We are meeting in the library in the morning. We reviewed a few of the assignments, vocabulary for the first two chapters and talked about argumentative forms (chapter 3). Homework was to skim chapter 3. If you haven't, do so now paying particular attention to the pages up to Occam's Razor, which is a philosophical way of looking at arguments--keep is simple and concise.
Homework for the weekend is to identify 10 arguments (write in your book) in Wise's book. Put two (2) of them in standard form if you can (smile). Post the two arguments in Standard Form here. What is meant by standard form is that the conclusion or argument is isolated from its premises or evidence. In this way, one shows how the premises or evidence prove the thesis (premise, argument, supposition--all synonyms.)
If you don't understand how to do this, just post the two arguments. Don't forget the page numbers.
Also, identify 2-3 assumptions, 2-3 judgements, 2-3 inferences, and 2-3 facts. Post those here as well. You might have to make more than one post.
A summary narrative or brief synopsis of your conclusions are fine re: assumptions, judgements, and facts. Be sure to define all terms first.
Do not choose your examples from one section of the book. Spread them out between Chapters 1-5.
This assignment is due by Tuesday, February 23, 6 AM. I am around tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, from 11-12 and 12-1 PM in A-232.
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Dennis Foley
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February
Tim Wise was asked by his great aunt Jean “if he thought there was ever going to be a race war?” Tim replied “No.” Tim suggested “that maybe her neighbors were simply looking at her in amazement.” Jean said she “was convinced... that someday, mass violence between blacks and whites would erupt.” Tim's argument is conclusive by stating that maybe his great aunt had simply misinterpreted the glances she received. (pg. 58)
Tim states he has been in situations where some may say that his “whiteness would work against” him. Such as he states “in New Orleans” where he found that the “opposite is true.” “I worked as a community organizer in public housing, among other places.” This is a conclusive argument in which he states the oppositions claim and then refutes it with his own experience. (Pg. 51)
A assumption is the act of taking for granted or supposing.
A judgment is the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion: a man of sound judgment.
A inference is the process of deriving the strict logical consequences of assumed premises.
A fact is a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true: Scientists gather facts about plant growth.
“While I was in school, white teachers were among the biggest problems.” This is a judgment.
The next sentence “They still are.” is an assumption (Pg. 20).
“In the South, for instance, too many white folks cleave to the tradition of the Confederacy.” This is a judgment (pg. 95).
“The most common response is one of sheer panic.” This is an assumption (pg.20).
“The Naturalization act of 1790, which was the very first law passed by the U.S. Congress after the ratification of the constitution.” This is a fact (pg. 11).
“During the spring semester of 2007, I went to the University of Illinois.” This is a fact (pg. 92).
“There was still something about the process that made me feel more real.” This is an inference (pg. 6).
“The reason most whites don't join the struggle is fairly simple: white privilege provides immense advantages to us as a group.” This is an inference (pg. 91).
Andrea Giang
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
20 February 2011
Argument 1 – p.10-11
Premise 1: Jacob Wise had a strong work ethic.
Premise 2: Millions of black people have strong work ethics.
Premise 3: Hard working black people cannot become successful shop owners in just a decade.
Premise 4: Jacob Wise found opportunities that were not available to people of color.
Good work ethics is not enough to make someone successful.
Argument 2 – p. 130-131
Premise 1: Leo Wise made his living by owning a liquor store in a black neighborhood.
Premise 2: Wise sold alcohol, feeding the addictions of black people in the community.
Premise 3: Wise left a lot of money to the community.
Premise 4: Wise paid people’s light bills and phone bills, paid for their rents, paid for their cars to be fixed, bought food to families who didn’t have any, and gave people $20 bills for no reason.
Although people might be fighting against racism, sometimes they still end up collaborating with it.
Andrea Giang
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
20 February 2011
Definitions
Assumption – Assertions that are necessary to recognize in order to fully understand an argument (Cooper and Patton 75).
1. “More often than not, we choose not to see things, even when they are staring us in the face (Wise 62).”
Wise assumes that most of the time people notice what is going on and make a conscious decision to ignore problems they encounter rather than deal with it.
