Salon #8: This is the only Salon #8 and it is for all SOC311 students.  There will be no separate sections as we are too close to the end of the term.

We will focus here solely on Arthur Schlesinger Jr.s' "The Disuniting of America."

Each of you should respond to this salon by Thursday, Dec. 10th.   Unfortunately there will not be time this term to have you react to other student comments.

If you are wondering about the hate mail addresses, I will include a list with the Paper #3 assignment which will be out on Monday, Dec. 6th and one of the questions for Paper #3 will involve using them.

Mini-lecture for Salon #8:

Schlesinger's book is an "essay" about his reactions to the emphasis on multiculturalism and the new form of "group identity politics" which emerged in the late 1980s and 1990s.

He poses an argument that this focus on ethnic groups (and other "groups" such as women) is pulling America apart and is an attack on the common culture of the United States.  Let's go through his argument.  In the first chapter, he emphasizes how those who emigrated to the United States became members of a "new race," namely Americans.  He gives lots of examples from those who wrote about America, especially Alexis de Tocqueville, the famous French thinker who visited the United States before the Civil War and wrote his famous study of this country: Democracy in America, in 1835.  Tocqueville noted the special characteristics of American culture and stated that immigrants became part of American society by taking an interest by participating in the governing of it.  Iin other words, by exercising their political rights, as had been defined in the American Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, immigrants became Americans.

Schlesinger spends quite a bit of time discussing Israel Zangwill's play, The Melting-Pot which coined the term, the melting-pot, to refer to the mixing of cultures that occurred (successfully) in America.  This concept of America as a melting-pot was considered to be favorable, though clearly there were some Americans (such as the Know-Nothing party in the 19th Century, the Ku Klux Klan, etc.) who were very much against the sense that America should become an ethnic "stew," and who favored those with Anglo-Saxon white (male) ethnic origins.

Chapter 2 looks at the role that history has played in the forming of ethnic and national identities.  As Schlesinger states: "American history was long written in the interests of white Anglo-Saxon Protestant males" (p.53).   However he argues that such men were dominant in the early history of the US and there was a complication in that American male WASPS were often anti-British (Anglophobes).  He then goes on to show how history both incorporated and ignored various ethnic groups.  By the late 1980s, the pluralistic range of American ethnic groups (and gender) began to have a major impact on the writing of history and the curriculum of schools.  Chapter 3 is dedicated to a discussion of how the battle in the schools has been waged.

Now we want to get all the terminology straight.  I have referred earlier to "identity politics" as the most generic term for describing the ethnic group efforts to make the group rather than the individual (or the generic American) the central focus. More euphemistically, this has often been called multiculturalism, which is a very general, broad-reaching term which emphasizes the sense that there are multiple cultural roots, traditions, values in a single society.   "Political correctness" refers to support of identity politics.  In the chapter on the "Decomposition of America," Schlesinger refers to "ethnic rage," "Afrocentricity," "racial and ethnic pride," "deculturalization," "cultural orientation," "separatism," "bilingualism," "diversity education."  You need to be clear on what these various terms are and that Schlesinger is not hostile towards different ethnic identities, but is fearful about what Teddy Roosevelt pointed out: that letting national groups get into a tangle of squabbling over the various virtues and importance of their ethnic identities could "ruin" the American nation.

This is the basic focus of Chapter 5:  here Schlesinger tries to air both the fears of minority ethnic groups, the likely demographic changes in ethnic group sizes, and how "the assault on the Western tradition" (the challenge to Western Civilization as a required college course, the opposition to a "canon" of great authors which students should be familiar, etc.) has failed to recognize how far the Western traditions themselves have been the foundations of free thinking and open-mindedness which allowed the issue of ethnic diversity to flourish.  As the author states, the challenge to the United States is "how to restore the balance between unum (the unity and common values and purpose of the US) and pluribus" (the diversity, multiculturalism, ethnic identification and roots, etc.) of the American people.

You have two questions for Salon #8:

(1) Summarize Schlesinger's argument in one short paragraph (no more than 3 sentences).

(2) Now take Schlesinger's argument and think about what it means in relation to equality and inequality.  Your task here is to relate it to the message on equality and inequality in each of the readings and films we have read and seen this term.   Write one sentence relating Schlesinger's thesis (argument) to the central message on equality and inequality in the Declaration of Independence, Beloved, The Culture of Inequality, Death of a Salesman, When Work Disappears, and Lonestar.  This will also serve as a good review for the final paper.

Answer these two questions in Salon #8 by Thursday, Dec. 10th.

Enter your comments below (Don't forget to submit):

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Salon #8 Responses  

Garrett garrett@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

Sorry it's late, folks.

Wed Dec 9 12:49:17 PST 1998

Christina Glady glady001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

Schlesings booktalks about the things that people are afraid to discuss, misinterperated history and poor schooling. Many seem to be afraid to discuss where society has made mistakes, but this book looks at the mistakes and talks about ethnic groups and shows which things are pulling society apart. In the movie Lonestar Mercedes gave up her heritage to become Americanized like it is mentioned in chapter 1 of the book. People come here and give up there heritage in order to become part of the "American" nation. The daughter tries to not give up her heritage. She teaches the children about the Hispanic past and allows them to see their heritage. As you look at the Declaration of Independence you see that like the book states history is not complete. We hear only about the White Americans history. We told the french to treat their poeple better, yet we treated slaves poorly. You do not hear about the founding father having slaves, but they did. As the book explains history is not complete. You do not hear about the slaves struggles or harsh treatment like you see in the bokk Beloved. You do not hear aboput African Americans struggles. In the book When work Disappears you hear about the ghettos and how the people in them do not have all of the opportunities that all have that relates to chapter 4 where it explains how all school are not each and materials and teachers are not distributed equally. Death of a sales man deals with inequality. The man worked hard and did not achieve much, and the son was basically lazy And did not set out to achieve much. The book deals with opportunities and how people must take their chances in life to make it better.

