This week in class we watched a movie called Crash. This movie portrayed intense examples of racism in every day life. Racism is a socially constructed concept, apparent in every day situations, it's something we have gotten used to seeing and hearing. The movie pointed out obvious stereotypes, when most of the time they were completely wrong. The locksmith was seen as a gangbanger for merely being mexican, when he was truly a loving father and husband trying to make a good life for his family. Implicit racism appeared when the off duty cop was in the car with a black guy who reached into his pocket; without even thinking, his implicit assumptions took action and killed him. The movie goes to show how dangerous racist act can really be. Implicit racism is more dangerous than explicit, though explicit is still hurtful. With implicit racism, a person may try to avoid their racist thoughts, but instead they build up and soon may act spontaneously based on all of that implicit racism that collected over time. I enjoyed how this movie played with your mind. For example, the china man in the beginning seemed to simply be making a business deal for some company. Little did we know he was actually human trafficking. It's funny how people shock you, in the movie as well as in real life. Ludacris lets the enslaved people free at the end of the movie, when the whole time we think money is more important to him. When people say hurtful things or seem to have strong feelings about racism, it doesn't always mean that they truly feel that way, but merely feel that they are expected to act that way or act out of anger/frustration. Everyone grows to be their own person, and though there are influences by society, they act as individuals and cannot always be categorized into groups.

In class we discussed race. Race is socially constructed and has become normal part in our everyday lives, though we don't always realize it. Because of our every day environment, it is almost impossible to avoid forming certain stereotypes. Stereotypes are constantly portrayed on television shows and movies. By doing a demo in class, we were able to recognize how people classify things in groups. One thing that I found interesting was that a lot of people classified them by exactly what they saw. Some classified them by what they looked like their function would be. It was funny though, because Mr. Salituro brought it to our attention that although it looked like a ball could perform a certain function, like a soccer ball, it could be much easier to play actual soccer with one of the other balls on display. This demo really showed that we classify based on looks. No matter a persons level of intelligence or their background, first impressions are always based upon appearance and stereotypes.
We also did an online activity that had us categorize certain people based on their ethnic background. It was shocking to see how many people looked completely different than their actual ethnic background. But this just goes to show that race is a made up phenomenon. It doesn't exist, but we as people created it. Without even talking to a person, we judge. They may be the exact same racial makeup as you, yet you perceive them differently merely because they don't look like you. We often don't realize it, but it happens.

I participated in the Stevenson Blood Drive in February. This blood drive was specifically for leukemia research. I wanted to donate my blood so I could give back to people who have no control over their lives. My grandma suffered from leukemia, so it is something very close to my heart. I enjoyed knowing that my blood would help someone recover.

I also participated in Project Dance on Saturday, April 17th from 5pm to 10pm. In order to be part of this dance we needed to raise at least $50. I went around my neighborhood and asked people to donate to a great cause, the Riverside Foundation. I ended up raising about $70 for the Riverside Foundation. The dance was a great celebration for donating all that money to the Riverside Foundation. Having some of the members show really showed how much they appreciated it. It felt great knowing that we were able to put smiles on their faces as well remove some of their worries.

This week in class we watched a movie on social class in America. It's so strange to think that two human beings could be brought up so differently that they become almost polar opposites in the way they live. People with 'old money' aren't afraid to hide their wealth. They grew up with parents who had it, and this concept easily explains where the wealthier ones get the idea of 'playing that role'. The wealthy can only associate with other wealthy people. They are so turned off to reality it's crazy. Yet, there are others on the same planet who have nothing, not even a car to drive to work. They grew up differently and must work hard for a good life; not everyone is born into money. It's scary to think how separate every class is, because some people want to be viewed as better than others. What the wealthier people really need to do is stretch outside of their comfort zone, and help those below them instead of step on them like doormats.

