THIS SITE IS CLOSED USE SOCIOLOGY 2015 II FOR FUTURE POSTS
http://thecollaboratory.wikidot.com/2015-sociology-ii
- Sociology
- Thinking Sociology
- Social Identity
- Culture, Knowledge & Belief
- Social Organization & Control
- Production, Inequality & Social Division
WELCOME TO SOCIOLOGY (Site Closed)
The Study of Society
Sociology focuses on identifying, explaining, and interpreting patterns and processes of human social relations. This introductory course is designed not just to teach you some of the major findings of sociology, but to help you master fundamental sociological skills, including the ability to think with a "sociological imagination" as well as integrate "technological fluency" with "informational literacy" utilizing basic computer-based data analysis—skils which have broad applicability in a range of educational and work settings.
Our goal in this class is for you to gain a different perspective of a diverse world often taken for granted and to gain new insight into the ways that society shapes people and the way people shape their society. Our objectives are directed at building competence as a critical thinker and change agent so that you will better able to raise relevant questions about the direction in which society is moving, interpret social trends, and examine significant social problems.
It is my hope that this hands-on experience of "doing" sociology will both enliven your interest in sociological analysis and help you develop practical skills that you can use in other contexts as well. We can best understand the process of social interaction when we understand the person in place and in time. Our syllabus sets the place, time and process of this course for you the person.
Welcome to my world, your world, our world.
Dr. Michael Thompson
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Shaila Giebler x
Social Division in Today’s Society
Sociology
15 February 2015
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Social division is seen throughout many parts of the world. It becomes a focus on ethnic and gender inequalities, for example, social class and race. I personally have experienced the difference in social class that has made a huge difference between two individuals. My best friend was a lower class and different race than me but that didn’t change the bright young woman she became into. We went through many difficulties together starting out, for instance, she couldn’t handle who I was to begin meaning that my color separated us but we grew past it, moved on, and became friends. It seems like a lot these days people don’t care as much about the race but that’s coming from the view of where I live. It most likely is different in a city where there are many races and genders that people communicate with. For instance, in a work place there may be a different worker getting more benefits than others because they are in a different situation in life than you are, that might upset you and contributes to social division.
Not only does social division involve just ethnic and gender but also many, many more categories that our world has endured. One category is social media. Teens are using more social media to communicate with others. Social division in social media mostly occurs in teenagers and young adults. Social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and etc. separate the average teen from talking to their piers or just people in general, making them socially awkward. Once they become socially awkward they are all alone and apart from friends and groups they once were apart. Then there becomes depression and loneliness because they have no social life besides the social media they know and use. That might not be the case either some teenagers are very social through media and in person, it just depends on the type of person you are truly. There are some of those kids in every class that always sit in the corner or by themselves at lunch and you ask yourself why? Well that’s because they have a fear of rejection or being made fun of, so they protect themselves by just sticking to what they truly know, them.
Being alone isn’t the only thing that happens over the world, teens also engage themselves among common piers and groups of friends. If one friend started to join a social media then the others would follow because of peer pressure just because it’s cool. Peer pressure isn’t the main focus of this but what is, is the division between them. Back in the day social division occurred daily between the Blacks and Whites. The Blacks weren’t aloud to touch the things White people didn’t and why was that? It was because of their color and how low of job they were able to have. Not only was there division between Blacks and Whites but also between Mexicans and Indians and more races in the world. Class structure became a division as well. The world became into a division of money and what you were born into.
In conclusion, social division doesn’t only involve teens and young adults, but also anyone apart of this world.
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/06/what-pews-report-on-teens-says-about-privacy-race-and-a-social-media-divide/
http://soc.sagepub.com/content/35/4/835.short
What is Honor?
Steven Nelson x
Michael Thompson
2/1/15
There is no idea that has affected mankind greater than honor. Ever since the beginning of mankind, it has been the glue that has held society together. Yet if you were to ask an average individual “What is honor?”, you would be hard-pressed to find someone to give you anything more than a rudimentary explanation. Honor today seems to be an ambiguous term which is prevalent among a seemingly ever decreasing number of groups of people like the military, fire departments, and criminal gangs. I’m going to explore some of the aspects of honor and how it affects society.
In my research I came upon a series of articles written by Brett and Kate McKay which I have found to be invaluable to my research. In their article they highlight an idea by Frank Henderson Stewart. This idea is that honor is broken into two different types, horizontal honor and vertical honor.
Horizontal honor is concerned with the mutual respect that is found among peers. There are three different elements of horizontal honor. A code of honor, an honor group, and shame.
The code of honor is the standard by which the group lives. It’s very simple, if you want to be respected by the group, then you must follow the code of honor.
The second element is an honor group. This is the tight-knit group of people who follow this code of honor. These are people who made a decision to sacrifice to be a part of the honor group. Not everyone is allowed into said group.
The last element is shame. This is what ultimately polices the group. When a person member of the group fails to live up to the group’s code, the other members of the group are not only allowed to, but are required to scold the member who breaks the code.
The other type of honor is vertical honor. This type of honor is illustrated when one member of a group excels beyond what is required and is deemed superior. In order to gain vertical honor, one must already have vertical honor.
We will now delve into how this connection between courage, manhood and honor evolved. Back when the rule of law was weak and there was now military and police, honor existed as the governing factor of society. Each member of the group was expected to add value to the group and add to its survivability. If a member was respected by the group then they would be allowed to remain in the group and reap the benefits of its membership while those who were not respected were ostracized. This is why it was vital for one to defend their honor. Even during the 19th century it was essential for a lawyer or a politician to be respected so that they could move into good society. When one’s honor was attacked, it was paramount that the victim would fight back. This is called reflexive honor by anthropologists. This type of honor has led to a variety of outcomes including justly rebelling against the bullies of history as well as various irrational pissing contests. As societies evolve, they tend to frown upon this type of response.
Man’s honor was a mirroring variety of selfessness and selfishness. Obviously it is selfish for one man to stick up for his own self worth. Although when each man would stick up for themselves it would add to the overall worth of the group.
This article was written with the intention of offering a running understanding of honor and how it effects not only the individual but the group.
Resources
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/01/manly-honor-part-i-what-is-honor/
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo3622763.html
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Social Identity
Jennilee Gray x
Introduction to Sociology
15 February 2015
What is Social Identity? Well Social Identity is a person’s sense of who they are based on a group membership(s). Groups give us a sense of belonging to the social world. In order to increase our self image we enhance the status of the group to which we belong, and we can also
increase our self image by discriminating and holding prejudice views against the out group. Therefore we divided the world into “them” and “us” based through a process of social categorization. Social identity theory states that the in group will discriminate against the out group
to enhance their self image.
We use three different categories which are Social Categorization, Social Identification, and Social Comparison. Social Categorization is the process of classifying people into groups based on similar characteristics, whether it be nationality, age, occupation, diagnosis, or some other trait. Social Identification is the process by which we define ourselves in terms and categories that we share with other people. In contrast to characterizations of personal identity. Social Comparison is how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others in order to reduce uncertainty in these domains, and learn how to define the self.
Although Social Identity is extremely important People regard groups more like themselves more positively, identifying themselves as members of such groups in contrast to others. Yet another way people can identify themselves is the political group to which they
belong and their viewpoints can take a major part of self identification. Some people regard groups a little more like themselves maybe more positively, identifying themselves as members of such groups in contrast to others. Some people identify themselves by religion or maybe a
different culture or where they are from, different political choices such as democrat or republican, different job titles, relationship differences such as someone’s mother, father, aunt, and so on.
The media can greatly influence and encourage certain behavior on society. While we are too busy creating our social life we are not focusing on how to really live and enjoy the moment, Our life doesn’t need to revolve around the media, facebook or twitter, Not only does it allow
others to know everything about you, it is also very dangerous. Even though the social life is how we join in on certain groups and engage in interaction we still need to learn that a break away from it all shouldn’t hurt your social stance in the world.
To conclude Social Identity is a person’s sense of who they are based on a group or their group membership(s). Joining the right group with your same preferences and interests can help shape who you are today. Just know your limit, Social identities can be looked at many different ways. People can look at themselves different from what other people view them as. Sociologists say that social identity explains some of people’s behavior as well.. Social identities can influence people in different ways. Genders is a big social identity that normally began by the time they are two or three, and teens make a lot of changes and people began to change their social identity as a teen. Social identities can be looked at many different ways. Sometimes social identities can influence people in different ways. Some peoples social identities can give people self confidence which will help them socialize even better. On the other hand sometimes some peoples social identities can ruin their self confidence as they are not known well, therefore; they are not able to socialize as well as someone that has the social identity of boosting their self confidence.
Also, how you view yourself according to a self identity also influences how other people might look at you or even treat you different just according to your social identity. So be exactly who you want to be. Not what everyone else wants you to be,
Resource
http://www.simplypsychology.org/socialidentitytheory.
http://www.chegg.com/homeworkhelp/definitions/socialidentity49
http://people.howstuffworks.com/whatissocialide
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Brett Schroeder x
Dr. Thompson
Sociology
January 24 2015
Fitting In
What would it be like without social identity? Without social identity there would be no such thing as groups, organizations, culture and more social activities. Without social identity there probably wouldn’t be a human race because even animals have social identity. Social identity: “is the portion of an individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group.” Everyone has social identity whether they think they do or not. If one is part of a culture or any type of group they have a social identity. People understand who they are by using this idea and they fit into curtain group because of their social identities.
When I was a kid I always thought that I didn’t really fit in with my whole class and only with a set few. It was that way because of social identity, it wasn’t until like the third grade that I could get alone with everybody, because seeing eye to eye is a huge part of fitting into a group. Fitting in wasn’t always the easiest, most of the time I preferred to be left alone but I guess that was just part of who I was. I have been catholic my whole life therefore I fit in with that group pretty good. As far as race goes I have never been neglected because like 90 percent of the people that live around Colby are white.
There are many things that can set someone apart from others that’s just there social identity. In some places blacks are more welcome and some places whites are more welcome it just depends on the culture and the people. The main thing that forms my social identity is the fact that I am Catholic and that is one of the biggest reasons that I am who I am today. Being part of the Catholic Church make me hold myself accountable for my actions and I always have someone watching me so I’m always trying to set an example for others.
Some people are more socially inclined than others therefore they might fit into a more diverse range of people. Like someone may be fluent in five different languages and he would be more accepted than someone that went to another country and only knew his one native language. Religion is a whole different story, as one can tell most of the problems in history were form some sort of religion because we all want others to believe in what we do, and without social identity there wouldn’t even be religion. With the idea of social identity it gives everyone a group to fit in to.
This idea explains why people do what they do today or why some kids join organization or like a gang. They join a gang because they don’t feel welcome and so there desperate to fit in and then do whatever it takes to do so. The idea of social identity explains why a lot of people do what they do. Family is even a product of social identity. Even in family people try to fit in but they don’t always, so they go off and try a different group. Just because it is family doesn’t mean one is always going to feel welcome or at home even though it is there home. So social identity is a huge part of human culture and living in general. It’s not just some idea that doesn’t apply to everyone in some way or another.
Resources:
http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/stross/ant393b_files/ARTICLES/identity.pdf
http://communicationtheory.org/social-identity-theory/
Young Business Ambassadors
Justice Cuthbertson 0X
Sociollogy
February 1, 2015
Dr.Thompson
Social Identity is a person’s sense of who they are based upon their group memberships. Social Identity can also be defined as how people are portrayed by society. The guys that I surround myself with back at home help define not only my social identity but we define each other. By doing that when step out onto a scene together people tend to know who we already are. It can be due to Instagram pictures, our twitter accounts and just seeing us all the time and getting the same vibe from us.
It’s six us, me (Jcub), Dj, Fifemarley, Hidd, Gabe, and Yook. We all began hanging out with each other since 8th grade and have been tight ever since. I’m the athlete I play basketball and well known around the state of North Carolina for being an ok basketball player. I’m hardworking, ambitious, and also viewed as a ladies man. I love clothes and sneakers and if you followed me on Instagram then you would be able to tell the same just by sampling viewing my pictures. I put God first and I’m a family oriented guy and I’ve never been in trouble with the law. As for Dj he is a former athlete. Dj is a very outspoked person, ambitious, about his business and is a very cool laid back guy; he is also a ladies man. Dj also loves clothes and shoes and will mix and match anything you tell him to, and no matter your opinion he will make sure it looks good to him. The clumsiest of the bunch, the first to break something but he keeps God 1st and is also a family oriented guy. FifeMarley is the complete clown of the group other than Yook. Some of the things he does will shock you but will have you dying laughing in the end. Also a former athlete. Whenever it’s time to party or go somewhere I can call him and he is ready to go. Not pronto because he is the biggest procrastinator I know. Fife for surely keeps God 1st as his dad is a Pastor. A family oriented guy, the crazy thing is his dad is all of our dad and we all call him Pops. Pops takes care of all of us. Fife is ambitious when he wants to be he has had the most jobs out of all of us I lost track once he got to 9 because he’s only 20. Hidd is the artist of the group (Picasso). Down for whatever also not an athlete but will go to the gym also. This guy loves clothes and shoes also and is a family oriented person. He is like Dj and Fife put together as far as characteristics go but Hidd has only had one job. Gabe is the ladies man. Mr.StealyourGirl. the most laid back out of all of us but he is quick to cook some Mexican food with queso. Family oriented guy also and will do anything for them. A former sneaker addict but he had to retire. A hardworking guy, and we can always rely on him to pull through for us. Yook is the clown we call him graphics. An athlete he was also and a big time star in the wrestling field. He has an idgaf attitude but in the end he cares after all. Graphics is his other nickname because he will throw anything together. The business mind out of all of us, and also a family oriented guy.
The reason why I described my group individually is because that’s not how we only see each other but that’s how society views us also.
We are all family oriented and keep God 1st, plus ambitious. We go to church together and we even live together. We all are in college getting an education, not only to help better ourselves but to help out our families.
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
No image only 1 reference
Social Identities
Shaelyn Akers XSociology
January 28, 2015
What are social identities? Social identities relate to how people identify themselves in relation to others according to what we have in common. Social identity is also looked at as one’s sense of self as a member of a social group. Looking from a sociologists point of view, they use the concept of social identity to explain how people understand who they are and why they do what they do. Also sociologists do believe that some extreme behavior comes from different social identities. Some people regard groups a little more like themselves maybe more positively, identifying themselves as members of such groups in contrast to others. Some people identify themselves by religion or maybe a different culture or where they are from, different political choices such as democrat or republican, different job titles, relationship differences such as someone’s mother, father, aunt, and so on. There are also even more ways to classify identities such as a person with a disease, homeless people, drug addicts, or even alcoholics. Many people can interpret their own social identities in many different ways, or maybe even think different about themselves compared to what other people think about them.
Henri Tajfel had a great contribution as he helped put together the social identity theory. Tajfel believed that the groups which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Tajfel said that groups give us a sense of social identity, a sense of belonging to the social world. He also went on to explain that in order to increase our self-image we enhance status of the group to which we choose to belong to. He then went on to explain that since we had certain groups the world started to divide into “them” and “us” based on the process of social categorization, therefore; the world began to put people into social groups. Social identity theory states that they in-group will discriminate against the out-group to enhance their self-image. Tajfel and Turner agreed that there are three mental processes involved in evaluating other people. Categorization, social identification, and social comparison are the three mental processes that allow us to evaluate other people. Categorization is when we categorize objects in order to understand them and identify them. Social identification is when we adopt the identity of the group we have categorized ourselves to belong to. Social comparison is once we have categorized ourselves as a part of a group and have identified with that group we then tend to compare that group with other groups.
Sometimes social identities can influence people in different ways. Some peoples social identities can give people self-confidence which will help them socialize even better. On the other hand sometimes some peoples social identities can ruin their self-confidence as they are not known well, therefore; they are not able to socialize as well as someone that has the social identity of boosting their self-confidence. Also, how you view yourself according to a self identity also influences how other people might look at you or even treat you different just according to your social identity.
Another way to identify social identities is genders which normally occurs between the ages two or three. Teens normally start to define their social identity during the years of adolescence. Social identities really began to change when teens or even adults start getting body piercings, tattoos, different hairstyles, different genres of music, and the different ways teens dress to fit in with the group they hang around with. While many parents want their teenagers to still be themselves when they start to hang with a different group of people to resist doing anything that would hurt their own values or even those of their family.
In conclusion, social identities can be looked at many different ways. People can look at themselves different from what other people view them as. Sociologists say that social identity explains some of people’s behavior as well. Tajfel was a big contribution to the social identity theory. Social identities can influence people in different ways. Genders is a big social identity that normally began by the time they are two or three, and teens make a lot of changes and people began to change their social identity as a teen. Social identities can be looked at many different ways.
