To a great semester

Social, what does it mean to be social? In my own words I would say it mean to interact with other individuals in order to start up a conversation. During this semester of sociology I learn a lot about the world and the way people interact and view each other. This class was really helpful because before it I never knew how the world was view in a certain type of people eyes. Sociology helps us to understand the interaction between individuals and society, this class made me understand how people and society behave.

Watching some of the videos provided for us throughout this semester was interesting, but the most interesting one to me I think was the video “people like us”. Watching this video I felt bad at the beginning to see how people view other just because of their status, it was sad to see how those people think their better than other jus because they have a little more money than others. No offense to anyone but just because you have more money than others that doesn’t make or give you the right to treat other like their lower than you, that’s just my opinion.

I learn a lot from this class and as a criminal and justice major it helped me a lot out to see how society is. It showed me why people do the thing they do, reading all the chapters, articles and watching all the videos was helpful because who knew humans being behave the way they do. Some people have different opinion about others while some have the same but I don’t think it fair to judge us on how we look or our class.

This class was helpful in many ways, I learned a lot about the world and the way things are and way people behave. Before this class the things I do I never knew what it was that I was doing now I know some of the things we do can be classifies as deviance. It’s surprising to know that we are doing things that are deviance and don’t even know it. Now when I see my friends, family or co-workers doing something deviance I tell them, and the look at me as if am crazy.

I believe that this sociology class will benefit me throughout which ever profession I chose to go into too and I think everyone should take this class. I enjoy the professor and I  enjoy the discussion me and my fellow classmates have, it was an amazing semester and I look forward to using what I learn to help me understand the world a little more better.

the Hispanic dropout mystery

the article starts off by talking about at a high school name north high school was expected to have over 1,500 student expected to register and more than over 350 student had failed to show up. reading this i was shock, because i know how hard it is to go to school but at the same time at the end of the day and at the end of all accomplishment it is worth it in the end.

the article mention that the dropout rate of Hispanic students nation wide is 30 percent, nearly the three times the rate for whites and twice the rate of blacks. its amazing how these kids take education as a joke when in reality it could be the best thing that could happen to them.

according to some of these Hispanic teens they say they leave school for many reason, they fail classes, they are bored, they are working to support their families, also they say that public school are marginalizing them, disrespecting their culture.neglecting their language and setting standards so low that kids can't help but to reduce their expectation, but even with all that i think kids just have to push themselves and work a little bit harder and not let anyone tell them that they can't or they won't be able to amount to anything in life.

people like us/positive function of the undeserving poor.

We live in a society where there are those who are poor, rich and those in between. Some people thing just because they have money and get everything they want in life it means their better than those who can't afford it.

In the video people like us, it was a very interesting video i have watched. Its starts off by talking about how class is based on looks,money, and how popular. there are many different kind of classes in society. The  video talks about "Social Climber" which are those who( the rich) talks about what kind of car they would drive and what they think is undesirable.

The video then goes on to ask a question as if you are a "Bud" or "Bordeaux", the choice you make reveal your class. one the things that was mention in the video that caught my attention was that it went on to say that having money means having the freedom to create your own lifestyle as long as you fit in with the taste of your social class.

the video shows if you have money you will be able to go anywhere and meet all kind of famous people.

It also give examples about how people want to fit into a new class just so they can feel welcome. How you were brought up shows how you will act as you get older.


The article positive function of the undeserving poor was very interesting compare to the video people like us it talks about the underclass in society. It talks about poverty at the beginning, and well all know that it is a big issue in our society. it talks about how poverty not only have a negative effect on poor but the non-poor as well. it gives an  example that street crime which deviate from important norms claimed to be mainstream. all this can have an outcome because of failing to work, having children in adolescence and out of wedlock, and being dependent on welfare.

the article discuss 13 specific function of the various beneficiaries undeserving.
1.risk reduction-takes place at a micro-social level
2.scapegoating and displacement- faulting poor can support the desire for revenge and punishment.
3.economic banishment and the reserve army of labor- people who have been label as undeserving can be banished from formal labor markets
4. supplying illegal goods-sales of illegal drugs
5-job creation- creating jobs by the undeserving poor
6-moral legitimation
7-norm reinforcement
8-supplying popular culture villains
9-institutional scapegoating
10-conservative power shifting
11-spatial purification
12-reproduction
13-extermination

those are the 13 important function of the undeserving poor. i think reading these function will help you understand them better,

