'In Whose Honor Essay\r'

'The film â€Å"In Whose Honor? Ameri digest Indian Mascots in Sports” produced by Jay Rosentein introduces a bailiwick that is new to more or less viewers. In the film, he explores through interviews and school controversies the misuse of indigen American glossiness through school sports mascots. intimately of the sight who embrace school mascots, such as those used by teams named the Chiefs, Indians, Braves, and Warriors unknowingly promote a stereo face of endemic American culture that serves to barricade and further alienate the heap from their heritage.\r\nThe fight to grab these unfair sorts be undertaken by many a(prenominal) activists and their deluxe stories are chronicled throughout this documentary. Issues with the mass media and it’s strength on shaping perceptions of people as a powerful force are also explored and from a sociological perspective both of these harmful images and portrayals are investigated. The virtu whollyy significant s ociological revelation in the film is the clash between absolute absolute majority and minority culture. On a sm whollyer scale, the majority culture and the norms that come with this are non parallel to minority culture except in forms of entertainment.\r\n almost of the meet that connects majority and minority culture of any quality is such things as dining at â€Å" ethnic” restaurants, listening to â€Å"ethnic” music, and watching movies and television that name minority life through the eyes of the majority culture. Sports has traditionally been seen as racially neutral as a form of entertainment, unless this film however, shows that redden this arena is ridden with racial stereotypes is unrivaled used the adept sociological â€Å"eye” so to speak on them. Simply, stereotypes of any kind are harmful and reduce from the long and proud tradition that the stereotyped people hold.\r\nI understand how the idea of racism and stereotyping talked nea rly in scope in class correlates with the topic and the issues in the film. Racism is a systematic, institutionalized style of oppressing people and Native Americans ready been oppressed since position settlers came to The United States. Now Native Americans are largely out of sight, on reservations where there is little meeting with the majority culture. Just because there is little contact, however, does non mean that the people do not command to be pictured and portrayed by the majority culture in an accurate way.\r\nIn one hand it take cares like the proud traditions in fib of the Native Americans fork out largely been forgotten, save on the different hand stereotypical images of them do cut in the media. Stereotyping is less universal and widespread than racism, but each are harmful in their profess ways. While racism serves to oppress a assembly of people to submission, shame, and even genocide; stereotyping serves to take simply a few traits and traditions of people and make this bet like these traits are all that there is to the group. The Native American people nurse their own music, values, language, and many other specific norms to their group.\r\nAdditionally not all Native American tribes are similar in their language, rituals, and other ways of living. So to lump all these tribes and Native Americans together as a unit of measurement with stereotypes about them is not only unfair, but it undermines the good history and present culture of this group. One of the most harmful aspects of the Native American stereotype is that the people are all inherently violent. Though some tribes were known for their tenacity in wars, not all tribes were active in violent warring with other tribes.\r\nThe sports stereotype, then damages the culture by reservation all Native Americans of past and present seem like violent people and this is simply not the case. Most all sport teams do have mascots that are renowned for their strength and warrin g readiness; such as the Vikings, the Raiders, the Buccaneers, and so on. The point that many schools use Native American call for the stereotype that the names hold is interesting as is the fact that many schools, due to Native American activism have chosen not to use Mascots or names that are offensive or stereotypical.\r\nThe school interpret in the documentary, however, did not see how harmful their actions were and this type of ignorance is fairly representative of majority culture. I must(prenominal) say, as a member of the majority culture, that I was unaware of the harm of such stereotypes and I am an avid fan of all sports, as well. Most of the mascots I saw growing up were â€Å" happy-go-lucky” and their purpose was simply to get fans motivated to protect for the team. However, I do recall a discipline who led the Braves in Little League baseball and wore the Native American headdress and carried a tomahawk to games.\r\nI remember being embarrassed for him a nd his behavior, but now realize that it was the way that he depicted Native Americans that ultimately bothered me. This film was in spades an eye-opener and there was a message of hope in the social activism that was carried out in the name of legal expert for all Native Americans. As we have talked about all the social win overs in class that have been initiated by activism, it is good to see that these types of actions are understood carried out today as they are actually necessary.\r\nIn conclusion, â€Å"In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports” is a very sociologically near documentary that weaves in many in-class and textbook topics. The historic effects of racism against the American people and the presently carried out stereotypes of Native Americans in sports is an example of how cultures can be oppressed and misunderstood. This also shows how important activism is in bringing about needed social change in the media, sports, and all arenas of majority culture.\r\n'