The Gallop poll published its most recent survey showing that 53% of Americans say same-sex marriages should be legally recognized, the third consecutive 50% or above in Gallup polling over the past year. The poll also found that 45% think that same-sex marriage should not be valid.
We invite you to read further in the article for interesting data about answers to the question, "What is your impression of how most Americans feel about same-sex marriage – do you think that most Americans are in favor of same-sex marriage or opposed to same-sex marriage?"
Liberals and Democrats – those who tend to either be in lower groups or see the detrimental effects of hierarchies – supplied answers that were close to actual reality. Liberals said 48% opposed, 47% in favor, while Democrats said 43% opposed, 52% in favor.
In a sharp contrast, Republicans and Conservatives – who tend to either be in higher groups who benefit from hierarchies and tend to ignore their detrimental effects – were way off from reality. Republicans predicted that 18% were in favor of same-sex marriage, while 77% were opposed; Conservatives predicted 16% in favor, 78% opposed.
Another indication that people who want to conservative hierarchies are clueless at the top; they can't or won't see what's happening.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/162398/sex-marriage-support-solidifies-above.aspx
Monday, May 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Climate Change for the Military
The military is receiving directives from Obama and Hagel to formulate methods to assess commanders and hold them accountable for creating a climate "of dignity and respect." Hagel says that the Department of Defense needs to be a national leader in combating sexual assault and to establish an environment of dignity and respect, where sexual assault is not tolerated, condoned or ignored.
We hope they focus on male members of the military and their male culture, as that change will be a monumental step forward. If so, the military could become a national leader in focusing on the real root of the problem.
Before now, most of the proposals to "solve" sexual assault problems in the military have focused on the women - supporting the women who have been assaulted, training women to protect themselves. This is the same attitude common with civilian rape crisis/sexual assault centers that support women while the male culture refuses to take responsibility even though they continually cause the problem. Obviously that didn't work for the military (and doesn't work with civilians either) because the top (men) continues to avoid accountablity and the lower group (women), who do not create the problem and can't solve it, have to take responsibility to "clean up" as best they can after the top.
The military can step up and become role models for making cultural changes that really stop sexual assault. We hope they succeed.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/08/most-military-sexual-assault-cases-go-unreported/?print=1
We hope they focus on male members of the military and their male culture, as that change will be a monumental step forward. If so, the military could become a national leader in focusing on the real root of the problem.
Before now, most of the proposals to "solve" sexual assault problems in the military have focused on the women - supporting the women who have been assaulted, training women to protect themselves. This is the same attitude common with civilian rape crisis/sexual assault centers that support women while the male culture refuses to take responsibility even though they continually cause the problem. Obviously that didn't work for the military (and doesn't work with civilians either) because the top (men) continues to avoid accountablity and the lower group (women), who do not create the problem and can't solve it, have to take responsibility to "clean up" as best they can after the top.
The military can step up and become role models for making cultural changes that really stop sexual assault. We hope they succeed.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/08/most-military-sexual-assault-cases-go-unreported/?print=1
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Hierarchies Affect Bullying
Sociologists Diane Felmiee and Robert Faris have studied bullying in high school and have concluded that hierarchies affect how students behave.
Their research shows that many students are involved in "social combat" -- a constant verbal, physical and cyber fight to the top of the school social hierarchy. They found that bullies, whom they call aggressors, and victims are not defined roles, but in many cases, they can be the same person. The higher students rise on the social ladder, the more they bully other students, and the more other students bully them.
"Family background of kids does not really seem to matter in their aggressive behavior. Instead, what really matters is where they are located in the school hierarchy," Faris said.
“Aggression is intrinsic to status and escalates with increases in peer status until the pinnacle of the social hierarchy is attained,” it says. “Over time, individuals at the very bottom and those at the very top of a hierarchy become the least aggressive youth.”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/10/us/ac-360-bullying-study
http://sociology.ucdavis.edu/news/robert-faris-and-diane-felmlee2019s-article-201cstatus-struggles-network-centrality-and-gender-segregation-in-same-and-cross-gender-aggression201d-published-in-american-sociological-review
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/bullying/most-least-popular-kids-less-l.html
Their research shows that many students are involved in "social combat" -- a constant verbal, physical and cyber fight to the top of the school social hierarchy. They found that bullies, whom they call aggressors, and victims are not defined roles, but in many cases, they can be the same person. The higher students rise on the social ladder, the more they bully other students, and the more other students bully them.
"Family background of kids does not really seem to matter in their aggressive behavior. Instead, what really matters is where they are located in the school hierarchy," Faris said.
“Aggression is intrinsic to status and escalates with increases in peer status until the pinnacle of the social hierarchy is attained,” it says. “Over time, individuals at the very bottom and those at the very top of a hierarchy become the least aggressive youth.”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/10/us/ac-360-bullying-study
http://sociology.ucdavis.edu/news/robert-faris-and-diane-felmlee2019s-article-201cstatus-struggles-network-centrality-and-gender-segregation-in-same-and-cross-gender-aggression201d-published-in-american-sociological-review
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/bullying/most-least-popular-kids-less-l.html
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Learn about White Culture
We're not surprised that some people who read our Washington Post op-ed could not see whites as having a distinct culture, since the culture on top of our hierarchies is often thought of as the culture of everyone.
If you would like to learn about white culture, the best way is to listen to a lower group on the hierarchy who can see it clearly.
The book "Drylongso: A Self Portrait of Black America" by John Langston Gwaltney is terrific. The book is a compellation of interviews with African Americans and was written in 1981. Even though the book was written three decades ago, don't let that deter you. Most of the basic components of the white culture they describe are still intact. The interviews are rich with statements about how white people think and act. If you're white, make sure to focus on listening and resist becoming insulted. Then you'll be treated to a wonderful opportunity to learn.
