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.