This week in class really got me thinking about social class and each class has completely different roles in society. The coin toss demonstration really showed how a lot of wealth is based on luck and how you manage your belongings. It is easier to gain more money if you have a lot to begin with. Wealth along with luck is on your side when you start out with a good amount of money. Social class is mainly seen by one side. When people want to seem rich or wealthy they buy or wear expensive or expensive looking things. It's all an image. They not only look classier, they get through things much more easily. No one is going to suspect the rich person for the crime. The blue collar workers who actually do labor to earn their money, aren't treated as special as upper class (white collar workers). As sad as it is and as much as we would like to deny it, lower class people are looked at differently.
I thought that it was very interesting how each class gets so used to certain materials and foods that they would choose one food over a better one merely because they're used to eating that way. For instance, they were giving away free, quality sourdough bread but the lower class lady looking for food would only have the white bread, merely because she was used to it. Not only does society place us in a certain class, we adapt and stick to the norms of that class as well.

This week in class we watched a movie on what it's like to be in jail for 30 days. It's weird how the environment at two jails can be so completely different. As Morgan stays in the first jail, his time there seems so slow and boring; no rehabilitation going on whatsoever. Prisoners are treated like hopeless cases. Yet, when he transfers to another jail they provide group therapy and other things to help each prisoner with whatever they're stuggling with that caused them to be there. I feel like this type of jail should be present among a majority of the U.S. because it could help to turn some people around. Although, the percentage of people who go back to jail once they have already been in it is high, there still may be some hope for others. It's worth the try.
It's unreal how much the number of inmates has increased in the past years due to drug felonies. Some cases are settled very unfairly as well. For instance, in some states what is considered a felony may only be considered a misdemeanor in others. It's basically all based on luck.

This week in class we read a passage about two completely different groups of boys in completely different social classes. This article discussed many points that people just ignore because these conditions are 'normal'. For instance, someone's image plays a huge role on how people view and think of them. The Saints were upper middle class boys who committed dangerous crimes, but no one ever caught them because they had the money to cover their tracks. The Roughnecks were boys who were lower middle class, probably better behaved than the Saints, always got caught committing their crimes so everyone's view of these Roughnecks became somewhat distorted. It's scary how prevalent judgements form because of the way a group might seem. Nobody had a clue that the Saints we're actually harming people and things because why would an upper middle class white boy do that? Just because the Roughnecks had bad luck getting caught, they are viewed as much more deviant than the Saints. Deviance plays a large part in how society works as well; it's one of the main reasons why people who are viewed as deviant people will actually become deviant if they haven't already. When someone consistently tells you that you are a deviant person, sooner or later you yourself will believe it. In the episode of Freaks and Geeks, the group of guys Lindsey hangs out with are expected to be deviant stoners so they end up living to that expectation.

This week in class we learned about masculinity and how a majority of boys today put on a "tough guise" in front of others. Ever since they were young, boys have been taught that tough men win. In all the animated movies that children watch, the heroes are always portrayed as strong men with bulging muscles and the nerds are always portrayed as weak and skinny. Boys learn that even showing emotions is a sign of weakness. Things in the media imply that women don't like the 'softies', they enjoy men with rock hard abs who are willing to beat up any man in their way. This is the whole reason men put up that "tough guise", to impress people. So much bullying goes on because if a boy shows even the slightest bit of sensitivity, he gets made fun of. No one wants to be teased, so all these boys put up a front and think they need this powerful, manly image to get through life. So many school shootings have occured for these reasons. These boys get so sick and tired of being made fun of that they take hold of a weapon, which makes them feel powerful, and they take innocent lives. Movies have portrayed guns and all weapons as symbols of power; whoever has the weapon, will most likely win the fight. This type of gun portrayal is exactly why kids get the idea that everyone will respect them if they point a gun. It's sad how this world has come to that conclusion; men need to be able to feel comfortable showing emotions just as much as women, without being judged.

This week in class we watched a video on advertisements and how women are portrayed in the media. I did a research paper on how media influences our culture, so some of this stuff was just background information. Although, this video went into depth showing all ads objectifying women. It is sad how socially acceptable it is now a days to look too skinny, it is even preferred in some cases. Even models, who got those jobs based on their looks, are photo shopped. Society plants it in little girls minds that this impossible image is the way you should look. All those ads are seen by young children every day; they grow up with the mindset of thin being better and more accepted. Not only does it influence little girls, but it influences the boys who see it as well. They too grow up with a specific mindset of what their ideal girl should look like. The media shapes images into their heads and gives them high expectations for women in the future. This is another reason girls develop eating disorders early on in life; it's what the guys want. No one wants to be viewed as unattractive, but with all those media images out there it is almost impossible to feel completely comfortable in your own skin. Girls see these tiny (unrealistic) models and they think that there must be some way to get there, so they resort to eating disorders or very low levels of self-esteem. No matter what people may tell a girl, she will constantly feel insecure when comparing herself to the unrealistic images in the media.