Wed Dec 9 18:21:06 PST 1998

mary meredith pbjs@lasercom.net responded:

1. The common American "melting pot" identity, which was stressed for 200 years, has been replaced with the "politically correct" identitiy politics which stresses multiculturalism. Schlesinger believes the increased emphasis on diversity is healthy, but fears that it will be carried too far and, as a result, cause the further "disuniting of America". With a warning about our nation's biggest flaw, "racism"(p. 18), Schlesinger stresses the urgent need to understand what will hold our nation together and then, restore the balance of unity and diversity of the American people. 2. Declaration of Independence: Schlesinger explains how "history can be used as a weapon" and that is how The Declaration of Independence is in a sense. The Declaration was written by and for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men and the history they used in this document did not include their own (often) misuse of equality in relation to the fact that some of those seeking freedom, clearly refused to allow others to have. Beloved: Beloved is, in a sense, a history of African-American slaves' experience that took place from the years before and after the end of the Civil War. Schlesinger includes a quote from Abraham Lincoln on page 36 in that "all men are created equal, except negroes". Schlesinger sees the hypocrisy of how "history" was recorded. The Culture of Inequality: Lewis says we put blame on individuals for lack of success in economical, political, and social situations and ignore the impact of social structures on an individual. Schlesinger also recognizes the impact of social structures and sees the need to understand what we have in common with one another, as Americans, and stop seeking out that which divides us. "Death of a Salesman": Willy Loman is the central character of this dramatic story of an individual's failure to succeed. Like the "individual-as-central sensibility in Lewis' book, Loman is blamed for his failure and carries much guilt and shame. Schlesinger, seeking that which unifies us, would see this as a flaw in our society. When Work Disappears: One aspect of this book that runs parallel to Schlesinger's book is when Wilson comments about on page 173 that there is "declining support for interracialism and a rising emphasis on black solidarity." "Lonestar": This movie had multiple layers of inequalities between races, gender, and generations. Schlesinger quoted Tocqueville on page 44 as seeing "racist exclusion as deeply engrained in the national character." Racism, specifically against Mexicans and African-Americans in "Lonestar", was at the core of many of the inequalities shown in this film.

Wed Dec 9 19:29:45 PST 1998

Shannon Nemzer nemze001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's arguement is that this country was founded with people from all different countries, coming together to create a government to encompass all, yet through time and many changes there is an increase in the politics of ethnic identity which he feels will only pull us apart, thus the "disuniting of america". 2. His thesis relate's to equality and inequality in the misrepresentation of history and it's biases, such as the declaration of independance being created for the equality of all men, when the founding fathers themselves didn't even believe in the full extent of the concept. Schlesinger relates to Beloved based on the same premise of the misrepresentaion of history. There is little actual detailed description account of what went on in slavery, even though the nation went to war over it. In regards to lonestar this adresses to two ways to deal with the issue of restoring the balance, one with Mercedes and her attempt to harmonize by assimilating and denying her own culture, to adopt an American one. And also with Pilar's attempts to teach history the way it actually occurred. In "When work disappears" relates to chapter four in Schlesinger's book where he discusses the disporportionate of the dispersment of educational rescources. Just because kids in the inner city have less money to they deserve a low quality education?

Wed Dec 9 19:29:54 PST 1998

Shannon Nemzer nemze001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's arguement is that this country was founded with people from all different countries, coming together to create a government to encompass all, yet through time and many changes there is an increase in the politics of ethnic identity which he feels will only pull us apart, thus the "disuniting of america". 2. His thesis relate's to equality and inequality in the misrepresentation of history and it's biases, such as the declaration of independance being created for the equality of all men, when the founding fathers themselves didn't even believe in the full extent of the concept. Schlesinger relates to Beloved based on the same premise of the misrepresentaion of history. There is little actual detailed description account of what went on in slavery, even though the nation went to war over it. In regards to lonestar this adresses to two ways to deal with the issue of restoring the balance, one with Mercedes and her attempt to harmonize by assimilating and denying her own culture, to adopt an American one. And also with Pilar's attempts to teach history the way it actually occurred. In "When work disappears" relates to chapter four in Schlesinger's book where he discusses the disporportionate of the dispersment of educational rescources. Just because kids in the inner city have less money to they deserve a low quality education?

Wed Dec 9 19:30:23 PST 1998

Shannon Nemzer nemze001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's arguement is that this country was founded with people from all different countries, coming together to create a government to encompass all, yet through time and many changes there is an increase in the politics of ethnic identity which he feels will only pull us apart, thus the "disuniting of america". 2. His thesis relate's to equality and inequality in the misrepresentation of history and it's biases, such as the declaration of independance being created for the equality of all men, when the founding fathers themselves didn't even believe in the full extent of the concept. Schlesinger relates to Beloved based on the same premise of the misrepresentaion of history. There is little actual detailed description account of what went on in slavery, even though the nation went to war over it. In regards to lonestar this adresses to two ways to deal with the issue of restoring the balance, one with Mercedes and her attempt to harmonize by assimilating and denying her own culture, to adopt an American one. And also with Pilar's attempts to teach history the way it actually occurred. In "When work disappears" relates to chapter four in Schlesinger's book where he discusses the disporportionate of the dispersment of educational rescources. Just because kids in the inner city have less money to they deserve a low quality education?

Wed Dec 9 20:08:59 PST 1998

Katherine Kelleher kelle018@csusm.edu responded:

l) The argument posed by Schlesinger focuses on the dissension and disunity America faces as it attempts to re-evaluate the meaning of social equality. The author believes that if the concept of "identity politics" (ethnic group efforts to make the group rather than the individual the central focus) is taken to the extreme, it will pull Americans apart and direct our efforts away from a common culture. Schlesinger envisions America's greatest challenge to be the restoration of balance between the "unum" and the "pluribus", the common values and purpose of the U.S. combined with its' diversity. 2) In the "Culture of Inequality", we note that the perceptions Americans have about equality are based on the opportunities available within the social class structure, and Schlesinger infers that multiculturalism could further limit these opportunities if people of ethnic minorities pull away from a common culture and regard themselves as having a diminished place in society. Schlesinger explains that immigrants became Americans by exercising the political rights guaranteed to them in the "Declaration of Independence", and in no other place do we find a more ordained right to equality than in the written words "All men are created equal". In "Death of a Salesman", the concept of equality as opportunity relates to Schlesinger's insight into how Western traditions have been the foundation of open-mindedness and free thinking which allows opportunity to flourish among ethnically diverse groups. If we place too much importance on the group "identity politics" discussed by Schlesinger, we may forget Wilson's strategy which promotes the unification of Americans to end joblessness and unequal treatment. In "Beloved" we encounter the most extreme form of inequality, slavery, and Schlesinger emphasizes that the resegregation and tribalization of America would lead to great danger. According to Schlesinger, the focus on ethnic and other self-interest groups is causing more of a problem than a solution, and as portrayed in "Lonestar", inequality abounds because each group has different political and business concerns which result in a lethal power struggle.

