Looking Back

It's hard to believe that it was just at the beginning of this semester that I had such a different view about society. I didn't acknowledge certain implicit biases and prejudices that I had because I thought that it made me a bad person. I learned that it's better to recognize these bits of implicit racism and learn to correct them instead of pretending that they don't exist at all. I learned that there are so many different types of people in the world, or even just outside our local community, that live in such different conditions from me. I've learned to not fear things that are different, but to embrace the differences and learn from them. I don't think that this class has changed the person that I am, but it has certainly influenced my beliefs and the way I view the world around me. I find myself stopping people from making prejudiced comments whether it be about race, gender, sexuality, or age. I used to pay little attention to these things that I had just learned to accept as part of my friends' usual remarks. I don't know how I was fine with all of the comments in the past because it actually upsets me now when people say things that put down another group of people, of whom they know little to nothing about. I realized how much the media influences the way that everyone thinks and acts, especially when it comes to appearance and body image. I think it's so important for people to be more aware of society's impacts on the way we each think and act every day because this has truly changed the way I look at life everyday. 

Crash

This week in class we watched the movie Crash. I had never seen it before, and the ways that it demonstrated all of the different types and ways that racism is a part of everyday life. All of the characters in the movie each had their own conflicts they face and each of them interact in various ways to learn to overcome their problems. Today in class we started to discuss whether the cop that was trying to change his ways and not be as racist, or the cop that openly admitted he was racist was worse overall. I came to the conclusion that while both of them are far from perfect, the cop that openly accepted that he had a problem with racism is better in my eyes. It's much worse to avoid dealing with a problem because pretending a problem doesn't exist will only lead to more problems in the end. The young cop who failed to admit to his issues with race ended up killing an innocent man, simply because he wouldn't accept that he had a real problem and ignoring it wasn't the answer. I think that there are so many people on a daily basis that don't really think that they have a problem with race, but it's definitely more common than people think. I've actually noticed some of the things that people say, even when they're joking around, or the things that I've thought to myself, are extremely judgmental and unfair. This movie really made me change my perspective on the way I think and has made me so much more aware of how I act and what I think and say on a daily basis.

Race isn't Real

After reading the article Mixed Blood and discussing the issue in class, I've started to see why sociologists are trying to prove that race is a myth. We've grown up in a society where race is simply taken at face value: no one questions it's validity, or the legitmacy behind it. I had never realized how much people's skin color might vary within a designated category of race. One thing I found particularly interesting was that race is just one way of categorizing people, just like you could group people by height, hair color, weight, or eye color. Since there's no biological proof that race exists, I think that it's important to use this idea to begin shifting away from classifying people by race. It's something that I find myself doing more often than I realized before I ever took the time to really think about it. This unit has helped me to become more aware of how I think about different groups of people, and I really want to apply this idea to my everyday life, and share it with other people, too.

Monopoly: Reality Style

This week in class we began the week by playing Monopoly with an adapted set of rules. We all started with different amounts of money, based on the social class we randomly got at the beginning of class. This game was supposed to show us how difficult it is to move up at all in social class in real life, and how easy it is to fall down the social ladder at any point. I thought this was such an interesting way to demonstrate this idea of social immobility, and it definitely gave me a different perspective on people in various social classes. People that are in the working class or middle class are working just as hard, if not harder, than the people in the upper-middle to upper classes. Their only disadvantage is being born into a lower social group. How is that their fault? It isn't. I had never thought about social standing in this manner before. Monday night a few of us went to Uptown Cafe. If there's one experience I would recommend to anyone, this would be the one. Living in a community like the Buffalo Grove/Lincolnshire area, we really aren't too exposed to people of wide varieties of social standing. Going to Uptown Cafe showed me that it isn't just people who don't care to go to work, or are living on the street. It's people who are just down on their luck and can't make enough money to support their families above the poverty line. I met teachers, religious leaders...so many people that are educated, but simply can't seem to stay afloat. Many people aren't really aware of this class of people because they haven't been exposed to that type of environment. As our version of Monopoly taught us this week, it's sad, but it's reality.

