Who am I? This is a question that can't really be fully answered yet. Each year through high school I think that i have grown as a person and i think that will only continue as i move on to college. My parents and my brother have definitely been a huge influence on the person I am becoming. I have learned from their mistakes and seen it's important to make mistakes to grow as a person in life. My dad has been a huge influence on me. He is the hardest worker i know and will do anything in order to support his family. He is one of the reasons that i have been so motivated to do well in school. After graduation, I plan on attending a 4 year university and majoring in psychology. When i'm older i want to be able to help people and make a difference in someone's life. Thats why i think becoming a psychologist would be ideal for me because both are very people-person jobs. Who am I? after the whole semster in soc i have definitely changed as a person. I have opened my eyes to so many things. Before this semster i will admit i had many stereotypes in my mind about people of different cultures and races. After this class, many of those stereotypes have been erased. The service project helped me to change the way i viewed people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds. The color of your skin and the amount of money in your bank account does not make you who you are. Even though it many sound very cliche, it is what's on the inside that truly matters. The service project also taught me that giving back to the community makes you feel good about yourself. I hope to continue to do volunteer work throughout my life. Sociology has shown me that even in the midst of such a diverse culture, we are all so similar. Everyone wants to live a happy and successful life. I feel very fortunate that my parents have provided a life for me to help make that possible. Next year i will be going on to college. This experience is sure to be a new and exciting one. i know that being away from home, my family and my friends will only help me to expand my sociological mindfulness. I am really thankful i had the opportunity to take this class. Many high schools do not have the resources to offer a course like this and i am lucky that my school can. I enjoyed every moment of this class and all the lessons i learned will stay with me throughout my life.

Crash

This week in class we watched the movie Crash. Although I have seen the movie many times before, this time I got a different experience when I watched it. When I watched it this time, i used a sociological imagination. Every scene had a different act of racism in it. It was shocking to see how many things I had not seen in the previous times I've viewed the movie. This time i saw all the little racist remarks and caught all the intertwining relationships that are in the movie. We talked about how some people are critics of the movie. I can understand how people many think the movie makes everyone in American seem like a racist, but that isn't the meaning behind it. I think that it is important to realize what the movie's underlying meaning is. No, not everyone in America is racist but racism is all around us. Without even knowing it we could be involved in a situation where race comes into play. We are unaware because sometimes race is implicit, and not directly on the surface of each situation.

Rach Schmace

If i were to ask you what race you belonged to, how would you answer? White? Black? What race would you classify someone from Australia that was very darked skin? The thing about race is that it truly does not exist. It is just a social construction that our society has formed. There is no biological facts to support race. Will there ever be a day when people will not judge you solely based on the color of your skin? Personally i cannot say. I do believe that our society is evolving and moving away from skin color. But since race is something we learn from birth, it is hard to say if it will ever truly be erased from our minds.

Monopoly

This week in class we continued to discuss social class. We played a game of monopoly where each player began in a different social class and earned a different salary. The interesting thing about the game is that it really did mirror real life. Even though each player in my group ended up with more money than they began with, no one moved up in social class. Similar to the criminal cycle, the poverty cycle is never ending. It is very hard to overcome poverty once you are born into it. We do not have a choice of what class we are born into, but we play with the cards we are dealt. I think a major issue dealing with people living in poverty is the lack of medical insurance available. 45 million people in the U.S. live each day without health insurance that just is not right. Something should be done to make it easier and more affordable for every U.S. to have access to health insurance.

For Richer or Poorer

This week in class we watched a video on social classes. The movie showed us blue collar families living in trail parks, and upperclass families vacationing in the Hamptons. The difference between these two classes is huge. Wealthy people are raised to believe they are more intelligent, more likable, and more attractive than lower class people. But are they really? Just because they are led to believe something does not mean it is accurate. The movie made me feel a lot of compassion for people who are on the other end of the spectrum. We met a woman named Tammy, and her two sons. One of her sons wanted to become a lawyer or an architect. The issue with poverty in America is that it is a very hard cycle to bring yourself out of. When you are born into a family that is in poverty, it becomes difficult to lift yourself up. Hopefully in the future this will change and people will be able to rise above their hardships.

Locked Up

This week in class we focused on the jail systems in America. The realities of these jails is astonishing. The crime system in the U.S. is a never ending cycle. Once you go to jail for the first time, the likelyhood of you returning skyrockets. I wish that there were more programs available like the half-way house. I think that is a good way for prisoners to readjust to real life. In the episode of 30 days we watched, Morgan Spurlock went to a very innovative jail. The jail provided classes and support for men and women who were trying to overcome drug addictions. I think that is a very useful idea. Spending years and years in prison will not stop someone from being an addict. Counseling and support is what these people need in order to turn their lives around. If more jails moved toward this type of system, i think the return rate to jail would decrease dramatically.