Wed Dec 9 20:58:01 PST 1998

Jill Gustus gustu001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1.Schlesinger's argument is about how this country was founded on the basis of many different cultures coming together to have the freedom they wanted to live a life that they desired together in one country. However, the problem today is that these different cultures are not uniting together to form one country and people are emphasizing on the fact that we are different, which in the end will tear our country apart. 2. Declaration of Independance: "all men are created equal", where was the equality for the African Americans? Beloved: This goes along with the Declaration of Independance, Schlesinger wrote "all men are created equal except for negros." Beloved was just the actual account for what the African Americans went through trying to obtain the equality they deserved. In Culture of Inequality, Lewis states that individuals are blamed for being stuck in the bad situation that they are in and don't account for the social pressures that they are under. This is in itself is not equality. Schlesinger sees this problem that we have of blaming people for the situations that they are stuck in, which is just worsening the problem all together. Death of a Salesman: Willy works hard all his life to end up with nothing in the end. Schlesinger also sees this as a problem that many of us end up. When work disappears: Wilson talks about how people are forced to "ghetto-related behaviors" to survive. Lonestar: this whole movie was about inequalities between races, genders, and generations. All of these problems dealing with inequality, schlesinger talks about how our society doesn't realize that we all have problems that are similar and we all have common goals that we want to obtain. Schlesinger tried to express the fact that if we came together as a society we could accomplish these goals together. He believes that we shouldn't emphasize on the fact that we are different, but should be emphasizing on our similarities.

Wed Dec 9 21:48:52 PST 1998

Andrew Fritzinger Latigo@pe.net responded:

In short, the argument and thesis of Schlesinger's book is that the ethnic pendellum of America needs to swing back to unity as opposed to diversity. Extreme diversity splinters society and causes each group to not trust the other. Extreme multi-culturalism destroys the concept of American society and will balkanize the nation socially. Declaration of Independence: All men are created equal, no group is better than another, if we fail to see this we are no different than the British. Beloved: " Overkill " diversity may cause people to experience an " over-exposure " of the horrors of slavery through counter-productive ethnic teaching thus enraging African Americans and causing a schism in society. Culture of Inequality: Since we are all equal, often times a response or retaliation against a source of offense is just as destructive as the original offense,this is the case of extreme multiculturalism as a retaliation against socio-economic inequality in America. Death of a Salesman: Economic problems are extremly difficult to solve, often a person is locked into a state of poor quality-of-life, the last thing society needs to do is lose cohesion, unity and cooperation in light of this fact. When Work Disappears: Similar to sentence from " Culture of Inequality ", minority groups may injure society further in responding to the lack of economic poverty with radical multi-culturalism. LoneStar: A lack of cohesion in this community resulted in a death in basic morals, the splintered community could not stop the corruption by the Sherrif and the town leaders and a lack of people being able to discuss even relationships between races resulted in there children engaging in an incestuos relationship.

Wed Dec 9 22:36:36 PST 1998

Sarah Dyroff Sdky7 responded:

1. Schlesinger's argument is one of unity. He believes that for America to remain strong, we must be united in every aspect. This does not elliviate the opportunity for an individual's history, or roots, but the main goal should remain as a constant common goal towards unity, or else we will be divided and fall as a nation. 2. The Declaration of Independence served to give us common ground. To be united as a nation. Although we stated our freedom, we were not all free. The freedom only stood for those who were thought to have deserved it. Schlesinger has his basis in this theory, but he realizes it must be freedom for all, but in a united manner. In Beloved, there was no equality. The only equality that existed was that anyone who was not a slave would be treated anyway another person desired. That is not freedom or equality. Beloved had no roots, the slaves went as far as severing their own emotional ties to try and comply with a world that was so far beyond equality that emotional and physical death was committed. Schlesinger can at least see the horror in this. The Culture of Inequality relates to the Disuniting of America by the fact that although our value system is based on equality (The Dec. of Indep), equality is in fact ignored in many aspects of our culture. Again, equality is aimed at a certain few, those being in power or economically successful. Death of a Salesman aims at the individual as being the central figure in success, whereas in reality, many other factors come into play that are sometimes beyond our control. When Work Disappears, show the total chaos that Schlesinger relates to our society now in that we must be united in order to keep America strong, instead of looking at each individual, we need to view ourselves as a smaller part of a greater nation. Lonestar has many aspects of the inequality faced by ethnic groups, showing both sides of the good that can be achieved in studying our roots, and the breakdown of communication when that idea is not shared by all, lacking in a common goal, small communities can quickly break down, which can have a snowball effect on the larger society.

