Class Matters

This week in sociology class we explored class. No matter who you are the class you where born in and raised in can and will impact the class you will belong to as an adult. Those born in a lower class will tend to stay in the lower class and those brought up in a higher class will tend to stay in the higher class. Thus things inherited by the generation before you, can soley put you on the fast track to success. Lower class families have less to pass down so they will continue to stay on that path. Not only did we learn that class can be inherited but we also looked at a few stories and data that shows us that class means alot more then looking "classy". In one report, we found that the stresses of living in a lower class will significantly speed up your aging process. Because lower class families live in poorer communities, crime rates will be up, business will be low, housing will be expensive, etc. All these examples will put people through enough stress to lower there lives by years. Another story looked at was of one house cleaning women of the working lower class. Her story was touching and extreme because she would try to adapt and help her fellow workers, she barely had enough for herself to live on. At one point the cleaning crew where driving to the house and they had forgetten some supplies, about 3 dollars worth, and even if the entire crew of people put there money together, they would still be short of 3 dollars. In conclusion, class can tell you your if you are to die earlier or live longer, whether you live it easy and successful or you struggle and stress about daily living. All major changes that class can implore on you.

Class and Prestige

This week in sociology class we talked about prestige, and with that, the actions and ideals of the upper, middle and lower class. Specificly we would read an arcticle called " The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All". This article explains that maybe the only lesson why poverty is so persistent is because it has positive functions for the rest of society. We would learn that the only way that one goes up the socioeconomic ladder is to take someone else down. Amazing, that poverty has made it possible for the existence and expansion of respectable professions like, crimiology, social work and public health. Only because poverty exists, these occupations have strived and evolved. Even today in our major cities of the world poverty has give jobs to law enforcement, health care services and most importantly sociology experts. The lower class seems like the class that does nothing good for society but, in reality it might be the one class that helps more then any other class.

The Gender Similarities Hypothesis

So this week in sociology class we discussed gender differences and how the media and our culture helps shape us to be normal men and women of a society. These different messages help us learn what is normal for a male and a female to do and act in a society and in life. For example, men are depicted as tough individuals that are looked down appone if emotion is shown. While women are peaceful and proper. But a study called "The Gender Similarities Hypothesis" shows us how very alike we are. Although men and women have differences they are very minimal in a psychological perspective. The society and culture shape us to make us as different as possible. A book "Men are from Mars, And Women are from Venus" only talks about the differences of men and women yet we are all taught to be different and act a certain way. So the very little actual differences between men and women are less then the similarities that we have between us. Nethertheless things will always make us believe that men and women must meet a certain standard that they are raised into. Men will always have to be men and women will always have to be women. In our world the differences will be in the spot light while the more massive similarities will be shut out in the dark unless we learn to accept that men and women are only the way they are because we as a society decide what they will be like. Maybe one day men will be more open with their emotions and less male teen suicides may occur and maybe one day women will stop letting everyone else decide what they should look like for them.

Becoming Adults

This week in sociology we have discussed the differences between men and women when growing up. As boys begin life they are already being influenced by family and family friends to have things that are blue and more masculin features in their rooms. While girls will have a pink room with more feminine qualities. The only way that we can decide weather something is masculin or feminine is by the people who pick and choose what your room will have. If someone where to walk into a room they could see how society has effected this person to make their room the way it is. Biology has no effect on what a new born's room will look like and what their room will look like in the future. Some masculin features of a room might be sports, dinosaurs, astronauts, blue things, etc. All being imposed on the child through his community. Some feminine qualities are barbies, disney princesses, pink things, Animals, etc. This is not a trend that is confined to the United States. Other countries also teach boys to be tough and girls to be graceful and even in school we are taught by our peers to "man up" if you are a boy having some troubles and girls show remorse and support to each other when they are going through some troubles. If we look back only 100 years girls where taught just to be house wives and they could not have some jobs that men could. Still today men are payed more and have an edge on women when looking for work but, still in the past 100 years we have moved forward and continue to today. All in all men and women can be raised differently to be taught that blue is not only for boys and pink is not only for girls but, even today some will look at someone else funny if maybe a man is wearing pink or a girl is playing football. Things can always change.

