Final Blog- How sociology changed me

After reading my first blog about what I wanted to say about who I was, my answer has now changed. Things I cared about then don't matter as much now. I am the person I want to be still but now what's on my mind is a decision I had to make and how sociology helped me reach the answer I did.
I recently have made a major life changing decision. My decision was where I would be attending college. Since my sophomore year in highschool I've been 100% set on moving away to florida and that was that no matter what. However after going out to visit the school I was going to attend during spring break I realized it was not what I wanted at all. I had gotten rejected by the school I really really wanted to go to in January but my stubornness wouldn't allow for re-evaluation. In march I started to feel as much as I didn't like the weather here, deep down, I wasn't ready to move with no plan. I was originally moving out there to get away from my dad and family (since we don't get along all that well or as well as I do with my brother) and be around my brother and his family. When growing up a little bit as the decision got close I didn't have enough to base a plan off I quite obviously made while stubborn. I swear, your words guided me through making a decision. You said to be open and honest with ourselves. You told us to do what makes us happy. You told us to not get tied into a plan or path laid out for us it. That it might be more difficult to get through all the ness. courses then decide you want to do something else and have to retake classes to become something completely different but if it's what we want we should do it. That America is so caught up in fast pace but there is no rule that says you need to finish college in 4 years. I decided I want to stay here and live in chicago and go to school here part time. I also want to chase another dream of mine besides being a kindergarten teacher while I still can. So college will take a little longer because I'm taking less courses than everyone else but it doesn't matter to me. And even though my brother might be upset because I've been saying I'd move for 3 years now, things change and this is what I want now. Sociology really did help open my eyes to what I want and re-evaluate myself and others. This class was a life long lesson in itself and I'll never forget it.

Crash

I unfortunately missed most of the movie because I was in in school and then out of school suspension. But now that I know about it I downloaded it and can't wait to watch it after finals. I did catch onto the two white police officers stories though and saw them play out COMPLETELY shocked. I gasped when the guy who was so against racism ended up shooting Crash's brother. I didn't see it coming because he was so insanely adamant about not allowing color to get in the way but ultimately was internally scared and killed someone. On the other end of the spectrum the outward racist risked his life to the fullest extend to save a black woman (furthermore a black woman who he had previous history with). I unfortunately didn't get enough backround on the other stories (like the Indian man who was I guess very mad at a mexican electrician because he somehow did or didn't cause him his store) only involving black and white racism play out. I'm positive I've sterotyped people in my life but I just can't think of a specific instance right now. I have been sterotyped myself based off where I live and where I go to school that things are perfect for me when in reality yes, I'm better off money wise because of my dad than some people I know and certainly more fortunate than someone living on the streets. I remember my old best friend, after her parents divorced, became extremely bitter. I don't think she meant it or even knew she was doing it but she became somebody who judged me based off a finicial opinoin. I hated it because she really wasn't that below me she was just going through a huge life change so she always wanted to complain how easy I had it. At the same time, ironically enough, admitting it was so much better at home now that her parents weren't constantly arguing as mine (and other people's parents) still do. So judging and stereotyping is wrong and I'm well aware of that and I hope and think it was worse when we had slaves and people grew up thinking it was ok to spit at a person due to their color. I hopeit's better than that nowadays at least.

Implicit and explicit racism

When first reading the first picture shown I didn't see anything wrong with saying 'looting' but after reading the 2nd picture listed I was offended just reading it. It sounded so wrong labeling a black person as 'looting' and a white person as 'finding'. However on the 2nd picture, though I completely see the relatively, I'm less offended. I would hope they would pose a white basketball player as the same way just because they want the basketball player to look menacing (though that's a sterotype men were thrown into) and not just because it's a black basketball player. I found it even more interesting (after watching the video clip) that children so young were choosing the black doll as the "bad doll" and the white doll as the "nice doll". That just completely shocked me. So much so that the video seemed boring in comparison to that last part because I actually sat up seeing such a thing. 15 of 21 perferred the white over the black and being honest, I probably would've too. I've never had a black baby doll or anything like that because barbies and most common dolls were always white in my life. I don't think I ever even had a friend growing up that had a black baby doll toy, polly pocket, barbie doll whatever and I didn't even think about it till right now.