Actually 'watching' tv was a very interesting experiment. When I really paid attention I was able to see all the different angles and effects they use in media. It's so odd how we never realize these kinds of things when we watch tv at least an hour a day. That just goes to show how media truly affects us. It draws us in and we don't even take a minutes stop and think about it. As I watched someone else watching tv, I noticed that their facial expression remained stable for a long period of time. As we watch tv we are so focused on what is going on inside that tv, but our brains aren't really thinking by themselves. Our brains aren't in use as we watch tv, because the sound coming from that program basically tells you what to think. That's why, when we mute tv, our brains become much more active and aware. We start to become aware of the things around us, things outside of that show (like the effects the program uses).

We also watched a movie about how the media consumes children at a very early age. These children's minds are still growing, and when media takes a hold of their growing minds, that information sticks with them. Children influence what their parents buy, so if they start begging for something they saw on tv because it looked cool, some parents feel like they must buy it. Products are becoming such an important factor in children's lives that it's unhealthy.

Learning about the feral, or wild, children really opened my eyes and made me realize how much the people who raise impact our entire lives. It was so interesting to see what a person would be like without human contact or without any nuture whatsoever. The many feral children that we saw acted as wild animals. When we are young, we pick of small behavioral techniques from our parents in order to act in a socially acceptable way as we age. We are constantly held and touch by are parents, but we don't realize what impact that truly has on us as we grow. When we experience touch sensations as infants, it stimulates parts of our brains that allows for human interaction later in life. The feral children weren't able to experience any human nuture, they were alone, guessing at life and completely helpless. We grow from being instinctive to conscious and aware of the things around us. Without that step of having human interaction, the feral children never got to the point of awareness.
I can see how I unconsciously pick up social habits from my parents. I constantly receive the remark, "you are your mother/father's daughter". Whenever I behave in a way that reflects how they act, I know it's from constantly watching them as an infant.

This week in class we watched Tuesdays with Morrie. The movie was extremely inspirational. It pulls apart certain aspects of life and explains its significance in great depth. Morrie is a man who has been through so much and is so knowledgable about life and how it works. He knows how not to waste time and live life to fullest and tries to teach his views to Mitch. It is true that Americans are afraid to love each other because can lead to loss or heartbreak. We live in fear, as Morrie said, of our own lives. We are afraid to give it our all because we are afraid to lose it all. We can overcome this fear by constantly telling ourselves that by not risking it all we are losing it all as well. It's like Morrie said, keep a little bird on your shoulder that reminds you that you have limited time and you will live life to the fullest. There is a huge difference between romantic love and real love. Romantic love is a love that people constantly go with out; it is much weaker than real love. Romantic love comes and goes, while real love stays forever. Real love is a love so strong that you couldn't imagine what your life would've been like if they had never been in your life. Real love is inexplainable, you just know that this person means the world to you. Real love can be for family, friends, or a significant other. Americans see death as a very fearful thing. If you live your life as you want, you shouldn't be afraid of death. You should feel as if there is nothing left but the end, because you have loved the best you could love and you have accomplished all you wished to accomplish. Death can be related to materialism by the way we feel as if someone is truly gone just because they don't live anymore. Morrie told Mitch that if he ever needed to let something out, he could go and visit Morrie's grave. Morrie explained to him that relationship never die, people do. I completely believe that; 'our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch". Our feelings about death are also related to individualism by the way in which we view others. We see each other as individuals, who touch us in different ways. That's why loss is so difficult, because each person means something different to us. We all have different memories and a different kind of love for one another.

