Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Post# 10- Reflection

The end and the start...
Now that my Communicating Diversity class has come to an end it is time to not only celebrate my summer, but also to celebrate all that I have learned, and take it with me on my journey through life!
I feel very fortunate to have a class available to me that explores diversity so deeply. Diversity within race, ethnicity, masculinities and femininities, love, class and social status, religion and the combinations of all of these within Canada and the globe.

With the teachings of Dr. Teresa Pierce, and readings of scholar Brenda Allen, I believe that my mind has been opened in a broader perspective. Although I knew differences are important, I now can look at it with a wider lens.

Much of what we learned was based off of the ideas in this book. It is a must read!
I remember one of the first days of class we were asked who we were as individuals. We attempted to define ourselves, and look to what defined us. This was interesting because at the start of the semester answered “caucasian.” Today however, I might think of something a little bit more specific and open minded. I would say Finnish-Canadian, or Second-Generation Canadian. (Maybe even lead with saying I am a critical thinker.) What I can say is that coming to these conclusions would also not have been possible without my fellow classmates. Throughout class discussions I discovered how diverse we all are from one another, and I felt all of us feed off of this very factor and begin to learn from one another. I highly believe in learning from experience and that’s where I think this played a crucial role.
All of these factors have allowed me to stop and take time today to open up my mind and act as a critical thinker.
As I stated in an earlier blog post, not only does critical thinking open your mind, but it can provide us with new and different view in which to improve society. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective with a commitment to improving society.
I have all the members of my UOIT Diversity Class of 2012 to thank for my own self-progress!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Multicultural Canada

In our Diversity class we discussed Diaspora and Immigration. Before I knew it we were talking about North America’s multiculturalism. Canada, unlike the U.S. differs in the views when it comes to their country’s identity. The U.S. uses more of a “melting pot” view vs. Canada’s “mosaic” or a “tossed salad” view towards society.

The reason for this is because Canada encourages multiculturalism and individualism as opposed to encourage assimilation into society. The U.S. melts all their cultures to create an American identity, whereas Canada, like a tossed salad, has many individual ingredients that are used to create the Canadian identity.

It made me think of places in Canada that are highlights, or ingredients of this salad that contribute to our multiculturalism: China Town, J-Town, Little Italy, Little Jamaica, Africville and more. These places are rich in history and contribute to Canada's identity. Can you think of more?

Friday, March 30, 2012

Post #9 -Diaspora and Immigration

“St. Urho’s Day is a fun way to appreciate our rich Finnish heritage”
As a second generation Canadian, I was excited to learn more about Diaspora and Immigration. As a Finnish-Canadian, I was intrigued to research Finnish Diaspora in Canada. What I found was that many Finns, like my father, left Finland to come to Canada and work. I also know many of them situated themselves not too far from me (the Durham Region) in a more northern city called Thunder Bay. Currently, this city has the highest Finnish-speaking population outside of Finland.
The article I will be discussing was an article from a website that offers news, information, opinions and positive ideas for Thunder Bay, Ontario, and for Northwestern Ontario. First of all, I would like to point out that I think it’s wonderful to have a news website that specifically highlights good news, especially when it has to do with the way that Canadians view multiculturalism. This website claims that feature columns from federal, provincial and municipal people in government have opportunity to share their ideas with us directly and openly.
In this article, Thunder Bay- Superior MP Bruce Hyer explained his gratification of the Finns who have inhabited the Thunder Bay community for more than 100 years. “St, Urho’s Day is a fun way to appreciate our rich Finnish heritage and the developing traditions of the Finnish Diaspora,” (Hyer, 2012).
The holiday is similar to the Irish St. Patrick’s Day and pays tribute to the mythological St. Urho. On this day all individuals in the community, Finnish and not, can celebrate with parades, fundraising, and a grand festival. What I was also pleased to find out was that there is an event named "FinnThunder 2012" which is an annual festival that celebrates Finnish- Canadian culture.