Balls of Sociology

I labeled my catorgizies as: size, color, weight, shape, feel, pattern
Therefore, based on my choices, I get catorgized under the 1st label: traits. I will be the first to admit I am terrible at classifying heritage. People I know or people I associate with get completely offended I say russian instead of polish or chinese instead of japanese. I was brought to judge a person based off how they act and portray themselves. If given that class "test" (where we put 4 ppl in each catagory) alone, I would have indefinitely failed. That was a huge issue when my brother got married because some people judged my brothers (now wife) based off her weight and let that affect their decision about her from then on. Subconsciously or not but it was really bad. My sister in law is a wonder sweet person and a great mom to my niece. I don't know how anyone can let a view an image ultimately affect how they get along with another but that is what I would call shallow. I will note I had a very bad experience growing up and due to what happen I shutter when caught off gaurd seeing a paticular male race. I won't name which because I don't like to view myself as racist. It's not something I mean to do and I certainly don't say anything or let it stop me from talking to or becoming friends with someone that would fall into the same catagory. Not to sound harsh by comparing humans and dogs but when my dad was little he was attacked by a dog and nearly lost his sight. He still shutters when getting caught off guard by a dog's presence. So I think it's the same thing. He doesn't mean to and he usually won't admit it, but he loves our dog Tiger.

More about poverty

I want to add after watching the ABC clip I do not blame the parents or a Mountain Dew company for damage done. As it says, parents were once children growing in poverty too. Soda companies wrote back to ABC saying how could anyone blame them with what an adult is filling their childs sippy cup with? I don't think the soda companies should be blamed. Why are food stamps being used for soda?? I realize they say less healthy food is cheaper but that is not ALWAYS true. I'd rather give my children water or lemonade even than soda. I also wish the adults who aren't doing anything tried to maybe get a farm going if they could. I know it might sound out there but if they could get their hands on farm animals that would solve their food problem I think. Then they would be doing something with their day and helping their children at the same time. Just a though, obviously people with zero income could do that though.

Poverty

In my last blog I said I do not believe unless given a miracle that you have much chance to move up. Even though this post labeled Choosing Poverty? with the 60 minute clip and Jeff Canada raving it cannot fail, I still don't believe. This school that he has created is undoubtably amazing. However I'd catorgize that as a miracle. Jeff is LOADED and it's absolutely wonderful that he is doing what he's doing but as it says in the video only 200 out of 375 get it. Parents tell him how could he do that to a 3 year old but the simple fact of the matter is that there is no possible way to help everybody. I believe (maybe I'm wrong) that people need to fail in order for things to work. One of my first days in Stevenson I was told not everyone will succeed not everyone will go to college not everyone will get a 4.0 that's the way it has to be. So maybe it was how I was raised to think(that not everyone can succeed) but truly how would it work?? Somebody has to do the dirty work. If everyone is going to college and has an incredible education who would do it? I guess everyone could then start doing things themselves (like the self check out line where you bag your own groceries) but when the machines break who would fix them? What if everyone believed they were above fixing a grocery line machine. Thinking as I write this it sounds rather negative but I know many others who agree with my view and don't see the world ever changing to no one on the streets and everyone succeeding. As the last half of the video says Obama wants to spread that kind of school around why not San Antonio why not Los Angeles? But in the next clip it says you can go to a french restaurant and the food taste good but what's the secret to it? Society would literally have to replicate what Jeff Canada does.

Monopoly

When I walked into class I was the 2nd person sitting at my table. I get to class pretty early since my class before it is just below. Anyways I grabbed the wheel barrow right away because I didn't want anyone taking it on me (I'm ALWAYS the wheelbarrow). I guess by that very first choice I made I learned 2 things. 1. That I should've been patient (because had I read the directions I would've seen the wheelbarrow wasn't involved at all. 2. I learned you could be the earliest worm (or the hardest working- as a more societal way to put it) and still get the "poor" end of the stick. That indeed is what happened to me. As everyone filed in they picked up a playing piece and when Sal started explaining the directions it was revealed to me that not only did I have to repick a piece but that I was the "working class". Anything can happen in America Sal said, but in the end I was on welfare. Not a chance in the world I could pick things back up unless a miracle struck. I think it showed me that even though i believe anything can happen in America, the working class will die working class because no one is really helping them. It would be VERY rare if that kind of a person could get someone to help them in such a way to jump to a higher social class. I have been what I consider middle class my whole life. I think when I was little I got very very class to lower class but things picked back up and at one point maybe my family was a little above the average middle class person. Of course there are extremes to the scale so it's really quite hard to figure out becuase would Jay Leno really consider himself middle class compared to a homeless person? I don't think so. Then again, depending how you look at it I could be upper class if you look at it from that prosective too. But then you have Bill Gates which tips the scale completely again because compared to him I would be lower class. So it all depends on your views and your scales. Who you are comparing and what your personal opinoin is.

