was always talking to the waitresses or the cooks. He never got in trouble and the owner babied him. We all hated working with him because we had to pick up the slack and basically do his job as well. He definitely wasn’t serious about the job and knew he could do nothing and still get paid for it. I wish I could have it that way. Many people who ended up working there (who were in high school) got the job because they were related to the owners, or they knew a waitress. I also know of a girl from my high school that got into Harvard even though she didn’t deserve it. She skated through school and was very smart but never applied herself. Almost everyone on her father’s side attended Harvard so she is a legacy and thanks to all the donations her family makes to the school, she gets an easy in. That would be nepotism at it’s finest. This is showing people that if you are lazy, but know the right people, you’ll make it in life. Another topic of interest was the issue about the schools. Being an education major, this is something that gets discusses quite a bit. When we talk about how to better schools that are underfunded or not meeting AYP standards, there is always a debate on how to handle the situation. Some believe that those schools should hire younger teachers since they are more able to relate to their students and have new and fresh ideas. I have been told countless times that if you want to “better” the education of students then you need to place an older, more experienced teacher into the classroom. I somewhat disagree with that. Older teachers tend to be stuck in their ways and continue to use their teaching processes, whether or not they work. I know of so many teachers who don’t really care anymore because they have tenure. That is not what our schools need. Education is so important and I think that if more students had access to better schools and better teachers, they will be so much more successful. Poor funding should not be an excuse – all students should have an opportunity to succeed.
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July 6, 2010 8:00 PM
After listening to the lecture this week that fact that white women are the ones who are greatly affected by affirmative action really made me think. I had always been one to think that people of color were the ones who were helped most by it, but really stopping to think about it, affirmative action is helping out the majority of Americans. For example, there are more women than men in the United States, and there are more white women than colored women in the United States as well. The fact that the white women is the majority of the population in the United States makes me laugh since 10% of affirmative action is going to help the majority. Many people may argue that women’s wages are lower than a man’s even when they are performing the same job, with this being said I had another thought while listening to the lecture. My parent’s are in there fifty’s and right now my dad makes a lot more money than my mom. I think that this is true for a lot of people my age. Many years ago it was expected that the man be the main bread provider for the family and often expected that the woman stay home to raise the children. As we have seen in more recent years this expectation has started to go away. I feel that it is a lot more popular and often times expected for both parents to work in order to provide for their households. As of right now men are making more money than women because, perhaps…this is just a thought, because they have had longer, less interrupted careers than the typical woman. Since the expectation for women to be in the work force as well as their partner I am hoping that by the time I am my parent’s age, I am twenty right now, that women will be making the same as men or even more since technically there are more women in college right now than men which will hopefully lead to more women in the work force than men in the future. This is all just my ramblings so I honestly have no clue, but that’s just what I think may end up occurring. On another note, I never thought about how nepotism and affirmative action are actually so related. They essentially are the same thing it just doesn’t sound as much like a handout to me when you consider it in terms of nepotism. My dad always says with half sarcasm, “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.” I have found that to be true for my life as well. Many of my friends who have already graduated ended up getting jobs strictly because of someone having a connection.
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lovinglife1126 Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Honestly, when I first heard the term affirmative action, I had no idea what it truly meant until now. Like you, I assumed that it was just something for minorities. I was also alarmed to see that it was something that white women take advantage of too. I too know individuals that are getting hired just because they know someone. It may make some upset, but at the same time when you switch it and things go your way, you are alright then. That is why I think that this matter is tricky to talk about in so many ways.
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Jevit335 Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
7/7/10
Much like you, I always thought that affirmative action mainly affected people of color. I found it very interesting that it actually affects whites more. I thought that your point about why men have more jobs and are making more money than women was very fascinating. I have never thought of reasoning such as that before but I also think that you have a very valid point. I do think that women will be making the same amount of money as men one day. It is somewhat unfortunate that in the world succeeding depends on who you know, not necessarily what you know.
