Reflections on Class

The one thing that really hit me in class discussions is to what extent everyone is forced into categories. We all need to be able to check off appropriate boxes on applications. We get divided from humans to men and women to different skin colors, nationalities, cultures, relgions, beliefs, opinion, clothing sizes, etc. If we all get so caught up on our differences of course we will all end up being "othered" and the hegemony will divide and conquer us all. I remember, when I was little, on state exams I used to check off the "other" box since I was taught by the people around me that Asian meant Chinese or Japanese, since Indian wasn't a category I feel like I was subconsciously othered from the beginning. Just because countries have borders and limits doesn't mean our minds also have to have limits and we exclude people. The stereotypes that are held against us we reject, but when there are stereotypes against other group we accept them as the truth. Since we are othered we like to "other" people as well. In the same way that we have begun to stop and think about media messages pertaining to women we need to apply that all across the media spectrum. We have to catch ourselves and a discursive attitude must be adopted towards all people. The media has to become smarter and realize its effects because these days the youth absorb more from them than their own parents. If in my generation I felt othered, to what extent does the youth now feel othered and will feel in the future. We need to get past our differences and gain more knowedge about others and ourselves, ignorance can no longer be considered bliss.