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Social norms and their consequences on society
Effects of social norms essay
Essay on the effects of social norms
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Diversity. ‘Diversity’ is a single, nine-letter word that perfectly encompasses the identity of the United States. Since the beginning of time, the United States offered opportunity to all of those brave enough to seize it. Consequently, over time tidal waves of immigrants came to the shores of America and brought along their own varieties of ethnicities and traditions. As a result, the United States of America continuously became referred to as a “melting pot,” due to its mix of race, religion, and culture. Whether an urban city or a small-town, every area across the United States blends together to form the foundation of our heterogeneous country, with a never-ending mix of different backgrounds. Diversity is the glue that holds us together, …show more content…
but on the contrary, diversity also has the power to pull us apart. This concept is heavily discussed in Elijah Anderson’s work, The Cosmopolitan Canopy, as Anderson portrays a world that is constantly affected by the differences of race in everyday life. However, in a dark world, there are bright spots of civility waiting at every corner, and fortunately, Anderson takes us on a journey to find them. Immediately starting off the text in The Cosmopolitan Canopy, Elijah Anderson poses an essential question to evoke the minds of the readers, with the thought of exploring how “ordinary people interact across and along racial lines” (Anderson XIII).
Every single human being on planet Earth lives a different life, and as individuals we “see but don’t see” each other (Anderson 4). When interacting with others, the human race is guilty of “divert[ing] their gazes” by “looking up...down…or away” in a type of ignorance towards the “diverse mix of strangers that they encounter” (Anderson 2). Anderson calls to light the idea of skin color acting a social barrier, which causes people as a whole to play defense in public environments. In past history, the United States was completely divided down the middle due to segregation, and unfortunately, racism has never been completely eradicated. The Cosmopolitan Canopy was published in the year 2011, and Anderson’s observations note that these stereotypes are still observable today. Anderson describes a world in which individuals with white skin are seen to be associated with “respectability, civility, and trust,” while individuals with black skin are seen to be associated with “poverty, danger, and mistrust” (Anderson 2). Knowing that these stereotypes are unjust and judgmental, the sad reality is that we live in a society that is not color-blind, and the opening pages of The Cosmopolitan Canopy explain how people shape their behaviors to …show more content…
guard their own personal and public space. We whiz past citizens on the streets, we make quick eye contact, and we utter polite phrases—these split-second interactions allow us to create a safe-zone for ourselves that offer a sense of comfort. Public spaces are ethnically, socially, and politically very different—especially within city limits. These impersonal settings have the potential to create tension amongst civilians and generate a sense of social distance, and according to Anderson this is noticeable through his general observations of complete strangers. In order to discover an answer to his thoughts, Anderson takes readers on a walking tour throughout the streets of Philadelphia, and by building an argument with observations, he explains how race can also allow us to prosper in a contemporary society. It may seem as if individual physical and spiritual differences are the primary cause of separation in society, however, Anderson points out that this is also one of the bonds that that hold society together. Anderson’s reflections about the separation of society within the text incite the introduction of the concept of pluralism, or the idea of allowing various ethnic, political, and religious groups to thrive in a single society. All of these citizens share the same public space, and Anderson is on a quest to discover how and when these individuals will set aside their own differences to blend together as one. He notes that in a densely populated space, there are certain places specifically within the city of Philadelphia that create a scene where “familiarity breeds comfort” to foster healthy and positive relationships (Anderson XV). Labeled as “cosmopolitan canopies, ” these areas serve as a shelter to allow people of any race, religion, or culture to come do “business, shop, or people watch,” creating a sense of “social neutrality” (Anderson 7). These areas allow others to express their backgrounds while deemphasizing diverse borders. At one of the stops on the center-city tour, Anderson takes readers to a popular tourist spot, the Reading Terminal Market. According to Anderson, this setting “epitomizes the cosmopolitan canopy” because it represents the “class diversity of the city” as well as the “goodwill that is experienced by most who enter the premises” (Anderson 11). The tangible friendless