Thu Dec 10 13:55:57 PST 1998

Anthony Simpson hombredelsol@earthlink.net responded:

1. Schlesinger is concerned that America will cease to exist as a cohesive group and disintegrate into groups of identities which conflict with each other. Schlesinger feels that people can be allowed to preserve some their individual cultures but that some group who are in the minority go to an extreme that borderds on prejudice to ensure their views and cultures are represented. These views and attempts to include them in American mainstream society often are exaggerated and obscure certain truths which though European are essential to American history and the foundation of our society. 2. in the Declaration of Independence we staed that all men are created equally and asserted our independence from England. Many would say that we have fallen short of that equality and are still culturally dependent on England.Schlesinger would agree that many have been treated unequally, but he would say that attempts to compensate for those past mistake by distorting history and denying our heritage are equally worng. Those with whom Schlesinger is in dispute could point to the slaves in Beloved to bolster their claims that America denies the cultures of many of its inhabitants. The slaves of Beloved were denied their African heritage. In The Culture of Inequality Lewis illustrates that some people are kept down becuase American society needs losers to feel better about itself, this people may feel they need more of a vioce in the system and that voice could come through assertion of their beliefs and culture into mainstream America.This is also evident in Death of A Salesman were Willy could not accept his failure and smallness and eventually took his life. When Work Disappears looks specifically at the lives of inner-city poor and blacks in particular. It too illustrates how a large segment of society can become detached by economic means and then become less attached through institutional failures related to the loss of income. Lonestar comes closest to what Schlesinger is getting at, it show elements of the white and Hispanic community in conflict with one another over school curriculum. Schlesinger would argue that ethno-centric programs would not solve the social or institutional problems that many of the subjects of these books face. He instead seems to be supporting an inclusive program that balances the ethnic makeup of society with contribution those groups made to society and ultimately historical accuracy. In essence he wants the new race of Americans to continue to form through a balanced and positive fashion

Thu Dec 10 14:06:52 PST 1998

Jim Currey curreys@mailhost2.csusm.edu responded:

Schlesinger states that the uniqueness of the American culture was brought about by the "melting pot" theory. He is concerned that the tide of cultural extremism will wash away what our country was built on: "open citizenship to all who subscribe to the Constitution and the laws." He also states that in the long run the U.S. includes what it formerly excluded, but extreme multiculturalists do not want to be included. In the Declaration of Independence,"all men are created equal" was interpreted by the "elite power' as correct, because only "white males" were considered "all men." The story "Beloved" is a part of history that has been glossed over by white historians because slavery is against all ideas of freedom and equality. In "The Culture of Inequality," Lewis states that the individual is responsible for herself/himself in failure or success and by blonging to on cutural group or another is only her/his of justifying it. In "Death of a Salesman" Schlesinger would say that Willie Loman had the opportunity, but failed,that is available to any race or ethnicity in America. When Work Disappears:Schlesinger could use Wilson's approach to solving the problems in the ghettos for an argument of different cultures coming together to form unity. Lonestar: In Merecede's quest to become "Americanized" she shuns her Mexican heritage and joins into the "melting pot" culture of the United States thereby enabling her to attain the status she is looking for. (This has been the most difficult salon, trying to answer each of these questions in one sentence!)

Thu Dec 10 18:55:30 PST 1998

Veronica Castelo vcastelo01@aol.com responded:

1.) Schlesinger's arguement is primarily directed towards the disuniting of our America and its people. Our country was founded on the premise that "all men are created equal" (or so the Declaration of Independance states). However, what Shlesinger believes is that as a result of the politics surrounding multiculturalism and the "need" for identifying both social and ethnic identity, our country, and especially its people, will find themselves becoming even more detached from one another as a result, which would result in segregation one again. 2.) The Declaration of Independance states that "all men are created equal". However, in contrast to this statement, the writers forgot to mention that they were primarily directing this statement towards the Anglo population of our country. The vast majority of our country has both witnessed and observed (through various analysis) that although the Dec. of Ind. states that all people are entitled to equality, in was not shown in the actions committed by the people of this paradigm. As a result, millions of minorities, primarily African Americans, have been at the center of racial inequality. This relates to "Beloved', in the sense that all African Americans were denied their African heritage, and thus the equality that they so much deserved. As Schlesinger discusses in his book, by distorting the history of African Americans in this country, we are still disuniting them by not allowing them to become aware of the truth behind the distorted lies. In the "Culture of Inrquality" we see that Lewis discusses how people are blamed for their lack of "success" as it pertains to societies standards of equality. What Schlesinger points out, is that if we continue to blame people for their minfortunes in society, and if we keep on placing stereotypes on people because of their diverse races and classes within our society, we will end up disuniting America and its people even further away from one another, leaving no room for equalization and unity. In "Death of a Salesman" we see that Willy thinks of himself as the only hope for success in his family; this also related to Lewis' theme of the individual-as-central model. This related to Schlesinger's book because Willy is blaming himself for things that are not under his control, he forgot to take into account that there are others factors that may interfere with his lack of success. In "When Work Disappears" we see that the inner-city poor are thought of as less than equals, they are left in a part of society where success is thought of as impossible. Thus, this relates to Schlesinger's arguement because we are already witnessing segregation among our people and our soiceties, which is what Schlesinger is trying to hard to overcome. In "Lonestar", we notice in Mercedes especially, that she is "disuniting" herself from her people and her heritage, she is more focused on Amerianizing herself just as Schlesinger argues that we are doing to our children in the school system now. Throughout this movie, we see countless individuals who carry with them different opinions and thoughts on minorities, and as a result, many people are segregating themselves from the rest of the population. This is what worries Schlesinger.

Thu Dec 10 19:50:34 PST 1998

Elise Baer baer002@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's believes our countries discohesiveness is in crisis caused by a a by a dominance of multiculturism and ethnicity issues like political correctness. His theory is summed up by the pledge of allegence:'one nation' under under god with liberty etc... He believes in one common language, fate and culture for all people and to stop our preoccupation with races because this will cause this countries demise. 2. The declaration of independence was written by white men who did not live by their own rules in treating the negroes as slaves forcing 'inequality'. In 'Beloved' we are shown the struggles on inequality as a slave. Schlesinger wants blacks to remember their heritage but to adhere to the norms of equality in our society. In 'Culture of Inequality' it is explained that we are not all equal, because those with no social status (poor) are looked as not equal to those with power (money, social status). In 'Death' Willy believes he can only give his family anything only by his death and had delusional thoughts of his importance in society until he saw the reality of inequality in his son's struggle in life. In 'When work' the author states the mexicans do not have the exact economic problem african-americans have because they are more family oriented. Schlesinger feels that no one group should bring to the whole of our culture their past 'inequalities' because this will harm us. In 'Lonestar' the culture was filled with tension from different views of historical from a cultural perpective. Pilar wanted to teach the 'true' history but the white people rejected her cultures historical past and this was was a form of inequality. Schlesinger feels every ethnic background has a history, culture, heritage that is hard to ignore, but to have this dominate our socities social and educational institutions is wrong and would lead to an inequality instead of an equality.

