Implicit Racism

In class this week we have been discussing different races and how they are perceived. Although most people like to think that they are not racist or try not to have negative views of different races, it is very difficult not to classify different people by the color of their skin and their physical features. Its not only Americans who stereotype people by their race, but all people and races have their own opinions of other races, and usually these opinions or assumptions are wrong. In class we did an activity where we had to group people into what race we thought they were, based on just their faces. This was a difficult task because as a class we barely guessed anyone's true race correctly. These results just go to show that people cannot just assume that someone is a particular race based on how they look. I took the Implication Association Test for Race, and my results said that I have "a moderate automatic preference for European American compared to African American." This is disappointing because I like to think that I am not racist and I try to think of everyone in the same way. However, according to this test I subconsciously associate American-Americas with negative words. This could be because of the media's influence and the area in which I live and was raised, in North America with mostly upper-class white people who look like me. This just proves that unfortunately it is difficult not to be slightly racist today due to many different factors, even though most people try their best not to be.

Monopobility

Today in class we played monopoly with rules based on the U.S. class structure. We each rolled the dice before the game started to determine which social class we would be in. I happened to roll a 2 so I was in the lowest social class. After playing the game this way, I realized how difficult it really is to improve your social class in America. Its ironic that it is so hard for most people to better their lives and social status when America has the reputation of being "the land of opportunity". Throughout the entire game I felt like one bad thing kept happening after the next and I just couldn't catch a break. I constantly had to pay the richest people in the game the little money I had after landing on their properties and by the end of the game I was barely getting by on welfare. This short game of monoply was frusterating for me because I knew that no matter what I did, I couldn't win. I can't even imagine how people actually living in poverty in the real world must feel knowing that it is next to impossible to move up and become a part of the middle class. After playing this game I also realized how unfair the wealth in America is distributed since there are only a few people who have most of the money, and a lot of people who have barely any. It was depressing to watch the people who were in higher social classes buy property every turn and give up money like it was no big deal, while I on the other hand had to constantly worry about landing on their properties and had to rely on passing GO just to get my paycheck. I believe that the most common way people move up in social class is when they are growing up and making decisions like studying in school, going to college, and getting a job. I think this because both of my parents are in different social classes than their parents, my grandparents, due to the lifestyle choices they made at early ages. I hope that someday I can belong to an even higher social class than my parents. If that does happen, I plan to help out the less fortunate people in lower classes because I don't believe its fair in America for some people to be extremely wealthy while others barely have enough money to survive.

Breaking out of your social class

This week we've been discussing social classes and how they interact. I don't believe that people from different social classes typically interact with each other due to the distinct boundaries we draw between each social class. It's difficult for people to interact and get along with each other when they live completely different lives and value things in different ways. For example, low income families spend the little money they have on basic neccessities such as food, clothes, and housing. They will buy the cheapest items they can and not really care what brand they are or the quality of them. Rich people however will spend as much money as they can on things they don't need such as designer clothes, mansions, cars, and vacations. Therefore its difficult for these people to see eye to eye since they have such different values and lifestyles. Its also rare for people of different social classes to come into contact because they typically live around people who have as much money as they do. There are instances however where they can come into contact such as when people volunteer at soup kitchens like i did this week at the Uptown Cafe downtown. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to people from a different social class than me that I wouldn't usually get the chance to meet.

Deviance--The Saints and the Roughnecks

For homework we read The Saints and the Roughnecks by William J. Chambles. It talked about teenage deviance in America and after reading it I realized that there are actually saints and roughnecks at Stevenson. As hard as it may be for some to believe, students at stevenson are commonly involved with illegal activities such as underage drinking and drugs. Being a student, I know that there are a wide variety of kids who do these things, even kids who most people wouldn't expect that kind of behavior from. This statement is supported throughout Chambliss' article. The "saints" at Stevenson can get away with a lot more than the "roughnecks" because the saints are the kids who are wealthy, get good grades, and are involved with sports and school activites. The "roughnecks" are typically the kids who come from low income families, are not motivated, and don't try in school. The saints get away with more than the roughnecks because they are not expected to do what they actually do behind closed doors. When a saint is caught doing something considered out of the ordinary for them, this is considered deviance and it is looked down upon in society today, especially at Stevenson where kids feel pressured to do what is expected of them and not be portrayed in any other way.