We particularly recommend these interviews – John Oliver, Ruth Shays, Grant Smith, Jackson Jordan, Jr., Porter Millington, Sims Patrick, Bernard Vanderstell, and Melvin Gabriel Wilmot.
http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1355
If you would like to learn about white culture, the best way is to listen to a lower group on the hierarchy who can see it clearly.
The book "Drylongso: A Self Portrait of Black America" by John Langston Gwaltney is terrific. The book is a compellation of interviews with African Americans and was written in 1981. Even though the book was written three decades ago, don't let that deter you. Most of the basic components of the white culture they describe are still intact. The interviews are rich with statements about how white people think and act. If you're white, make sure to focus on listening and resist becoming insulted. Then you'll be treated to a wonderful opportunity to learn.
We particularly recommend these interviews – John Oliver, Ruth Shays, Grant Smith, Jackson Jordan, Jr., Porter Millington, Sims Patrick, Bernard Vanderstell, and Melvin Gabriel Wilmot.
http://thenewpress.com/index.php?option=com_title&task=view_title&metaproductid=1355
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
"The Week" – Best Opinion – US
Our Washington Post op-ed "White men have much to discuss about mass shootings" was covered in "The Week" magazine as one of the top three opinion columns in the U.S. Below is their excellent synopsis of our article.
Why are most mass shootings perpetrated by white males? asked Charlotte Childress and Harriet Childress. In the debate over why America suffers so many killing sprees, race and gender are "the elephant in the room." As Newtown, Aurora, Tucson, Columbine – "month after month, year after year" – it is seething white men and teenagers who use guns to massacre scores of strangers. The gun lobby blames flaws in the mental health system. "But women and girls with mental-health issues are not picking up semiautomatic weapons and shooting schoolchildren." White men "are not used to being singled out" as a cause of social pathology, but they make up 30 percent of the population and commit at least 70 percent of mass killings. Why? Why do so many white males find it fun to play violent video games? Why do white males buy guns in far larger numbers than other groups, and why are so many of them bitterly opposed to even reasonable gun-control proposals? If we start asking honest questions about men, guns, and violence, perhaps we'll get some useful answers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop
Why are most mass shootings perpetrated by white males? asked Charlotte Childress and Harriet Childress. In the debate over why America suffers so many killing sprees, race and gender are "the elephant in the room." As Newtown, Aurora, Tucson, Columbine – "month after month, year after year" – it is seething white men and teenagers who use guns to massacre scores of strangers. The gun lobby blames flaws in the mental health system. "But women and girls with mental-health issues are not picking up semiautomatic weapons and shooting schoolchildren." White men "are not used to being singled out" as a cause of social pathology, but they make up 30 percent of the population and commit at least 70 percent of mass killings. Why? Why do so many white males find it fun to play violent video games? Why do white males buy guns in far larger numbers than other groups, and why are so many of them bitterly opposed to even reasonable gun-control proposals? If we start asking honest questions about men, guns, and violence, perhaps we'll get some useful answers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop
Monday, April 8, 2013
Washington Post Op-Ed
We would like to thank the tens of thousands who participated in the discussion following our “White Men Have Much to Discuss about Mass Shootings” op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday, March 31st.
We also appreciate the Washington Post's response linked below.
The response demonstrates how important the issue of hierarchies is to the social and political fabric of our nation. We are very glad to be part of the discussion.
The many comments and messages from people who understand hierarchies shows just how far we have come in the past few decades. For those of you who are still clueless at the top, you also played an important role in showcasing the problems with hierarchies to a wide national and international audience.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/04/01/postscript-childresses-white-men-and-vileness/
We also appreciate the Washington Post's response linked below.
The response demonstrates how important the issue of hierarchies is to the social and political fabric of our nation. We are very glad to be part of the discussion.
The many comments and messages from people who understand hierarchies shows just how far we have come in the past few decades. For those of you who are still clueless at the top, you also played an important role in showcasing the problems with hierarchies to a wide national and international audience.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/04/01/postscript-childresses-white-men-and-vileness/
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Lusty Female Sexual Energy
Want to attract more lusty, female sexual energy into your life? Or, if your sex life is stale:
TO DO LIST:
1. Celebrate that women's natural bodies are awesome.
2. Discover new aphrodisiacs that appeal to playful wise women.
3. Go to the "Your Life – Sexuality" Tab above on this webpage, or better still, read Chapter 15 of Clueless at the Top – "Sexuality, If That's All There Is" – to cut the choking puppet strings of hierarchical programming.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
If you have a female partner, tell her the joke about Hillary Clinton needing a facelift (see link below). If you don't understand why this is counterproductive to your goal, go to #3 above.
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/03/14/WATCH-Paul-Begala-debates-Tucker-Carlson-has-snappy-comeback-for-heckler/6791363296650/
TO DO LIST:
1. Celebrate that women's natural bodies are awesome.
2. Discover new aphrodisiacs that appeal to playful wise women.
3. Go to the "Your Life – Sexuality" Tab above on this webpage, or better still, read Chapter 15 of Clueless at the Top – "Sexuality, If That's All There Is" – to cut the choking puppet strings of hierarchical programming.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
If you have a female partner, tell her the joke about Hillary Clinton needing a facelift (see link below). If you don't understand why this is counterproductive to your goal, go to #3 above.
http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/03/14/WATCH-Paul-Begala-debates-Tucker-Carlson-has-snappy-comeback-for-heckler/6791363296650/
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