Sexual Harassment and Date Rape on Campus

The first mock trial that we did in class raised several issues about violence and the safety of women on college campuses.  Does no mean no?  What is consent?  How should schools and students respond to these issues?
Tragically (yet  necessarily) these issues have been in the news several times over the last few years.  The University of Notre Dame has had to respond to allegations that it failed to act when sexual assault was reported against two of its football players (Read the story here).  Women continue to come forward to describe the trauma that occurs when assaulted by someone they know.  In this story, for example, a woman who graduated from Princeton recounts the memories of her assault that were brought up after a recent performance by an a cappella group ironically at a conference celebrating women's achievments. Additionally, last spring, after a video went viral that showed a fraternity at Yale University parading their pledges around campus while chanting "No means yes...", the federal government stepped in to act (Read the story here). 
So, what do you think?  About the David Jones case?  The issues raised?  The articles above?

Race in America Contd. Exploring Further Questions

For your next post, you are going to broaden your look at the issues associated with race relations in the United States. Thus, please take some time and read some of the stories listed at the websites linked below. Take your time going through the articles. After reading a few from each site, post a response to your work on your blog. What strikes you? How do these match up with your thoughts and ideas from any of the other materials we've studied during this unit?  What else do you want to know about any of these topics? 
CNN: Black in America
Chicago Tribune: Exploring Race

Affirmative Action

For today, finish reading the affirmative action packet from class then, check this article from today's San Francisco Chronicle.  When finished, write a post that describes your opinions on affirmative action in university admission policies.  Make sure you consider Tim Wise's "Whites Swim in Racial Preference" response to the University of Michigan's policy as well as the other materials from the packet.  Ultimately, should race be a factor in college admissions?  Be sure to use specifics from the materials given to support your point of view.  This will be a graded post.

Wrongful Convictions

On Tuesday, February 14, we will have the opportunity to hear form Terrill Swift, a member of the "Englewood Four", a group of men who were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a Chicago woman in 1994 after confessing to it as juveniles.  Please go to the Center on Wrongful Convictions website in order to learn about this and other cases of wrongful conviction prior to our speaker on Tuesday.  Feel free to blog your initial responses for this week (you will definitely be blogging your reactions to the speaker on Tuesday).

"White Like Me"

The description of Tim Wise's book, White Like Me on Amazon states, "Racial privilege shapes the lives of white Americans in every facet of life, from employment and education to housing and criminal justice. Using stories from his own life, Tim Wise shows that racism not only burdens people of color, but also benefits those who are "white like him" — whether or not they’re actively racist. Using stories instead of stale statistics, Wise weaves a compelling narrative that assesses the magnitude of racial privilege and is at once readable and scholarly, analytical yet accessible."
Based on the chapter you read, do you agree with these assertions? Does racism and privelege benefit whites?  Did you think the chapter was convincing even though it used anecdotal rather than statistical evidence?  How does your own personal experience match up or relate to what Wise describes?
Use DETAILS and SPECIFICS from your reading to support your response.

If I were a poor black kid...

Check out this article titled "If I Were a Poor Black Kid" then respond.  What do you think of the ideas expressed?  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Why?
Then check out one (or more) of the responses to the article linked here or here.  What  do you think now?  Do you agree with the responses or not?  Why?

Hidden Bias

Do you have any hidden biases? Even though we work to have a society based on the concepts of justice and fairness, are there parts of our unconscious that prevent that from happening? Today you will take a test to perhaps provide an insight to these answers.
1) Go to <a href="http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>
2) Read intro.
3) Click on Project Implicit’s website.
4) Click on Demonstration
5) Click on “Go to the Demonstration Tests”
6) Read the Preliminary Information and the Important disclaimer.
7) Click on the “general information about the IAT”
8) Read Measuring Implicit Associations
9) Read the “I am aware…” sentence and click on “I wish to proceed” (if you choose to)
10) Click on Take the Race IAT and read and follow all of the instructions to take the test.  You do not need to answer all of the survey questions.
11) Read the results of your test. Consider: did the results show that you have some hidden bias? Were you surprised by the results? What do you think might be some of the reasons behind your test results? What questions do you have about the results?
12) Click on the “frequently asked questions” and skim the questions and answers.
13) Click on the tab at the top of the page labeled “Understanding IAT Results” and read information.
14) Return to <a href="http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>. Read the entire page. How does this information enhance or change your understanding of your result? What conclusions can you make about stereotypes? Prejudice? Biases? How might hidden biases influence you (or not)?
15) Do a blog post about this information and your results.  What do you think?