This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
PERIOD 7 - "LITTLE BOXES"
Today you read the story "Little Boxes" in class. Please share your thoughts about the story and the class discussion that followed in a reflective post. Make at least one comment about another student's post.
Mr. Gallagher
24 comments:
Jon Rohald
said...
I disagreed with the little boxes story. I think that the kid took too much to heart. Classification is useful in sorting people out, and can often tell generalities about that person and their culture. I don’t really find these little boxes to be degrading and I don’t think that they take away someone’s identity. I agree with the bear story that identity comes from self and that other people don’t influence that. I think that when people start judging other people or looking at them as something inferior to themselves this becomes a problem, but I myself don’t see any problem with little boxes.
Sanjiv Banavali I also disagree with the little boxes story because I think the kid is over-thinking the boxes. The boxes represent general and vague descriptions of different groups of people. Since, he has a multi-cultural background he should simply check mark as many boxes that apply to him or he should check one box. If the boxes weren't general then there would be so many boxes since there are many people who have mixed cultures. However, I do agree with what he said about the words "Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and Native American, they describe more than one would expect.” Those words are just the book cover of a book. Inside the book is where the real identity is, and something special about a certain group of people.
I disagree with the article. I think Anthony Wright is looking into this classification system too much. Living in America, where there is so much diversity among ethnicity, I know that a large majority of people have multiple ethnicities. I myself have multiple ethnicities. My dad was born in Iran but his mother was Lebanese. My mothers mom was polish and her father was Italian. When I am filling out classification boxes I am not insulted I almost assume that the people reading know its a general classification and there are obviously specific details to everyone’s individual ethnicity. There are so many different combinations of various ethnicities that people would consider themselves and would be impossible to present all options when trying to just get a general idea. When classifying people into large categories the line has to be drawn somewhere and I think that line is drawn at about the right point.
Jon, I agree with your point that identity comes from ones self and shouldn't be influenced by other people. Classification I think needs to be broad and general because there are infinite possibilities to all the different combinations of different ethnicity for each individual.
i have taken some thought to this and i decide to go 50 50. i belive that this person is taking this to the extreem but that is my veiw not his. if he wants to dislike the box system then let him till he trys to cause trouble trying to get rid of the box system. i can see from his position how he dislikes this due to his background but this is the way the world goes and that he doesnt have to like everything but he can just go with the flow and just let this dislike go and try to live his life the way he wants to live it without this bothering him.
I am undecided as to where I stand towards the story. I understand that sense of losing your ethnic identity when you are forced to check one box when you have many ethnic backgrounds, but I also agree with what Rachel and John think too. Because, like Rachel said,the check boxes are just general classifications of who you are, and the people reading them know there are other aspects to your background.
I agree with the majority of the posts to this blog. I believe those "little boxes" are useful for classifying people and categorizing them and are essentially made for getting a vague and general idea of the person. I agree with Anthony Wrights argument in calling most people from places like puerto rico as hispanic when they are clearly not. However, I do not believe that everyone has to know every single little detail about me. I agree with Jon in that "identity comes from self and that other people don't influence that". As long as we all know who we are and are proud of that, then it shouldn't matter who does or does not know.
I agree with the little boxes story. I think "little boxes" make it easier to to categorize people and make general statements about people depending on their ethnicity.
I see both positives and negatives to the little boxes that appear throughout our lives. For some people the little box is an easy way to say yeah, I'm white, or I'm black, but for many people the boxes cause problems. I think boxes should never say "choose one" because many people are not just one. I also believe that certain boxes need more detail, and maybe a line after should be included to state the country or a specific ethic background. The simplicity of boxes is understandable, but the conclusions drawn from them or the generalizations are not always correct. With more detail and no judgment little boxes could be quite useful.