2. “It was no coincidence that school boards and principals and the lawmakers who make educational policy wanted no part of such an enterprise, and still don’t (Wise 100).”
Wise assumes that the reason why certain people are not included in history lessons is because schools and lawmakers don’t want people to begin thinking in different ways.
3. “And although we hadn’t discussed race directly during the introduction, it was pretty obvious who the white callers were thinking of, every time blasted families who were receiving one or another form of government aid (Wise 109).”
Wise makes the assumption that the callers were all white and thinking about race despite the facts he was giving to them.
Judgment – inference that expresses either approval or disapproval (Cooper and Patton 52).
1. “We love to accept things we didn’t earn, such as inheritance, but we have a problem taking responsibility for the things that have benefited us while harming others (Wise 18).”
Wise shows disapproval over how people are unwilling to accept responsibility for some of the acts they committed because they benefit from them even while it hurts others.
2. “When I was in school, white teachers were among the biggest problems, and sadly, they still are (Wise 20).”
Wise shows that he disapproves of white teachers and believes that they are the problems in school, not the students.
3. “I have long thought I would prefer a land filled with angry and hateful people than one populated by spectators who watch the drama unfold, no matter how bad it gets, never miss a single beat of their ordinary, predictable lives (Wise 97).”
Wise shows that even though he doesn’t like hateful people, he prefers them over people who show no emotion about events that take place around them. He doesn’t approve of people he calls “spectators.”
Facts – Information that can be verified (Cooper and Patton 52).
1. “Black Bermudians are 54 percent of all natives with college degrees, while whites are only 38 percent of similarly educated natives. Yet 60 percent of natives with top-level management jobs are white and slightly less than a third are black (Wise 81).”
These numbers can be confirmed through research.
2. “Eight in ten women who received assistance as a child never receive any form of welfare as an adult, and that the typical length of stay for someone who goes on the dole is about two years (Wise 109).”
This statistic can be verified.
3. “The average amount received by families on assistance in Louisiana – a whopping $385 per month in cash and food stamps combined (Wise 110).”
This information can be verified through research.
To be continued in next post.
Andrea Giang
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
20 February 2011
Inference – a conclusion about something we don’t know based on what we do know (Cooper and Patton 52).
1. “Nothing about this truth takes away from his hard work or character, and none of it makes him a bad person. But it does indicate that he is implicated in a larger system of racism as a recipient of white privilege, whether he likes it or not (Wise 46).”
Based on what he noticed, Wise concluded that his friend’s father, William, was alive because of the color of his skin.
2. “Had they been acting out of pure ignorance, they wouldn’t have hesitated to try and make the events into multicultural funfests. But they never made this mistake, suggesting that even if only subconsciously, they had to know something was wrong (Wise 74).”
Wise concluded that because the students were behaving a certain way, they were aware that what they were doing was wrong, even if they won’t admit it.
3. “He had not been a bad person, but he had been more complex than I had ever imagined (Wise 132).”
Wise realized that even though his grandfather did many things to help the people in his community, Leo Wise was also the cause of some of the problems since he sold liquor. Wise concluded that his grandfather led a complex life.
Ricarda Sawatzki
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
19 February 2011
Definitions and examples
Assumption: An assumption is a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn.
Examples:
“ One of the biggest problems in sustaining white resistance is the apparent lack of role models to whom we can look for inspiration, advice, and even lessons on what not to do.” (p. 91)
“ The point is, resistance takes work, it takes practice, and it helps to have as much support as possible.” (p. 103)
Judgment: process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing a circumstance.
Example:
“ The number of police at concerts, it seems, is almost always inversely proportional to the number of whites in attendance.” (p. 41)
“ Putting aside the self-evident absurdity of the sentiment, perhaps the bigger problem is that such mindset implies that although racism is a problem to be tackled, it is one that is no more difficult to address than any other problem- just one of many areas of interest from which to choose on the cafeteria line we call life.” (p. 90)
Inference: a conclusion about something we do not know based on what we do know.
