Saturday, August 19, 2017

Charlottesville and the sociology of hate


Update: see this post for a sociology symposium on Charlottesville:
https://contexts.org/blog/after-charlottesville/
Student Readiness:
Do you know what happened last week in Charlottesville?
Do you know what the "alt-right" is?
Do you know what "antifa" is?
Do you think monuments to Confederate generals should be displayed in public parks?
Do you understand why some people want them to come down?


willing to talk
                                  don't know

Yes                                                                       No
                              don't want to say

don't want to talk

With all the discussion of hate in the news lately, I wanted to post something about the sociology of hate groups.  The Washington Post encouraged it in this article, which says,
While such discussions are often seen as politically charged and teachers like to steer clear of politics, these conversations are about fundamental American values, and age-appropriate ways of discussing hatred and tolerance in a diverse and vibrant democracy are as important as anything young people can learn in school. Civics and history education have taken a back seat to reading and math in recent years in “the era of accountability,” but it is past time for them to take center stage again in America’s schools.
The discussion has centered generally around the white supremacy groups in the U.S. who oppose all minorities including black, hispanic, Jewish, Muslim, and immigrant Americans and the groups that oppose these fascist groups, sometimes called the antifa.  More specifically, the protests in Charlottesville that turned violent last week have been the catalyst for the recent discussions.  In Charlottesville, the local government decided to take down a statue of General Robert E. Lee who fought for the Confederate United States during the U.S. Civil War.

This 20 min documentary from Vice News details the incidents.

A Brief History
A little background that is often ignored is important here.  Lee was fighting for the right to break off the union and to continue the practice of slavery.  However, when the war was over, Lee opposed any monuments to himself because he feared it would keep the wounds of the civil war open.   In Lee's own words,
"As regards the erection of such a monument as is contemplated; my conviction is, that however grateful it would be to the feelings of the South, the attempt in the present condition of the Country, would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating its accomplishment; of continuing, if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour."
Despite these requests, in the 1920s, a sculpture was created to romanticize the confederacy and the southern culture which also romanticized slavery.  The Charlottesville parks department describes the statue as part of a confederate reunion:

Paul McIntire instructed that the local chapters of the Confederate Veterans, Sons of Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy should have entire charge of planning the exercise for the unveiling of the sculpture in Charlottesville.  It was thus presented to the city on May 21, 1924, during a Confederate reunion.  As a part of the ceremony, one hundred cadets from the Virginia Military Instituteparaded through the center of Charlottesville decorated with Confederate colors.
This was just one of hundreds of memorials that were erected to remember and celebrate the time when the Confederate States tried to form their own country that would allow them to legally enslave, murder and rape millions of people.  The romanticizing of this time was partly a response to economic factors that caused poverty throughout the south.  The economic downturn combined with the feeling of embarrassment and disenfranchisement from the union. This sense of powerlessness and difficulty in adjusting to the reality of post Civil War U.S. might be viewed by sociologists as anomie.  The romanticism back to pre-Civil War southern culture gave those experiencing anomie a feeling of pride and order that they lacked in their life.   This feeling was exacerbated during the civil rights era of the 1950s-1970s as rights were being granted to people of color.  This resulted in more widespread use of the confederate flag.

Coinciding with the civil rights movement was a gradual increase in social class disparity in the U.S.  Beginning in the 1950s, more wealth began to be channeled to a small elite class while blue collar and middle class workers fell further and further behind.  This is true across all races in the U.S. but for whites who romanticize the days when they were legally allowed to own other people, it is especially poignant.  This trend continued as deindustrialization and globalization occurred and it culminated with the United States' first black President, Barack Obama.  At the same time, there has been a growing movement of fascists who believe that the United States needs to be white and all others should not be a part of the country.  These fascist beliefs take imagery and rituals from Nazi Germany who killed millions of people.

