Diversity And Society

Today, we live in a society where current events and the social issues of race, class and gender engulf our lives. These issues and events can be some of the most important experiences we, as humans, will ever have the privilege to live through. Although several of our experiences can be caused by some of the most tragic events in our lives, others make us appreciate how lucky we are to have the lives we have. Either way, each of our experiences have had a part in shaping who we are today. There are numerous examples in writing, movie and TV entertainment of the common issues our society and world faces each and every day. Readings, such as Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity and Gender by Joseph F. Healey, provide readers insight to many
He also talks about the history of the United States and how our society came to be the very diverse yet still slightly racist society it is today. The United States is a country built on a community of immigrants from many different countries around the world. Although each person may resemble the people of their original country through their facial features and skin color, every individual is unique in their own way. Unfortunately, for hundreds of years, people who are descendants of Africans, Latinos and many more, have been judged and discriminated against because of their skin color. Our countries history of slavery has lead us to continue treating those of darker skin colors differently than those of Caucasian decent and therefore leading to inequality. The unequal treatment of those from African American or Latino descent has lead to the creation of minority groups. People of Native American and Asian descent are also considered to be part of the minority group for racial and ethnic groups. Minority groups not only include people of different races, but also people of different religions, culture and even include women. A minority group tends to have five distinct characteristics: a pattern of inequality or disadvantage, common visible trait or characteristic that differentiates them from other groups, are self-conscious social units, membership is
Two of the characters in the movie depict a white couple who are husband and wife. The woman represents a person who is self-centered and racist while the man is a semi-famous figure for Los Angeles who proves himself as not being as, if not at all, racist. The viewer then meets two African American men who seem scary and dangerous walking down the sidewalk past the couple mentioned earlier. Their conversation leads us to believe that they are good people, but prove the viewer wrong by pointing guns at the couple’s head’s and stealing their car. When the couple get home, they have the locks on their doors changed because they’re worried the two men will come after them once again. The locks are changed by a Hispanic man, one that the woman does not trust. She orders her husband to have the locks changed again in the morning. When her husband tells her to calm down since she has just had the long, stressful night, she backlashes and makes the point that if she had turned around when she had seen those two men walking towards her on the sidewalk, she would’ve been considered a racist. However, she didn’t do that and ended up having a gun shoved in her face. On a similar note, another couple is depicted in this movie, however they are both of African American descent. Police officers pulled over and treated them like criminals even