Scholar Parminder Bhachu explained that “The market is used not just as a straightforward mechanisms of exchange but also as a means of negotiating a Diasporic material form which expresses cultural pride…." (Bhachu, 2004). Although this is a different context, I believe that there is a negotiating between cultures that occurs in achieve harmony and unity within communities.
When I visited Helsnki, I came across this pub (and ate there, yum!). St. Urho's Day is a holiday celebrated similar to St. Patrick's Day.
What I like also like about this Thunder Bay community is that the Finnish enclave includes restaurants, and other public facilities that cater to the community. I believe that communities that celebrate diversity, and accept multiculturalism can not only thrive, but also spread awareness and help others to have an open mind.

To learn more about the Finnish- Canadian culture in Thunder Bay: Click here.

References

Bhachu, P. (2004). Dangerous designs: Asian women fashion the diaspora economics. New York: Routledge.

St. Urho’s Day is a fun way to appreciate our rich Finnish heritage. (2012, March 16). NetNewsLedger. Retrieved from http://netnewsledger.com/2012/03/16/st-urhos-day-is-a-fun-way-to-appreciate-our-rich-finnish-heritage-bruce-hyer/.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Crash



Crash has been celebrated for it's exploration in diversity and racism and I thoroughly enoyed it! However, some scholars argue it is unable to escape the deeply rooted history of White dominance and White-Black racial dichotomy.

"In writing and directing Crash, Paul Haggis made a noble attempt to provide a contemporary commentary on race and racism in the Unites States…While we applaud Haggis for what he tried to achieve, we do not want this to be what and who we become. We want to become something better." –Jamie Moshin and Ronald L. Jackson II

Friday, March 23, 2012

Post #8- Mainstream Entertainment

History of Racial Tension for Fla. City and Blacks
By: Mike Schneider and Suzette Laboy
Since Barack Obama’s presidential election win in 2008 many North American’s would argue that we live in a “colour-blind” nation. This means that we think and look beyond racism and other markers of difference, and that we live in what is called a “post-race” era. However, I can argue that by looking at it this way, and ignoring the differences in multiculturalism, we are only furthering racism. Multiculturalism should be recognized and celebrated, and I believe that mainstream entertainment has the power to do so.

Visionary and American president Obama
According to Jamie Moshin and Ronald L. Jackson (2011) the 2004 film “Crash” reveals how although racism is hidden in public, it is often expressed privately. In the article “History of Racial Tension for Fla. City and Blacks”, we see how this view of racism is proven. The article refers to several events that have occurred in a (predominately white) Orlando, Florida region that have been part of a ten year span of racial issues between the black community and the police department.
In class we discussed the theory of relational privilege. In a lecture on March 23, 2012, to a COMM 372OU class, Tess Pierce claimed this theory refers to how those from different diversities communicate involving power dynamics. In the film Crash we see an example of the raw form of relational privilege in California communities. Crash was commended for shining light on how sub-cultures inter-relate across class and colour lines in present-day America. When it comes to the issues in the Orlando community, Obama himself has shed light globally on the racist issues within this community.

Most recent killing in the Orlando area was this 17-year-old (left), allegedly shot in self-defence.
According to Moshin and Jackson every day racism is hidden. “Closing our eyes, acting like it is not there, or even conflating bigotry with racism are not effective strategies for this eradication or racism or White Privilege, both of which have material effects for non-White, racial Others in our Society,” (pg. 215). When authorities and the surrounding communities like the one in Orlando ignore racism, it will only work to further encourage the racist tendencies between community members. When we ignore racism, it will not simply cease to exist. Luckily, when figures such as Obama begin to discuss racism we can begin to better understand that although we are not a “colour-blind” nation, we don’t need to be.
References
Moshin, J. & Jackson, R. L. Inscribing racial bodies and relieving responsibility: Examining racial politics in Crash. In Lacy & Ono pp. 214-232.
Schneider, M., and Laboy, S. (2012, March 23). History of Racial Tension for Fla. City and Blacks. Associated Press. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/history-racial-tension-fla-city-blacks-15984145

(T. Pierce, COMM 372OU, March 23, 2012).

