The last two weeks we have explored the social and historical construction of race in the US. The legal construction of whiteness in the nineteenth and early twentieth used to deny people citizenship and the Federal Housing Act were used to perpetuate structural inequalities. This week, Dave Zirin of The Nation wrote a searing article about the privileged treatment of quarterback Ben Roethlisburger of the Pittsburg Steelers's after being accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in Milledgeville, GA. The NFL Commissioner has yet to make a decision regarding suspension. Zirin makes a compelling comparison to Michael Vick's treatment after his conviction for running a dog-fighting operation in the same state. This same week, white anti-racist writer and educator Tim Wise (see ICON), used a similar argument to indict white conservatives' actions and rhetoric against President Obama. Regardless of your athletic or political affiliations summarize each author's main argument and provide their strongest or most compelling piece of evidence, example, or sub-argument. How are these arguments compatible with McIntosh's specific examples from "Unpacking the Knapsack"? How are these concepts related to our discussions of Patriarchy, White Supremacy, and or Classism?
Next, review Coakley's chapter (on ICON). This should provide a good reinforcement for the remainder of our lecture and compliment the documentary In Whose Honor? that we screened in class last week. Summarize Coakley's arguments about the myth of black athletic destiny. What are the critiques that sociologists make in regards to genetic explanations of black athletic achievements? Why are these studies not conducted on white goalies in the NHL or skiiers from Austria? As always I appreciate your questions in class and critical inquisition of the existing sport studies scholarship. I think it is important to revisit this topic this week since bodily destiny is something that is damaging, but seems real when reviewed out of context. It is also important to remember that correlation and causation are two different relationships. It is important to understand the differences when dealing with codifiable yet flawed constructs like skin color and race. Correlations are relationships of variables that are either positive (both variables increase and decrease at the same rate) or negative (one variable increases and the other decreases). Causation is harder to prove, but often incorrectly concluded. For example, if I die in a collision while driving my manual transmission VW Beatle while eating an ice cream cone one might claim there is a correlation between fatalities driving stick-shift cars and eating. We could collect data on that and try to figure out the strength of the relationship of the variables. However, it would be wrong to conclude that ice cream kills stick shift drivers. However, correlations can lead to proving causation, but there has to be a lot of evidence. This cheeky video does a better job of explaining this I do.
Dave Zirin’s article entitled, “Ben Roethlisberger: No Justice, No Play”, focuses on the discrepancies that exist between the treatment of white and black athletes when confronted with legal issues. The article pinpoints a number of differences in the way cases against the two quarterbacks, B.R. and Michael Vick were handled. The first and most compelling point I noticed from the article is the victims in both crimes. Despite being a dog lover, I would hesitate to place a man in jail for abusing an animal while allowing an alleged rapist to continue undeterred. Recently, Roethlisberger was suspended 4-6 games by the commissioner for his actions and will not receive pay for the games in which he is suspended (totaling nearly 2.4 million dollars). Despite the monetary “slap on the wrist”, the charges were dropped and he will remain a Pittsburgh Steeler facing no jail time. A large reason for this is the way the case was handled by Ben and his entourage. The author claims being an educated, white man allowed Ben to avoid the cuffs and continue his life with nothing more than fine.
ReplyDeleteTim Wise’s article also focuses on differences in treatment that exist between whites and blacks in regards to public freedoms. Recent criticism of President Obama, in the way it was expressed, the author argues, would be unimaginable if the recipient was a Caucasian. Wise continues to give a number of current instances in which African Americans were criticized and the manner in which the events took place. Both articles focused mainly on white supremacy and favoritism in our nation. The hegemonic construction of our society emphasizes mistakes made by African Americans and belittles the severity of obscene statements and actions undertaken by prominent white figures. This system reinforces white privilege and allows for alterations in the way people are treated within our society.
In Dave Zirin's article he talk's about how Ben Roethlisburger he was able to get away with not nearly as much punishment as Michael Vick did when he was convicted of dog fighting because he resides on as he calls it, "a white pedestal of wealth and fame". He also goes on to say and argue that Ben should be doing exactly what Michael is doing right now to help make amends by donating some of his salary to rape crisis' and battered women's shelters just like Michael is doing with the humaine society. Instead though he is getting off much easier as opposed to Michael due in large part to race because Michael had kind of a "thuggish" appearance and way about him, whereas Ben had a much friendlier white boy apperance which is generally most accepted in socitey. In Wise's article his main argument is to imagine what it would be like if some of the most terrible racist remarks and demonstrations by cilivians against blacks were acted out throughout society today and gives numerous examples. The thing that is so striking is that all of the examples have occured and are still continuing to occur everyday. He is saying that white prilivege is still ever present in our society today and nothing will be done to change it because that's the way things are. Both of these articles are compatiable with McIntire's article in that all of them refer back to the concept of white supremeacy. McIntire lists the ways whites are able to live a much more stress free life as opposed to blacks and solidify there dominance as the superior race through everyday actions. Wise and Zirin both agree that in both of the arguments they presented that white supremacy is why Ben was treated differently than Michael Vick and why President Obama is being attacked by white conservatives actions and rhetoric. In the end whties will emerage on top.
ReplyDeleteIn Coakely's chapter he arguments about the myth of black athletic destiny are that many whites (in particular sociologists) determined that "the success of black athletes was meaningless because blacks were driven by simple animal instincts instead of the heroic and moral character that accounted for the achievements of white athletes." (Coakley, 10) On the other hand when white athletes do unexpected physical things, "dominant ideology leads people to conclude that it is expected or a result of fortitude, intelligence, moral character, strategic preparation, coachability, and good organization." (Coakley, 10) These studies aren't conducted on white goalies or skiiers from Austria because in primarily "white" sports, dominant racial ideology prevents people seeing "whiteness" as an issue in these cases because it is the taken-for-granted standard against which everything else is viewed. Also with the Austria skiier's he says that the reason they succeed isn't measured by genetic advantages because of their skin. It's because they live and breathe skiing throughout their whole lives due to that they live in a place where skiing is life.