30 Days Deviance

Today in class we watched the show 30 Days where Morgan Spurlock went to a local penitentiary for 30 days. I found this extremely interesting because I have always wondered what its really like to live in jail. After seeing this show I realized how terrible it is to be stripped of all your basic freedoms basically overnight. The fact that a fourth of all the prisoners in the world are from the U.S. and 1% of the U.S. adult population is in jail is extremely alarming to me. Its also shocking that 50% of the people in jail are there for drug related reasons. I think that our society needs to change these statistics by sending more people to rehabilitation centers or institutions to help them change their lives and learn from the mistakes that got them in trouble in the first place. Before the War on Drugs, drug abuse was seen as a problem that people needed to get help for. However, since then certain drugs and drug abuse in general has become deviant and seen as a crime rather than a health issue. Therefore, people involved with these deviant drugs are getting punished by serving jail time instead of having the chance to get help and turn their lives around like they should.

Masculinity

This week in class we watched a few videos depicting what our society considers a "real man." The video by Lajoie about stay at home dads was espeically funny to me, since my dad is currently a stay at home dad. When we moved to Illinois 6 years ago for my mom's job, my dad had to leave his business in Cleveland. He is still able to run his business from our home in Illinois, and he goes to Ohio almost every other weekend to maintain it. Therefore, he is at home most of the time while my mom is in Chicago working. My dad is the one who takes my sister and I to school when we need a ride, and he sometimes takes us out to dinner or even makes dinner for my sister and I, and has it ready for my mom when she gets home from work. In our society, many people think that it is the woman's job to stay at home and take care of the kids, while the man goes out and makes money. This morning on my way to school I was listening to the radio and I was shocked to hear the talk show people supporting this idea. They were having women call in to say how they plan to have a good relationship if they can't cook for their man. They also said that after a woman has a baby and goes on maturnity league, they are expected to stay home with the baby and cook for it and their man. After they said this, an angry woman called in to argue that men can stay at home too and that it is ok if a man knows how to cook better than his girlfriend or wife does. The talk show hosts refuted that idea and said that if a woman doesn't know how to cook, then she will end up alone because no man will want to be with a woman who can't cook for him. This whole discussion made me very uncomfortable and upset, because the talk show hosts were extremely WRONG to say that it is a woman's job to cook and clean, and that it wouldn't make sense if a guy took on that role. My dad can cook, and he does a pretty good job of it. That fact shouldn't make him any less of a "man", at least not in my opinion.

The Media's Influence on Girls

This week in class we discussed the negative influence that the media has specifically on girls.

When girls read magazines such as Seventeen, or watch TV shows such as America's Next Top Model, they often feel pressure to look as beautiful as the models appear to look, even though they are often airbrushed to look "perfect." Girl's desires to look as skinny and pretty as girls portrayed by the media often go so far as to damage their body from eating disorders. This is proven from the statistic that one in every five college-age females has some type of disordered eating (The Media).

I love the Dove Self-Esteem Fund because it promotes girls loving themselves for who they are, not by how they look. The picture above was used by Dove as an advertisment for the Self-Esteem Fund. I saw this picture on a billboard in Chicago a few months ago, and I remember thinking to myself, "wow how unusual...normal sized models!" I believe that if more companies used healthy, normal looking women to represent their products like Dove does, then young girls would have more self-confidence and eating disorders wouldn't be as common.

I know first hand that the media negatively influences girls everyday, since my sister is 13 and sometimes struggles with self-esteem issues, like most girls her age tend to do. I always try my best to make her feel beautiful in her own way by complimenting her and taking her shopping to find clothes that make her feel good when she wears them. I honestly believe that if companies today didn't always use dangerously thin, airbrushed models, and instead actually showed women in their natural state, then girls today would have more self-confidence and be happier overall.