Extreme Isolation

This week of Sociology we have learn about isolation and the effects of the society on the individual. A study was done on Anna, a little girl that was by herself for most of her first few years of life. Having only lived about 10 and a half years she was extremely slow to develop and had an i.q. of someone who was a fraction of her age. Although some information was missing about Anna what is known is that she was moved alot while she was a baby and as an toddler she was isolated from everyone execpt her mother, who would be working and left her in the addic of there house. This is an incomplete study to figure out how much of an impact isolation inflicts on a person. The reason why this study is incomplete is because there are no other cases so relavent to this one. This case may not be exactly like others but there are many cases around the world that sadly are not treatable but are studied so that maybe one day we can find the causes that isolation inflict appone us. Another intresting topic we have found is ironicly the internet. As long as is has been around it has been a way to transfer data from one user to another. Today the internet is being used as a way to communicate and exchange information. Sometimes for better sometimes for worse. While some of us watch youtube videos and talk to friends on facebook, others are stalking us and pretend to be our friends. This scary thought is a huge part of the internet. Your life on the internet is a public private life that anyone and sometimes everyone can see. You are never safe. Just like in the real world, their are dark alleys and secrets. And other people who thrive doing shady things on the web. All in all today we are all effected by mass media and extreme isolation two opposites that both can have effects on the indiviual for the worse.

Deliberation of America

This week in socialogy class we had a debate about a conflict that continues today. I'm talking about the gay/straight marriage. As we where spread apart into groups we had been put into the pro side or the con side of this debate. We would read about this debate and gather information that would soon be used to deliberate. I was chosen to be on the con side, moreover i was against gay marriage. Many points where brought up and so some of our values where also tested. This was a test to see which values are more important then others. For instance, this debliberation goes into conflict with values such as freedom and change because one group of people want the freedom to marry anyone, while change is not being used to fix the problem because another group of people believe it to be against their beliefs. This is a great example of ethnocentrism, which means to judge ones beliefs,morals and actions based on ones own beliefs and morals. All in all this is a deliberation that is made for the public to decide on because for a class such as our own and the limited resources presented we would have not been able to accurately make a decisien.

Dealers of America

This week in socialogy class we went deep into the world of drugs dealers and their habits. This was very interesting from a socialogical perspective because drug dealers will sometimes work near each other or together to sell their drugs. In this economy this is a business that takes away from other legal businesses and can heavily impact the capital of any area. To learn about how a drug dealer lives and works we would go into a study done inwhich we would follow a drug dealer through his day. We would learn that it is common to have more then one dealer in the same area and that sometimes drug dealers would take corners of streets individualy. As the dealer day progress we would learn that dealers happen to be in gangs and not that gangs always have dealers. In this case the dealer was part of a gang and would live with them in an appartment building where many of the other dealers, crooks, cons, and gang members would live. And sometimes their would be people running from the law or someone they owe money to. This shady life style influenced by gangs and intercity life can leave a person trapped to this life. In conclusion the dealer of America did not so much chose to become dealer but they did not know better and/or they may believe this to be their calling for a bigger pay check.

