Madison Rambles #12: Answering Questions Indoors... Again!
Hello, everyone!
Sorry I'm late. I had to recover from the shock of some bad news. To make up for this, I will do my next couple of blog posts as fast as possible. I want to get all future blog posts done on time, so I will do the readings on time from now on.
This is Chapter 18, but I will be answering the questions on my assignment. Let's do this!
2. The 19th century chart titled “European Racial Images” on page 791 depicting the so-called “Progressive Development of Man” from apes to modern Europeans, reflected the racial categories that were so prominent at the time. It also highlights the influence of Darwin’s evolutionary ideas as they were [erroneously] applied to varieties of human beings. Discuss.
Oh, that chart. I won't be showing that picture, but I'm just going to say why that is wrong.
First of all, races aren't a sign of evolution. They're a sign of biological adaptations based on the environment. Those with darker skin have more melanin in their skin, which prevents them from getting sunburns easily. That's why many black people have ancestry in hot places such as India and African countries.
Second of all, humans did not come from monkeys. We have the same ancestors as monkeys. It's the same deal with apes. We have diverged from a close common ancestor, but we are not the same.
Third of all, even putting that all aside, if this was (very hypothetically) true, why are there so many non-white people today? The two most populated countries, China and India, have mostly Asian and black people, respectively. If they were at an earlier stage of evolution, they would be extinct or critically endangered.
In conclusion, this is comparable the pseudoscientific "vaccines cause autism" claim, in both scientific proof and discriminatory vibes. Let's not use science to discriminate.
7. Why might subject people choose to cooperate with the colonial regime? What might prompt them to violent rebellion or resistance?
What about death? They had to keep on learning Christianity or getting rubber from trees or else the British will "civilize" them.
Have you ever read the novel Things Fall Apart? In the second half of the novel, missionaries come and try to convert the Igbo people to Christianity. Many of the people in the novel feel that they have no choice but to comply. From what I remember, the missionaries started out small, building a school or a church, before starting their more aggressive punishments. It's the book that answers this question perfectly.
As for why they would start to rebel, if the Europeans try to break local religious traditions, they will start a war. The British once put pieces of cows and pigs in the gun cartridges of the Indian troops. The army had Hindus and Muslims. They ended up starting a rebellion.
14. Study the picture titled “The Educated Elite” on page 815. Why are the people wearing European clothing? What does that say about their attitude toward European colonialism?
Why do other countries emulate America today?
I remember talking to someone from the Philippines years ago, and he said that they look up to America a lot. He said that it was like the Philippines was their dog, always looking up to America because of how big and successful we are.
That is the exact reason why they are wearing European suits. European countries were on top back then. They were the culture that everyone looked up to because of how dominant they were in the world. Due to colonization, the Europeans were seen as the "upper class," the ones that got to rule the world and be in charge. So everyone tried to be like the Europeans.
Being from America, the feeling of countries colonized by the Europeans looking up to us, the "successor" to the British Empire, is like having someone say that you're their role model. On the one hand, you're flattered by how they love you and are replicating your style. On the other hand, you think, "Why me? Don't they know how much of a mess I really am?"
Well, in one post, I managed to debunk a racist pseudoscientific theory and show how low my self-esteem is. I never thought I would ever say that sentence in my entire life.
Next time, I'll answer questions from the next chapter. It will be about China and Britain in the 1800's. You can see where this is going.
Until next time!
Sorry I'm late. I had to recover from the shock of some bad news. To make up for this, I will do my next couple of blog posts as fast as possible. I want to get all future blog posts done on time, so I will do the readings on time from now on.
This is Chapter 18, but I will be answering the questions on my assignment. Let's do this!
2. The 19th century chart titled “European Racial Images” on page 791 depicting the so-called “Progressive Development of Man” from apes to modern Europeans, reflected the racial categories that were so prominent at the time. It also highlights the influence of Darwin’s evolutionary ideas as they were [erroneously] applied to varieties of human beings. Discuss.
Oh, that chart. I won't be showing that picture, but I'm just going to say why that is wrong.
First of all, races aren't a sign of evolution. They're a sign of biological adaptations based on the environment. Those with darker skin have more melanin in their skin, which prevents them from getting sunburns easily. That's why many black people have ancestry in hot places such as India and African countries.
Second of all, humans did not come from monkeys. We have the same ancestors as monkeys. It's the same deal with apes. We have diverged from a close common ancestor, but we are not the same.
Third of all, even putting that all aside, if this was (very hypothetically) true, why are there so many non-white people today? The two most populated countries, China and India, have mostly Asian and black people, respectively. If they were at an earlier stage of evolution, they would be extinct or critically endangered.
In conclusion, this is comparable the pseudoscientific "vaccines cause autism" claim, in both scientific proof and discriminatory vibes. Let's not use science to discriminate.
7. Why might subject people choose to cooperate with the colonial regime? What might prompt them to violent rebellion or resistance?
What about death? They had to keep on learning Christianity or getting rubber from trees or else the British will "civilize" them.
Have you ever read the novel Things Fall Apart? In the second half of the novel, missionaries come and try to convert the Igbo people to Christianity. Many of the people in the novel feel that they have no choice but to comply. From what I remember, the missionaries started out small, building a school or a church, before starting their more aggressive punishments. It's the book that answers this question perfectly.
As for why they would start to rebel, if the Europeans try to break local religious traditions, they will start a war. The British once put pieces of cows and pigs in the gun cartridges of the Indian troops. The army had Hindus and Muslims. They ended up starting a rebellion.
14. Study the picture titled “The Educated Elite” on page 815. Why are the people wearing European clothing? What does that say about their attitude toward European colonialism?
Why do other countries emulate America today?
I remember talking to someone from the Philippines years ago, and he said that they look up to America a lot. He said that it was like the Philippines was their dog, always looking up to America because of how big and successful we are.
That is the exact reason why they are wearing European suits. European countries were on top back then. They were the culture that everyone looked up to because of how dominant they were in the world. Due to colonization, the Europeans were seen as the "upper class," the ones that got to rule the world and be in charge. So everyone tried to be like the Europeans.
Being from America, the feeling of countries colonized by the Europeans looking up to us, the "successor" to the British Empire, is like having someone say that you're their role model. On the one hand, you're flattered by how they love you and are replicating your style. On the other hand, you think, "Why me? Don't they know how much of a mess I really am?"
Well, in one post, I managed to debunk a racist pseudoscientific theory and show how low my self-esteem is. I never thought I would ever say that sentence in my entire life.
Next time, I'll answer questions from the next chapter. It will be about China and Britain in the 1800's. You can see where this is going.
Until next time!
Comments
Post a Comment