The computer told me I was racist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvO6FJoQPA4

Views on races is a sensitive topic. Many believe that they should avoid saying racial slurs. Many also consider themselves as not being racist. Studies by many sociologists show us that we make stereotypical assumptions aboutcertain races, whether they are good or bad. This tends to be linked with a comfort of who a stranger is or their identity. In my youtube video (excerpt from Everybody Hates Chris), it shows that because Chris was black, the coach wanted him on the basketball team. The show shows Chris as nerdy and uncoordinated. It's funny because many of us assume African Americans are good dancers, rappers, or athletes. We do this subconsciously. America needs to stop categorizing people and judge them as individuals.

Many media shows have touched on this issue humorously as well, such as King of the Hill. I took the test and was surprised when I scored as moderatly preferenced towards european Americans. This is weird because many of my best friends aren't european american (Asian, Black, and Iranian). I am always the person to call people out on their racist jokes. I don't see much accuracy in this test because as long as you believe you aren't that way then a quiz shouldn't tell you you're worng. I do believe that the media and family and peers put some some rascism or preference towards a race in your head, but the answer from the quiz shouldn't be so far off that it surprises you.

Life is like a Game of Monopoly

In Sociology the other day, we compared the game of monopoly to life. There were so many similarities. In the end,the rich stayed rich (or got richer) and the poor stayed poor (or got poorer). I was surprised that when the lower classes went into welfare/debt that the rich didn't help out. I was new money but I was losing so munch that I dropped down a class but the old money was getting richer. I thought it was rude that they weren't willing to donate some money to the poor because of their circumstances. Realistically, there are both types of upper class: the donators and the people who keep all their money for themselves. Also, life is a big game of chance and needs a big deal of luck to be successful. You need to be born into the right family, go to the right school, and meet the right people. The sad part is that that leaves little to no opportunity for the lower close to move up the social ladder.

People, like Tammy from the movie we watched, could be hard working and ambitious and motivated and never get any richer because they lack the money and the opportunities to take risks.

I now feel very privileged to be in the upper middle class and I am glad that I have the opportunities to be successful. Once I am able to make it, I will constantly be donating to charities and helping those who are less fortunate.

The Apple Doesn't Fall too Far from the Tree

It's true that the apple fall too far from the tree. American society may say that we do't have a class system but when you really look at it there is. And these American citizens tend to stay in the same exact class they were born into in the first place. In the past, there was segregation and prejudice of the races, now it is of incomes. The rich and the poor are separated on planes (1st class and coach), sporting events (box seats and "nose bleeds"), and the type of sports they can afford (horseback riding and basketball). People with wealth feel that they have to act a certain. We learn, if you have money, spend or show it off as much as possible. I realized that, with my family being upper-middle class, I am able to a better ACT score because my parents can pay for a tutor. I am able to go to lots of places because I have my own car. But still, all my friends range in different social classes and I have a job as a waitress. I do know that my parents have influenced me to go high paying job and I will mostly likely go to medicl school. I just think it's sad that most other people do not interact with people outside their class.

Today in class we watched a show called 30 Days, where a guy spent 30 days in a jail while showing its viewers what the system was all about. The show revealed the overcrowding of the prison, the isolation, and statistics of a typical criminal. Most prisoners, over 60%, will return to prison after leaving. That made me ask the question, why do we use this system if it overall doesn't really work? Or why are we spending all this money on people who do more harm than good?

Personally, I think the jail system should be redone. The people with disabilities need to be taken a mentally ill institution and that would solve all overcrowding. Our society always talks of change and this is definitley something that needs change the most. I am shocked to how corrupt it has become.

Am I Normal?

In Sociology today we learned about "norms." What is truly normal? There are answers to this question but they are all different. We learned through a survey that even when asked what our whole society views as normal, all the answers varied. When you go to a different country, norms can be taboos and taboos can be norms. This made me realize how ignorant it is to judge something from a different culture. It comes back to the fish bowl concept we learned earlier, people are always looking in on you. It is important to respect other peoples' views and appearances. Stereotyping is stupid because different identities mean different things to different people.

I cannot wait to perform the random act of kindness. Many people forget how a small act of selflessness can make someone's day. It got me thinking...if everyone did atleast one R.A.K. everyday, the world would be such a better place. We don't realize that the little mean things we do can affect people greatly as well. It is good to always be sociologically mindful.