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xforeveryoung Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 2:41 am
I was actually not extremely suprised that white woman are the group of people who benefited from affirmative action the most. I feel that woman would have a bigger say into making sure that they were hired then colored people. I agree with your dad in saying it is not about what you know, its about who you know. That is totally true in this day and age. People still need to have some intelligence but if you but down the right stuff on your application or some good connections you are always better off. I have benefited from this and i think that almost everyone has.
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July 6
The video on the trading schools was not at all surprising to me. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to enjoy the school that they attend. It can be difficult to learn when you are surrounded by a crappy school that only upsets you. Think about it, who would be able to concentrate in a room where the floors are dirty, and the walls are moldy and falling apart? I wouldn’t want that type of educational environment. Most of the things in the schools were not even necessary. It is easy for someone to say that they oppose nepotism, until something good happens to them. Dr. Richards proved that with the example of getting hired for a job because of someone that was known. It’s just the same with affirmative action. Anyone can be upset and perceive it as unfair, until he or she benefits from it.
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Discrimination does still exist, and I believe that no matter what is said, life is not fair, period! Many feel bad for those that are suffering and struggling to graduate high school, go to college, and get a job, but at the same time he or she will take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it hits. I actually knew someone that graduated high school with me that went through this difficult issue. He wanted to get into the college of his choice, but there were a few setbacks. He worked his but off at getting what he wanted, which was college, but he failed. When he found out that a kid in class (a white kid, slacker) got accepted in the college he wanted, he was highly upset. He was hurt. He felt that he worked hard at something, and was slapped in the face. Many would see this as unfair. I do of course, but I also see it as life. Sometimes the hard work that we put into, is not recognized, and it’s hurtful to know that there are those that cannot see past our flaws.
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This lecture made me think about how others perceive many things as unfair when it comes to race. I have heard and seen many complain and make fun of how Black Entertainment Television (BET), and the Spanish channel should not have their own channel. There is even a face book group that states there should be a White Entertainment Television (WET) and that it is unfair for Blacks or Hispanics to get their own channel. Honestly, who cares? It’s really not that serious, to me. People just like to talk and focus about petty issues, when there are greater issues that revolve around affirmative action. It’s just a part of life.
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7/7/10 part one
Now the Opera video was very upsetting but I do believe there was a certain degree of exaggeration that was used when the schools were selected. They almost definitely chose a school that was very unusual, brand new, and state of the art. Most schools are not like that, hell that high school had university quality technologies in it while they also probably chose one of the most rundown schools they could find in Chicago. This considered, it still is insane when you realize that schools like both of these are real, we have this supposed unified country with equal opportunities but at the same time both of these schools exist in the same state, just an hour away from each other. The girl from harper thought the math class was being taught in a different language while she had an A in the same subject in her high school. Talk about lower standards for the passing grades.
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7/7/10 part two
Unfortunately for my sake, Nepotism hasn’t affected me as much as some of my fellow students. I joined every club I could in high school if it made my college application look good, but does that count as Nepotism? It’s definitely an example of me receiving benefits that others wouldn’t have if they went to poorer schools that didn’t have these clubs. I volunteered at my local assemblymen’s office the summer before I applied to Penn State for the sole purpose of it looking good on my application. I filed papers and ran all over town helping campaign for him the whole time and did it for free. At the end however I received a letter of recommendation from him and I feel that definitely was a factor in helping me get in to Penn State. Every job I’ve ever had I’ve had to go out and apply, talk to the managers of wherever I wanted to work and talk my way into getting the job. If I didn’t, I didn’t get the job.
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7/7/10 part three
Keep in mind after I got the job I would bust my ass for minimum wage working on useless job skills that would never help me in the real world, such as “how to make a good ice cream cone” or “the best method for mopping the floor”. It’s sickening to see these kids do absolutely nothing, receive paid internships where they make more, do less work, and actually have something to put on their resume. I guess at the same time it’s sickening to be sitting here on my expensive laptop eating Chocolate while young kids in Africa are modern day slaves on cocoa plantations and have never even tasted Chocolate.