References
1. http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
2. http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/social-identity-49
3. http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
Social Identity: Boy or Girl?
Maria De La Cruz XSociology
January 31, 2015
Social identity is when one sees himself or herself as a member of a social group or category, whether that be a club, race, religion, or gender. Gender is a primary identity, meaning it was learned through primary socialization, like our family and the ones we socialize in our early life. Gender socialization is the process in which we learn the expectations of our sex. Gender socialization is reinforced through our family, friends, school, church, and mass media, or whenever we see our gender behave the way they are supposed to. This gender socialization then leads to gender identity, or how we define ourselves as either a male or female.
Most of us are given a gender identity even before we are born. As soon as expecting parents find out the sex of their baby the preparations begin, diapers, a crib, bottles, toys, etc…pink if it’s a girl and blue if it’s a boy. If the expecting mother has a baby shower, the guests will also bring gifts according to the baby’s gender: girly clothes, dolls, and stuffed animals if it’s a girl; boy clothes, cars, and airplanes if it’s a boy. The stereotype, or simplistic generalization, of our gender begins even while we are still developing.
At birth, babies are thrown right into the ‘norms’, or rules that are to guide people’s behavior, of their own gender by being dressed in the clothes appropriate for their own gender, and having a crib, and sometimes a bedroom, especially decorated for them. As they get older they are taught more in depth about their gender roles, or set of behaviors, attitudes, and personality characteristics expected and encouraged based on their sex. Girls are expected to be more gentle, clean, and calm; whereas boys are expected to be rough, get dirty, and be very active.
As children grow, they will continue to be raised and treated according to their gender. Girls are treated more gently and are encouraged by older people in their life to by expressive, nurturing, and obedient; while boys are treated with more force and are encouraged to be independent, competitive, and courageous. This can be seen in a lot, if not all, families. For instance, when a young boy falls and begins to cry and the father will come, pick the boy up, and tell him to stop crying because he is a boy and boys don’t cry, or if a boy is feeling emotional and starts crying and the father says those famous words, “if you don’t stop crying, I’ll give you something to cry about”. Yet, when a young girl falls, or feels emotional, and starts crying the parents, or any adult for that matter, will come to her and comfort her.
Children learn at a very young age the stereotype of their own sex. First observed by Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher, children’s make-believe, or symbolic, play is often a replication of the reality they see. For example when young children play ‘house’, one of the girls will be the ‘mommy’, if there is a boy present he is automatically the ‘dad’, if there isn’t then the tallest girl is the ‘dad’, meanwhile the shortest smallest child is the ‘baby’. The ‘dad’ will go out and pretend to be working and the ‘mom’ will be at the house taking care of the baby, cooking, and cleaning. In other words we show them that the female’s role is to marry, have children, be a stay at home mom, to put her family before herself; the male’s role is to be the ‘bread’ provider, to not only work but have a career, be courageous, and only show positive emotions.
I conclusion, most of us were raised and treated based on our sex, and we turned out fine and are comfortable with our gender identity. We identity with our gender identity, but we don’t always accept the roles that come along with that identity, and that is fine.
References
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/sex-and-gender/gender-identity
http://www.bhcmhmr.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=12758&cn=462
http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/273/Gender-Identity.html
Social Identity
Nicole Connell XSociology
January 30, 2015
Dr. Michael Thompson
A person’s social identity is dependent upon what characteristics help them fit into a particular group. What exactly does this mean? It is how we identify ourselves with similarities or differences in comparison to other people. From the view of a Sociologist they use this theory to explain human actions and how people organize themselves. There are so many stratifications of groups that people may fall into and most people fall into an amplitude of groups. For example there is race, birthdate, age. Those are to be considered primary identities, those at which were given at birth and cannot be changed. Then there are secondary identities, those at which are more apt to change. Such as religion, appearance, interests and so on.
I’m going to share a short story I wrote on classifications of people which I think fits very well with the theory of social identities and how people perceive other people.
The Grocery Shopper
There are many types of people who purchase groceries, but three types are easy to spot. All three have an obvious physical appearance which sets them apart from other grocery shoppers. Each also has a distinctive shopping technique and freely exercises these opinions. Finally, each type has a particular way of annoying every other.
The first type of shopper is Strictly-Buz Barb. Her physical appearance is very distinctive. She drives an economical car and parks 25 parking places away from the store door in order to get a quick brisk walk in before shopping. She wears jogging shoes instead of anything cute like a flirty sandal. Her t-shirt and khaki’s are of a classical line with no frills. Strictly-Buz Barb cart selecting technique is equally distinctive. She pulls the cart from the far rack, opens the baby seat and deposits her purse just perfectly in the middle on top of the yellow advertisement seat. Next, she turns and heads for the first item on her list which is placed on top of her purse, perfectly balancing her pencil.
Now Strictly-Buz Barb most tell-tale characteristic is voiced. She is annoyed because right in front of her laundry soap stands Retired Rick. She announces to him that she must have access to the soap now, she is on a schedule and if he does not move quickly she will miss aerobics. Still annoyed she does thank Retired Rick for moving as quickly as possible. Finally she distinguishes herself in a way that annoys everyone. In the check-out line she borrows a calculator to check her total because it is more than she planned. Strictly-Buz Barb has to double check the accuracy of the computer. In the end, no one can miss Strictly-Buz Barb’s presence; the other shoppers get out of the way as she sprints to her car with her groceries.
Back to our second type of shopper is Retired Rick. He can be identified immediately by his appearance. He drives a station wagon with wooden side panels and a bumper sticker that tells the world that he is a fisherman. His logo shirt, shorts and crew socks captures everyone's attention. He wears Bermuda shorts and black socks with sandals. On his head sits a ball cap which is his obvious display of a continuous state of leisure. His shopping technique also sets him apart from the normal crowd. When he grabs his cart, he stops adjusts his clothing preventing anyone else from getting a cart. He always leaves his cart in the middle of the lane so that every other shopper has to ask to get around him. He picks up the weekly advertisements and reads it throughout the store as if he was reading the Sunday paper at the local coffee shop. He tucks it under his elbow, dropping it every time he reaches for an item. As Retired Rick leans against his cart, reading the contents of each item absent-mindedly, confident everyone else needing this item is also retired and has forever to shop.
Retired Rick is vocal with his not-a-care-in-the-world attitude. He hums the tune coming from the overhead speakers as he strolls down the middle of the lane. When in line to checkout, he tells everyone how wonderful the fishing is. But Retired Rick can be a tremendous annoyance. He blocks the use of 10 only item line while he performs the time-consuming tasks of an item by item count before committing to the check out. Next, he browses the magazines with no intention of making a purchase. Then, he checks out the candy, gum and mints, again with no intention of making a purchase. Next he has to dig in his pocket for the exact change but is short a penny, so has to pay with his cash anyway. Retired Rick is a man who cannot be ignored.
Last but not least is that little Coupon Cutie Carla. She can generally be recognized by her physical appearance. She arrives well announced smelling of flowery perfume, in short shorts and a tee. Her cute flirty sandals sparkle as she walks to the carts. Like Retired Rick she must adjust her clothing as she prepares for the produce section. The mist of the produce sprayers surely won’t affect her hour old spray tan. Also unique is Coupon Cutie Carla technique, she can control her shopping cart; control her coupons and three kids. She only buys what she has a coupon for and avoids Strictly-Buz Barb at all costs. Coupon Cutie Carla can be distinguished from the other patrons by her conversation with Retired Rick. She stands in the 10 item only line discussing the last tabloid front page, flashing her smile as her kids climb on him trying to get his ball cap. Sympathetic to Coupon Cutie Carla plight, Retired Rick lets her in line before him, even though she has a full cart. Coupon Cutie Carla then notices that she is in “that” line and Strictly-Buz Barb will really be annoyed, should she still be in the store.
Most people can identify with one or two characteristics of each type of these extreme characters. While somewhat humorous these three can test the patience of a saint. These three types of shoppers can add more frustration to the life of the average customer than the price of groceries.
I think this story is a good generalization of how we perceive social identities as regular people and not sociologists. Social Identity theory tries to explain most people by the way they look and act.
Resources:
1.https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/social-identity-49
2.http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
Beau Brown X
Social Identities
Mr. Thompson
1 February 2015
Social Identities are what defines a person. They are how someone feels belonging and how they perceive themselves and how others perceive them. The main social identities are gender, race, and culture. There are many groups that people belong to and each group somewhat defines who that person is. They will usually act how the group acts and hate what the group hates.
A person will always belong to some group. How they believe that group works is going to affect how they think of themselves. There are many groups a person can be associated with and for each group that person is with might change how that person acts. A person when they are with a certain group will conform to what everyone else is doing. Now if they were in one of their different groups they most likely would never have even thought of doing something like that.
Someone who is in a sport will identify with others that are in sports also and they will feel more of a bond with them then someone who is not in a sport at all. Once they get around the people that are in there sport, they will have an even greater connection with them and feel more at home. That individual will be able to identify with the people in their sport more than just with someone who is doing a sport. Although, they will still be classified as an athlete when they are with their specific sport.
Now if someone is in two different activities like football and debate they will have two different identities. When the person gets around the football players they are more likely act just like the football players will and that part of them will come out. When that person gets around people who do debate they most likely won’t act like a football player because a football player might not fit in with the debaters. So, they will have to pull out the debate side and act like a debater.
Now there are also comparisons within the group and with the groups on the outside. Each individual wants to be unique in their own way and try to make comparisons to either up their status or maybe down someone else’s, so that person will still look superior. In one way one sport would bash on the other to make it seem like their sport is the better one. Also like someone might say something bad about the Kansas City Chiefs because that person likes the Denver Broncos.
The discrimination of one group by another could lead to things a person wouldn’t do if they were not in that group at that time. Someone might kill another person in some crazy soccer riot but if they were not in that group at that time they would have never even imagined that they would do something so barbaric. It just comes down to what the thoughts of the group is at that time and how hard that person wants to please the others around them to fit in.
References:
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-social-identity-theory.htm
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
Social Identities
Tatym Rundel x
Social identity – “one's sense of self as a member of a social group or groups.” Sociologists use the idea of social identity to explain how people understand who they are and why they do the things that they do. According to the social identity theory, people will classify themselves and others as belonging to specific groups. People regard groups like themselves more positively, identifying themselves as members of the groups in contrast to others. An example would be, preferring certain values, one might identify themselves as a conservative as opposed to a liberal. Some sociologists believe social identity can explain extreme behavior. I also agree with this concept. For example, gang member, might kill someone because the gang member identifies himself as a member of a specific gang as opposed to another and has to complete their tasks to be apart of that gang.
Another of example of this might be with high school students. Often times the kids that are involved with sports are often more involved with all activities throughout the school. They are the ones that show up at the school plays, go to the dances, and even show up at sporting events of which they are not involved with. Often times the students not in any sports or any activities, are less likely to be seen at school functions. So, because of being an athlete and all that comes with it, you are more involved throughout this social group.
When considering a persons identity we use both concepts, the psychological term, “identity,” And our sociological term, “social identity.” Examples of identity would be things that make you unique, for example: age, gender, race, hair color, eye color, all sorts of things similar to those. An example of this kind of identity is simply our grandparents compared to us. They were brought up generations before us and what wasn’t ok to do then, is now considered the social norm. They way we think, act, and speak are all different than the ways of which our grandparents do or did.
For race, there are also major differences; the Native Americans have many different celebrations and concepts than we do. It is the same with Hispanics, for example, the turning of the age of 15 for a girl is a very big deal to them. To Americans it is exciting but not too life altering and we don’t have massive celebrations.
These groups, social class, family, sports teams, of which we belong to can be a very important source of pride and our self-esteem. These groups give us a sense of value, a sense of belonging to something and being able to fit in. Often times, in a need to raise our self-image we will socially destruct groups we are not apart of. For example, the athletes compared to the non athletes. The non athletes will often times bad mouth athletes saying they’re stuck up, rude, and etcetera, just to make them feel as if they are the better person. When, in all reality, athletes can be some of the most caring and nice people, often times though it is hard for them to socialize outside of their second family (their team members).
Social Identity is something that can not be avoided. No matter who you are, where your from, when you were born, or anything else. You have characteristics and will be put into groups.
Resources
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/obo/9780199756384-0025
Socialization
Lucas Gordon X
February 1, 2015
Dr. Michael Thompson
In society there are certain rules and standards that are followed by most people, it is the norm and it is appropriate and expected. There are however; people who do not conform to these rules and stand out. These types of people can be viewed one of two ways, as original and leaders or as different, and outcast in society. Out of the two viewpoints, different is usually the one used by the majority, and when people are viewed this way, they feel out of place and self-conscious leading them to isolate themselves from the rest of society. There are also members of society who conform to the expectations and base their sense of who they are on the groups they surround themselves with, this is the Social Identity Theory .
With the Social Identity Theory the need to be accepted in society is important to some, and in order to be accepted, one must follow the expected ways to do things such as speaking, dressing and thinking. This form of social identity leads to Socialization. Socialization is defined as the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating in his or her own society .
There are many forms of socialization, Positive Socialization is the social learning based on pleasurable and rewarding experiences . This form of socialization is what leads to forming friendships and relationships because people associate the positive experiences or feelings form a situation with the people who were involved in that situation. Negative Socialization is the social learning based on experiences involving punishment or anger, this is a situation in which a lesson is taught .
From the day of birth people are learning and growing with their surroundings. Even babies learn from society, the society they are surrounded by, their parents and other babies. First they learn to sit up once they develop the ability to and then as they observe other babies crawling and their parents walking around they pick up these cues and begin to learn how to move themselves through crawling and walking this is referred to as Natural Socialization . Babies have their own timing for these things, although they are learning, it can take some longer than others to actually start the process. In society it is expected that by a certain age the baby should be crawling, walking or at the very least scooting, and if by that age they are not doing those things it can often be viewed as a developmental delay. So, in another form of socialization, parents begin to stimulate their children in order to get them to start walking or crawling, sometimes to the point where it is a competition with other parents and their children this form of socialization is called Planned Socialization . Planned Socialization does not stop after infancy but continues on through primary and secondary education, with students getting instructions and being trained by professionals.
Socialization continues throughout a person’s entire life, as one grows new things are learned and new societal standards are observed. Once these standards are observed one begins to absorb and adapt to them, changing their style, their eating habits and more. The final two forms of Socialization are Prior and Future Socialization, prior socialization comes from past experiences that shape a person’s lifestyle and goals, while future socialization is where one desires to be in the future and action he or she will take to get there .
Socialization and all forms of it are important and shape the mind and ones values, morals and attitudes as well as where he or she wants their life to take them.
Sources
McLeod, S. (n.d.). Social Identity Theory | Simply Psychology. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
Socialization. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
What is the Socialization Process. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015.
Zell Bieberle X
Social Identities
Mr. Thompson
1 February 2015
What are Social Identities? Social Identities are what defines a person and gives them the identity of who they are. There are many different kinds of identities out there in the world. For example a school teacher, a doctor, a police man, a student, a mayor, a bodybuilder, or a professional wrestler.
Everyone in the world has some kind of social Identity. You just have to find that identity within yourself, and become the best version of yourself that you can become. For example we all went to high school or we wouldn’t be here at a college trying to get our degrees, so in turn one of our identities that we all share are that we are all students. A Social identity could be as simple as just being a student, or it could branch out into ones hobbies like painting, or working on cars.
Growing up I always knew that I loved playing and or competing in sports. The two main sports I played in high school were football and wrestling. I also competed in track baseball and in the summer time I would swim to stay in shape. These sports is how I found my social identity, they showed me that in order to achieve something I never had before, I was going to have to do something I’ve never done before. This meant working as hard as I could in practices and putting in extra time outside of practices. I’m a guy that likes to win, so working hard isn’t anything new to me. A lot of people don’t like working out in the gym, but I find almost therapeutical in how much I enjoy lifting weights.
Now those people that play sports like football and wrestling or basketball will usually play all the sports that they can. For instance football in the fall, wrestling in the winter, and baseball in the spring. These people are sometimes considered to be jocks. But those people usually don’t understand that many of those people work very hard at what they do. They do all the same school work as a normal student and then they have a number of practices throughout the day, and if they are dedicated they will spend countless hours in the weight room or endless laps around the track putting in the extra work that it’s going to take to get what they want.
Now people might be thinking that with all this time spent working out that they would never do their homework or even go to class. But to be honest most of the said jocks will have higher GPAs than what a normal student would have. Because they know that they will have to make good grades to be able to play in the sports they are out for. I’m not saying this is all athletes though because some of them don’t have their priorities figured out.
