The author is a well-known political analyst and sociologist who study the different systems and culture of the human population as compared to history towards the situations evident in the present society today. The connections of the past towards the present and its possible effects to the things to happen in the future has been among the focus issues that the books of the said authors deal with altogether. Although she has had different idealisms with regards the numerous issues in the society today, they were able to come up with a reading medium that presents the culture of war among humans [particularly the Americas] and how it affects the impending conflicts among huge institutions of high concern today.The book entitled “Revisiting America: readings in race, culture, and conflict” discusses not ‘war’ as it is, but the symbolical approach of discussing the said issue of culture conflict among humans today. The said conflicts include the different issues of human development as well as human relationships.
To understand better, an overview of the book is an obvious help for identification of the major issues presented through the said reading. About the Book The title “Polarized America” showed that the American society today is a well-divided society that deals with the different pros and cons of the situation.Most often than not, the system of diversity in the American population today makes it hard for the entire population of the said society to connive in one particular thought that shall make the ends meet. The different cultures of the different generations present in the society today make it harder for the people to make amends with all the diversity of the idealisms that each individual has over several key topics that govern the entire society today. Content and Summary The entire reading in the said book could be separated within four particular sections that present the major focused thoughts of the authors of the said material.
The said divisions are as follows:• Each individual is rightfully disposed to have his or her own thinking with regards a certain issue in the society. The differences of the people make it easier for each person to see the importance of the said right towards each individual. The opinion of each person is particularly a reflection of his or her own experiences in life.• As for this matter it could be observed that the election of the American society is divided in several ways that the opinions of people with regards who the rightful person to rule the nation wins the position of the most important authority who would have power over the different authorities of the nation altogether.• In terms of several social issues, it could be observed that the American society have different opinions altogether that coming up with a single acceptable opinionated view about several matters is a certain sort of clash of ideas between individuals.
• Political issues in the American society appear to be among the largest element of diversity of the said community of different individuals. The background of each person and their wants as well shapes their decision in taking part in the society’s political standing today.• Aggressiveness of the people towards having the best kind of government available is something that needs to be strongly identified by each individual who are taking part in the electoral practices at present.Constantly considering the differences of the individuals and giving them the rightful attention that they are due regardless of their race or their color may not be that easy to apply through this particular process of equalizing the social system. This is especially true when it comes to understanding the situation in a normalizing manner. Actual application of being fair to everyone regardless of their racial division is not an easy task to accomplish.
Through the attention given to the needs of everyone else in the population of people concerned in the situation, it could be noted that the main aim of the system is to make equalizing programs work for serving the best values of the individuals concerned (Wyle, 2003).People are likely to be divided because of their cultural beliefs. This likely involves the importance of the major consideration given to the cultural diversity of each individual from the others who are present in a certain institution. Seeing them as persons having the same level of needs of respect and same demands of attention shall equip the administrational authorities with the rightful skill and capability of handling such cases of differences in terms of race and culture. It should then be realized that deeply understanding the situation through narrowing the elements of effect through identification of human behavior as individuals and not as people divided by race, is the main key towards the successful application of the said proposed program or event.
(Wyle, 12)From this outlined summary, it could be observed that the book points out that the diversity of the people today in the American society makes the political status of the said nation rather aggressive and progressive in several important ways. Further Implications of the Reading The society is mainly composed of many different individuals each having their own characteristics, social background, and cultural affinity producing diversity among the people. The unique personal characteristics of each individual radiates in the formation and development of the society as the former manifests as the foundation of the latter.As people compose the society, their unique and personal characteristics affect the formation and development of it including the differences in most major social factors and concepts. Included in this is the issue of race and social ethnicity.
Race is mainly defined as the social characteristics localized within a certain social group that is shared through both biological characteristics and regional factor. Among the commonly included characteristics in this concept are the shared physical features in a certain social group such as color of skin and others. The concept of race is commonly used as the background factor in the personal identity of each individual. Ethnic background on the other hand plays more on the side of cultural affinity rather than on the physical manifestation.This concept similarly serves as the identity factor for each individual as the ethnic background manifests as the primary link of an individual to his or her roots.
On a sociological aspect, ethnic relations are formal and mandatory as associated with the birthright of an individual though the relationship of the subject with his or her ethnic background on a cultural aspect is viable wherein he or she can choose to deviate from it and affiliate him or herself to other cultural groups. Indeed, the concept of race and ethnic background serves as the anthropological factor determining the roots and family background of the involved subject. Another important factor associated with the concept of race and ethnic background is the issue of inequality and discrimination.Social groups are mainly formed through the unison and association of different unique individuals sharing a common factor, which can be of regional location, physical characteristics, blood relationship and cultural background.
The people sharing a similar denominator established themselves together as a single social group with their own cultural identity. However, on a general sociological perspective, each social group based on race and ethnic background manifests to be a unique unit in the larger context. As the social race opens their group to the larger social aspect, issues of differences pertaining to their cultural issues, shared physical appearance, and anthropological factor as now brought up into the context (Rothenberg, 2001). As influenced by these issues, aspects of discrimination and social inferiority play now in the picture wherein the social groups in the general society are now segregated among the superior and inferior ones.The issue of discrimination in the sociological context is always based on a certain factor causing the said mentality or personal perspective.
Commonly in the present society, physical appearance and cultural differences are the main fuels that affect the discriminative view towards the other social groups classifying the superior from the inferior class. Indeed, the issue of race and ethnic factor becomes the basis for the segregation and discrimination in the people wherein the established inferior unit becomes oppressed compared by the superior class. This often manifests in the course of the development of each social groups in several aspects. An example of this concept is the racial discrimination that is dominant in the American society segregating the groups of the whites and the blacks wherein the former are considered superior than the later (Rothenberg, 2001). This discrimination often manifests in the several important social institutions such as the employment sector wherein most blacks are not qualified to be hired for higher executive positions because of their racial background.
Another is the racial harassment that the blacks are receiving from most white factions who wants to further undermine and take advantage of the inferiority of the black people.
