Race

This week in sociology, we focused mainly on racism. While watching the movie "Crash," we all gained a greater perspective on how almost everyone is racist, but on a subtle level. Because of the society we grow up in, we are shaped to harbor these stereotypes. We often take these generalizations into consideration when we make daily decisions. For example, a woman in the movie decided to hold her purse tighter and move closer to her husband when two black men passed by the couple. She, from years of brainwashing, believed that she needed to steer clear of them in order to protect herself. This is a great example of implicit racism. She was definitely wrong to do this, but her assumptions ended up being correct. The men stole their car and threatened her. Being black myself, I wasn't too happy that her thoughts were right. I wanted the black men to overcome their stereotypes, but I eventually realized that this wasn't the goal of the movie. The movie was supposed to get us to realize that (whether incorrect or not) we all have some hint of prejudice in us. So, we need first realize these stereotypes and then work towards avoiding them.

Race

This week,  we have been focusing on race in sociology. We've mostly been doing little demos and mini lessons to help us ease into this new lesson. So far, we've learned that it is part of human nature to place people into different groups. Many of these groupings are based on race. So, many social groups in our society are divided among racial lines and groups of different races inevitably develop stereotypes about other racial groups. This is a really sad cycle, but I don't think it will ever end. Past examples have taught us that it's simply in our nature as human beings to do so. However, I hope that we can slowly begin to put limitations on the stereotypes we create.

Minimum wage

Lately, we have been focusing on the large gap between the rich and the poor in sociology. We even watched a video that depicted a perfect example of this. In the video, a man and his wife tried to live 30 days while being paid minimum wage. I always see adults working at places like fast food restaurants and grocery stores, but I have never taken the time to really sit down amd see what their life is like. The people on the show had an extremely difficult time making ends meet, and they were only doing this for a short period of time. I can't imagine what it would be like to live your life pay check to pay check on a daily basis. After this unit, I think I'm much more thankful for everything I have. Also, I have realized that our country really isn't one of equal opportunity. 

Rich vs poor

This week in sociology we focused on differences in income rates and the huge gaps between the rich and the poor. I was really surprised to find out that where we live, we are in the top 5% of the united stste's income. Also, when compared to the rest of the world, americans are richer than 95% of the worlds population. These statistics were really shocking and scary because it made everyone realize how sheltered we are from the rest of the world. A lot of us only look up when thinking about social class an forget about everyone living on less than a dollar a day. Maybe if we all did a little more to help the less fortunate, we could change the gap between the rich and poor.

Poor vs. Rich

During sociology this week, we've been learning about how certain groups of people are almost set up for failure right at birth. Our society guarantees success for the elite and the rich. However, for all the normal people who don't meet these standards- life is difficult. For example, someone living in an upperclass suburb is less likely to get in trouble for being involved in drugs than someone living in the projects. This is because those living in lower class societies are initially more suspected of being involved in such acitivity. People in lower social classes are given less opportunities than their rich counterparts and as a result, it is much harder for them to rise above and achieve a greater level of success in their lives. We also read about what life was like in jail and how those who end up in jail almost always go back. Society has labeled these criminals as criminals for life. So, instead of correcting their behavior, jails serve as environments that inevitably suck in those more susceptible to this kind of a life (the lower class). I wish this wasn't the case for most societies, but, sadly, individuals in lower classes are almost always stuck. I hope that sometime in the near future, our government will develop new programs to help these people or that the rich will eventually develop the sympathy to see the poverty around them.

Corrupted Research

During sociology this week we focused mainly on a certain article in class. The article we read for this week dealt with reasons why white middle class males kill. Most researchers believe that these killing sprees go on due to mental issues. However, recent sociological research has led observers to believe otherwise. These children are raised in environments that cultivate this sort of behavior. The boys are usually facing some kind of bullying during school and come home to parents who promote violent habits. Also, the boys living in these environments are taught to always conform and follow the social norm. To those around them, it isn't alright to look or act abnormal. Many of kids can't handle this level of pressure and as a result, face abuse from those commenting on their abnormalities. It isn't always the kids themselves who are mentally insane, instead, it actually has more do with these aspects of their lives. In a lot of the shooting cases, the students didn't show any remorse after what they had done. They targeted the people in their lives who had done them wrong and these people were usually their attackers or bullies. I'm not trying to make it seem like the events going on in these situations should be deemed as okay because of the environment the boys grew up in. I'm just offering a reason for WHY this happened. Now, hopefully, school officials will use this information to learn how to prevent shootings.

