ajeedavisburley

[ajeedavisburley]

My critical analysis of the price of sugar is very complex. After watching this documentary I have a different perspective on the consumption of sugar imported and sold from the Dominican Republic. The use of modern day slavery from the Haitian workers to provide this product is alarming. I believe this film should be shown everywhere across the world.

The import of the illegal Haitian workers into the Dominican Republic is a result of increasing migration. Due to the extreme poverty and violence in Haiti, Haitians are lured into migrating into their neighboring country in hopes of finding jobs for a better life. However, due to nativism and racism Haitians aren’t even offered regular jobs within the cities of the Dominican Republic. Instead they are casted away in “Batey’s,” which are sugar cane plantations to prevent the Haitian immigrants from mixing in with the Dominican natives. This shows that the Haitian immigrants are only favored into the Dominican Republic if they are laborers.

After the Haitians are brought into the Batey’s they aren’t allowed to leave or informed of their income which is roughly less than 90 cents per day. Causing extreme poverty, diseases, and malnutrition upon the Haitian workers. After Father Christopher Hartley learned of this he called upon the government to take action against the owners of the plantation which are the Vicini family. Due to the Vicini family’s wealth and prestige in the Dominican Republic, they ultimately control the Dominican government and people with payouts. Resulting in the Vicini family acting as the bourgeoisie since they supply the means of production by owning all the sugar cane plantations and wealth, dubbing the Haitian immigrants as the proletariat.

This results in Haitian immigrants becoming undocumented and unable to leave the Batey’s without being killed or expelled from the country. Preventing the Haitians from the social mobility of moving up within the Dominican society. Eliminating their life chances of ever obtaining equal rights as humans. All because of the concept of race within the Dominican Republic. Haitians are considered Black due to their physically characteristics, subjecting them to a life of eternal pain.

Based on my observations from the documentary, the class system in the Dominican Republic can be compared to caste system in India. The Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic are treated equivalently to the Dalits in India. They are forced into modern slavery because of the color of their skin. Isolating the Haitians from contact with the outside world. This results in the Haitians never being able to leave or move up within the Dominican society, and casts them away until death in the Batey sugar cane plantations.

The institutional racism upon Haitian immigrants within the Dominican Republic is horrific. Because of the racial ideology that people of African or Black ancestry are inferior to people with European ancestry has normalized slavery within the Dominican society. I strongly admire the mission of the priest Father Christopher Hartley and all the work he has done within the Dominican Republic to bring justice to the Haitians. Until the Dominican Republic holds the country accountable for these despicable acts and changes its laws, the United States should cut ties within the sugar industry contacts. My critical analysis of the Price of Sugar significantly changed my perspective on the produce of sugar.

[ajeedavisburley]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/asia/chinas-great-uprooting-moving-250-million-into-cities.amp.html

Marx Weber’s social class is illustrated in the article listed above. The poor rural Chinese farmers are labeled as the proletariat because due to the capitalist economy ran by the bourgeoisie the proletariat can’t afford their land. In return all they produce is the labor to the companies owned by the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie are the Chinese government known as the “fiat,” that are pushing 250 million rural residents into newly constructed cities forcing the poor farmers (proletariats) into industrialization. Weber identified labor as the key source of value and profit in the market place. By the bourgeoisie (fiat/Chinese government) rolling back on the land that is owned by the rural farmers to push them out into the city forcing them to work is beneficial only to their pockets and means. This indicates a huge gap in the social gap from the working class which are the proletariats to the capitalist cast the bourgeoisie.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/obama-and-trump-agree-switching-colleges-can-improve-your-life/2017/11/03/5244db00-bf5d-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html%3foutputType=amp

Pierre Bourdieu’s social class is illustrated in the article above. Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and social mobility is demonstrated with the choice of education. Our forever President Barack Obama transferred colleges to move higher in social class to be properly equipped in the future for his political career. President Obama used Occidental College as a steeping stone to transfer to the prestige Ivy League college at Columbia University. President Obama used his habitus taste and development to enter an Ivy League because he knew every president that every ran this country attended one and most of congress and the house attended one as well. President Obama also knew as a black man he would have to prove himself extra harder to be accepted in white America. In doing this he was able to move up in his social class with the use of social mobility.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/575761/

This article above gives another example of how our forever First Lady Michelle Obama had to work extra hard in an environment of rich white males to prove herself in the higher social class society. With the use of social mobility and habitus. In doing this both President Barack & Michelle Obama were able to create Bourdieu’s culture capital concept for their children due to their upward social class. Their kids are automatically have access to scare and valuable resources in society like wealth, better education, traveling abroad, socializing with other affluent families and expanding their extracurricular activities.