Zirin’s main argument is that Ben Roethlisberger is not behind bars because of his white privilege, money, and his identity as a famous NLF quarterback. If he were an African American accused of rape, he may not even make trial. I think Zirin’s strongest piece of evidence is that if Ben was not famous or did not have money, he would not have had his body guard to stand outside the bathroom to deny people access while he was in there with his accuser. Also, probably because of his fame, it seems as if police officers did not treat the situation as they were supposed to. Especially because they did not seal the bathroom off after the incident. DNA to help the accusers’ case was hard to find.
ReplyDeleteWise’s main argument is summarized by his last paragraph, “And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.” What white people say and do are interpreted differently if an African American would say or do the same thing. All of Wise’s examples were good, but I thought his best argument was his first example: if black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters--the black protesters--spoke of the need for political revolution.
These arguments are compatible with McIntosh’s examples in “Unpacking the Knapsack” because they are all about white privilege and they force whites to see or hear how they are treated differently. Many people read newspapers and hear one side of a story, but hearing Zirin and Wise’s interpretation and reading their examples really make whites see their true privilege. These concepts are related to patriarchy, white supremacy, and classism. Roethlisberger demonstrated his power of his female accuser (patriarchy) and because of his whiteness and fame he has been lucky to get away with his actions. Wise’s examples demonstrated white supremacy and classism as well.
Coakley argues that the myth of black athletic destiny, that some young people believe it is their biological and cultural destiny to play certain sports and play them better than others, is related to 1.) racial ideologies 2.) heavily sponsored opportunities to develop skills in certain sports and 3.) young blacks feel that their chances of gaining respect and material success are dismal in any realm other than a few sports. Basically, society has created this ideology for them.
ReplyDeleteSociologists say that the myth of black athletic destiny is driven by historical, social, and cultural factors. They do not believe that genes have as large of a role. They say that when social worlds are organized to foster a sense of destiny among particular people, those people can achieve notable things in what they believe is accomplishable. In their example they said that genes did not allow the British to form the British Empire.
These studies are not conducted on white goalies in the NHL or skiers from Austria because when athletes are white, ideology focuses attention on social and cultural factors rather than biological and genetic factors. Dominant ideology leads people to conclude that white success is expected or a result of fortitude, intelligence, moral character, strategic preparation, coachability, and good organization. Dominant racial ideology prevents people seeing "whiteness" as an issue in these cases because it is the taken-for-granted standard against which everything else is viewed. When dominant racial ideology serves as the cultural foundation of a white-dominated, white-identified, and whitecentered society, the success of white athletes is seen as "normal"-the way it always has been. On the other hand, the success of black athletes is seen as a takeover-a "problem" in need of an explanation. As with skiers from Austria, people don't say that they succeed because their white skin is a sign of genetic advantages because they already know that it is because they live in the Alps. They learn to ski before they go to preschool, they grow up in a valued skiing culture, they have many opportunities to ski, all their friends ski and talk about skiing, they have Austria role models that win races and win lots of money.
In his article, Zirin argues that Ben Roethlisberger received special treatment/privilege after being accused of sexually assaulting a young woman based on his talent, wealth, and race. Zirin insists that should Roethlisberger been born black, or had he not been on "a white pedestal of wealth and fame" he could be in prison perhaps not making it to trial. I found many strong arguments in this article, but what really hit home to me was that Roethlisberger's bodyguard was denying access to the bathroom while Roethlisberger was in there with his accuser. I was also strongly impacted by the comparisons to Michael Vick and how he was suspended indefinitely for violence against dogs, whereas Roethlisberger is receiving a slap on the wrist for repeated violence against women. Personally, I love dogs but I don’t appreciate being treated worse then one.
ReplyDeleteWise's article approached the concept of our current affairs in a new and unique way in his article by reversing racial roles to demonstrate the reality of racism today. I was shocked by reading this article that some of these things really happened; I did not know that members of the Tea Party movement protested angrily and spit on a congressman, nor that gun enthusiasts protested with arms in hand at the nation's capital threatening war against political leaders. I think the simple fact that I am unaware of these events that were led by white people is the most profound example of racism, for this would have made news headlines had these groups been of any other race. The fact that they did not make headlines is an example of how white privilege acts to trivialize the wrongdoings of the white race. I was also shocked that a rapper said," He's a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun" in reference to President Obama.
Both of these articles relate to McIntosh's notion of white privilege in that whites are given special treatment; in this case specifically, their mistakes are trivialized and marginalized in society. Had the wrongdoers in these articles been black or of another racial minority, they would have faced greater criticism and punishment than they did (also related to white supremacy). These articles also relate to ideas of patriarchy and classism in that had Roethlisberger not had his wealth or fame he may have been treated differently. The fact that Roethlisberger took advantage of a woman sexually and did not have strong repercussions is strong evidence of patriarchy in our society.
Coakley believes that the ideology that black bodies have superior athletic abilities in some sports, in combination with the history of segregation that causes black men to think that it is hard to gain respect in any other realm other than athletics and the widespread opportunities to develop physical skills, influences young black men to believe it is their cultural and biological destiny to become outstanding athletes, and motivates them to fulfill this destiny (Coakley, 287). Coakley states that "many whites concluded that the success of black athletes was meaningless because blacks were driven by simple animal instincts instead of the heroic and moral character that accounted for the achievements of whites;" thus black achievements were not held in as high of a regard as whites because they were viewed as genetically superior when it came to athletics and were not seen as having to try as hard. Studies were not done on white goalies in the NHL or skiers from Austria because the athletes are dominantly white and racial ideology focuses attention on social and cultural factors rather than biological and genetic factors and whiteness is the taken-for-granted standard against which all else is viewed. As a result, these athletes' successes are seen as the result of cultural and social factors they are subjected to (Coakley, 283).