While I think that labeling a human being as "other" is rather degrading, one has to approach the method of organization in a pragmatic way- I think the broad categories such as "white" or "asian" are actually good to use because they recognize the fact that there are so many different groups; condensing them to a whole group does not highlight differences or point out flaws in any certain ethnicity. By having these large categories, it's impossible to make statements about certain groups- in this way, the little box system protects identities by not giving away too much information. On a personal level, Anthony Wright has his reasons to feel unrepresented, but as a whole I think the system preserves identities and displays groups as broadly as possible in order to collect general data.
Allison Shea I was never a person who did not fit neatly into the little boxes, white. However, unlike most of the other people who have posted I have always been frustrated with the check one. I feel like it is racist to even ask that question. I never answer the question if I don’t have to. I feel that things should not be based on racial background at all but rather based on merit. Like the article claims, that check does not tell us anything. The check can not tell anyone who some is. It is to me racial background is not useful information; it should have no sway at all, because as the author pointed out, it reveals almost nothing about the person.
Allison Shea Although I agree with Jon that generalities are a way to sort people out quickly I feel like it should not be done. To me sorting races on a test and college applications seems useless and unneeded.
I agree with Jon. I think that in the begining, choosing between those boxes is important to give people a general idea about yourself. Then the more you get to know them, the more personal you description can become. If you feel truely uncomfortable choosing a box, just choose "other" and describe what your ethnicity is.
I agree with the little boxes story. I think that the classification of people into small groups does not do a sufficient job in identifying an individual. The use of very general categories associates individuals with a larger group of people that may not necessarily be the same. Though this is true, this method of classification is a necessary tool of society and and our current sociological structure would falter without it. Therefore, the neglect of fully defining a person through little boxes is, in fact, detrimental to one's individuality, however, it is necessary in the organization of society as a whole.
I would agree with Allison and Paul. Fact is, I experienced to go check a box, but wait there is not such an option:"Latino", there is only "Hispanic", which I am not. I am from Latin America, but our first language is not Spanish. And being classified like "Other" is just a way to feel that you are even worst than the other groups. So it makes really frustrating to have to classify your self, or getting a stereotype with it. Each one even being part of a large group has specific influences that make who they are rather than what a "box". I agree that classification is important. But we talk about human beings, that have feelings, and thoughts that can vary, and make totally difference in their acts and what they truly are.
I think that it is not important to be able to classify youself into a present mold. Even if you come from a diverse cultural background and no one knows exactly what you are its not important. As long as you are comfortable with yourself and you k ow who you are that should be enough. It is your identity and who cares if society can label it or not.
I disagree with the article "Little Boxes". The box system is just a method of categorization, and like Andrew said in his last bog post, "Nothing more, nothing less". I also think that the boy in this article is making to much of a big deal out of the matter. To solve his problems, I think marking the "other" box would suffice. This system is not ment to offend what so ever and people that look at this harmless system as offensive are ignorant.
I agree with Tom. If you feel uncomfortable with the provided selections, then do what the boy in the story does and mark the "other" box. Then proceed to describe what you are.
I believe that the system helps. But as Madison said, you should have the ability of choose more than one, and thats not an option right now. And it is easy to call someone that get offended ignorant, if you fit just fine into the boxes...
I believe that our world has grown out of the box system. Boxes are a trace of the past, when travel across the ocean was not possible and races were secluded. Boxes can be a sense of comfort for many people who crave to have a sense of identity, to belong to a group of people; and the boy in the story said he found much comfort in trying to fit in with groups. However, we cannot deny the fact that race boundaries have been penetrated and more people than not do have parents from different towns in different countries.
Quite frankly I think that the box system is gruesome and unjust . It gives people the power to commit racial descrimination even if its just at a subconcious level. We always think of racism as wanting a community to be all one kind but what about when people talk about diversifying a community? People can be excluded from those situations as well because of their race.
One's race is an excellent source of identity and helps one really know who they are. However, when it comes to chosing between people I think it is wrong (in this global world where everyone is competing against everyone else) to descriminate in favor or not in favor of someone because of their race.
I think the kid was really thinking to hard about what the boxes actually meant. Because I beleive that the testers just wanted a general idea of your ethnic background and that they know there amy be more than just what you check.
