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.