Stevenson Swine 09

The Swine Flu, as we all know, is an epidemic sweeping the nation. Sure, it is affecting all of us physically but let's stop and look at it sociologically. Stevenson has trained us to believe that we should put education before everything, maybe even health. Students at Stevenson are stressed over their grades so much that they bringing themselves to school so they don't fall behind but they are putting others at risk of catching their sickness. I would know because even though I am definitely too sick to come to school, I did. Why you ask? It's because I simply couldn't fall behind in class anymore; I had three tests and 3 quizzes to make up after missing 5 periods of one day and one full day the next. How ridiculous is that? Not to mention, I had to cut down on my resting time so that I could do all my late homework and copy down class notes. I gave into the Stevenson expectation of all being on top of things and came to school, putting myself and their's health in harm's way. I learned that last Wednesday (November 4, 2009) 27% of our school was absent. I joined a facebook group that day that had over 40 Stevenson Juniors who had stayed home that day because of illness. Stevenson needs to learn that their students can't go on anymore. It needs to close for a week to recover. Our society is so competitive on its "perfect atendance" or individualism that it's not regarding the health out what makes up most of it. It is insame.

Tough Guise

The media is being looked at more closely these days by sociologists. Because of TV, there is a stereotype that is dramatized more and more everyday. Masculinity. You are not a guy unless you are manly, strong, tough, or independent. This is creating more violence , abuse, and crime in the U.S.

I don't really think this is true in the area around me but they also said something about a minority turning mainstream that I agree with. African Americans living in the streets used to be the minority and now media has made everyone, including white people, act black. American is going through an identity crisis and the media is responsible.

The video made me notice that there are many white guys at my school who wear chains, baggy clothes, and talk a certain way. I obviously can't personally relate to this but I see it all around me. It's actually kind of funny.

Buying Happiness

In class we learned about what Americans see as happiness. "Things" are our happiness. Insteading of making a sweater, we buy it. We consume; we buy; we purchase. Except, what no one has told us is that rewarding ourselves with "things" isn't real happiness. It is only a souvenir that showcases the fact that we are workaholics.

It made me realize that I got a job so I can buy things, even though I really don't need one. It takes away time from my family and friends and I only have it so I can get new things. We are conformed to our American society whether we like it or not. On the other hand, getting a job made cut TV out of my life almost entirely. I only watch it once a week and I am a waitress so I am still interacting with people.

Truly being happy is getting your priorities straight. This means putting family and friends ahead of work and money. Money is a temporary happiness. I think I can safely say our family and friends will last longer than your jeans will.

TV Time

The T.V. experiment was very different. I definitely learned some things. First, that watching T.V. without sound makes me feel nauceus. Other then that, I noticed that T.V.'s flash with a bunch of different colors, angles, and technical advances that try to keep the watcher's attention. When I was watching my mom watch T.V., I noticed that she was zoning out from the things around her. She was ignoring the dog and the phone. When I watched the T.V. when it was off, I realized that I basically do this when I watch T.V. any other time. When we watch TV , we are just staring at a box for minutes to hours at a time and it is very pointless. It is confusing that Americans value time so much but they are willing to waste their time watching TV. TV is like our escape from reality but it is taking people away from their lives too much. It made me realize that TV is something that I shouldn't even waste my time on. It is better to spend time with family and friends than fictional characters.

Tuesday's With Morrie

This week in class we watched Tuesday's With Morrie. This powerful movie discusses the touchy topics of life and death. Mitch, a selfish and overworking man, visits his dieing sociology teacher. Morrie teaches Mitch to live his life in a new way, like it's his last day everyday, to look at the "little bird on his shoulder." Love is one of the most stressed topics, "you love one another or you die." This really made me reflect on my life and ask myself many questions. Am I living more like Mitch or Morrie?
Even the strongest of people have their weak moments, like Morrie. This movie has also made me think what society has taught us about life and death. Youth is valued so much in our society. Why? When you are old, you are wise and you can relax, reflect, and look back. In most societies, older age is the most valued and respected, Because of our American values, we are scared of death. Death is apart of life and if we live the life we want to live, it will be a long and interesting journey.

