Who Am I? Round Two. The final blog.

At the beginning of the semester, we were asked to answer the question, Who am I? This was my original response:
For me, this is a very difficult question to answer. As human beings, defining who we are is a very complicated thing. I can sit here and list things about myself and my views, but does that really describe who I am as a person? They are merely parts of me and together they make up my personality as a whole. The most important factors in my life are my friends and family. Without them I would not be the person I am today. My friends are my world. As for my goals in life, I am planning on studying bio and spanish at The Ohio State University. I am a huge buckeye fan obviously. In the future, I want to do research in genetic engineering. Well thats all I can think to write about myself for now!
After the semester learning new sociological ideas, there are many ways I would amend my answer, yet I still believe that what I originally wrote does help to describe who I am. American culture plays a large role in who I am. Growing up in the area that I did made me who I am today. If I had grown up in a different country, my views of what is normal would be completely different. Also, the media has become a part of who I am. I believe that every kid growing up in America, and maybe even the world, is now greatly influenced by the media. The trends and customs are often set through media in the world today. I think one of the most influential factors of who I am at this point in time though is being a teenager. This contributes to my risk taking mentality. I would have no hesitations going bungee jumping or sky diving, while if I was older, I'm not so sure this would be my mentality. Also, my social class has helped to shape me as well. Growing up in the upper middle class has given me opportunities that other people do not get the chance to have. I will be attending college , and hopefully going on to live a stable lifestyle similar to my parents. Overall, the many aspects of sociology help contribute to who I am. This has been an eye opening semester for me. Goodbye for now!

Crash

So recently in class we have been focusing on the movie Crash and the deep messages behind the movie. I have seen this movie more than once in the past, and each time it never fails to move me. The interviews that we saw on Opera with the cast members was something that really made the situations in the movie more real. When some of the actors in the movie were talking about real life racism, I saw that this wasn't just an issue seen in movies. While I have always known that racism exists, I was always kind of oblivious to the severity it can reach in some parts of the world. To me, growing up in this area, it has always been harder to fully comprehend that people actually believe that someone can be less of a person due to the color of their skin. That type of thinking has shocked me to some extent recently. I guess in the back of my mind, I have always know that it existed, but I have somewhat chosen to ignore it. As mentioned in my past blogs, I have been in an interracial relationship, and up until recently I have never given much thought to it. A few weeks ago we were downtown though, and got a few stares from people as we were walking around. We have learned to ignore other people's opinions, because to us it doesn't so much matter what other people think, but we do know that its there. I hope that in the future, racism will not exist, but in our society, I think there will always be a divide. I really doubt that racism will ever fully disappear in America, but hopefully it will.

Racism

The topic of discussion for the past few days has been racism, whethere implicit or explicit. I think that explicit racism is on a decline, yet it is still definately seen in our society today. Implicit racism is a more prominent problem though. I honestly want to believe that I have no racial preferences, and I don't believe I do, but society does push them upon us. That test we took in class to tell us whether we prefer whites or blacks was supposed to judge our preferences or implicit racism. When I took the test, it told me I preferred neither whites nor blacks. I think that this is a rare case though, but I do believe the type of family I was brought up in has made me this way. A huge factor has also been that my boyfriend is black. Being in an interracial relationship has really opened my eyes to the racism, both implicit and explicit, that is so prominent in the world today. While he obviously faces more racism than I do, being with him has somewhat made me feel what he feels. When we are out together, sometimes we do get odd looks from people. We have never had anyone come out and say anything to us, but many people do not believe that we should be crossing the "race" barrier created for dating. One of my favorite movies, Save the Last Dance, is another example of both implicit and explicit racism. At one point in the movie, the sister of the black guy, and friend of the white girl, told the white girl that she didn't belong in their world and shouldn't be dating Derrek. This girl did not dislike white people, she just felt that the lines were being crossed, and later in the movie said you can't help who you love. I think this is a good example of implicit racism, because it was said in the heat of the moment, yet it is a tendency that our society tends to lean on.