Could you live without money?

Before readding the article my original thought was you'd have to be a certain person to live without money. After reading the article I am less convinced that is true. I at first thought it would take a certain amount of skill or "smarts" to do so but now I think it has more to do with if it's the lifestyle you want or not. I think anyone could die in an accident (any type of accident having nothing to do with how smart you are) so saying that I think it depends on your open mindedness. Daniel says in the article money is not present. I think that quote right there got me. I agree with him it's not. I think growing up so plentifully as we did (our generation, our previous generation, etc.) it would be uncomfortable for us to not take a shower in a tub but rain has the same affect of washing your body, does it not? The man writing the article, Chris, visits where Daniel lives and comments how it smells. Deodorant, perfumes, colognes, soaps they were all created by man and cost money to get. If nobody smelled like that nobody would notice. Our bodies don't need to be enhanced in any way but I will comment on that specific topic a couple of blogs from now.

Tuesdays with Morrie

I think people are more afraid than they may realize or admit to themselves. I didn't realize I was scared of some things until they happened but then there's no going back you have to move forward like falling in love but it's a good kind of scared. I'm not entirely sure how much I agree with Morrie though he sounded incredibly insightful. Maybe it's just that I don't understand him yet like Mich getting nervous he didn't understand some of Morrie's lessons/sayings and what if he never did? What if he failed? Except he didn't fail because Janine saw him become a different person and he put his work more off to the side. His work consumed his life so much and for so long he lost who he really was and you can see he finally realized that when chasing after that celeb and his mistress. When Mich dies would his life be more significant by chasing after them? No. But by chasing after and pursuing Janine he could have a family and a completely different life, one that actually meant something. Though Mich was dependent on no one he learned to put more faith in Morrie and Janine in the end and it made a HUGE difference in his life.

Bronx Tale

Groups: I think Collogero has 4 different groups in the end. In the beg of the movie he starts off in his family group (his mom and dad). Then as he gets a little older he has his main friends that he grows up with (his 2nd group). When C doesn't rat on Sonny he untimately creates his 3rd group (him and Sonny). I don't think C is apart of Sonny's crew because he never talks with them or hangs out with them separetly like he does with Sonny, he is just acquaintances with them. C's 4th group is kind of foreshadowed at the end of the movie (him and his new gf) but I think with the way he made up with his gf's brother at the end and tried to help him not get beat up before that he will soon be apart of her close friends and family too. I do think his groups changed throughout the movie because when he was 1st born he was in his family's group then more with his 2nd group and even though he still hangs out with them throughout the whole movie he preferrably hangs out with Sonny and his friends at the end of the movie when they are in the car about to go bomb the black neighborhood say where's Sonny is Sonny following you? Stuff like that because they know Sonny has a lot of control over how C acts. But when his friends and Sonny both die he gets to now pick between his gf's group or family group, we obviously don't see what choice he makes.

Culture

I've never been to another country but I think when I do go I will be in major cultural shock. The concept of eating differently or going to the bathroom differently after doing it one way my whole life would def. take some getting used to. After talking about culture this past week I've noticed my mom does what I believe we said German? mothers do by having the kitchen be their domain. When we were growing up I realized my mom always used to ask why I was in the kitchen (kind of hinting to get out). And when I was old enough to have friends over she would (and still) freaks out if we are hanging out in there. She doesn't want anyone touching her refrigerator, pantry, and stove. She tells us to go in the basement and hang out there. My dad uses his middle finger to point to things, I don't know why since in this country that's considered a bad thing but I guess he picked it up from his mom who didn't view it as a bad thing. Back to the different toliets though I think we should all incorporate a different type of toliet into our American culture, it sounds like a smarter idea. The toliet that has the sink on top and the water you use to flush is the water you cleaned your hands with, that's smart. I know in government I also just learned about different health insurance policies and some of the different countries had really interests plans on how to create a better society. I think all the countries should learn from each other everyone has good ideas.