Saints vs Roughnecks

This week in class we read an article titled "Saints vs Roughnecks". The article discussed 2 groups of boys. One was made up of upper-class white males who recieved good grades. The other was made up of lower-class males whose grades were average. Both groups of boys engaged in acts of deliquency, but the saints always got away with their crimes. The roughnecks were the boys in the community labeled as "trouble-makers". Is it fair that just because the saints are apart of a higher socioeconomic class that they can get away with committing acts of deviance? I do not think so. The saints engaged in these acts more frequently than the roughnecks and constantly put others in danger, but they always recieved the benefit of the doubt. I think this does reflect our society. The upper-class always has a head turned to it because of the fact that they have money. No one wants to deal with their lawyers and law suits so they are let off the hook. I believe if you do the crime you should serve the time. Another thing society disregards is that acts of deviance are not always negative. Something as simple as bringing someone their newspaper can be a positive act of deviance. Something like that is unusual though, so people usually think that type of thing is odd. I wish we lived in a more connected society where everyone respected the way others acted.

Macho Man

The other week we talked about masculinity in class. We talked about what defines a "man": Strong, powerful, athletic, brave. But what if someone doesn't have these traits? What are they then? Sissy, baby, fag, homo? In today's society, many teenagers would say yes. If you aren't a macho man, then you're not a man at all. Society needs to become more excepting of all different types of people. Not everyone is going to be the stereotypical "man". Everyone is unique in their own way.

School is NOT cool

Today we had a great converstation about school and how it not only educates us on subjects such as math, science and english, but how we also learn many latent lessons that we may not even be aware of. I believe that today's school systems are way too concerned about grades. I can confidently say that our school is 100% focused on grades. It isn't about what you learn along the way, but rather about the success of your outcome. I do not think that is a good lesson to be teaching students. Does that mean if I have a job where I make a lot of money but im unhappy im living a good life? I would say no. I think if schools operated in more unconventional ways students would walk away with a more positive experience. The journey is just as, if not more, important than the destination. We've learned from such a young age that we need to conform. If you go into a 1st grade classroom and ask a student to draw you a picutre, chances are they will ask you what to draw. This shows conformity at its finest. Rather than having the freedom to draw whatever they'd like, the student feels like they need to be told what to draw. I hope that in the future schools can become more flexible and let students flourish in a way that is benifical for them.

The World Around Us

This past week in class we have been talking about our the environment shapes the person we become. There has always been an ongoing battle between nature vs nuture and I believe each plans a significant role in who we are. We are born with our genes, and these give us certain things like our eye color, our height and the color of our hair. Those are things we simply cannot control. The way we act, the things we value, and the music we like are all things that are a product of our society. Everything around us shapes who we become. This is known as socialization. I definitely would not be who I am told if it wasn't for my friends and family. Last week we watched the movie Tuesdays with Morrie. I really enjoyed the movie and there was one quote that Morrie said that I really agree with, "There is nothing innately shameful about being dependent. When we were infants we needed others to live, when we are dying we need others to live, but here's the secret-in between we need others even more." I think that quote is so true. Sometimes people are ashamed of being dependent on others, but in reality it is not a bad thing. If it wasn't for all the wonderful people in my life, I don't think I would be able to make it through each day.

Sex Drugs and Violence

Is that all America is really about? In the Bemused in America article it was very interesting to see a foreigner's prospective on many daily things that Americans do like go to the grocery store, go on a jog or even just watch tv. Many Americans don't realize it but our lives are always moving. We are always looking for the most efficient and practical way to get things done. That may not seem like bad thing, but this causes us to miss the little things in life. We are so worried about being active sometimes it's as if we are totally absent from our own lives. This can also been seen in the movie Tuesday With Morrie. Mitch, the main character, has lost touch with one of his old professors because his life is too preoccupied with his job, traveling, and his girlfriend. Once he takes a step back and his examines his life, he sees everything he has been missing out on. I think it is important for everyone to take some time for themselves, to reflect on their lives. With all of America's crazy distractions, it's easy to get off track sometimes. But what's important is knowning when to slow down. Even though we are only about 7 weeks into our curriculum, sociology has already changed the way I look at my life. I've learned to take in my surrondings more and be more aware of what's happening around me. I'm excited to continue my studies in soc :)

Different Cultures

Our new unit in class is discussing different cultures. It's so cool how different all of the world's societies are. A big difference in culture is hand gestures. In the Western world a gesture means one thing and in another culture it can be completely different. I think it'd be awesome to travel to other countries and experience the way they live their lives. Even though it would be hard to adjust at first, I think it would be well worth it. We talked about the types of toliets that are in other countries. In Japan the toliets are very low to the ground and you need to squat to use them. Americans think that is so strange but we need to let go of our ethnocentric perspective in order to see it is just normal life for the Japanese.

