Pauline amazed at similarities and differences between the US and ZA

Since introducing Sociology into City Missions Educational Services, I have been amazed to come across so many similarities in regards to stereotypes, hierarchies and the way that we even perceive different gender roles in the United States and in South Africa. Specific to Cape Town though, many people classified coloured do not consider themselves African or black but this is not new knowledge. We have learned about the different race classifications in South Africa during the pre-departure class, but it is interesting to see how much of a social construct race really is. As I let it sink in that I intern at a Christian-based, Coloured filled school, I can only slightly giggle at the fact that most of the different shades of brown and beige faces that I see would probably be classified as black the moment they stepped onto American soil. We watched a video in Marita’s class not too long ago, and we were able to prove that race was not biological. I guess we can say that this adds to that proof. As we have discussed stereotypes, it is clear that for some of the students blacks seem to have more opportunities in the workforce than Coloured but are still stereotyped as the group that is poor and lazy. One of the teachers actually allowed me to read an article on being Coloured in a South Africa that seems so “Black and White” and it was ironic to see how Coloured people in South Africa experience the same social neglect as people who are considered bi-racial, or mixed race or just not Black or White in the United States. While many groups that aren’t Black or White in America experience cultural barriers as well as poverty and the lack of education, “we” tend to focus on social issues as they pertain to blacks and no other group. I really enjoy teaching sociology and I know that it will allow for more conversations and analysis of the United States and South Africa to be brought up. For now, I am just still thinking about the many reactions that the students have to the subject- they definitely seem very interested in engaging more!!! J