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.