Diversity and Social change: Research projects

I believe that social change can not occur without diversity. I think as people begin to change or places become more diverse the need for social changes becomes a required tool for the functioning a well balanced society. I do however find it hard to believe that social change would occur if a place does not require it. For example IUP does not have a multicultural center despite the growing need for one. The university claims that the African American cultural center is "like or similar" to students having a multicultural center (which is not true)! Students who are enrolled at the University continue to press the issue due to the increasing amount of diverse students.

Diversity among people is extremely important to me. I believe that my ability to function well in this society is due to my increasing ability to surround myself with people from other cultures, races, and sexual orientation. I have understood, through first hand experiences, that people who remain in homo-genius groups are less likely to participate and/or allow for social change to occur. Professionally and academically diversity among people has and will continue to impact my life because it allows for me to view concepts and/or theories in a different way and from different point of views.

I think the statement: promote diversity through social action in our lives, can be interpreted in many ways however for me I think it has to do with increasing the awareness or the need for social change through social action. For example by getting involved or by helping improve a social problem i.e. gay marriage, race relations, etc. we, or people in society can help improve the plight of many people who are suffering from these social issues and thereby improving diversity. I think societies are in continuous states of change, hence diversity, and the need for social action.

In terms of diversity, the issues that remain a factor within my life experience are: race, gender, and class. I find these three issues constantly playing a role in my life whether I chose for them to or not. Even if I am not obviously made aware of these three things on a daily basis I am made aware of these social identity through interaction among other people intentionally and unintentionally.

There are so many topics that I am interested in researching. I am finding it quite difficult to narrow down which topic I will research: Women and sexuality, religion and the growing modernization of America, the death penalty and its contribution to America society, brain damage and it's impact on the identity of the self. I believe all of these ideas for a research topic relate to my discipline within psychology.

In class activity:Working with your reading

I'm familiar with reading magazines, email, and social networking sites. These types of reading are more informal, and the tend to us language of "everyday people,'" and the concepts are easily understood however this book so far has been far from what I'm use to writing. The author talks or writes about issues that I don't believe he is truly familiar with. I find myself writing numerous side notes because I disagree with most of what he writes about. I do not believe this is a good indication of how I will enjoy the rest of the novel. In comparison to what I usually read i do not believe that I would pick up this novel to read.