Membership, Identify & Antisemitism

WHO ARE YOU? YOUR NAME CHARACTERISTIC

What is a stereotype? An oversimplified generalization about a person or group of people without regard for individual differences.

Beyond Classification According to the article, what are some characteristics of stereotypes? –obscures reality of who one is and what one can become; –they are offensive; –they are more than just a label or judgment; –they reduce individuals to categories; –they can lead to prejudice and discrimination; –divide society into “us” and “them.”

What is prejudice? –pre-judgment/preconceived notion of an individual based on their group identity What interesting point does Dalton Conley bring up about race? –Many young children are oblivious to it –Race is merely a social construct –Each human’s DNA is only about 2% different, so people are much more alike than they are different

What conflict does Diana Chang face regarding race? –She is caught between identifying herself as Chinese or American whereas she would rather identify herself as both How does Ifemoa J. Nwokoye differentiate between her treatment in the U.S. versus her treatment in Nigeria? –In the U.S. she is an outcast, she is unwelcome in some stores, teachers are ignorant etc. –In Nigeria she is also an outcast because she is put on a pedestal What do you feel is the most important message you can take from this reading?

Journal #2 For our next journal activity, reflect upon a time when you have witnessed discrimination. Perhaps you were the victim, or maybe even the perpetrator? If you were a bystander or a victim, how did this experience make you feel? If you were a perpetrator, why do you think you acted in the manner that you did?

Anti-Semitism What is Anti-Semitism? How long has anti-Semitism been occurring? Why were Jews targeted? Where did Hitler attain most of his anti-Semitic ideas? The 5 Types of Anti-Semitism: –Racial –Social –Economic –Political –Religious

Propaganda What is propaganda? –False or partly false information used by a government or other organization intended to sway the opinions of the population How does propaganda work? –Repeats the same information over and over; –Twists and exploits the truth; –Appeals to people’s emotions; –Gives the illusion that most people agree with the message; –Talks to people in their own language; –Uses accessible media What are some examples of propaganda? –Fahrenheit 911, –Political ads, –Commercials What is the effect of propaganda? –People may believe the message and act upon it Can one become critical of propaganda? Why or why not?

How do you think Nazi propaganda created an atmosphere of terror for all Germans? Do you think some people recognized that what they were seeing or hearing was propaganda? If they did, why do you think they still believed it? Why do you think that the majority of German people did not see Nazi propaganda as negative? How can a person be tempted to believe in propaganda? What is dehumanization? What are some examples of ways the Nazis dehumanized Jews? How did this dehumanization make Jews an easy target for abuse? What other groups have been dehumanized in history? What was the purpose or goal behind such dehumanization? What methods were used? What has been the result?

Not In Our Town

Journal #3 If an incident similar to what had occurred in Billings would occur in Fleetwood, what would you do? Assume you are a bit older and have your own family. Would you place them in harm’s way to support this cause or would you choose not to participate? Explain your rationale.