Survival of the Fittest

was the way I made my decision on who should stay and who should go. I was the nobel peace prize winner for literature and other than having my health and 2 children back at home I didn't think there was a very good reason for me to be saved. My major opponent was the traveling poet I think but I would argue she had no family if it came to debating who should stay. My strategy to get them not to notice who I was worked out well because it was a few minute activity and I brought attention to people who clearly shouldn't be staying (like the draft evader, who brought nothing to the table and had no one to go home to). I think if we had to kick off more than 7 people I might have been the next to go but by pointing out macro sociology of certain people being injured and me being healthy and making it seem micro sociology that I brought nothing to the table could've possibly continued to work for me. I think in the true story it was the right thing for the army guy to take control of the situation as our (britain in this story) country taught/ trained him to do, highest ranking officer takes control of the ship. I also think it was right of the people to jump in after him and save him when he jumped off because he had just help save everyone.I disagree with them then siding against him and not helping him defend a decision that saved their lives. I also disagree with the fact that he got charged with murder, he was just doin g what he was taught, again, by saving as many as he could. i think the top 3 ways to make the best decision possible would be tto choose the healthiest, youngest, and most useful.

Freaks&Geeks

In the beg. the episode you see your average social groups, popular people and losers. Throughout the episode you see how the differences are made more clear. Like the way they dress, nerds wearing huge glasses, Lindsay trying to rebel& wear her dads old army jacket instead of her normal clothes. I thought it was interesting how Lindsay wore the same jacket everyday and the blond girl who is already popular wears that blue vest jacket everyday. the popular people had power in the beg. like the blond girl dumping Lindsay's bag out&the bully that kept threatening to beat up Lindsay's little brother. In the end though anyone who wanted to had power because Lindsay didn't let the blond girl or anyone else affect her thoughts, she went to the homecoming dance& danced with Eli anyways. Also the nerds beat up the bully so he didn't have power over them anymore. I found it interesting that when Lindsay wasn't rebeling anymore and started having fun at the dance that she took her jacket off.

Silence

I think when you first get into a new school there are no awkward silences unless you do something other kids aren't used to. I never went to a new school mid year but I do remember always wanting to know about the"new kid". I don't really know what makes them interesting I've had class with people since I was 6 and could care less about asking them what state they came from. But getting back to the point I think silence is only awkward if you make it awkward, or rather if you feel it's awkward. Nobody controls what you think and if for some reason you find it awkward then no matter what the person across from you or next to you thinks then it is. I can remember when I first got into highschool it was almost like preschool again because whoever anyone sat next to they would talk to them since they were nervous. I was more nice than usual that day because everyone seemed to be on edge. But once you get to know the person or get to talking to them if you find they are not your cup of tea it could get awkward since you're stuck sitting next to them the rest of class, that has happened to me a couple times. And I do believe some people talk due to nervous or they just enjoy the sound of their own voice but that hasn't ever really affected my ability to listen. The only time I don't listen is if I'm angry or tired. Bottom line silence is awakward based on opinion.

Who Am I?

I am a completely different person than I was a year ago. Obviously everyone changes overtime from preschool to senior year of high school but almost exactly a year ago I realized I wasn't the person I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I had goals above what I could've reached had I stayed the way I was. I hope to be a kindergarten teacher one day but the unmotivated slacker I was wasn't the example I wanted to reveal to children. I knew no one could change me except myself and I didn't know how to go about changing besides starting fresh. The first step I took to start new was by grounding myself. I knew if I allowed myself out of the house I would surely be more influenced to hang out with people I shudn't. So while staying under my own house arrest I decided who I should and shouldn't allow myself to talk to anymore. I went back to the root of my friendships and those who would help me through this change would be the people I stayed in contact with. That was without a doubt the greatest change I've made for myself and in my life. Now the biggest influence to myself is myself. The people who have always been there for me and what makes me happy without disappointing anyone in the process. My goal, as I said, was to be a kindergarten teacher. My purpose is to help people find the good in life without anything more than themselves.