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ktb5071 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 3:23 am
I sort of touched on that in my post about it what exactly qualifies as nepotism. Is it nepotism that i'm privileged to do a volunteer job? I didn't say that verbatim but my scenario was I am currently in an unpaid internship but, since it is not paid, is it nepotism that i'm able to work that internship instead of having a paid job at a place that wouldn't look good on my resume like making ice cream cones since my parent's have money? I don't know, but if I were to guess, i think so because I know people who have not been able to accept unpaid internships that would look great on their resume because of financial situations. "Nothing is fair in the game of life". Before starting this class I used to feel such immense guilt about exactly what you said "I guess at the same time it’s sickening to be sitting here on my expensive laptop eating Chocolate while young kids in Africa are modern day slaves on cocoa plantations and have never even tasted Chocolate." Because I didn't know how I got to be so lucky. I still wake up every day and say "wow" and appreciate the little thing's the privledged often ignore. For example, i was sitting in bed this morning thinking how comfortable I am and thank god my parent's can afford air conditioning. Before I would have gotten really upset about this, thinking this isn't fair, i don't deserve this, but I have learned that even though I have blonde hair and white skin and was got lucky with the parents who birthed me, I have my own problems, and so does everyone else and I shouldn't make myself feel bad for not having it the worst of the worst because that child in Africa could be a much happier person than I am today. You never know what it's like on the other side, but when you get a clear picture it's hard not to kick yourself over and over about it.
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When I was sixteen, I took a summer away from the camp I had grown up with to intern with my dad’s contracting firm. The work was relatively easy (using a couple of easily explained programs) and the pay was fantastic (12 dollars an hour). In addition to the extensive amount of bank I established over the course of that summer, I met several of my dad’s friends in the legal department of his company, several of which I continue to talk to on a friendly basis.
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Only after this lecture did I realize the crazy extent to which Nepotism plays a role in our lives. These several friends of my dad’s who I now know in the legal department of his company will very likely prove advantageous to me in the work force sometime in the future. Even so, I find it fascinating how I did not work for a legal company (although I suppose all companies are legal to some extent) I still managed to network in hopes of benefiting my future legal career.
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Every day I take for granted my birth status. The fact that I am a white male born to an upper-middleclass family means that I have far more capability from the get-go relative to a vast majority of other people. Frankly I think in order for people to justifiably bash Affirmative Action, they should at the very least be capable of reflecting on their lack of “need” over something like affirmative action in our society. I’m not sure how many whites I’ve heard, Democrat and Republican alike speak with open vulgarity over the concept of Affirmative Action. The general consensus seems to be that blacks utilize the opportunity to “cry” racism in the work-place, and reap the rewards otherwise. To these white people I have two things to say. First of all, I get the impression that many white individuals in present day America are not very familiar with history. Sure they’ve read the textbooks and watch the history channel, but I feel that it’s very hard for most Americans to visualize the hundreds of years of racism that led up to justifying something like Affirmative Action.
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Second of all for that matter, I don’t think it has to do with just being black! White’s “cry” reverse-discrimination quite often in hopes of obtaining money from their employer, although they’re usually not as successful. Regardless, in my opinion the people who so openly speak out against affirmative action need to get some of their facts straight. The law exists and developed for a reason, one that not every Chuck, Larry, and Tom is capable of ascertaining the reasoning behind. Maybe at some point in the future they will.
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7/7/10
In this week’s lecture Sam took a different perspective when looking at affirmative action. I never thought about affirmative action in comparison to nepotism. They are basically the same thing. The only difference between the two is that nepotism is an accepted part of the way society works and affirmative action is something that spurns heated debate. We have all benefitted at one time or another from nepotism and more often than not we have benefitted numerous times from nepotism. Parents typically want the best for their children and will likely do things in order to give their children the best chance to succeed. They get their kids jobs and internships that they normally would not get but because of a family member they got the job. I got my summer job through my father, a job that I did not even have to interview for. The job was basically handed to me without any work on my hand. I am very grateful for this because I know some of my friends are struggling to find a good job for the summer. I also know that it is unfair that I got this job just because of my father.
