Ray, Arabic and Hebrew are verbal languages and have very different implications as a result. What is funny now is that English is having to use nouns as verbs, viz. I will access it.
Bill On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 21:39:07 -0400 "Ray Evans Harrell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Actually we should just give up this noun dominated language that > puts > people into objects and makes it impossible to define change and > growth in > humanity. English is out of date and regressive and that is the > problem > with America. What type of language is Chinese? With the kind > of > over-simplified drivel that I see here one should remember that the > largest > heads on the planet are the Osage and the Dinke. Both nomadic > peoples who > do very well when forced to settle down. I'm beginning to think > Keith and > Harry long for a rise in phrenology. Is that true boys. What > did such > "studies" in was finding that certain minorities in the world were > much more > physically endowed than the testors and immediately the science > shriveled. > Perhaps that is not all that shriveled in the process. > > REH > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Keith Hudson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "Selma Singer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 6:20 AM > Subject: Re: [Futurework] ) Hue and Cry on 'Whiteness Studies' > > > > Harry, > > > > I think you're being much too cynical. I don't see why American > state > > universities shouldn't adopt affirmative action in the case of > > Black-Americans. But if they do, they ought also to adopt negative > action > > in the case of Asian-Americans. The universities could then have a > level > > playing field for black, white or yellow. > > > > There's actually a quite simple method that would achieve fair > results > > without having to devise arbitrary points systems which compensate > for > poor > > reading and writing ability. SATS results could be multiplied > inversely > > according to average racial IQs (or according to brain size). Thus > all > > Black-Americans' SATS score could be multiplied by 100/85, and > > Asian-Americans' by 100/106 (or by 1347/1267 and 1347/1364 > respectively by > > using brain size). > > > > I think some sort of adjustment should also be applied in the case > of > > prosecutory zeal by the police and prison sentencing by the > courts. In > > England we have tens of thousands of West Indian and African-born > UK > > citizens in jail, but only a few hundred Indian and Pakistani UK > citizens > > and, disgracefully, no more than half-a-dozen Chinese-UK > citizens. > > > > Incidentally, here's a little story from my better-half. She > taught in one > > of the "worst" schools in Bristol for over 20 years. She reckons > that > > there were only two sorts of children who never caused any trouble > (and > > were also consistently among the brightest). These were the > children of > the > > fairground travellers and the Chinese. > > > > Keith Hudson > > > > At 21:19 24/06/2003 -0700, you wrote: > > > > >Selma, > > > > > >This is just part of the absolute nonsense that surrounds > unimportant > > >differences in complexion. How these people in universities can > waste > > >their time on this is beyond belief. > > > > > >Academe would be put to better use if they taught their students > plumbing, > > >or something else equally useful. > > > > > >Harry > > >---------------------------------------------------- > > > > > >Selma wrote: > > > > > >>It is my not so humble opinion that this kind of thing is > absolutely > > >>essential if we are ever to honestly confront the issues of race > in this > > >>country. > > >> > > >>Selma > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Hue and Cry on 'Whiteness Studies' > > >> > An Academic Field's Take on Race Stirs Interest and Anger > > >> > By Darryl Fears > > >> > > > >> > Washington Post > > >> > Friday, June 20, 2003; Page A01 > > >> > > > >> > AMHERST, Mass. -- Naomi Cairns was among the leaders in the > privilege > > >>walk, and > > >> > she wasn't happy about it. > > >> > > > >> > The exercise, which recently involved Cairns and her > classmates in a > > >>course at > > >> > the University of Massachusetts, had two simple rules: When > the > moderator > > >>read > > >> > a > > >> > statement that applied to you, you stepped forward; if it > didn't, you > > >>stepped > > >> > back. After the moderator asked if you were certain you could > get a > bank > > >>loan > > >> > whenever you wanted, Cairns thought, "Oh my God, here we go > again," > and > > >>took > > >> > yet > > >> > another step forward. > > >> > > > >> > "You looked behind you and became really uncomfortable," said > Cairns, > a > > >> > 24-year-old junior who stood at the front of the classroom > with other > > >>white > > >> > students. Asian and black students she admired were near the > back. > "We all > > >> > started together," she said, "and now were so separated." > > >> > > > >> > The privilege walk was part of a course in whiteness studies, > a > > >> > controversial and relatively new academic field that seeks to > change > how > > >> > white people think about race. The field is based on a > left-leaning > > >> > interpretation of history by scholars who say the concept of > race was > > >> > created by a rich white European and American elite, and has > been > used to > > >> > deny property, power and status to nonwhite groups for two > centuries. > > >> > > > >> > Advocates of whiteness studies -- most of whom are white > liberals who > hope > > >> > to dismantle notions of race -- believe that white Americans > are so > > >> > accustomed to being part of a privileged majority they do not > see > > >>themselves as > > >> > part of a race. > > >> > > > >> > "Historically, it has been common to see whites as a people > who don't > have > > >>a > > >> > race, to see racial identity as something others have," said > Howard > > >>Winant, a > > >> > white professor of sociology at the University of California > at Santa > > >>Barbara > > >> > and a strong proponent of whiteness studies. "It's a great > advance to > > >>start > > >> > looking at whiteness as a group." > > >> > > > >> > Winant said whiteness studies advocates must be careful not > to paint > white > > >> > heritage with a broad brush, or stray from the historical > record. > > >> > Generalizations, he said, will only demonize whiteness. > > >> > > > >> > But opponents say whiteness studies has already done that. > David > Horowitz, > > >>a > > >> > conservative social critic who is white, said whiteness > studies is > leftist > > >> > philosophy spiraling out of control. "Black studies > celebrates > blackness, > > >> > Chicano studies celebrates Chicanos, women's studies > celebrates > women, and > > >> > white > > >> > studies attacks white people as evil," Horowitz said. > > >> > > > >> > "It's so evil that one author has called for the abolition > of > whiteness," > > >>he > > >> > said. "I have read their books, and it's just despicable." > > >> > > > >> > Whiteness studies, said Matthew Spalding, is "a derogatory > name for > > >>Western > > >> > civilization." Its study is important only to those who think > "black > > >>studies > > >> > and > > >> > Chicano studies haven't gone far enough in removing the > baggage of > > >> > Anglo-European traditions," said Spalding, director of the > Center for > > >>American > > >> > Studies at the Heritage Foundation. > > >> > > > >> > "The notion that you can get rid of a historical tradition as > a way > to > > >> > further current . . . concerns strikes me as intellectually > misleading," > > >> > Spalding said. "It makes certain assumptions and looks for > certain > > >>outcomes. > > >> > It's close-minded." > > >> > > > >> > Whiteness studies can be traced to the writings of black > intellectuals > > >>such as > > >> > W.E.B. DuBois and James Baldwin, but the field did not > coalesce until > > >>liberal > > >> > white scholars embraced it about eight years ago, according > to some > who > > >>helped > > >> > shape it. > > >> > > > >> > Now, despite widespread criticism and what some opponents > view as > major > > >> > flaws in the curriculum, at least 30 institutions -- from > Princeton > > >> > University to the University of California at Los Angeles -- > teach > courses > > >> > in whiteness studies. > > >> > > > >> > The courses are emerging at a pivotal time. Scientists have > determined > > >>that > > >> > there is scant genetic distinction between races, and the > 2000 Census > > >>allowed > > >> > residents to define themselves by multiple racial categories > for the > first > > >> > time. > > >> > Dozens of books, such as "The Invention of the White Race," > "How the > Irish > > >> > Became White" and "Memoir of a Race Traitor," are standard > reading > for > > >>people > > >> > who study whiteness. Recently, the Public Broadcasting System > aired a > > >> > documentary titled "Race: The Power of an Illusion." > > >> > > > >> > "If you ask 10 people what is race, you're likely to get 10 > different > > >> > answers," said Larry Adelman, who conceived, produced and > co-directed > that > > >> > documentary. "How many races would there