Women And Men in Conversation

So in this week we learned about women and men in conversation. Interesting enough i found that i already knew most of these life lessons through talking. Ironicly i still get into trouble for criticisms that i have made to women about things that they have done or said. Because women taking expect more they can also be shot down more often. For example if i responed to someones cooking by saying "it could use some salt" I would find myself in the dog house. Although i thought it was constructive criticism, a women expectations would be crushed thus make her unhappy while i find myself looking at what i said and wishing i would have said something nicer first. One interesting thing that i did learn was that women apologize too much. They apologize for things that aren't even their problem or their fault. They say sorry to take half the blame but, in return they expect you to take half the blame yourself. Interesting but take look for yourself in happens all the time. My favorite lesson of this was how men and women deal with their problems. While men just want to fix their problems, women will sometimes want to wallow in them for a bit and they want to fix it themselves without the help of others. If a women asks for help she may not really care how you would fix it because she wants to fix it her way and maybe get some attention while shes got the problem. Today all men still deal with this weather its takes forever to fix the problem even when all possible answers are presented or weather she just wanted everyone all eyes on her. All in all coversations between men and women are different and will most likely stay that way.

The Norms and Values Of America

This week we discussed the norms and values that Americans have learned to live by. We broke these down into 13 separete values. The values are Personal Control over the Environment, Change, Time and Its Control, Equality, Individualism/Privacy, Self-Help, Competition, Orientation, Action/Work Orientation, Informality, Directness/Openness/Honesty, Practicality/Efficiency and Materialism/Acquisitiveness. Although these are the values that Americans follow other countries might have completly opposite values such as Tradition instead of Change or Hierarchy/Rank/Status instead of Equality. Through democracy we are able to change the norms and values of a country and the United States is a mix of many cultures norms and values. America impacts other countries values to change and as do other countries on America. A great current example is how America imposes its Democratic values on countries such as Iraq, Afganistan, Russia, etc. Maybe one day, all countries will have the same values and norms but, currently values of America are looked down appon by some other countries. I agree that some values are not Personal values of my own like Materialism but to fit into this society you must accept some of the American values. Ironicly to remove Materialism i must accept Change. This is also true to change a value in another country. To challenge the values of another country you must break the values of that country, even in the United States.

Bemused in America

In Socialogy class this week we talked about America and its culture. To other countries things like 24/7 stores is a crazy idea that is illegal in some countries, yet we take it for granted and expect this as a norm. The local seven eleven is home to daily users who come to shop at the most odd of times including late nights, early mornings and sundays which in a country like Germany would get you a hefty fine and possible jail time. Another norm of America is running in the morning. Really? Running? Seems pretty normal but, to a newcomer this is a bad trend that never came around to their country. Most of every other country prefers to play a team sport that involves running but not so much a solo sport that has no interaction or point. Interesting enough is that although America is a country that is hooked on running it continues to be the heaviest country in the world.

The Lost Boys of Sudan and Kenya

This picture of Santino only shows you little of this man's struggle. His story could fill books and bring tears to many but, he continues to work for better conditions for himself and his village. We may never understand the way this man feels and we may never be able to feel the weight that he carries on his back but, we can try to help him and his village. Santino's story, as well as others like him, begins almost at birth when his village is attacked. His father and mother would be dead before he was 6years old. So by the time the attack happened he was already alone trying to survive. He ran and survived and stayed at a refugee camp. Their where 2 refugee camps, Sudan and Kenya, where those who survived would live together and work to make their lives easier. After some time these refugees, given the name lost boys, would be given the oppertunity to move to America where they would be helped for the first few months to allow them to get assimulated. Santino was one of those that was lucky enough to get this oppertunity and left his village in order to help his village by providing support and going back one day. Although he had good intentions his mind was swayed to becoming lazy. While assimulating to American culture he started to forget his purpose and became selfcentered. Because things where so easy in America work was something he had to do less of to get a reward. This unfortunatly happened to many of the Kenyans and Sudans. But they would remember what they where there for. They continued to keep their culture and continued to help their villages, hoping that one day they could return or have their friends come to them. When one trys to understand another culture they may be blind to things that may seem oblivous to us but unclear to them. One example of this is when Santino purchases a car and drives it to the dmv fails to get his license and drives the car back home. To us this would be rediculous to him it is unclear. To most of us other culture may be weird but they may just be unclear. For instance to have a list of items for a store is normal but, to a culture like Russia it would be considered incompitant to have a list because you can't remember what you went to the store for. All in all the many things that are so normal for us is strange to others and should be looked at for another perspective before proclaiming that others are strange for the things they do or don't do.