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samsmith119 Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 1:47 am
See I think there is a significant difference between AA and nepotism. With AA you may not know anything about the individual what so ever, but with nepotism you do, you know what that persons work ethic is you know that since they know someone there they will not want to embarrass them so will do the best they can (mostly). With "networking" if I know joe blow for the last 10 years and a slot he is right for opens at my business of course I am going to call him. 1. I know him and have known him for a long time, I know what Im getting. 2. there is a connection already at the workplace so their is no new guy sillyness from either side of the fence, 3. if joe needs a job and I have know him all this time why wouldnt I give it to him if he can do the job, he may not be the best for it but he is enough, and thats good enough. Joe gets a job, I get a worker, we all go for beers after (he buys
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7/7/10 cont..
I do not think that nepotism will ever be stopped as family and friends are always going to look out for each other. Often we do not stop and think about the people that we step over due to nepotism. This sort of thing happens at universities like Penn State too as they are more inclined to take the son or daughter of alumni over non-alumni. It’s not fair but that’s the way it seems to work. I do not see all of society giving up nepotism so it will remain an aspect of society and it is just something everyone should acknowledge and deal with. As for affirmative action, I think I agree with what President Obama said. It should be based on economic circumstances and social backgrounds. Affirmative action should be equally available to people of every race and ethnicity.
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7/7/10 cont…
The Oprah video was one that we had seen before but still was a great way to show the disparities in society. The video made it very evident that the suburban high school was far better off than the inner city school. At the suburban high school there was an Olympic size swimming pool and at the inner city school the pool was not even filled with water. It’s incredible to see the inequality between two schools only an hour away from each other. Clearly, the kids that attend the suburban high school are at a greater advantage and have more opportunities than those students that attend the inner city school. How can we solve this solution inequality? I have no idea but something needs to change. America is supposed to be the land of equal opportunity and clearly that is not happening everywhere.
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I am a pretty intelligent person. Two of my friends who are not that smart are experiencing nepotism. One of them works at the YMCA nearby to his house. The only reason he got this job in the first place is due to the fact that his mom also works there. When new management was brought in, almost all of the workers were laid off except for my friend and his mom because the new boss was their neighbor. My other friend has switched majors multiple times and still has no idea of what he wants to do with his life. His family is rich and his dad has many clients. This kid should be set for life with the amount of job offers he gets from his dad’s clients. Nepotism is all over the place. All of us use it and benefit from it to a degree. All people want the best possible advantages for their children and family and friends. It is impossible to get rid of this so whether it is right or wrong, nepotism will never go away.
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The surveys given to high school students were very interesting. The results were not surprising at all. Of course no one placed themselves at the bottom of the social status rankings. No one ever thinks that they are not good at making new friends. If anyone did begin to think this about themselves, it would make them very depressed. This is not something anyone would do to themselves willingly. White people are always bashing affirmative action. Most of these people probably have not seen the numbers that Sam showed us. That only ten percent of all jobs are awarded by affirmative action. I use the word “awarded” because this is exactly what is being done. Affirmative action awards opportunities to people that would not have been given these opportunities normally.
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However, white women benefit the most from this policy. Therefore, it comes back around to benefiting white men, the same white men who claim that affirmative action is holding them back. Obama has the right idea with affirmative action. It should definitely take into account class. That Oprah video was really intense. I went to a high school that was only ten years old and had many technologically advanced capabilities, but even we didn’t have a swimming pool, let alone three. This is not something that is needed. I agree with the guy at the end, all schools all over the country should have equal funding. Take the extra money going to give schools stuff that isn’t necessary such as a swimming pool and give that money to schools that need that extra funding. This would greatly cut down the gaps in education and would be a big step forward.