When talking about social identities many thinks come to mind. Some of the most common of these are gender or race. But what people need to understand is that it really doesn’t matter if you are a man women white black or even purple. If you have something that to like or that you are good at you should work as hard as you can to perfect that talent, so that you could take something as small as one of your favorite hobbies and turn that into a your profession. Who knows you could just have a big impact on someone’s life!
Resources
http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
Morgan Mengel x
Social Identities
Dr. Michael Thompson
1 February 2015
How Gender Defines Us
Social Identities make people who they are in this world, whether that be through religion, race, culture, gender and so much more. Society has its own opinion of where someone “belongs”. From the moment we are born until the moment we die there is a certain stereotype that each individual falls under. Gender plays a huge role in who we are, and what is expected of us as a person.
Boys are defined through trucks and superheroes, while girls have Barbie’s and bows. The moment a child is born into this world it automatically fits in the categories of “blue or pink”, and always have those certain expectations of what they are to play with to be “normal”. Society judges what is socially normal and what is not acceptable, or frowned upon. Sexual orientation is the emotional attraction you have towards someone else, whether that is the same or opposite sex. People are allowed to make the choice in this world of who they love, or if they want to change their sex to fit in the world.
Gender identity gives a person the chance to love who they want, and be the gender that makes them “fit in”. Gender identity goes hand in hand with what a person will feel psychologically towards their significant other whether that be men loving men, women loving women, or significant others being the opposite gender. The option of loving the opposite sex is historically what society considers the norm. The “norm” started in biblical times when God created Adam and Eve. What is the difference in gender and gender identity? According to Planned Parenthood, “What does it mean to be a woman or man? Whether we are women or men is not determined just by our sex organs. Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics.” With the world changing, society is becoming more accepting of same gender relationships. People are also more comfortable sharing their beliefs, and openly expressing their personal preferences of who they choose to love. As society changes, children are now being taught at a younger age to express whom they are as a person and ask questions as they grow and develop feelings without feeling judged. I feel like the world has been a harsh place to socially live, but as society is changing more people are expressing and changing to make themselves happy. I believe a person should love who they want, and want to stick out for what they believe in.
In conclusion, using your self-image in social identity is where the world places you in society. Your gender, race, religion, and culture shape who you are and form your social identity. Society accepts you socially in the social norm. Your gender is the main part of your social make up and what is accepted in your beliefs. From the moment you are born you are placed in a category of blues or pinks.
Resources
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-terminology-and-definitions
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity
Danielle Hutton x
Social Identities
February 1, 2015
Social identities are how we identify ourselves and others out in public. For example I am a college student at Colby Community College, and I am going into the nursing program. Social identities are what we have in common with other people. There are many different titles that can be expressed by an individual. You have race, age, origin, political status, job title, life styles, and relationship to someone. You can also have all those titles at once, one titles doesn’t fully describe you.
With the help of Henry Tajfel and John Turner, they found that social identities help with self-esteem and socializing. With the experiments they conducted, it shows how people favor others of their own identity. When you are young it’s all about gender with which you belong, but as you get older you branch out into other types of groups. As you go into the teenage years you experiment with a lot of different identities until you find one that fits you well. You try piercings, hair styles, hair dyes, music, tattoos, clothing, and more. They have to find their own identity so they feel like they belong. Your social identity can be changing over time. For example going through school you are a student, they you get married and have children and then you’re a mother and wife.
When you have others within your identity you feel belonging. When you’re in your group you see it turn into a “my group is better than yours” and that might be true to you. For example “Americans are awesome! And Canadians suck!” that may be true to some Americans, but not to others, or Canadians. That is a “us” and “them” view and it happens quite frequently in socialized groups. With social identities your group will find ways they are better than anyone else, to make them look more desirable to others so they’ll join.
As a society we will always split people up into groups and stereotypes. We find differences in everything and similarities in others. No one wants to truly be alone and essentially in a group. We see the “cool” group and the “loser” group so we change to be identified in a group we like. Tajfel and Turner proposed a three step outline for becoming part of a group and making it a “us” and “them.” The three steps are; Social categorization, social identification, and social comparison.
During categorization we identify what makes something, something. We find out what makes the group a group by finding out what everyone has in common. When we assign people to those groups that is what makes them groups. For example, Muslim, black, white, Christians, Jew, students, teachers, ect. Each category tells you something about them. That’s when identification comes in. When you become a part of a group you have that identity. When you adopt that identity you act like you think you should. If you adopt the category of a mother, you start acting like a mother should act. Finally comparison comes into play. Just like everything else you compare yourself and your group to others. You find flaws to make your groups self-esteem better. You have rivalries also you challenge other groups so you feel like you’re a better group, just like in sports!
In conclusion we need to remember we are all a part of a group or category and we all compete to be the best. We also need to remember that just because we don’t identify with one group doesn’t mean we are better than them. The “in” group is what you identify with, the “out” group has their own feelings, and we all need to respect that. Everyone has their own personality and group; everyone also needs to find their belongings.
Resources
people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
www.simplypsycholohy.org/social-identity-theory.html
What is Social Identity
Dane Hrencher X
Sociology
February 1, 2015
Dr. Thompson
What is social identity? Social identity is a person’s sense of who they really are based on whatever group they may belong in. It doesn’t matter what type of group you belong to, being in a group gives you social identity. It makes you feel like you belong to something and forces you to act a certain way. When you belong to a group, you typically find yourself acting the same as the rest of the members of the group and doing what they do.
Depending on what type of group or groups you may belong to determines the way you act. Some groups will cause you to act one way while another group will cause you to act completely different. It all has to do with the people you are associating yourself with at that point in time.
For example, when I am hanging out with my friends who are more interested in sports or that play sports, I feel like I act quite a bit differently than if I was to hang out with my friends that aren’t as much into sports. I just feel like at times I have a better connection with the people interested in sports because we have much more in common. The reason for this is because different groups contain different interests and beliefs. If you’re around one group of people, you may feel the need to act in a certain manner in comparison to hanging out with a group that has different interests or beliefs. It may result in you trying different things, talking differently, or just acting in a completely different manner.
In high school, I played basketball, football, baseball, ran track, was the student council president, and I was in multiple different school clubs. Because I was involved in so many different activities, I dealt with a lot of different people who had very different social identities. In sports, I was around a lot of my good friends and we all had a lot in common. Therefore, we all usually acted very similar to each other. The transition to being student council president was quite different though. I had to act more serious and try to find ways I could help better our school. Being in the different clubs was the biggest change of them all, considering anyone in the school can be in most clubs. Therefore, I was required to interact with people I may not usually hang out with. That itself changes the way you act, because you may not be as comfortable as you would be around your regular group of friends or teammates.
Ideally, we find people with the same interests and mindset as us to hang out with. For example, on Sundays, my friends and I that are big Kansas City Chiefs fans would watch every single game together. We watched as a group because we are all Chiefs fans and are interested in the same team. It wouldn’t make as much sense if we had people who were Denver Broncos fans over watching the Chiefs game it us, because they would probably rather watch their own team play. Not saying a Broncos fan couldn’t be a part of that group of friends, but at that time, you would pair up with the people that all have the same interests in the same thing.
Everybody was raised or brought up differently and that’s why we all have different views or interests. If we all had the same interests there wouldn’t be all these different groups, but I think it’s a great thing there is such a variety of groups you can be a part of.
References:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
http://people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
Human Relations
By Kolton Harting X
Social identity is a persons sense of who they are based on their group they choose to be in. People belong to were an important source of pride and self-esteem come in them. In order to increase our self-image we enhance the status of the group to which we belong. People divide the world into “them” and “us” bases through a process of social categorization. Social identity theory states that the in-group will discriminate against the out-group to enhance their self-image. The central hypothesis of social identity theory is that group members of an in-group will seek to find negative aspects of an out-group enhancing their self-image.
Prejudiced views between cultures may result in racism in its extreme forms, racism may result in genocide. We categorize people in the same way. We see the group as which we belong the in-group as being different from the other the out-group and members of the same group as being more similar than they are. Social categorization is one explanation for prejudice attitudes which leads to in-groups and out-groups.
The first is categorization. We categorize objects in order to understand them and identify them. In a very similar way we categorize people including ourselves in order to understand the social environment. We use social categories like black, white, Australian, Christian, Muslim, student, and bus driver because they are useful. If we can assign people to a category then that tells us things about those people and as with the bus driver example we couldn't function in a normal manner without using these categories. Similarly we find out things about ourselves by knowing what categories we belong to. We define appropriate behavior by reference to the norms of groups we belong to but you can only do this if you can tell who belongs to your group. An individual can belong to many different groups.
In the second stage social identification we adopt the identity of the group we have categorized ourselves as belonging to. If for example you have categorized yourself as a student, the chances are you will adopt the identity of a student and begin to act in the ways you believe students act. There will be an emotional significance to your identification with a group and your self-esteem will become bound up with group membership.
The last stage is social comparison. Once we have categorized ourselves as part of a group and have identified with that group we tend to compare that group with other groups. If our self-esteem is to be maintained our group needs to compare favorably with other groups. This is critical to understanding prejudice because once two groups identify themselves as rivals they are forced to compete in order for the members to maintain their self-esteem. Competition and hostility between groups is not only a matter of competing for resources like jobs but also the result of competing identities.
In social identity theory the group membership is not something foreign or artificial which is attached onto the person it is a real true and vital part of the person. In-groups are groups you identify with and out-groups are ones that we don't identify with and may discriminate against.
Resources
1. http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
2. people.howstuffworks.com/what-is-social-identity.htm
Fatoumatta Darboe x
Social Identities
In sociology, Anthony Giddens argues that throughout our lives we are interacting with other people and this interaction affects our personalities, values, and behaviors. During this socialization we develop out identity. We have an idea of who we are and what is important and meanful to us. Sources to developing identity can be sex, sexual orientation, nationality, ethinicty and social class. Giddens differentiates social identity and personal identity.
Social identity is what others collectively accredit and individual in the form of different social roles, like student, Gambian, or muslim. Most individuals have multiple social identities, you can be both a student, a Gambian and a muslim because we move between different social changing, developing and taking different shapes. Even if this variety of social identities can be a possible source of conflicts, most individuals organize their experiences and meaning of life around a primary identity that stays relatively contiouse throughout time and space because individuals have the ability to adopt and switch roles when interacting in different social contexts, they develop an ability to see the world from many different perspectives.
Social identity are part of a collectively dimension, like a culture, a society or a school that marks that the individual idividuals is the same as the others. If social identity is part of a collective dimention. like a culture, i would llike to define cultural identity as the collective identity individuals accredit themselves and others as being part of culture. Personal identity is what differentiates individual. We formulate an idea about ourselves as unique beings with unique relations to the enviroment. The interplay between individuals and society connect the individuals personal and official world even if the culture and social enviroment are important, it is the individual ability to act and freedom of choice that is shaping the personal identity.
Cultural identity as produced and institutional sites within specific discursive formation and practics, Gidden argues that identoty is created from interactions with other people, a togtherness with a social formation and a felling of being a unique human being. Identity is created from representation of the self not untill we narrate our story of the self, we become ourselves. So identity if form through socialization and narrative through the interaction with other individuals and through representation of onself. Identity develop develop through socialization and through togetherness, an identity memeber of the same culture, Hall wants to pay attention to that, thiis togetherness also form an otherness, a we and them because culture identities emerges within the play of specific modalities of power, they are more the product of the marking of difference and exculsion than an idenetity in its tradtional meaning.
Culture identity emerges from the marking of difference between the colonizers culture and the Gambian cultures has been great. Gambian culture, tribes, however has lived together in peace, there has not not been a recent power struggle between the tribes, the differentation between the Gambian culture are also less important in the Gambia than the differentation between Gambian and European culture =. I for one identified myself as a Gambian before the tribe i belong to. When i use the word identity i mean that it is something that we are contiuously creating and recreating and that is shaped by the formation we live in, a togetherness, and a otherness and how we choose to represent ourselves.
1 http://www.theshorthorn.com/news/maversity-workshop-explores-social-identity/article_508fbaf0-a8db-11e4-9be3-478fe96a3acb.html
2 http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Gambia.html
Desiree Schippers x
Dr.Michael Thompson
12 February 2015
As a person goes through his or her life they will be constantly bombarded with immense amounts of information taken in through their senses. Be it through sight, smell, taste or touch the human brain is constantly absorbing, deciphering, and storing information. In order to cope with so much material, the brain uses many methods to sort through the information so that it may be better digested. One of the most commonly used approaches, whether a person is aware of it or not, is to sort and catalogue information into orderly mental boxes. This is how most people identify themselves and other people. This concept of grouping people with similar qualities, and classifying oneself with a certain aggregation is called finding social identity.
Ones social identity can be defined by simple things, like where they are from, what school they attend, who they socialize with, and their family. Some people may refer to this as stereotyping, which is something everyone is probably familiar with. An example of a common stereotype would be that all cops are egocentric fat guys that eat donuts. This is not true for the majority of cops, but by saying someone is a police officer, ones brain might automatically assume the person possesses those qualities. This is how humans simplify things to make them easier for us to accept and process. People naturally identify themselves as belonging to a certain group or stereotype as well. This might be liking a certain sports group, being a part of a political party, or having a particular religious affiliation. A person will develop their social identity by first catorigising his or herself. One might think “I am very conservitive, so I should be a Republican.”
People who want to be recognised as a member of a particular faction try to behave in the same way others in the group do. For instance a softball player might start spitting sunflower seeds, or allowing herself to get a sunburn, so that she may be associated with being a softball player, making that part of her identity. Victor Vocco stated in his article on social influence that “As much as we would like to think that every thought we have is original, that every opinion we express is informed by facts alone, the truth is that we use others around us as a reference point for much of our attitudes and behavior. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s human nature.” (Vocco 1) This group that you belong to and base your behaviors off of is called the “in group”. After one establishes his or her identity, it is common for them to start comparing other people and deciding if they are a part of the same group or not. The so called “opposing” group, or group that believes differently than you, is referred to as the “out group.” Commonly, people will do anything to make their group look better. In turn, this makes them seem superior, boosting their ego. It is not unusual for an “in group” to put down an out group. Niether group is better than the other, they simply have different beliefs. But, by putting the “out group” down, members get a sense of higher rank.
Our brains are wired to organize and process information efficiantly. In order to do so our minds create social identitiy to classify ourselves, and other people. Having a social identity allows people to feel a sense of community and camraderie. Being able to associste onself and other people with certain qualities helps the brain sort through all of the crazy information thrown at it everyday.
References:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/07/25/incorporating-social-identity-theory/
Social Identities of Athletes
Hannah Charlton x
2-15-15
What are social identities and why do we have them? A social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. Our social identities can be established by the relations we have to others according to what we have in common. There are a lot of social identities and some people have more than one social identity. They don’t have specific ones because people perceive identities differently. There can be social identities associated with sports, school, work, race, hobbies, gender and more. I want to focus on the identity of an athlete in general.
My entire life I have grown up playing sports. All through junior high and high school I played as many sports as I could. It hasn’t stopped either, I’m here at college playing softball. Being an athlete has been a huge part of my life and has shaped me into the person that I am today. There are many factors that make up the social identity of an athlete. Popularity comes with being an athlete. Stereotypically if you are an athlete you are considered popular by demand. It just sort of comes with the title. People also play a big part in pressuring athletes into who they are. Parents, coaches and even teammates have the biggest influence on an athlete.
Being an athlete on a sports team, whether it is in high school or college, comes with its perks. Everyone knows who you are because they watch you play every game. Make a great play in a game and sooner or later word gets around about you and you become the talk of the school. You are not only popular with the students but also the faculty and administration. You work your way to the top and then there is no going back. The people at school are the ones who make it all happen. They talk about you and make you into the popular kid in school. I know popularity wasn’t a big deal to me but sometimes you can’t do anything about it. Being well known and popular isn’t a bad thing, just depends on how you handle it.
The identity of an athlete is not only shaped because of popularity but also because of people that are closest to you. You parents, for example, pressured you to start playing the sport when you were little and eventually you grew to love it. Your coaches pressure you every single day at practice to run faster and lift harder. They teach you lifelong lessons that you will never forget. Your teammates are there to push you and help you achieve greatness. They make you better every single day and help you become the best athlete and person that you can be. The pressures that surround an athlete make them who they are and shape them into the athlete that they never knew they could be but ended up being.