Thu Dec 10 19:51:01 PST 1998

Elise Baer baer002@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's believes our countries discohesiveness is in crisis caused by a a by a dominance of multiculturism and ethnicity issues like political correctness. His theory is summed up by the pledge of allegence:'one nation' under under god with liberty etc... He believes in one common language, fate and culture for all people and to stop our preoccupation with races because this will cause this countries demise. 2. The declaration of independence was written by white men who did not live by their own rules in treating the negroes as slaves forcing 'inequality'. In 'Beloved' we are shown the struggles on inequality as a slave. Schlesinger wants blacks to remember their heritage but to adhere to the norms of equality in our society. In 'Culture of Inequality' it is explained that we are not all equal, because those with no social status (poor) are looked as not equal to those with power (money, social status). In 'Death' Willy believes he can only give his family anything only by his death and had delusional thoughts of his importance in society until he saw the reality of inequality in his son's struggle in life. In 'When work' the author states the mexicans do not have the exact economic problem african-americans have because they are more family oriented. Schlesinger feels that no one group should bring to the whole of our culture their past 'inequalities' because this will harm us. In 'Lonestar' the culture was filled with tension from different views of historical from a cultural perpective. Pilar wanted to teach the 'true' history but the white people rejected her cultures historical past and this was was a form of inequality. Schlesinger feels every ethnic background has a history, culture, heritage that is hard to ignore, but to have this dominate our socities social and educational institutions is wrong and would lead to an inequality instead of an equality.

Thu Dec 10 20:28:52 PST 1998

Bobbi Jones jnzn@excite.com responded:

(Sorry...I am amazed at how many of you could actually follow the directions and keep your responses short and sweet. That will be included on my list of New Year's Resolutions for sure) 1. Schlesinger argues that despite the fact that Western Culture has always placed Anglos at the forefront, incorporating myths, in the name of 'multiculturalism' into our educational system is damaging to all students (minority and non minority alike). He argues that only a portion of the truth is presented, in order to build up self-esteem in black youths, for example, and present a strong generational past for them to be proud of. Schlesinger cites how many professors are now teaching students that Blacks have a strong connection to Egypt, and because of the intellectualism present there (from the creation of the pyramids and mathematical findings), they come from intellectual genes and are therefore actually superior to whites. While motivating as this relation may be, Schlesging notes that these types of stories are actually myths that maime because most of the African slaves from which Black Americans are derived came from the West coast of Africa, not from central Africa. In fact, if you were to investigate the composition of Africa, especially Egypt, you would note that it was more likely for a Middle-Easterner (Arab, Iranian, etc) to have roots in this area before A Black person due to conquering. Also, while whites are continually held accountable for their part in the slave trade, many professors ignore the fact that many Western tribes sold slaves as well - although, as Schlesinger forgot to state himself, many of the slaves sold were actually captives from war, not that tribes own people. 2. Schlesinger on THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: this document supports his need for ONE goal (out of many come one common goal) through the "we mutally pledge to each other our lives, our forutnes, and our Sacred Honor," i.e. his philosphy that we must all become nationalized is supported by this documents intentions - only certain members of society were historically ineligible. Schlesinger on BELOVED: Due to the fact that equal access to the vehicles necessary for mobility and freedom (education,finances, social services, etc) were not obtainable, Schlesingers inference that all can reach a 'common' ground is a left-winged, utopianistic view. Schlesinger on THE CULTURE OF INEQUALITY: Michael Lewis indicates that personal achievement and mobility is impacted by social, economic positons and not (as Schlesinger likewise argues) by individual successes. Therefore, he agress with Schlesinger in that the collaboration of all individuals for one purpose is possible to achieve if everyone exhibits the same sense of nationalism. Schlkesinger on DEATH OF A SALESMAN: Willy Lohman shown as an individual-as-central character who blames himself, rather than the external forces that mold his life. This proves Schlesingers claim that if nationalism were promoted and people felt comfortable about being an American first, rather than an achiever, then he would not have taken his failures personally. He only failed because he did not allow himself to be assisted by others in society (his family, friends, relatives, and co-workers). Funny, but I don't believe that Schlesginger understands the impact of capitalism on a nationalist view. He inadvertently promotes socialism, where everyone is one big happy American family. Schelesinger on WHEN WORK DISAPPEARS: Strangely enough, I believe that Wilson would support Schlesinger's push for a universal goal. Although unrealistics, it is nice to imagine a world where there are no ghetto-related behaviors that stem from the inavailability of employment and higher stands of living ~ an equal playing ground if you will, would reduce our soical and economic frustrations, but that would be (again) a socialist view (how dare I promote communism in a country such as ours), which is NOT the American-Apple-Pie-In-The-Sky way. Schlesinger on LONESTAR: This movies shows how Schlesinger attempt to nationalize indidualdual has damaging effects. This is best shown in the arguement between the teachers in Frontera over the way that 'history' really happened and who, indeed, has the true "bragging" rights.