Friday, March 16, 2012

Post #7- Religion & Diversity


Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider learns the Zen of baseball
By: Larry Millson
After today’s Communicating Diversity class, I really started to think more about religion and spirituality in my every-day life, and how they contrast with one another. As someone who was never exactly forcefully encouraged to practice religion-religiously- I found myself to be more spiritually oriented. What this means to me is that instead of directly looking to a higher power to help me in time of need, I looked for inner strength, as well as to family and friends.
I was tickled when I read this article on the Major League Baseball (MLB) player Travis Snider’s new interest in Zen. When I think of religion and sports my mind directly goes to the Denver Bronco’s Tim Tebow. Many know him as the National Football League (NFL) player who gets down on one knee and starts praying on the field before, after and during a game.
Tebow, praying on the sidelines
Going back to the article, I found it intriguing to hear that although, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder, Snider “doesn’t claim to be Buddhist or any particular religion from that sense,” he still “was able to take some things and put them in perspective.” Often times I find myself acting similarly, picking and choosing aspects certain religions possess and applying them to my spiritual instincts in order to better myself.

I believe that the way in which Snider claimed he could relate to books regarding inner peace displayed his spiritual side. When referring to the tendinitis in his right wrist that ended his season last year, Snider claimed “it was a blessing in disguise… It gave me some extended time to spend with some friends and family and do some good self-reflection and really put things in perspective.” This quote interested me because the language Snider used (“blessing”) showed me his religious side. However, the rest of the quote reflected more of a spiritual side.
Snider, looking to Zen to change up the game
As a communication student I find it fascinating to examine how athletes in MLB, and the NFL, look to gain their non-physical strength both on and off the field. I find it inspiring that their openness and understanding of religion and spirituality can influence not only fans, but almost anyone that whatever your belief, if it works for you than that’s what you should do.

I am excited to see the new baseball season begin, and especially excited to see if Snider will take the left outfield position. I would like to follow up and see just how his new Zen interest plays out on the field. Snider’s spiritual interest is by far one of the most interesting things I’ve seen come out of left-field. Maybe it’ll be a home run?
Let's go Blue Jays!
References:
Millson, L. (2012, March 5). Blue Jays outfielder Travis Snider learns the Zen of baseball. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/bluejays/article/1141359--blue-jays-outfielder-travis-snider-learns-the-zen-of-baseball

Who I am...

In today’s class we not only discussed religion, but also spirituality.
We compared the two and considered how both played parts in our lives as well as those around us.
The subject of religion is a tender one, so it was interesting to see the diversity among our fellow peers since it is something that is not always openly discussed. It also made me think about my religious history.
My grandparents lived in Germany where they practiced Lutheran. When they moved to Canada the church they attended was Presbyterian. Both are Protestant, and both my parents happened to be brought up with this religion. When it came to me, I was free to embrace what I felt comfortable. However, that didn’t come easily. What does your religion or spiritual side say about you?

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Post #6- Class and Social Status


Ontario launches immigration expert panel
Immigration reporter: Nicholas Keung

For this week’s blog post I will be addressing Canada’s cultural diversity and social cohesion. In the report Sharpening the Lens: Recent Research on Cultural Policy, Cultural Diversity, and Social Cohesion, by Greg Baeker for Toronto’s Arts and Cultural Planning, it was revealed that in Canada there were two major challenges to traditional formulations of citizenship, connectedness, and social cohesion:

1. The transitional flow of peoples
2. The globalizing communication systems and markets

These challenges raised questions about the role of culture and cultural policy in responding to the new global environment. The report stated that “on a per capita basis, Canada receives more immigrants annually than any other country in the world,” (p. 181). It also stated that major urban centres such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, helped coined the term EthniCities, which are “large urban areas of the developed world that contain high levels of ethno-racial and are culturally diverse in their populations,” (p.189 ). When there is a high concentration of immigrants in these EthniCities new challenges and social dynamics are created. Although the report was published in 2002, these major urban cities have still been noted to attract a high number of immigrants, and Ontario is the number one destination for newcomers to Canada.