The social identity of an athlete is shaped by the people and influences that are around them. Being popular just comes with the title of athlete or jock. For both girl and boy athletes it is the same. The people that watch there game and talk about them make them known to everyone in the community. People start to know who they are and then tell their friends. The pressures of mom and dad or coach are a huge influence. The mentality of an athlete is built by others pushing them such as their teammates during practice or even in a game. This is just one subcategory associated with social identities. There are many of them and they can be formed by many different influences. I have the social identity of an athlete as well as most athletes here on campus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_identity_theory
http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/athletic-identity/
Gender Roles
by Dayanara Carswell x
Who am I? That question can be answered by looking at one’s social identity. As simple as that may seem, a person’s social identity is actually quite complex. Social identity is a person’s sense of self-concept based on the groups that they affiliate with. Think about the many groups you are involved in. Each of these groups have different expectations. Due to these varying expectations, you play a different role within each group. These groups can be specific to a small number of people, for example, boy scouts. On the other hand, some classifications are much more general, such as gender. Gender roles play a key part in the formation of each individual’s social identity.
Gender roles are the expectations for the male and female sexes set forth by society. They affect the way men and women think, behave, dress, interact, etc. Typically a person will follow the cultural norms considered appropriate for the gender which they associate with. Many things impact the formation of gender roles. They are influenced by both biology and learning. From the moment a child is born, adults treat them differently depending on gender. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue; girls are dainty and pretty, boys are strong and handsome.
Throughout the lifespan males and females are taught how they should behave by teachers, parents, television and more. When a child conforms to gender expectations, they receive approval from those around them. This form of conditioning strengthens associations with a specific gender. Traditionally, mothers taught their daughters to cook, clean, sew, and tend to the house. Fathers taught boys to work outside, fix things, etc. This presents the typical gender stereotypes. According to CliffsNotes, “Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or groups.” The stereotypical roles of men and women in the home tell us that men are supposed to act as providers while women are to take care of the home and bring up the children. These stereotypes are becoming less and less prominent in today’s society. Today, it is not uncommon to hear of someone being a stay-at-home dad. As time goes on, I predict the line between traditional male and female stereotypes will continually become less defined.
In my life, I relate to the traditional role of the woman in the home. Maybe this is because of the community I grew up in. In the small town where I am from the majority of women are older. These women still believe in the traditional duties of the “typical housewife”. Since I was raised around these women, they instilled some of their values into me. Growing up on a farm, there were expectations for each of us kids. The boys were to be up to do chores in the morning and work around the farm. On the other hand, as the only girl, I was expected to take care of the house work. I would clean, watch my niece, and make sure dinner was on the table when they got home. I take pride in the work that I do in caring for my home and family. There is nothing I enjoy more than receiving a compliment on a home-cooked meal. I am happy conforming to the traditional gender stereotypes.
Every person is unique in their social identity. Each group which a person becomes involved in shapes who they are and how they behave in different social situations. Gender is just one example of these countless groups. Cultural norms vary depending on which specific gender a person associates with. Gender roles influence many things, especially the duties of males and females in the home. In recent years, people have strayed from traditional gender stereotypes. Whether male or female, the gender which a person associates with helps shape their social identity.
Resources:
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/sex-and-gender/gender-roles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role
Racial Identity
Gunner Helton x
15 February 2015
A social identity is a title we give ourselves and those around us based on many different things. Gender, race, and religion all play a key role in identifying our social norms; however, a person’s race and ethnicity is the base of their social identity. Race can be a free ticket into “the social norm” among a certain population, or it can be the stumbling block that prevents a person from entering “the social norm” they may desire to be in. Other people can view us in different ways than we view ourselves. But most times a person can tell a lot about us by our race.
Psychology Today states that there are two ways society defines race. The first way is called biological conception, meaning the genetic similarities in a population through periods of time. Traditions from the past such as farming, hunting, building, and dancing are found in us today through long lines of lineage. Slaves remain discriminated against and royalty remains royal. The race of a man has a huge influence on his life. The traditions of his parents and grandparents, the land that he calls his home, his profession and career, his hobbies and interests, his personality and creativity, and his skills and talents are all influenced by his race. African American people are known to run faster, lift more, and jump higher. Asian people are known for development, technology, and higher learning. Native American people are known to be resourceful, positive, and confident. Hispanic people are known to be family-oriented, religious, and happy. A person’s heritage and background has a big effect on the choices they make in their life.
The second way society defines race is called folk-conception. This is when we stereotype because of looks or other attributes that people share. For example, color, language, dialect, actions, and body features are all stereotyped when somebody states their race. This is where our society struggles. The stereotypical thoughts, comments, and brutality we take towards certain people happen because we pick their social identity for them, rather than taking the time to get to know them. This fact is just appalling.
Certain stereotypes form with each race. Because I am a white male, I buy into the stereotypes of other races even though I should not. For example, when I see a black male the first things that pop into my mind are rap music and city life. Even though that is his stereotype sometimes, his real social identity could be completely different than that. He could like country music and live in a small town, but because his identity is already fixed by the majority of society I automatically follow along. Another example is when I see someone who is hispanic. The big stereotype stamped on the hispanic population is that they are lazy, illegal, and unemployed. Even though I believe that this isn’t true, I still place them under that specific identity sometimes. This creates blurred lines of who people are and who people are not..
The Pacific Sociological Review says that individual people paint pictures of their own race and different races based on their personal experience. Furthermore, discrimination and racial stereotypes do not commonly arise from one person, they come from a power-thirsty group that share the same ideals. Social identities can be built by race, and torn down by race as well. In the struggle to find our own identities we rely on our race and traditions for the most part. But when people tear them down, racial identities cause problems. In a way, our race makes us think we must act like our stereotype. To know our own social identity we rely on our racial identity. To find others' social identity we must understand their racial identity, not just the stereotype of it.
References:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/philosophy-dispatches/201209/the-roots-racism
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1388607?uid=3739672&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21104717047467
Social Identity of Jehovah's Witness
by: Mario Flores x
15 February 2015
Social Identity Theory was originally created to understand the psychological basis of discrimination in between groups in 1979 by Taijfel and Turner. Chegg.com defines social identity as one’s self sense of being in a group or groups. Sociologist use social identity to explain how people understand, who they are, and why it is that they do the things they do. This can also be how society sees them or how they see themselves. Social identities are comprised of in and out groups. In group meaning “us” and outgroup meaning “them”. A theory of in and out groups is that they will try to find negative aspects of themselves.
I identify myself as a person who believes in ethical monotheism with the Judeo-Christian belief of God. I no longer belong to an organized religion. Growing up I was a Jehovah's Witness, I fell into the social identity within the congregation itself as a unbaptized publisher.
JW believe that being baptized should be a conscious decision so you have the choice. Within the organization there's divisions amongst themselves at the bottom with the least amount of privileges is those simply attending the meetings that are not baptized, next is the unbaptized publishers who are allowed to go preaching with baptized members, then there is the baptized people that have full privileges, then there are those that believe that they are going to heaven. JW believe that after death they will be resurrected and live on a paradise earth. What I noticed when I left the christian organization was the ingroup favoritism. Ingroup favoritism is an implication of social identity where you give preferential treatment to ingroup individuals. In the JW belief system those who are acting in a manner which is unpleasing to the congregation and are Baptized can be “disfellowshipped” while disfellowshipped they are shunned. The people who do the shunning are those that are baptized, while talking is permitted to those that are not baptized it is something that I’ve never seen.
When I quit going there are many that don’t talk to me while I have not done any personal wrong to them nor was I ever baptized. Growing up in that religion and knowing most of them all of my life preferential treatment to the ingroup is iminent. Jehovahs Witness are a world rejecting christian denomination, they refer to people who are not affiliated with their organization as “worldly”; this means that they are referring to them in a negative manner as belonging to the “world” and are being unclean or immoral. Society also views JW in a negative way there have been common jokes about them on sitcoms when they hear someone knocking on the door or a couple of internet memes because they chose not to donate or receive blood. Other religions say negative aspects of Jehovah’s witness as well by going as far as to call them a “cult”.
Identifying yourself religiously offers you a different view of the world to consider it “sacred” or an “everlasting” group identification which is quite different then most other groups that you may associate with. Religious identity promotes well-being which is a positive group to be associated with. Some problems may arise when internal conflict between the religious identity is threatened. It is important to remember ingroups are groups you associate with, and out groups are groups that you don't associate with that you may discriminate.
References:
http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20Clusters/Interpersonal%20Communication%20and%20Relations/Social_Identity_Theory/
https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/social-identity-49
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20089847
http://www.academia.edu/3327555/_Losing_my_religion_Managing_identity_in_a_post-Jehovah_s_Witness_world
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_identity_theory
http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
What is Social Identity
Luis Hernandez x
4-15-15
[[http://static5.depositphotos.com/1023102/532/i/950/depositphotos_5325436-Social-Identity-Crossword.jpg]]
Social identity shows everyone how we identify ourselves in society to others according to what we have in common to everyone else. Social identity can gives people with a sense of self-esteem and a structure for socializing, and it can have an affect on their behavior. While gender identity usually tends to show between the ages of two and three, many other forms of identity continue to show or grow throughout a person's life. During the years maturity many teens undergo the process of choosing their social identity or who they want to be. There are a lot of young people who experiment with body piercings, new hairstyles, music preferences, tattoos, and different forms of dressing them self’s these are ways in which teens try to fit in with a group or decide which group is right for them, hopefully its groups with good influences.
The first thing we tend to do is categorize objects in a certain way to understand them and identify them. In a very similar way we define people in order to understand the social environment. We use social categories like black, white, Hispanic, Christian, catholic, student, and janitor because they are useful. In the second we identify objects usually called social identification, we identity the group we have categorized ourselves as belonging to. If for I where to have categorized yourself as a student, the chances are you will adopt the identity of a student and begin to act in the ways you believe students act. There will be an emotional significance to your identification with a group, and your self-esteem will become bound up with group membership. The final stage is social comparison. Once we have categorized ourselves as part of a group and have identified with that group we then tend to compare that group with other groups. If our self-esteem is to be maintained our group needs to compare favorably with other groups. This is critical to understanding prejudice, because once two groups identify themselves as rivals they are forced to compete in order for the members to maintain their self-esteem.
Just to refresh in social identity theory the group membership is not something foreign or artificial which is attached onto the person, it is a real, true and vital part of the person. Again, it is crucial to remember in-groups are groups you identify with, and out-groups are ones that we don't identify with, and may discriminate against.
References:
http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/95616.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_identity_theory
Joyce Korir X
The Maasai People.
The Maasai tribe (or Maasai) is a unique and popular tribe due to their long preserved culture. Despite education, civilization and western cultural influences, the Maasai people have clung to their traditional way of life, making them a symbol of Kenyan culture. Maasai's distinctive culture, dress style and strategic territory along the game parks of Kenya and Tanzania have made them one of East Africa's most internationally famous tourist attractions. The Maasai people of Africa live in Kenya along Great Rift Valley on semi-arid lands. They are approximately one million people. They live in manyatta, a circular fashioned house. The fence around the manyatta is made of acacia thorns which prevent lions from attacking the cattle. Its men responsibility to fence the house while women construct the houses. The Maasai house are loaf shaped and made of mud sticks grass cow dung and cows urine. Women are responsible for making the house as well as supplying water collecting firewood milking cattle and cooking for the family. Boys are responsible for herding cattle livestock. Livestock such as cattle goats and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai. Livestock serves as a social utility that plays an important role in the Maasai economy. Livestock are traded for other livestock cash or livestock products such as milk and siege. Cows and goats are sold for uniform and school fees for children. Traditionally the Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for protein and caloric needs. People drink blood on special occasions.it is given to a circumcised person, a woman who has given birth and the sick. Also on a regular bass drunk elders, ilamerak, use the blood to alleviate intoxication and hangovers. The Maasai have private land ownership they own 100 hectares of land. The warrior is of great importance as a source of pride in the Maasai culture. To be a Maasai is to be born into one of the world's last great warrior cultures. From boyhood to adulthood, young Maasai boys begin to learn the responsibilities of being a man (helder) and a warrior.
The role of a warrior is to protect their animals from human and animal predators, to build kraals (Maasai homes) and to provide security to their families. Through rituals and ceremonies, including circumcision, Maasai boys are guided and mentored by their fathers and other elders on how to become a warrior. Although they still live their carefree lives as boys - raiding cattle, chasing young girls, and game hunting - a Maasai boy must also learn all of the cultural practices, customary laws and responsibilities he'll require as an elder. An elaborate ceremony - Eunoto - is usually performed to "graduate" the young man from their moran and carefree lifestyle to that of a warrior. Beginning life as a warrior means a young man can now settle down and start a family, acquire cattle and become a responsible elder. In his late years, the middle-aged warrior will be elevated to a senior and more responsible elder during the Olng'eshere ceremony. Maasai children enter into a system of "age-sets" with peers where various life stages, such as circumcision, are marked with ritual and cerem still taught other functional roles like how to build houses, make beadwork, and cook and clean their homes, by their mothers and older women. When they come of age, their parents "book" a warrior from a respectable clan as an appropriate husband for their daughter.
Reference;
http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html
http://www.maasaimara.com/entries/maasai-culture
onies. At the age of 14, girls are initiated into adulthood through an official circumcision ceremony known as Emorata.
Presently, the female circumcision ritual is outlawed in Kenya and its use is diminishing from the Maasai women's culture. Young Maasai girls are
Media Within Society
Lucas Gordon x
Media and Sociology
Lucas Gordon
Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. There are many aspects included in the study of sociology, including but not limited to, culture, knowledge and beliefs. Shared culture and knowledge and beliefs between family, friends and even in the work environment influence how one perceives certain situations and certain people. From the beginning we are influenced by the culture around us from birth through adulthood. Influencers include parents, friends, friends parents and teachers, they are all around and many have different beliefs, however; in society, people tend to surround themselves with only those who share the same views, beliefs and ideals. People also have a tendency to surround themselves with media that supports their own ideals and beliefs. Mass media not only has an effect on adults but it has a large impact on young children. As children grow the range of influences gets larger and this could lead them either closer to the sharing the same culture as their friends and family or straying from what they know to discover something new. It is unavoidable and with growing technology and media on the rise, the number of influences increases and can either change or reinforce ones morals and values.
Media affects sociology in several ways especially how one might view himself/herself and how they build their relationships. Culture in sociology and the media also affects how one views certain people and situations. When it comes to media and socialization, the media such as, television, newspapers and internet, all effect the mind, especially the minds of young children. With media on the rise television acts as an interactive tool for children, but, television is not actually interactive. Instead it gives off the illusion of interaction and because of this it fulfills some social needs which is a disadvantage to young children and their development. Children do learn from television with some lessons being beneficial and others, not so beneficial. Television teaches them about the world and the ways of society. And while there are some good lessons coming from television, some messages, such as language and violence need to be filtered. Children are so absorbent as they grow and in these situations the parents roles are increasingly important to elaborate on right and wrong.
Mass media is a form of communication, written, spoken or broadcasted, and reaches a large audience it is a “significant force” in society and reflects and creates culture, which is referred to as Mediated Culture. The Limited Effects Theory assumes that since people in a culture generally choose what they read and/or watch the effects of mass media on a person is negated. This theory is widely criticized due to the fact that mass media has not always been so expanded and the media frames certain topics to be viewed a certain way by viewers or listeners. The next theory is, the Class Dominant Theory, this states that the media reflects and projects the view of the minority elite, which controls it. This usually comes in the form of news outlets in which the views of the commentators or writers gently pull readers, listener and watchers into their ways of thinking this could also be referred to as manipulation. The final theory is the Culturalist Theory, this is a combination of the two previous theories and claims that people interact with media to create their own meanings out of the images and messages they receive. Research done on this theory concludes that the majority of peoples personal perspective plays a powerful role in they interpret the images or messages they are exposed to through the use of mass media.
References
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (n.d.). The Media as an Influence on Socialization. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
Houghton, Mifflin, & Harcourt. (n.d.). The Role and Influence of Mass Media on Sociology. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
What is Sociology? (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2015.
My Culture
Brittnee Higgs x
Moving here to a small town in western Kansas has been quite a culture shock for me. Being from a bigger city in Utah with so much stuff to do or places that you could be and then coming to a small college with not near as much stuff to do is pretty different than from where I have come from.
Living in northern Utah my whole life a major part of the culture is the mountain. Most people are up in the mountains as much as they can be; I know that my family is. In the winter people from my area go up to the mountains to go skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling. But in the summer there are so much more that people go up to the mountains to do. Some of the main stuff that my family does is camping, ATV riding, hiking, fishing, boating, and pretty much anything else that you can think of.
Even though I have lived in a bigger city my entire life my family for the most part all lives in Roy, Utah, which is where I live. I have grown up a very close family where we do as much together as possible. We try to have a bar-be-que as least a couple times a month where we all just grill up any type of meat that we bring, eat, and sit around the fire pit in our back yard and exchange stories and memories. This is something that I am sure is very important in a small town culture as well. From the people that I have got to know here at Colby Community College that are from a small town seem to have their entire family in the town as well.
