Discussion Reflection What were the key ideas discussed? Focus on the content of the discussion. How did you and your peers answer each prompt? Was there consensus among the group, why or why not? Cite a few specific ideas and examples from the discussion. Be sure to discuss at least 3 prompts. How would you evaluate the quality of your participation in today's discussion? What was your role? What did you contribute? What did you gain from your classmates? What could you improve upon in future discussions? How would you evaluate the quality of the class discussion collectively? What did we do well? What could we improve in future discussions? Submit the notes you prepared ahead of time for the Weekly Discussion Forum with the reflection. …show more content…
One of the main ideas that the group talked about was how ethnicity affected the lives of the Mathabane home. Because they were black and identified as poor black people, they were targeted and classified by apartheid. Also, apartheid was a huge factor in the book as well as the discussion because of its impact on the lives of the characters. Injustice occurs in the lives of the main characters because they are disadvantaged and forced into the lower class by apartheid. My peers answered the questions by combining their opinions with textual evidence to get their points across. For example, when discussing the geography of Alexandra and it’s ghetto-like nature, everyone in the group agreed with that statement. When discussing tribal life and how it clashes with modern life, we talked about the father’s prospects relating to religion as well as how he forced the values upon his children. When talking about apartheid the group mentioned passbooks and their importance in enforcing apartheid. One argument that the group had was about gender roles and how they have changed since the …show more content…
You may record your notes in bullet point format. Use 2-3 specific examples from Part 1 of the book to support your reasoning and argument. In what ways does the geography of Alexandra reflect Apartheid? - Alexandra is located in the ghetto so apartheid is manipulated to disadvantage the poor black community Pass books and necessary permits are used The town is small and there are a lot of people (colours, blacks, and Indians) How does tribal life and modern/urban life clash in the Mathabane home? - Tribal life and urban life cause confusion and mayhem in the Mathabane home Author stops speaking Venda (tribal) because of the influence of his friends (social/urban) The Zulu men raided the house because of the father’s debt Discuss both the positive and negative role religion plays in the Mathabane household Negative - Zulu Men Customs that are forced upon children Affected author’s relationship with his father Positive - Provides hope Gives the family faith Describe traditional gender roles displayed in the Mathabane household and how are they reinforced in the
Another topic that in interesting to discuss is why this white boy was forced to live in such poor conditions. Dalton Conley stated in the book that despite his mother and fathers economic standings, his family was able to maintain a livable lifestyle where many neighbors and friends at that time could not of enjoyed. His family could have moved to a more up scale, refined community, but simply couldn't afford it.
Although this central idea can be universal, it is imperative to the story. The story is set in Harlem, NY and is assumed to be in the 50’s due to the information that they both went to war, but is not specified the war in particular. The setting is an actual setting and a particular one as well; it is not vague. The background is important to the plot because it provides essential information on the framework of these characters and the period the story is set. The character’s in this story are both African American and have grown up in a widely rough known residentially segregated area. Throughout the setting, descriptions are very precise helping the reader understand the intensity of the environment. Discusses the women of color who have been beaten up that walk the street, to the houses and apartments that they have created adolescent memories in no longer present. In the article “The Perilous Journey to a Brother’s Country: James Baldwin and the Rigors of the Community” by Keith Clark, he explains the “encoded” acceptance of the reality of space the characters lived in and he outcomes they face in their neighborhood. An area that is dominantly occupied by African Americans this gives larger historical and societal information on racial
Bambara gives the readers insight on the poverty and struggle minorities endured while living in the ghetto slums of New York. The goal of the author was coherent and exemplified throughout the story; Bambara had plenty of goals when writing this story. Although the fight for racial equalities were apparent in “The Lesson,” this was not the only aspect being fought for. Social and economic equalities were also fought for in this story. Bambara’s goal was set loud and clear throughout this story: the fight for racial and socioeconomic equalities is never
Although the struggle for equal rights, food, welfare and survival were all central themes in both narratives, through this essay one could see how similar but at the same time distinctive the injustices for race relations were in South Africa’s apartheid regime and in the Jim Crow South’s segregation era were. The value for education, the struggle to survive and racism were all dominant faces that Anne Moody and Mark Mathabane faced on a day to day basis while growing up that shaped they their incredible lives with.