Social Class

Before we watched the movie about social class this week in sociology, I really hadn't given social class much thought. I mean, I was aware that there were social classes, but didn't really stop and think about who fit in where, or how truly different the people from these different classes could really be. Through watching this film, I learned that there are such vast extremes in society still today that most people are unaware of. There are the people who still have small-town festivities like carnivals and festivals, and there are the social elite that only associate really with one another. Even in our everyday life in the suburbs of Chicago, it's very rare, at least for me, to encounter someone who is much outside of my social class. Sure, there are people ranging from middle class to upper-middle class to upper class that all live in this relative area. However, I think it's really important that, at some point in their lives, people experience life outside of their social class, and learn how different each lifestyle truly is. For me, it was an eye-opening experience that made me appreciate what I have even more.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent? Wait....

The court system in this country appears to be relatively effective at a glance, but when you look closely, there are so many flaws in this. From the minute the arrested people arrive at the prison to await trial, they are treated like prisoners. This doesn't even begin to describe what they go through, though. These people, that supposedly have not even been proven guilty yet, are treated like animals kept in cages. In some ways, it does make sense that the guards have to treat the people awaiting trial in such a harsh manner because the guards are vastly outnumbered and have no weapons to defend themselves if any riots should break out. However, this doesn't make a very good name for the justice system, if the system itself is unjust. All the name-calling, and saying that they don't care what happens to these people and how they're already guilty, is simply unnecessary, and there are definitely other ways to handle these people. I understand that these people are often convicted of some serious crimes, but until they're proven guilty in court, there's no reason to treat them as criminals. Being strict is one thing, but being inhumane is another concept entirely.

OTC or Felony?

Yesterday in class we were given a description of various drugs and their side effects. We were asked to classify them on a scale of 1-4: 1 being over-the-counter, and 4 being a felony. I was extremely surprised by how wrong our predictions were. After we rated the drugs ourselves, we went through and found out what drug matched each description, and were shocked. We had given things like alcohol and nicotine a 4, but marijuana and heroin a 2. This directly relates to the idea of deviance in our society. Certain drugs aren't legally allowed, but based solely on their descriptions you would naturally think otherwise. When comparing the effects of nicotine and marijuana, it was crazy how it seemed that these two substances should actually be reversed in society. The effects of nicotine are so much more severe than that of marijuana, and we realized that it was because of deviance that people saw marijuana as worse than nicotine. If you look at the facts, the results will be extremely different. Since deviance is relative to time and place, I think that this has a direct relationship to the beginning of legal changes for medicinal marijuana, which I think could eventually be nationwide. It's amazing to me how people see certain drugs as worse for you, just based on their legal status.

The Typical Teenage Girl

Think about what comes to mind when you hear the words "Typical Teenage Girl"...skinny? tall? make-up? fashionable? straight hair? unintelligent? Well that's so far from the truth it's scary. The media has led us to believe that the average teenage girl should be all of those things, but that is certainly not reality. I know most, if not all, girls can agree that we're victims of being brainwashed by this mentality, too. We're concerned with how we look, what other people think of our appearence...so much so that people forget about what's really important. The media has given us this idea that appearance is truly what matters, and the modern image of 'what a girl should look like' has become dramatically out of touch. The minute a model or actress puts on a few extra pounds, it's all over the cover of People or Star magazine. Everyone 'ooh's and 'ahh's over Lindsay Lohan or Tyra Banks looking slightly fuller than usual. SO WHAT?? It's possible to be pretty without being a size zero, or without loading on gobs of make up each day. Beauty should be natural and real. Boys definitely don't help in this area, either. If anything, most guys tend to add to this mental image that girls have come to think of as 'attractive'. I mean I don't blame guys either because they've been subjected to this media influence, as well. They see girls on commercials and shows that look flawless...but that's not reality. Most boys see girls for their appearance, as compared to that of the actresses on television. If Marilyn Monroe and Paris Hilton stood side by side, you'd be amazed at just how much our perception of beauty and class has changed over time. I think we should look back to the times of Marilyn Monroe and ask ourselves why the modern image of females has become so outrageous and unrealistic. Let's be honest: the typical teenage girl is someone who trys to look her best, feels slightly self-conscious about her body, and wants other people to compliment her on her looks...right? Well, at least that's probably the majority. Sad, isn't it?