Andrew Young on NBC
Andrew Young, a civil rights leader and former ambassador to the United Nations explains the context and connection to social class in this interview on NBC.
ANDREW YOUNG: Most of the issues that we’re dealing with now are related to poverty. But we still want to put everything in a racial context. The problem with the – and the reason I feel uncomfortable condemning the Klan types is – they are almost the poorest of the poor.
They are the forgotten Americans. And, um, they have been used and abused and neglected. Instead of giving them affordable health care, they give them black lung jobs, and they’re happy.
And that just doesn’t make sense in today’s world. And they see progress in the black community and on television and everywhere and they don’t share it. Now it’s not our fault. We’ve had a struggle from slavery.



Martha Raddatz on ABC
Martha Raddatz on ABC had a powerful opinion about Charlottesville explaining that the U.S. military is the most diverse institution in the United States and they deserve to come home to a country where each of them feels accepted and valued.  Watch it here on youtube.



I think it is important to understand this history but let me be clear; it is not meant to excuse the hatred.  It is meant to help provide context to the violence and hatred.  The violence is not spontaneous;  It has both a historical and geographic context. And though I vehemently oppose the violent rhetoric, ideology and actions that promote hate and racism, I struggle to understand it.  But, having a sociological imagination helps me understand how such awfulness can manifest.

A Sociological Understanding
The brief history above is important in understanding the hatred from a sociological perspective.  Keep it in mind as you explore the connections below:

Ingroup- outgroups and hate:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/psychology-hate-groups-what-drives-someone-join-one-n792941
"Trump's choice on Tuesday to blame "two sides" for Saturday's violence — rather than to specifically blame white nationalism/supremacy — could have "a serious emboldening effect," said Peter Simi, an associate professor of sociology at Chapman University in Irvine, California, who studies far-right hate groups. "


Masculinity and nature/nurture  and hate groups:
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/27/michael-kimmel-masculinity-far-right-angry-white-men
The sociologist Michael Kimmel is one of the world’s foremost experts on [masculnity and white men who cause violence]. As the director of Stony Brook University’s Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, he’s a leader in the emerging field of masculinity studies. His recent research has looked at topics including spree killers (who are overwhelmingly male and white), as well as the relationship between masculinity and political extremism. He’s also just wrapped up a new book studying why men join hate groups – and how they leave.


Interdisciplinary Study of hate syllabus from Gonzaga:


FBI stats on Hate Groups:


Hate Crime Research Network:


SHS grad and sociology professor, Nicole G. Van Cleve on hate groups:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/opinion-how-do-we-talk-our-children-about-white-supremacy-n793806?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_blk
"As a sociologist and scholar who specializes in the study of race and racism, I know that we are at a cultural crossroads. We are in a post-Obama era where the myth of a colorblind or post-racial society has been exposed as a lie. Brewing in our culture was an undercurrent of violent, racial hatred and resentment that is now being emboldened by our President. Hate crimes against people of color are rising; according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there were 900 hate and bias incidents alone between Election Day and the 10 days after that. In addition, the number of hate groups in the United States rose for a second year in a row in 2016."

American Sociological Association's 2017 annual meeting had a panel focused on teaching in this climate of hatred.

General Resources
Bryan Stevenson speaking about the events in Charlottesville:





Washington post compiled a list of resources here including:
The American Federation of Teachers has also collected links for teachers, here, and below is a detailed guide from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program on how teachers, counselors and administrators should respond to hate and bias when they are manifested in school. Teaching Tolerance offers a long list of resources for educators, with lessons plans and other material. You can find all of that here, and Here are materials from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for educators.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Day 1 (2017)




Please answer #1 only – then wait for instructions.
1. What’s happening here? What are all of the thoughts that came to mind as your teacher sat in silence?





- PAUSE -
When told to do so, answer questions 2-5.
2.  What is sociology? How does the silence experience exemplify what sociological thinking is?





3.  What am I trying to reveal about education by doing the silence experiment?





4.  If students are not passive, how should they be active?  What does good class discussion look like?





5.  What do you think the most important qualities would be for someone working at Google?



Read
6.  What actually are the most important qualities for someone Working at Google?