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Jsiminitus Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
7/7..I agree with you 100% on this. White men don't have much that doesn't benefit them, and even the things that don't, end up doing so in the end. I almost feel that the entire issue of affirmative action is very, very cyclical. If you give this to a group it helps them Well, by helping that group you made something more difficult for one or two other groups. You listen to their problems and help them. Well, naturally, this will cause an issue with another group. It just keeps going. It always seems that the more you help a certain group of people, the more issues begin to arise with another. Like I had said in my post, there is always going to be something considered to be unequal. It sucks to realize, but it is true.
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Rockski Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 4:03 am
Did you go to school in a city or suburb, the HS I went too didn't even have a pool let alone a gym or basketball court until my senior year. It was a magnet music school without a stage to even perform. They would have to rent out other schools and buildings for recitals and schools plays. I would love to see everyone have an equal chance at education, but even if all the school is paid for up to college people would soon start to be over qualified and smaller jobs such as a custodian and such would be overlooked and people might think they are "too good" to do them. It's such a fine line to walk.
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7/7/10
Before this lesson, I did not know how closely related nepotism and affirmative action are. I was surprised to learn that most of the people who are affected by affirmative action are white females. Furthermore, I found it interesting that people of color who benefit from this are actually from the middle class. I agree with the point that Dr. Richards made, that there will never be complete equality in the world. I think that every step one makes towards equality helps but I do not think that it will be eliminated completely. It is unfortunate that the world will not be equal. There have been many attempts to gain equality in the past. They have made immense strides towards equal opportunity but still so much discrimination and hate remains. It seems that everyone I talk to agrees with the fact that they wish people were equal in the world. In reality, it is very hard to make the world equal, and I do not think that (at least in my lifetime) everyone will be equal and have equal opportunities.
The Oprah video was very upsetting. As an aspiring teacher, it was very sad to see how different schools can be, even when they are in close vicinities. It is a shame that some students have excess resources that they do not even take advantage of, whereas some students do not even have the bare minimum. As the one girl from the urban school said, she and her fellow peers would be able to succeed and get their test scores up if they had the opportunities that the other students at the other school had. I agree with the one student at the end of the lecture about school funding. I thought his idea of putting tax dollars all together and dividing it up upon schools was a good start towards equality. It would enable all schools to have the same amount of money to provide for their students so that every student has the opportunity to succeed in school. Unfortunately, it sounds good but it will probably not take affect. People all over the world have their own opinions regarding equality. Some people do not even care or take notice to the different opportunities that students are presented with. There are also some people who do not think that students from urban and suburban areas even deserve the same resources and chances. Personally, I think that for the future we need well-educated citizens. What happens when those students who did not have the chance to show their skills and abilities do not even graduate high school? The few that do graduate high school, do they even have the opportunity to go to college and further their education? What are the consequences of this inequality on the future of society?
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BellaBoo54 Reply:
July 7th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I agree that the future needs well-educated citizens, but how is that even attainable will nepotism always thriving. Well-educated means a good education and going to college. Bu thinking of the inner city school Harper, which only 40% of the students are expected to graduate compared to the 99% of suburban students who are expected to graduate. Then of those 40%, which of those actually get the chance to go to college. Maybe AA could help those who do graduate, but i feel like it is not pushed to graduate. The necessity of a degree is more and more important as society gets more competitive. Some will never get to show their talents and skills before of the start they had. Some are set up to fail. It is sad, and sometimes i fear that inequality on the future society will only get worse and worse. Even right now it is so competitive to get a job with the crumbling society. It feels like nepotism is even more involved in getting jobs than ever, which means social inequality will get worse. It is kind of scary and what is there to do about it? An educated society i have always felt is important for the future, but what are we teaching out future other than it is not what you know but who you know.
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