School Rules (literally)

So, today we were talking about how school influences us. At first, I didn't really have much to add to the conversation besides the typical things about how sometimes homework is a waste of time, and grades matter too much. The conversation shortly became something so much more than just about grades, homework, and teachers. We discussed how much the administration and the seemingly endless amounts of silly rules and regulations we're faced with everyday. Park on the line? 4 weeks of LOP. Carry a cup of coffee with a lid to first period? Get yelled at by a security guard. If you just walk through the halls of Stevenson for a day, I can almost guarantee that you'll hear someone discussing their GPA, a different kid talking about college options, and a third and fourth debating over ACT scores. It is certainly very obvious at Stevenson just how much the school values and expectations have shaped its students, both for the good and for the bad. In a matter of three minutes, the entire class had their hands up, ready to add to this conversation about the unnecessary amount of pressure and stress we're put under every single day at school. Kids that usually don't participate had their own stories to add, and it was actually amazing to me just how much we all had in common in this way. I realized that just as much as our friends and family influence who we are, our school community has a significant influence on us in many ways, as well. I know that high school is supposed to prepare you for 'the real world', but I'm pretty sure that in the real world, I can walk down a hallway without being asked what I'm doing or where I'm going. I'm pretty sure that in the real world, at least by age 18, I can carry my own cup of hot chocolate to class without spilling it all over the floor. Basically, I have a feeling that in the real world, there aren't people constantly looking over your shoulder telling you what to do. You're on your own, for the most part. And as scary as that is, we should be ready for it. Stevenson says that they want, "Success for every student," but is that really what's being accomplished by pushing values based on grades, rules, and authority? I don't think so. School rules? Not really.

socialization versus individuality

I was reading the article Human Nature, and while there were many aspects of the reading that I did agree with, one certain thing stood out to me that I disagree with. Towards the end of the article, the author began talking about conforming, and how that's the only way to stay in a group: to conform to the interests and beliefs of a certain group. Now, on the surface, this might seem to make sense, that you'd be friends with people with whom you share interests and ideas, but this is not always true. The article mentions that this is not always the case, but I've learned through my own group of friends how different we all are in our interests and our ways of life. Some of our expectations are very different at home, as well. While my parents expect my friends to call them by first name, several of my friends' parents would be offended by that, and only go by Mr. or Mrs....this was something that was very difficult for me to understand because I'd always grown up around adults who wanted kids to call them by first name. This is just one example of how different my friends and I are in terms of beliefs and values. When it comes to interests, sure, there are certain things we have in common because that's part of why we're friends, but our taste in music, clothes, literature...it's very different. I definitely agree that social interactions are absolutely essential to human life. However, I think that the impact of friends and family is less significant than the decisions of the individual to become who they want to be.

Normal?

Americans tend to think that their views of the world are the 'right' ones. After reading the article this week about the man from Germany that described his vastly different experiences in America compared to that of countries that are as similar as Western Europe. It was amazing to me how we just accept certain aspects of our lives for what they are: fat-free or high fat foods, buy-two-get-one-free deals, and shopping in bulk...it all seems completely natural. But I think the real question is, is it a good thing that the whole world is starting to model and resemble these aspects among others of American life? I'm not so sure. Obviously, certain rules like having large fines for stores being open after certain hours of the day are a little bit extreme, but there has to be somewhere to meet in the middle. America is the culture of globalization, and it's really important that we all realize this and try to see our culture from an outside perspective. This really changed my view on certain things, and I've really tried to take a step back in certain situations to see how outrageous some of our values may seem to others. I guess it's just something to consider in the future. Is it something we can really change? Or is it even possible to change who we really are? That's what I'm not sure of...

Spending Family Time versus "Spaving" Money

After reading the first chapter of the book about the Age of Affluenza, I realized just how accurate the analysis of a typical American is. We don't realize it as easily because we live among it every single day. From advertisements, to complimenting someone's new shoes, to spending an afternoon at the mall, we've been raised to live with this idea that spending money and shopping is a perfectly acceptable way to spend your time. I thought it was ridiculous and surprising that many families spend more time at the mall than they do with their own children. I think that as a whole, American society is losing the emphasis upon family values and the importance of family in everyday life. Granted, this "Spaving" frenzy is only one aspect of the problem, it is definitely a main contribution that can definitely be avoided. If you think about it, what really matters in the end: a new purse or a family member that you consider your friend? It's not a difficult question for me to answer, but for some people it may be...

Racist?