In Zirin’s blog about Ben Roethlisburger I thought the main argument was that because of who Roethlisburger was, (a white, rich, professional quarterback) he is getting preferential treatment. I thought the best example of this was, “Instead, because he resides on a white pedestal of wealth and fame, Ben Roethlisburger gets Ocmulgee, Georgia, District Attorney Frederick Bright telling Ben to "grow up" and little more. He gets DA Bright saying that he couldn't indict because he didn't think the case could be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" or that he could make the case "100 percent."
ReplyDeleteThe main argument that Wise is trying to make in his article is that there is a white privilege. White people can do something and it will be viewed in a good light. Where as non-whites will do the exact same thing and be viewed in a bad light. I thought the best example Wise provided was, “Imagine a black political commentator suggesting that the only thing the guy who flew his plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building did wrong was not blowing up Fox News instead. This is, after all, what Anne Coulter said about Tim McVeigh, when she noted that his only mistake was not blowing up the New York Times.”
These arguments are compatible with McIntosh’s article “Unpacking the Knapsack”. A specific example that applies to the Wise article would be #23 from McIntosh’s list; “I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.” Wise’s article deals with a lot of political issues where White people protesting are seen as being patriotic where as non-white people doing the exact same thing are seen as being unpatriotic.
A specific example for the Zirin blog about Roethlisburger would be #41, “I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.” This refers to the Ziring blog because Zirin talks about if Michael Vick had better people around him maybe he would never have gone to trial.
These articles relate to discussions we have had in class about Patriarchy and White Supremacy because in our society the people in power are mainly white males. This will have an affect on the cultural values and how we as a society view certain topics or what topics are covered.
Coakley’s arguments about the myth of black athletic destiny are that through perceived perceptions many young black athletes grow up thinking it is their biological and cultural destiny to play certain sports and play them better than others. This plus the motivation and opportunities to succeed in sport lead to outstanding athletes.
Sociologists raise questions about genetic explanations because in many cases things involve many clusters of genes not just one gene. And there is a lot to be explained outside of the gene pool like why are people motivated to practice, why do they chose a certain sport, and how they are able to perform under certain conditions.
The reason some groups of people are not studied in sports is because as Coakley states, “when athletes are white, racial ideology focuses attention on social and cultural factors rather than biological and genetic factors” (10). This is why studies are not performed on white goalies in the NHL or skiers from Austria.
The main point of the Zirin article is quite evident in the first part of the article. He is addressing the fact that because Ben Roethlisberger is white he is more privileged in this case than a person of color would be. Zirin illustrates this point well by using the Michael Vick case that occurred in the same state. Vick was charged and spent time in jail. After his time in jail Vick had to do a lot of things to work his way back into society let alone football. Zirin argues that because Ben is white, wealthy, and plays in the center of sport he has many more privileges that are associated with white people. I feel that Zirin’s most compelling argument is when he says that is the responsibility of a judge or jury to figure out if the evidence convicts Ben beyond a reasonable doubt. This was in response to the DA of the Roethlisberger case saying that he could not present the case proving Ben did it beyond a reasonable doubt. In the article by Tim Wise the same argument is basically being made but is presented in a more political way. Wise argues that if many of the things that some white people do were to be performed by people of color then all hell may break loose. I think that Wise’s greatest argument comes when he says that protesting is only seen American when the people protesting are the ones that have prototypically been viewed as American. This leaves only white people due to the fact that in early America whites were the only ones that were allowed to be American. So when a person of color protests they are not seen as trying to help out a part of society, they are seen as problems disrupting the natural flow of things.
ReplyDeleteThis directly relates to a few of the white privileges discussed by McIntosh. The first is number seven that states: When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is. The statement previously mentioned ties right in with the idea talked about in the Wise article. White people are shown as the ones that have made America the way it is so for this reason that makes them more powerful in society. I do not mean this a general statement but I feel this is what number seven relates to. The other privilege that ties in nicely is ten, which says I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race. Again this one ties in greatly with the Wise article because in his article many things that white people do and say are okay and are listened to. If a person of color were to say or do the same thing in may not be taken for what it is truly worth.
These arguments are related to patriarchy in a couple of ways. First of all in the Roethlisberger case the woman that was the accuser didn’t have very much power over the male. She was basically scared away from the case by the idea of a long case in which Ben had the upper hand due to his larger amounts of money. In a simpler example patriarchy is displayed because Ben is a male in a world that is run in the interests of powerful males. White supremacy is something that is seen in both of the examples, but in the Wise article more than the Zirin one. When I read the Wise article I noticed that if black people really had performed many of things that were discussed there would be major consequences for these people. This simple observation shows white supremacy. In today’s society people (white or black) simply know that colored people can’t usually voice there true opinions or feelings, especially if they are seen as radical without major problems and upheaval. In the Roethlisberger article white supremacy is shown in the example using Vick. It shows that two people committed a crime but Ben may not have been convicted due to the fact that he is white and therefore has the white privileges at his side.
The myth of black athletic dynasty relates to how black athletes are said to be destined to be good at sports. Especially in sports that relate to jumping and running. When a black person is good at something like track or basketball it is said to be because they have natural physical ability. When a white person is good at a sport it is said to be due to the fact that they worked hard, that they are intelligent, and many other numerous things. The fact of the matter is that back people are believed to be good at many sports and they have a destiny to play them. This is a myth. There is no proof that show’s there are specific biological traits making black people jump higher or run faster. Without this proof the theory of black people being destined to play sports due to natural ability goes right out the window.
ReplyDeleteMany people believe that black people are superior to white people in certain sports. This belief stems from the idea that black people have more genetic and biological tools helping them excel at sports. Sociologists argue that because black people are shown to think they are superior to whites in some sports that they basically work harder in these sports to excel thus keeping the stereotype alive. Many young black people believe that the only way they will be successful and rich is to excel at a sport that has been coined a “black person sport.”
