Implicit vs. Explicit

An example of implicit racism from Crash would be when Sandra Bullock and her husband were walking along the sidewalk and when she saw Luda and his friend, she instantly held her purse tighter and moved the other way from them. An example of explicit racism would be when the white cop shot Luda's friend in his car because he thought he was going to pull out a gun. Another example would be when there are derogatory terms used. I think the hidden nature of implicit racism has the potential to be as volatile as explicit racism because you're still thinking and assuming the worst, yet not acting on it. Implicit racism turns into explicit racism when fear and panic step in, explicit racism is just the act of implicit racism. It is valuable to be aware of implicit racism so that it can be prevented. Implicit racism is apart of me because of where I grew up, and probably partially because of crimes or stories I've heard. Society shapes our views of race because of social norms, our surroundings, movies, and even advertisement.

Race

In class while looking at the different hate groups in America, I was shocked. I didn't know people still had that much hate for different races today. It's really sad how people are so ignorant and close-minded to different people and their cultures. When thinking about it, I don't think I've experienced any explicit racism such as these hate groups. I have heard many people use derogatory terms against different races, but then again who hasn't? Which that in itself is sad. I found it interesting that someone's race could change if traveling to a different country. Race isn't a biological trait, it's more of a perception and based off of social construction. It was surprising to hear the names people in other countries have for our "white and black". It made sense in a way because their classifications are more specific. If people were more open-minded there would be barely any racism or exercised hate.

Lyfe

The movie we watched in class about living on minimum wage was surprising. It's really hard to do anything with just the income of 6 or 7 dollars. The reading about Barbara, the journalist experiencing the life on minimum wage was shocking.as well. Her journey was definitely an adventure as she met many different people at her new jobs. The employees at the Hearthside and Jerry's living conditions were terrible. They had great trouble in making ends meet. To get out or poverty is very difficult because of the way our society and the system is set up. People's perceptions of people living in poverty is negative and they're not given much credit. People don't realize how difficult their circumstances are. When I was reading this chapter and watching the movie, I was shocked about the stories and how hard it is to live comfortably when you only get minimum wage. It made me more grateful for where I'm at and what opportunities I have.

Poverty

While watching the movie about Tammy and her sons who live in Pike County, Ohio, I was amazed at how bad their conditions were. Every room was tiny, they threw junk that had no place in the overgrown grass surrounding their home, and Tammy had to walk a ridiculous amount of miles to get to work at Burger King. Her goal is to become a teacher, yet I'm not sure that dream will come true. She was born and raised in poverty and for her to get out of poverty would be very difficult just because of the way our society is set up. Her son has large dreams also, aspiring to be an architect or lawyer. For them to reach these goals, they would probably have to know people who are successful who could help them get reestablished, or have a rare chance where they're recognized and then become successful and well known. We always hear these stories of famous people who were poor at one point and then this rare opportunity came up where they became famous. It is possible, but it's rare. Also the fact that they aren't very educated gives them more difficulty in progressing. It's sad that there is such a large gap in America between the rich and the poor. It's also shocking to see how many citizens in America live in poverty. People limit and look down upon those who live in poverty and don't give them any chances. It's a shame to see Americans live in such conditions with very few people trying to help them escape it.

30 Days

We watched a video in class about a guy going to jail to see what it would be like. He went for 30 days at a jail in Virgina but got out early because he spent 80% of the time there so as a reward, he got released. This video was really interesting to watch and it really surprised me. I didn't expect them to sleep in such crowded rooms where there's no privacy. Although I expected them to be very limited in activities, I didn't expect them to be stuck in the same place the entire day with no windows. The reading, Courtrooms 302, about the Cook County Jail downtown was also surprising to me. The system of which America uses is proven not to work. The people who get sent to jail most likely end up back in jail once they're released. The makers of the system don't truly want the best for the inmates. If there are people who have mental health problems committing crimes, they're sent to jail instead of a mental institution. The officers treat them the same regardless of their mental state, when the mentally sick people should be sent somewhere better to get real help. People would rather pay for prisons than for rehab programs or institutions that would cost more money. The rehab programs and institutions would help more than cheap prisons where the officials don't care about you. All of the people who go to jail aren't necessarily "bad" people, they just make stupid decisions and those decisions grow and progress into more bad decisions. It would be difficult to relate jail to my life because I've never been there, but I'm grateful for my circumstances and opportunities.

