American sociologists

Portes and Zhou provide evidence for this claim with an ethnographic study of Punjabi Sikhs at Valleyside high school from 1980 to 1982 by M.A. Gibson (28). While Portes and Zhou’s evidence is focused on specific ethnic groups, Waters’ evidence focuses on a current misconception of the public: language assimilation. Waters reasons that “some linguistic assimilation can happen too rapidly” (240) and utilizes various studies done by other sociologists including Portes and Zhou that find a positive correlation between a second generation immigrant’s “fluent bilingualism and academic achievement” (240). These studies were all produced between 1996 and 2003, which is fourteen to twenty one years after the evidence Portes and Zhou utilized in their article. While Portes and Zhou provided specific evidence of the benefits of selective assimilation, Waters’ evidence on language assimilation can be associated with every second generation immigrant regardless of ethnic identity. Waters supported Portes and Zhou’s claim with recent, widespread evidence which overall strengthens the credibility of Portes and Zhou’s claim due to Waters’ benefit of…

Throughout years of American civilization there has been numerous sociologist that broke into society and started practicing their own individual theories on the world. The one sociologist that has always stood out from the rest was William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, one of the most popular renowned sociologist, race scholar and activist there is. William was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on February 23, 1868. Mr. Dubois died when he was 95 years old but before his death he has made…

Sociologists of race/ethnicity, poverty, and inequality have turned to culture to explain why some groups (like native-born whites and Asian immigrants) do better socioeconomically than other groups (i.e., native-born blacks and Hispanics/Latinos). While earlier cultural scholars argued that some groups are culturally unassimilable or more inclined to be oppositional to mainstream values, contemporary cultural sociologists argue that it is not necessarily the culture that leads to success for…

The Harlem Renaissance: W.E.B Dubois After World War II African Americans were searching for vindication from whites. African Americans faced constant oppression, injustice, and segregation during the late and early nineteen hundreds. Racism ran rampant in the U.S. The external strife gave way to group expression and self-determination. This resulted in them finding refuge in the arts and literature. Another outcome was the creation of organizations for the advancement of African Americans.…

William Edward Burghardt, or W.E.B, Du Bois was a very important person in black history. He was a sociologist, activist, and writer who went to school at Harvard. Dubois was a crucial component in changing equal rights for all African Americans. “What a world this will be when human possibilities are freed, when we discover each other, when the stranger is no longer the potential criminal and the certain inferior” (Du Bois). He was a major influence on society, a major influence on african…

Balcita goes over similar issues, though on a less broad scale. Using her father’s experiences of immigrating from the Philippines to the United States, Balcita creates an engaging and relatable picture of the subtle moments of integration, while also illustrating how the great American hypocrisy affects this transition. A great example of this comes from two paragraphs discussing her father’s first job at a blood bank. The job is temporary, as he’s trying to get official certification to be a…

ability to succeed as long as they work hard for what they want to achieve. This belief is known as “The American Dream”. Despite “The American Dream” being a hegemonic belief, in reality it is not true. Within the United States there are systems that uphold inequality. These systems of inequality make it difficult for certain groups of people to achieve the so-called “American Dream” no matter their abilities. Race/ethnicity is a category of difference that greatly effects one’s position in…

early twentieth-century, sociologists often used newer qualitative research methods such as ethnographies, long interviews and content analysis. They also used stats, maps, and occupation studies. These methods were all used to study social problems, such as, crime, mortality, and sin. W.E.B. DuBois and Jane Addams were very influential individuals when it came to including more qualitative forms of research into studies. W.E.B. DuBois is best known for his major contribution to sociology of…

When I would be in the presence of white Americans I saw women as free, and liberated. However, when I looked at my own culture I saw women as servants, and objects. This exasperated my insecurities of belonging to a culture that would treat young women like this. However, as years progressed I started branching myself away from the typical customs of how a Somali female would act. I soon asked for a divorce from my husband and started raising my children on my own. I did not care if my family…

One of the most distinguishable African American Pioneers was William Edward Burghardt W.E.B. Du Bois, he was one of many black intellectuals around the world. This vanguard instilled in many African American a profound sense of purpose. For example, Morgan State University compliments the morals, values, and principles he insists African Americans must have. His battle cry was education, a primary tool to combat an unjust nation. William Edward Burghardt was born February 23, 1868 and died…