This week in sociology we learned all about American culture and what we value in our society. Our reading of 'Bemused in America' gave us insight on how culture may be viewed as different from other cultures around the world. Through this reading we learned all the things we do that are seen as weird by other cultures. An example of this is all the different phrases we have. As Americans, we do not simply say "so and so died" we try to make the situitation sound nicer by saying they "passed away" or are "no longer with us". These phrases are seen as confusing to other cultures as they are more up front about death and are not afraid to come right out and say that this person has died.
This ties into the concept of American values. We value control and fear death, while other cultures value fate and destiny. We always have to arrive at a place on time, or we are seen as rude. In other countries, they value human interaction instead of time. They believe that it is better to be late somewhere due to a valuable conversation than arrive on time but cut all conversations short due to aways keeping an eye on the clock. This is especially true for myself, as I get anxious when I am not in my seat by the bell and personally value it when someone is on time, or even early. I view lateness as rude and would never intentionally make someone wait for me. I believe that no ones time is greater than another persons, so they should not expect me to wait for them if they do not value my time.
A valuable example from class is the movie "Tuesdays with Morrie". This movie depicts the life of a man and how it changes when his college sociology professor is dying. His professor teaches him life lessons and why the values of American society are not what they should be in this day and age. He teaches Mitch (the main character) that we should not be afraid of death, as it is their time to go. He also learns that our connections with people are often times cut short because we are afraid they will not last together. Morrie teaches Mitch the absurdness of this reasoning, as we are going to lose someone eventually so we may as well forge great relationships with people. This movie provided examples of American values and knocked down everything I once valued. Morrie teaches that we should not keep track of time, as it is the people in our lives that mean the most. From now on, I am hoping to keep this idea with me when I am avoiding conversations in the hallway simply to arrive on time to class.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Week 3
This past week in sociology was not only interesting, but informative as well. We started off our mew unit by playing cards in class. We were separated into different groups and were each given a set of rules to play by. Winners of each game moved up and losers down. Then, we started a new game. After a couple of minutes, it became apparent that each group was given a different set of rules to go by. This made playing the game confusing for the winners and losers, as they did not know going into the game that their rules were different. This was connected with culture shock. Culture shock is defined as confusion or disbelief of a different culture or society one is not familiar with. This was also explained with the fish bowl diagram. The fish is literally taken from its known enviornment and thrown into a new one expecting it to be different. The fish will be shocked to learn that the water is not the same, the materials found in the fish bowl are not the same, and the surrounding enviornment is not the same. I have experienced culture shock while on vacation. While on a cruise in the Carribbean, we stopped in St. Maarten. The island was beautiful, though very shocking to experience. The island is split into two sides, Dutch and French. While visiting the French, it became apparent that we were not used to the culture they had. The beaches were nude ans everyone was taking full advantage. The women were shirtless, as well as their young children. My mom even gasped when she first saw the beach. We were not used to what they see as their norm and were slightly confused as to why they would walk around naked and be comfortable with everyone seeing them.
The feeling that the French were doing something wrong by being naked was my family and I being ethnocentric. We did not feel that their culture was right, as simply American culture is what should be followed. Ethnocentrism is when one does not think of other cultures besides their own. In class, we talked about a Dutch couple visiting the United States. They left their baby outside in the cold and thought nothing of it. In Dutch culture, it is customary to leave children outside as many cafés are smoke filled and not suitable for children. The parents were detained as many bystanders thought the parents were simply not caring for their child. The young couple was ethnocentric because they did not think of the American culture before acting. Additipnally, New York natives were ethnocentric when they did not pause to think if the couple was foreign and followed a different culture.
Our society taught us to call the police if we have a problem; this is the idea of the Social Construction of Realtiy. This simply states that our society shapes us into being the way we are today. For example, I am shaped by my society in many ways. I know it is not appropriate to go out in my pajamas and I am also aware of what is considered good manners during a dinner party. Society has shaped me to not wear pajamas while running to the store and to not slurp my soup while at the dinner table. This duals with Sociological imagination, as my culture teaches me to not slurp my soup and eat a hamburger with both hands and no utensils. In other cultures this would be considered rude or unwarranted, but in America, it is considered normal.
The feeling that the French were doing something wrong by being naked was my family and I being ethnocentric. We did not feel that their culture was right, as simply American culture is what should be followed. Ethnocentrism is when one does not think of other cultures besides their own. In class, we talked about a Dutch couple visiting the United States. They left their baby outside in the cold and thought nothing of it. In Dutch culture, it is customary to leave children outside as many cafés are smoke filled and not suitable for children. The parents were detained as many bystanders thought the parents were simply not caring for their child. The young couple was ethnocentric because they did not think of the American culture before acting. Additipnally, New York natives were ethnocentric when they did not pause to think if the couple was foreign and followed a different culture.