Example:
“ Of course, having a father who was an actor gave me a leg up and assured me of a prominent role in whatever production was chosen as our annual play.” (p. 29)
“ Had these house parties been in black neighborhoods they would have never been allowed to go on at all…” (p. 37)
Fact: information that can be proven or verified.
Example:
“ …Duke did get between fifty-five and sixty percent of the white vote in his 1990 and 91’ campaigns…” (p. 43)
“ While seated, I happened to notice two black men enter the store together, and walk to the shoe department.” (p. 106)
Standard Form: an argument reduced to its essence, where the premise is numbered and the conclusion stated at the end.
Argument (p.43)
Premise 1: Wise was driving a beat-up car.
Premise 2: His windows were tinted.
Premise 3: He had an anti-David Duke sticker on the back bumper.
[] Therefore the person in the car had to be black.
Argument (p.86-87)
Premise1: being civil, kind, and “nice” to people of color does not end injustices.
Premise 2: By substituting personal kindness and a commitment to the “colorization of the room” for a real equity and an eradication of racial hierarchy, do no one a favors.
Premise 3: not listening to people of color
[] White liberals can be every bit of a barrier to progress as any conservative.
Sandahl von Sydow
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 21, 2011
Argument 1: What About Oprah?
Premise: Oprah Winfrey was turned away from Hermes after store closing, even though she had called ahead to say she was on her way.
Premise: Oprah felt that she was turned away from Hermes because of her race.
Premise: “No white person, turned away after a store had closed, or given bad customer service, would ever have to consider that perhaps we had been treated that way because of her race.
Conclusion: “Even Oprah Winfrey, who could buy every single item in Hermes and give them out, two hundred times over, to every last member of her audience, can't escape the possibility, can't be free of of the fear, can't get past the insecurity generated by racism.”
Argument 2: White Jesus.
Premise: Jesus is portrayed as white in white churches and even some black churches.
Premise: Representations of Jesus in catacombs dated to the third century show Jesus to be brown skinned.
Premise: “It is easier to have a white Jesus, and presumably God, because that's what folks where used to, and to change it would confuse people, or even mad at the idea for at the idea that religious sybols were being forced to change for the sake of political correctness.
Conclusion: Privilege allows one to portray religious symbols in their own likeness despite historical findings to the contrary.
Sandahl von Sydow
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 21, 2011
Judgement: To present Jesus or God as anything other than white would make white people upset. p55
Fact: Catacombs dating back to the third century portray Jesus as a brown skinned man. p54
Inference: “Minnesota Nice” contributes to racism by silencing people wanting to bring change by talking about racism. p86
Judgement: “Institutional racism is akin to the gasoline, allowing the otherwise stationary combustion engine of individual racism to function: the former gives the latter life, and the ability to impact others ina meaningful and detrimental way.” p77
Inference: Even Oprah can't escape insecurities due to racism. p72
Inference: Children of color are aware of white privilege at an earlier age than white children. p26-27
Fact: After being incarcerated for rape and later freed, William worked hard and became a successful businessman. p44-45
Andre Tom
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 21, 2011
Argument 1: Attaining a previously unobtainable job.
Premise 1:Knowing Larry and Lance beforehand because of his [Wise's] enrollment at Tulane.p14
Premise 2: His mother was able to go down to the bank and take out a loan for $10,000 to fill the gap between what the school was offering in assistance and the overall costs for his freshman year.p15
Premise 3: His mother was able to take out the loan due to his grandmother using her house as collateral because she was white.p15
Conclusion: Because his family is white, he was able to set off a chain of events that would benefit him in the future; whereas if he were a different race, he would not have had these opportunities. p15
Argument 2: Getting a role in the play due to Whiteness.
Premise 1: "Had I been anything but white it would have been impossible to land the parts I landed in any of the productions done at that or any other school. These were roles written, after all, for white actors." p29
Premise 2: Obtained lead role in a musical although he had a clear lack of singing ability and even persuaded the teacher to remove a solo performance altogether.p29
Premise 3: "To be white at school, as in most schools, was to have a whole world of extracurricular opportunity opened to oneself-a world where if you were a mediocre student (as I definitely was), you could still find a niche, an outlet for your talents, passions and interests in the form of theatre. To be black or brown at that same school was to ensure that no matter how good an actor or actress you were, or were capable of becoming, you were unlikely to be in a position to avail yourself of this same outlet for your creativity." p29-30
Conclusion: His being white opens up certain privileges for him, despite not being the best fit for things such as an acting role(in this case).