Un-TV

Last week we were given the Un-TV assignment, which was almost as dificult as "doing nothing." I did the Un-TV assignment while my grandpa was staying with us this weekend. First I watched Hannah Montana without any sound, which was almost impossible for me to do since I got extremely frusterated because I didn't understand what was going on in the episode. When watching TV without sound, I realized that I pay much closer attention to the little details of the show, such as body momvent and camera angles, than I do when there is sound. The next thing I did was watch the TV with the power turned off. This part of the assignment reminded me of the "doing nothing" activity since I had to focus all of my attention to one thing, in this case it was the blank TV screen, which was extremely boring. Then I went downstairs and sat on the couch with my grandpa who thought I just wanted to watch the old black and white movie he was watching. However, instead of watching the movie, I observed HIM as he watched the TV screen. He was extremely concentrated, so much that it looked like he was in a different world. He was also very calm and barely moved. From this assignment I've realized how much humans today are impacted by TV and that when we watch it, we become distant from our surroundings, and become consumed by the world on the screen.

Doing Nothing

Last Sunday I completed the assignment to "do nothing", which was a lot more difficult than one would think. While at dinner with my friends, I got up and stood next to the table for almost ten minutes, doing nothing. It was extremely difficult to think about absolutely nothing, because my mind kept wandering as I saw my friends around me eating and talking, and asking me what I was doing and if I was okay. It was also very difficult to break a social norm by doing nothing, when everyone around me was doing something. Breaking a social norm by doing nothing is similar to what the group Improveverywhere does. I watched some of their videos and they are hilarious....especially the foodcourt musical. It must be very difficult for all of the people who participate in those skits to break social norms so obviously! While I was doing nothing, my friends, and even strangers were staring at me, trying to figure out what I was doing, or if I needed help with something. It was embarassing to have so much attention drawn to me, but that is to be expected from everyone who steps out of the box and breaks a social norm.

Work in Tuesdays With Morrie

In the movie, Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch clearly values his job and considers himself successful. Mitch recieved a good education, works hard, long, hours, and earns a decent salary. In America today, these are accomplishments that most people link to success. However, success does not always mean making a lot of money and having a job. I'm sure that success has many other meanings and interpretations in different cultures. Americans today believe that poor or homeless people are unsuccessful just because they dont have expensive material possessions. In reality, these people could actually be very successful in their own mind. They could be in love, or have a family that they care about. Therefore, success is different for everyone. For example, Mitch may be successful in the business world, but for awhile, he was not successful with having a wife and a family to take care of. To people in other cultures, Mitch might not seem to be as successful as Americans believe that he is, because he did not have many other things going for him other than making money and working long hours. The idea that a person can only be successful if they make a lot of money and buy expensive things, is installed in Americans at a very young age. This idea of success follows young Americans through high school and college, when they desperately strive to find a good career with a high salary. If they do not find these things, then they will probbaly consider themselves unsuccessful, when actually, they can find success in many other forms, such as love, personal growth, or helping other people.

The Norms in Greece

Last week we discussed the norms different from the ones we are used to, in countries such as Japan, and how it is very difficult to go to a different country and adapt to their culture since they may have norms that are different from the ones here in America. I have never been to another country to experience a completely different culture with different norms, but my best friend is Greek and goes to Greece every summer for over a month. When she comes home she always tells me how difficult it was for her to adjust once she got to Greece, and how hard it is for her to go back to living her normal life in America.
On the first night she got home from Greece this past summer, she picked me up in her car. She was freaking out because she "forgot" how to drive over the summer since she did not drive once while she was in Greece. Most people in Greee walk everywhere or ride their bikes. Its not uncommon to see people walking or biking around here, but they are usually just trying to get some exercise and it is unusual if someone doesn't own a car. So, that first car ride with her was pretty scary, but eventually her driving improved. She told me that in Greece whenever you say hello or goodbye to someone you are expected to kiss them on both cheeks, and its not weird for guys to do this to other guys. In America, if people did that on a daily basis, that would be considered inappropriate and creepy. But in Greece, its just being polite.
Also in Greece, it is expected that everyone, even older people, go out at night to clubs, bars, or restaurants to socialize, and stay out until morning. In America, people do this but not on a daily basis. According to my friend, people would think you were antisocial if you stayed in your house for too many hours during the day. At night it is also unacceptable in Greece to wear casual clothes such as jeans and a tshirt, since everyone there "dresses to impress" and wears their nicest clothes, even out to run errands. It would be awkward if someone showed up to a club wearing a typical American outfit (jeans, a tshirt, tennis shoes, and a baseball cap) and the Greek people would probably wonder why that person is dressed so weird. In America, underage drinking is looked down upon by parents and law enforcements, but in Greece, parents dont hesitate to provide their kids with alcohol and it is common for families to drink together, since drinking is a big part of their culture. My friend also told me that swear words are not as big of a deal in Greece as they are here. In America, if a teacher hears a student sware, the student would probably get into trouble or the teacher would tell him to watch his mouth. In Greece, a teacher wouldn't even flinch if they heard a student use a cus word, and neither would the kid's parents.
Life in Greece seems to be a lot more laid back than life in America, but both cultures have their own specific norms that people learn to follow. I hope that someday I can go to a different country and experience culture shock and discover norms different from the ones that I am used to.