A damaging culture

This week we watched a really interesting video in sociology. It focused on how the media effects us negatively. The main speaker showed her audience various examples of media images that severely damage female self esteem. She explained to us that the media brainwashes us into believing that the only way to be beautiful is to be light skinned, skinny, and much more. A lot of the aspects are just plain unattainable. For example, I'm black, so I know there is no way I will look like the light skinned girls in all of these high fashion magazines. I'm also not annorexic like these models, so I don't look rail thin like them. But, the speaker explained to us that even trying to look this way is ridiculous. We all look different and I definitely think it's better that way. I hope the media eventually finds a way to stop obectifying women and focusing on this image of beauty that isn't even realistic. Maybe then we will see a decrease disorders related to self esteem and an increase in female confidence.

Shriners

This past Wednesday, I went on another Shriners trip. It was really fun and I learned a new wheel chair game, "murder ball." This is actually just another name for rugby. Before that, I had no idea it was possible for kids in wheel chairs to play rugby. But, these young kids we were playing with were really good. I also found another friend on this trip. She was only 6 years old and she was at the hospital with her grandmother. While I played candy land with her, I found out that they were actually from Louisianna. The grandmother told me all about te special celebrations they do there- like mardi gras. I ended up finding out a lot about people much different from me. They had really southern accents and didn't like the cold much, but I found out that I was still able to continue an enagaging conversation with them.

Agents of socialization

I learned in class this week about how (whether we realize it or not) we are greatly influenced by our parents' decisions and actions. Our family is one of the greatest influencers in our lives. Our genes come from them, so we inherit some of their characteristics. As well as traits that come from genes, we also learn to act as they do. Whenever anyone talks to my father, for example, they always say they immediately know we're related because we have such similar mannerisms.Another way I was influenced by my dad deals with my future profession. My dad is a doctor, and I've always kept going into the medical field in the back of my mind because I have always admired his job. My parents have influenced me in many ways, and I know some kids aren't lucky enough to say the same. This week I learne exactly how big of a roll our environments play in raising us.

Pursuit of Happiness

This week in class we had to read an excerpt from a book called Thrive. It was all about how to live a happier life and what aspects of your life you need to change in order to do so. Most of us usually just relate money to happiness. So, to become a happier person, most of us think we need to just win the lottery. But, Salituro and the book taught us that this isn't necessarily true. Although money gives you freedom, it doesn't always guarantee happiness. In fact, studies have shown that people who win the lottery usually increase their happiness levels for a little bit. But, their happiness levels usually go back down to where they usually were. While doing community service a couple of days ago, I met a woman who told me that she used to work a lot to support her family. But, she discovered that she wasn't actually benefiting her family because she was always away from them. Once she quit her job, she was able to spend more time with the people she loved and although she's not a gazillionaire, she's doing what she believes is important.

Shriners

This past Tuesday I went on another trip to Shriner's Children's Hospital. Although I had already been there, this experience was different from my past experiences. Each time I go, there are always new kids there to hang out with. This particular time, I met a little girl. She was adorable and only four years old.  When I first saw her, I immediately assumed that because she was in a wheel chair, she probably couldn't get out. But, while I was playing checkers with her, she told me that she wanted to play hide and seek. Then, she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and climbed out of her chair. I was stunned because I never expected her to be able to even move her legs. Most patients there are pretty restricted to their chairs and usually need help getting in and out of them. But, this particular 4 year old climbed out of her chair boldly. She preferred crawling to most places instead of walking since she limped a lot when she walked. But, she was really fast whenever she crawled. And so, we spent most of our time playing hide and go seek, climbing on a jungle gym, and playing more checkers. I had a really great time with her and although I probably won't see her again, she taught me a lot about experiencing new ways of life. I learned not to make immediate judgements about people and to acknowledge the fact that everyone has their own personal story behind who they are.

