Discrimination Source #1

I found this source to be helpful. It gives a lot of statistics and background information to help understand certain ideas about discrimination. It also names ways people discriminate other than then just racially. It surveyed people of different races on how they are treated by others, and measures their experiences in ways that are helpful in research.

Despite the end of legally-imposed segregation and the expansion of opportunities for African Americans, recent qualitative studies document the persistence of discrimination in a broad range of social settings for blacks. Other research indicates that Hispanics and Asian Americans also experience discrimination.

Nine items captured the frequency of the following experiences in day-to-day life:
1. being treated with less courtesy than others
2. less respect than others
3. receiving poorer service than others in restaurants or stores
4. people acting as if you are not smart
5. they are better than you
6. they are afraid of you
7. they think you are dishonest
8. being called names or insulted
9. being threatened or harassed.

"Discrimination." 25 Jan. 2007 http://www.macses.ucsf.edu/Research/Psychosocial/notebook/discrimination.html.

My Research Topic

Since I still have yet to choose a major here at KSU, using it for a research topic is not really an option. I could always research a topic I am interested in such as a hobby, but then again, since it would be a hobby, I probably wouldn't be learning very much new information. I would rather pick a topic that I have always wanted to know about, but have yet to take the time to sit down and research. Racism is still a very large issue in today's society, and I believe that it is because of communication gaps, or people not knowing about other people. Researching African American history and culture, could help close the gap. Knowing where the culture sparked from and how it was molded into what it is today could help me to understand where racism begins. Im not sure if this is going to be my topic for sure, but I think it would be a good way to spend my time researching.