Hats off to Reflexive Sociological Texts: Undressing Durban 2007

http://iolsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/UD13990.aspx

Join the Discussion here:
http://iolscommentary.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/undressing-durban/

These Essays Not Yet Received!

URGENT NOTICE:
FINAL DIARY PROJECT ESSAYS


NOTE THAT ESSAYS WERE DUE 9 APRIL 2008.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ESSAYS FROM THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS. PLEASE SEE ME BY THE LATEST, WED 16 APRIL. THIS NOTICE ALSO APPLIES TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT HANDED-IN AND WHOSE NAMES MAY NOT APPEAR HERE (AND ON THE DEPARTMENT REGISTER).

206517813 GOVENDER, D
205521944 KHAN, GB
204010978 MAISTRY, JD
200308041 MAPHANGA, NS
202515903 MBATHA, S
204513469 NAIR, DG
204000839 SHINGA, MM

Final Essay Extension

Hi

The Final Essay deadline has been extended to Wed 9 April 2008 @ 12noon.
If you are, at this point, happy with your final, please come in and see me, I will accept hand-ins before the 9th as well. All the best.

Racism illustrates warped power dynamics

Comment
Racism illustrates warped power dynamics
by Patrick Craven

Hi all.. This article was recently published by IOLS research newsletter at UKZN online. Read the article at the following link, and join the discussion at their page/link at the bottom of the article..click on the discussion link and you will be directed to the iols commentary blog. IOLS also encourages writing from students, so if anyones interested in writing an article for publication, let me know.

http://iolsresearch.ukzn.ac.za/pcone13364.aspx

Creative Inspirations from the course!

Hi. As one of the creative inspirations from the course, and inspired by the movie Crash, one of the students has presented the following poem... Here, I am sharing it with the rest of you! My own inspirations are attached here too... in the form of paintings...The first one is called 's o c i e t y', and is a beaded canvas (i used square plastic beads and chains, and the play of colour and light is of particular interest to me).. and the second one is an oil on canvas, titled 'MultiCULTuralism'.


WHY RACISM?

What is a difference
Something unique and distinct
New and never experienced
opposing what you are used to

A difference is what we strive for
In day to day living
We sweat to bring a difference
A difference in a form of bread for survival

We even long for that special someone
Whom we wish to devot our lives to
To make our lives different
Pleasant and sharable with the other

Perhaps after vows are done
We want to celebrate in a different way
In a different special place
To make it a rememberable one

Race is the difference
A distinction according to colour
Skin colour,eye colour
And perhaps the degree of the streaghtness of the hair


There are two types of dfifference good and bad
Who created diffference
Perhaps God for if it was men
It would imply that man created man

Who decides which difference is good or whichj is bad
Perhaps man satisfying his attitude and beliefs
Why racial prejudice
Historically white to black
post-election black to white or vice verca

Why not see race a a good difference
A difference that is embedded within cultural diversity
And thus race could be adventurous
We unlock the uniqueness and distinctiveness
across racial bounderies

Who created colour and certain connotations related to each
Red for love,pink for feminity
Altimately white for brightness and civilisation
Black for backwardness and damness
As defined by the Western Oxford dictionary

Human beings are not animals or things to be identified by colour
Neither are they objects around our social world
What is being refered to as white is not really white
But perhaps pinkish
What is labelled black may be brownish

Who catergorised human to racial groups
Why not perhaps according weight,or hieght
Why colour when physical features and blood is the same colour
There is but one race,the human race!!!

written by :Nokulunga Khanyisile Mkhize
206506219

C R A S H

A movie like CRASH, situates itself around car crashes and the ANGER that is activated by them. Anger manifests itself in various ways. Anger, is the result of deep-rooted fear and hurt. Society tells us that we are 'not good enough'. It suggests that we are 'bad'. How does it do this? By putting us into neat little, controllable boxes. If you are a boy, you must be the best you can be. Play the best sport. Be competitive. Be a good father, son, breadwinner, sportsman, professional,etc. Girls are told early on, that there are certain expected roles and chores. Girls are also terrified of the potential to be stigmatised and labelled as deviant by society. These are internalised. And the deviation brings with it the fear of being seen as 'bad', ie unworthy. Self worth is questioned. This in turn has negative implications for constructions of identity. The pain of inferiority becomes frustration. This in turn becomes anger. Anger has companions. Like prejudice. Conforming to the convenient box that society has labelled for us, makes us feel safe. I may say to you that I am not a racist. But what does this mean? And can that be tested, for example, when I am put under pressure? When anger is activated?
But then, can that be tested, for example, in a matter of life and death?

First, I would like to hear what you think about the movie. How did it make you feel, watching a contemporary depiction of life in LA. And do you think that these examples might relate to our local context? Discuss some of the people or situations in the movie both in terms of how these played out, and how they might have made sense to you. Keep in mind the discussions throughout this course.

Any Questions??!! - Consultation Post!

Hi

This is my letter-bOx post. As you know, I have a list of consultation times on my door and as has been mentioned in the blog before. This post is an additional place for comment, question and concerns to be raised. Any questions regards the discursive essay/research, the assessments (also see your course outline) or the exam, can be aired here.