Deviance

what makes us deviance? according to chapter 8 definition is the behavior that does not conform to basic cultural, norms and expectation. This chapter focuses on its relationship to questions of self and identity. I can say reading this chapter was amazing, most people don't realize that being deviance is a feature of all human societies. who knew being deviance can help us define group boundaries, create social solidarity, and is a source of innovation. this chapter talks about how deviance can be a source of illness medicalization which is the behavior as an illness can be treated by medical professionals.

the article Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System was one of the most interesting article i have read. this article talks about mostly inequality among race in out society, and as a criminal justice major it was interesting to read about this. most people view police as the bad guys while other feel the opposite, but reading this article we can see why people feel this way about them, mostly among the African American community. this article to me was amazing it showed me that statistically one(1) out of a hundred(100) black college graduated will be arrested in their life time and that was shocking to read about. Reading this article and this chapter made more interesting in the criminal justice system and want to learn how all the sociology methods are linked with it.

Socialization

In this society today most people do what they see or hear. in chapter 6 it talks about socialization which means the process by which people learn their basic norms, values, and appropriate behaviors. the chapter talks about how socialization occurs through out life and it takes place in different ways and in different social contexts guided by many different agents of socialization.

the video A Call To Men was a pretty interesting video, i wasn't really surprise to what Tony Porter said about me because in today's world you see that in men. He made some great points at the beginning of his speech about men, and showing what he call "the man box" which listed how we as men should act or behave, from we don't cry or openly express our feelings to viewing women as property. His video also showed the collective socialization of men less value+property+objectification=violence against women.

In the video Killing Us Softly showed how women are view because of ads. it talked about how what it meant to be a women in this culture. it shows because of how women are viewed in these ads average women would want to do the same. and because of how these women in the ads are portrayed men think that how their wives or girlfriend should look and that what makes men take advantage of women

i think these two video is a great example of socialization. and also everyone should watch these video because you see it where men think they got that tough attitude and also what women "should" look like.

POWER

Power is something everyone want, some people might even do whatever it takes to achieve it.In chapter 5 it talks about power, the meaning the book has for power is the ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by other.Today a lot of people strive to have power over each other but when achieve it they get consume by it and even have a negative effect on other. Chapters 5 also talks about empowerment which one increase one's capacity to bring about an intended outcome, which is similar to the definition power. The chapter also talks about the strategies for empowerment which involves education, organization, and networking. To me i think power should not be use to for enjoyment rather than to help. In education i think having power over student doesn't mean you have to be rude. I have a professor that just because she is a teacher she can act and talk to the student how ever she wants. 

Most people try to persuade others by convincing them of the correctness of your position or goals, and then there's rewarding with a positive gesture and last with coerce which i think is not a good strategies but are some time effective, which is by force.

Chapter 5 also talks about hegemony which means the imposition and wide acceptance of the perspective and interest of those in power as universe and the true and the marginalization of alternative viewpoint. 

In conclusion i would say that this chapter help me understand the true meaning of the word power and how sociologist give their perspective on it.

social structure.

Understanding social structure. When hearing that it makes me think of the interaction among people. Reading chapter 4, made me see that it was true. There are different size of understanding the social structure, for example at a micro level we can look at the structure between two people within a small group, at a meso level we can look at the structure between an organization, mainly a large group, and at a macro level we can look at the structure in between developing and industrialized.  What caught my eye in this chapter that we also talk about in class was the Brian Reed article. I was amazed on how he uses his skills and knowledge of social structure in order to help catch the Iraqi lead Saddam Hussein.  This chapter mentions a Ethnomethodology which is an approach that examines the methods people use to make sense of their daily activities. Which can emphasizes the ways in which we collectively create social structure in our everyday activities. Most people don’t realize what they do in their everyday life is a step to them having doing something to do with social structure. I myself didn’t had idea until I started reading about it and it was interesting to know that most of the things you do you are creating social structure.