One thing that I miss that is in the bigger cities but not as much in the small town is malls and shopping centers. Where I am from you don’t have to drive more than ten minutes before you can go into a store or mall. Being here many of my teammates and me have become experts at online shopping. Another big difference that I have noticed is there are not many restaurants. Maybe I’ve noticed this because I am almost always hungry and looking for food everywhere.
But living here in Colby, Kansas has taught me a lot about the different areas with their different cultures. I have also learned a great deal about agriculture that I would never be learning in Utah mostly because we don’t have big farms around my home at all. Even though I haven’t been here for that long I can tell that the people genuinely care about everyone else who lives here because in some way they know each other, whether that is that they went to school together or their kids go to school together. Colby is definitely one of the best towns that I have seen from what I have seen from where I have traveled with softball team.
References
http://www.science20.com/truth_universally_acknowledged/big_city_vs_small_town_reasonable_person_model
http://thoughtcatalog.com/beth-leipholtz/2014/05/14-enormous-differences-between-my-small-town-and-the-big-city/
The Importance of Culture
By Ami Ronvelia x
Dr. Michael Thompson
February 14, 2015
There are various types of cultures around the world. Digging in deeper we can see their different beliefs and knowledge. Culture defines arts, but it also characterizes sociology. What that really means is the human social groups into which people are born and in which they live their lives. Each group of people have a particular way of doing things. For example the language, food, celebrations, and worshipping taken together would equal to someone’s culture. Not everyone will follow the same way of living. Today, people all over the world are exposed to ideas and ways of doing things, and they get to express their culture in different ways.
There are so many factors that culture can tie into. Some of the most common ones are the beliefs and the knowledge. Beliefs are basically the ideas that you have a commitment to. They express your attitude about things, and the way you look at things. Beliefs are something that you endorse. For example, I belong to the Indian culture, and my religion is Hinduism. There are many beliefs that Hindu’s believe in, but the one my family and I believe in the most are the rituals and holy places. Temples are one of the holy places that we put our faith in. Now, these are things that we believe will do us good, and obviously not everyone will see it the same way.
Parents play a big role in culture because they are the ones who give us the true knowledge of life. They provide us guidance so that we know what’s right and wrong. My parents have never failed to show me the right path. One of the biggest things they’ve taught me is to always respect elders. I remember my mom said to me once, “It’s always important to respect your elders because they are wiser and without them you would not exist.” That is definitely a true fact of life because without my parents I wouldn’t be where I am today. Another very important thing I learn from them is that if they tell me not to do something then I am sure it must be for my own good. Yes, we may not want them to say no to us all the time, but when they do it’s very important to remember that they have a right reason to say that. Honestly, that is something I’ve learned recently, because I always was the girl who hated when my parents said no to me without a reason, but when I look back I could see that what they did was the best for me and their reason was justified. That is the kind of knowledge you gain from your parents, but you also gain more and more knowledge in school too. In school we learn something new each day, we may not want to be at school everyday, but it’s important to realize how much we learn. Knowledge is something that will keep expanding within you throughout the years of life.
New generations will keep coming, but that does not mean that the culture you live in should change too. These diverse cultures are what keep life enjoyable and interesting. It’s amusing to see how much culture and religion affects people these days. My parents are my role models and will always be. They’ve taught me discipline and the best knowledge that I could gain, that has helped me so much in the past years. The religion that each person grows up in is what effects their culture, beliefs, and knowledge. It’s very essential to always look back to see how much culture has left an impact in your life.
Resources
http://www.adultmeducation.com/socialandeconomicfactors_4.html
http://www.ils.unc.edu/~losee/b5/node9.html
My Culture
Layton Leydig X
Sociology
February 1, 2015
Dr. Michael Thompson
There are many different cultures within our world today. One culture that most people don’t tend to think about is the culture of small town United States. I have grown up in a small town my whole life. Starting in Colby and then ending in Council Grove. The small town lifestyle I had grown accustomed to has taught me many different values and morals that people from bigger cities do not have the opportunity to experience.
One thing that you can experience within a small town that others from big cities do not get to experience is the tight knit community. When you live in a small town you will notice small gestures that others do not receive in big cities such as a friendly wave when you’re driving by another person in town, people waiting for you to go at a four way stop even when they were at the stop sign a little before you, or something as little as the conversing with the Short Stop cashier every time you go in to get a drink. Another characteristic of a small town is the following you get towards your high school. Whether it was the Friday night-lights, playing a basketball game, or playing a double header on the baseball diamond, we always received great support from the local citizens.
Faith and religion is a value that we have always kept close to our family. This is particularly typical in most small towns. In Council Grove we have six different churches within our small town. Council grove is only composed of 2.012 square miles, and the population of Council Grove is only 2,114 people. That means there is on average one church to every 352 people and one church to every 0.335 miles. We tried to implement our religious beliefs in everything we did, such as going to church every Sunday, using the golden rule of treating others how we would like to be treated, and also praying before every sporting event in the locker room before we would come out to warm up.
Another small town culture is the participation of outdoor sports and activities. In Council Grove we have two lakes that we all like to gather to when the weather is nice. The city lake has plenty of cabins that people like to rent or buy and stay in for summers. People enjoy boating, fishing, and camping here and just relax. There is also a reservoir lake that people from Council Grove and surrounding areas come to. Here there are a lot of campers that people bring out so they can camp, boat, and just have a good small town time with friends and family. These are small town cultural events that those from bigger towns do not get to experience like we do in a small town such as Council Grove. This is why people from small communities tend to go fishing, boating, and hunting more often than those who are from larger communities.
The small town culture that I have gotten the chance to be raised in is much more than what meets the eye. People will look at the activities that take place in small towns and consider them either as boring or a waste of time. Personally I believe these activities are much more than what they are perceived to be. These activities give everyone a chance to become closer as a family and to put what is actually important into perspective. With the ability to get to know everyone better, to have a strong belief and faith, and to be able to spend extended time with friends and family it is like every day is a learning lesson and a chance to better yourself as a person.
Resources
http://blog.talkingphilosophy.com/?p=403
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_Grove,_Kansas
Knowledge Throughout Life
Madison Moncel XSociology
February 1, 2015
Dr. Michael Thompson
Knowledge is based off of how much you know. Or at least how much somebody decides you know. The way the American education system is set up today judges your knowledge on what a group of people thinks you need to know. However, I believe that such broad generalized testing doesn’t show an adequate projection of someone’s knowledge.
We don’t learn everything in school that we need for life and we don’t need everything we learn in school to survive the real world. There are so many entrepreneurs that have failed to complete, what is now deemed necessary to be successful, a degree. To name a few of these people would be Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, and Mark Zuckerberg, the brains behind the beloved Facebook. All of these wonderful minds have been extremely successful with out a college degree. The only thing college did for them was possible help spark the idea for their success.
Since leaving high school I have noticed that not a lot of what I have learned has translated to help out with my everyday life. In fact, most of what I have been drilled on for state standardized test has proven to be no use for me. I understand why we need to learn something’s, in order to keep us from being naïve members of society, but I could think of so many more interesting things that pertain to my life and my future that I could have learned.
Standardized testing and subject curriculum can only get someone so far. There are the people who comprehend that information and have a wealth of knowledge that has equipped them for a test, but there are also the people who have impeccable knowledge about life and other things of sorts. But if schools don’t teach their interests there is no way for them to be intrigued and interested in a class, which in turn will hinder their performance in school.
If education was more tailored to fit the needs of the student rather than generalized for a few, think about how different our society would be. If apprenticeships were incorporated into schools then students could jump into the work force after leaving college. And learning the information you need for a specific job from would help you learn the proper way for it to be done right from the source.
I think that if students would work on gaining knowledge on what they are interested in they will be more successful both in and out of school. This would also help with the quality of service they will provide, because if everyone is focusing on what they love they will work hard to be the best at what they do.
Resources
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1988080_1988093_1988082,00.html
http://www.ted.com/conversations/18629/education_is_not_about_school.html
*elijah dean* 0X
Would you tell a christan that god isn’t real because you never seen him? Belief plays a strong part in today’s society because everyone believes what they want and often gets into an altercation with someone else over what’s right when really it’s just what you want to be right. A wise man once told me two things you never want to argue about is politics and religion. Believing in someone as a boyfriend or girlfriend that they will stay loyal while you guys are in different states really tells how much belief you have in a person. As you go through life people tell you what they believe and expect you to make it a belief when it’s really your choice if you want to or not. How much belief do you have in things you can’t see?
When I hear the word “belief” the first thing I think about is religion. Having faith is to believe in something you can’t see referring to Jesus. It’s hard to believe in something you can’t see, feel, or hear. I grew up going to church whenever I felt like getting some free candy without really understanding why I was going and what my purpose was. Life is about making choices no matter the choice good or bad you have to be ready for the conseques that comes behind it. Believe in yourself or nobody will believe in you know your worth and keep your beliefs close to your heart and stick to your word.
As a young age I knew what was right and what was wrong but sometimes I wanted to just tryout the wrong becuause my belief was not in whoever told me it was wrong but was in me wanting to figure out on my own. Having belief in something knows that no matter what anybody says you stand behind your belief. At this day in age you really have to have a lot of belief in your spouse and trusting them when you are not around each other. Trust plays a part in belief because if you don’t trust what you believe in then it’s worthless to you as if you don’t have trust in your spouse. Some will argue that’s its harder to believing in a human than it is to believe in god even though you can’t see him because they believe no matter what he will never betray or leave them.
NO IMAGE
A lot of your beliefs come from your culture or the culture you came from. Tribes in African believe in voodoo which if you ask someone if they believe in voodoo in Colby they will look at you like your stupid and probably walk away. Sometimes instead of saying your opinion about someone’s beliefs you just listen and just see how they think and their outlook on life. As a kid I believed presents came from Santa not because I knew him but because my parents to me that and I believed anything they told me. Sometimes you have to make your own beliefs and you can’t let anyone tell you different.
Resources
http://paxushersknust.wordpress.com
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370203000638
Western Culture and Beliefs
Brett Schroeder X
Dr. Michael Thompson
As a kid I always wondered if God was real and if I was following the right church or not. When younger everyone believes everything they are told and one never second guesses or thinks twice about what their parents tell them. In today’s culture there are over 3,000 different Christian denominations and they all started with the Catholic Church. During the Renaissance in 1523, Martin Luther King disagreed with some of the church teachings, so he broke off and started his own church in England, known as the Protestant Church.
Culture has always been a huge factor in what we believe today. For instance, everywhere one goes the religions don’t really intermix, they either believe the same thing or they are somewhat similar. Even today I study the scripture to make sure what I am believing in and following is true. Everyone thinks that their religion is the truth and righteous faith that everyone should come and follow. Just like the Jews are supposed to be the chosen people, the Catholic Church was started by Jesus Christ, and the Protestant church was supposed to be made better by Martin Luther King. They all have to do with believing in something that isn’t visible, the only way of knowing, is to actually study and be open to all of the different faiths to learn which one is the true church of God.
If one is a Christian or not, they almost always have wondered or asked once in their life, “where is God,” or “where did he come from.” That’s the hardest part of any religion is believing in something that one can’t scientifically prove, if everyone personally knew God it would be easy to believe and know which church to follow. Of course there are some who just want to be rebels or they just don’t want to follow the strict rules of a religion so they go against culture and live up life the way they think will make them happy.
It is amazing to see how much religion and culture influence people just so that they will be accepted into society, most people will do almost anything to be accepted. Acceptance into society today is a big role in how people grow up. For example, the more confident kids in school are usually the role models or the jocks, not only in schools but more so in the work place. The most accepted are usually the most successful because they have more ambition and incentive to do all they can to be the best.
Culture and religion today are a huge factor on knowing the difference from right and wrong. If it wasn’t for my adult role models and my religion then there is no way that I would have grown up to be the person I am today. In western culture it used to be acceptable to discipline ones child but nowadays it can be considered to be child abuse. That’s why there is less discipline and more spoiled kids in today’s culture. Growing up in a well disciplined and religious family, I know my place and I stand by sternly. I know what’s right and what’s wrong and if I disobey then I am thoroughly disciplined. So in our western culture today there are lots of Christian denominations, there for having very similar cultures.
Resources
http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm
http://volunteeralberta.ab.ca/intersections/staff/building-cultural-knowledge/cultural-knowledge
http://www.bravewell.org/integrative_medicine/philosophical_foundation/beliefs_and_culture/
India's Culture
Sonya Garza XSociology
January 27, 2015
Dr. Michael Thompson
Around the world there’s many different cultures, customs and beliefs. Many of theses different places have their different languages, religion, food, and clothing. We may think that the things we do in our own cultures may be normal but what’s really normal when theres so many different cultures? But I’d like to discuss India and their culture.
India is known as the worlds largest democracy with having 28 states and 7 territories and each have at least one official language. Hindi is india’s first language and English comes in second for their national languages. Their’s about 22 official language and nearly 400 living languages spoken in different parts of the county. Another interesting fact about their languages is that each of their states have their own official languages.
India is also identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is a major religion and cultural tradition for many of South Asia, while Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. India’s religion is very spiritual and is a way of life for Indian’s. For majority of Indians, religion is very aspect of life, from common place daily chores to education and even to politics. Islam is also another well known religion for some of India’s people. Their is still about 100 million Muslims in India, regardless of the country being predominately Hindu. Islam most of the time is frowned upon and considered a sin to the other religion in this region.
Another interesting thing about India is their food. Many of the people in India are vegetarians and the reason behind this is because cows are considered to be sacred to many of the Hinduism people. They see a cow’s as a soul, in which god resides. So in other words killing a cow in india would be a way a crime. Not only is the cow a sacred animal but so are many of the other animals. Elephants are also well known as wisdom and are very popular symbol in Hindu religion. But now back to the other foods of India’s that aren't apart of the Hindu religion. Most of India’s food cuisines are influenced by Arab, Turkish and European. Wheat, Basmati rice and chana are apart of this cuisines and are important to Indian’s diet. Spices are also well known to India and they have many different dishes that are different for each region, and not everything is curry.
Indians have a very distinct type of clothing and fashion that ties in a lot with their culture. Indians like to bring out the colors, patterns and the cloth of their clothing because it all has a meaning behind it. A traditional woman clothing in India, that is recognizable would be a Sari. Sari is a garment consisting of length of silk elaborately draped around the body of many of the woman in india. The color and pattern come in and reflect the wealth information of who wears it. White Saris are worn by priests, red represents fertility and sexuality, which many of the brides wear. Muslim woman usually wear green saris and black is worn by mourners and those in grief. Conch patterned saris symbolize warriors and the gods in the form of sound. Traditional clothing for mean are dhoti, which a unstitched piece of clothe that isa bout 5 yards long that is tied around the waist and legs. Turbans are another headdress of long length of silk that many muslim men wear. Jewelry is also a very important tradition for Indian’s because gold represents protection and pure from god.
Overall India has many beautiful traditions. Their culture differs from many of the other worlds cultures or may even be similar to others but overall we all have the choice to choose our own cultures, that are consciously and unconsciously influenced by countless factors in today’s world.
Resources:
1. http://www.livescience.com/28634-indian-culture.html
2. http://www.indiaquickfacts.com/content/india-dress-indian-attire
Weston Paslay x
Sociology
Mr. Thompson
15 February 2015
Culture, Knowledge, and Belief
Several factors come to play when you are talking about productivity in the workplace. One of the more important factors is communication. However, recently communication has become increasing more difficult with the arrival of intercultural communication. Since major corporations have been developing, producing and marketing products all around the world, intercultural communication is becoming increasing more important. The author of an article on social and cultural issues explains that in every country, populations are becoming increasingly more diverse and cities like New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles are prime examples of cities with very diverse groups of people. He continues saying that even small communities have various different groups of numerous unusual ethnicities. This is causing intercultural communication to become more and more complex. Problems caused from such communications can lead to excluding or misunderstanding other cultures, which doesn’t make for a very sound business practice. Assuming that everyone speaks English and understands US cultural communication can trigger the loss of useful, much needed employees and broader markets for products. This has also been a problem in the past, which means that there is a substantial amount of information and research of this topic. According to the author of the article, a man by the name of Edward T. Hall began extensive research in the US Foreign Institute in the 1950s. Halls examined how cultures communicate, or miscommunicate, with one another through speech, body language and writing. He also studied the difference between individual’s and group’s behaviors and attitudes and how their opposing beliefs may be at the forefront of their miscommunication. Hall believes that Americans tend to pay attention to technical details, which could cause others like, the French for instance, to become annoyed or even insulted. Hall also states that Arabs are more upfront and physically direct than most Americans so the Americans are probably going to be disturbed with the closeness of the conversation.