Thu Dec 10 20:32:54 PST 1998

Louise Basford jlbasford@earthlink.net responded:

1) To sum up Schlesings' book, he focuses on the melting pot, explaining the many different ethnicities and how they (are supposed to)come together. There are also many quotes Schlesinger uses throughout his book, that have many ethnic issues. He wants everyone to know and respect his or her heritage, no matter what ethnicity they may be. He sees diversity as something everyone should learn, and hopes that this will bring our world and its people together. 2) Th relation between equality and inequality relating to Schlesinger's work and what we read on the Declaration of Independence is that there is a lot to learn in our past and in our future about history and the inequalities and equalities that surrounds us daily, from day one, when man was created. Many were seeking freedom then and are still seeking this freedom today. In Beloved, we can see slavery, as the blacks felt the slavery, the movie had you inside, feeling what the slaves felt. "Not all men are created equal equal", which was one of Schlesingers quotes from Abraham Lincoln, history seems to repeat itself. The Culture of Inequality, here Lewis explains about the poor and how many "middle" class people do not want these people in their neighborhoods, afraid that they will bring the whole city/town down with them, they are a shame to society, no equality here, as Schlesinger points out throughout his book. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is afraid of society, trying his best and never succeeding watching his family and close friends becoming successful in front of his very own eyes. Now matter how hard he tried was a failure to society. His family blames him for this, which he never wants to, but accepts. Schlesinger would not see Willy as a failure, he would think that perhaps it is society which id failing him. When Work Disappears, know where do we go, how will we survive. If there is no work there will be no pay and the cities will fall. Perhaps realizing the importance of an education, as Schlesinger notes. If we were all to have the same thing, we would no longer be categorized into different "groups" of the world. And in Lonestar, there were many issues throughout his movie, sexism, racism, between the genders and the generations; everywhere there was an issue. Mercedes seemed to be the most successful, willing to give up her own beliefs so she can become an American citizen. Knowing what she needs to do to be respected and what is needed to respect America. Hoping one day it will be easier, as we all do.

Thu Dec 10 21:01:09 PST 1998

Daniel Brown Brown060@csusm.edu responded:

1.Schelsinger is the first semiconservative we have encountered in this class. He believes that America was founded by immigrants that rallied around the government and the Bill of Rights to achieve the goals or rights set forth by the Constitution. This common view brought them together as American's. He believes the the Political correct view of Multiculturalism could be if taken to the extreme will cause more damge than good by reenforcing the differences in a negative way rather than in a positive one that most want. Brining forht the ethnic conflict can in ways accelerate the fire before putting it out.2 Declaration of Independence did not recognize multiculturalism. The equality sought was one of politcal equality under the Declaration and the Constitution. Beloved, we watched the resultes of the most disgusting form of inequality. Schlesinger believes that resegragation will cause greater disorder and bring the nation down in turmoil. The Culture of Inequality Lewis puts the blame on the structure of government and the instituitions promoted by the majority to keep people in thier place. Schlesinger sees these positions and designations as a reason that would bring America to turmoil again. Death of Salesman Inequality of success was seen. Schlesinger sees that the labels and segregation would pull the people away from common goal set under the Constitution. When work disappears. Another liberal view on why society is the way it is. Schelisinger and Wilson would agree that the culture is what holds people apart and together. We must realign to bring everyone up. Lonestar Mercedes the suject of most discussion "gave up" her heritage to become american. Schelisinger sees what she did as part of being american, hold onto your heritage but not put it above the society of your adopted nation.

Thu Dec 10 21:01:38 PST 1998

Jeff Basford jlbasford@earthlink.net responded:

1. The shedding of cultural identity in exchange for a place in the American “melting-pot” has been replaced with a society emphasizing its diversity. Schlesinger perceives this diversity as a positive change in our society. This change, however, imposes the dangers due to stresses amongst varying ethnicity’s and races. 2. The Declaration of Independence: Schlesinger suggests that the democratic ideal of equal rights was the uniting force in America, taking the place of a uniform cultural identity, however, inequalities in American society damaged the “melting-pot” ideal. Beloved: Sethe was a vivid and painful portrayal of the struggle fought by black American’s for equality, could the possibility of heightened tensions amongst ethnic groups be worth the emphasis of our diversities? Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman lived his sales life believing in the “Good old boy” system, a system that aided in the success of white middle class men at the expense of others. When Work Disappears: The inner cities, primarily populated by the black American poor that were left behind after the exodus of factory jobs and middle class workers, is an example of the potential risk of cultural diversity, a segment of American’s who become detached from the main stream. Lonestar: American history has clashed with many cultures, within a country emphasizing its’ diversity the perspectives from which to view our history could be grounds for tension, such as was displayed at the beginning of Lonestar when the teachers were discussing the vantage point from which to teach Texas history.

Thu Dec 10 22:12:04 PST 1998

Kathy Johnson eric21@home.com responded:

(1) Schlesinger expresses concern that our country is in danger of being disunited - that in the beginning the people from many different cultures who immigrated to American were motivated to become assimilated as quickly as possible which resulted in a "melting/smelting pot" as written by Israel Zangwill. Now, however, there is a swing in the opposite direction, that as many of us in our liberal broadmindedness of thinking and outlook towards the many ethnic groups and minorities, including women, that make up the United States of America, each with their own culture/values/agendas, have undermined the fundamental element of America. This is as a nation of individuals from various cultures to each and collectively maintain our freedom through unity to a central principal of liberty and democracy through self government, rather than through a "disuniting of America". (2) Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" - the central theme of this document had unity, equality and inequality all expressed in that one short sentence. Beloved: In this book, Sethe, and the other Black Americans desperately wanted to be a part of the United States, to have equality under the law, to assimilate into the larger culture, exactly in line with Schlesinger's thinking; but because they were a minority and former slaves, they were denied this which was the very essence of inequality. The Culture of Inequality: Lewis discusses the importance of succeeding or failing using examples in Middle City, how minorities mostly fail based on criteria from other groups/classes which certainly demonstrates inequality of classes, and I believe this would result in minorities wanting to maintain their own culture/value systems which would contribute to a lack of unity or disuniting in America. Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman, who is a kind of representative for the "little guy", exemplifies the single-minded thinking for a united America, and as such is in line with Schlesinger's belief that unity is important and provides justice/fairness for all, even when that is more often the ideal rather than the actual fact. When Work Disappears: Wilson's vision was to promote values of racial and inter-group harmony and unit and reject the view that race is so divisive that whites, blacks, and other ethnic groups cannot work together in a common cause, and this is right in line with Schlesinger's thinking that it is important for the many different ethnic groups to work together for a united America; but Wilson's book cites numerous examples where this is not yet happening. Lone Star: This film shows a small Texas border town as a melting pot of groups with greater or lesser equality and where there is more divisiveness then there is unity which is Schlesinger's main concern about American as a whole.