As Canada is a desirable place to live, diversity is still seen in Canadian policy circles as “one of a number of ‘fault lines’ exposing cracks in the Canadian façade of social cohesion. Baeker stated, “Culture diversity intersects with economic and other types of polarization, thus jeopardizing Canada’s reputation for leadership on these issues and challenging its image as a caring, open, and compassionate society,” (p. 181). Today, Canada has acknowledged the increase in diversity in cultural production and representation.

In the article I read this week I found out that Ontario has taken a step in the right direction by developing the first-ever immigration strategy to help newcomers find jobs as well as support Ontario’s economic development. However, it has been noted in the report that integration with mainstream institutions and cultural policies can “carry with it charges of compromising the integrity of diversity and cultural appropriation,” (p. 187).

When I read the article I felt that this immigration strategy is a healthy way of accepting diversity, and using it to our advantage. Other provinces too have signed immigration agreements with the government to help skilled immigrants and spread diversity evenly across the country. Baeker noted, “Fields of urban planning and community development can guide our thinking… experience with self-organizing systems and community self-government reflects a workable strategy for broadening engagement from the grassroots up,” (p. 190). What I liked about this report is that it told me that these types of approaches rely on social learning models and a deepening of public understanding of social problems. These immigrants provide our local economic needs, spread diversity and contriute to social cohesion, while in return can help us break through these "fault lines". By adopting these new perspectives we acknowledge the need for new formulations of cultural justice in diverse societies.

I’d like to end this with a quote from the report that I thought was useful to remember when looking at defining diversity. “Canadian experience points to an understanding of diversity as an ongoing negotiation of intersecting and often conflicting interesting,” (p. 183).

References
Baeker, G. (2002). Sharpening the Lens: Recent Research on Cultural Policy, Cultural Diversity, and Social Cohesion. Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 27, 179-196.

Keung, N. (2012, March 2). Ontario launches immigration expert panel. The Toronto Star.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Tim Wise

Today in class we learned the importance of challenging cultural normalcies.
Tim Wise, antiracist essayist, author and educator, gave a speech in Texas where he revealed many people believe that by discussing race, we are only deepening the racism. However, he argued that the past is not compartmentalized. The fact is most people believe that “the less we talk about it, the better the situation will be,” (Wise). Obviously, this is not the case. I highly recommend watching the entire speech, or just listening to anything he has to say since he is so well spoken!


Friday, February 17, 2012

Post #5- Love as a Diversity Issue

Ottawa tables legislation to ensure foreign gay marriages recognized
By: Tobi Cohen


I am not sure what the irony behind timing with this law is, but it seems a bit peculiar to me.
I remember I read an article a number of years ago about how a lesbian couple, one from Florida and the other from the UK, wanted to get married. Like most same-sex couples living in America who want to tie the knot legally, they headed to Canada. However, when the relationship didn’t turn out as expected, the couple were unable to divorce because Canada has a law that requires married couples who want to divorce in Canada, to live here for at least one year. 
Same-sex couple Heather Gass and Lisa Lachange in 2003 
Recently, and a few days before Valentine’s Day, I read an article pertaining to this problem once again. This article explained that, finally, the government was considering altering the law so these foreign couples weren’t legally trapped in their marriages.
In 2003 Liberal politician Paul Martin was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada. In 2004, same-sex marriage became legal in Canada. This new law however didn’t seem to have all the kinks worked out for foreigners since one-year residency was required for divorce. Matrimonial lawyer, Rain Henderson, claimed the marriage application forms indicated that you cannot marry family members, and “it doesn’t say be cautious, because you might not be able to get divorced,” she said, “marriage application forms should include a new warning for same-sex couples,”(Henderson, 2009). Today however, there is a glimmer of hope for this loophole to be fixed.
The government tabled legislation today to amend the Civil Marriage Act, which would allow foreign same-sex couples to divorce in Canada. (Since most likely their home countries do not allow it). NDP representative Jack Harris encourages this legislation. Harris expressed concerns about a clause that required both spouses to reside in a jurisdiction that doesn’t recognize that they are married. According to National Post reporter Tobi Cohen, Harris said, “When heterosexuals seek a divorce, only one applicant must reside in the jurisdiction in which they are seeing the dissolution… Obviously, we need to study this in some detail,” (Cohen, 2012).
There are many controversies with the lesbian couple and the story had made several international headlines. Especially since when same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada it was often advertised to foreigners that it was the place to be to say your “I dos.”
Same-sex cake toppers
According to CTV reporter Sonja Puzic “Egale Canada, a human rights organization advocating equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, called the apparent flip-flop ‘a direct insult to gays and lesbians both in Canada and abroad’,” (Puzic, 2012).
As someone who has read the story and followed it from day 1, I am shocked to find that only today are considerations being made to change the law for these couples. Although a couple is able to get married, they should be able to get divorced! What I find most surprising is that as North American’s living in the 21 century I find that we often pride ourselves on equality, yet the law seems so out-dated. Today, what we see is more emphasis on living and loving whoever you want, but our legal system does not reflect that.
Everyone should have the right to get married, and divorced. Whether they want to or not, it should be an option they can choose if it's an option for the rest of the population. 