Watch TED Talk by Clint Smith on Silence

7. What does Clint Smith want from his students?




8.  How do students learn best?



Takeaway sheet for week 1.


The Little Boy and Old Man.

Day 2: seats, info sheet, remind

1.  As you walk in, please choose what seat you would like to be in for the beginning of the semester.

 

2.  Please take out the student info sheet and finish it while we wait.

Please help me with your name's pronunciation!  See this post from Sociology in Focus about the importance of names.

3. Homework for tomorrow:  Parent-Teen conflict reading (pages 13-16).

4.  If you would like text reminders using the remind ap, please see the instructions below:


You can click here to sign up or use the following:


Monday, August 14, 2017

Shhhh...

We started day one with silence. Sitting in silence was awkward and unusual for most of us. Some students felt the need to fill the silence with a comment or a joke. I use this to show that most students already think sociologically; they have already learned to analyze groups and their behaviors. That is sociology. Nearly every class you have been in has started with the teacher standing in front of you and saying this is what you should or shouldn't do, etc... From participating in all of these first classes, you have begun to expect certain things from them. That is, loosely, what sociologists do; analyze people in groups and look for patterns of behavior and then analyze how those patterns affect people.
Although the silence experience is an example of how sociologists think, I also use it as a critique of modern education. Much of this critique came to me from Bernard McGrane's Book The Un-TV and the 10MPH Car. McGrane makes the case that students have been trained to follow and become good at school - but not at learning. Their curiosity and excitement for learning has been squashed by a system that rewards docility and conformity. Rather than taking initiative for their own learning, students expect the teacher to provide them with exactly what they need - "Just tell me what to do," is the attitude.
Although I am a part of this modern institutional creation, I have worked hard to counter these forces. My class will ask students to engage in the learning; take part in the process. Sometimes we will do experiential lessons like the silence experience where students will be active participants in the class. Our class will also ask students to share their own experiences and relate them to sociology.  We all learn from each other. We are all both teacher and student.
Keep a beginner's mind, an empty cup.

Finally, checkout teacher Clint Smith speaking at a TED Talk about silence.  It is often our own silences that speak louder than our words.  This is especially true in a culture that teaches you to be a follower; to sit down and shut up and conform.  Watch that video. 
Think about the speaker's message.  I want you to find your voice.  To learn who you are as a person and to learn to speak up for what you believe in in an educated and meaningful way.

What do you think about the awkward silence? Do you see how we set expectations based on our experiences? Did you know what sociologists studied before taking this class? Do you realize that students expect the teacher to tell them what to do? Can you see how this crushes a love for learning?

Day 2: You came back! What's in a name? (Hint: Use your sociological imagination)

Thanks for coming back to sociology and giving me more chance! :-)

As your classmates enter the room, 

1.  Please take out the packet from yesterday, read through the syllabus and let me know if you have any questions.

2. Turn to the back page of your packet and find the "Student Info" sheet.


Take out Target Takeaway sheet.  
The TT sheet is a summary of the skills that I want you to take away from the class. 



What's your name and its origin?

What is your legal name given at birth?

How did you get this name?  Why do you think you are named this?

What is the name you prefer to be called?

How did you get this nickname?  When and why did you start using this name?

Individuality or connection to community?
Your name is one of the first pieces of your identity.  It is what you learn to respond to and what you call yourself.  It seems to be an example and expression of your individuality, however, it is an excellent example of how individuals are really not separate from community.  Instead, each of us is shaped by community.

Your name is personal and it has a unique and specific genesis.   However, the story of how you got your name is a story of connection and dependence on others.  You did not choose your name, it was given to you.  It was the beginning of your socialization, the influence of society on who you are.  Sociologist Nathan Palmer describes the social influence on naming babies in his post at Sociology Source;
What emerges from this naming process is a trend. Many names go in and out of fashion; trending up in popularity and then back down. An easy way of illustrating this to your students is to use the US Social Security Administration’s “Popular Baby Names” database. This easy to use website allows you to search any name and see how it ranks against the 1000 most popular baby names. For most students their names go from out of fashion in the decades before their birth, then they become popular right around their birth, and then fall out of popularity again.


