Counterculture Counterculture

Alice McIntyre talks about how whites view racism in many different examples and stories of white talk. McIntyre defines white talk throughout the reading, “Talk that serves to insulate white people from examining their/our individual and collective roles in the perpetuation of racism. It is a result of whites talking uncritically with/to other whites all the while, resisting critique and massaging each other’s racist attitude, beliefs, and actions” (McIntyre, 45-46). McIntyre talks about the themes that were discussions of white talk: “(1) How the participants constructed differences from “the Other,” (2) how they reconstructed myths about white and people of color, and (3) how they privileged their own feelings and affect over the lived

A counterculture is a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm. The counterculture formed by the Master builders are opposed to Lord Business’ intent to eliminate creativity from being practiced and using his power to control

In addition to this, is necessary to understand that white supremacy is deeply connected to the process of colonization, and these two concepts configured a unique social context in which the identities of the indigenous and Afro-descendant populations were diminished, and their humanity were denied as a part of this process.

This sentiment of racial inferiority by the white American was further demonstrated by their treatment of Native American society. As European settlements continued to expand across the continent, Indians were forcibly removed from their land to make room for the “more civilized” white American. The Native American population was practically eradicated with only a handful of survivors remaining on small, segregated reservations in Oklahoma. The genocide of their people-- and their culture-- left most Native Americans with extreme resentment towards the white man. Ironically, just as the white man saw the Native American people as uncivilized savages, Native Americans saw firsthand how barbaric the white man actually was. This further supports the theory that race is not a physical characteristic, but something that is constructed by different societies to establish each ones perception of how the other is viewed or perceived. In Mary C. Waters “Social Construction of Race and Ethnicity,” she explains this theory in the

In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh argues that racism can be found imbedded into the culture of society; conferring and denying certain privileges on some rather than all. This is a dangerous cultivation; endowing a strong expectation that white privileges are naturally deserving. Furthermore, making the cornerstone of McIntosh’s main argument; that white privilege is just a less aggressive synonym for dominance. When you receive privileges for looking a certain type of way, the recipient becomes immune; often not being able to acknowledge their advantages. As a result, this creates a cultural divide, between racial groups.

Moreover, to be white in the United States means that the lighter your skin, the more power, prestige, and property you have; which then results to the higher your social class is. To be white in the United States means you have easier access to the “American Dream.” The “American Dream” in which you are able to socially mobilize yourself to higher positions. According to sociologists, social mobility is the extent of which an individual can move in the class system. When you are white, you are oblivious to the systematic oppression of those beneath you. The education system, criminal justice system, and the government system are all in your favor. This white supremacy flows through our society. A few examples include the income gap between Blacks and Whites. People of color are paid less for the same efforts and level of labor compared to someone who is white. Some structural-functional sociologists believe this occurs in order to motivate those beneath the poverty line or in the working class will push forward and continue to extend efforts in order to possibly climb the social ladder. Others disagree and believe this income gap is the outcome of dominance and straining relationships due to scarce resources. Those who disagree are sociologists abiding by the conflict theory perspective. Of course, my definition and opinion on white

In anthropology, there are studies of racism and how different ethnicities act towards each other. People’s thoughts and assumptions about someone are based on their skin color, or where you are from, and how this type group acts, and people judged based on that assumption. This is something called rationalization where you categorize a person into a specific group of people. In anthropology, there is something called “white privilege” where based on your skin color, you have more or less rights as a person. This is presented in the movie “The Crash” which takes a look at the way race plays a role in American lives every day, in our modern society.

White supremacy is when a person believes that because they are white, that they have supremacy over someone else. This is the standard phrase explaining what white supremacy is and has dominated the mentality of our country for decades. It has been prevalent all over the US. The only difference is that in the south, it seems to have been more amplified than in the north.