References
CBC News (2012, September 25). Gay U.S. couples can’t get divorces for Canadian marriages. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/09/25/bc-gay-couples-divorce-canada-marriage.html
Cohen, T. (2012, February 17). Ottawa tables legislation to ensure foreign gay marriages recognized. National Post. Retrieved from http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/17/ottawa-tables-legislation-to-ensure-foreign-gay-marriages-recognized/
Sonja, P. (2012, January 12). Ottawa to explore same-sex divorce options. CTV News. Retrieved from http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120112/harper-same-sex-marriage-debate-questions-120112/

Google.com celebrates diversity on Valentine's Day 2012

On Valentine's Day I went onto google and stumbled upon this adorable video. A little boy was trying to win a little girls heart. He tried the typical flowers and chocolate, but what ended up working for him was being himself! I thought it was a great message that could be shown all over the country, and world. At the end of the video they showed a number of different couples, diverse in nature of course, pictured here:
If you'd like to see the full video for yourself, click here!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Post #4- Beyond Masculine & Feminine Roles

Link to article: Boy Meets Girl
Boy Meets Girl
By: Rani Sheen
For this post I’d like to first mention how I stumbled upon the subject I will be discussing. I am not one to read magazines religiously, but the other day I was stuck in a waiting room without my BlackBerry, and the only other form of literature were pamphlets about various illnesses. It was there that I grabbed the only magazine available in the room. It was Toronto’s February 2012 issue of Fashion Magazine. It is also where I stumbled upon this…

What do you think of when you see this model? Do the words beautiful, graceful or perhaps, feminine come up? That’s what came to mind for me. But wait, you may want to hear the whole story.
I skimmed through the articles, advertisements and photographs until I saw another image that caught me off guard...

I flicked back to the cover, then back to this image, and still went back and forth about four more times before I realized they were the same person. I proceeded to read the article that followed. “He’s no lady. Boy wonder Andrej Pejic brings his dry wit and supermodel moves to the top Canadian designs for spring." It was true; this beautiful, yet feminine, women's wear model on the cover was in fact a man. It made me reconsider what sexuality meant within our society.
Today in my Communicating Diversity class we discussed once again how gender is socially constructed. However, this time we also discussed how in today’s society it is a possibility that even sex can be socially constructed. We discussed inventions of new languages and terms used to describe sexualities, and we discussed how developments such as sex changes, and sexual enhancements are socially constructed and reconstructed. In a lecture on February 10, 2012, to a COMM 372OU class, Dr. Pierce said that we “cannot look at it like that anymore because it has changed overtime.”
It’s true. Sexuality is a complex and controversial topic. Brenda Allen described sexuality as “the social expression of social relations to and social reference to bodily desire or desires, real or imagined, by or for others or for oneself, together with the related bodily states and experiences… Others can be of the same or opposite sex, or even occasionally of indeterminate gender” (p. 118). Not only does she point out that it achieves to capture the complexities of sexuality, but it describes sexuality as social.
According to Allen, “sexuality is a primary, primal aspect of human identity,” (p. 135). She claimed that throughout history, “constructions of sexuality reflect changing attitudes related to reproduction, pleasure, and hetero- versus homosexuality. Currently, ideologies of heteronormativity infuse dominant institutions of society, as glbt (gay lesbian bisexual and transgender) groups and their advocates seek equality,” (p. 135). For as long as I could remember, Fashion Magazine had always presented females on their cover. The fact that now a man had been presented in this way made me feel that society’s construction of sex may be beginning to reflect a changing attitude towards a new view of the term.
I believe Pejic plays an important role in our society right now. This is because he wasn’t considered to fit “neatly into their menswear or womenswear divisions,” (Sheen, 2012). It was this misplacement that continues to increases public awareness on differences in sexuality. It makes it possible to bridge these divides and help us to understand as well as continue to encourage parents to “encourage their children to contradict gender stereotypes,” (Sheen, 2012). It is a fact that society today is rich in diversity, and Pejic is in a position where these diverse individuals who also do not neatly fit into certain divisions can relate to. His flourishing career and confidence can provide as inspiration to others who do not neatly fit, the way he does.