So, the seemingly individual decision parents make for their kids, is not an isolated decision.  Many parents are influenced to name their kids based on names that are trending (even though parents don't realize the name is trending).

Examine the name data:

Click here to see the Social Security Administration's baby name database (pictured at left).  It details the top 1000 baby names for boys and girls for the last 100 years.  After you click the SSA link above, enter your name and change the search to "1900 & later" and click "GO" to lookup your birth name.








6. Does it show up in the database?

7.  What year was the most popular year for your name?


8.1  Now search the database for different patterns.  Identify at least one pattern.  Some ideas you might consider:  choose a name and analyze it over time, can compare different years, compare different genders, etc...

Why do these patterns occur?  The U.S. is a very large country ~300 million people!

This article from the NY Times details how names become more and less popular over time.  The article cites the work of sociologist Stanley Lieberson from Harvard.



"...in 1950, 5% of US parents chose a name for their child that wasn't in the top 1,000 names. In 2012, that figure was up to 27%.As late as the 18th Century, it wasn't uncommon for parents to call multiple children the same name - two Johns for different grandfathers, for example. Now parents increasingly look for unique names or spellings of names. As Jean Twenge points out in her book the Narcissism Epidemic, Jasmine now rubs shoulders in naming lists with Jazmine, Jazmyne, Jazzmin, Jazzmine, Jasmina, Jazmyn, Jasmin, and Jasmyn."





So, the first part of this exercise reveals that parents are influenced in different ways to name their kids.  However, as we will see, the name that parents choose also influences the kid.  There has been a host of research detailing the ways that people are influenced by their names.

Effects of names
This lesson from Nathan Palmer on Sociology in Focus explains the importance of having your name pronounced correctly in class, especially by teachers.

What are some ways that having your name mispronounced might affect you?  What are some of the messages that mispronouncing a name might send?

Can the mispronunciation of a name be a small part of a larger message?

This Newshour report from PBS explains more about the importance of pronouncing names correctly.



The American Sociological Association also published a lesson on the Trails Database called "What's in a Name?"   This lesson focuses on the cultural importance of names.  In questions above, if you put a nickname that was more "American" than your original name, why?  Some follow up questions from the professors at UCLA who authored this lesson are:


  • Does altering of a family name to a more “American-sounding” name has any benefits to the individual. Does the alteration of names exemplify assimilation? 
  • Does assimilation has any costs to the individual, such as cultural devaluation and family history.
  • Does anyone whose names has been altered feel any enduring, negative self-perception or shame?
  • Are there any potential benefits to name reclamation?


This BBC article cites two sociologists:  Dalton Conley of NYU and David Figlio of Northwestern University.  Figlio's research shows that siblings may face more or less discrimination by teachers depending on the perceived social class and race of their names.



Here is additional research about names:

Business Insider, "13 Surprising Ways Your Name Affects Your Success."

Science Focus, "Name Game; How Names Spell Success in Life and Love."

Live Science, "Good or Bad, Baby Names Have Long-Lasting Effects."

New Yorker, "Why Your Name Matters."

Freakonomics podcast "How Much Does Your Name Matter?"

Takeaway:

Most importantly, I want to learn and pronounce your name correctly.  And, I would like you all to do that for each other.

Secondly, however, this introduction to you, also introduces us to sociology:

  1. Sociologists use research to understand the influence of society on individuals such as interviews and existing sources.
  2. Individuals are shaped by social institutions such as education and family.  These institutions provide structure that influences individuals.  
  3. Sociologists often focus on inequalities in society such as discrimination based on culture, gender, race and social class.  Sometimes this discrimination is institutional and so it might go unnoticed.
  4. Finally, sociologists study the shared meaning between individuals.