be? Where did the > idea come > > >>from?" > > >> > > > >> > At U-Mass., those questions and others were raised in "The > Social > > >> > Construction of Whiteness and Women," one of two whiteness > studies > courses > > >> > Cairns took last semester. > > >> > Read and Discuss > > >> > > > >> > The students, about three-quarters of them white, slid into > desks and > > >> > unloaded giant book bags, which were stuffed with required > reading. > The > > >> > books included Theodore Allen's "The Invention of the White > Race: > Racial > > >> > Oppression and Social Control," which argues, in part, that > the > collection > > >> > of European immigrants into a white race was a political act > to > control > > >>the > > >> > country. > > >> > > > >> > Arlene Avakian, the chairman of the U-Mass. women's studies > department, > > >>sat on > > >> > a > > >> > wide desk, let her legs dangle and asked the class to discuss > the > ideas of > > >> > racial privilege, environmental comfort and social control. > Not all > of her > > >> > students had taken part in the privilege walk -- it was > conducted in > > >>another > > >> > course -- but many of them had. > > >> > > > >> > Winnie Chen, 22, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, said it > pained > her to > > >> > deal with race every day when her white peers seemed to > rarely think > about > > >> > it. She tried to discuss race with a white friend once, she > said, but > he > > >> > felt ambushed. > > >> > > > >> > "He said I was pulling a Pearl Harbor on him," she said. "It > is so > > >>difficult > > >> > for > > >> > them to think there is another lens. He talked about Irish > oppression. I > > >>asked, > > >> > 'Have you ever considered why you're no longer oppressed here > when > Asians, > > >> > blacks and Hispanics still are?' " > > >> > > > >> > A white student raised her hand and said she and a friend had > gone to > a > > >>hall > > >> > reserved for black student affairs, and the friend said she > didn't > feel > > >> > comfortable. > > >> > > > >> > Brandi-Ann Andrade, a 21-year-old junior who is black, rolled > her > eyes. > > >>"So > > >> > what?" she asked. "I never feel comfortable here. I'm a > student at a > > >>school > > >> > where most people are white. The only time I feel comfortable > is when > I'm > > >>at > > >> > home." > > >> > > > >> > Dan Clason-Hook, 24, a white senior, said, "White students > would > never say > > >> > that we own the campus, but [whites] feel they do." > > >> > > > >> > The desire to always feel comfortable in their skin is > something > white > > >> > people feel entitled to, said Avakian, who is white. The > dominant > group > > >> > wants to control its environment, to own it. > > >> > > > >> > The students listened without objection, but they don't > always. > Avakian > > >>said > > >> > two > > >> > students in an earlier semester had challenged her, > questioning why > she > > >>taught > > >> > the course. After some discussion, Avakian recalled, they > concluded > her > > >>reason > > >> > was white guilt. > > >> > > > >> > Avakian dismissed that conclusion. "It's the suppressed > history I'm > > >> > interested in teaching," she said. "White people can't know > ourselves > and > > >> > our country without knowing this history." > > >> > > > >> > Although whiteness studies teachers adopt different > approaches for > > >>different > > >> > courses, they draw on the same reading of history. > > >> > > > >> > That reading traces the invention of race to the time and > social > class of > > >> > Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in the late 18th century not only > that > "all > > >>men are > > >> > created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, but also > this, > from his > > >> > "Notes on the State of Virginia": > > >> > > > >> > "I advance it, as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether > originally a > > >> > distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, > are > inferior to > > >> > the whites in the endowments both of body and mind." > > >> > > > >> > >From such sentiments, whiteness studies advocates say, race > was > invented, > > >> > and the idea of white superiority was crucial to justifying > slavery > and, > > >> > later, the dispossession of Native Americans, Hispanics and > Asians. > > >> > > > >> > "Jefferson believed in majority rule, but what majority was > he in?" > said > > >> > historian James O. Horton of George Washington University. > "He wasn't > in > > >>the > > >> > majority in terms of gender. He wasn't in the majority in > terms of > class. > > >>The > > >> > only