Monopoly-Social Class

The monopoly game that we played in class made the idea of social class more obvious for me. I was the member of the upper class, and the game was a breeze for me. I had all the money I needed, and never struggled when I lost money, and I profitted greatly from other people's losses. The members of lower classes though had an extremely difficult time. The person in our group who was from the lower-middle class became very frustrated in his inability to move up in class, or even keep himself at the level that he began at. This was very symbolic of real life, since people at the bottom struggle to stay at the level they are at, and it is almost impossible for them to move up in class. On the other hand, I didn't have to do much to stay where I was, and in the end I had gained quite a bit of money. In America, those people who are below the poverty line really are limited in their ability to improve their lives. We saw this in a few of the movies we watched, and the reading about living on minimum wage. Once you sink to that level, it is difficult to move up from a minimum wage job. It is nearly impossible to live off the wages of one minimum wage job, and getting a better job requires more education, which is expensive and people cannot afford, and having a well kept appearance. Both of these things are near impossible for a person who is living from paycheck to paycheck.

Social Class at Stevenson

In class, we discussed how social class affects most aspects of life. Here at Stevenson, I think it is hard to see such a distinction though. While there are differences between the financial situations of some students, most are generally in the same boat. It was said that most of the time people choose friends in their same social class. While this is mostly true for my closest friends at Stevenson, I also think that it is partially false. My friends here at school are in the same financial situation as me, but a lot of my really good friends don't go to Stevenson, and they may not be as well off as we are. To me though, I don't see why I wouldn't be friends with these people. A lot of times, it is easy to see that they have different values in life, and sometimes I think this brings me back down to earth. I realize that being from the class I am that it is easy to take things for granted, yet I try not to. At Stevenson, most people wear the coolest brands and hottest styles. For some reason, I have never really caught onto this. Appearances aren't necessarily high on my list of priorities. For me, it is easier to get along with people that have the same values as I do, and that doesn't necessarily put me within my own social class, because while I live here now, I grew up in a poorer area. Growing up there made me realize that people can truly be happy without having a ton of money. Overall, I do agree with what the movie had to say about social class, yet sometimes I do think that there are exceptions to these stereotypes.

Jail system corrupt?

This week in class we discussed the jail system here in the US. All of the readings and information we learned on the topic was shocking to me. 1% of our population is in jail, mostly for DRUGS? That seems absurd to me. Also, the fact that about 2/3 of people released from prison will be back in at some point in time. This just shows how the system clearly is not working! What shocked me most I think is that there usually are not programs to help people in jail. If someone is arrested for their drug use, maybe they need HELP to recover from their addiction, not to be locked up in a small room. The jail system is hardening criminals and encouraging drug use rather than solving the problems of the people and helping them to change. Another issue that clearly needs to be resolved is the issue of innocent until proven guilty. In the court and jail systems, it seems that oftentimes people are not given a fair chance to defend themselves and are simply assumed guilty. Last semester, in Political Though, we read the book, No Matter How Loud I Shout, which was about the juvenile justice system in America. Reading that novel further showed me how even with the treatment of juvenile crimes, they are choosing to lock up people rather than try to get them therapy and rehab. If people are merely in on drug use charges, I think that rather than over crowding the jails, rehab would clearly be the better option, but this is not the case in most of the country. Another clear issue is the lack of help for people with mental diseases. More people with mental disorders are in prisons in America than are in mental hospitals. This statistic is mind blowing to me! Overall, there need to be many changes to our court and jail systems, but I do not see major changes occurring in the near future, which is a sad fact.

Saints and Roughnecks

This week in class we read the story Saints and Roughnecks. I think that it has made the social class "discrimination" more easily seen. With this, it is not necessarily discrimination against the lower class citizens, but it is based upon their image or others perceptions of them, and the resources they have available to them. In some ways, Stevenson does have saints and roughnecks. Often times kids who are more involved and polite in class get an upper edge. People assume that these students are also good kids in the world outside of school, when often times this is not the case. Also, there is a perception that any kid who is not excelling in Stevenson must be a bad kid and involved with illegal things outside of school. At Stevenson, we are pushed so hard to be involved and do well at school that sometimes it is hard for people to see what students would be like in a different atmosphere, outside of school. This is oftentimes where the illegal actions occur, and while at school it is difficult to tell! Sometimes it is even hard for me, a fellow student, to tell if another student really is as good as they appear to be at school. Since Stevenson is such a large school, it is hard to designate two groups that fall directly into these two categories in the story, but there are students that fall into these saint and roughneck divisions.

