This tragedy and the disputes following illustrate our course’s concept of racial/ethnic inequality in the United States, exemplifying how prejudice and discrimination continues to be present to this day.

Deeper Connections:

1) What happened here?

A man named George Floyd was wrongfully accused and stopped by police, ultimately being killed in detainment due to excessive force.

2) How do people interact with this?

This tragedy has brought the community affected even closer together, serving as a monument to the Black Lives Matter movement as well as pushing to never forget the consequences of racial discrimination and prejudices.

This song corresponds to our course’s concept of the obstacles women continue to face today, particularly the glass ceiling—invisible barriers that limit women’s mobility despite their motivation and capacity for positions of power and prestige.

Deeper Connections:

1) Who made/created this?

R&B singer and songwriter Alicia Keys is notable for her role in the movement of women’s empowerment, especially with her number of tracks in relation and has inspired many.

2) Who benefits from this?

Songs similar to this continue to shed light on the issues of inequality we continue to have today, and this continued exposure will hopefully gain justice for those unfairly represented.

This course of events corresponds to our course’s concept of culture and how through American rock culture, this band was able to blend both a strong anti-war sentiment with a music piece.

Deeper Connections:

1) How do people interact with this?

The high popularity and playing of this song indicates the common anti-war opinion most Americans held, swaying the public opinion and confidence in the American government. 

2) Another way to think about this quest(or an aspect of it)?

Another way to think about this quest would be to consider why the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were so unpopular with the American people and what were the course of events leading up to them?

The Flint water crisis is the culmination of poor government decision making resulting in harm to an undeserving community, illustrating the course’s concept of how the government can fail to support its own citizens(especially the disadvantaged).

Deeper Connections:

1) Who made/created this?

The actions of government officials responsible for the events following the Flint water crisis were deemed by the state-established body of the Michigan Civil Rights Commision to be a “result of systemic racism.”

2) Who doesn’t benefit?

Those who have consumed or have been exposed lead-contaminated water are at risk to various health issues, with the younger population having notably elevated blood lead levels in the nation.

The depictions made in the murals correspond to our course’s content of discriminating institutions and their involvement/treatment towards a minority group.

Deeper Connections:

1) Who made/created this?

Various artists in the mid-80’s who began to express their outrage over the abuse and violation over human rights in Central America.

2) How do people interact with this?

Today, this alley is a common tourist spot with the many murals still in view along with restaurants and stores for visitors to enjoy.

This event is one of many notable instances relating to our course’s concept of groupthink, with two different sides of the matter in opposition regarding whether or not COVID-19 shutdown policies should remain or be put to an end.

Deeper Connections:

1) Who benefits from this?

Corporations and companies who sustain via consumers benefit on the end to the COVID-19 shutdown as the economy is brought back into motion.

2) Who doesn’t benefit?

The older demographics or those at risk of illness are vulnerable to the state opening back up, especially if mask mandates are no longer enforced along with continuous COVID cases.

This event and the individual at fault corresponds to our course’s concept of deviants and their presence in today’s society.

Deeper Connections: 

1) What happened here?

19-year-old Nikolas Cruz was a troubled individual who can likely be observed as a deviant of society—when society fails to provide a number of its people with the means to achieve cultural goals, rates of deviance, including crimes are likely to increase.

2) How does the meaning of this change depending on who is using or observing it?

Looking on the side of the victims, this incident is a public outrage and call for better gun control—but on the other hand in the perpetrator’s place can also be a call for advocating on mental health.

The body spray above corresponds to our course’s concepts of gender and the learned/socialized identities that are involved and perceived in our everyday lives, including the color association(blue/boy and pink/girl).

Deeper Connections:

1) Who made/created this?

This was a marketing strategy that can be observed to just attract the typical consumer, aiming to cater to a majority of the population.

2) How do people interact with this?

The design and appearance of products is a part of consumer decision making, but this color association should not be involved in how consumers distinguish one product from another.