Ivy League - Perpetuates Hierarchies

In an interesting article concerning how setting children up to be accepted into an Ivy League college makes them conform to the status quo, William Deresiewicz states that the system is exacerbating inequality, retarding social mobility, perpetuating privilege, and creating an elite that is isolated from the society that it’s supposed to lead. In addition to describing in detail the decisions made as to who will be accepted, he gives us this paragraph toward the end of this informative piece:

"It’s partly because of the students that I’d warn kids away from the Ivies and their ilk. Kids at less prestigious schools are apt to be more interesting, more curious, more open, and far less entitled and competitive."

In other words, people at the top continue to be predictable and clueless.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118747/ivy-league-schools-are-overrated-send-your-kids-elsewhere

Topism – Time to Discuss Openly

We all acknowledge racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination against people with disabilities exists.

Topism - the attitudes and behaviors that cause all of the above isms. Now it is time to break our programming to not hold the top accountable and openly and boldly call top-of-the-hierarchy attitudes and behaviors just what they are.

Any and all of us exhibit topism, in small and large ways. But if we want to see prime examples, just look at the white, male, heterosexual, tall, able-bodied Christian men in Congress who vote to further the advantages of the haves in our society, and you will see the effects of being clueless to the advantages given to those on top while ignoring the contributions and rights of the masses who actually generate the wealth and well-being of our nation.

MEN'S WORLD CUP - let's specify the gender

In hierarchies, the top group is supposed to represent everyone. And if we talk about a lower group, we specify that group as separate. Of course that assumes a lower group even ranks a mention.

THE WORLD CUP - you assume it is a men's tournament, right? If we talk about the women's WORLD CUP, we have to say WOMEN'S WORLD CUP. Just like the NCAA Final Four is about men, and if you want to talk about the women's game, you have to specify it.

As the article says, "Why do people consistently claim that Mike Krzyzewski is the winningest coach in college basketball when he is still 115 wins behind Pat Summit, with a significantly lower win percentage (his .763 to her .841)?"

And:  "The male position is not the neutral position. It has a point of view, the male point of view, which not everyone shares, and which is not always superior."

Next time you hear that Landon Donovan is the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S., remember there are seven U.S. women higher on the list than he.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valerie-alexander/lets-stop-neutralizing-men_b_5558581.html?fb_action_ids=837301679613204&fb_action_types=og.likes

Hierarchy Conservators Showcase Again - SCOTUS

The conservative majority of the Supreme Court of the United States has again highlighted the problems of hierarchies for all of the world to see. In ruling that the Hobby Lobby does not have to fund contraceptives for women in their health insurance, they are allowing hierarchical religions to dictate the rights of people who do not adhere to their religion. People who put themselves on the top of a "morality" hierarchy that they create dictate "morality" for every other view which, of course, they view to be inferior to theirs.

Of course we will never buy products from Hobby Lobby, but for a list of other companies fighting legally to deny women the control over their own bodies, see the link below:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/04/hobby-lobby-retirement-plan-invested-emergency-contraception-and-abortion-drug-makers