Our society taught us to call the police if we have a problem; this is the idea of the Social Construction of Realtiy. This simply states that our society shapes us into being the way we are today. For example, I am shaped by my society in many ways. I know it is not appropriate to go out in my pajamas and I am also aware of what is considered good manners during a dinner party. Society has shaped me to not wear pajamas while running to the store and to not slurp my soup while at the dinner table. This duals with Sociological imagination, as my culture teaches me to not slurp my soup and eat a hamburger with both hands and no utensils. In other cultures this would be considered rude or unwarranted, but in America, it is considered normal.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Week 2
This week in class we watched the movie "A Brox Tale". This movie alone shows the different topics we learned about in class; the first being ingroups and outgroups. The main character, Calogero, is apart of many groups in his life. Calogero serves as a student and son-like figure to the men of his neighborhood. He is shaped by them and their ethics. He is a son to his father and mother. Calogero is also a student, and friend. His father and his mentor, Sonny, clash often, showing conflict between groups. Calogero's master status is the "gang" he is a member of. His life is shaped by these men and especially Sonny. No matter where Calogero goes, he sees himself as a member of this crew. He thinks about Sonny's opinion before even considering his father's. Because of this, Calogero's family is a secondary group to his mentor. This is opposite of my own life, as my family always comes first. My friends, boyfriend, and mentors will always come in second to them. No matter where I go, I see myself as a sister and daughter first, and a girlfriend and friend second.
This movie is also a fine example of stereotypes and catagories. Calogero and his friends are sterotyped as the "Italians" by their African American neighbors. Likewise, the African American neighbors are stereotyped as less than the Italians. These groups do not like to mix, shown in a scene where the two groups clash and end up in a fight about race. Although I have never experienced a fight solely due to race, I have experienced stereotypes. Just this past weekend, I flew to Tennessee with my dad. I specially remember hearing someone say that they stereotyped Chicagoans as rude and lacked that certain "southern hospitality" that Nashville seemed to have. Another person commenting on my choices of college mentioned that the further South one gets the more genuinely nice the people are. While the general population of Nashville was caring, I can assume that not everyone is having a good day. These comments about the south were stereotypes about the population as a whole. Though these people are from the same region, they cannot be grouped together. Ones personality changes with their mood, therefore Southerners cannot all be viewed as genuine people- I'm sure someone out there is having a bad day!
Overall, this class has taught me a lot not only about myself, but about society in general. I am now wary of stereotypes around me and how they are affecting my perspective on things.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Week 1
Growing up, I never really thought that one person could change the world. The idea that one thing someone does in Japan can change a person in New York and what they do can change a person in Paris just seemed impossible to me; then I started taking sociology.
This week we learned about sociological imagination. This idea was created by C. Wright Mills. It basically means that your history shapes who you are and who you will be. When we say history, we mean where you're from and when you are living. For example, I was born in 1998 so I never knew a world without computers or cell phones. I barely remember 9/11 and I never witnessed any wars besides the War on Terrorism. I vaguely remember life without an African-American president, so the idea doesn't seem so different to me. I'll graduate high school in 2016, college in 2020, and law school by 2023 (hopefully!). Knowing how much the world has changed in 5 years, I can't imagine what it will be like when I walk out of my law school graduation. All of these things are when I live, but where one lives shapes them hugely. I live in a suburb of Chicago. The city is 30 minutes from me on a good day, an hour on a bad one. I'm not used to living far away from a big city, as I have had it in my backyard for 16 years. I've traveled much of the world and experienced many cultures. The way I am growing up is different from a teenager growing up in a small town in Kansas. He/she probably has not traveled out of the country and their big city is Kansas City. The outlook they have on life I far different from the one I have.
After learning about sociological imagination, we learned about sociological mindfulness. This is the idea that one's society shapes them and they shape their society. I was never aware that I make an impact on society, but I am learning differently in this class. Now, every little thing I do I wonder how it will effect someone. If I litter, how will that effect future generations? If I decide to sit with someone new today at lunch, how will that effect them and their day? These questions and the general thought that one influences their society is 1/2 of the backbone of sociological mindfulness. The other 1/2 is that society shapes anyone living in it. For example, it had been drilled into my head that I will go to college and I will be successful in life. Society brings on this pressure to me, and I let it run its course. I am being mindful that society shaped me into believing that I must do all of these things in my lifetime. But, I am a member of society and I influence it right back. I have the power to change its way of thinking and maybe helping the future generation decide what they want to be in life and not have society choose it for them.
Finally, this week in class we watched "Freaks and Geeks". This show touched on the different social cliques there are in high school. With this, we learned about Functionalism. This was created by Emile Durkheim. He studied suicide rates and how there is a pattern within them. He found that there are large scale patterns to society. Next, we learned about Karl Marx's Conflict Theory. He theorized that different groups had different levels of power in society. An example of this in real life is that a government official has more power than I do. Finally, we learned about Max Weber and Symbolic Interaction. He studied religion and it's affect on economics. He concluded that there is small group interaction in today's society and we use symbols as special meanings. These concepts connected to Freaks and Geeks in multiple scenes. It showed conflict when the Freshman were bullied by an upperclassman. The bullies showed more power than the Freshman, causing them to attack them. Symbolic Interaction was showed when the "cool kids" sat on the bleachers and the rebels sat underneath them. The rebels also had the smoking roof as their spot. These all showed that different places can symbolize power in a certain society.