in the air is contagious to newcomers, as people have to opportunity to learn and observe from one another. These interactions draw a crowd that is diverse in not only race, but in age and profession. With an area teeming with “students, professionals, families, and singles alike,” people have the opportunity to “share [the] sidewalks” while “wander[ing] from one gallery to another” (Anderson 6, 10, 11). This idea of sharing sidewalks can tie directly into the main concept of Jane Jacob’s work, The Death and the Life of Great American Cities. Jacobs’ work takes us back to 1961, and connects to the present day notion that streets are the gateway to life in the city, where any individual can determine a lot simply by looking at the sidewalks. At a first glance, the city streets are used for transportation, however, looking deeper, “streets and their sidewalks…are its most vital organ” because they have the opportunity to bring people together (Jacobs 29). Streets within the city are equipped with a various mix of stores, bars, and restaurants, where “strangers become an enormous asset…the more strangers the merrier” (Jacobs 40). The streets of the city create a path that leads to an area with no pre-determined hierarchy, where every one is deemed equal. This view describes the ultimate “phenomenon” that Anderson is searching for, as he comes across cosmopolitan canopies that seem to “to speak to large and diverse crowds” with the possibility to dissolve the bonds between separate groups of society (Anderson ). I had the chance to experience this first-hand, as I perched myself atop the steps at the art museum in downtown Philadelphia. Within all of Philadelphia’s constant hustle-and-bustle, there are spots throughout the city that provide a calm, comforting aura to those willing to find them. Utilizing a tool that Anderson describes as “folk ethnography,” or a form of people watching that allows individuals to “informally gather evidence in social interactions,” a lot can be learned about the human race through visual observations (Anderson XV). These observations give you a glimpse at the individual lives that hide behind the mask of each person, and these traits have the power to bring us together. Although my personal observations were composed on a different scale than Anderson’s, the same idea still applies. (I still need to touch on: how Philadelphia alone is a melting pot… and all of these canopies combine to form a cosmopolitan zone…and in Philadelphia this cosmopolitan zone is known as center city) Elijah Anderson initially sets the tone by describing a scene with “crowded…downtown streets” filled with “dizzying swirls” of an “ever-changing kaleidoscope of people,” and countless people occupying the city, “mingling for a moment or two amid the busyness of everyday life” (Anderson XIII).
By stating this vivid imagery, Anderson indirectly compares different factions of society to a band that just began its first set. The initial sounds are natural, with sounds that are “smooth, melodious, stark, and loud…and it’s quite a show” as the audience “collectively agrees to give the player[s] recognition…and applause” (Anderson 17, 18). This relationship can be linked directly to that of society…different racial, ethnic, and religious groups all co-exist in a single place, and they all harmonize as one single sound. The Cosmopolitan Canopy takes us on a journey through the eyes of author Elijah Anderson, as he explores them to the fullest potential. These canopies know how “to work their magic” amongst the population (Anderson 30). (conclusion is rough…I need to add
more!) Works Cited Anderson, Elijah. The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life. New York, London: W.W. Norton and Company, 2011. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage Books, 1961. Print.
Elijah Anderson wrote an interesting book, The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life, which describes social settings and people interactions in different parts of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. This book was published on March 28, 2011 by W. W. Norton & Company. Anderson has observed these places in Philadelphia for over thirty years. He uses the observations he made and the stories that people shared with him during his endeavor to answer the following questions: “How do ordinary people in this diverse city interact across and along racial lines? When and how do racial identities figure out into these encounters? When and how do city dwellers set aside their own and other’s particular racial and ethnic identities to communicate
All blondes are dumb. Gingers have no soul. All Jews are greedy. All Asians are bad drivers. Imagine living in a world where people are put into a category simply because of their appearance, race, or religion. It limits a person’s chance of expressing individuality through categorization. Desmond Cole’s article, “The Skin I’m In” introduces the struggles faced by black people through racial stereotypes in Canada— a country known for its diversity. Cole reveals the experiences of black people who are stereotyped as dangerous; as a result, they are victimized with prejudice, discrimination, and injustice by society.