These types of studies are not conducted on white Austrian skiers and Canadian hockey players because the reason they are good is cultural. Or at least this is the reason many don’t question why these people are good at what they do. Austrian skiers are good because that is what they do as soon as they are born. The same goes from Canadian hockey players they are good because it is in their culture and part of tradition. They are just supposed to be good at these things so that is why they are and studies don’t need to be conducted on these type of things.
Zirin argues that Roethlisburger is able to get away with a lesser punishment than Vick because of his white supremacy. In addition, Roethlisburger plays an “advantaged position” at quarterback where he is also looked on more favorably and his status in the upper class in a patriarchal society allowed him to have a bodyguard stand at the bathroom door while he was in there with his accuser. Moreover Vick’s crime of dog fighting is somewhat less severe than the accusation of rape against Roethlisburger yet Vick continues to “pay for it” through the media despite making numerous donations to humane societies. Roethlisburger has yet to make any public gestures or donations to show that he is against rape.
ReplyDeleteWise argues that white privilege remains in our society because nothing is being done about it and people are ok if blacks receive unfair treatment. He cites the criticism President Obama has received as racist because he mandates that it would not be tolerated for a white president. Consequently, he states that whites get away with more than blacks and other minorities because what their actions are interpreted in a different way to place them in a better light. Wise’s article incorporates white supremacy and classism because white advantage has allowed whites more opportunity for upward mobility than it has blacks. These articles tie in with McIntire’s article because he also voices his concern regarding white supremacy in our society and argues that whites are afforded more advantages which ultimately leads to a better life for them than blacks are. In this way they are also more respected and have a better chance at upward mobility.
According to Coakley, the myth of black athletic destiny incorporates false ideologies. The first is that blacks buy into the belief that their race allows them to excel in sports and be better than others. Consequently, blacks are afforded more opportunities to excel in certain sports where it is believed they will do well in because of their race. Finally, hegemony takes place because young blacks view sport as their only means to gain success. To counter these ideologies, sociologists state that race does not determine black athletic destiny and that it is due primarily to one’s environment (i.e. social, cultural and historical histories) and that this phenomenon is really a self-fulfilling prophecy because society (a higher power) has convinced young blacks that this is their destiny.
These studies are not conducted on white goalies in the NHL or skiers from Austria because of the concept of white supremacy and the fact that society expects more and provides more opportunities for whites to excel in areas outside of sport. In addition, society fails to recognize whiteness as a problem in these sports because of cultural ideologies. These sports are also white dominated and are usually played by the upper class because they are expensive and require more wealth to afford to play. Consequently, Coakley argues that society attributes personal characteristics such as work ethic, intelligence etc. as the reasons for whites having success in these sports as opposed to blacks who were born athletic.
David Zirin's article about Ben Roethlisberger clearly shows how white people are treated better than others. Because he has money and an education he is able to get out of his charges. He pretty much is getting a slap on the wrist and told to "grow up." Getting a girl drunk to have bar sex is not something where someone needs to "grow up." Michael Vick, on the other, hand gets put in prison for fighting dogs. This is putting violence of dogs worse than other human beings. Wise's article also shows white supremacy by comparing what white people can do compared to blacks. He makes many arguments about how whites can do things, like protest against the government, and receive no punishment. If a black person were to do the same thing, he would be threatening to people. All of these ideas go right along with McIntire's list of ways in which whites live a much easier life because of white supremacy.
ReplyDeleteIn Coakley's chapter, sociologists say that black athletes are not successful because of their athleticism and moral character, but because of their animal instincts. Whites achieve success because of their intelligence and preparation. These studies aren't conducted on white goalies or skiiers from Austria because they are considered "white" sports. This makes it not an issue because it is the standard. Also the people from Austria learn to ski before they go to pre-school and live in a skiing culure. So it is not their white skin that let's them succeed, but their cultural surroundings.
Zirin’s argument in the article about Ben Roethlisburger was that if it were anybody other than Big Ben, this case would be treated differently. Zirin makes the point that if he wasn’t white and a rich professional athlete the conditions would be much different. He compares his case of Michael Vick’s. Zirin makes a fine point by saying that Vick was in trouble for dog fighting and got suspended and had to go through a lot. Zirin says that we’ll see how important the NFL thinks of mistreating women by the punishment Ben gets. The facts of the case were not in Ben favor and if he wasn’t a famous player there would most likely be no question about what would happen to him at trial, but instead the case won’t even go that far.
ReplyDeleteThis shares the “Unpacking the Knapsack” ideas because Peggy talks about the rights that white people get and many of them are applied in the Ben in this case. He has the privilege to not get in trouble and have it be based on his race. He also has the privilege to have legal help if needed and not have his race work against him.
The Wise’s article also focuses on differences in treatment that exist between whites and blacks in manners of public freedoms. Wise talks about a number of current instances in which African Americans were disapproved of and the manner in which the events took place, based on their race.
Both of these articles are focused solely on white superiority and bias in our nation. The hegemonic structure of our society stresses mistakes made by African Americans and demeans the harshness of crude statements and actions made by popular white figures. This system strengthens white privileges and allows for changes in the way people are treated within our society.
In Zirin’s latest post, he discusses the NFL controversy involving Ben Roethlisburger’s accused sexual assault. As of now, Roethlisburger has yet to see any serious repercussions. On the other hand, a few years ago, when Michael Vick got convicted for his involvement in a dog-fighting operation, he was very heavily penalized by the media and the NFL. According to Zirin, Vick’s treatment must be kept in mind when deciding the fate of Ben Roethlisburger. Roethlisburger’s punishment should be proportionate to his indiscretion and absolutely no less than that of Michael Vick’s. Zirin’s rhetoric is very compelling throughout his post, at one point describing Roethlisburger’s “white pedestal of wealth”. In general though, the connection to Michael Vick would just not have been apparent to the media or fans if it wasn’t brought to the public’s attention by Zirin. It is unacceptable for Vick to receive more severe punishment for endangering dogs than Roethlisburger gets for sexually assaulting another human being. It is also convincing to point out that both events occurred in the same state.