The Average American

The other day in class we had a discussion on what we summarized American culture. We eventually got into what the average American is. Many said we are lazy or competitive or too fast paced or materialistic. Can someone really summarize a whole country into one stereotype? Sure we have advances in our society and obesity, but it doesn't mean that everyone is fat or lazy. Other counrties need to realize that obesity and technology is everywhere. I didn't like how we had to stereotype our culture as something when many of the people, including myself don't even fit in that category. I'm not fat, lazy, and the only reasoning I have to overwork at school is because Stevenson leaves us no choice. I'll admit I'm alittle materialistic; society and it's malls have definitely gotten the better of me but I still believe I don't fit into this American culture status and it makes me mad to think that foreign people see everyone in America that way. There is obese people everywhere, and Japan is full of technology and random and sometimes pointless advances to save time. Maybe we should just eat a burger, jog to the mall, and buy a TV because that is what everyone excepts us to do. Other countries should have sociologically mindfulness and think about how their stereotyping is not always right.

Life's like a Fish Bowl

This week in class we learned that life is like a fish bowl. Our society is our fish bowl because we are sheltered in by it. When we see other people's cultures, it is like we are looking in on their fish bowl and observing. In class, when our teacher asked us what was in a fish bowl, everyone started naming off the plants, the castle, the rocks, and the filter. Nobody thought of mentioning the water. This shows that we are constantly unaware of what's around us. We need to know that someone is always "looking in" and observing our culture and our society. So, when we look out and see others, we should judge them with the same respect. Our view of normal may not be their view of normal.
This made me realize that I need to be more careful before judging people because they could be from a different culture that might make them different in some way. This is where socioogical mindfulness comes into play. Everyone was different mores so I will try to be more respectful because our soicety has often made categorize unfamiliar as weird.

Da Bronx

Today in class we started watching a movie. The movie was called The Bronx Tale. It's a true story and it's about a boy growing up in a gang controlled neighborhood. Even though it's only the beginning I already noticed many sociological things. The gang is a big influence in the neighborhood. Even the little boy knows that he must listen to the leader of the gang or he'd regret it. The whole neighborhood acts differently because of the gang and the conseguences they'd pay if they didn't. This kind of reminds me of my parents or any set of parents for that matter. My parents watch over me and make sure I do what they want me to do, like chores. If I don't do my chores, I get consequences or grounded. I am influenced by my parents in everything I do. The gang is the exact same way but the "chores" and "consequences" usually involve violence, selling, or murder. It's kind of crazy how one group of people can gain such power over a community. It's weird how I can relate this gang to parents. Why do these people have such a big impact on society?
Continued...
We finally finished the movie in class. This movie goes to show that everything you do has an outcome or impacts someone in some way. Sonny, the gang leader, had always thought he was feared. When he died, he didn't realize that he was loved abd cared for by many people in his life. He didn't realize that he had deeply affected and saved C's life. Every good thing he did didn't go unnoticed and every bad thing he did didn't go unnoticed either. The murder he committed 8 years earlier led to his own. This is why we must always have sociological mindfulness because we never know who we are affecting . One decision could change your own life or even someone else's. This made me dramatically change the way I act and it made me think more about what I say. Now, whenever my friends say a jokingly offensive comment, I make sure to remind them of my sociolgoy class and how socioglically mindfulness s important. :)

Bits and Pieces

The other day in class our sociology teacher made us make a web, not just any web, it was a web of ourselves. We had to make a web of the things that mades us well...us. I liked this activity because I have always thought about how we are all just bits and pieces of characteristics and traits from many different people, making one person. Is anyone really unique? It reminds me of snowflakes. Indivdually, we all seem different and perhaps "unique" but from far away we are all the same, made up of a lot of things that we took from other people at some point in our lives.


This also made me think about how important it is to be sociologically mindfull. Why do we start a new hobby, sport, or even like a certain color? Chances are we were influenced by someone, someway, somehow. That is why our society should watch how they act around others. That made me think how I should watch how I act around others, what I say, and what I do. Something I say, or what anyone else says for that matter, can be taken in by someone else and influence them in good ways or in bad. That article on sociological mindfulness means a lot mpre to me now.

Saliva or Spit?

The other day in class, our teacher casually asked for a volunteer. The kid who was chosen didn't know what he got in to. Our teacher handed him a spoon and told him to spit in it. The class cringed wandering how spitting in a spoon related to sociology in anyway. The student did as he was told. The teacher talked of how saliva was useful to our bodies and it prevented dehydration.
"Okay, now put it back" the teacher said while thrusting the spoon near the classmate's mouth. Everyone gasped and the kid ducked.