In this article the author shares his experiences on racism throughout his life. As the author goes in to detail about his first encounter of racism from what he called a “well- taught baby racist” he presents an ugly setting. As children, we tend to imitate what we see and hear around us, evaluating the safe and unsafe places, people, and things. We determine and define our identities based on interactions with others. Dr. Jackson goes on to describe a time when he was in grade school which majority of the students were Caucasian seemed to be highly infatuated with the texture and tone of his skin as well as his hair.
In his essay “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples discusses his personal experiences of being an African American male, while coming to the realization of the harsh realities of the stereotypes it carries. Through his anger and frustration, he learned to alter himself in public spaces by making others around him feel less threatened. Not always would it work, such as the occasional double glances he’d get from the person in front of him or a click when walking past someone in their car. Seeing first-hand the effects of being an African American male made me think twice about how they had to present themselves in public due to the decade long stereotypes that the color of someone’s skin can carry. Seeing this happen through my eyes made
This essay was written in the mindset of an African American male as he examines how his skin color affects how people react to him when he is in public spaces. He feels as if the sidewalks get narrower the closer he gets to others. He knows that the by passers fear him due to the stereotypical views society
Even though slavery was abolished Jim Crow laws were made illegal years ago, racism is still not gone, and this is Bonilla-Silva’s central argument in his book, “Racism Without Racists.” While racist practices are not as overt nowadays, the covert, institutionalized ways of today’s new racism are just as discriminatory, he argues. One particular sentence that stood out that sums up the first part of his argument is “that the main problem nowadays is not the folks with hoods, but the folks dressed in suits.” Because of this switch to a more covert way of discriminating against people of color, white Americans have become color-blind to racism. In turn, the country is now home to “racism without racists,” which is the second part of the author’s argument. Because racism has become so internalized in our institutions, it can sometimes be hard to recognize, or at least admit to, the discrimination that is so prevalent in the U.S. Because whites either don’t recognize or admit to this racism, they claim that they don’t see color, and that any inequalities that are at play are due to the minorities not working hard enough in our meritocracy.
Every individual in society and in a community is unique in their own ways, and their diversity shows up in many ways. Some of these ways include: religion, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and so on. Everyone’s backgrounds are different, and this is what creates diversity in people. Even though everyone might not be the same, only by uniting everyone can we create the big picture. It’s like a puzzle—even though people are different, we can come together to create a big picture that couldn’t be created by puzzle pieces of the same shape. To me, diversity symbolizes the unique backgrounds that we come from. Every individual in their communities and in their society are influenced by their background—and this can come from various reasons. If someone comes from a different socioeconomic background, or lifestyle, their thought processes and their view of life might be much more different than mine. Their reaction to a certain situation can be much more different than mine, and it is important for me to see all these viewpoints in order to be a more informed member of my community. Everyone is diverse in their expression, style, and
In Brent Staples’ narrative, he asserts the fact that society has stereotypical and discriminatory views towards black males, which has caused him to experience distasteful encounters leading him to behave in a very careful and docile manner around others in public spaces. Personally I agree with Brent Staples, the misjudgment and stereotypes that are enforced on certain races has caused there to be an unnecessary disruption and uneasiness in the daily life and activities of such people. I have also found myself in situations that are similar to Brent Staples’ experiences, all of which were caused by the stigma surrounding immigrants and people of color. Author Brent Staples begins the essay by addressing an experience he had when he was younger,
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended racial segregation in the USA. Since then, America has begun to learn that, no matter the skin tone, we accept all races and become one united nation. Elijah Anderson analyzes certain areas in the big city of Philadelphia and observes how different races and people act and acknowledge one another in the same environment. He describes certain places called “cosmopolitan canopies” where the display of public acceptance by all of all is intense and is a setting where a mix of people can feel comfortable (3). Anderson does a worthy job of backing up his argument with the different evidence he brings to light throughout his article. Although his argument covers how while we might have these cosmopolitan canopies we still have races that are considered “out of place” and how the black people and men in specifically, are seen in the society. For my class observation, I visited Dilworth Park Ice Rink and my reflection at the rink agreed with Anderson’s argument considering that the rink provided a cosmopolitan environment although his argument is now outdated.