Groups in A Bronx Tale

In class we categorized ourselves into different groups that we belong to. Some people belonged to more groups that others, and everyone was influenced by different groups. After drawing identity molecules for all of the groups that we belong to, we decided on our Master Status, or the group that we belonged to the most. I said that my master status was my family because I will always belong to that group no matter what, and my family will always influence me. In the movie, A Bronx Tale, Collogero belonged to several different groups such as neighborhood, friends, family, Sonny's crew, Italians, and just Sonny. I think that his Master Status constantly shifted throughout the movie. At the beginning when he was a kid, his Master Status was 'family' because he looked up to his dad, spent a lot of time with his parents, listened to them, and liked baseball because his dad took him to games. However, as he got older, his Master Status shifted to 'friends' when he hung out with the neighborhood kids at their store front. After he became close with Sonny and distanced himself from his friends, his Master Status changed to 'Sonny's crew' because he spent more time with them. As more time went on, Collogero became even closer to Sonny and Sonny's way of life influenced him. After Sonny died, Collogero realized how much he cared about him and how much he leaned from him. Towards the end of Sonny's life is when Collogero became a part of just the 'Sonny' identity molecule. Throughout the entire movie, Collegero belonged to the 'neighborhood' , 'Italian', and 'family' groups.

The Speeding Cookie Thief

In class we read a poem by Valerie Cox titled, The Cookie Thief which explained the common situation of when a person makes an incorrect assumption about somebody else. People make assumptions all the time about the people around them, even strangers, and most of the time these assumptions are incorrect. Even though we would like to think its not true, everyone judges people whether they notice it or not. When I drive, I like to go fast so it annoys me when people drive under the speed limit or at the speed limit (god forbid they go 1mph over). So whenever I'm stuck behind a slow driver, I assume that they are either old or inexperienced and don't know how to drive that well. However, after getting my first speeding ticket yesterday, today while driving I realized how often I judge other drivers and classify them into groups such as old people or new drivers. I realized that my assumptions about other drivers are probably wrong most of the time because I was driving the exact speed limit today and I am neither a grandma or brand new driver. This shows that when I judged people on the road, I didn't take the time to think of other possible factors that could have been making them drive slow. So, I became the "cookie thief" after I drove slow to avoid getting another ticket.

Macrosociology and Micosociology in my day

From the "abandon ship" activity in class we experienced many examples of macrosociological and microsociological values. From a macrosocoilogical perspective, all of the people on the boat were part of the "castaways" group and each individual's actions were influenced by the rest of the people on the boat. From a microsociological point of view, the individuals on the boat interacted with each other in different ways. For example, the football player took charge and was in control over who got to stay on the boat and who had to get off. Most of the other people followed his orders and were quiet when he talked.
Macrosociology is apparent in my daily life because I am a part of several different groups. For example I am a student, a senior, and I live in a suburb of Chicago. Specifically I belong to the third period AP environmental science group and the fourth period sociology group. From a macrosociology perspective I am a member of both of these groups and have many similarities with my classmates. But from a microsociology persepecitve, these two groups are very different based on how my classmates and I interact. My environmental class is extremely quiet and boring because my teacher gave everyone assigned seats away from their friends. There are usually awkward silences when my teacher finishes her sentences during a lecture. Since our teacher has a monotone voice and we can't talk to our friends across the room because we would get in trouble, everyone is very bored and sometimes people even fall asleep. In contrast, my next period sociology class is fun because a lot of the people in the class are friends and feel comfortable talking across the room to each other. This individual behavior makes everyone feel more comfortable, relaxed, and awake.

