User:Authenticly25/sandbox

Article Evaluation
The article starts properly including the bolding of the subject. It also includes links of popular associated words, that if followed, redirect the reader to the related page. The introduction states the founding behind the theory and explains two different point of view surrounding it. The contents portion of the article is well organized and would appear to have consistent contributors. The main body of the article begins with definitions like that of social construction, which allows the reader to lay a basic foundation of understanding of the text. For every idea that is introduced, there is a citation attached. What follows is a brief description of the assumptions of social constructionism. Gender is introduced as a way of proving a fundamental division in society, which I think it beautiful and bold (not to be confused with the soap). The current perspective suggests gender as an activity with ‘beliefs about sex categories based on situational variables’. This article covers so many topics that branch from each other, it can be intimidating to read, but everything is written an order that flows between subject. The bold text makes it easier to differentiate between the related topics, with each one revealing the social construction that is being perpetuated. It was interesting to note that sexuality is based on the individuals ability to appear appropriately gendered. Overall, I think the article does a great job of staying neutral and presenting different approaches to the theory. The citation links work successfully to support the claims. The facts represented appear to be reliable sources, being a combination of academic press and books. Some of the sources are a bit older (from the 80s), but the information presented is current. The article was nominated to be checked for neutrality in April of 2012 and possibly contains original research as of October 2012. Reading the talk section was huge for me. Many of the points I found myself glossing over, are criticized in this section- leading me affirm the idea that I have much to learn. I have a greater appreciation for the Wikipedia community after seeing the talk section for this article- the collaboration and critique. This page was given a C rating due to the bias with which it was written and the holes where adequate information needs to be added. Overall, class gives us a better insider view of the argument based on the central voices.

Discrimination based on Skin Color
I chose this topic because it my skin defines my walk through life in this society. I see factual accuracy and neutrality being two areas of concern that I'd like to work on this semester and I'm hoping the practice will lend itself to my interactions-seeing as I do tend to have passionate moments. I want to use this as a chance for personal academic growth and hopefully making knowledge a bit more palatable.

Page Notes
In reviewing the talk page, there seems to be confusion between racism, discrimination based on skin color and colourism. There is also confusion on whether other physical traits like hair and eye color should be included in the conversation. By definition, colorism is based on skin color and not any other physical traits. There is also talk of combining this page with that for racism and the definition of racism itself in consideration of the one generated by google and general wide use of google. Google's definition seems to be pertaining more to skin color, which describes just one faucet or race. Race is a social construct that seeks to categorize people not just by skin tone, but by ethnic background and assigns character traits to races like those of Asian descent and black people. Colourism functions as an aspect of racism that affects persons of colour creating further division within members of minority group. Bias was also an area of concern focusing on campaigns like "Dark is Divine" as promoting discrimination while trying to rid discrimination. Not sure how I feel about this stance, which in my view, is a response to our Eurocentric values, placing those with dark skin at the bottom of the beauty queue. I see this as a celebration and validation for the marginalized that doesn't operate to put other widely accepted ideals of beauty down.

With a focus on colourism pertaining to North America, I would like to positively contribute to the page, adding details that may be missed in the description of certain concepts or described practices. My notes based on the scholarly pieces I summarized for this project focused on educational experience of students of color in the U.S., historical precedent set by law cases that deemed skin color as having judicial precedence, and language and attitudes of skin color among black women. My notes of research will hopefully give more support to existing material on the page or be points of clarification surrounding ideas that

Wiki 300 words
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SKIN COLOR

The Wikipedia page I’ve chosen to edit is ‘Discrimination Based on Skin Color’ which is one form of actionable form of prejudice that finds people treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color. It is a form of discrimination that effects both males and females and appears in various settings from criminal justice, business, labor market, health care, media and politics. The largest portion of the page looks at North America, particularly the Unites States and how a general preference for lighter skin affects all aspects of life for Black people.

The education section of the wiki page starts with the Supreme Court decision of 1954, Brown vs. Board of Education which integrated schools. It also points to disparities like state funded schools relying on resources from low-income neighborhoods, faculty reluctance to mentor students of color and underrepresentation of minorities in educational programs for gifted students. In class, we discuss Schwalbe’s Generic Processes in Reproduction of Inequality and the ways inequalities both exist and are perpetuated through interactions based on income, wealth, status, political power, health and resources. Schwalbe points out that inequality is institutionalized but is perpetuated through practice. We see this in redlining for housing where policies define what areas minorities are or are not allowed to live in.

According to Carla Monroe’s Colorizing Educational Research, race frames educational outcomes from the achievement gap, disciplinary disparities, special education placement and dropout rates. Monroe points to interlocking frameworks of racial constructions, racism and color bias as placing theories and policies in a sociohistorical context. Youth in underprivileged areas live often don’t have role models that pursued education, instead they have pimps and dealers. Living in low-income neighborhoods means combining a lack of resources with an overly strong police presence. Without an emphasis on education, language development doesn’t follow a conventional pattern and includes slang and the local dialect. When applied to a class setting, students from these areas have ideas that can’t be properly articulated. Lack of structured recreation time means that youth are more likely to be involved in gangs or other illegal activities. This lack of structure finds youth unresponsive to adult authority because they don’t see mutual respect.

The attraction section of the page is another area with less information. The primary idea is that lighter skin is closer in association to beauty, which dark children internalize. Dark skin is stereotypically associated with bad attitudes and less attractiveness. This stereotype was birthed during slavery when lighter slaves worked in the house and had access to education while darker slaves were forced to do back breaking work in fields. Lighter children or mulattos got better food and were promised freedom, ultimately learning white ways like cultural capital and speech patterns. This allowed them to go to Negro colleges, become proprietors, landowners, politicians and community leaders. One of the four cardinal truths Monroe points to is that racial identity can be situational in the black community as some blacks pass (look white) and will reveal/conceal their blackness for employment or religion. Blacks used passing for get around restrictions against black people and were able to get better-paying, high status jobs. This follows the general truism that white Americans favor black who are presumably more like them, meaning they were perceived to be more intelligent, trustworthy and desirable.

Othering is one of the main generic processes used by dominant groups to perpetuate ideas of inferiority on minority groups. We identity oppressive othering as the social construct of race itself. We see defensive othering being used specifically through colorism when lighter skinned people of a minority group use their perceived privilege to create societies that ban those with darker skin like Negro colleges who only admitted lighter Blacks or Greek letter organizations that used paper bag or pencil tests. The page also talks about representation in the media and how perceptions of black families are portrayed in negative ways. In class we read Robin Kelly’s Confessions of a Nice Negro which gives a look into his experience as a light skinned black guy that wasn’t fully recognized socially as a black man. He accounts for times in his youth when his masculinity was questioned because he didn’t exert the aggressiveness that is stereotypically perpetuated through media about black men.