24 comments:
I disagreed with the little boxes story. I think that the kid took too much to heart. Classification is useful in sorting people out, and can often tell generalities about that person and their culture. I don’t really find these little boxes to be degrading and I don’t think that they take away someone’s identity. I agree with the bear story that identity comes from self and that other people don’t influence that. I think that when people start judging other people or looking at them as something inferior to themselves this becomes a problem, but I myself don’t see any problem with little boxes.
Sanjiv Banavali
I also disagree with the little boxes story because I think the kid is over-thinking the boxes. The boxes represent general and vague descriptions of different groups of people. Since, he has a multi-cultural background he should simply check mark as many boxes that apply to him or he should check one box. If the boxes weren't general then there would be so many boxes since there are many people who have mixed cultures. However, I do agree with what he said about the words "Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and Native American, they describe more than one would expect.” Those words are just the book cover of a book. Inside the book is where the real identity is, and something special about a certain group of people.
I disagree with the article. I think Anthony Wright is looking into this classification system too much. Living in America, where there is so much diversity among ethnicity, I know that a large majority of people have multiple ethnicities. I myself have multiple ethnicities. My dad was born in Iran but his mother was Lebanese. My mothers mom was polish and her father was Italian. When I am filling out classification boxes I am not insulted I almost assume that the people reading know its a general classification and there are obviously specific details to everyone’s individual ethnicity. There are so many different combinations of various ethnicities that people would consider themselves and would be impossible to present all options when trying to just get a general idea. When classifying people into large categories the line has to be drawn somewhere and I think that line is drawn at about the right point.
Jon, I agree with your point that identity comes from ones self and shouldn't be influenced by other people. Classification I think needs to be broad and general because there are infinite possibilities to all the different combinations of different ethnicity for each individual.
i have taken some thought to this and i decide to go 50 50. i belive that this person is taking this to the extreem but that is my veiw not his. if he wants to dislike the box system then let him till he trys to cause trouble trying to get rid of the box system. i can see from his position how he dislikes this due to his background but this is the way the world goes and that he doesnt have to like everything but he can just go with the flow and just let this dislike go and try to live his life the way he wants to live it without this bothering him.
I am undecided as to where I stand towards the story. I understand that sense of losing your ethnic identity when you are forced to check one box when you have many ethnic backgrounds, but I also agree with what Rachel and John think too. Because, like Rachel said,the check boxes are just general classifications of who you are, and the people reading them know there are other aspects to your background.
I agree with the majority of the posts to this blog. I believe those "little boxes" are useful for classifying people and categorizing them and are essentially made for getting a vague and general idea of the person. I agree with Anthony Wrights argument in calling most people from places like puerto rico as hispanic when they are clearly not. However, I do not believe that everyone has to know every single little detail about me. I agree with Jon in that "identity comes from self and that other people don't influence that". As long as we all know who we are and are proud of that, then it shouldn't matter who does or does not know.
I agree with what Rachel said about the "little boxes." The boxes just give people a generalized idea of who you really are.
Asher Abrahams
I agree with the little boxes story. I think "little boxes" make it easier to to categorize people and make general statements about people depending on their ethnicity.
I see both positives and negatives to the little boxes that appear throughout our lives. For some people the little box is an easy way to say yeah, I'm white, or I'm black, but for many people the boxes cause problems. I think boxes should never say "choose one" because many people are not just one. I also believe that certain boxes need more detail, and maybe a line after should be included to state the country or a specific ethic background. The simplicity of boxes is understandable, but the conclusions drawn from them or the generalizations are not always correct. With more detail and no judgment little boxes could be quite useful.
While I think that labeling a human being as "other" is rather degrading, one has to approach the method of organization in a pragmatic way- I think the broad categories such as "white" or "asian" are actually good to use because they recognize the fact that there are so many different groups; condensing them to a whole group does not highlight differences or point out flaws in any certain ethnicity. By having these large categories, it's impossible to make statements about certain groups- in this way, the little box system protects identities by not giving away too much information. On a personal level, Anthony Wright has his reasons to feel unrepresented, but as a whole I think the system preserves identities and displays groups as broadly as possible in order to collect general data.
