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.