Masculinity

In class before break, we discussed masculinity and how our culture here in America promotes certain things to boys. I think that it is extremely evident that in America, a majority of the violence is male dominated. From a young age, boys are taught they should act differently from girls. Females are supposedly the weaker sex, which is a mentality easily seen in society today still. In Mexico, this past week, I saw two fights break out, both of which were between guys. This just goes to show that aggressiveness is part of what we, as a country, instill in our young men. The fights that broke out were between guys that barely even knew each other, over extremely trivial matters. As a member of society, I think that it is greatly overlooked that there is such a different view on both males and females. We are taught to ignore the differences that society places between the two genders or merely accept them. To some extent, I think that this has always been the case. When we faught for equality for woman, we have made huge advances in some aspects, but still we are seen as the weaker sex.

Stevenson

Today in class, we discussed whether or not Stevenson's mentality about grades being important instead of learning is teaching us the right lessons in life. That kid who tries really hard, but isn't naturally smart is more likely to get the benefit of the doubt than the more knowledgeable student in the class. I think that there are both benefits and drawbacks to the way that schools in general unintentionally enforce this mentality in students. While it is good to encourage kids to try their hardest, it also shows people that knowing something isn't what actually matters, which is contradictory here at Stevenson. We are taught that grades are everything, no matter our effort, yet when a kid tries hard the teachers give them that extra edge. Well if grades are all that matters, how does someones effort influence that grade? A lot of the smartest kids at Stevenson do not apply themselves, yet when it comes to testing they score the highest of anyone. I'm not sure how Stevenson sees these kids. On one hand, they are not achieving the grades they possibly could, yet they do still have these craved high test scores that the school puts so much emphasis upon. Sometimes, I feel that this school isn't the great learning place it is made out to be. We are pushed so hard to get grades here, but how will that play out in the real world? Also, even the best is not good enough here. The first time I took the ACT, my score was over a 30, and I was told that I should probably take it again if I was to be sure that I would get into the colleges of my choice. To me that showed that good is not good enough. We need to be perfect to be praised here at Stevenson. I think that this school often brings down the brightest of kids despite all the hype we get.

Tuesdays with Morrie-Love

The movie, Tuesday's with Morrie, discussed love quite a bit. I think that his statement, "love eachother or die" carries a lot of meaning that many people today don't realize. In America today, I think people close themselves off from love. For some reason, people are afraid to love eachother. Morrie discusses love between friends and family, not necessarily romantic love. I think that this kind of love is the most important. Love for ones friends and family is the kind of love that will last forever, while romantic loves often come and go. In our society, I believe that one needs to love oneself before they can truely love another. I think that this is a major reason for the lack of the kind of love that Morrie discusses in the movie. Another problem that I think is becoming more apparent in society is the use of the world love too loosely. Especially when it comes to romantic relationships with teens, today the word seems to be tossed around and loses its true meaning. A lot of times, I think that this could connect to the fear of loving that many people have. If they say the word, they feel they are facing this fear, yet truely they are avoiding it even more. In the end, I think Morrie was right, as humans we need love and it makes life worth living.

Does money buy happiness?

Today, in class, we discussed whether money causes happiness. We know that there is a direct correlation between unhappiness and money. I think that as Americans, we think that money is the most important factor in our lives. We are willing to do just about anything for money, but oftentimes the measures we take to achieve this money and what we ultimately think is happiness have quite the opposite affect. Also, I believe that we are a very materialistic society and that often times we think that buying the newest or biggest tv is going to enhance our lives, when in reality it doesn't do anything to ultimately better our lives. Oftentimes we buy on impulse or for short term satisfaction, but this feeling wears down quite quickly and ultimately does not increase our overall happiness. Another factor that I think increases happiness amoung those with less money is that they value what they do have. When a person has less money, they take pride in their hard work and the prized possessions they are able to afford. I think that this feeling of satisfaction is greatly important but also greatly lacking in America today.