[ajeedavisburley]

In the diagram listed above my grandmother and grandfather are in a polygyny marriage. The “Davis Clan” which is the name my family is known as comes from my grandfather Johnnie Davis Jr. After he married my grandmother who’s maiden name was Diana Hepbourne it changed into Diana Davis. They had three children, Phillip who is the eldest and only son, Fern who is the middle child and my mother, and Faith who is the youngest and my auntie. My uncle Phillip is married but did not have any children. (Because he didn’t have any children my mother included “Davis” in my brother and I last name to honor my papa(grandfather) and keep his generation alive. )While my mother has two children, myself (Ajee’) who is the eldest and my brother Ahmad who is the youngest. My auntie Faith has 3 children who are older than my brother and I. Courtney is the eldest girl, and Nicholas and Nicole are the younger fraternal twins. They are my parallel cousins because they are my mothers sisters children, making them my immediate family. My family tree tells the story of how my grandparents marriage and love for each other created my mother, uncle, auntie, brother, cousins and myself. I come from a African American, Bahamian, and Native American family ancestry. My grandmothers father was an immigrant from Cat Island, which is a small island in the Bahamas and her mother which is my great-grandmother was from Virginia. While my grandfather’s mother was a descent of the Cherokee Indian Native American Tribe in South Carolina and her husband my great grandfather an African American man from Orange County South Carolina. My grandmother was born in Harlem, NYC, while my grandfather was born in Greenville South Carolina and migrated to Harlem when he was only two months old to escape segregation. Resulting in my mother, auntie and uncle all being born in Harlem but raised in the Bronx. My family is mostly located in New York City, Virginia, South Carolina, and the Bahamas. I was raised with a mixture of my grandmothers Bahamian culture as well as my African American culture. Due to slavery my family doesn’t have many records of where exactly we originated. The only person who might know an elder who might have some records is my grandmother. Regardless we know our motherland is Africa and we are proud of be of African descent. My family tree tells a story of two people who escaped the racist south during Jim Crow, and came to a community where Black people were uplifted and celebrated. Resulting in myself and all of my cousins attending HBCU’s and passing our heritage to all the generations that follow.

[ajeedavisburley]

Out of the two children commercials I watched I observed that the Nerf Gun commercial was aimed for boys, and the Easy Bake Oven commercial was aimed for girls. Both commercials were gendered. In the Nerf Gun commercial the technique of masculinity was used to attract boys. This was used by demonstrating all boys in a field aggressively using the guns against eachother. Masculinity came into play because no girls are present in this ad and the objective of this ad was to showcase how the Nerf Gun were the most superior weapon to win the “battle” of horseplay between little boys. On the other hand, in the Easy Bake Oven commercial the technique of femininity is used to attract girls. This is demonstrated with the commercial being girls only, singing and dancing in unison. The girls are all wearing overly feminine attires of pink and white aprons, with a skirt, along with flowers in their hair to further impel this social concept with the use of modesty, and ladylike undertones. Both commercials used gendered behaviors to attract either boys only or girls only for their ads. In the Nerf Gun Commercial gender performance is portrayed by solely casting boys to preform in a outside “battle.” The exclusion of girls in this ad also promotes gender stereotypes and gender roles by portraying the perfect fit and role of a Nerf Gun is to be used by “rough boys.” Ignoring the fact that girls are also perfectly fit and enjoy to play with Nerf Guns too. This is another example of how in the culture of the American society there is a social concept that only girls should play with dolls and only boys should play with toy guns, cars and etc. In the Easy Bake Oven commercial gendered behaviors are taught by using the technique of femininity to demonstrate gender performance, further promoting gender ideology. Gender performance is portrayed by the director only casting females to act in the ad. On top of the set being females only they are all jolly, signing and dancing while wearing aprons and skirts promoting the gender ideology that women are happy to belong in the kitchen. The minor detail of the “mother” actor also being in the back of the kitchen cooking supports the gender ideology that men are not to be bothered with kitchen duties. In the culture of American society women are stereotyped to serve and service their men. While they cook they are to be happy and in appealing feminine clothes like dresses and skirts to appease their men. The Easy Bake Oven commercial displayed that ideology by excluding men to be casted in this commercial. While an easy bake oven is a unisex toy its commercial was targeted to be functioned by girls. After reading my classmates posts I disagree that it’s natural that “boys will be boys.” The American society and culture actively creates gender roles for adolescents to unconsciously follow and function throughout life. I believe that if there were no gender roles, gender performances, and gender stereotypes being displayed and forced upon on boys (or girls) they would play with easy bake ovens and dolls and not think twice about it or be corrected for it. Parents pick and choose what they’ll let their kids play with, and the same way racism isn’t taught but learned, gender norms and values are too.