Why discuss sexuality? Well, according to Allen, “sexuality matters because it is an important aspect of everyone’s identity and experiences” (p.120). As I read the article, it was clear Pejic was fed up with questions regarding his sexuality; however, he said if he’s asked, he’ll answer.

Here are some more gorgeous photos of model Andrej Pejic

References
Allen, B. J, (2004) Difference matters: communicating social identity. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
Sheen, R. (2012, January 3). Boy Meets Girl. Fashion Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.fashionmagazine.com/blogs/fashion/2012/01/03/andrej-pejic/
(T. Pierce, COMM 372OU, February 10, 2012).

I am a cultural gatekeeper

In our class this week we read an article titled "Advertising Whiteness" by Angela Ka Ying Mak.
The article examined how images in ads can shape social values. Something that resonated with me from this article was how Mak said it is our duty (since I am a communication student) to educate consumers on how to become more visually literate.
“Visual literacy, therefore, must be taught in journalism and communication schools because the students are the ‘cultural gatekeepers’ in the future. If they do not have visual intelligence in looking at visual images, all of us would be controlled by the manipulative advertising messages from the large corporations.”

Not only can ads shape social values, but it can shape our self image."By knowing one's inner self better, it could unmask the beauty illusion and refocus the consumer's needs in other meaningful ways."
What I would like to take from this is to continue to do my best in order to play my part as a cultural gatekeeper!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Post #3- Masculinities & femininities

Link to article: Gay and Green presidential contender battles to break the mould in Finland

Gay and Green presidential contender battles to break the mould in Finland
By: Charlotta Hedman and Héctor Montes

For this blog post I have chosen to discuss an issue that I have been following for a few weeks now. This issue is the recent elections in Finland. Or, more suitably I should say, the current re-elections in Finland. I am both a citizen of Canada as well as Finland so I try to keep in touch. I am one of 230,000 Finn's who live abroad. The article I choose to discuss "Gay and Green presidential contender battles to break the mould in Finland" reveals my main point regarding gender, sexuality, masculinity and femininity.
Currently, Finland has a female president. (Not to mention it’s the first female president!) Tarja Halonen is part of the Social Democratic Party and was elected as president in 2000, and re-elected in 2006. I know not everyone is probably familiar with her but fans of Conan O'Brien’s late night show may recognize her since she`s been called his look-alike! (Not to mention they are friends!)  Over the past couple weeks Finland has been looking for a new president. However, as elections closed last week, no one was officially elected because there was not enough of a majority vote for the candidates.