S v. R

We read a study by Chambliss called "The Saints and the Roughnecks" in class this past week. The study consisted of the "good", wealthy, white students who were known as the "Saints"and the "bad", poor, minority students called the "Roughnecks". The Saints pulled many dangerous pranks and broke many laws, yet they were hardly ever given the appropriate consequences, let alone any consequences in general, for what they did. They were perceived to be as the good, smart, rich, white kids who never did anything disobedient, when in reality they broke many laws and schemed their way out of school early every day and ended up doing even more illegal acts. The Roughnecks on the other hand were poor, minority kids who got in fights and were caught stealing. Their consequences were much larger than that of the Saints primarily because of the way society perceived them. The Roughnecks didn't dress as well and weren't as wealthy, they were forced to stay around their houses because they had no transportation to get out of their town. The Saints had cars where they could escape and go to the outer edge of town where no one they knew would see them. I think our school has this to some degree because there's a huge diversity in people with all different ranges in wealth, ethnicity, etc. I don't think it's as obvious as it is in some other schools, but I do see differences in the way people perceive others.

Discontinuous

The transition from being a teen to an adult is very odd and awkward. There isn't really much time to adjust because technically, according to the law, once you're 18 you're an adult. Yet, many 17 year olds don't feel ready to tackle all of the responsibilities an adult takes on. The time it takes for an individual to be completely independent is usually a long process, although it does vary from person to person. I feel like the transition one goes through from being a Senior in high school to a Freshman in College is huge. In high school there's much more restraint and in college there's so much more freedom and independence. But, there's only a few months for this transition to occur. Many high schoolers or teens are looked down upon as being inadequate or irresponsible. Many college students are given a lot more respect and responsibility but the age difference is not big. Once one graduates from college they are still dependent on their parents. I don't think one becomes completely independent until later in life. The way America has  discontinuous culture is a key aspect in this. This makes it difficult for teens to find their place in where they stand. Other cultures have a culture where once one becomes mature, they're allowed to handle a lot more, but they do it when they're ready. When we were talking about the discontinuous culture of America, I saw how that rang true to today's situations.

Lame-o

Society has too much of a negative influence on both men and women. The fact that society has the ability to alter the way an individual acts or thinks is totally whack. Men are taught to act tough, guarded, aggressive, strong, independent etc. When men feel that these characteristics are either threatened or misrepresented, they act violently in order to prove their status as being manly. If a guy isn't acting manly, he's called a multitude of names and told to "man-up" and "quit acting like a girl." Both men and women are sent subtle messages through cartoons, movies, action figures, dolls, etc starting at a very young age. For example, looking at the change between an older action figure vs. a present day one. It was brought to my attention while we were studying this, that this is definitely true and is displayed in more aspects of our lives than we think. While growing up I've noticed the act or mask that guys put on to act tough because that's what they've been told to do their whole lives. The same is true with girls, but in different ways. We've both learned how to conform. I think being a man is defined much differently than it is in society.

Subliminal Messages

The difference between the photoshopped pictures and the real models is astonishing. We've been talking about media and how it affects men and women differently but significantly. In class, while looking at the offensive ads about women that are plastered all over magazines, billboards, etc it brings my attention to how many of them that are out there. Girls are trained to think that they have to be absolutely flawless, feminine, and only do "what girls do". For example; Sal's daughter, it's so lame how society has slightly influenced her already by thinking that it'd be out of the ordinary to have a play date with this boy, Charlie. Men and women shouldn't be affected by media so much that it affects our day to day decisions, yet it does. I know that for girls in every age group, the media affects us all greatly but subliminally. The media impresses ideas and looks into our heads that we are supposed to conform to. We look at magazines and comment on how gorgeous and flawless the models are and that's one way the media entices us. We observe their perfections and we subconsciously aspire that beauty. We don't consciously think of how casually flipping through a magazine will affect our self-esteem or body image, but in reality that is how the ads seep into our subconscious mind and derail our judgement. I think companies like DOVE are promoting great ads that feature normal, average women in their ads and encourage women to be content with their unique body type. 