ReplyDeleteIn the article by Wise, he discusses the recent events surrounding white conservatives’ negative attitudes and actions towards President Obama. He cites a number of recent examples of their inappropriate behavior by creating hypothetical situations where African Americans are the antagonists rather than white conservatives. This method is a very strong way to convey how much white privilege is effecting the situation. If it were African Americans who kept acting up and disrespecting the President, there would surely be a different societal reaction. I think one of his strongest pieces of evidence is Rush Limbaugh’s quote. It is completely absurd to think that the actions of these conservatives are the first time since the Civil War(!) that “common Americans stood up for their rights”. There is absolutely no validity to that statement whatsoever.
Both of these arguments are based off the same ideas evidenced in McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Knapsack”. They are both great displays of white privilege. It just goes to show how very much white Americans can get away with, with no consequences. They also feed into the ideologies of Patriarchy, White Supremacy and Classism. Roethlisburger benefits from all three of these systems. He is not only male and white but also of high socio-economic status. If one of these things weren’t enough to warrant a free pass, being all three most definitely will.
Coakley’s perception of “black athletic destiny” is that due to the long held belief of “black male physicality” (287) and a lack of opportunities to succeed in other outlets of American society, many young blacks come to see athletics as the only way to success. This belief paired with their intense motivation leads some black males to become extraordinary sport players. It is wrong to automatically assign athletic success to genes. There are a number of environmental, cultural and social factors that correspond as well. People fail to connect genes and biology to white athletic success because it is the racial dominant ideology. As Coakley puts it, “’whiteness’… is the taken-for-granted standard against which everything else is viewed” (283).
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ReplyDeleteIn the Zirin article, he was saying that because Ben Roethlisburger was a rich, white, football playing man, that the law was basically looking past what he had been accused of. He made the comparison of Roethlisburger to Michael Vick, who was convicted and served his time. But was that because he was black? We don’t really know at this point. But we do know that when we compare dog fighting to sexually assaulting a woman, dog fighting is worse because Vick was punished for what he did, and Ben was not. When Vick was convicted, he was suspended indefinitely and was in jail for a period of time. Roethlisburger was given a 6 game suspension, but able to appeal it to get it down to 4 games. If I had my pick for who to put in jail and who to give the suspension to, I would put Ben in jail in a heartbeat and give Vick the suspension. No matter who you are, it gives you NO right to allegedly rape another human being. Granted, it’s not ok to harms dogs either, but it’s an animal, not a human being.
ReplyDeleteIn the Wise article, he lists several examples of “what if blacks/what if whites…” statements. What if our society was like that? What white people do one day and an African American were to do the same the next day would be considered different, interpreted completely different. There is still racism out there, whether we want to believe it or not. Wise said it best when he wrote, “And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.” It’s the truth though. As sad and unfortunate as that is, it’s the truth. And we live everyday knowing this. As white’s we have this special privilege to do just about anything we want.
In the Coakley article, he argues that society allows individual characteristics as certain reasons for whites being able to be successful in certain sports rather than if an African American was born with the ability to just be extremely good a sports. No one is just born with the ability to play. They grow up, they learn different sports, and the ones they enjoy the most, and they excel in them. They train hard, practicing day and night. Talent itself can only take a person so far, but practice makes perfect.
In Zirin's article he states that Ben Roethlisberger is benefiting from everything that Wise considers American. These would be that fact that he is a white male in the upper class. Zirin also stated how important it is to compare Ben Roethlisberger to Michael Vick. He states while Vick did get charged and Roethlisberger didn't, Zirin strongly believes that the Vick being black and Roethlisberger being white had a large effect on the punishment of both. It was interesting the type of words Zirin used to describe Roethlisberger's position. My favorite of these would be stating that Ben is standing on his "white pedestal of wealth".
ReplyDeleteWise's article is very similar to Zirin's as they both agree that it is seemingly flawed the way punishment is passed out due to wealth, class, patriarchy, and most importantly to Wise, race. By playing the "imagine" game, Wise introduced a new perspective to how much white Americans get away with. One of these arguments that seemed to be expressed the most was the matter of violence. When a crowd of whites is protesting it seems they are standing up for American rights but when a group of any non-white race is protesting it could be considered more as violent. I think Wise has a good point with this and it is worth noticing.
These both play into the "Unpacking of the Knapsack" by simply showing that whites in America seem to get away with so much more. Most of this is affected by the view in which actions by any race are taken. The only problem with this is that the majority view in almost every case will be that of whites.
Coakley is arguing that black athletes are born with a natural talent for sports and that they are not good athletes because of hard work or practice but birth instincts. Whites are considered to be much more intelligent when it comes to sport and also work for their success. This study was not used on skiiers or white goalies because these are dominated by whites and are brought up culturally in these sports.
In both Zirin’s and Wise’s articles, their main point was very clear: white privilege lets people get away with (and sometime condones) actions that, had they been done by someone of another race, would cause outrage and some type of punishment or public reaction.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Zirin’s most powerful illustration of this point was in his opening, when he pointed out what Ben’s situation could have ended up as had he been anything other than a powerful, rich, white, man. By doing this, Zirin manages to make us consider this in a view other than “football players get away with anything”. Instead, it’s interesting to think about what would have happened had Ben been black (as he mentioned with Michael Vick). Then, most likely, people would have viewed the quick cover up and blocking of information as his hiding things and covering his butt, rather than just a situation that got out of hand.
Within Wise’s article, all of his examples were pretty incredible…and then you realize that they aren’t just hypothetical thoughts, but real events. Then they’re incredibly eye opening.
