Language Barriers

       In the Bible, Genesis 11: 1-9 says that at one time everyone spoke the same language.  But the people came together and tried to create an city that would make them dominate over all of God's creation and build a tower to reach Heaven. Because they were so rebellious, God then confused them by creating all the different languages and scattered the people across the Earth, so that they would not be able to do this again. Now today we as humans have discovered a way to learn all of these languages. But we use this knowledge of communication for good. Businessmen are able to go to other countries and share the products they have to help better the world as a whole. People are traveling to other countries to help clean up after natural disasters  and using their language skills to further help the people affected. Immigrants who come to other countries have to opportunity to learn the language so that they could become a cohesive part of a different culture. In sociology, we learned that sometimes we are closed minded when it comes to other cultures because it is too difficult to adjust yourself to something so different and the language barrier multiplies the problem. But I think an important thing everyone needs is patience. People don't normally travel to different cultures unless they want to better their lives somehow. In America, we should be honored when people want to live here and be a member of our society. I think it's so wonderful that people have the ability to learn English when they come here. In the present I don't think we have defied language barriers as another form of rebellion, but we have overcome these barriers in order to come together has humans to better everyone's lives.

A Bronx Tale

       For a few days in class, we watched A Bronx Tale. This movie is the story of Chazz Palminteri's life, growing up in New York, but was seen through the eyes of a boy named Calogero. This movie contained many subjects we have discussed in class. For instance, the groups he belonged to were he and Sonny, he and his friends, he and his family, he and Jane, and being Italian. The microsociologial aspects of his racism were what his friends and family said and a macrosociological aspect was the overpass that divided the two neighborhoods. Relating to the social construction of reality, some unwritten rules of the Italian neighborhood was that you didn't rat on on people and you stuck by your friends and family. All of these subjects are part of what shaped Calogero. He became who he was because of the choices he made, the location he was brought up in, and the people he surrounded himself with.  Perhaps Calogero would have had a completely different life it he told the police he saw Sonny shoot that man. I  bet we all think about this at some point, how making one decision would make a difference in all the other aspects of our life. This idea makes me think more seriously about the implications of the decisions I make. Because you never really know for sure what is going to happen in the future, I think it is important to contemplate how what you do may affect yourself and others.

A Class Divided

       In class the other day, we split up our class based on who was wearing black and who was wearing colors. We then made a list of why the other group was wearing what they were wearing. By doing that, we automatically were making judgments about the other people, assuming something about them that we didn't know for sure, just based on how they look. Eventually the reasons on our lists started to get a little ridiculous, but I think that's how prejudices come about in real life. People feel ownership of their own groups and make assumptions about others because if you don't know someone, all you have to go off of is how they look. So people see a person who looks a certain way do something and then they start to think other people who look that way will do that too. This is a horrible way to view people you don't know, and I'm not sure why people do this. Based on the video we watched, sometimes it's an authority figure that influences prejudices. The teacher was the one who told the kids the blue eyed kids were better and how the brown-eyed kids were to be treated. Someone who is influential with power has the ability to turn large numbers of people against a group. Some of the worst moments in our history occurred because someone with power convinced others that a certain group is less than them.

Abandon Ship

Yesterday in class we did the Abandon Ship activity where there were 16 very different individuals on a life boat and we had to decide to get rid of seven of them. On the micosociological level it could be seen that the boat consisted of poeple that were old, young, educated, award winning, criminals, successful, had families, and some who had no one. On the microsociological level, we used these characteristics to determine who stayed and who left the boat. We got rid of the old people first and from there we voted off the people who had less to live for than others. In everyday life, these kinds of interactions are seen all the time. In school on the macrosociological level we have teachers, students, janitorial staff, security guards, and food service workers. How well the school works as a whole is determined on the mircrosociologial level by how each group treats each other. Students need to obey the security guards and teachers and give them respect for what they do for us, and the majority of students do. The janitorial staff help keep the school a clean and save place for everyone there. The food providers give everyone the food the need to stay focused in their classes and to stay healthy. In order for things to run smoothly, students and teachers need to be respectful of these groups as well. In activity has shown me that in order for the best outcome to occur, each of the separate groups need to work together.

Sociological Mindfulness

In class we learned about the sociological imagination and sociological mindfulness. Having a sociological mindfulness means being aware of how the social world works and knowing how you can influence the world and those around you. During this week I have tried being sociologically mindful and it truly has made me more aware of those around me. What really stuck out to me in the reading was the idea that everyone is intertwined and because we are all humans, it is our responsibility to be aware of how what we do affects other people. We have all seen at some point how quickly one rumor or piece of gossip can travel around a group of people and truly crush a person's spirit. I believe this is part of what Schwalbe means by being sociologically mindful. Treating others right is treating our neighbors how we would want to be treated. Gossip can spread quickly, but kindness can spread just as fast.

Growing Up Online

    I agree with the fact that technology is here to stay, but I don't think everyone has to embrace every aspect of it . Our parents survived their adolecence without all the technology we have access to. But technology is around to make our lives easier if people use it the way it is intended. Its obvious that cell phones are a much faster way to conact someone than writing a letter is. The problem arises when technology becomes an obsession. I don't have a Facebook and many people have told me that it's good that I don't, but that makes me question why they have Facebooks in the first place if it's so good not to have one.
     Relating to school, I think we have no choice but to be taught about technology in order to be prepared for the careers we will be going into where technological knowledge is needed. You can't walk into a job without knowing how to use a computer. Doing this blogging in class is a way for us to get more familiar with computers and the internet while allowing us to voice our opinions in unique way. Blogging will help us inform others and be informed by the other members of the class. By applying the subjects we blog about to real life, it helps us connect to the material more than just memorizing it to pass a test.

Who Am I?

    I was born in California and used to live in Iowa before my family moved here.  My family goes to church every weekend and that is an important aspect of our lives. I feel very blessed with the family I've been given. At church I help out with the Junior High kids and the toddlers. I participate in track and cross country at Stevenson along with my twin sister. I enjoy running but I'm ready to be done with it competitively after this upcoming track season. I love the team and my favorite event is the 300 meter hurdles. I really like the practices, but the meets make me way too anxious. I am also a part of the Fellowship of Christan Athletes at Stevenson. I'm going to attend Iowa State with my sister next fall, a lot of my extended family has gone there so it's like a legacy in my family. The school is far enough away from home, but still near close relatives, that is one of the reasons why I chose it. At Iowa State I want to study veterinary medicine, but it's going to take eight years to get my degree, hopefully I can get through it.