[ajeedavisburley]

Institutional racism- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/us/baltimore-schools-winter-heating.amp.html

In the article listed above institutional racism is shown by the lack of basic necessities for African American inner city school children. While schools in wealthy neighbors which are most likely predominately White, they are provided with the best care. While Baltimore’s inner city public schools don’t even have heat for the bitter winter.

Jim Crow- https://www.google.com/amp/s/theundefeated.com/features/on-this-day-rosa-parks-refused-to-give-up-her-bus-seat-igniting-the-civil-rights-movement/amp/

In the link listed above Jim Crow is shown by Rosa Parks taking a stand to end those bias laws. In Jim Crow blacks we’re permitted to sit in the back of the bus and if in any case there were no more seats the African American was supposed to give up their seat so the White person can sit. Tired of the racist byways of Jim Crow Rosa refuses which ignited the Civil Rights Movement.

White privilege-https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/us/george-zimmerman-verdict-trayvon-martin.amp.html

In the link listed below White privilege is shown by the demon George Zimmerman getting away with killing an unarmed black man because he is white. Because of Zimmermans race and Trayvon Martins race he was acquitted of cold blood murder. Even though all evidence proved Martin of being unarmed and innocent, Zimmerman still got off for killing a child.

Hypodescent (one drop rule)- https://abcnews.go.com/Health/halle-berry-cites-drop-rule-daughter-black-white/story?id=12869789

In the link listed above hypodescent is described by Halle Berry defending the face that her daughter is Black. Because Halle berry is of mixed descent and her daughter too is of mixed descent people argue that the one drop rule applies when it actuality the child is of both white and African ancestry making her mixed. Not just white or just African American.

White supremacy- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/charleston-church-shooter-i-would-like-to-make-it-crystal-clear-i-do-not-regret-what-i-did/2017/01/04/05b0061e-d1da-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html%3foutputType=amp

In the link listed above white supremacy is demonstrated by the innocent killing of African American people worshipping in church by a white man. They were killed simply because of the color of their skin in the house of the lord. The white boy Dylan felt that because he was white and in his mind he was better than the innocent lives taken that he could kill them in cold blood for no reason.

Colonialism- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnn.com/travel/amp/mandarin-language-courses-africa-intl/index.html

In the link listed above the article goes into depth how African students are denied learning their native languages but instead forced to learn Mondrian because of the heavy Chinese influence in Africa. This is an example of colonialism because the Chinese are taking over in certain parts of Africa overthrowing their Native solidarity traditions and forcing their norms on a different country. The Chinese are running small counties in Africa due to their debt and their resources.

[ajeedavisburley]

The song I chose was Chicago Boy by Ari Lennox from her Shea Butter Baby album. The lyrics are as followed:

Woah, woah, woah woah

Needed some Ricolas

Stepped in CVS

Saw you in the corner

I was looking a mess

You didn't notice

Jason was instigating

I wanna bring you closer

Tired of waiting

(Tired of) tired of waiting

Woo

Said listen, baby

I know that I'm speeding up this vibe

Is you gon' judge me

If I f**k you before I catch this flight?

No freakin' worries

I just want to get you comfortable

I need you now

But I don't want to get your feelings broke

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Why your smile so pearly?

Earrings look like dimes

It's not a deal breaker

You'll be fly in time

Won't you come to my show

After we can leave

Rid all your clothes

Lost in the sheets, ay

Get lost in the sheets

Said listen, baby

I know I'm speeding up this vibes

Is you gon' judge me

If I f**k you before I catch this flight?

No freakin' worries

I just want to get you comfortable

I need you now

Boy I don't want to get your feelings broke

Yeah yeah yeah

Wanna get your feelings broke

No, no (no)

Wanna get your feelings broke

Might

Might bend it over

Love you like Sosa

Rose Royce on my iPhone

Need you a little longer

Ricolas ain't doing enough for me

On this east

Baby where you at now?

Ooh

Ooh

Oooh

Ooh, ooh oh

Alright, all the n***as in here leave, please

On the count of three

Because I need to talk to my b****es

All the n***as in here

Because it's about to get real

I need to know if you guys are really ready to be my friend

Because it gets real, it gets gross, it gets terrifying

Are you ready?