blockages in the relationships of the characters‘ family ties and their racial issues. The actual
In The Lesson, Toni Cade Bambara recounts black life of the New York Harlem in the 1960s. She uses fiction to portray the real life situations of black children in that area. The purpose of this story is to send a message of the reality of the circumstances that black peoples faced in this time by deriving from her own experiences and from the civil rights movement of the time. She tells this story from the viewpoint of a young girl living in Harlem to showcase how the inequality of lifestyles not only affects children, but leaves a lasting impression. Critical race theory is categorically explored because the time period of this piece of writing is of a time when inequality and segregation were still glaringly common and accepted.
Relationships can be discussed in all aspect of life. Including communities, families, marriage, conflicts, and divorce. The gift of any relationship is the gifts from the spirits. The author uses her African teachings, in comparison to how Americans handle different relationships. In the book, “The Spirit of Intimacy,” Sobonfu Some’s gives wisdom insightful experience of her marriage and about the Dagara people of West African beliefs and traditions when facing conflicts in leading to divorcement.
At Community Boards, the skills and disciplines that I learned was that I was able to handle clients through phone calls more effectively and in a manner in which I can be neutral. I also learned to be very patient with some clients over the phone, where some phone calls had spent over an hour of the client’s time talking to me about their issues at their residence. I was able to cultivate the skill of being able to use different communication styles in order to deal with certain people and their styles, for often I would have to deal with people that very emotional, because of their situation, whether they be angry, sad, or hopeless, I had to alter my style of communication to accommodate their needs and try to calm them down. Although I
To conclude, I can continue to go on about the caste system, racism, and war on drugs. The point is that racism continues to exist and the rebirth of the caste, continues to exist it never went away. People just did not do as much, but now is more obvious than ever. The clear examples she introduce and statistic show and support the statement of the “rebirth of the caste”. In my opinion, I found the book interesting; and statistic surprising from class and the book. Things continue to go bad in the United States. When are we going to do something about it! This book shows the effects of the
I came into this class under the impression that I already wrote well enough and wouldn’t need to improve. However, as I progressed through the semester I learned that there is always room to grow. The first paper I produced was not at the level I was hoping but after I actively decided to improve my writing my papers became much better. Looking back on my work in the class I wonder how much my writing has changed and where I still have room to improve. Without evaluating my work I can’t hope to become any better. Through this class I have grown much as a writer but there is still more I can learn.
Each group, in order, should present their slides. After the presentation, review the individual assignment. You may either brainstorm possible responses as a class, or individually. Conclude by returning to the essential question for the entire six or seven days. I like to use a “tag board.”
A main theme in this novel is the influence of family relationships in the quest for individual identity. Our family or lack thereof, as children, ultimately influences the way we feel as adults, about ourselves and about others. The effects on us mold our personalities and as a result influence our identities. This story shows us the efforts of struggling black families who transmit patterns and problems that have a negative impact on their family relationships. These patterns continue to go unresolved and are eventually inherited by their children who will also accept this way of life as this vicious circle continues.
In what ways does Melina Marchetta comment on racial and cultural differences, and how effectively does her novel reflect reality?
The fact that the entirety of discussion was left up to us as the aldermen excited me, I was curious to see what we were able to come up with. I was shocked that a class of inexperienced students could have legitimate conversations on topics which other students brought in. This was evident when the class started to amend Joshua Johnson’s ordinance, we weren’t too sure what to do if the car that was booted was worthless and couldn’t sell at an auction. Our final decision was to sell it to a scrap yard if it no longer had any value to
Throughout the story, the writer uses the different lives of an African family and their union with an African American to show the cultural rift that occurs. Their daily lives show how people of different cultures strive to live together under the same roof. The clash of cultures is portrayed in the way they react to each other in the different circumstances.