Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Wk 8:Top Ten Recommendations

       After reviewing all of my peer's blog posts, I have managed to narrow it down to ten must-reads that pertain to our trip to South Africa.*These are not in order.
1.The Backlash Against African Women 
Centers around the challenges African women face in public and in office.
2.Here's how South African students talk about race and gender
Interviews Cape Town University students and their opinions on Race,Class, and Gender.
3.Slum Tourism: Shanty Town Tours In Brazil, India, South Africa Give Travelers Glimpse At Poverty; Raise Ethical Questions
 The controversy of tourists visiting slums and relating it to the act of making tourists feel good about themselves, a form of entertainment,and if it benefits the locals.
4.Factbox: South Africa since apartheid
 The reality and hardships many South Africans still face post-apartheid.
5.Opinion: In South Africa, it’s often said that being gay is a ‘western’ thing 
 Discusses the treatment of the South African LGBTQ community and hate crimes.
6.Postapartheid Generation, Discontent Grows
 Centers around the young generation born post-apartheid and overcoming struggles and looking toward the future.
7.Say It Loud, I'm Coloured and I'm Proud 
Explains the struggles of the Coloured community and being proud of who they are, despite not fitting into the black or white community. 
8. The Freedom to Learn A Look at South African Education 
 Examines the education young South African girls lack and how one can help give poor communities a chance at receiving an education.
9.Why is crime and violence so high in South Africa?
The effects of history that have contributed to high crime rates among the South African community. 
10.Power & Privilege Definitions
Terms and definitions that help relate to the discussion of race,class, and gender etc. in South Africa.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Wk 7: Peer's Research

        After visiting several of my peers' blogs, I have narrowed it down to three articles.The first article is titled "South Africans Reflect on Mandela's 'Rainbow Nation' ",suggested by Larisa. The article was a great read and I was able to see an individual's perspective on living at the height of apartheid and post apartheid era. The individual, named Justice Malala, understood the significance of Mandela's campaign and after Mandela was sworn in, Malala felt like he finally belonged. Originally, he was afraid to go to certain parts of South Africa; now he feels more comfortable in his country. However, those born after 1994 and in post-apartheid era are said to be 'color-blind' and focusing more or economics and lack of opportunities. South Africa may have moved progressed into a new era, however the economics and opportunities for the black community is still lacking ad negatively affecting them. Although, many do see the changes that are still occurring and understand that it will take more than a new government for equality in all scopes to become a reality.
 http://www.npr.org/2013/12/13/250734816/south-africans-reflect-on-mandela-s-rainbow-nation
        The second article is titled "The Freedom to Learn" suggested by Denice. This was a wonderful article! I wish there were more celebrities that funded charities such as these, especially regarding education. Oprah Winfrey started Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), a project to get South African girls an education despite having a poor living situation and low income. These projects give young South Africans opportunities to receive an education and attend universities and receive jobs to better their life.Of course, there are obstacles for many of these children in passing tests and keeping them engaged in school.It may take more than a few years, but projects such as OWLAG give the younger generation hope in generating more opportunities and reaching a stepping stone to better education and their lives.
 http://www.freedomtolearn.co.za/education-today
        The third article focuses on "The 1956 Women's March" and was suggested by Courtney. The article depicts the conflicting situation in where black men were required to carry passes at all times, yet this law didn't concern women until 1950 and they weren't even allowed to live in towns unless they were employed there. This was difficult for women who had children and expenses, therefore they held protests against the pass laws. In 1956, thousands of women of different backgrounds and races came out to protest and stood united, while petitions were delivered to the Prime Minister's Office. This movement contributed greatly for the right to freedom and impacted the history of South Africa.
 http://overcomingapartheid.msu.edu/multimedia.php?id=65-259-C

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Wk 6:Post Apartheid, Race, and Gender of South Africa Research

        Generating independent research, I focused mainly on the topics of the effects of Post-Apartheid South Africa and the mindset on gender, race and class. I had a deep interest on how people are coping with change and how they are living in a different era that changed roughly about 2 decades ago once Mandela became President of South Africa.
        The first article focuses on unemployment and the economic aspect and the effects it has on the  different groups post-apartheid. The women in the article describes her life and shows that most black people in Africa still do domestic work for white people and that many are still separated in terms of race, class, income, education and privilege. The article depicts a graph that shows that the most affected are black women living in South Africa, since they are the only group that has showed a increase in unemployment. Progress for black women is moving at a slow pace and shows that conditions are not so different from times in apartheid South Africa, however it is a stepping stone.
   http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-01-16/south-africas-tradition-domestic-work-continues-post-apartheid
       The second article focuses on the modern generation of students from Cape Town University and their opinions on race and gender. A graduate female student,Carolyn Le Tang, discusses the issue of being a black female and how in the constitution women are considered equal, yet in reality that is not the case. Similarly, she states cases where white females will dress like black, female domestic workers with black makeup and think it's is fine, such as cases in the United States.Another student named Robin Molteno states that women and men are not seen equally, however women are more equal now then before.Another student gives insight that there is a whole system of power where white men will oppress black men and then, in turn, will oppress their wives. If you continue reading, many of the students account that women and men are not equal, many focus on the topic of race more than gender, the act of white privilege and more.    
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-01-16/heres-how-south-african-students-talk-about-race-and-gender
        The third article delves into the continued struggles South Africa still faces, despite being freed from apartheid, such as the lack of trust in the country’s leadership, limited opportunity for the people of the black community and political corruption.A quote that I found in the article can summarize what most people feel about how the government works “We have democracy in South Africa but [government] leaders are like: They eat first and then they leave what is left for the people,” by Moreki, a local that lives in a shantytown.Another concern is the disproportionate wealth and lack of opportunity among the black community. The white community still holds a majority of the money, land, and power despite being in post-apartheid and this negatively affects the black community that are still in the same place where they were when apartheid was in effect. Reading the article brings up interesting points of how people are living in post-apartheid. 
  http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/02/south_africa_s_born_frees_demand_more.html