Allison Shea
I was never a person who did not fit neatly into the little boxes, white. However, unlike most of the other people who have posted I have always been frustrated with the check one. I feel like it is racist to even ask that question. I never answer the question if I don’t have to. I feel that things should not be based on racial background at all but rather based on merit. Like the article claims, that check does not tell us anything. The check can not tell anyone who some is. It is to me racial background is not useful information; it should have no sway at all, because as the author pointed out, it reveals almost nothing about the person.
Allison Shea
Although I agree with Jon that generalities are a way to sort people out quickly I feel like it should not be done. To me sorting races on a test and college applications seems useless and unneeded.
I agree with Jon. I think that in the begining, choosing between those boxes is important to give people a general idea about yourself. Then the more you get to know them, the more personal you description can become. If you feel truely uncomfortable choosing a box, just choose "other" and describe what your ethnicity is.
I agree with the little boxes story. I think that the classification of people into small groups does not do a sufficient job in identifying an individual. The use of very general categories associates individuals with a larger group of people that may not necessarily be the same. Though this is true, this method of classification is a necessary tool of society and and our current sociological structure would falter without it. Therefore, the neglect of fully defining a person through little boxes is, in fact, detrimental to one's individuality, however, it is necessary in the organization of society as a whole.
I would agree with Allison and Paul.
Fact is, I experienced to go check a box, but wait there is not such an option:"Latino", there is only "Hispanic", which I am not. I am from Latin America, but our first language is not Spanish. And being classified like "Other" is just a way to feel that you are even worst than the other groups. So it makes really frustrating to have to classify your self, or getting a stereotype with it. Each one even being part of a large group has specific influences that make who they are rather than what a "box".
I agree that classification is important. But we talk about human beings, that have feelings, and thoughts that can vary, and make totally difference in their acts and what they truly are.
I think that it is not important to be able to classify youself into a present mold. Even if you come from a diverse cultural background and no one knows exactly what you are its not important. As long as you are comfortable with yourself and you k ow who you are that should be enough. It is your identity and who cares if society can label it or not.
I disagree with the article "Little Boxes". The box system is just a method of categorization, and like Andrew said in his last bog post, "Nothing more, nothing less". I also think that the boy in this article is making to much of a big deal out of the matter. To solve his problems, I think marking the "other" box would suffice. This system is not ment to offend what so ever and people that look at this harmless system as offensive are ignorant.
I agree with Tom. If you feel uncomfortable with the provided selections, then do what the boy in the story does and mark the "other" box. Then proceed to describe what you are.
I believe that the system helps. But as Madison said, you should have the ability of choose more than one, and thats not an option right now.
And it is easy to call someone that get offended ignorant, if you fit just fine into the boxes...
I believe that our world has grown out of the box system. Boxes are a trace of the past, when travel across the ocean was not possible and races were secluded. Boxes can be a sense of comfort for many people who crave to have a sense of identity, to belong to a group of people; and the boy in the story said he found much comfort in trying to fit in with groups. However, we cannot deny the fact that race boundaries have been penetrated and more people than not do have parents from different towns in different countries.
Quite frankly I think that the box system is gruesome and unjust . It gives people the power to commit racial descrimination even if its just at a subconcious level. We always think of racism as wanting a community to be all one kind but what about when people talk about diversifying a community? People can be excluded from those situations as well because of their race.
One's race is an excellent source of identity and helps one really know who they are. However, when it comes to chosing between people I think it is wrong (in this global world where everyone is competing against everyone else) to descriminate in favor or not in favor of someone because of their race.
I think the kid was really thinking to hard about what the boxes actually meant. Because I beleive that the testers just wanted a general idea of your ethnic background and that they know there amy be more than just what you check.
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