Overall, these examples basically show the sum of McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Knapsack”. They show that members of the white community can do many things and have many privileges that go mostly unnoticed, but that are allowed wholly because of whiteness.
These concepts also show several of the ideas we have been discussing in class. The fact that many of these problems have to do with race, of course, relate to racial inequality. However, it also ties into hegemony in that the disempowered people consent to the status quo. Additionally, for Ben Roethlisburger, his being in a Center sport and a central position in that sport gives him much more power, influence, and visibility. And because rape and such assaults are pretty much always men on women, this reestablishes male dominance.
Coakley’s main points involving the myth of black athletic destiny are that “many young blacks, especially men, grow up believing that the black body is superior when it comes to physical abilities in certain sports” (Coakley, 286). Because of this, they avidly pursue such athletics, and to some extent, self-fulfilling prophecy ensues. This coupled with the fact that many young blacks see sports as the only avenue to success makes for a strong black showing in athletics.
Sociologists give an explanation that with social situations in history that have limited blacks in opportunities coupled with available sponsorship and encouragement in sport, young blacks have flocked to athletics. NHL hockey goalies and skiers are not studied because they are roles filled predominantly by whites, and are activities that more whites seem to grow up with.
In Zirin's article about Ben Roethlisberger Zirin makes it clear that whiteness was on Ben's side. Zirin's best argument comes in a few different spots when he says that if Ben were not a rich white football player this incident would have gone to trail. Zirin points out that the DA basically failed to do his job because he let the fact that Ben was rich and white step in his way. When the Vick case came up the DA went after every bit of incriminating evidence. This shows whiteness playing a favorable role for Roethlisberger. Zirin's article also relates to Classism when he states that "If he was Ben the 28-year old mill worker...he's be in prison awaiting trial." By being a football player Ben has more power, and money, than a mill worker would have. Patriarchy holds a huge role in this story too because it shows that a male, who more than likely committed a crime on a female, still over powers her and she doesn't even get a chance to let the courts hear it. White supremacy comes up because Vick, who committed a far less crime, was immediately suspended from football and ended up in jail. If Ben were black I could see this case easily going to court. "Unpacking the Knapsack" is seen in this situation, as stated by Zirin, because if Ben were black "he'd be lucky to make it to trial." Ben was able to benefit from whiteness and this was seen as his lawyers got him off the hook.
ReplyDeleteTim Wise's article made it clear that it was "normal" for white people to protest and speak out for what they believed in. He also noted that many whites see it as "unnatural" for blacks and other minorities to speak out. This was his main argument, that whites could speak our in ANY way that they wanted to without having to deal with negative consequences that would arise if minorities spoke out in the same way. This article was a very powerful one and it was strengthened by playing the "game" of imagining. Wise relates to "Unpacking the Knapsack" by basically stating that white people can do what they want because they are white; like degrade the President's daughter, or march on Washington with guns in hand. Furthermore, Peggy states that she can say whatever she wants about the government and not live in fear afterward because she is white. Wise's article also relates to Classism because he provides examples of radio hosts and Congressmen getting away with actions that an every-day Joe wouldn't imagine saying or doing.
Coakley's argument about the myth of the black athlete is that the black athlete see's their body as superior to white athletic bodies on the basis of genetics. Coakley goes on to say that black athletes use this superiority as motivation because they don't feel that it is easy to get ahead in a white dominated world so they will use sport as an avenue of success. In return, black athletes feel pressured into sports, even if they don't want to play them because society see's them as having an advantage. Sociologists critique is that athletic success does not come from just your biological makeup, but it is affected more so by social surroundings and since black athletes are in a social environment that tells them success is their destiny, then they will work harder to become successful.
ReplyDeleteStudies are not done on NHL goalies and Australian skiers because it's the hegemonic view that white athletes in these positions are supposed to succeed. They are training from a very young age (even before pre-school) and therefore they set the standard for success. It's not interesting to researchers to study what is expected of white athletes based off of work and dedication; it's more interesting to try and find a genetic explanation. It's wrong and demeaning that black athletic success is seen as biologically expected, yet white athletic success is seen as hard work paying off. This is demeaning because black athletes, not just white athletes, put in the time and dedication to become great.
Allison Szott
ReplyDeleteIn “The Nation” article, Zirin argues that being white, wealthy, and famous gives anyone an advantage when it comes to defending themselves against legal issues as well as any questionable issue that they may come across. Zirin uses Ben Roethlisberger, a quarter back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, to signify this preferential treatment. Roethlisberger was accused of raping a 20-year-old girl, but however, was not convicted of it. Zirin bluntly states, “ Roethlisberger should be thanking the heavens that he is rich. If he didn’t have the lawyers to block any volunteering of his DNA as well as lawyers poised to spend hours investigating” he would not have turned out so lucky. Zirin also states that “if he was black he might not even have made it to trial” to argue the case. The most significant argument that Zirin makes in this article is when he compares Roethlisberger to Michael Vick who previously had been charged “and suspended indefinitely for fighting and abusing dogs”. After being convicted, Michael Vick also had to proceed with his sentence and educate and strongly support that the abuse of dogs is not acceptable in any shape or form. Zirin argues that if Roethlisberger should be ordered to at least fulfil the same requirement that Vick had to in the education against the rape and battery of women as well as donate a “portion of his salary to rape crisis and battered womens shelters”. If Roethlisberger were to not follow through with this he would be sending the message that he as well as the NFL do not see violence and misogyny as a problem, which would be awful for our society and culture of sexism.
In Wise’s article he stresses that white privilege is “the ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be”. The strongest statement that Wise exemplified was the example of if “hundreds of black protestors were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a dew miles from the Capitol and White house, armed with AK 47’s, assorted handguns, and ammunition” would these black defenders be viewed as defenders of their country or dangerous to the republic? It is seen to our society that white people are praised for speaking their mind while black people are punished.