Nurture

We've been focusing on human nurture this past week and we watched a clip from Oprah about feral children. Human nurture and interaction is key in the developing stages of life. Without human and social interaction there are many negative side effects that can develop. It's extremely sad to think that there are people who would abandon their children and keep them locked up for years. I never thought about the difference between how our environment and human nature affect us. Also, the video from Nova about the girl who was locked up for 12 years is shocking, yet a great example of how human nurture and social interaction are necessities. We are fortunate to be able to do the simple things in life that one usually takes for granted, like speaking, hearing, seeing, etc. It's also interesting to see how much of an impact our parents have on us through manifest and latent lessons. I've been shaped by being raised in a middle-upper class area and attending a very prestigious high school. We are forced to be social and competitive to get any where in life.

In Tuesdays with Morrie, the main character is afraid of death as well as the majority of Americans. Americans are afraid of death because we want more than what we have, especially more time. Americans don't want to die because we have so many material items we don't want to leave. I know that for me personally I can definitely wait for death because I'm young and want a lot for my upcoming years. People also don't want to leave their loved ones and maybe even accomplishments behind. Death is a taboo topic in America because people avoid talking about it and its uncomfortable even though we all know we will have to face it one day. Americans also value youth and teenagers and adolescence believe they're invincible.

Values

America is a very unique and different place compared to others. We do everything differently I feel like. Whether it's how we think, what we eat, how we dress, or how we talk, it's all more or less different than other places. Kohl's "Values Americans Live By", is a great reading that explains American culture. In my own life, I can definitely see Competition vs. Cooperation, Action/work vs. “Being”, and Self-Help/initiative/freedom vs. Birthright/inheritance completely active today. Americans and students who attend SHS know that competition is always a factor. There's always somebody that you are sizing up to in order to get what they have and beyond it. Specifically with academics in SHS and applying for colleges. This competitiveness in America contrasts with cooperation which is common in other cultures. A lot of other cultures place emphasis on cooperation in place of competition because it creates a group-focused environment where everyone's aiming for the same goal. This goes along with the self-help and initiative idea in America. We are very independent people and try to get things done ASAP and think we have the right to just about anything. In other cultures theres's the birthright and inheritance idea that you have certain rights applied to you when you were born, and you can inherit others as you grow. Americans are also always on the move and have a hard time focusing on living in the moment, which relates to Action/work vs. "Being". This also ties with the assignment of "Nothing" we were assigned, I think it's going to be a great challenge and an interesting experience because it's so out of the norm to stop and literally do nothing.

Affluenza

In some ways, the direction in which America is going is not the best. We spend a large amount of our time working so that we can be successful. We don't spend as much time together as families, and our lives are consumed with technology. America is commonly known as being "materialistic, greedy, and self-absorbed" as stated in the Affluenza article we read for homework. Also stated in the article, these days there are "two times the amount of shopping centers as there are high schools", in America. We spend the majority of our time using technology and not involved in actual interaction. We now not only have malls, we have mega malls, online shopping, and the TV and computer ads as well. Affluenza is a growing "sickness" in America and I agree, I have definitely noticed how many kids are not outside on beautiful days, they're inside watching TV or playing video games or computer games instead. I have noticed the increasing desire for economic expansion and for the new latest items that one "must have". We need to go back to how things used to be, where family was an essential part of every day life and where we valued more substantial things.

Stereotypical

"The Cookie Thief" by Valerie Cox was a humorous poem because there have probably been times in everyone's lives where we've thought we were 100% right when in reality we were wrong. She thought the guy was taking her cookies so she jumped to all of these conclusions about him as a person, when really she was the one taking his cookies. Judging or categorizing people is a natural habit and an easy thing to do but we need to be more aware and conscious of it. I've been judged and/or stereotyped many times, all varying in different categories. The piece about Joshua Bell was very interesting, but I wasn't too surprised that people didn't stop and watch him because people are ignorant and don't like interruptions when they're focusing on getting somewhere. In contrast, a different video about a street performer who has a disability draws a large crowd. I think people stopped to watch him because he was outgoing, unique, and different. People think he is interesting because he has a disability but has a great talent along with it. Because people are interested in him, they're probably less likely to stereotype. Personally, while roaming the streets downtown while shopping, there are plenty of people with different talents trying to get noticed. I've seen some people perform with disabilities and I know that they'd probably draw my attention more than a classical musician. Although both are interesting, the person who's most unique draws more of a crowd because you're not sure when you'll get the same opportunity.