N***as get the hell out

If you are a part of my job, label, go

Right now

'Cause its about to get disgusting

It's about to get so f***ing freaky

Get out

The line “Is you gone judge me if I f**k before I catch this flight,” reflects gender and dialect. In the United States of American women are shamed for their sexuality. In American culture men are glorified for the numerous amounts of women they sleep with. However, if a woman is equally free with her body and doesn’t wait for sex she is judged and looked down upon. This line asks a question that goes against the double standard for women in America. The term “ is you gone” is an African American slang that means are you going to, which ties into dialect.

The line “N***as get the hell out. If you are apart of my job, label, go right now. Cause it’s about to get disgusting, it’s about to get so f***ing freaky. Get out,” reflects power. Ari used her power and influence as an African American woman and a artist to remove all the men around her in this specific moment. It didn’t matter if she knew you, worked with you or for you, she demanded her needs be met so she could do as she pleased regardless of how anyone else felt. Showing her strength in communications as a total power move.

The line “All the n***as in here leave, please on the count of three because I need to talk to my b****es” reflects dialect. In the United States of America, African Americans use the word n***as and b****es as slang. In this verse Ari Lennox is asking all of the men in the the room (the n***as) to leave so she can freely talk to the females (the b****es) about something private.

[ajeedavisburley]

I chose the emergency room of the Baltimore’s Med Star Hospital. My weekend visit for an allergic reaction drew me to choosing this location. I found it packed with various of hospital workers but less waiting patients.

I noticed that emergency rooms aren’t always overcrowded and loud. I never noticed this before because in my hometown Harlem, New York City hospitals are always loud and overcrowded. This is due to the higher population gap in New York compared to Maryland.

Loud injured patients was absent during my visit that which I expected to find.

I visited the hospital for a check up again on Sunday and my observations didn’t vary. It was still less crowded and quiet.

[ajeedavisburley]

I’ve learned that I spend a lot of money on entertainment & beauty products. Which are not necessities, more so wants. For my needs I don’t spend that much money on. However I am big on sales so it might come off that I splurge on materialistic items but I actually save and buy things when I have extra money to spend. Overall I don’t think my list is that bad.

[ajeedavisburley]

1. The product of my choice is a grey faux fur fuzzy throw blanket I got from Target. The ingredients consist of 70% Acrvcic, and 30% polyester which was made in China. This product was made in factory in China.

2. Chinese workers make this product. Their lives are mostly impoverished based on their low pay.

3. The impact on the Chinese community where the product is produced is indifferent. While the product brings in jobs for the Chinese people, because they are underpaid, it does d make a significant impact on their community. The impact on the communities of the consumers is low. simply new merchandise that is worth more than the workers who made it.

4. The relationship between the product and the people that produce this product in their community is weak. Apart from producing the merchandise, it is unlikely the producers can afford to even purchase the item. Making it very unlikely for the Chinese producers to consume(or obtain) this item. The Chinese workers who produce this item are paid between 15-20 cents a day. This product has affected people in the Chinese community by endowing them to cheap labor in horrible working conditions. The affect to the Chinese producers in their community is unbiased. Anyone living impoverished will work under these inhumane circumstances just to make ends meet.

5. I paid $25 dollars for this product. I’m uncertain of the social cost of this product and who pays for it.

6. The environmental impact on faux fur is poisonous toxics to pollute air and waterways because of the chemicals like used to dye the fur and textiles like nylon and polyester. Since faux fur is synthetic it’s made from polymeric fibers such as polyester and acrylic which are forms of plastics. These plastic fibers are made up of chemicals such as petroleum and limestone.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5bc0b3c3e4b0bd9ed5599f76

[ajeedavisburley]

Flexible accumulation example- The American company Nike have sweat shop factories in Vietnam for cheaper labor. These workers are paid 20 cents per hour and don’t have any benefits. This keeps the revenue for Nike higher by spending less for the manufacturing of their goods and pocketing the pay from workers in third world countries.

[ajeedavisburley]

Uneven development- In Kingston Jamaica there is a lot of money put in to attract tourism but the natives of Jamaica live in extreme poverty. This is another example of gentrification because when money is actually put into the community, the natives aren’t able to afford the new properties. The prices are marked extremely high to keep the impoverished out and the rich in. When majority of the country is improvised that is uneven development.

[ajeedavisburley]

Time space compression example- People used to take 1-3 years traveling by ship that can now be within 1 week by airplane. Helping people network and communicate faster.

[ajeedavisburley]

Increasing migration- Hispanic women from Latin America or the Caribbean, traveling to the United States of America both legally and illegal for maid jobs because of better pay.

[ajeedavisburley]

SOCI.110

My name is Ajee’ Davis-Burley. I’m a junior sociology pre-law major from Harlem, New York. I expect to further my education in sociology by studying anthropology during this semester.