Boyhood sports and masculinity

This article was based on the relationship that sports had with boys/men. The author of this article interviewed many different athletes, of different race and different classes. He interviewed them on different kinds of factors that came with the individual playing sports, such as why they started playing to people that had the biggest influence on them playing sports, and their relationships with their fathers and sports. While the answers of the interviewers (based on their class) were not shocking to me, I did learn some different views on how some see sports. When asked "Why they play sports" to no surprise by me, at a much higher rate than the middle class athletes (almost completely whites) the lower status, and class athletes (Black and Hispanics) felt that that sports was their way out of poverty, as a way to stay occupied and because their was nothing else to do. On the other, the middle class athletes saw sports for really only what is was, a sport they enjoyed playing. And many did not view sports as "their way out". Many viewed education as being more important. Maybe it is because I grew up and still am in a middle class family that I feel this way, but I completely thought that this article was accurate on the inequalities that certain classes have over others. And how based on their class and status, their opinion on how important certain things are change. I myself love sports, especially Baseball, but I have never seen Baseball as "my way out" as maybe a working or lower class individual might see it as, I always just played Baseball for the love and fun of the game. Just like in the article with the middle class athletes, I feel education is much more important to me than sports. They also mention how boys/men related sports to masculinity, such as how popular you were based on your abilities (how good you were), and how it is a boys "natural instinct" to play all kinds of sports (according to the majority of interviewers), and how you were frowned upon  and not "accepted" if you did not play, participate and excel in sports.

Beyond Black and White: Remaking Race in America

This article was about how before the 2000 census, people could only label their children for example, (or themselves) one race and how this created a problem. How was a couple from different races suppose to label their child if they only had one choice? In the article they actually had an example if a black and white couple had a baby on the census before 2000, they had to decide whether to label the baby "white or black"because there was no option to label them as being multiracial (2 or more races). I found out that the main reason for the change was the rise in intermarriage. This option of being able to choose more than one race is important because it is also a signifies the racial and ethnic boundaries that for so long have divided this country are fading away. I can't imagine especially living in NYC not having to see everyday people who appear to be of more than one race and the different cultures out there. It was not possible at this day and age to still think a majority of people only marry their race, and since society has changed this census had to adapt to the change as well. I feel that the change in the census was needed because it gives people more options now than ever before, and the increase of multiracial people out there and intermarriages that are now more common and continue to increase.

Race and Ethnicity: Racial Stratification and Education & Beyond Black and White

While reading Racial Stratification and Education, I was shocked to learn some of things that were written in the passage. I use to think that if you have people in the same social class as you, that your education level would also be similar, but reading this proved me wrong. I read that during a correlational study that "black" children at every class level do less well on standardized test than the "white" children. And this is saying something about our educational system and its issues. This is going to the bigger issue of inequality for many black children because of the lack of resources, segregation and unequal access to education. Another interesting point in the reading was that many African Americans don't feel as they are treated fairly when it comes to employment in qualifying jobs. Although I've personally never seen this unfair treatment I definitely know that it still goes on today. Studies have shown that African Americans feel that in order to take education serious, that one must then give up being "black" (culture beliefs, values,styles of speech(slang), appearance and preference). And I feel that it's an important point because it goes back to what we have spoke about this semester on what is important to us as individuals and our culture, and I can't help but ask myself, if I have to give up all the things mentioned above to get a higher education, is it worth it?

The other reading that is called Beyond Black and White: Remaking a Race in America and what this article was talking about was how we as a nation is changing our view on race. While reading I learned that before the 2000 census there was only black and white for a choice when deciding what a child was based on race if the child had intermarried parents. And now with the rise of intermarriage in our country where as in the past dating back to the 60's where there was hardly any and some states (16 in total) had even banned it (and almost at all times  back then interracial couples where frowned upon) they now are adding different races to choose from on the census. Even though in present day interracial couples are sometimes still frowned upon with certain cultures,religions and families who are very traditional, it is much more accepted now than it was in the past for many. Probably one of the most important paragraphs in the reading talks about how the increase in intermarriage, and the growth of multiracial population reflect a blending of races and a shifting of color lines among people. And since multiracial identification indicate a reduction in social distance and racial prejudice, these phenomena provide evidence of loosening racial boundaries which demonstrates how a society adapts and changes over time.