Different Worlds

For homework this week in class, we had to read a couple of articles by people from Germany who had visited the United States. Because they live so far from the US, their way of life is a lot different. For example, in one of the articles, the author commented on how he thought it was amazing that American grocery stores were open on Sundays. This is because in Germany, there aren't giant supermarkets like we have here. Instead, they have many shops for specific needed goods. Also, these stores aren't usually open on Sundays because Sundays are considered a day of rest. Another article talked about how Americans (for some crazy reason) LOVE to jog. The author said that people could be found super early during mornings simply jogging up and down streets alone. He couldn't understand this because in Germany, people usually don't exercise alone. Also, if they need to exercise- they don't simply jog. Instead, they might play soccer with a group of people. These differences help us define American culture. We are a people driven by values focusing around efficiency and control. We like being able to shop on Sundays because we hate it when someone tells us no. We want the freedom to be able to shop whenever we want. We also love to jog at 5 in the morning even if it's freezing out because it's what's most convenient for us. I don't know if this way of life is what's best for us, but I know most of us Americans definitely live by these standards.

Shriners

Last week I went on a GIVE trip to Shriners hospital for kids in wheelchairs. I had gone on this trip before, and I really liked bonding with the kids. One of the girls I talked to last year was around my age and told me about all the harships the people in the wheelchairs were facing. I knew I could never fully understand what they were dealing with, but I did my best to try to just have fun with them. But, on this specific trip, not many kids were available to play with. We mostly just played wheel chair basketball and I also played a card game with a kid who looked like he was about 7. When I was wheeling around with my friends and playing basketball, I couldn't believe how hard it was to win. I never thought wheelchair basketball would be that hard, but everyone was sweating when we finished. Overall, I think it was a really good experience and I definitely want to go back.

Cultural Differences

This week in class we've been focusing on cultural differences. Different societies create cultural norms that other people can't always relate to. For example, gestures in America, where we live, might mean something different in another part of the world. These differences should be appreciated, but sometimes they are difficult to embrace. When I went to Spain last summer, I found a lot of these cultural differences. People in Spain are a lot more "touchy-feely" than Americans. My tour guide would often call my group pet names and liked to hug us a lot. Also, whenever we went into restaurants, they wouldn't serve us ice in our drinks. I found that in many European countries, people thought that ice was poor for digestion. These differences helped me reach a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures.

Ethnocentrism

This week in class, we've mainly been focusing on ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism deals with how our perspective on things is changed by our culture. Based on this principle, someone coming from one country who goes into another country will usually experience a culture shock. For example, I went to Spain this past summer on a school trip and I now I can definitely relate to culture shock. When I went there, a lot of their ways of doing things were different from my own, since I'm from the United States. I thought this new way of living was interesting, but a lot of their methods didn't make sense to me and this was because of my ethnocentric way of thinking. I think everyone needs to eventually try to break past these ethnocentric barriers, so we can better understand each other. All of our ways of doing things might be different, but in the end- we're all human.

A Bronx Tale

This week during sociology we've been watching "A Bronx Tale," which is a movie about an italian boy growing up in the Bronx during the 50's. The main character, Calogero, is growing up in a neighborhood run by gangs and divided along racial lines. Back then, racial tensions were much more severe and this is clearly portrayed in the movie. "A Bronx Tale" really helped show how we are a product of our environment. Calogero and his friends were raised in a mainly racist neighborhood that respected the gangs that ruled the area. And so, Calogero grew up to believe the stereotypes he was taught his whole life and also respected gang members. In fact, Calogero was involved in the gang itself. I thought the movie was great and really interesting. I think everyone needs to realize that because we definitely are a product of our enviornments, we need to reassess the way we look at certain things to make sure we remain individuals. If Calogero had done this and broke the norm in his area, he could have set an example for future generations.