Complexity

During the activity in class, deciding which groups I'm associated with was kind of challenging. Some groups came quickly to mind whereas others involved more thinking. Family, friends, and christian all came to mind first. Then I thought a little more general and the group American came up. Being an American is very different and distinct when compared to other cultures. For me, being American is a group I'm apart of involuntarily. I didn't choose to live here but I do so therefore I'm an American. Within my family I am a daughter, a sister, and a grandchild. My friends group makes up who I am because a lot of my friends know a lot about me so they're involved in my life in one way or another. I love hanging out with my friends, who doesn't? If I'm with them a lot then they're more than likely bound to have an affect on me therefore affecting who I am. Another group I have is being a christian. I love my church and I'm a friend as well as a mentor/leader. There definitely has been role conflict and role strain at times. If I'm slacking on being a good friend or mentor then that shows through my actions. Also making plans between my friends from different places can sometimes conflict with each other causing role conflict.

Assimiliation

There is no literal difference between spit and saliva but sociologically there is a huge difference. If one were to spit while playing football, baseball, or soccer it would probably be 100% fine. If one were to spit while playing golf or tennis it would be totally unacceptable. Society has morphed our views of normal and abnormal, tremendously. Whether it be where we grew up, who we hang out with, what we get involved in, etc. society does affect us subconsciously and consciously. When Sal asked Chad to spit in the spoon I got so grossed out, even more when he asked him if he would eat it. That's just repulsive. I do think spitting is normal and I don't get too grossed out when people do it, but I realized that the setting and the surroundings do matter. It's funny and also lame how society has enforced upon us a way of thinking of what is normal and what isn't normal. People conform and are afraid to be considered an outlier.

Routine

Every day that students go into a classroom they're expected to sit down, be quiet, and listen to the teachers instructions... on most occasions. Once I got to Sociology I should have known that something would be different. The "awkward silence" that we experienced the first day was interesting to me. I didn't really catch on at first, but then I thought "Ooh...he's doing this to see how we react..." because people respond to things in different ways and we are trained to act a certain way, as well. He also was observing to see the patterns that we've developed over time. We've grown so accustomed to this that we developed a pattern and now we practice it for every single period of every single day we attend school. I agree with the idea that students expect teachers to provide them with everything they need. I often find myself wanting the simple way of having the teacher just tell me what do- and I'll do it. But I'm also doing it to get the points, not necessarily to attain the knowledge. I really like the fact that we are going to do community service because it makes everyone feel satisfied and accomplished knowing that they helped others in their community. I guess I like the idea of blogging to teach each other because we get a chance to totally write down what we think whereas in class I don't think we get the same opportunity. 

About me

I'm Corinne, I turn 18 on November 10th. I love the ocean and I want to go to a college near it. I went to San Diego this past summer for two weeks with an organization, Hope Worldwide, which is associated with my church. We worked with homeless people all throughout San Diego. I would love to go to San Diego State for college, and maybe live there one day. Some major influences on me are my religion, my friends, and my family. I know it's a typical response, but it's legit. In college, I think I want to major in business and eventually go into non-profit work. I love mission work and just helping people. I really want to go to Fiji, New Zealand, and many other islands. I'm a super random person. I hate math with a passion. I have ADD I'm pretty sure, but that's not confirmed. A lot of people don't understand my humor either but eh, whatever. I'm generally a happy person, I laugh a lot. I like candles. I love slushies. I loove Haribou Gummy bears. I listen to every type of music. I have hilarious friends and we do random crazy stuff all the time. I have an odd style. I dig fashion. I'm a complicated person, and I'm soo indecisive. I'm chill but can be a spaz at times. There's a lot that people don't know about me, but hey there's some stuff :)