Thu Dec 10 22:15:24 PST 1998

Julie Schmidt juls@ix.netcom.com responded:

1) Schlesinger's argument is based on the fact he believes American society is suffering because we think of it as made up of different ethinicities rather than accepting and thinking about all of America as a whole, as one people. He gives examples throughout history where this has occured and still is occuring today. As long as we continue to divide America into these groups, and treat different groups in different ways, inequality will exist. 2) His argument relates to the Declaration of Independence because the Dec. of Ind. was essentially written by white males, for white males, thus we see the separation of America into not only different ethnic groups, but division by gender occurs as well. Certain groups suffer inequality as the Dec. of Ind. excludes or does not pertain to them. (women, african americans, other minorities). Equality could not be possible when only essentially white males had rights. In Beloved we again see the segregation of people by ethnic groups. Oobviously slaves suffered severe inequality, being treated as property and at times no better than animals, they certianly did not have rights as human beings, and were at the mercy of their masters. The Culture of Inequality introduced us to the notion of "individual as central" which is based on the idea that an individual pretty much gets what they deserve, and whether or not they succeed is based on their own efforts, determination and motivation. Again we see the division of persons into different groups (although this time not primarily ethnic groups). "Us" (those who succeed) and "them" (those who do not succeed). The lack of consideration of American society as a whole, as "one" is very obvious here, as many don't seem interested in helping "them" because many feel that it is hopeless. Schlesinger's argument relates to Death of a Salesman in much the same way as the Culture of Inequality. Willy Loman is considered a failure (some may say he didnt try hard enough, without taking into consideration any situational aspects). Willy is part of the "them" group mentioned above. In When Work Dissapears, there is also the mentality and division of "us" surburban neighborhoods that are well-off, and "them" the ghetto neighborhoods. The suburbs arent concerned with the ghetto neighborhoods and vice versa. Neither of the groups think of themselves as "one" but rather two very diverse groups with little in common. In the film Lonestar, the division of persons by ethnicity is very evident. The latinos and the whites are the two groups who seem to be butting heads the most for example over the Buddy Deeds memorial, and the teaching of History in the schools (the african american community seems somewhat seperate too). All of what we have studied in class seems to portray the same notion that there are distinctly different groups based on gender and ethnicity. America is a melting pot, but the ingredients tend to remain very disunited. Until they are completely mixed and blended as "one" America is not living up to its full potencial.

Thu Dec 10 22:44:31 PST 1998

Rita Danskin lakegrove@aol.com responded:

Schlesinger has written a very articulate argument against multiculturalism. He strongly believes that if the current "identity politics" continues it will "disunite" America; and we will fall apart and become a nation of warring "tribes." He believes we need to find a way to "restore the balance between unum and pluribus..." so that America can remain a united nation of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding the Declaration of Independence, Schlesinger tells us that the reason people came to America was because in the D of I they are told that "all men are created equal."

In Beloved, we saw the most horrible inequality, slavery, and about this Schlesinger says we cannot allow our country to become so divided again. It is tribalism such as this he is seeking to avoid.

In Culture of Inequality, Lewis says that inequality is structured into the culture of the United States and so until we change what the country is based on we can't get rid of inequality. Schlesinger tell us that this inequality will only get worse if we continue to break off into separate groups.

In When Work Disappears, Wilson talks about how, at the lowest economic levels of society, the U.S. culture is structured to keep people down. Schlesinger's response would be the same as above: things will only get worse if we continue to break off into separate groups.

Lonestar provided some excellent examples of what can happen if a society has too many opposing factions--similar to the tribalism that Schlesinger talks about--and if everyone pushes their own ethnic agenda. Not only is very little accomplished, but the groups will go to "war" with each other.

Fri Dec 11 17:55:17 PST 1998

Debra Taft debnjeff@earthlink.net responded:

Schlesinger argues that people who came to America are part of a "new race" and were expected to take part in the governing of the country. America is a melting pot, but that white Anglo-Saxon Protestant males are favored in society. In this book he looks at the mistakes that have pulled society apart through the years. The first settlers in America pull apart from Britain because they felt that they were being treated unfairly. One might even go so far as to say they felt as if they were treated like slaves. The Declaration of Independence was written to stop this treatment against the settlers and to give them their freedom. Kind of ironic though that the freedom they declared to take back was the same freedom they took from the Africans they enslaved. America was a melting pot, but only the white males were aloud to stir the broth. Beloved is a prime example of the lack of equality in America at that time. Slaves were even aloud to marry without their masters permission. When they had children there was one person who would take care of many children while the rest of the woman returned to work. Death of a Salesman explains how people must make the opportunities afforded to them a success. Willy work hard all his life and never achieved success, while his son had no ambition and expected everything to happen for him. When Work Disappears is another example of how our mistakes can effect our life. We are responsible for our own future, the government may not always be there to provide us with programs to improve our situation. Public school are funded by the government, but school in more affluent neighborhoods have better tools for learning than schools in the inner-city. Opportunity is not as equal in America as we have been taught all these years. Some areas are more equal than others.

Mon Dec 14 19:56:44 PST 1998

carol schirm schir001@mailhost1.csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger's essay presents the problem that different ethnic and personal interest groups are disuniting American. American's should feel pride in their heritage, no matter who history tells played the major parts. Schools and public institutions should be used to promote a common national identity. The Declaration of Independence was not written to promote national unity--but political and economic survival. Beloved demostrated than a common national history is not possible without considering every member of the nation. The Culture of Inequality shows that history can be used as a weapon, which Schlesinger cautioned against. Death of a Salesman demonstrated the hollowness of the American Dream if it gave no opportunities. When Work Disappears indicates a strong national identity develops from people actually being served by the system they support Lonestar demostrates the damage silent unrecognized history can cause

Mon Dec 14 23:55:07 PST 1998

Sally Fuentez fuent003@csusm.edu responded:

1. Schlesinger, Jr. states that the implentation of multiculturalism is disuniting America. Schlesinger, Jr. also states the importance of learning about our ancestors background, but we must not continue to separate people by using hyphens. Schlesinger, Jr. states the importance of becoming loyal Americans and how practicing cultural pluralism will only continue to Balkanize the nation. We must learn to become "one people," a single nation. p. 49 2. Relating Schlesinger's thesis to the Declaration of Independence on equality, he too believes that we should all be treated equally. As far as inequality, the men who wrote the Declaration of Independence believed the "all men" to mean all Caucasian men. Beloved went into depths of the inequality that the slaves experienced throughout their lives and as far as Schlesinger's argument, we must learn the true history - include the bad with the good. The Culture of Inequality and Schlesinger Jr. both believe that the opportunities would be more readily available if we work as one group and not as seperate groups. In Schlesinger Jr's. argument, he states that role models are inspirational and do not necessarily have to be of the same ethnicity. In Willie Loman's case, he was unable to serve as a role model to his son and took his own life because of the inequality and shame that he was unable to overcome; which I might add that he had bought on most of it himself. "When Work Disappears," I would say that Schlesinger Jr. is in agreement with Wilson when he states that in order to achieve equality America needs to implement a program that supports all Americans and not just individual groups. In Lonestar I believe that Schlesinger, Jr. would be proud of how Mercedes assimilated so quickly into the American culture, however, I am not sure if he would be in agreement of how she turned into such a hypocrite.

Tue Dec 15 10:17:06 PST 1998

Ledia Flores lediaflor@hotmail.com responded:

(1) Schlesinger's argument is that multiculturalism has been carried out too far. He is not against multiculturalism, but he is afraid that if minority groups (Blacks and Latinos, mostly) continue this campaign, that American society as he and many other know it, will cease to exist. (2) 1-Declaration of Independence. It carries the message that "all men are created equal." Schlesinger is telling us that in fact this is a "one people" society pulling together since its creation. Were Africans and Indians part of that group of people mentioned in the declaration? These documents are talking about two different groups of people. 2-Beloved. I think that Seth wanted to be an "equal" to her own people as well as to White people but was not allowed, there was too much history there. She would probably say that society as she knew it needed change, and would not think that knowing her background could hurt the process. 3-The Culture of Inequality. Lewis wants us to wake up and realize that are not "equal." To understand what he says, we only need to look around us. After we do that, would these Americans say that they are or feel as part of the melting-pot Schlesinger describes? 4-Death of a Salesman. Willy had many, many dreams which never came true. He was in search for equality as he pictured it. It appears to me that he was trying to achieve that life which he thought every American was supposed to live. 5-When Work Disappears. We see how most of the individuals of the ghettos are suffering of lack of work among other many other things. They obviously are not part of the melting-pot but would like to be, only they have not been invited to join. 6-LoneStar. Mercedes was definately in desperate need to be part of the melting-pot. Was she able to accomplish that? She was not an immigrant like those who came from Europe. Her only drive was economic need. I do not see any need for her to leave behind her history and culture. As we see in the film, she was not able to do that after all.

Tue Dec 15 12:39:55 PST 1998

sheila morrison cdckidzmom@aol.com responded:

1) Schlesinger's central argument is based on the fact that America was founded on the melting pot theory and that is what has made it the society which has been most successful at combining people from many different ethnic backgrounds. He believes that everyone, regardless of their cultural or social values, should unite together for the good of the group (Americans.) His concern is that each faction striving for their own goals is endangering our nation as a whole. 2) The Declaration of Independence supports Schlesinger's argument that we should all strive for the good of the group. Even though the writers of the document considered "all men" to be white anglo-saxon protestant males when they wrote "all men are created equal," Schlesinger, as most Americans, are ever advancing in equality for all. The characters in Beloved were striving to become a part of the whole, equal to the white Americans. Schlesinger argues that the Afrocentrism is like going backwards, leading to the return of separate and unequal groups. In the Culture of Inequality it is stated that when individuals are given the same opportunities and they achieve different outcomes some social scientists lay it onto some sort of deficiency . Schlesinger is worried that Afrocentrism is doing the same by stating that black children are genetically disadvantaged at learning standard English. In Lonestar Mercedes is a perfect example to support Schlesinger's argument for coming to America and becoming part of the melting-pot. He would attribute Mercedes' success to her doing just that. Death of a Salesman and When Work disappears both show how important it is for American's self-esteem to part of the whole. When Willy doesn't feel that he is succeeding at the American dream he takes his own life.

Thu Dec 17 18:14:29 PST 1998

Mark Angelo Ware pen1tmaw@pen10.med.navy.mil responded:

However, multiculturalism also assumes a militant form in which it opposes the idea of a common culture, rejects the goals of assimilation and integration, and celebrates the immutability of diverse and separate ethnic and racial communities. Extreme seperationalist, while often flourishing the mutilcultural flag, in fact rush beyond true multiculturalism into ethnocentrism, the belief in the superior virtue of their own ethnic group Schlesinger argues that America's "ethnic upsurge" began as "a gesture of protest against the Anglo-centric culture." However "it became a cult, and today it threatens to become a counter-revolution against the original theory of America as 'one people', a common culture, a single nation. The danger, as Schlesinger sees it, comes from the universities, where, as in all good revolutions, the seeds of social fraction are being sown. America is rife with universities and colleges whose students are exclusively black. Even in those where the races mix one sees a spectacular fragmentation: black halls of residence, black student unions, black law societies, black homosexual groups, black tables in the halls where the students eat. America's campuses are, for all practical purposes, Balkanized. Now black lecturers are seeking to back practice up with theory, imbuing their flocks with notions of Afrocentricity designed to dignify historical black resentment and deepen the racial divide Wilson stress the consequences and implications of urban poverty for all of the nation's social classes and residents, regardless of whether they are urban or suburban dwellers. The programs that he advocates are clearly, in the end, of interest to all classes in America, rich, middle class, and poor. The representatives of the rich as well as the middle class usually block their implementation. How can the tendency to favor short-run reductions in government spending over the obvious long-run benefits to all members of society be overcome?