Narrative on Social Diversity and Multiculturalism

           Narrative on Social Diversity and Multiculturalism

            I define social diversity as interacting with and accepting people that are different than you even though they do not share some things such as race, gender, or religion. I define multiculturalism as the idea that people of different cultures can successfully live and interact with one other in the same country, state, and so on. Social diversity is very important in my life because I am a college student. In college, there are many different cultures and types of people that you must be able to successfully interact with in order to excel in your education, make friends, and meet acquaintances. The issues of diversity that are important in my life are race and lived experience. Now a days, race is irrelevant. We have a black president, so all of the previous race issues should be over. No longer should the white ridicule the black and visa versa because we are all equal in the world we live in. Lived experience is a big part of my life because I am in the construction field, which focuses on lived experience

            My family, my friends, and my educational experiences have been influential in shaping my ideas about social diversity and multiculturalism. An experience that I had which helped me better understand the diversity issues in my life was coming to Illinois State University for my first semester. I was required to live in a dormitory and I was assigned a random roommate. When I got my room number, I walked to the room and opened the door. My roommate was sitting there and he was black. I thought to myself "oh we're not going to get along" because I am Caucasian and that is the way I was raised. After living with my roommate for a year, all of my previous perceptions had changed. I no longer believed in all of the stereotypes and other things associated with blacks that I had believed the year before. My roommate and I were able to become great friends despite the differences between our race, our culture, and our past experiences. Ever since this event, I have been much more open to social diversity and I now believe in multiculturalism. The rule to live by is the golden rule; Treat others as you would like to be treated."

            Some of the social justice issues that I am interested in investigating this semester are gun control and the legalization of marijuana. I think that gun control is an important topic because without guns you can't protect your home and because many people love to use firearms to hunt. I think that the legalization of marijuana is an important topic because the plant is extremely useful for those with breast cancer, AIDS, brain cancer, and many other illnesses. Neither of these issues relate to my major, but they are both topics that I am very interested in and passionate about.

      

Exercise 2-

Kurt Backhus

Left Side

         -Favorite line or passage:

"the police seem bored, indifferent, not even remotely interested in the sudden flight their slow passage through the square inspires."

         -Copied passage(s) that use outside research, one I liked and one I did not like:

"Pigeon racers in the Bronx tenderly kiss the beaks of their birds, finally home after flying 500 miles to their lofts after a remarkable feat of solar navigation." (Blechman).

"Meanwhile, pigeon haters host websites like pigeonsmakemesick.com and propose plans for ridding cities of the "vermin", including the tactical use of tennis racket and loaves of bread." (Thorne)

         -Main idea/ thesis in your own words:

 I think that the main idea or thesis of this essay is to inform the audience about the good and bad of pigeons. The central question seemed to be whether you like or dislike pigeons, and what it means to be on either side.I think you were trying to understand how you could possibly like pigeons, and you had to write about the ups and downs of pigeons in order to make your decision. You came to understand that you actually like and enjoy pigeons even though they continue to poop on your head and flock in big cities.

Right Side

 When I write my research paper, I can use certain techniques or methods such as my own experiences and stories and articles from popular magazines to keep the essay interesting to the readers even if it is fact based.

The Bothersome Beauty of Pigeons was unlike what I understood to be a research paper because it was actually fun and interesting to read. Yes it does challenge me to look at these types of papers differently because now I know that a research paper does not have to be boring, but it can be exciting and entertaining. This essay makes me wonder why professors and instructors act like research papers must be boring, when they can be written like this. 

I could definitely relate to some of the things said in the essay such as the part about not liking pigeons and the essay did change my views because it showed me that pigeons can be both useful and pretty.

Exercise 1- Kurt Backhus

 Exercise 1

The five statements that I chose are:

-It's okay to say things that the instructor might disagree with.
-You can use your own experiences and observations as evidence.
-You can use your own writing voice.
-You're writing mostly for the instructor.
-You have to know your thesis before you start.

         I agree with some of the following statements that I chose and disagree with others. I agree with the statement about it being okay to say things that the instructor might disagree with. I believe that it is not a problem to state things that your teacher might not approve of because it shows that you put some thought into your paper and that you actually care and are excited about the topic you are covering Also, doing this can make your professor think and maybe even change their views. I also agree with the statement that says that you can use your own experiences and observations as evidence because you can and should. If you have an experience that relates to your research topic, you should definitely use that as evidence. Be careful to not use it as your4 main piece of evidence though because books and publishing's are always a solid source.I also agree with the statement that says that you can use your own writing voice because when you write something on your own, you are using your own writing voice. I think that you should use your own writing voice for every paper otherwise you mine as well not even sign your name on it and turn it in. I disagree with the point that states that your writing mostly for your instructor. I feel this way because the course is not all about the grade. It's more about becoming a better and more efficient writer, and that cannot be achieved if you just write for your instructor. Lastly, I agree that you have to know your thesis before you start. In my case, I have to. I'm not saying you have to have everything that your going to write about necessarily planned, but you do need to know the basic purpose and position that your going to take on the paper.

The statement that I chose for step 2 is:

-There is a big difference between facts and opinions.

         I totally agree with the idea that facts and opinions are completely different things. Facts are things that are known to be one hundred percent true and can be proven true over and over again no matter what the circumstance. Facts have nothing to do with people's thoughts or feelings, they are free from bias, and they are real and true. Opinions on the other hand, are the way people feel about certain situations, or what they think about these situations. Opinions are not always true and they are not reliable in any way. Everyone has different opinions on different subjects. Also, opinions are subject to bias's and other factors such as lifestyle, environment, income and many others.

In class free writing Aug 26

Writing has been very important in my academic career, but not so much in my personal and professional life. Throughout my personal college experience, it seems to me that all of the basic courses that one must take and extremely writing intensive. Whether it be a one hundred level history course or a basic English course, writing is key. If you struggle with writing, your grade will struggle in these courses. This has taught me to take more time when writing and to really think about the task in order to write successfully. Outside of school, I do not do much writing. Occasionally I check my face book page and write e-mails, but other than those two examples and grocery lists, I do not do too much writing outside of my academic life.

For me, the most difficult part of academic writing is the time that it takes me to produce a good paper. Anyone can write a paper the night before it's due and receive a passing grade. In my eye's I would rather write a good paper, and that is why it takes me so long. I put so much thought and time into paper's that I get stressed out and it seems like it takes me forever to finish.

I don't really read much outside of academics. Occasionally a magazine and sometimes the newspaper, but other than that I don't read much, it just puts me to sleep. I don't really see a connection between reading and writing unless you are writing about what you have read.

I picture research being a large factor in this course. Whether it be resources for an argumentative essay, or sources for an annotated bibliography, research is always a part of English courses.

I would like to research the legalization of marijuana in this course. This issue is bigger than ever now a days and it is a heated debate. There are advocates on both sides of the situation that have very strong arguments for and against this subject.

I would go about this research by reading up on the latest news of the situation, and by conducting surveys to see how everyday citizens feel about the topic.

First Blog- About Me

       My name is Kurt Backhus and I am junior at Illinois State University. I am twenty years old and my major is Construction Management. I chose this major because I enjoy working in the construction field. My Uncle owns a residential construction company, and after working with him for some time, I decided I wanted to go to school to become a Construction Manager. I love the outdoors and I love music. My favorite band is Widespread Panic, they are "just a good ole' bar band."(JoJo Herman).