Waiting For Superman

amazon.com

I am currently enrolled in Introductory Sociology, and we often look at gender, race, and poverty as social institutions.  We watched a documentary, Waiting for Superman, which made the point that failing schools are often blamed on failing neighborhoods, when in reality, the failing neighborhoods may be a result of failing schools.  People living in poverty are often characterized as lazy and unwilling to work, which is why people who attended school in a poor neighborhood often receive a below average education.  This documentary pointed out that children who attend these schools do receive a below average education, and do not have access to many resources, which only serves to exacerbate the problem.  These children, who often have big dreams early on in life, are trapped in an endless cycle of poverty that they cannot escape because of the educational inequalities in our society.  These children want to become doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers, but are often times forced to drop out in order to finically support their families.  This film reminded me that it is important to understand people's stories before rushing to a judgement about them, because there are many uncontrollable circumstances that have huge effects on people's lives

Lecture on Microfinance in Haiti

http://fonkoze.org

http://fonkoze.org

On November 3, I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture given by Steven Werlin and Bethony Jean Francois on their work with the microfinance institution in Haiti called Fonkoze.  This was interesting for me, because besides my limited knowledge about Haiti, I also knew nothing about microfinance before attending.  Even though everyone else in the room was a business major and completely understood the concepts he was talking about, I still very much enjoyed this lecture.  Fonkoze essentially gives small loans to women in the lowest level of poverty, and then teaches them basic business principles so that they can grow their assets, and eventually apply for larger loans as they continue to grow.  I think this lecture was extremely important for students to attend, especially those in the business school, as it illustrated that there are many different ways to apply what they are learning.  Many people assume once you get a business degree you have to go work in an office, catering to people who can afford whatever service they provide.   These men showed us that people all over the world, even the poorest women in a developing nation, deserve some attention, because the success of their microfinance and education program is a proof that when provided the resources, even minority groups that many would not think would be able to start a business to support themselves, are able to earn a living.

Marjane Satrapi Lecture

On November 4, 2014, Marjane Satrapi came to Texas Christian University to speak about her life and graphic novel, Persepolis, which incoming TCU first-year students read over the summer.  Persepolis was written and illustrated by Satrapi and tells the story of her growing up in Iran during the 1979 Revolution.

Before the interview began, Satrapi apologized in advance for her English, which she claimed was not very good, as English is neither her first or second language.  This was completely unnecessary, as she spoke nearly flawlessly in her third language.  For an hour, Satrapi eloquently answered questions about her work, as well as her opinion on many current issues, including prejudices against Muslim, stereotypes of Iranians in the media, and even the ban on smoking in many cities.  She shared her personal struggles with these issues, as well as her struggles with depression and feeling like an outsider in her home country.  Overall, Satrapi was not only extremely well-informed about current issues, but was able to boldly express her opinion while also remaining humorous and relatable.  What really stood out throughout the whole interview was her courage and devotion to what she loved.  Her passion for everything she does was evident, especially when she explained that even if being an artist meant she would have to live in poverty, she would still chose to do her art because she would rather be happy than have a well paying job that she didn't love.  Her appreciation for living a full and happy life was inspiring, because often people are focused on doing something they don't like just so that they are able to afford material goods.  As someone who has lived in multiple, very different countries, her view of the life and the world in general was quite interesting to hear.

The Life and Work of Marjane Satrapi

www.smith.edu

Marjane Satrapi, author of the graphic novel Persepolis, was born in Rasht, Iran in 1969.  She wrote this memoir about her life before, during, and after the 1979 revolution.  Growing up as a rebellious teenage girl during the totalitarian regime that was put in place was dangerous, but with the support from her progressive parents, Satrapi was able to leave for Vienna at the age of 14.  Escaping the patriarchal culture of Iran in which she grew up in, she now lives in France and is able to pursue her career as an author, illustrator, and director.  Constantly faced with labels, as a young adult she didn't feel that she belonged anywhere.  In Iran she was viewed as a westerner, but in western Europe, she was viewed as an outsider as well.

www.pitacocultural.com

She is very much an artist, and has the same rebellious attitude she possessed as a young girl.  What some people may find surprising about her is the fact that although she grew up in a society in which women were routinely oppressed, she does not identify as a feminist.  That being said, she believes that all human beings are equal and should be judged on their beliefs and actions instead of their gender, race, or other labels.  Similarly, she is not against any religion; she opposes fundamentalism.  "It is the use of an ideology to kill people that I am against."  With all of the adversity Satrapi has faced, she has been able to see that generalizations are not helpful, and there are forces of good and bad in everyone.