A minority can be described as a social group. This “smaller” group is usually opposed by the majority. In my personal opinion, I think the majority is based on two main factors: numbers and power. Numbers are clearly why the issue of minority and majority exists. The majority naturally gives weight to the minority. I think power is what gives the majority its numbers. The larger the majority, the more power they will have. This gives minorities less power especially because they are found in smaller numbers. In A Class Divided, it is clear that brown-eyed children were treated as a minority. Those with blue eyes were considered superior to those with brown eyes. Ms. Elliot's experiment involved labeling. He put labels on children based on eye color. These labels made children think differently about themselves. Their perception of their worth based solely on the color of their eyes was distorted. When Mrs. Elliot asked the children who Americans most object to, their answer was obviously “blacks” due to the segregated time in which the experiment was conducted. I think the labels he placed on these children gave them a general idea of how minorities (especially African Americans) felt labeled, stereotyped, and overall classified in a negative connotation. I think these labels could easily influence children's education. If they feel insecure and inadequate simply because they don't have the winning eye color, what motivation will they have to earn an education if they lack self-esteem? I can draw a parallel to his experiment simply based on the videos we see in class. ABC consistently runs guided experiments based on realistic issues, including racism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay For example: When they used actors to prove a point about racism, people are more likely to call the police on black people when they witness vandalism than white ones. Changing perspective, if I had been in the minority group created by the exercise, I would have had a completely different reaction to the way I was treated. I would have demanded my respect. Overall, this experiment had an interesting way of expressing the issue of racism and minority/majority.
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