Another problem arising has to do with social control and whether it is working or not. It is up to each individual society to deal with the pressure between the need to protect its people from danger and the likelihood that social control measures could possibly deny the citizens basic rights, worsen inequalities and also create injustices. Some communities implement social control by creating norms, laws and regulations, and enforcing them. The general public then either agrees to these newly set rules and regulations or they disagree with them. There are two basic forms of social control. The first means of social control is informal control and the second one is formal control. According to Wikipedia, informal social control deals with internalization of norms and values by the process of socialization. Wikipedia defines the other form of social control, formal social control, as being more about external sanctions enforced by the government to prevent chaos in society. This form is often referred to as regulation. Long ago, social control was described as the society’s ability to regulate itself but later it was changed to an individual’s conversion to conformity. When you have broken the rules in a society following informal social control, you will usually be shamed, ridiculed, criticized and given sarcasm and disapproval which will hopefully cause the person who broke the rules to stray back toward the norms and rules of the society. In a formal social controlled society, the rule breakers aren’t so lucky. Back then, rulers would used imprisonment and exile, and even torture and murder as a means to deal with these people to get them out of the public space so they don’t break the rules again or give anyone else any bright ideas.
References:
http://wps.pearsoncustom.com/pls_1256647969_pwo/217/55692/14257256.cw/content/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_control
Jesel Herrera X
Dr. Michael Thompson
February 1, 2015
Intro to Sociology
Argentina’s Culture
Argentina is located in South America. It is mostly known for its traditional dance tango. In the United States Football is the most popular sport. People have parties when their favorite team is playing. In Argentina soccer is a big deal for them! In Argentina people are uncertain of who they are. Many of them define themselves as a Latin-American nation.
The Argentina flag, and national anthem is something that must be follow by the population at risk of serious consequences. This is a strongly enforce rule. The population feels very strongly about these symbols, that is someone fail to follow these symbols death can be a consequence. The flag is always display all around when the country is participating in World Soccer Cup matches.
Something else that is unique about this country is their food. They are a fond of beef and pastas. Like in the United States in Argentina lunch is from noon till around two o’clock. Lunch used to be the biggest meal of the day, but it changed because of peoples work schedules. Unlike the United States dinner for them is from nine to ten at night. Argentines don’t really like trying unusual food, flavors or combinations. The most popular places to eat there for them would be steak house and pizzerias.
Unlike in the United States in Argentina women roles on positions of power are limited, not many are elected senators but women outnumber men in architecture. There are more male deputies. If divorce occurs children won’t be allow to leave the country with only on parent. Argentina has the largest number of consensual unions. Only civil marriage is recognize. Most of the population is Catholic, which is the most influence religion in Argentina. This country strongly opposes divorce. Argentines can be very social. They greet each other with a kiss in the cheek. They address each other with the word “vos” which means you. They have a different way of saying hi when driving. Argentina has 17 native languages, but the universal language is American Spanish. Spanish is spoken more in the urban areas. The population varies, 40% is Italian, 30% is Spanish and the remaining is from ten other countries.
This country has some interesting facts. It’s rude for Argentines to yawn in public places.Something really common in Argentina are plastic surgeries. When a car is for sale you usually see a sign that says “For Sale” not in Argentina. They use a plastic jug on top of the car. No one sugar coats anything, they say it how it is. I you’re ugly they call you ugly, if you’re fat they will call you fat. If you are invited for dinner, you should bring a small gift for the host. You shouldn’t introduce yourself, they have third party introductions. Everyone says bad words, they don’t consider them bad. Even the cute little kids will say bad words and it will be normal for them.
Many things someone will consider normal is not for others. Different cultures have different beliefs. When visiting a different culture it would be good if you read some of their beliefs, and culture so you could have an idea what to expect.
Resourses
http://iberoamerican-universities.universia.net/en/argentina/live/culture.html
http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Argentina.html
http://acad.depauw.edu/mkfinney_web/teaching/Com227/culturalPortfolios/argentina/Cultural%20Traditions.htm
Culture
Branson Addington X
Dr. Michael Thompson
Intro to Sociology
1 February 2015
There are many concerns when it comes to the topic of teen drinking. Many people say that it’s not that big of a deal and if they aren’t drinking they’ll be doing something else equally stupid. But there are a few hard facts when it comes to teen drinking that push that argument out the window. There are facts that prove alcoholic consumption in teens causes deaths, accidents, and many other problems that are major health issues in the United States today, and in many other countries, and the problems can range from sexual assault to death.
After a long night of partying, many of the young drinkers will make the excellent decision to start up their cars and drive home. These geniuses can take up the entire road, and it increases the chances of having an accident by more than nine times over. The accidents that result can end up especially bad for the drinkers, being the blood will exit the body faster when under the influence of alcoholic drinks. Not only that, but the drunkies will have to live with the fact that they hurt innocent people because they were drinking. So not only does teen drinking affect the drinkers themselves, it affects those around them and can even affect those not close to them at all.
Not only does alcohol cause people to act stupid while under the influence, it can also have a long-term effect on the drinker’s brain. Studies have shown that drinkers under the legal age will permanently alter their brain, because it is still growing. This change in the brain can affect things like knowing when you’ve had too much, and continue to cause people to make more and more mistakes. Living for fifteen years with an alcoholic father who began drinking at a young age, I have seen the effect that it had, as he almost never quits drinking when he starts, so I can say personally that underaged drinking has affected my life in a huge way.
Finally, drinking can cause a lot of aggressive behavior. This is probably not the best thing for teens, as they are already an overly-aggressive lot. Alcohol also grants poor decision-making skills, which is all the ingredients necessary for a sexual-assault cocktail. Statistically, the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse states that it is much more likely for teens to experience sexual assault while under the influence of alcohol. Needless to say, there is not really much of a need for teens to be drinking.
But the real question is why do teens still do it? With all the information out on how bad it is on your system and the negative consequences of being caught with alcohol or driving under the influence, why do teens still get the urge to drink? I believe it is because of peer pressure. Everyone wants to fit in in high school, and everyone wants to be accepted by others. Many people are placed in the “weird” category if they do not drink, and are then not accepted to parties or to hang out with others because they’re just a stick in the mud.
In conclusion, there are many negative consequences to teen drinking. Rape, drinking and driving, and fighting are all possibilities while being under the influence, not to mention alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. A lot of teens may not want to drink, but are pressured into it by their peers because they want to fit in. Alcohol consumption in teens is still a large issue with the public today, and may never be solved. I believe that teens will continue to drink and make poor decisions as long as drinking is still the cool thing to do.
References:
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/underage-drinking
http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/underagedrinking.html
Ethan Ross X
Dr. Thompson
Introduction to Sociology
1 February 2015
Since the beginning of our great country's birth, drinking has been apart of it. Although the legal age to drink is twenty-one, a lot of teenagers begin to drink before that. But a big question is why do teenagers enjoy to drink. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, there are five. They are “Risk-Taking,” “Expectancies,”, “Sensitivity and Tolerance to Alcohol,” “Personality Characteristics and Psychiatric Co-morbidity,” and finally “Heredity.” Most of those reasons are self explanatory.
Although the common teenager finds nothing wrong with alcohol and thinks it's a great time, it can have adverse effects on the said teen and the teenager's family. One of the main problems with teen drinking is that has terrible effects on your brain, liver, and can cause many kinds of cancer. According to Cancer.org, Alcohol is linked to more than six types of cancer. The big misunderstanding about teen drinking is that adults let their kids get drunk right on their property, which is legal in some states. But what this gives the teenager is a false message that drinking is completely okay. Or, the parents do the complete opposite and drive it into the kid's brain that drinking is terrible. Which isn't a bad style of parenting, it just may lead the kid to become rebellious and binge drink in college, which is not good for anyone.
I will tell a personal experience of mine with alcohol. In the great city of Hays, KS me and some fine young gentleman decided to drink some Vodka and orange juice, also dubbed the “Screwdriver.” Drink after drink occurs and we go to the bar. My intoxicated self decides I need to leave and go back to the guy's house we were staying at, which was only a block south of me. I was not in the right state of mind though and I walked the wrong way! It's probably around 40 degrees out and I'm wondering around the city of Hays without a jacket. Finally I bring some sense to my self and pull a cop aside to tell him I don't know where I'm at. My punishment was that I got an MIC, but I lived to see another day. Imagine if I were even more intoxicated, I could've died that night. (And I blew a ..243!)
So in conclusion, teenagers need to become very well informed on how alcohol can affect you. Even though a lot of them will ignore it and experiment on their own. That's the best way for them to learn it though is to go out and experiment with it.
References
1. pubs.niaa.nih.gov
2. cancer.org
Knowledge
Bryce Rone x
Dr. Michael Thompson
February 1, 2015
Intro to Sociology
The word knowledge has such a broad and subjective meaning. A person could know absolutely nothing about a topic but could manage to get a passing grade, and a person who knows a subject in-depth could be considered dumb if they don’t test well in the other subjects. This is where the modern educational system falls flat on its face.
Schools nowadays don’t believe in teaching students with the purpose of the student actually learning the information. The schools are so focused on getting kids to memorize mostly useless information with the only intention of getting them to pass the multitude of standardized tests forced upon students these days. For example, the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), the standardized tests for students in Colorado, starts in the third grade and runs all the way through Junior of high school. All of the lesson plans throughout the year are based around “preparing” the student for the next school year or later in life; however, they are just based on getting the student ready for the test with nothing more or nothing less in mind.
In my Senior year at Palmer Ridge High School I had a new business teacher. He had a similar thought process as I do and didn’t buy into the “tests are the only thing that matters” mindset of my school. We didn’t have homework and we didn’t have more than three tests because of how active and engaged our class was; but the administration and my teacher constantly butted heads because the only thing the admin cared about was us being ready for the CSAP when the rest of us knew that it wouldn’t matter to us.
There are many things that I haven’t been taught and will never learn in this heavily flawed, yet praised educational system that I truly need to know. I never learned how to balance a check book, how to pay off a mortgage, or how to get and maintain a good credit score, but thank the lord I knew how to graph a polynomial function for a few years. This may seem like a rant, but this paints an accurate picture of the beliefs and social standards of the schools and in turn students because they have no say in what they learn. More and more parents are starting to realize this as a brutal truth and are refusing to let their kids take the tests which is changing the social viewpoint of the standardized tests. The challenging of the tests is becoming more and more frequent, which puts the school in a bad position and causes them to challenge the parents and demand that the student take the test which doesn’t sit well with a lot of mommies (mine included).
In conclusion, all of this combined in enacting a social change in the way standardized tests are being though of and put into practice.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Student_Assessment_Program
http://www.9news.com/story/news/education/2014/11/13/students-refuse-to-take-standardized-test/18973697/
Allie Vigil X
Dr. Thompson
Culture
You can’t have culture without people. To me culture is defined by the way of life created by the people you interact with and the people they interact with that have structured your beliefs. Throughout your life you will come in contact with countless people that will influence the decisions that effect how your life develops, thus, creating your culture.
In my life I believe that my parents played a major role in creating the culture that has been instilled in me today. With that being said, I would also have to credit the people that influenced each of my parent’s culture, including my grandparents and my parent’s friends. In addition to all of these people, there are the people that I have spent my life with like my friends, teachers, opponents in sports, and people who I’ve only met in passing.
Since I’ve come to college I have begun to experience a culture that I’ve never encountered before. Living in the dorms is a crazy mixture of culture all thrown together creating something that is completely new. Everyone is from a different place, was raised a different way, and has had their life influenced by different people. However, when we all come together, we have to all make compromises and sacrifice certain parts of the culture we’ve grown up with in order to be able to cohabitate in the same building, hall, or room.
Just because we’ve all had to give some things up to live together doesn’t mean that those values are gone for good. In fact, there are sometimes when you have to make a choice and decide just how much of your culture you are willing to sacrifice to have a relationship with someone else. And sometimes it’s not worth losing who you are.
That’s the thing with college, you become someone new because you change the culture you are living. Up until this point you have always had a solid base constantly reinforcing the culture you grew up with. But when you leave home and come to college you lose a little bit of the culture you came with, gain a little of the culture you’re introduced to, and give a little of the culture that you brought to someone else.
This phenomenon induced by my college experience has been an interesting one. This is a part of growing up and becoming your own person, but at the same time you lose a small part of yourself. I just tell myself that the part of me I’ve lost is still a part of who I am, it’s just not a predominant part anymore.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture
http://blog.7geese.com/2012/01/20/company-culture-as-competitive-advantage/
Culture
By Christian Williams X
To all raises over the world culture is what they know, and what make them that type of person. Culture, ladies and gentlemen is the fundamentals is in which of how your life is; or made much, different. The different reasons for culture is how you family values there selves. Family values are one of the strongest things when it comes to culture and changes throughout each culture.
The point that people see is that different is bad. Yet, not really seeing in the eyes of the next person to them what different really is, because different makes up the world. Without differences we would never have culture, because without it, there would be no difference between American and French culture. Beside culture is that deferents, that brought people together. So even if you still point that out, in many ways other culture created what you value your culture is now. Which back in the future is now different.
My belief on culture is like how my culture is for example. My family see and look for circle Christ to be our type of culture. On which my Grandmother go to church every Sunday for the Lord. Yet, her grand kids are different because we don't go to church like her. We read the Bible to cleanse our heart body and soul for Christ. However, look at it we are in some ways different but yet value the same. Traditions are changed with different groups of the same family, but the fact that we came from a Christian background helps us be part of that culture.
Culture is not bad because it no how you view it. People have their own culture, so see their different a good sin too. So no culture is the best culture, they are all just good and different in their own way. While thinking that the different is wrong, it makes us want to know more about that culture so that we can see if it is wrong or not. Like Islam, where we see it as all bad, but there is still some good apart from the terrorists which Americans mostly see it as. No, put it as a value of the same price as your culture.
http://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/culture.htm
http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/nov06p4.htm
Culture of Distance Running
by: Aaron Hillman X
When most people think of a culture, they usually think of an ethnic group or different types of religion, but there are many more types of culture and I will be focusing my essay of the topic of the cultures that different sports have. I will narrow this topic down further and funnel it into the subgroup of distance runners. Be it on the track, cross country, marathons, ultramarathons, or any other long distance event that a person does, there is always a common bond and a common attitude between these foolish people who enjoy putting their bodies under tremendous amounts of stress, just looking for that next race, the next chance to break the barrier into a next personal record.
Pain is the great equalizer in pretty much every sport, but in running it increases to form a bond with everyone around you in a way. It allows you to compete against yourself and at the same time compete with those around you and those around you help motivate and push you harder and encourage you to finish to the best of your abilities. Because of this pain, usually a strong friendship breaks out between you and your fellow runners. Personally I have friends from all over the state of Colorado and some in Wyoming who I keep in touch with. However because of all this pain it takes a pretty special type of person to be able to do this, this leads to a similar way of acting. No runner is normal, they are all a little insane and don’t seem to change at all no matter where you go. Names and faces may change, but you are guaranteed to know how everyone is going to act.
Even though this isn’t a very mainstreamed sport like football or baseball, it grows in popularity every year and there have been many running booms throughout the last 50 years. Running may be a basic instinct but it takes a special kind of bond between fellow runners and yourself to be able to do such long and strenuous events and workouts.
Because of this deep connection with the self sometimes runners can get either one of three options that you can become out of running and being at one with yourself and your body. The first is the arrogant person who thinks that they are far superior no matter what occurs, this is much less common because after a while they find its better that they become more humble. The second is the comfortable with whatever happens, these are the most common because they will want to have fun when they can but when it gets time to be serious they buckle down and do what they have to do in order to meet their goals. Finally there are the gurus, who take a very melancholy approach to all things, it is a very Buddhist approach and they are all very calm.
Even with these different groups, everyone comes together in the hopes of competing and being the strongest they can be. Whether it’s the weekend warrior or the daily runner, each of them will always give a wave or nod, just to let them know that they are with each other and cheering each other on in their own special way. This is the way that distance running culture acts.
Resources
http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-racing/culture-wars-road-vs-trail-racers
http://www.globalrunningculture.org/
The Maasai of Kenya
By: Steve Cherigat x
This is a Nilotic community in Kenya mainly living in the Kenyan plains, they are majorly nomadic pastoralists who keep moving from one place to another place in search of pasture for their livestock. Its one community that still values its culture with their clothing, the shuka which is what men wrap themselves around their waist and on the upper part of their bodies. It’s a community that still has the tribal warriors also known as the morans who are selected according to their age groups and age sets.