Dylan Young
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 23 2010
Argument 1:White privilege is ingrained in schools
Premise 1:" The curriculum being taught in school was almost completely Eurocentric. Pg 19
Premise 2: " extracurricular opportunities like drama or debate were such white spaces with very little opportunity in practical terms for nonwhites to participate". Pg 19
Conclusion: White privilege has been and still is alive in our school system.
Argument 2:White folks ignorance to racism at Tulane University
Premise 1:A cross gets burned on the lawn of a fraternity house.Pg. 67
Premise 2:the very night that fraternity offers a bid to a black student for the first time.Pg. 67
Conclusion: White folks at Tulane University are ignorant to their own racism.
Dylan Young
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 23 2010
Assumptions:
1.White denial,in other words, has been nothing if not an intergenerational phenomenon. Pg. 63
2. For people of color, the same experience would have been entirely different. Pg 23
Judgements:
1.Too many white folks cleave to the tradition of the Confederacy.Pg. 95
2.Multiculturism is, in most instances, being presented as mere "Parsley on the plate". Pg. 19
Facts:
1.For me, white privilege was critical to my actually making it through school at all. Pg.23
2.My fake ID business provided me with a modest but welcome stream of revenue.
Darin Lago
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
February 22, 2011
Homework: Book Assignments
Argument 1 – Page 18
Premise 1 – People refuse to accept property or money they have not earned.
Premise 2 – We love to inherit but we have problems taking responsibility for the things that have benefited us while harming others.
Premise 3 – Racial privilege is also an asset we get to use that is inherited upon death.
Conclusion – Though we love to benefit from racial privilege that we inherited, we refuse to accept that we own it because we don't want to take responsibilities for negative consequences it can bring to other people.
Argument 2 – Page 47-51
Premise 1 – Cities are divided into white "suburbs" and poor black Neighborhoods.
Premise 2 – Persons of color in white suburbs could be stopped by police under suspicion of "being up to no good".
Premise 3 – White people in black neighborhoods could not be mistaken for a rival gang member and were mostly left alone because most whites in black neighborhoods were policemen.
Conclusion – White people are always privileged no matter where they are located.
Definitions
Assumption – A statement that is possibly true from which a conclusion can be drawn from.
Example: "..the murderous actions of one white person do not cause every other white person to be viewed in the same light.." page 53
Example 2: “Although I can’t know for sure it either of these lucky breaks had to do with being white, I can certainly imagine that had I been black, either or both of the professors might have taken a more skeptical view of my seriousness as a student.” Page 22
Judgment – Similar to an inference except it expresses a statement of approval or disapproval.
Example 1: “In my case, race and privilege were every bit as implicated in the time and place of my birth as they had been in the time place of my forebears.” Page 12
Example 2: Located in Example 2 of Facts.
Inference – Drawing a conclusion about something we don’t know on the basis of circumstantial information.
Example 1: “They knew more than simply how to say the word, they knew how to use the word, when to use it, how to contextualize it, and how to fashion it into a weapon.” Page 26
Example 2:“…these were white spaces: something that immediately gave law enforcement officials reason to cut us slack.” Page 37
Fact – Information that can be verified and true.
Example 1: “Forty-three percent of white Bermudians with college degrees have management level jobs, as opposed to only 28 percent of similarly educated black Bermudians.” Page 81
Example 2: The first part is a fact, “But with nearly nine in ten teachers in the United States being white…” The second part is a judgment, “…the children in the care of teachers for eight hours a day often look very different from the kids to whom those teachers go home at night.” Page 21
Frena Zamudio
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
20 Feb 2011
Argument 1: Past, Present and Future
Premise: “My parents were already who they were, with their particular life experiences and I was to inherit those experiences, for good or ill, whether I liked it or not.” (Wise 2).