Culture

This week in class we discussed culture and how we view other cultures. I think that it is extremely important for us to understand other cultures, even if we don't have the same rituals or customs that they do. As Americans, many people find our culture to be different and weird, just as we may view theirs as different. Even in America, you can see a lot of these different cultural aspects. My grandma was raised in Scotland, and even though she has been in America for over 45 years, I still see some of her Scottish culture sometimes. While it is easy to say WOW my grandma is crazy, sometimes I realize I need to take a step back and realize that for her, while she was growing up, it was acceptable to do some of the things she does. I think that while you don't necessarily have to adopt these cultures for yourself, it is extremely important to understand them. Seeing and understanding these other cultures will broaden your horizons and ultimately make you a better person.

A Bronx Tale

The aspect of a Bronx Tale that most influenced me was that racism that was shown. Even though C tried to not have racist tendencies, the influences around him showed. I think that in a way, this is true of real life. Some people truly believe that everyone is equal, no matter the race, but if they grow up in a racist environment, sometimes little things get programmed in. Fortunately for me, I have grown up in a household that has taught me no racial tendancies. In society, however, many times racism is made more prevalent. In the media today especially you can see racism. In the movie, I guess I can relate to C's struggle with an interracial relationship. I have been in a few interracial relationships and often times people do not approve of them or do not understand. I am able to ignore any of these negative comments about my relationships, but in a neighborhood like the one C was in, I could see this being much more difficult to ignore. I hope that over time this segregation and racism will fade away, but it can still be seen in many places in the US today.

Overboard

The experiment or situation we had set up in class this week really got me thinking. Why did we choose to throw off the people we did? How do we prioritize in our society today? I think that to some extent, we were very rash in our decision making. It seemed to go HEY lets vote him off, raise your hand if you agree! Everyones hands just shot up. In the end, I agreed with many of the decisions made, but to some extent I was still confused as to why we did what we did. Was there a method to the madness? I think that there are many different ways to look at it. To some extent, I think that family should have been the main factor. But does this mean I think we should have kept the old couple on the boat? Not really, they had lived a fairly full life and the others on the boat still had much more time and a higher chance of survival aboard the life raft. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I were put in this situation in real life, I have no clue what I would do. I'm not sure I would have the guts to throw an old couple overboard... but unless we are in the situation who can say how they would react right?

Spit or Saliva?

When it is in your mouth it is saliva and therefore not disgusting, but once it exits your mouth it becomes spit and therefore repulsive. While I understand that this is caused by the views that society instills in us, and that there really is no difference, I still was disgusted by the spit on the spoon. As an American, we are taught to think certain things and find certain things disgusting. One example I have experienced besides the saliva, is the exposure of certain parts of our bodies. In America, we are told that certain parts of us are meant to be kept private. Well, in other countries this is not always so. My family vacations a lot and often times on beaches many women go topless. In the United States we view this is wrong and disgusting, but to them it is no big deal. At first it shocked me, but then I began to realize that they come from a different culture than I do and that to them it is completely normal. It has made me realize that traditions are not necessarily right or wrong, but that you should not judge a person just because of the culture they come from or their views.

Meyer Article

The Meyer article was shocking to me in a few ways. I had already seen the Milgram experiment in Psychology, but everytime I hear about it, it shocks me. I realize that in a society such as our own, people have to be obedient to some extent. If no one was obedient, then there would be complete chaos all the time. On the other hand, it is scary to realize just how obedient we are as a group. When I first saw the experiment, I was wondering how someone could do that to another human being. I thought to myself that I never could. Even now I believe that in this specific experiment I wouldn't have done it. My reasoning isn't due to obedience though. I am extremely afraid of electricution and anything of that nature. If there was another experiment of a similar nature, I am not sure how far I would go. That is a frightening thought though, that I could just give into someones orders. Its difficult to say what this experiment means. It is obvious that some form of obedience is necessary in society. Where do we draw the line though?

Who Am I?

For me, this is a very difficult question to answer. As human beings, defining who we are is a very complicated thing. I can sit here and list things about myself and my views, but does that really describe who I am as a person? They are merely parts of me and together they make up my personality as a whole. The most important factors in my life are my friends and family. Without them I would not be the person I am today. My friends are my world. As for my goals in life, I am planning on studying bio and spanish at The Ohio State University. I am a huge buckeye fan obviously. In the future, I want to do research in genetic engineering. Well thats all I can think to write about myself for now!