Community Service

On Sunday, February 26th I participated in the Polar Plunge at Fox Lake. In order to participate in this event you needed to raise at least $75; I raised $100 to donate to the Special Olympics. When I first walked in I was excited to see all the different people that were obviously so spirited about the event. We waited a couple hours for them to set up the water for us to jump into. They needed to cut away the ice ontop of the water, yet it kept freezing over again. When I heard this, it made me hesitate, but I jumped anyway. The Patriot Plungers was the first group, after the costume winners, to jump into the freezing water. I was excited to be doing such a crazy thing for a good cause. Once we jumped into the water, the cold didnt actually hit until i ran out. Not to mention I ran out barefoot. It was such a fun experience and though it was freezing I would do it again.
On Tuesday, February 28th I went to the St. Joseph's Soup Kitchen in Chicago. I didnt know what to expect going into it. I had volunteered at a soup kitchen before, but it was a completely different experience. At this soup kitchen, I interacted much more with the people that came in. I served them their soup and it was so nice to hear how grateful they were. I couldn't get a smile off of my face the whole time because it just felt so great seeing all those people have a good meal. There were a few children there, and seeing that was so sad. One little girl ran up to me and was playing around with me. It was lifechanging to see this little girl stuck in a hard situation, but still so happy and always smiling. I spoke with several people and they were so caring and sweet. It defnitely lifted my spirits that  they made the best of their situation by being so nice and grateful. I loved this trip so much. These kinds of things broaden your view of the world and allow you to be so grateful for everything you have.

This week in class we learned more about cultural differences. Everyone in different countries are used to their surroundings as they grow. We adapt to our own culture and it is hard to understand anything different from that. The fishbowl analogy illustrates this point. We may be able to see outside of our fishbowl, but there will always be our own values standing in the way (the glass and water).
The road in India may seem completely insane to Americans, but it is a norm for everyone living in India. They are all adapted to that behavior that it just comes naturally. Americans are so used to stop lights and people yeilding to pedestrians. If an American were to travel to India, they would experience culture shock either trying to drive or cross the street.
In "God Grew Tired of Us" it was so interesting to see how completely different two countries can be. The Lost Boys were so used to be in a relaxed and interactive environment. When they got to American they experienced complete culture shock. It was a totally different place. They expressed that they felt more isolated in America because everyone was expected to have a job or go to school and always stay busy. Everything was fast pace. Time became so important that human interaction weakened. The Lost Boys also explained how people in America were unfriendly and less welcoming. This just shows how social norms affect cultures. Being 'your own person' is expected in America, while togetherness is common where the Lost Boys were from.

This week we played a card game where everyone ended up receiveing different rules but no one knew. This caused confusion and even some anger amoungst the class. The different card games acted as various cultures. When one person did something that they thought was ok, the other got either angry or really confused. We aren't used to the way other cultures do things, so right away we begin to experience culture shock. It takes some learning and adjustment to see where that other person is coming from. It was really interesting to see how different other countries and cultures truly are. Nonmaterial culture including gestures in language change vastly throughout the globe. Some gestures that seem completely normal to one person may seem completely rude to a person from a different culture. For instance, getting a waiter's attention. If we snapped our fingers to get their attention, like they do in the middleeast, we would be coming off as rude in America. Even material things, like toilets, make a huge difference in the way each culture lives. The Japanese are very clean people, so their toilets require you to squat and not sit on anything dirty. If a Japenese person used an American toilet he/she would be disgusted that you must sit on something to go to the bathroom. Cultures shape a person's point of view of the world. In Denmark, the people are so trusting of each other that they keep their strollers outside of restaurants. In America, everyone is so synical and aware of the dangers in the world; they would never consider leaving their child outside while they ate. Something that is normal in Denmark seems like child abuse in America, which goes to show how differently people in the world tend to think based on their surroundings and values.