In this community the women are left home as the men go out tho fend for the family and also look after the livestock which are always in large numbers. The ladies mainly help in the construction of the houses which are made of mud and trees which act as the pillars building houses known as the manyattas.
The main food to this community is the game meat and that from their livestock, also the blood from their animals. They were also ruled by the tribal king the Oloibon where it’s hereditary from within a single family that rules over the whole community.
www.maasaiwilderness.org/
www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html
Small Town Culture
Shaelyn Akers xFebruary 23, 2015
Starting many years ago, there were many cultures and now there is even more. There are cultures such as different countries and sometimes people get confused with cultures and religions. Some people also say that there are myths and realities about small towns. The culture that I grew up around was the culture of small town USA, and I don’t believe that I would change it any day. I grew up in the country outside of the small town known of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. It is located in eastern Colorado near the Kansas border. I do believe that small town culture is much different than the city life, for many different reasons. Small town cultures you come across such things as knowing everyone, farming, ranching, oil field, less criminals, and not as many options in terms of many things.
In small town cultures most everyone knows everyone in the town. The public enactment of community life and public statements of community values seemed to bear little relationship to the community’s operating institutions and the private lives of its members. When you are walking down the street, you can say hello to anyone because you know they are not going to harm you. Driving down the road you normally wave at everyone or even stop in the middle of the road and roll down your window and talk to the other person. Also, it is very common to see people riding their horses down the street or driving tractors or farm equipment, if you saw that in the city you would most likely be lost. By also knowing everyone in the small town you know that if you are in need of help that someone will be there in no time, if it is your neighbor or the person all the way across town.
Another part of small town culture is hardworking people. Many people in the small community normally have a full time job mixed with different hobbies. The most popular industries that are in Cheyenne Wells, are farming, ranching and the oil field. Starting with farming, farming for some people is just a full time job or it can be just a hobby on the size normally depending on the amount of acreage. Ranching is also very popular is many people in eastern Colorado and western Kansas run many heads of cattle. Same as farming ranching is a full time job for people and for others it is just a hobby. The oil field is also very popular, as it was booming for awhile but now that the oil prices have dropped the growing of the oilfield has become smaller too.
Children’s lives are much different in the small towns as well. There are not things in Cheyenne Wells such as movie theaters or bowling allies; therefore, most kids have to make their own fun like playing outside or working. Schools are much smaller in small towns as well, in my graduating class there was only thirteen of us. Having much smaller classes meant that sports teams were much smaller. Therefore, in junior high and high school almost everyone went out for every sport just so we had a sports team.
While living in a small town you also don’t have as many options as a city such as places to eat, shopping, or such things as churches. In my small town we only have one restaurant and three gas stations. In terms of shopping all there is for food is a very small grocery store, there is also a lumber yard, and hardware hank and flower shop. In small towns faith is a very big thing to many people although we probably do not have as many churches as places like Denver does. In total we have four churches, one Catholic, one Christian, one Lutheran, and one Methodist.
All in all, small town culture is much different than the city. People are a lot closer, have lots of work ethic, children’s lives are much different, and faith is a big thing for many people.
References
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/21/121447/small-town-america-the-myth-and.html
http://www.newrepublic.com/book/review/the-american-small-town
Derek Queen x
Sociology
Dr. Thompson
15 February 2015
Hawaiian Culture
As an American kid I’ve always found the different cultures around the world interesting. As I’ve matured I’ve had the opportunity to see examples of these different behaviors and cultures firsthand. Perhaps the most intriguing to me is the Hawaiian culture. Their culture really stands out to me because I was able to spend a week in Hawaii with my family.
The Hawaiian people originally migrated from Polynesia to the Islands of Hawaii. It’s theorized that the people of Hawaii traveled great distances by boat to reach the islands, regarded as excellent canoers. Although they brought many Polynesian traditions with them, over time they began to create their own distinct culture. Some of which are very interesting.
The Ancient Hawaiian people believed in the ‘Kapu Akua’, or ‘law of the gods’. This was their main guideline for law, other than the word of the tribal chief. If one was to disobey this law they would be severely punished, or executed. This belief is still regarded by small groups of natives as correct, even though we believe it to be unreliable and goofy. Perhaps the most important concept to the natives was the concept of ‘Mana’. The Hawaiian people believed that mana, a kind of spiritual energy, is infused in most people and things. If someone was believed not to have mana they were ridiculed and segregated from the rest of the tribe. These people were called ‘Kauw’. The Kauw were believed to drain the energy of others if they were present, as you can imagine, the natives found this quite offensive.
Another unique culture to the Hawaiians is the luau. during our visit I was actually able to see a luau firsthand. A luau can consist of different things, for instance, the one I was at featured an elaborate hula dance, a fire dance, and a feast. The most popular of these being the hula dance. Hawaii is famous around the world for the hula dance. Although the actual ‘hula dancing’ is only performed by women, men take part in the dancing as well. Where the men really start to get involved is the fire dance. The fire dance involves dual sided torches, rings of fire, and acrobatics. The level of talent the young men and women had in the ceremony I saw was truly mesmerizing. Usually a feast is held when a luau is performed. The feast usually features traditional foods such as fish, pork, and lots of fruits. One thing that sets aside a Hawaiian feast from any usual feast is the hog. It’s very common that the hog is cooked whole in a fire pit, no doubt different from the way a hog is prepared in America.
Although the Hawaiians are largely known for the luau and hula dance there are other significant traditions and activities that make Hawaii what it is. Even though surfing didn’t originate in Hawaii it became very popular among Hawaiian people. Some of the world’s best surfers come from Hawaii. Surfing, among other activities like snorkeling, fishing and swimming are enormous tourist attractions.
Through research and experience I’ve found the Hawaiian culture to be, at the very least, some of the friendliest people on the planet. I think that’s largely because most traditions are based around the family. Not just their biological family, but their friends as well. I find that really cool. However, they are a culture in danger of being lost. One of the things we heard numerous times throughout our stay in Hawaii was “don’t tell your friends” meaning that they want to preserve the natural beauty of their homeland from tourists, and people wanting to move there. Thinking about from their point of view I have to agree, I can’t say I’d want people building resorts in my backyard either.
Resources:
http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&CategoryID=305
http://www.waimea.com/culture.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Native_Hawaiians
Logan Lampe x
Sociology
Dr. Thompson
26 Febuary 2015
German Culture
There are many cultures in the world especially in Europe. Today I will be talking about one culture in particular, the culture of Germany. I have always been interested in the country of Germany and have wanted to go for a visit there some day. I am also part German and have always been interested in German culture and the way they live.
German Culture has been around for centuries and has been around way before Germany became a nation-state.The nation of Germany has been shaped by its culture in many ways. Germany has been shaped by its language, literature, philosophy, and many other ways as well. All have made German culture the way it is today.
Germany’s official language is German and the predominant language in Germany. It is one of 23 different languages in the European Union. Other languages used in Germany are Kurdish, Polish, and Russian.German is the main language for at least 90 million people in Europe which is a pretty large amount of people. If there is one language I could learn it would be German because I have always wanted to speak the way my ancestors once did.
Another very large part of the German culture is their music. Germany is the home of many great composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Richard Strauss and many others. One interesting fact about music in Germany is that they are the largest music market in all of Europe and they are the third largest in the world. Germany hosts annual music festivals and is one of the largest in the world. They are also known for their many renowned opera houses. Germany also has one of the most famous composers in the film business Hans Zimmer.
When it comes to religion Germany belongs to many Christian denominations. North and East Germany is predominantly Protestant while the south and west parts of the country are predominantly Catholic. Germany also has a substantial population of Jewish people. Only about 100,000 remain after the Holocaust. Germany also has a substantial Muslim population as well. Most of the Muslim population are immigrants from Turkey. Religious figures have also influenced German culture as well such as Pope Benedict XVI who was born and raised in Germany.
Another thing that I think is very interesting about the German culture is the food. Pork, poultry, and beef are the main meat products of Germany especially pork. In all the regions of Germany meat is often eaten in sausage form. More than 1500 different types of sausage are produced in Germany and that number is said to have increased in recent years. Another thing people in Germany consume is wine. Wine is becoming a popular drink in Germany in recent years, although the main alcoholic drink is beer. German beer consumption has gone down a bit, but is still one of the highest beer consuming countries in the world. Wheat beer is the most popular kind of beer in Germany.
Sports are also a great part of the German Culture. Twenty-seven million Germans are said to be members of sports clubs. Most German sportsmen have been great contenders of the Olympic Games. In the 2008 summer Olympics Germany finished fifth in their medal count and in the 2006 winter Olympics they finished first. Germany has also hosted the Olympics a few times. They hosted the summer Olympics twice and the winter Olympics once. As you can see the German people take their sports very serious in their country and in their culture.
All in all there are many things that makes the German culture the way it is. Whether it be food, religion, or even sports all cultures have ways of expressing themselves.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Germany
http://www.germanculture.com.ua/
Jay Ziegelmeier X
Social control
Dr. Michael Thompson
January 30, 2015
Are you free? In day to day life social controls are forced upon us in one way or another, and we follow them without realizing it. Social controls are as defined by Dictionary.com as,” the enforcement of conformity by society upon its members, either by law or by social pressure,” or “the influence of any element in social life working to maintain the pattern of such life.” These control mechanisms are used to prevent the chaos within society. Theorists such as David Émile Durkheim referred to this form of control as a social regulation. Social control theories began to be studied in the 20th century as a separate field of sociology. There are two major classifications for controls formal or informal.
Informal controls are things that are based off of social norms and values, as well as culture. Informal controls are not written down. They are implied by the community around us. They can be powered by the shame, sarcasm, criticism, ridicule and disapproval put on us by people around us. The severity and nature of informal control mechanisms differ from varied individuals, groups, and societies. Informal control is most apparent in small groups settings like when you are with friends, family, or at work. But there is another side to them. They can also be powered by reward. Like a child getting an allowance for doing all of his chores. Some religious beliefs are informal controls that offer places like heaven or eternal enlightenment as a reward for good behavior in this life. However, in some large and more complex societies, informal social control and disapproval is ignored.
That is when formal control is expressed. Whereas informal control does not contain any written rules. Some examples of formal controls are like a written form of a law, a regulation, or rules. A law prohibiting murder of another person is a control that can be directed at all members of a society. These rules are implemented by police officers, employers, military officers, and others. Formal controls are more effective and stronger than informal social controls. Any situations which cannot be handled by informal controls are subjected to formal one. Governments use formal controls because informal controls do not carry the force necessary to discourage a person enough not to commit an act. For instance, if informal rules governed all of society then would it really be enough to stop a person from committing murder if they knew that the disappointment of their peers was the only punishment they would ever feel? The answer is no. Whereas the thought of going to prison for life or the thought of being executed for your crimes is much more discouraging.
So back to the question of freedom. Is it possible that everything you do is controlled?
Even when acting rebellious is it possible that you are only doing it just because society is allowing it? Some social theorist might tell you yes and no. Even though we have rules and regulations and beliefs society is ever changing and no one really knows where it is headed.
Resources:
1. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Social_control.html
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social+control
Julie Schroeder x
Dr. Michael Thompson
12 February 2015
Social Control and Organization
Media's Control on Society
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” When Malcolm X stated this, he was exactly right; the media has way more power than people can ever imagine. The media can crucify the innocent and make the evil look like heroes. All people have their own opinions, but unless they are willing to research everything they believe in then the media is the source of those opinions and just as Malcolm X said, it can control one’s mind and it can brainwash large masses of people.
Now I am sure we have all seen the movies where the reporters do everything in their power to dig up anything corrupt and might even bend the truth to make their story hit the front cover. How do we know that this is not also true in our society today? To prove this we can look at something that was known as Operation Mockingbird. In this program, the CIA took total control over the media in the 1940s to infiltrate all its information. They decided what the American people heard and learned and even put out false information. To substantiate, former CIA Director William Casey stated, “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” As if this was not bad enough, the program was not revealed for another 40 years, after the public realized that about $265 million dollars was wasted on the program to brainwash them. Even today, there is no proof that Operation Mockingbird is completely died out.
The media, however, is not the only thing capable of deception. The greatest tools used today to persuade people to look at subjects differently are television, radio, and Internet. Don’t believe me? Look how the outlook on “scandals” has changed. One example is the bikini; back in 1946 when it first came about, the man that invented it could not find a single model that would be caught dead in such a “scandalous” outfit. He finally found two prostitutes to wear it. In today’s society, most women wouldn’t be caught dead in a one-piece swimsuit! You see, if you are exposed to something bad for a long period of time then it gradually becomes no so bad anymore or at least accepted. This is how propaganda on television works; you might watch a show about satanic rituals or drug addition and suddenly realize that it looks like something fun or even good. What we don’t realize is that this is exactly the goal of most propaganda and media: to make people see things the way you want them to.
One can find another example of deceptive propaganda looking back into history. Joseph Stalin was an extremely evil ruler of Russia and killed more people than even Hitler did in the Holocaust. How did he come to power you may ask? The people elected him! They wanted him to be their ruler! Or at least they thought they did before he slaughtered everything and everyone they loved. Stalin blinded the people to his true self by hiding behind lies and propaganda. During the election, he made his opponent, Leon Trotsky, look like a terrible man and made himself look like the perfect person to be ruling over Russia. He said he would make Russia the greatest empire in the world and if the definition of great is 60 million dead people then he definitely "achieved" it. This is the result of misleading media and propaganda; this is proof of the control media has over society. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, how much of our lives is a lie?
References:
1. http://www.newsfocus.org/media_control.htm
2. http://www.englishtopics.net/topicsmenu/4-topicshigh/100-the-power-of-the-media
Brianna Klein X
Social Control
SociologyFebruary 26,2015
There are many examples of social control in history but a good example would be the social control the Nazi party or Hitler on the German population. Social control is when there are regulations of an individual or a group to make them conform to certain rules set. Under the reign of Hitler education was controlled by having certain teachers have a curriculum that envolves children being loyal to Hitler and the Nazi party and telling children that there were inferior races like Jews. Germans were taught from birth that Hitler was the person to follow by certain toys or coloring books, then once a little older they were put into programs geared to promote loyalty to Hitler.
By "brainwashing" the youth Hitler made a country that would follow him to the end of the world if he asked them to. The programs that helped to conform the mind set of children started at the age of ten years and they stayed in them until the age is eighteen, this was the only thing that children could do outside of school. Once the males turned eighteen they were put in the forces and made devoted followers.
By threatening people with their lives they soon conformed to all that he had to say, whether they thought it was good or bad. There were unfair trials for those that went against Hitler and they were "removed". He had such a tight control on all citizens that people would betray neighbors, friends and even family so they could be look at as loyal. The people of Germany were scared of being sent to concentrations camps, arrested and killed so they unwillingly followed all Nazi regulations.
If all it takes is one man's way of thinking to change a country the way it did then what would happen if many of the same thinking people ran a country? The sad part is we will never know as it happens because it seems to be the right thing to do at the time because no one wants to stand up against a whole government. Those few that stand up will end up being the hero's and only then will people realize that things were not as good as they thought.
Resources:
http://myhistoryclasscchy.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-far-was-social-control-by-nazis.html
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/youthunderfascism/effects_of_the_hitler_youth
Social Control
Sonya Garza x
Dr. Michael Thompson
24 February 2015
Many people today see that the power that our government has is way to much and many of the people today are abusing this concept rather than taking the time to understanding the reason behind it. One of the types of control's that society doesn't agree with is called Social Control. Social Control is defined as the regulation of individual and group behavior in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society, state, or social group. With social control their is two basic forms: Informal which means of control and Formal which means of social control. In the next paragraph's i'd like to inform you about the differences and to inform your more on what Social control is and why the government uses this for the best and for the worse.
We will first start off with Informal control. Informal is displayed by a society without strings of any rules or laws. It's expressed by norms and customs and is performed by informal agents with their own unofficial capacities. Informal Control also come with its informal sanctions. Informal Sanctions are reactions of individuals and groups that bring about conformity to norms and law. These can include peer and community pressure and it also includes shame, sarcasm, criticism, ridicule and disapproval. Some examples of informal control include agencies that are created by social networks and organizations but not by the government. With informal control they reward or punish acceptable or unacceptable behavior depending on the group, individual, and society. Some other examples might include at a woman organization meeting it might be disapproved or looked down upon if someone from the head of the group were to inappropriately flirt with the minister. Or other serious ones might include a criminal gang having someone threatening to speak to the police about their criminal activities.
The second part of social control is Formal control. Formal control is involved with authority agents including police officers, employers, military officers, and so on. Formal control comes in some situations where things might be out of hand from informal social control. Formal control examples of some practices are through laws, rules, and regulations against deviant social behavior. This type of control is conducted by the government and organizations through law enforcement which could be given punishment for crimes by fines or imprisonment. An example of this type of control can be a fishing and hunting regulations for certain areas or death sentence to serial killers.