With these arguments, readers can see that it directly relates to “unpacking the knapsack” because McIntosh explained that white people are presented with privileges like obtaining high-status jobs, credit cards, bank accounts and much more. We previously saw that Vick was convicted of dog abuse while Roethlisberger was not convicted of rape. Rape, a more serious crime, did not undergo the same significant repercussions as the dog abuser, creating an idea that the white man can get away with significant crimes because of the advantages and privileges that he is presented with.
Classism is directly related to Wise’s article in that white men usually tend to be in a higher class level when compared to non-whites. This is relevant because it explains why it is socially acceptable for white men to speak out and act inappropriately where as when black men do it is looked down upon and received negatively by society.
Coakley’s argument stresses that blacks deem in necessary to participate in sport to allow for upward mobility to gain a better lifestyle and status. Blacks stress that their athletic ability is largely related to biological factors that put them at an advantage over whites. However whites did not take it as they were superior, rather that they did not have to try as hard as whites to succeed and their success did not matter as much. NHL hockey players as well as Skiers are not studied because they are predominantly white and their success is measured on social and cultural factors rather than biological.
It wont let me post my blog for some reason I think it might be too long
ReplyDeleteZirin argues that Roethlisburger is getting special treatment after his wrondoing. Roethlisburger is getting special treatment because he is not only white but wealthy. If he did not have these characteristics he would be treated differently. Zirin compares Roethlisburger's case to Vick's case. Vick was seen all over for dog fighting and Roethlisburger has been caught mistreating women. These two cases are quite different and are being treated differently as well. No person should get better treatment based on skin color. Roethlisburger is receiving white privilege and this is exactly what McIntire wrote about.
ReplyDeleteWise’s argument is that it is blatantly accepted for white people to do or say outrageous discriminative things. Wise’s best proof is of the white people in Washington D.C. spitting on a black member of congress for voting the way they did. If it were a black person who spit on a white member of congress it would be a completely different story and they would not get away with it. This goes a long great with the idea of white supremacy because it is showing the inequality between white people and any other race, making white people superior.
We create and use racial meanings which become built into the cultural fabric of many societies (Coakley 9). This idea can be used to explain most of Coakley's argument. Coakley argues that young black males tend to believe that they are culturally and biologically shaped to play sport. Most black males feel that the only way they can increase their social status is through sport. Socialists express the same idea, that black people point their athletic success to biological factors. Socialists feel different about white people however blame their athletic success on social and cultural influences. Socialists also feel that black people feel obligated and motivated to gain success in sport because of their biology. Because socialists do not see the reason for white success the same as the reason for black success, they leave NHL and Skiers from Austria out of studies.
Zirin writes in his article how Ben Roethlisberger was able to get away with less punishment than he normally should have because of his privileges of being white, wealthy, and famous. It’s hard for me to understand how Michael Vick goes away for 2 years for dog fighting charges when Roethlisberger can sexually abuse a 20 year old college student and then deny the whole situation to get no jail time but only a 6 game, unpaid suspension. When Vick went through his legal troubles it affected him so much he had to file for bankruptcy as well as work a court-ordered construction job on minimum wage for several months after prison. We can’t say the same for Big Ben. This case perfectly shows that there is discrimination in America today between white and black.
ReplyDeleteIn Wise’s article he gives us the vision of every racist comment or action being acted out in society today. When we see this, we find that these actions and comments are being acted out every day and continually do so. By proving this, Wise shows that the white privilege is still present in our society today and there’s nothing we can do about it because patriarchy, white supremacy, and classism is and has been biased towards the white race and against the other minorities. This then, directly ties in with what McIntire was trying to show us, that white privilege resides over any minority, whether we decide to recognize it or not.
Coakley argues the myth of athletic superiority for black athletes. Today we see many black athletes in sport, this makes many feel like the black race is better, athletically, than whites and other races. Blacks are offered more opportunities to be successful in sports where they are believed to succeed because of their race. Hegemony and patriarchy re-arise when Coakley states that young black athletes view sports as their only route to success.
Dave Zirin’s article entitled, “Ben Roethlisberger: No Justice, No Play”, focuses on the discrepancies that exist between the treatment of white and black athletes when confronted with legal issues. The article pinpoints a number of differences in the way cases against the two quarterbacks, B.R. and Michael Vick were handled. Zirin’s main argument is that Ben Roethlisberger is not behind bars because of his white privilege money and his identity as a famous NLF quarterback. If he were an African American accused of rape, he may not even make trial. Zirin’s strongest piece of evidence is that if Ben was not famous and didn’t have the amount of money that he does, he would not have had his body guard to stand outside the bathroom to deny people access while he was in there with his accuser. The author claims being an educated, white man allowed Ben to avoid the cuffs and continue his life with nothing more than fine. I was also impacted by the comparisons to Michael Vick and how he was suspended indefinitely for violence against dogs, whereas Roethlisberger is receiving a slap on the wrist for repeated violence against women. I found this repulsive. Although I do really like animals, a female shouldn’t be treated worse than one.
ReplyDeleteTim Wise’s article also focuses on differences in treatment that exist between whites and blacks in regards to public freedoms. He argues that if black people were to do the same they are strongly sanctioned for their actions and are said to be acting their color. Wise strongest arguments come from a “game” in his article where one is to imagine what would happen in certain circumstances if a colored person were to act or say racial slurs just as a white person would and actually has already said about President Obama. His conclusion was that the black person would be punished, when white person would not. Through the imagination game, one of Wise’s examples, it can be clearly seen that black people are strongly sanctioned for trying to protest, while white people are praised when they protest or say racial slurs about Obama.
Coakley’s argument in his article refers to blacks and their “athletic dynasty” and obligations to play sports as their means of upward mobility. They feel that sport favors them because of cultural and biological influences are superior to whites.This belief pushes them to train harder in their specific sport, yielding incredible results and success. This myth of black athletic destiny is further perpetuated when they feel that their chances of gaining respect and prestige are small in other contexts and realms outside sport, and when they experience restricted opportunities in other potential occupations. All these factors preserve the myth of black athletic destiny, and heavily influence the choices blacks make in regards to sport choice and beliefs that they can achieve superiority and success.