Well, that's all we learned about this week. Overall, I am becoming more aware of myself and others and how we affect the people around us with our actions. I am learning that a simple smile can change someone's day, which can change another persons day, and so on. And to me, that's pretty freaking cool.
This week we learned about sociological imagination. This idea was created by C. Wright Mills. It basically means that your history shapes who you are and who you will be. When we say history, we mean where you're from and when you are living. For example, I was born in 1998 so I never knew a world without computers or cell phones. I barely remember 9/11 and I never witnessed any wars besides the War on Terrorism. I vaguely remember life without an African-American president, so the idea doesn't seem so different to me. I'll graduate high school in 2016, college in 2020, and law school by 2023 (hopefully!). Knowing how much the world has changed in 5 years, I can't imagine what it will be like when I walk out of my law school graduation. All of these things are when I live, but where one lives shapes them hugely. I live in a suburb of Chicago. The city is 30 minutes from me on a good day, an hour on a bad one. I'm not used to living far away from a big city, as I have had it in my backyard for 16 years. I've traveled much of the world and experienced many cultures. The way I am growing up is different from a teenager growing up in a small town in Kansas. He/she probably has not traveled out of the country and their big city is Kansas City. The outlook they have on life I far different from the one I have.
After learning about sociological imagination, we learned about sociological mindfulness. This is the idea that one's society shapes them and they shape their society. I was never aware that I make an impact on society, but I am learning differently in this class. Now, every little thing I do I wonder how it will effect someone. If I litter, how will that effect future generations? If I decide to sit with someone new today at lunch, how will that effect them and their day? These questions and the general thought that one influences their society is 1/2 of the backbone of sociological mindfulness. The other 1/2 is that society shapes anyone living in it. For example, it had been drilled into my head that I will go to college and I will be successful in life. Society brings on this pressure to me, and I let it run its course. I am being mindful that society shaped me into believing that I must do all of these things in my lifetime. But, I am a member of society and I influence it right back. I have the power to change its way of thinking and maybe helping the future generation decide what they want to be in life and not have society choose it for them.
Finally, this week in class we watched "Freaks and Geeks". This show touched on the different social cliques there are in high school. With this, we learned about Functionalism. This was created by Emile Durkheim. He studied suicide rates and how there is a pattern within them. He found that there are large scale patterns to society. Next, we learned about Karl Marx's Conflict Theory. He theorized that different groups had different levels of power in society. An example of this in real life is that a government official has more power than I do. Finally, we learned about Max Weber and Symbolic Interaction. He studied religion and it's affect on economics. He concluded that there is small group interaction in today's society and we use symbols as special meanings. These concepts connected to Freaks and Geeks in multiple scenes. It showed conflict when the Freshman were bullied by an upperclassman. The bullies showed more power than the Freshman, causing them to attack them. Symbolic Interaction was showed when the "cool kids" sat on the bleachers and the rebels sat underneath them. The rebels also had the smoking roof as their spot. These all showed that different places can symbolize power in a certain society.
Well, that's all we learned about this week. Overall, I am becoming more aware of myself and others and how we affect the people around us with our actions. I am learning that a simple smile can change someone's day, which can change another persons day, and so on. And to me, that's pretty freaking cool.
Monday, August 25, 2014
About Me
Hi, I'm Hannah! I'm 16 years old and live in the suburbs of Chicago. My family is fairly small, with it only being my sister, my mom, my dad, and myself. Of course, one can't forget the 2 dogs that roam around my house delivering kisses and snuggles on the daily. I haven't played any sports since I injured my shoulder about a year ago playing tennis. I'm involved in my school's Law Club and Animal Welfare Club. My friends constantly bring food over to my house and don't give me any of it, which is so very sweet of them. Even though they don't feed me, my friends are even better than I could have imagined. I consider my parents to be my friends first and parental units second, which is pretty rare for a teenager to say. They support me with everything I do and constantly provide me with advice on anything I ask. My sister is the only person I can go to for everything and is still my best friend, even though she is 401 miles away from home attending the University of Missouri. Although I am not planning on attending Mizzou, I am still planning on following in her footsteps and attending college after I graduate in 2016. My dream school is Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Because that's a reach academic wise, I am also looking into Auburn University, Clemson University, Ole Miss, Emory University, and University of Miami in Oxford. After getting my undergrad in Biomedical Studies I hope to attend Law School with an emphasis on Patent Law. As a career, I hope to practice in a law firm in Charleston or any other medium-sized city in the south. All that being said, I consider myself a practical person so I know that plans change. I'm okay with not ending up doing all of that, as long as I'm happy where I end out. I'm happy where I am now and I'm hoping to be able to say that throughout my life.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah
Thanks for reading!
Hannah
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