Roseto in Real Life

The message in Malcolm Gladwell's story, Outliers is apparent in the lives of my two grandmas. In the story, Gladwell stresses that people are greatly influenced by the world around them and their interactions with friends, family, and the community. My grandma on my mom's side is over 80 years old and lives a happy life in Arizona with her husband of over 60 years, son, and grandchildren. She has three children who grew up to be successful doctors and lawyers. They all blessed her with grandkids and kept her very close to their families through out the years. She is the type of grandma who bakes cookies when she knows my sister and I are visiting her, and never forgets anyone's birthday. She is always in a cheerful mood and has a positive attitude towards everything. She used to smoke cigarettes for over 20 years, but is now perfectly healthy and very happy. In contrast, my grandma on my dad's side passed away a few years ago. She had several husbands, gambled all of her money away, and never seemed to be happy with herself. She had three kids as well, but her 50 year old daughter lived with her for the last few years of her life and her husband was unemployed. They moved several times into small, dirty apartments, and my dad and aunt constantly had to clean up the apartment and buy her groceries. She was always miserable and didn't take care of herself.
I believe that the message conveyed in Outliers is very similar to both of these situations. My mom's mom was always happy because she was surrounded by people she loved and resided in a healthy, warm environment. While my dad's mom was never happy towards the end of her life because of the unfavorable conditions and environment that surrounded her. The town of Roseto in Outliers shows that people's lives are effected by their surrounding environment and their tightness with the community.

Who am I?

Hi! My name is Madeline but most people just call me Maddy. I am a senior this year and I can't wait for college. I really like all of my classes this year because they are all interesting and I like my teachers so far. After high school I want to go to college someplace warm because I hate snow and cold weather. My favorite state is California because they have perfect weather year round. Therefore, my first school choice is the University of San Diego. I haven't started filling out applications yet and I'm dreading it. I would describe myself as shy in class, but once you get to know me you will find that I'm actually very loud and outgoing. I like to just hang out with my friends on the weekends and I love watching movies. I have the easiest job in the world...I work for John Casablanca's Modeling Agency as a promotional model. All I do is go to different events and festivals on the weekends and get people to sign up for the agency. Last weekend I worked at the Brookfield Zoo and I basically got paid to look at the animals all day! At school I'm in Future Business Leaders of America and I play lacrosse. Last summer I started flying lessons. I have an interest in aviation because my dad has his private pilot's license. My dad also got my sister and I interested in dirt biking. I got my first dirt bike when I was 6 and two years ago I got a 125 Suzuki which I ride with my dad and sister in Wisconsin during the fall. I'm one of the youngest people in my grade because my birthday is August 30th, so right now I'm still 16! I turn 17 in a week and I can't wait to go into the city with some friends to celebrate. I live with my mom, dad, and 13 year old sister, Helaina. We usually get along except for when she wears my clothes or my mom makes me drive her and her friends places. Even though I love driving, it gets annoying having to take her everywhere. I also have 3 cats named Maui, Kona, and Czari. Over the summer I spent a lot of time at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on my boat. My family has been boating on Lake Geneva for 5 summers, ever since we moved to Illinois from Ohio. I always bring my friends and we tube, waterski, and tan. It's so much fun! I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and lived there until I was 11. I've kept in touch with some of my friends, and almost all of my family still lives there so we visit often. My dad owns a liquor store in downtown Cleveland, so he drives there at least once every few month. He bought the store when he was in his twenties and has successfully run it for over 20 years. My mom is an attorney and we moved to Illinois because of her job. Yeaahhh so I'm not sure how to end this but I hope you enjoyed reading about my life!