First, I will discuss the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification. The major problem concerning this issue is that many people differ in the real meaning of the concept and how they view their personal involvement. Brook argues that “we do not really care about diversity all that much in America, even though we talk about it a great deal” (306). However, they are the general, erroneous interpretations of diversity that are really creating this wrong image of indifference. According to Kira Hudson Banks in her research entitled “A Qualitative Investigation of Students’ Perceptions of Diversity,” many people defined diversity as race and do not include other types of diversity (153).
Race has been a controversial issue throughout history and even more so today. The idea of race has contributed to the justifications of racial inequality and has led to the prejudice and discrimination of certain racial groups. Race and racism were constructed to disadvantage people of color and to maintain white power in America. Today, race has been the center of many political changes and actions that have affected people of color. The idea of race has played a role in how people from different racial groups interact amongst each other. Interactions within one’s own racial group are more common than interactions among other racial groups, at least in my own experiences. Therefore, because I have been positioned to surround myself with people from my own racial group since a very young age, I have internalized that being around my own racial group is a normal and natural occurrence.
The Association of Black Psychologist (ABP) (2013) defines colorism as skin-color stratification. Colorism is described as “internalized racism” that is perceived to be a way of life for the group that it is accepted by (ABP 2013). Moreover, colorism is classified as a persistent problem within Black American. Colorism in the process of discriminatory privileges given to lighter-skinned individuals of color over their darker- skinned counterparts (Margret Hunter 2007). From a historical standpoint, colorism was a white constructed policy in order to create dissention among their slaves as to maintain order or obedience. Over the centuries, it seems that the original purpose of colorism remains. Why has this issue persisted? Blacks have been able to dismantle the barriers faced within the larger society of the United States. Yet, Blacks have failed to properly address the sins of the past within the ethnic group. As a consequence of this failure, colorism prevails. Through my research, I developed many questions: Is it right that this view remain? How does valuing an individual over another cause distribution to the mental health of the victims of colorism? More importantly, what are the solutions for colorism? Colorism, unfortunately, has had a persisted effect on the lives of Black Americans. It has become so internalized that one cannot differentiate between the view of ourselves that Black Americans adopted from slavery or a more personalized view developed from within the ethnicity. The consequences of this internalized view heightens the already exorbitant mental health concerns within the Black community, but the most unfortunate aspect of colorism is that there is contention on how the issue should be solved.
"Social Forces." The Skin Color Paradox and the American Racial Order. Oxfordjournals,org, 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Over the years, the United States has evolved into a place where culture defines the American experience. Despite the difficulties that come when people have different life experiences, diversity carries strong importance in many organizations. Diversity comes in many forms such as race, age, income, and background. However, the most relevant is race. Race is defined as categories that generally reflect a social definition recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically ("What is race?," 2012) . Race is determined by self-identification.
Diversity is a notion, when applied to the majority of circumstances, can create a positive conclusion. The trick to producing a positive outcome is often how the different aspects are brought together. Consider a classic dinner combination peas and carrots, the two colors look appealing and the two flavors comes together as one making a superb side dish. Now consider oil and water, these two substance are not often considered a good combination. Although, this is not always the case; olive oil and vinegar (which is water based) when mixed, come together into a delectable salad dressing. Diversity and inclusion should also apply to humans by bringing people together who are different it can creates a whole that is enhanced by the uniqueness of each individual.