KaciGarrdio

Socio1
ProfessorMozzini
July10,2016

Project1:Video/DVDanalysis

IchosetodothisassignmentonavideocalledtheDolltest.Inthisvideo
numeruskidswereinterviewedwhilehavingtwobabydollssitinfrontofthem.One
babywaswhiteandtheotherbabywasblack.ThechildreninthisvideowereAfrican
American,CaucasianandLatino.Simplequestionthatallowedthekidstopointata
babydollwereasked.Eachkidwasaskedwhatdollisprettyandwithouthesitationall
mostofthekidsimmediatelypointedthewhitedoll.Thenwhenaskedwhichbabyisbad
allfingerspointedtotheblackbaby.Therewasaseriesofotherquestionsaskedlike,
whichonelooksmorelikeyou,whichdollwouldyouplaywith,whichoneissmart/dumb
andsoon.YetIfinditdevastatingthatwhenthechildrenareaskedwhatcolordoadults
likemostallofthechildrensaidthewhitebaby.Thesewerenotjustgirlsbeing
interviewedbutboysaswellbetweentheagesof5and8.Littlegirlslookedsosad
whentheyhadtopointtotheblackbabybecauseitistheonethatlooksmostlike
herself.
Asasocietywhatareweteachingouryoungpeople?Childrenarenotbornwith
hatetheyarenotbornracistsyettheygrowuplearningthesethingsfromtheirrole
models.Achildshouldnothavetogrowupthinkingsheisbadoruglyoreventhatthe
colorbrownisnastylikeonegirlmentionedintheclip.Asadultsweshowchildrenwhat
itistobullyanddiscriminatetohateandignore.Whileweshouldbeteachingour
childrenthattheyareenough,theyarepretty,smart,goodandwanted.
EmileDurkhimewouldviewthisvideoasaracistsociety.Seeingthisvideohewouldbe
abletosaythatitisasocialnormtothinkblacksarebad.Whilenoteveryoneisracistit
isanormtobelieveblacksarebad.Itisobviousthatthechildrenarefromdifferent
placessoitisnotjustonespecificgroupofkids.Whilechildrenmaynotbetoldevery
daywhichraceisbadtheyobservefromadultsandotherchildrenwhatisthegoodrace
andwhatisthebadrace.Itwouldbeoutofthesocialnormtobelieveblacksaregood.
Thechildrenmaynotknowwhytheyarepickingtheblackbabyasbadbutifthey
choosethewhitebabytheymaybelookeddownonbecausewhitepeopleare
supposedtobegood.AlthoughIdidnotseearealactofdevianceinthisvideoIbelieve
itcouldhavehappenedhadallthechildrenagreedthewhitebabytobebad,Ithinkitis
expectforchildrentochoosetheblackbabyasuglyandbad.
KarlMarxmightviewthisvideoasadultstochildren.Theconflicttheoryisthatadults
sayandoractacertainwaytoaspecificraceandtherefortheyareteachingthe

childrentodothesamething.Whilewearesupposedtobeequalitisobviousthateven
childrenofcolorthinktheircolorisbad.Theyareashamedtocomparethemselvesto
theblackbaby.Itisaneverendingcycleofracismevenifitisnonverbal.Idontthink
thisisjustbasedonclassbutratherhowadultsinfluencechildren.
SinceAugusteComteinventedthetermsociologyandhistheoriesarebasedonthe
humanraceIthinkitsafetosaythatthisvideofallsintohisthreestages.The
theologicalstagemaybewhyarepeopledifferentcolorsandwhyisblackskinbad?Is
therearealreasonordowejustassumeitisbadbecauseithasalwaysbeenthisway?
Themetaphysicalstageiscontinuingthejudgementandpassingitdowntothenext
generationbecausethisisthewayitsalwaysbeen.Thepositivestageiswhenchildren
growintoadultsandseewhatdifferencescomewithdifferentskincolors.Onemay
thinksuperioritycomeswithlighterskinwhiledarkerskinmaybeinferiorbutfornoreal
reasonexceptthatitworks.
Thisvideodemonstratesstructuralfunctionalismbecausetheresearchersinthe
videoaretryingtofigureoutwhychildrenthinkthewaytheydo.Whyisitthatour
societyhaslabeledblacksasbad.Whydoblackchildrennotfeelasprettyorasgood
orevenassmartaswhitechildren.Whenweteachourkidsthiswearetellingthem
theyareandneverwillbegoodenough.Butwhydowedothis?Ibelievethisisthe
questionresearchersaretryingtoanswer.