The mMeaning of Difference

The main idea of "The Meaning of Differnce" is show how different groups are looked at and cotegorized in our society. There are two different views which Rosenbaum and Travis talk about in the writing. The first view is the constructionist view. This view is the thinking that reality can not be seperated from the way a culture makes scense of it. This basically means that the way people and groups are looked at, comes from how they are constructed through social processes. The other view is essentialism. This is the view that certain people and groups are looked at in different ways depending where someone is born and what type of lifestyle they are brought up in. Essentialism says that people and groups do not have certain characteristics that are viewed the same way by everyone in the world, rather it changes from individual to individual.

Their main thought throughout the writing is about how different groups have become to the way that they are viewed today. They also state the steps certain groups have taken to be noticed in our society. Throughout the piece they refer back to the Census alot. The reason for doing so, is because when people are filling out the Census they must mark what ethincity or group they are from. This way every group will have their own statistics for a better understanding of the way different groups feel. Well, when the 1970 Census came out there was only three different grous you could be apart of whites, blacks, and native americans. As time has past over the past thirty plas years, more groups have been added to the list. The 2000Census was the first time when a person had the choice to be from a multiracial group. Also along with racial groups sexual groups were also added, such as gays. They go on to talk about how race or sexual preference is viewed in America. Also they state how groups are seperated or lumped together. They state an example about a young man is seen kissing a young women alot, when his classmates discuss the siuation, everyone laughs because they say they all know he is gay. So this thought that no matter what actions someone makes how they are thought as or viewed can be totally different from their actions.

My two dicusson questions are
1. Why are peopled viewed in a certain way because of the way they look or the way they are precived, other than through their actions?
2. Why as a society, do we continue look at certain groups through different scopes? Why can't we see certain groups in positive ways?

I think that Rosenbaum and Travis was harder to grasp a concept of in certain was because of the vocabulary. Although some parts were hard to understand I believe that it was a good writing wuth information about the different types of groups and their struggles that I was unaware.