Stereotypes

In class this week we've been talking about the excerpt the class read from Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. It was a novel about an Indian sociologist reasearching a mostly black community in Chicago. To collect research for his project, Venkatesh went into the projects and talked to some of the people living there. He began by asking them ignorant questions like, "How does it feel to be black and poor?" Obviously, questions like these won't get a very good answer.

He finally decided to get to know the men by just hanging out with them. A lot of what the found was definitely interesting. But, he failed to acknowledge the bigger picture. He was trying to study how being poor and a minority in today's society affects an individual's future. I thought the way he was going about reasearching was very ignorant because his reasearch was too genearlized. I am black and although I don't live in the typical "poor" Chicago neighbrhood, I wouldn't say that if I did- my siblings and I would grow up to deal drugs and live in the projects. So, I didn't necesarilly agree with a lot of the things the author was saying in his book. His generalizations, to me, felt like stereotypes.

Social Construction of Reality

Yesterday in class, our lesson focused on our social construction of reality. To demonstrate, Mr.Salituro had a student spit into a spoon and then asked all of us why it would be so disgusting for him to drink it back up. He did have a point-- we're swallowing salivia all the time, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal to swallow it back up. But, all of us were really disgusted because throughout our lives, we've been conditioned to believe that salivia is okay because it's inside the body. No one can control the fact that they're constantly swallowing their salivia, so doing so is socially acceptable. But, we've been taught that swallowing spit is gross. There isn't really a definite answer for why it's gross (possibly because the whole putting body fluids back into you thing is seen as disturbing) besides that fact that that is what we've been taught to believe all our lives. After this lesson, we were all really able to understand what our teacher meant when he described this social construction of reality-- it is how society has conditioned and shaped our beliefs on what is acceptable and what isn't. After the lesson, I started thinking of other ways society has changed the way I look at things. For example, maybe if I wasn't born in the United States-- I wouldn't understand our extreme obsession with sports or something along those lines.

Sociological Mindfulness

This week in sociology we've mostly been discussing Michael Schwalbe's definition of sociological mindfulness and sociological imagination. Both terms deal with how people influence each other. Sociological mindfulness is the ability to acknowledge/ appreciate other people's unique qualities and recognizing how our influences are put out into the world. These influences are, of course, recieved by others --which in turn might affect us in the end. After discussing Schwalbe's definition of these terms, I started trying to think about ways I could be more mindful, in a sociological sense. Since I'm in high school, I couldn't help thinking how things would change if everyone became more mindful. Maybe more people would feel included in certain social groups and everyone could possibly get along better. People would stop using words like "gay" and learn to be a little more aware of the energy they put out there. I think not just high school, but the world would be a much better place if everyone would just think about how they're influencing the people around them. 

Silence

On the first day when our teacher tried the silent treatment on us-- I (and I think many other kids) felt very awkward. We all felt this way because normally a teacher is supposed to walk in the room, tell us to be quiet, and take charge immediately to keep us all on task. Teachers don't normally sit back and let us sit in silence for awhile. Since this was such an extreme change of pace, I think a lot of us didn't know what to do so we just sort of sat there and stared at each other awkwardly. Most people experience awkward silences in their life and we're conditioned to think that we're supposed to fill that silence with words quickly to keep conversation going. This might have some affect on our listening abilities because not all silences are awkward-- sometimes their just times for us to take in what was said and think about it. So yes, I see how we've been trained to expect certain things because we all grew up in a system and we're expected to follow that way of doing things. I think the media is a great example of how we're trained to think. We're constantly being brainwashed to think,dress, and act a certain way because of what we see on TV and the magazines. 

About Me

I am a student at a high school in Illinois. I'm taking a sociology class because I'm interested in learning about how people relate to/influence each other. I also heard from friends that the class was really interesting and it doesn't follow normal class standards--which is always fun. My goal in life is to find my purpose and live my life based on that purpose.