This essay will address key aspects of white privilege and pick the two most important aspects with explanations signifying the reasons for their choosing. An explicit aspect of white privilege is the fact that it is an automatic add-on to anybody satisfying the definition of “whiteness”. Whiteness is defined by Frankenberg (1993) as a concept/identity historically, socially, politically, and culturally produced involving systems of domination (p. 40) thereby privileging anyone who satisfies this definition. Another notable aspect of white privilege is the fact that white people are taught not to recognize their privilege (McIntosh, 2002, p. 33). On a more subtle level, white privilege is an ongoing, institutionalized remnant of colonization. Another aspect of white privilege is its ability in creating dichotomies with PoC. For example, whiteness is associated with “innocence” and “goodness” while blackness is associated with “evil” and “badness” (hooks, 1992, p. 49).

According to the authors, what practice(s) create white privilege is viewed in their own unique perspective but, it all fits up under one category of a specific race having the advantage to have their freedom to do what they like. Based on McIntosh view that “whites in Western societies adore recompenses that non-whites do not practice, as "an undistinguishable package of unjustified assets” (Rothenberg, 2016). White freedom represents together evident and not as much of evident submissive rewards that white people may possibly not identify they require, which differentiates it from explicit favoritism or preconception. In fact, they have been accepted as the better social status in addition to freedom to move, buy, work, play, and speak freely. It

Throughout the centuries the “White” people have been known to think of themselves as being superior because of their color. If we look back at the time when the White Europeans came to this country they saw no reason to apply rules of honor to people they considered savages because they looked and acted different. Some might call this kind of thinking Social Darwinism where the “White” race is superior and destined to rule over all others. Clearly, the Native Americans were discriminated because of their color, which resulted in economic deprivation. However, now they play a huge role in our communities.

White supremacy and superiority was an idea that turned into a belief among many that the white race was better than the other races (“White Supremacy”, Jenkins). White supremacy gave people the idea that people of the white race were better than African Americans. People on the jury of court trials were almost always white and had this idea in their brain which led to whites always being considered innocent and African Americans guilty. This is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird during the Tom Robinson trial when the jury was all white and they knew Tom was innocent but because he was African American and was going against a white person he was considered guilty of rape (Lee). Even though that particular example was from a book, it is based on true stories that actually occurred. White supremacy was in the brains of whites and states only helped to support this idea. States had “emphasized white superiority” because government were made up of whites and that is what they believed in (“Student Edition Page 236”). When white superiority was brought into the mix of things like the Jim Crow laws, it made discrimination and segregation worse and more common. The idea of white superiority was brought into the court systems so every time an African American was against a white in court, they would have no chance and would be found guilty. In the United States the Jim Crow laws were

White people have an invisible package of unearned assets. Invisible in the way that they can't be seen or touched, but can be cashed in everyday at colored peoples expense. White people have these unearned advantages and privileges just for being white, and in our society this leads to a systematic tendency to over empowerment, where denial of these advantages occurs leading to no changes in society.

There is something about the ideology of a subculture that sparks an interest in me. Maybe it is intriguing due to its members’ originality, courage to stand up for beliefs, or freely expressing their own self- identity. A subculture forms by individuals taking a risk, separating themselves from the mainstream, and forming their own distinctive norms, not caring what the “normal” members of the mainstream society think of them. Or do they care? Maybe that is the exact statement a subculture is making. Maybe these individuals are forming these groups so that people will care. Maybe their rebellious attitude is a final, somewhat desperate approach to getting that response. The images being portrayed in most subcultures are

For the first time in American history, a large population of people of all ages, classes, and races came together to challenge the traditional institutions, traditional values in society, and "the establishment" in general. Youth, women, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, migrant workers and others caused the emergence of the counter culture. This cultural movement from 1960 to 1973 was caused by many factors. This era was one that was filled with many important events that shaped the way that Americans viewed life. Those who were unhappy with what was going on around them and took part in this social phenomenon reflected and demonstrated their attitudes, values, and ideals in many ways. Various things from