Body Ritual Among the Nacerima

The "Body Ritual Among the Nacerima" was an interesting story our class had looked into. The Nacerima ritual to most would be considered strange and unreasonable. But, to these people, the rituals are real and part of their daily lives. It was normal for the Nacerima to keep charms and magic potions in a chest in the wall. Strange or just their way of life. They would also dig holes in their teeth to keep themselves looking beatiful. The Nacerima also have ritual rooms in their house that would show the wealth of the family. These rooms would be used to make the Nacerima beautiful, because the Nacerima believe that they are ugly so it would be normal for them to spend alot of time in the ritual rooms. How strange that these people would do such things to themselves and think the way they do about themselves. We have our culture they have theirs, but something about this story seems familiar. These ritual almost sound like bathrooms and the chest in the wall sounds like a medicine cabinet. How interesting that this is so very close to the American culture. This is the perspective of someone who is new to our culture. The Nacerima are just American. How easy it is to place our judgement on another culture with differences yet say that ours is not so crazy itself. The culture that someone has come from will make all the difference in the things they do and the way that they will look at things. But to place judgement, one must understand why they are so different.

Sociological perspectives on Surviving on a Boat

As this week went by, we put our morals to the test when we had to chose who would live and who would die on a lifeboat that held too many. Their would be no simple way to chose whose life is of more value. Things like money, family, health, prior experence, etc where all told of the 16 that where on the boat. But what moral do u have that says because this man has no leg that he is of less worth then this nobel pize winner? Who says that just because the old are old that they should be removed? In cultures, Russia, Germany, Poland, most eastern hemisphere countries would proudly say to keep the elderly because of the respect that they have for the elderly. Though they may be old, I myself being eastern European, would understand that the old will always be of more worth and will always have a higher status then those who are younger. Only they have the history books in their head, only they can pass down the secrets of their families, and only they can teach us of mistakes that they have made so we can get through them. As the other passengers would also have to be removed the chooses became more dependent on who was in charge. Conflict theory says that no matter who the leader is, he/she will have people who do not agree. If this was all based on survival then this would much easier because those who are sickly, elderly or have past health problems would be the first to go. Now understand that because someone is sickly, elderly or have health issues that they would openly allow themselves to go with a fight. One of the people that where on the lifeboat was the self-made millionare. Now he would most likey would have tryed to bribe the others to allow him to stay, because he was over weight he would be out if survival was the only goal. Their are people who would take 200k to allow one person to live and another to die but, no one will know if someone did take a bribe if offered. Another passenger was the pregnant woman, now if you where still looking at survival then she would be gone. A pregnant women needs to eat well, eat alot, use the restroom alot. Its alot to do for one person when no one any food or strength to spare to this women. Soon the baby would parish. If u had morals you would most likey say that we can get through this and that she will have a healthy baby boy or girl. All these people had reasons to live. But weather you believe survival is your only goal will make some reasons stand out then others. Today in our society we have people that will chose a younger man instead of an older one just so the company won't need to pay for a higher salary. Today is about survival, if your wife is pregnant your salary won't be raised, the new health care bill even assures that the elderly may not be fully covered. Is that a country that you would like to live in? Where our only goal is to survive?

The Natural and the Social Sciences

To help us understand the world, we have developed two parallel sets of sciences. The first being natural sciences would include subjects such as chemisty, physics and biology. Natural science would explain intellectual and academic endeavors and would predict events in our natural environment. The second being the social sciences which examines human relationships and helps us understand the the discovered though repeated observation. Social sciences may not be obvious, but their are relationships between humans and the social world. Some examples of social sciences may include economics, political science, psychology, etc. The social science is well worth understanding in our socialy impacted world. So we will continue to learn and understand more about the social sciences.