My issue with this article is that I feel I was hearing about traits that seemed unimportant in politics. One of the two remaining candidates, Pekka Haavisto`s sexuality was labelled more prominently in the article rather than his political standpoint.
Brenda Allen describes gender and sex as terms used interchangeably, yet are still related to our identity.  For the past 30 years Finland has elected the social democratic party, and this candidate is a member of the green party. I am left wondering if this interchange of revealing his sexuality so outwardly is a tactic of theirs to cover his political stance, or to gain more media coverage. “Understanding how sex and gender differ is important for thinking about the social construction of identity and its consequences” (p. 40).
We are born with our sex, and our society assigns our gender. According to Allen’s source “gender classifications are based on a web of socially constructed meanings that differentiate humans on the basis of perceived physical, social, and psychological characteristics “(p. 40). Allen also mentioned that within the North American society, there are both male dominated jobs as well as female dominated jobs. What sex do you picture as a nurse? How about an engineer? Our society, like gender, has constructed these meanings. When we unknowingly contribute to them by picturing certain individuals in these roles we are only further perpetuating these locked in categories. Finland seems to have managed to break through their cycle with a female president. To me, Haavisto’s sexuality shouldn’t matter just as Halonen’s sex didn’t hold her back. Although males still have similar workplace dominance to that of North America’s, our society can look to countries like Finland and look to be more open.
Allen continues to express that gender is something we do instead of have. Haavisto is an openly gay politician living in a partnership with a man from Ecuador, Antonio Flores, a hairdresser in Finland`s capital. What I found really interesting in this article was the comment made that “Antonio would be an excellent first lady.” This again, perpetuates the rigid stereotype that hairdressers are a feminine job.
I love Finland, as you can probably tell.
I wanted to close with an interesting quote I read in this article from another citizen. “If you can’t say ‘my president can be gay’ it means the time is right for it”
(Hedman and Montes, 2012).


References

Allen, B. J, (2004) Difference matters: communicating social identity. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

Hedman, C., Montes, H. (2012, February 3). Gay and Green presidential contender battles to break the mould in Finland. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/03/finnish-election-pekka-haavisto?newsfeed=true

He, she, it... or neutral?

In my Communicating Diversity class today we discussed how in North America we have "he" and "she", and no neutral term. We discussed how our society is constructed in a way that we have specific things we want to fit into certain categories.
When I learned about this I thought about my German side. What I learned about the German language is that they use more than masculine, feminine but also neutral. (They assign this to objects as well). 
Example:
A table (Der Tisch) Male
A car (Das Auto) Neutral
A fork (Die Gable) Female
Words that end in "er" are usually masculine, and words that end in "ung" are feminine. Foreign words are often neutral.
I thought I would share this because it showed me how diverse languages and societies are.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Post #2- Understanding race and ethnicity

Walmart celebrates Chinese New Year by catering to the neighbourhood
Staff Reporter: Jayme Poisson

For this week’s blog post I choose to discuss an article that embraces Canada’s multiculturalism. We are all familiar with celebrating Chinese New Year, as well as Walmart Canada. Well, for the first time ever in Canada, a Scarborough, Ontario Walmart made special arrangements for 2012s Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year fell on January 22nd celebrating the year of the Dragon.
By now, most large corporations like Walmart, as well as grocery stores, have dedicated and aisle or stocked a few shelves full of ethnic foods. However, now this specific Walmart which is located in a district where 40 per cent of their customers are of Asian descent is first to house an Asian bakery, fish market and butcher.

The new location provides chicken feet. Here it is in a cooked state.

The new location offers whole eel. Which can be used in dishes such as eel sushi.
Last but not least, almond cookies are churned in the bakery.
I felt this new addition of multiculturalism to my local Canadian community was a perfect example of what Dr. Brenda Allen, author and professor at the University of Colorado Denver, described as important, and why this difference matters. In her book, Difference matters: communication social identity, Allen outlines three specific reasons why exactly difference is important to recognize.

1.       We are becoming more different statistically
2.       Social identities are coming to the forefront
3.       Increasing variety of people is increasing demand for diversity programs in the public sphere

