Society Archives

Opportunity Gap: The Existential Unfairness

What is the opportunity gap? What are the main factors that contribute to societal disparities in access to resources and opportunities? The opportunity gap can be defined as unequal access to resources and opportunities due to factors such as race, income, and ability. When we’re talking about it, we’re essentially talking about privilege. If you are privileged, even if you worked hard to get where you are, your success is greater than those who began without those privileges. Read about the opportunity gap and why it’s important to reflect on opportunities and privilege.

Weak Ties Theory: Why You Need Weak Social Ties

What is the weak ties theory? Why do we need to pursue weak social ties in order to be happy and successful? The weak ties theory is the idea that people with whom you have weak ties can help you find success. Weak ties often lead to good opportunities and stronger ties, so it’s important to pursue them. Read more about the weak ties theory and what it means.

The Social Construction of Race: Fiction in the Making

We often hear that race is a product of social construction, but what does that mean? Is there a scientific basis for the existence of race as a biological feature? When we talk about the social construction of race, we are referring to the notion that race is not an essential feature of the human species, but a socially manufactured reality. In other words, race is fiction, an illusion. Yet, this illusion shapes many, many people’s realities. Keep reading to understand the social construction of race.

Why Did English Spelling Reform Efforts Fail?

What was the English spelling reform? And what were the reasons behind the efforts to standardize the conventions of English spelling? The incongruity between English spelling and pronunciation has been a defining feature of the English language for most of its history. This has led some notable public figures to call for the English spelling reform to bridge the two together. Keep reading to learn about the English spelling reform and why it failed.

Define Cultural Appropriation: Why It’s Problematic

How do you define cultural appropriation? Why is cultural appropriation problematic? There’s considerable disagreement about what constitutes cultural appropriation even among people of the same culture. But, how do you define cultural appropriation? Simply put, it is when someone adopts an element of culture that isn’t their own (e.g. a hairstyle or a piece of clothing). In this article, we will define cultural appropriation, highlight some examples, and explain why cultural appropriation is problematic.

Growing Up With Racism: Michelle Obama’s Experience

In what ways did Michelle Obama experience racism growing up? What lesson did Michelle learn from her Grandpa Dandy? For the first few years of her life, Michelle Obama wasn’t aware of racism because she grew up in an inter-racial community. It wasn’t until she was a little older that she and her brother were faced with racism first-hand. Michelle realized that some people were treated differently because of the color of their skin. Keep reading for more information about Michelle Obama and growing up with racism.

The Two Kinds of Violence in Literature

What are the two kinds of violence in literature? What does it mean when an author includes violence in a story? In literature, acts of violence are almost always a symbol of some greater kind of suffering. There are two common forms of violence: when a character harms himself or others, and when narrative harm happens to a character. Continue reading to learn about the two kinds of literary violence.

Look Out for Political Writing in Literature

Why should you familiarize yourself with an author’s background before reading their literature? Why are politics so common in writing? If you don’t familiarize yourself with the world as it was when an author wrote a book, you risk missing important political commentary. Especially in American literature, the role of an individual character is almost always politically charged. Keep reading to learn more about political writing in classic literature.

The Little-Known History of the American English

What is the history of American English? Who brought the English language to the American continent? How did Americans develop their distinct vocabulary and pronunciation? The history of American English began in the seventeenth century when the first wave of English-speaking settlers arrived in the Americas. Over time, they developed their unique vocabulary and pronunciation, borrowing from the native tongues of the American Indians, the earlier Spanish settlers, and even the French. Keep reading to learn about the history of American English.

In Brief: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

What is the main message of So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo? What are the key themes discussed in the book? So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo is a handbook on how to have intelligent, productive, and empathic conversations about race. Beyond giving practical advice on how to talk about race, the book also addresses broader inequality issues including privilege, intersectionality, cultural appropriation, and the model minority myth. Here is a brief overview of So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.