Down here my guys bigger than yours is

In the movie A Bronx Tale, Sonny is like a god to C. C looks up to him in every way possible but he doesn't really fit in with Sonny's crowd. C is apart of 3 major groups: Sonny's gang, his friends, and his family. His father is trying to look out for him and do whats best for him but C just wants to do what he has his mind set on. He wants to be Sonny's friend. I don't really think he fits into Sonny's group. C is trying to be something he is not and he's better off just being himself. His friends also are not the best indication of who he is as a person. I don't think he agrees with all their beliefs in reference to African Americans and violence. I think C is best off just representing his family. His father is a hard working man who takes pride in what he does. As the movie continues, I hope that C realizes he can be amount to more than what people around him have achieved.

Gang Leader For A Day

I thought this article was very interesting. It's cool that the authors research started out with surveys and questionaires and ended up becoming a real life experience. I don't think I would have the courage to do what he did. I give him a lot of credit for hanging out with these thugs to further his sociological knowledge. This article defintely made me realize that I take for granted many aspects of my life. I have a loving family, a roof over my head and I'm on my way to recieving an excellent education. What more could I truly want? I also thought it was really cool that a girl in our class had come for this type of lifestyle before going into high school. Although she said it was hard at first, she has made a really good transition. It got me to thinking what if the situation was vice versa? What if I had been thrown into the world of "thug life" on the street of Chicago? I don't think I would ever make it out alive. I'm very grateful to be where I am today and have the love and support from my friends and family.

What's for dinner?

For homework we had to read the Suvivors of the F227 article. The story talks about a rugby team from Uruguay that was on a flight. The weather wasn't too great but the pilots persisted. Unfortunately, the plane crashed and many of the passengers died. The others were left to struggle for survival in very harsh winter conditions. With very little food and shelter, all the survivors could do was hope. When they found out that the search for them had been called off, they didn't know what to do. They saw dead bodies lying around in the snow, being preserved, and knew what had to be done. They had to eat their friends and family to survive. Many people in class said this story grossed them out. For some reason, I didn't have the same reaction. As terrible as it may seem, the people did what they needed to do to survive. Like the article said, this is no different than recieving a heart or kidney transplant; the dead sustained the living. It's hard to comment on such a serious situtation when I myself was not in the place of those people. But I can say rather confidently that I would have done the exact same thing. Does that make me a bad person? Should I be stigmatized for this? I would say no. The social construction of reality says that different rules apply to different societies. Up on that mountain, the game was completely different. The survivors had no choice but to eat the other's remains if they wanted to survive. You gotta do what you gotta do. And I definitely feel that these people by played the correct rules for the situation they were in.

A Sociological Imagination

A sociological imagination is the way the world around you shapes you. The 2 main things that influence this are history and biography. In the Meyer article, Milgram learned that Germans are not the only group of people that are obedient. In fact, the majority of the people used in his experiment did follow orders even though they felt a rush of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when your actions do not pair up with your feelings and you are in a state of tension. I think alot of high schoolers experience cognitive dissonance. There are so many new situations in high school that a lot of people do not know how to handle. Peer pressure is all around us. For example, if all your friends are smoking cigarettes and you know they are bad for you but you do it anyone, you feel tension. I believe the reason we sometimes do things we don't agree with is because we want to be accepted. This relates back to a sociological imagination. We have been conditioned from a very young age to do this and do that. If we don't do certain things, like raise our hands when asking a question or stand up during the pledge, we can sometimes feel like we are out of place. The idea of a sociological imagination raises the question of what if we were not conditioned the way we are? How would our lives be different? The year is 2009 but imagine if you had been living during the times of the Great depression or the Vietnam war? How would you and everyone around you be affected? You would be a completely different person. It's interesting to imagine how different my life and my personality would be if my history was changed.

Who am I?

Hey! this is my first blog ever. I've never had a site like this before but I'm excited to try it out. This blog is dedicated to my sociology class and is all about how sociology influences everyday things in our lives. Enjoy :)
Who am I? This is a question that can't really be fully answered yet. Each year through high school I think that i have grown as a person and i think that will only continue as i move on to college. My parents and my brother have definitely been a huge influence on the person I am becoming. I have learned from their mistakes and seen it's important to make mistakes to grow as a person in life. My dad has been a huge influence on me. He is the hardest worker i know and will do anything in order to support his family. He is one of the reasons that i have been so motivated to do well in school. After graduation, I plan on attending a 4 year university and majoring in either nursing or psychology. When i'm older i want to be able to help people and make a difference in someone's life. Thats why i think becoming a nurse or psychologist would be ideal for me because both are very people-person jobs.
Silence can definitely be an awkward situation. I have experienced this many times. It is something that i feel just naturally occurs and in order to break the tension you feel like you need to spark up a new conversation. I can't really explain why i think that its awkward. Maybe its because when no one is talking you are always wondering what someone else is thinking about. I do think people just fill the air with words because they don't know what else to do. Because people feel the need to always be saying something, i feel like that does affect our ability to become better listeners. If people weren't so caught up in thinking things were "awkward" they would be more likely to absorb the conversation that they were having. I think everyone could afford to become a better listener. Sometimes all you want is someone to listen to you. You don't always need feedback; you just need someone to be there for you.