Now that you know a little more about the two different types of social control, we can talk about the weaknesses and strengths with both. With formal control certain people are put up to be decision makers and the weakness with that is that if the decision maker is unavailable then the decision will be stopped until the person making the decision is can be consulted. The plus side with a formal having decision makers is that if a company would let everyone make their own decisions then it would become chaotic and unpredictable. Staying on the same topic a decision maker for an informal control will likely be a lot easier and beneficial because its more with a smaller group of people and they might find with a smaller company that its more efficient to have one person in charge to be able to listen to everybody's viewpoints.
In conclusion, I believe that everything has it's cons and pros, that having two different types of social control is a benefit to many societies. Like I said in my introduction many people believe that the government has to much power but I believe that they have enough to keep societies safe and under control. I do as well have my disagreements with some of the decisions that the government may have but who doesn’t.
Resources
1. https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/deviance-social-control-and-crime-7/social-control-60/informal-means-of-control-369-3188/
2. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strengths-weaknesses-formal-informal-control-structures-organization-13380.html
3. https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/deviance-social-control-and-crime-7/social-control-60/formal-means-of-control-370-8115/
Kara Dysinger X
Violence against women
SociologyJanuary 31, 2015
Violence against women in history has shown that women are known as property and be subservient to men and other woman. Or in some cases can be known as violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women. The parts of violence women are most likely be victims of rapes, domestic violence, and mob violence. Physical, sexual and psychological is an epidemic worldwide. Violence against women and girls is violation of human rights. It affects women's personal well-being and prevents woman from fully participating in society. Violence against women is recognized as a public health problem. Violence against women is rooted in unequal power relationships between men and women in society. The violence against women is a global problem and are not limited to a group of women in society.
The forms of violence might be shaped differently based on factors such as sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, class, age, and nationality. One in three women have been abused or subjected to gender-based violence in their lives. The violence against women feeds off discrimination and serves to reinforce it. In some societies women are looked upon as representatives as their family, if they were to have extra-marital relations, even rape, they are subjected to violence of indignity sometimes by their fathers or brothers. The biggest violence they receive are from the ones they know most of the times it is their significant partners. Not a lot of times, but there has been cases where there is female genitalia mutilation. Where female genitalia mutilation is when all of the external female genitalia is either removed or stitched, only leaving a small opening for menstruation and intercourse.
The perpetrators of violence against women are rarely held accountable for their actions. Many women opt not to report cases violence to authorities because they fear being ostracized and shamed by communities that are too often quick to blame victims of violence for the abuses they have suffered. Violence against women is so deeply embedded in society that it often fails to garner public censure and outrage. Women seeking asylum in the united states rarely gain refugee status based on claims gender-related violence, as asylum adjudicators apply a restrictive interpretation of the international definition of a refugee entitled to persecution. Woman's subjection to men is pervasive in the political, civil, social, cultural and economic spheres of many countries. In some societies, a woman who turns down a suitor or does not get along with her in-laws far too frequently becomes a victim of a violent form of revenge: acid burning. Acid is thrown in her face or on her body and can blind her in addition to fatal third-degree burns.
Many incarcerated women are largely invisible to the public eye, little is done when the punishment or imprisonment is compounded with that of rape, sexual assault, groping during body searches, and shackling during childbirth. Women are often coerced into providing sex for “favors” such as extra food or personal hygiene products, or to avoid punishment. There is also little medical and psychological care available to inmates. Violence against women is the most pervasive yet least recognized human rights abuse in the world. Woman and girls are victimized in our society in ways that threaten their physical, emotional, psychological and sexual well-being. Most violence against women can have fatal results like suicide or homicide. There are few interventions whose effectiveness has been proven through well designed studies. It is important to address discrimination against women, promote gender equality, support women and help to move towards more peaceful cultural norms. To address fully the consequences of violence and the needs of victims/survivors requires a multi-sectoral response, health and other services.
Resources:
1.http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights/violence-against-women/violence-against-women-information
2.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/
3.http://www.bwss.org/resources/information-on-abuse/numbers-are-people-too/
Nicole Connell x
Work Force Division Instead of Teamwork
SociologyFebruary 7, 2015
Social division is seen in everyday life. When you look into the workforce we are divided by many things such as licensure, experience and time spent working at that job. I have noticed that as a young person we are often subject to the grunt work and often disrespected in the workplace.
Not only does time you have been employed give you power but being more experienced does to. We all are working toward the same goal but often for those who are in the powerful positions it is hard to see the common goal and they would just like to pawn the work off on less experienced newer workers, because they believed that they have earned this right through promotion and achievements.
For example I am going into the nursing profession, though I love the work I do I am often envious of those higher up because they make more money and often do lesser and easier work. In my line of work there are CNA’s LPN’s RN’s Nurse Practioners, and Doctors. Though doctors do the least amount of work they have had the numerous years of schooling in which gives them the ability to diagnose patients and make the big bucks. As down the line it takes less schooling, your workload increases and your pay decreases.
I have worked in many different situations as a CNA and can honestly say it is different in every instance. You have the people who have been in your shoes that are now nurses that find it hard not to help you out. But in most cases being separated by status quotas give them the right to simply not help out and make you do all of the grunt work.
I understand that social division in the workforce may give you the motivation to work your way up and strive to be at the level where you pay is higher and your work load is easier. Often in most people don’t have this luxury of moving up due to personal setbacks so they just settle.
As a society we make it nearly impossible for people to achieve a higher education unless they have the means to do so. What I’m getting at is it takes money to move up in social division of workforce. But if you’re the one doing the grunt work who is barely making enough to get by how are you supposed to afford to move up in the workforce.
I know I make this sound very negative to people who are in higher field and I do believe they have every right to be there. I just think that there should be greater opportunity for those who are less fortunate to get the opportunity to move up in the workforce.
In industrialization it is important that workers know the division of us and them. I am strongly against this point I believe everyone should work together to a common goal. Yes there should be the availability to move up in the workforce but not to forget where you once were. We should promote encouragement to those beneath us. I believe that you may have higher qualifications and your job description may change but in end terms there should be less division and more teamwork.
In perfect example I have seen my own director of nursing come onto the floor as a CAN or Nurse just to help out and in the work force I believe this shows a great since of teamwork. Also it makes her more approachable and respectable as a boss.
Resources:
1.http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Field/6/Nursing
2.http://www.academia.edu/1737396/Social_Stratification_Stratification_in_Industry_Diversity_in_Work_Place
Avery Lee x
Dr. Thompson
Introduction to Sociology
February 25, 2015
The Unthinkable
Sometimes it takes all your effort to keep from breaking down in front of everyone. The tears may have stopped falling, but you still are unable to smile.
Every two minutes someone in the United States is raped (Who Are the Victims?). Most people assume that rapists are the creepy men that live alone, but twenty-two percent of rapists that are currently imprisoned are married (The Offenders). The worst part is the offender is most likely someone known by the victim. Two-thirds of rapes that have occurred were committed by someone who is known by the victim (The Offenders). Rape isn’t thought of being an issue among smaller communities, it is a larger city problem, but fifty percent of rapes occur within one mile of the victim’s home.
Unfortunately only sixty percent of rapes are reported to police, and ninety-seven percent of the offenders who commit this awful crime will not spend a single night in jail (The Offenders). To solve this problem, society need to work together to create an awareness program and help survivors get the help they need.
There is no foolproof method of preventing sexual assault, but there are different steps you can take to lessen these chances. Avoid dangerous situations (Ways to Reduce). When people have a feeling in their gut that something isn’t right, be safe and find a way out of there.
Even though people may never think this could happen to them, they need to have a safety plan in case the unthinkable happens (Ways to Reduce). After all, one in six women have been sexually assaulted (Who Are the Victims?). Be sure to know where various exits are, who to contact incase of an emergency, and carry a noisemaker to help alert those in the surrounding area (Ways to Reduce).
It is important to know who can be contacted if this happens to you. The first person who should be notified is the police. They can offer protection and help direct the victim to various agencies to help them deal with the aftermath. Options, Rape Abuse and Incest National Networking, The Voices and Faces Project, Pandora’s Project, and The National Center for Domestic and Sexual Violence are all agencies that specialize in helping victims deal with the repercussions that will follow. These agencies can offer counseling and support during the trial and investigation of a rape case.
There are a wide variety of different effects that can ail the victim, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, self-harm, sleeping disorders, eating disorders, depression, suicide, body memories (physical ailments that cannot be medically explained and are generally associated with stress), flashbacks, Stockholm Syndrome (a disorder in which the victim slowly develops a bond with the offender), Dissociative Identity disorder (a form of multiple personality disorder), sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy (Effects). These can last for a few months or they can continue throughout the victims’ life.
In the time that it has taken to write this essay, approximately 75 people were the victims of rape. They will be forced to deal with the aftermath of what has happened to them, it could take months or take years to recover. I would know. On February 1, 2014 I was the victim of rape. I have struggled with depression, lack of appetite, and some of the symptoms of PTSD.
It has been one of the hardest things I have struggled with in life. I wake up every morning and tell myself that it will be okay. I continually have to tell myself that this was not my fault, and with the help of my amazing friends I have learned to take it one step at a time.
Works Cited
“Effects of Sexual Assault.” RAINN. 2009. Web. https://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault.
“The Offenders.” RAINN. 2009. Web. https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders.
“Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Sexual Assault.” RAINN. 2009. Web. https://www.rainn.org/get-information/sexual-assault-prevention.
“Who Are the Victims?” RAINN. 2009. Web. https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims.
Social Inequalities
Tatym Rundel xFebruary 25, 2015
Sociologists consider society as a stratification system that is based on a hierarchy of power and prestige such as income, wealth, and property, which then causes the patterns of social inequality. Inequality is mostly about who gets what, how they get it, and why they get it. Social inequality is typically tied to race, gender, and class, with whites, males, those with higher education levels, and those with higher income levels sitting at the top of the hierarchy. Social inequality is defined as, “the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society.”
Social inequality has been around since the beginning, since before settlers had even discovered the United States. One example of race inequality is slaves. Simply because one was an African American, they were forced to be owned by someone with a different skin color. They could even be killed and there would not be a disruption because of it. But often times, if a white man was killed a black man could quite easily get the blame. Even if they had a alibi! Same with women, African American women were often times taken advantage of by white men, why? Simply because they did not matter, they were African Americans. Besides, no one would believe them if they were to have claimed of being raped by a white man.
An example of gender would be women not getting to vote until the year 1919. Up until then, men were the only ones able to vote, white men of course, that is. It was not until 1965 that the majority of African Americans were even allowed to vote. Another example of gender inequality would be women not being able to work outside in the past centuries. Women were not considered strong enough, or yet they should be in the house doing a “woman’s work” consisting of laundry, dishes, and cleaning. You still see this kind of inequality to this day, often times men are the leaders within groups, businesses, and activities. It is still rare to see a woman at the head of a business. Also, we have had an African American president before a woman has made it into the white house.
When the word, “class” is brought up it is referring to social classes. Which are usually decided upon by your wealth. More often than not, if you are wealthier then you will have multiple more opportunities. Our entire world revolves around money and who has the most. The less fortunate, have less money and also less opportunities, such as, medical care. Often times, people that are blessed wealthy wise, can not afford the care they need, for example, dental care. Also, sometimes individuals within the lower classes can not afford to feed their children, meaning the only meals they get are at school and they go hungry otherwise. Some cases are so extreme that they can not even afford to send their children to school. On the other hand some wealthy individuals can afford to send their kids to private schools and give them every possible need or even want.
Social inequality is something that always has and always be apart of the world. It is often said but rarely actually applied, “all men are created equally.” Social inequality is unavoidable in our world today.
Resources
http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Social-Inequality.htm
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/what-is-social-inequality-in-sociology-definition-effects-causes.html
My Culture
Brittnee Higgs x
Moving here to a small town in western Kansas has been quite a culture shock for me. Being from a bigger city in Utah with so much stuff to do or places that you could be and then coming to a small college with not near as much stuff to do is pretty different than from where I have come from.
Living in northern Utah my whole life a major part of the culture is the mountain. Most people are up in the mountains as much as they can be; I know that my family is. In the winter people from my area go up to the mountains to go skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling. But in the summer there are so much more that people go up to the mountains to do. Some of the main stuff that my family does is camping, ATV riding, hiking, fishing, boating, and pretty much anything else that you can think of.
Even though I have lived in a bigger city my entire life my family for the most part all lives in Roy, Utah, which is where I live. I have grown up a very close family where we do as much together as possible. We try to have a bar-be-que as least a couple times a month where we all just grill up any type of meat that we bring, eat, and sit around the fire pit in our back yard and exchange stories and memories. This is something that I am sure is very important in a small town culture as well. From the people that I have got to know here at Colby Community College that are from a small town seem to have their entire family in the town as well.
One thing that I miss that is in the bigger cities but not as much in the small town is malls and shopping centers. Where I am from you don’t have to drive more than ten minutes before you can go into a store or mall. Being here many of my teammates and me have become experts at online shopping. Another big difference that I have noticed is there are not many restaurants. Maybe I’ve noticed this because I am almost always hungry and looking for food everywhere.
But living here in Colby, Kansas has taught me a lot about the different areas with their different cultures. I have also learned a great deal about agriculture that I would never be learning in Utah mostly because we don’t have big farms around my home at all. Even though I haven’t been here for that long I can tell that the people genuinely care about everyone else who lives here because in some way they know each other, whether that is that they went to school together or their kids go to school together. Colby is definitely one of the best towns that I have seen from what I have seen from where I have traveled with softball team.
References
http://www.science20.com/truth_universally_acknowledged/big_city_vs_small_town_reasonable_person_model
http://thoughtcatalog.com/beth-leipholtz/2014/05/14-enormous-differences-between-my-small-town-and-the-big-city/
Social Inequalities
Robert Lee xDr. Thompson
Sociology
14 February 2015
Throughout history the human race has struggled with social inequality. Dr. Charles Walker, sociology lecturer at Southampton University, explains social inequality with this statement, “Social inequality refers to the ways in which socially-defined categories of persons (according to characteristics such as gender, age, ‘class’ and ethnicity) are differentially positioned with regard to access to a variety of social ‘goods’, such as the labor market and other sources of income, the education and healthcare systems, and forms of political representation and participation.” In simpler terms, Walker is stating that the determining factors for someone to obtain certain goods, getting hired into a job, or obtaining a good education and healthcare is based off someone’s gender, age, class, and ethnicity.
To begin, talking about some of the history of social inequality will help the brain process the idea of inequality. As immigration came into play in America in the 1800’s immigrants would compete with each other for jobs while the, already very wealthy, businessmen would make large incomes while the immigrants would make the very low wages. This began income inequality in America, in today’s world income inequality is still there and going strong. In Aeon’s article about social inequality a statement that strikes the eye says, “Today, the top one per cent of incomes in the United States accounts for one fifth of US earnings.” Now that is an impressively large margin that surprises most people. These statistics prove that income inequality is still going strong.
The next type of inequality that will be discussed is still a big concept now. Racial inequality has been around forever. It has caused many issues throughout and history and always will. Racial inequality is judging one another based on race. Being a minority race in the certain country one lives in has a crippling effect on the person. Based on their race; getting a job, receiving good customer service, and being judged by silly stereotypes, will be very usual and will occur often for minorities. Another common thing that occurs in America based off of racial appearance is biased court trials. For example, some stereotypes of certain minorities such as, “African Americans are born criminals” are ridiculous and influence some of the verdicts juries reach. Unfortunately, racial inequality is very unlikely to disappear from today’s society, it is most likely going to be involved in the human race forever.
Social inequality involves gender of a human too. Gender inequality is basing a biased opinion on the opposite sex, mostly women, off of certain stereotypes. Stereotypes such as, “women are less superior to men in every way.” In today’s society women have proved themselves worthy of being equal, but still there is still a hint of sexism within businesses. Businesses can hire anyone they want. Studies show men against women for a job, the male usually wins. Another thing that happens with gender inequality is that a woman in the same position in a workplace as a man, the man usually gets paid a higher salary. Women have earned their right for equality, but today’s society still hasn’t accepted them as equals.
To conclude, social inequality is a problem in today’s society, but it will never leave society. It’s just a natural thing that happens in society, and has been in society forever. Inequality is not a good thing and causes many problems including war, genocide, and unequal rights. If somehow social inequality was exterminated, society would be defined as perfect.
References
1. http://www.ceelbas.ac.uk/research/socialinequality
2. http://aeon.co/magazine/society/peter-turchin-wealth-pov