The main point of the Dave Zirin blog is that Ben Roethlisburger should thank the heavens that he is white and rich. He makes the notion that because of his color and status he was allowed to go free from a case that could have put him in jail for years. The strongest piece of Zirins blog I believe is when it says that Ben better be thanking the heavens that he has lawyers who will study the last detail of the accusers sex life. Here he is trying to show by having money, because he is white, that his lawyers would ultimately do their job better for him than they would anyone else, say Michael Vick. Privilege I believe is the word that Ben Roethlisburger has, over everyone in sports?
ReplyDeleteIn Weis’s article he talks about the different treatment that whites and blacks engage in regards to public. He says that the recent criticism of President Obama would be unimaginable if the president was white. The main point Weis is trying to make is that he believes blacks have a different way of beings looked at in the public eye. If what is said to blacks in the press was said to white people there would be outrage. So he goes onto claim that white peoples have more privilege than black people.
These articles are comparable with unpacking the knapsack with the examples of, I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color. This relates to Weiss’ article in that whites are not perceived the same as blacks in public spaces. The one that relates to Zirins article is, I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race. Ben had to speak in public and was in the public view when these accusations came out, but his color was never brought up in the media.
Coakley argues that the destiny of the black athlete revolves around three main ideologies. They are racial ideologies, heavily sponsored opportunities to develop skills in certain sports, and young black athletes feel that this is their only chance to gain respect and material success.
Sociologists have concluded that the black athlete achievements are credited to historical, social, and cultural factors. This means that genes have no role in the destiny of a black athlete over a white athlete.
These studies are not conducted on white NHL goalies and skiers because they are predominantly, if not all white. These studies are not conducted here because when the athlete is what ideologies focus on the attention of social and cultural factors rather than biological and genetic factors.
In his article, Zirin makes the claim that Ben Roethlisberger is lucky he is not in jail. Due to his wealth, race, and class, it would make it very hard to put Roethlisberger in jail. Big Ben is taking advantage of his status as a high profile NFL player to afford the best lawyers and off-duty cops for body guards in order to avoid jail time. Zirin makes a comparison to Michael Vick, and states that the NFL must think violence against dogs is worse than violence against women. This case shows that blacks and whites are still treated differently as Vick went to jail for almost 2 years and Roethlisberger was able to use his money and privilege to avoid jail time, even against overwhelming evidence against him. This case relates a lot to white supremacy and patriarchy, as Roethlisberger avoids trial due to his skin color and this case also helps reinforce women being less than men, as this case wasn't pursued by the police. It also fits into McIntyre's article, as Roethlisberger was able to afford the best lawyers due to his race, unlike Vick, so he recieved a benefit of white privilage.
ReplyDeleteWise talks about the differences in situations depending on race. He says that if blacks armed with guns were to descend upon DC in protest, they would be seen as "violent" while whites are seen as defenders of the 2nd amendment. He also says the white political commentators are able to get away calling Obama's daughter "ghetto trash", while a black commentator could never say that about George Bush's daughter. Wise states that white privilege is being able to do whatever you want without fearing the repercussions that would happen if you happened to be a different color. The strongest part of his argument deals with the protesters as he states that the whites are seen as "patriotic, and defenders of the country" while blacks in the same situation would be seen as "a violent, potentially dangerous mob". This article also displays white supremacy as whites are able to do whatever while the blacks would be looked down upon if they tried to do these things.
Coakley states that the public has created a black athlete success myth, which pushes the belief that blacks are more destined to succeed in sports instead of any other job. Combined with the lack of opportunity anywhere else, young blacks are more likely to turn to sports as a way to succeed and potentially make money. sociologists state that race does not determine black athletic destiny and that it is due primarily to one’s environment (i.e. social, cultural and historical histories) and that this is really a self-fulfilling prophecy because society has convinced young blacks that succeeding in sports is the only outlet they have to be a success in America. This study would not be applicable to white goalies in the NHL or skiers in Austria, due to skin color. White success is also judged by cultural and social factors more often than the biological factors that people claim blacks succeed because of.
Dave Zirin’s article about Ben Roethlisberger’s incident in Milledgeville, Georgia centers around three main arguments. Zirin writes that the Pittsburgh quarterback was not charged because of his money, his white privilege, and his identity of being a star quarterback in the NFL. The article tells of Roethlisberger being accused of raping a 20 year old college girl, but not being convicted. Zirin compares this case to the Michael Vick case, in which he was suspended from the NFL and sent to prison for dog fighting charges. His blog argues that Roethlisberger should have to go through the same hardships and troubles that Vick went through after his accusations and charges. He also argues that had Roethlisberger not been rich, white, or an NFL star, he wouldn’t have gotten out of charges. Zirin makes the point that Ben wouldn’t have had bodyguards to protect him and police hanging out with him if he wasn’t a wealthy, well-known athlete.
ReplyDeleteWise’s main argument in his article is that there is a white privilege. He argues that whites and people of color are treated differently in the same situations. By saying white’s can “get away” with certain things that people of color cant, he shows that whites are given a privilege over others. One of Wise’s main points is that President Obama is viewed as a “racist” by conservative whites. He then argues that a white president would not be viewed as a racist if he made the same points as Obama.
These two articles express the white privilege-isms examples in McIntosh’s “Unpacking the Knapsack.” One main point of this is that, white have come accustomed to having different privileges and opportunities than others.
In Coakley’s chapter, he argues that blacks have an idea as youth that they are “destined” to become athletes in the future. He writes that they view this as their way to achieve upward mobility. It comes to a point where blacks sometime view sport as their only way to become successful. In contrast to Coakley’s arguments, sociologists say that this is caused by the environment, culture, and the society in which blacks are raised.