It was quite an experience in the 2nd period sociolgy class that morning. Our teacher later explained and made us realize that society has taught us to think that saliva or "spit" is a gross or nasty thing. It's always in our mouths, we are comfortable kissing, and sometimes sharing drinks but we would never eat our saliva from a spoon. It opened my eyes because even though I was grossed out by the thought of drinking my saliva, I couldn't really point out why it was gross in the first place. Also, the class was acting as a factor of influence for the kid who was dared to drink his spit. Before he could consider the idea, all his classmates said "ewww" and "gross!" and watched him with discusted looks. The class had confirmed to him that this was a bad idea.

But why?

We all agreed that there was n0 benefit from it, that could be part of it, but I think the point was that in our society saliva is "spit" and "spit" is gross. This is made wonder what else in my life, things I believed, was making me up as a person. The music I liked, the food I ate, the stores I shopped at, the phone I have, and may more. What makes up who you are? Are we all simply a bunch of different ideas from other people, all put together to make ourself? Can anyone really ever be considered unique?

Freaks and Geeks

Today in class we watched Freaks and Geeks, a show about high school in the 80's. I was so excited because it is one of my favorite shows and I own the season personally. It's very witty and very funny. I was able to relate to it easily because it's set in a high school. High school is a very sociological place beacause of the fact that you must fit in somewhere and somehow. You are expected to act a certain way based off what group you are in, especially in Freaks and Geeks. LIndsay was having a hard time because she was switching from being a "nerd" to being a "freak" and not everyone was accepting this. This was probably because her grandma died and she has lost her identity.

I can't really relate to anyone in the show but if I had to pick someone then it would have to be Lindsay. This is because everyone wonders about who they are at some point. In high school, you start to wonder what your identity is and the environment you are in effects that. Later in the season, you realize Lindsay follows the "freaks" and does what they do only to fit in. High school is like a bunch of sociological groups that interact with each other. All most all the groups can be generalized and almost none use sociological mindness. We say what we want and don't really think about how we affect the people around us. I think this mindfulness is something you acquire as you mature with age, when you see the big picture. I feel like many tend to follow their friends. Are a lot of people this way? Is eveyone clones of their friends? I wonder..

Who I am?

What defines me? Who am I? Can anyone really answer this question? Well, to put it in some words, I am simply a high school student trying to relate sociology to my life. This blog is about my life and sociology. Sociology is about the study of groups of people and I could definitely fit into the norm of a typical high schooler. I love fashion, hanging out with friends, and doing well in my favorite sport, track.




I recently started a new school year. One class, in particular, is sociology. The first day of class was really interesting. It started with a teacher, who started the class not at all like a normal teacher. When the bell rang, he sat down in one of the desks and didn't let out a word. All the new students were confused by this action and the class quickly filled with awkward laughter. "What was this?" we were all thinking. "What's going on?" Eventually, our teacher rose from his chair and explained to us that we were apart of a sociological test. Our reaction proved that we were all trained to think that when class started the teacher would teach and we, the students, would sit there and listen. We took the silence as awkwardness, which was also something we trained to think. This made me think about how society has trained or even brainwashed us to think that certain things are normal, even when they may not be.

Scary huh?



Even though I am basically a typical high school girl, I still have qualities that make me different. First off, I'm tall..really tall, 5'9" to be exact. This has helped me excel at running and probably part of reason I'm good at it. I love taking photography, writing, I quit almost every hobby I do, and I have a fascination with the human mind and helping helping people with their problems. I am passionate about psychology and that is why I want to be a psychiatrist. I have been working to get to that point by taking certain classes. This is probably why sociology interests me so much because it is very similiar to psychology. And if you don't believe I quit almost every hobby or sport I try then here's a list:

-ballet (almost fell off the stage when I was 3)
-gymnastics (didn't like climbling that darn rope)
-tap
-art class (6 years old, couldn't draw a sailboat)
-volleyball
-basketball
-dog agility (it exists, no joke)
-piano (boring!)
-flute, tenor saxophone, and alto saxophone in band and jazzband (high school/marching didn't sound very fun)
-guitar (couldn't find a left handed teacher)
-horseback riding (expensive!)

I may have quit a lot of things but I remain passionate on photography, psychology, track, and I am trying my best at french. Do you think society has made me this way..a quitter? Well, all I now is I don't plan on quitting any hobby or sport again. Then again, that list is making me think that I might.

That's all for now. That was all about my life and my sociology class according to Andrea.