In the movie A Bronx Tale the different areas of the neighborhood are extremely segregated based on race and ethnicity. From a young age, the children growing up in these areas were taught certain things about the other groups in the city. Italians had their opinions of blacks, and vise versa. I've learned in school over the years that various stereotypes and racist feelings existed, but I didn't realize how prevalent it was in everyday life across America during the 1960's. I can't imagine living in a time where the area in which you could live your life was defined by the color of your skin or the culture from which you come. When I saw the way that C's friends felt and acted towards the black kids in the neighborhood I was sickened by their racist beliefs and attitudes. However, it brought me to question whether or not these kids were actually responsible for the views that they had come to posess. In a way, they were just living with the morals and beliefs that their parents had taught them when they were young. What amazed me about C was that even though his dad was very racist and had strong feelings about Sonny's way of life with the gang, as well, C still followed what he wanted to do, and formed his own opinions about the people in his neighborhood.

Taking it for Granted

After reading the first chapter in the book Gang Leader for a Day, I learned some things that truly shocked me. I, thankfully, live in a very safe, low-crime area. This reading opened my eyes to the everyday life of someone who has almost nothing to call their own, someone who calls a staircase home, someone who resorts to crime, drugs, and violence because that's all they have. I think that most people in the area where I live take everything for granted: from the schools we attend, to the cars we drive, to the clothes and material items we buy. People don't appreciate what they have. I bet any of those people in the inner-city gangs would give anything to start over and be given a chance to prosper and belong in other ways that gave them a secure future ahead of them. I had never really thought about gang activity as anything other than frightening, violent, and unnecessary, but I now see that this is how many of these people live their lives in order to survive, and simply to get by. I don't think that the violence is justified, by any means, but it showed me another culture, another way of life, that truly made me feel thankful for everything I've been given. I think that many people need to remember that it's not important to compare yourself to the person who just got a new Porsche, or the girl that just got a pair of True Religion jeans, but think about the people that would be forever grateful for a roof over their heads, guaranteed food on the table every night, somewhere they can feel safe and loved...we forget about these things because it seems so ordinary in our area. We need to really open our eyes to the world around us, and realize that we are really lucky.

Schwalbe Reading

Most people don't think that they're judgemental or stereotypical. This reading really opened my eyes to how many people, who actually think they're open-minded, live their lives within such strict boundaries. I realized that even though I feel as though I try to see people for who they are and not based on categorizing, at times I fall into that same group of people that unknowingly group other people. Another aspect of this reading that really touched me was the whole idea of what mark you want to leave on the world, and how short life really is. Part of my nature is to be concerned about others and the world around me. I started thinking about the impact I want to leave on the people I leave behind, and I want people to remember me as someone who did her best, cared about others, and really tried to make a difference.

For better...or for worse?

In an increasingly technological society, many people see this as an advancement, but there are certainly several drawbacks. It is reasonable to questions whether or not these innovations benefit or hurt society overall. It's obvious in everyday life that people have become more isolated than we once were. Everyone has their phone with them at all times, text messaging, checking e-mail, or facebook. It makes you wonder if we're heading in a bad direction. As fascinating as each new advancement in technology is, it is also a sign of an increasingly isolated environment. Social interactions are crucial to human life, and modern devices have made communication much less personal. Even though it may be less uncomfortable to have an argument via text message or e-mail, it removes the personal element, which is essential to fully resolving problems. Emotion and expression are completely lost through technology, as there is no way to really know the tone with which someone is talking, and could be taken in the wrong context. For several reasons, I do think that modern society has had negative effects on social abilities of younger children, as they're growing up with video games, computers, instant messaging, etc. Regardless of how much technology we have access to, it is more important to use these devices in conjunction with actual, face-to-face, interactions with others.

Who Am I?

This seems like it would be a simple question to answer, but it's actually somewhat challenging. If I tried to describe myself in a few words I would probably go with hardworking, dependable, and independent. My parents and my friends are the most important part of my life. Without them, I wouldn't be who I am. I always try to see the best in other people, even though they may not see it in themselves. I never give up. That's the way I live my life: always striving for success. I feel as though I've failed if I don't go beyond expectations. I take pride in everything I do, and I really try to support the people I care about in my life. Knowing what's going on in the country and in the world is very important to me. I think that many people live very sheltered lives, and there is so much conflict worldwide that it's a shame most people are not aware of any of it. Although it may not directly affect any of them, there are millions of people who need help, and so many ways to give of yourself to help others. I think in society people have become increasingly self-centered, and less focused on the 'big issues'. My main goal in life is to make a difference in some way, shape, or form. I want to change something and I want to look back on my life and smile, knowing I wouldn't change any part of it for anything: no regrets. So, I'm really an optimistic person that constantly tries to find the silver lining of any situation. I believe that if everyone puts in a little effort, as queer as this may sound, we have the power to change the world.