In the Bronx Tale, I feel like the whole neighborhood is an example of social construction of reality. Even though it's not always expressed verbally, certain behaviors are expected in the movie. Sonny is the man that everyone fears, so he always ends up getting what he wants. Sonny being 'the man' is a kind of social construction of reality in the movie; no one is to disrespect Sonny, because no one wants to experience the consequences. Sonny is a man of power, and this social construction of reality makes C wants to be more like Sonny when he grows up. He seems to think that the best way to live is to be respected by everyone. Like C's Dad says, though, Sonny isn't respected; he's feared. Some things that happen in the movie built this social construction of reality. When Sonny shoots and kills a man, C doesn't rat him out because that was simply not accepted in his neighborhood.
Another thing I noticed in the Bronx Tale was how so many macro sociological forces were apparent in the movie. Whenever C went into Jane's neighborhood or when any African American entered C's neighborhood, people instantly showed hatred. No one even thought about their actions, having hatred towards a different race is just what was expected. I enjoyed how C overcame that force by falling in love with Jane, an African American. He stood up as an individual (micro) and saw past the color of Jane's skin. Sonny influenced C's decision to go for love, no matter the color of her skin. Even though Sonny was a feared individual he knew the difference between right and wrong. Sonny wanted to teach his morals to C because he cared for him so deeply; he didn't want C to end up like him.

In Gang Leader for a Day, J.T. shows Sudhir that learning more about the world and the people in it involves interacting with them. A simple survey won't do the job. You can't learn anything worth knowing about a person with questions that aren't meaningful. Qualitative data will get you far more answers about the world and how society works. If you wanted to find out what our school is like, you shouldn't just ask questions that will get you quantitative results, like how does it feel to go to school here? Interacting with the students that live each day of their lives there, is how to get to know the school in a deeper way. Sometimes questions that reach out to people, are the questions that are the most valuable. For instance, seeing something from one person's point of view and asking them questions about their lives is how to get results.

Freaks and Geeks was a show that really portrayed how different group of people can cause a person to behave in different ways.The environment and people you surround yourself with have a big imact on your actions. The main character practiced unusal habits when she hung around with the freaks. She went from being a mathlete to standing on the smoking patio with all of the burnouts. I agree with Emile Durkheim who studied suicide rates and how the level of social integration affects an individual's chances of committing suicide. The more people connect, the less chance there is of being depressed. Humans are social people; we need social interaction. With less and less families connecting on a deeper level like they used to, suicide is more common. It is important that we connect with the people we love as much as possible in order to feel a sense of belonging and happiness.

I will admit that I probably would have never started community service if I didn't have to complete hours freshman year. Now that I have done it, I am so glad that I was forced into it. I have had multiple valuable experiences doing community service. I remember sophomore year when I volunteered at a soup kitchen in Chicago. Going into it I thought it might be boring, but once we got started I didn't want to leave. Just being able to pass out food to people in need was one of the most amazing feelings. With the gratitude on their faces, it just felt nice knowing that I helped fill their stomachs. Another remarkable experience doing community service recently was when my friends and I volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. We were indirectly helping all the starving children in other countries, but it was great to know that they were getting nourishment from the food we were packing. By the end of the 4 hour day we had packed meals for 90 kids everyday for a year. Just hearing those numbers gave me this feeling inside, it's the feeling I love about community service. You help the world in a small way but it feels good to know you did something. If every person participated in some kind of community service, the world could transform into a much better place.
I beleive sociological mindfulness is so important in society. Each person, whether they realize it or not, affects society in some way. I agree with Schwalbe when he says that not enough people pay attention to the world around them. People tend to just get by in life, but if someone becomes sociological mindful life tends to be much more meaningful. Full interaction with the people you are surrounded by is important. People learn from each other; others help us grow. Everyone has an impact on someone else whether they realize it or not.

Who Am I?

My name is Alyssa. Though, that doesn't say very much about who I really am. I am a girl that is so grateful for her family and friends. They mean the world to me and I don't know how I would get by without them. I don't hold grudges and I try not to create an opinion about someone else until I've met them myself. I care too much about what people think of me, that's one thing I've been trying to change in my life. The only way to allow yourself to grow as a person is to stand up for what you believe in and not be afraid of what other people think. I'm aware that everyone has a different story, which is why I try my best to be nice to everyone I meet. I still go through obstacles every day of my life that teach me more and more about who I am. I'm only 17, so I have ways to go until I actually reach my full potential and become the person I want to be.  I don't think anyone truly knows who they are before they have actually gone out into the world on their own. Life is a learning experience; I surprise myself everyday I discover something new about who I am, but I know I still have ways to go.