Premise: “We are never merely individuals, we are never alone, we are always in the company, as uncomfortable as it sometimes can be, of others, the past, of history.” (Wise 2).
Premise: “There is no escaping it, merely different levels of coping. Iy is how we beat the past that matters and in many ways it is all that differentiates us.” (Wise 2).
Conclusion: Whether we like it or not, there will always be something about our past or our ancestors’ pasts that will affect us now and in the future. Our life stories start even before the day we were born in this world.
Argument 2: Intentions in America back then
Premise: Ability to come in America, to procure land once here.
Premise: Ability to own other human beings while knowing that you would never be owned yourself.
Conclusion: All these things depend of the person’s European ancestry, if you are white then you are most likely not going to be someone’s slave, you would be able to own land and also people if you will.
Assumptions- act of taking for granted.
-”We were never merely individuals, we are never alone; we are always in the company, as unconfortable as it sometimes can be, of other, the past, of history” (Wise 2).
-”Of course we are all different, sort of like snowflakes, which come to think of it are also white” (Wise 3).
Judgments- an inference that expresses either approval or disapproval
-“When I was in school, white teachers were among the biggest problems, and sadly, they still are (Wise 20).”
Interferences- a conclusion about something we don’t know based on what we do know.
-“Discrimination and Privilege today, putting aside the past for a second, are big enough problems to require our immediate concern” (Wise 19).
- “He had not been a bad person, but he had been more complex than I had ever imagined (Wise 132).”
Facts- information that can be verified.
- “Adult men are almost never eligible for welfare benefits like AFDC and usually don’t receive food stamps either, unless they are part of a family unit in which the income is low enough to qualify” (Wise 111).
- “Eight in ten women who received assistance as a child never receive any form of welfare as an adult, and that the typical length of stay for someone who goes on the dole is about two years (Wise 109).”
Paris Middleton-Berry
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
20 Feb 2011
Assumption - premise: a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
Judgment-an opinion formed by judging something
Inference – Drawing a conclusion about something we don’t know on the basis of circumstantial information.
"Multiculturism is, in most instances, being presented as mere "Parsley on the plate". Pg. 19
-"Too many white folks cleave to the tradition of the Confederacy." Pg. 95
-“In my case, race and privilege were every bit as implicated in the time and place of my birth as they had been in the time place of my forebears.” Page 12
-“When I was in school, white teachers were among the biggest problems, and sadly, they still are (Wise 20).”
-“We are never merely individuals, we are never alone, we are always in the company, as uncomfortable as it sometimes can be, of others, the past, of history.” (Wise 2).
-“Discrimination and Privilege today, putting aside the past for a second, are big enough problems to require our immediate concern” (Wise 19).
Randy Tran
ReplyDeleteProfessor Sabir
English 5
March 21, 2011
WLM argument #1: People needing to be responsible and clean up the residue from past generations’ actions. (P.17-18)
WLM argument #2: Racial bias clearly shown when Wise asked of police officers what do they think when they see a young black or Latino male driving around neighborhood in nice car, and the officers responded drug dealer. When asked instead if it was a young white male, the officers would answer spoiled little rich kid daddy bought him a car. (P.42)
Assumptions = can be implicit or explicit without any real test of evidence.
1) “Although the inherited benefits of whiteness are certainly real.” (P.17)
2) “tendency of white folks in the present day to shrug their shoulders when the subjects of racism and white privilege are raised.” (P.17)
Judgments = alike inferences, but usually together with approval or disapproval of.
1) “How dare you compare the events of 9/11 with four hundred years of oppression.” (P.60) Disapproval
2) “Acting as if nothing is happening, or at least nothing of real importance, has to be worse.” (P.98)
Inferences = to conclude about something unknown, based on what we do know.
1) “When I got to college my whiteness would serve me well, too.” (P.22)
2) “native whites are about 73 percent more likely than native blacks in Bermuda to obtain these types of positions.” (P.81)
Facts = true statements we can make based on evidence that are tested and can prove.
1) “1964 at which time the Civil Rights Act was passed.” (P.3)
2) “Naturalization Act of 1790 made clear that all free white persons and only free white persons were to be considered citizens.” (P.11)