“The social problem of gang culture as addressed by Malcolm Klein”
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A seven page paper which looks at the phenomenon of gang culture and the way in which the sociologist Malcolm Klein assesses the causes, definitions and solutions to the problem of increasing numbers of gangs in urban areas. Bibliography lists 1 source
Filename: JLgangsklein.wps

“The Wages of Whiteness” and “Thinking Orientals”
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An eight page paper which compares David Roediger’s The Wages of Whiteness and Henry Yu’s Thinking Orientals, in terms of the authors’ analysis of the development of racial consciousness and the importance of class and cultural interaction in the formation of the concept of race, and the way in which it utilised within both the dominant and subordinate cultures in American society as a whole. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: JLRoediger.wps

“There Are No Children Here”: Sociological Tactics for Intervention in the “Other America”?
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A 5 page discussion of the factors causing the extreme poverty and hardship illustrated in this book by Alex Kotliwitz. Far from fictional the gangs, violence, and drugs depicted in this book are very real and to overcome them we have to somehow dissolve the social stratification which has separated mainstream America from the “other America” throughout our history. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: PPnoChld.rtf

“William Wilson’s ‘The Truly Disadvantaged’”
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A paper which looks at the social and economic policies which William Wilson puts forward in The Truly Disadvantaged, which are designed to eliminate the need for anti-discrimination legislation as such by offering greater equality of opportunity on a individual basis, rather than by ethnic or racial grouping.
Filename: JLwilson.wps

‘Longing’ of the Deaf in Carol Padden and Tom Humphries’ “Deaf in America”
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A 6 page paper which examines the text’s contention that deaf people long to construct their own identity through the concepts of culture, community, and politics. No additional sources are used.
Filename: TGdeafus.rtf

"Blaming the Victim" by William Ryan
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7 pages in length. A review of the book by William Ryan in which he focuses on the fact that society tends to place the blame of societal ills on those people who are actually victims of society as well. For instance, rather than placing blame on those who live in abject poverty and unable to get off the welfare roles, perhaps we should look to their surroundings first and see where the blame really lies. Ryan makes a good point in discussing the ‘slum lords’ at one point. Instead of blaming the people who live in filthy conditions in the slums, perhaps we should first take a look at the slum itself.
Filename: JGAwryan.wps

"Breaking the Surface"
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A 5 page paper which discusses the book "Breaking the Surface" by Greg Louganis with Eric Marcus, and illustrates various concerns involving human diversity. The book is compared and contrasted with "All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes" by Maya Angelou in these particular regards. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAbreakin.wps

"Crossing Cultures"/Perspectives on Multiculturalism
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A 5 page analysis of essays in Crossing Cultures: Readings for Composition, edited by Myrna Knepler, et al. The writer uses the essays as a springboard towards a fuller understanding of multiculturalism. No additional sources cited.
Filename: 99xcul.wps

"Racializing" in Middletown, New York
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An 8 page paper examining demographic data for a culturally and ethnically diverse suburb town, followed by a discussion of how culture and race are dealt with by the police, business owners, community leaders and other members of the community. Most of the population of 25,000 claims cultural, ethnic or racial identification with specific groups for a much greater diversity landscape than exhibited in most other towns of similar size. It appears that the preponderance of racial and ethic differences in Middletown prevents the town from being burdened with illogical racial biases and prejudices. The effect might not be the same in a town either larger or smaller than Middletown, but here at least it appears to work quite well. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: KSsocRaceBehNY.rtf