majority he was in was race." > > >> > > > >> > Horton said poor white workers often joined black slaves and > freemen > in > > >> > popular rebellions in the 18th century. For example, he said, > Crispus > > >> > Attucks, a black man, was among the first to die when an > interracial > mob > > >> > confronted British soldiers in the "Boston Massacre," five > years > before > > >>the > > >> > American Revolution started. > > >> > > > >> > But something happened between that time and Andrew > Jackson's > presidency > > >>in > > >> > 1828, Horton said. "Property laws were struck down, allowing > white > people > > >>at > > >> > the > > >> > bottom of society to vote based on race in 1807. At the same > time > that was > > >> > done, > > >> > race laws were put into its place. > > >> > > > >> > "There is this constant message hammered at poor white > people," > Horton > > >>said. > > >> > "You may be poor, you may have miserable lives right now, but > . . . > the > > >>thing > > >> > we > > >> > want you to focus on is the fact that you are white." > > >> > > > >> > In the 19th and 20th centuries, "race science" was used by > Supreme > Court > > >> > justices to deny rights, property and citizenship to various > Asian > > >> > immigrants. > > >> > > > >> > In the housing boom that followed World War II, black > veterans were > denied > > >> > new federally backed mortgages that helped build white > suburbs. > > >> > > > >> > Avakian said that if American history curriculums "told that > story, > this > > >> > would be a different country." > > >> > > > >> > "Slavery and genocide coexist with democracy and freedom," > she said, > and > > >> > that's what whiteness studies teaches. "President Andrew > Jackson > presided > > >> > during the mass murder of Indians. If we knew in detail how > slavery > > >>existed > > >> > alongside freedom, we would have to change the national > narrative." > After > > >>Class > > >> > > > >> > Chen said Avakian's course made her more aware of how the > sense of > > >>belonging > > >> > corresponds to skin color. "I would never not choose to be > someone's > > >>friend > > >> > because they are white, but I think it's important to have > friends of > > >>color," > > >> > she said. > > >> > > > >> > Jya Plavin, a 20-year-old sophomore who is white, said the > course > "was > > >> > really, really hard . . . both personally and as a white > person, > because > > >>you > > >> > really want to take the focus off you and your whiteness." > > >> > > > >> > Clason-Hook said that the class was the only one he knew of > that > > >>explicitly > > >> > spoke of whiteness, and that it helped him realize that > "other > classes, > > >>like > > >> > economics, politics and history, are about whiteness. They > are > written by > > >>and > > >> > are about white people." > > >> > > > >> > He said later that confronting whiteness, day to day, is > challenging. > "I > > >>am > > >> > racist. It's not on the surface, but it's in me. Day to day I > hear > racist > > >> > comments, and people don't even know what they're saying." > > >> > > > >> > Andrade said she thought "the class was beneficial, because > it brings > to > > >> > light that white people, too, are racialized." > > >> > > > >> > Thinking back on the class discussion a few days later, > Andrade > wondered: > > >> > "In a culture that puts whiteness on top, what is blackness? > When you > look > > >> > at whiteness, blackness is always in the negative." > > >> > > > >> > Cairns, who had sailed through the privilege walk, said > whiteness > studies > > >> > helped her understand race a little better. "My social group > has > always > > >>been > > >> > white," she said. "I've noticed that, and I've started to > look beyond > my > > >> > group." > > > > > > > > >**************************************************** > > >Harry Pollard > > >Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles > > >Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > > >Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 > > >http://home.attbi.com/~haledward > > >**************************************************** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--- > > >Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > > >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > > >Version: 6.0.489 / Virus Database: 288 - Release Date: 6/10/2003 > > > > Keith Hudson, 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath, England > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Futurework mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! 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