It is these three reasons that if understood and embraced can benefit our society's diversity. According to Allen (2004), “dealing effectively with difference and embracing it as a positive force rather than as something to be shunned of feared, can help organizations to accomplish their goals” (p. 5). Allen believes that when organizations (Walmart Canada) broaden their markets (accommodating the Asian market) will increase profits by producing and incorporating the input from such diverse groups.
This newly added accommodation is part of Walmarts “store of the community program,” launched in 2006, which works within the public sphere to effectively deal with difference. According to Poisson, the program works to “identify multicultural clusters across the country.” Poisson said Walmart Canada headquarters takes this data and is able to produce a merchandise selection specifically made for these multicultural clustered locations such as Scarborough.
The article also reminds me that although I am not a fan of how these massive corporations kill local businesses and individuality, their goal was to open a one-stop-shop to accommodate their existing customers (which compromise of almost half their clientele) and satisfy their food preferences.
I also believe that bringing these diverse ethnic foods to a more public sphere such as Walmart can in fact open up the minds of those in the community who are not familiar with Asian cuisine as well as culture. I am an advocate for experiencing other cultures and having an open mind. According to Allen “thinking and talking about difference can facilitate productive and enjoyable interactions with one another across our differences” (p. 5).
References
Allen, B. J, (2004) Difference matters: communicating social identity. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
Poisson, J. (2012, January 23). Walmart celebrates Chinese new Year by catering to the neighbourhood. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1120080--walmart-celebrates-chinese-new-year-by-catering-to-the-neighbourhood

While in class...

In today's class we learned of the importance of critical thinking. Not only does it open your mind, but it can provide us with a view to improve society, which is the duty of a critical thinker.

According to CriticalThinking.org...
"Critical thinking… the awakening of the intellect to the study of itself."

In class we defined critical thinking as self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective with a commitment to improving society.

This is a new definition to me, however, it won't be for long. I be using it from here on out to analyze and evaluate the rest of my articles!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Post #1

Is it a boy or is it a girl?
Health Reporter: Megan Ogilvie
The article I chose to discuss regarding Canadian issues has to do with health. More specifically, North America’s obsession with knowing the sex of fetus’ long before birth.
In this article health reporter Megan Ogilvie, discusses how in Canada knowing the sex of an unborn child holds an astonishingly high amount of importance.
Most Canadians recieve ultrasounds 10 weeks into their pregnancy.
By examining the features of critical criticism we can begin to understand and interpret the idea behind why in North American society we place so much importance on knowing a fetus’ sex. In my opinion, I can easily associate female feticide with patriarchy. This understanding will not only reveal how these groups are oppressed but also uncover hidden structures within social conditions.
In a lecture on January 18, 2012, to a COMM 372OU class, Communicating Diversity professor Dr. Tess Pierce spoke of Jürgen Habermas, a German sociologist (very) familiar with critical theory. Habermas looked at the way people are oppressed, and looked for change while combining work, interactions and power in order to show how society cooperates to construct society. (Which is also necessary for society to survive). Habermas focused attention on the greater influence of media’s role in setting the agenda of what society should think is important. In this case, importance of sex and gender of fetuses. But when we think about gender, we know that it is also socially constructed. From head to toe, our gender is simply formulated by society. Society is what influences these stereotypes, and what boys and girls and women and men should be like. These stereotypes further perpetuate patriarchy in our society, and continue to encourage the way in which society treats boys and girls.
In order to alleviate this as well as fight female feticide Ogilvie claims we need social change. She claimes "there needs to be an ongoing national conversation about gender to shake stereotypes and rid the country of gender discrimination — from the insidious kinds that happen every day to female feticide, what some have termed discrimination against women in its most extreme form,” (Ogilvie, 2012).
Although we cannot tell Canadians of any ethnicity how to perceive the value of males or females we can look to stimulate society’s conversation on this topic. Within the article North American’s have been noted to be known as a “knowledge-hungry society,” yet it is also known, in a lecture on January 18, 2012, to a COMM 372OU class, Professor Pierce claimed that within the public sphere people often forget we too have a say. "We forget that we are required to have our say. People want to know more issues and topics, you must talk about it and you must change it.”

Why is the sex of a fetus so important for us to know? What about in regards to gender?
Can’t we raise children gender-free? Maybe it is time to stop talking about the sex before a baby is brought into the world? Is it possible these stereotypes and restrictions are minimizing our diversity?


References
(T. Pierce, COMM 372OU, January 18, 2012).
Ogilvie, M. (2012, January 20). Is it a boy or is it a girl? The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1119129--is-it-a-boy-or-is-it-a-girl