creativelycarley-blog

[creativelycarley-blog]

Overall I think that sociology is relevant to me because of my work life. In my line of work we interact with a variety of people. This stems from not only my clients, but the community, clients families, and different organizations that they could possibly be involved with. I get the chance to meet so many different people but for me that am just a small reward I get from working where I do. The true reward is getting to know each and every person that I get to come across and learning their stories. I am humbled by having the chance to share my life with so many wonderful people and I feel this connection will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I really connected with the post I made about the spoken word because other than my job, this is something that is very important to me. I love poetry and being able to relate this type of media truly made the lesson a wonderful experience.

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[creativelycarley-blog]

This class was very insightful and I learned a lot. The professor did a great job at having a lot of information available. My best advice to someone coming into this course is know you schedule and make sure you have enough time to complete all the material. Personally I felt that taking this class over winter break hindered my ability to fully appreciate the topic because it was so fast pace but for some people that works. Also if you are taking this over Christmas break, make sure that you have your obligations in order. Reflecting on the time I spent on this course, I struggled trying to manage working my mandated hours at work coupled with my original work schedule and trying to find time to spend with my family during the holidays. If you are a busy person, I would suggest if possible taking the full course, not the compressed one. If you are determined though, anything is possible, so strive for success!

Word count: 160

[creativelycarley-blog]

Hello, my name is  Carley Smith and I recently turned 21. I am really excited to learn more about the concept surrounding sociology because I really feel that it applies to my line of work I do now and the line I am hoping to do in the future. Currently, I work as a direct support professional taking care of individuals with physical and mental impairments who live in a group home setting. The job I work at presently brings me great joy and a sense of fulfillment. I hope that with a degree in social work, I am able to help out in more ways than I am now because I feel that it is my life purpose. In my free time, I love spending time with my two pets (Border Collie/Male/Muttly, Cat/Female/Binksly), spending time with my family/friends (My niece, for example, is my pride and joy), and recently learning more about Myers-Briggs personality types (I am an INFJ). I recently just bought a house with my fiance and last Christmas got engaged. Overall I would describe myself as an introvert that loves to have personal connections with people but I drain easily, which is why it can be hard wanting to help people so much. I greatly appreciate your time reading this and have a great day!

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[creativelycarley-blog]

When applying the conflict theory to the video of a Class Divided, I feel a good example can be seen on the second day (Tuesday) of Mrs. Elliot’s experiment. This is because the conflict was already placed on the children from the first say, so the children on the second day that had the brown eyes have a sense of revenge and power (A Class Divided, 1985). Mrs. Elliot further gave power to the children with brown eyes because she gave them extra recess, did not let the blue eyed children play on the playground equipment, and blue eyed children could play with brown eyed children (Conley, 2017). She also used examples of how brown eyed children were better because Brian, a brown eyed child was not listening because he was putting his head down in his desk (A Class Divided, 1985). She stated that he did not know how to properly sit at a desk. Throughout the day she also used the same principle of asserting power over the other group of children as a way to demonstrate this theory (Conley, 2017). The main reason why I chose to use the second day rather than the first day was due to the fact that the brown eyed children on the first day were given less means and weaker, so when the power shift changed it drove the brown eyed children to be more ruthless and assert their power more effectively in order to maintain their control (Conley, 2017). An example of struggle can be seen when Russel was made as a joke because he forgot his glasses. The teacher used this to show that blue eyed kids were in fact lesser beings than brown eyed kids (A Class Divided, 1985). Mrs. Elliott further solidified her example by using Susan Grinder, a brown eyed kid, to show that brown eyed children are superior because she did not forget her glasses. This example mirrors what the rest of the day looked like for the blue eyed children and shows that through this conflict, that power is asserted in order to maintain supremacy (Conley, 2017). I feel that this perspective is a good example when it pertains to the world because we see power struggles like this very often and also when there is a shift in power, revenge and agitation in the general population occurs (Conley, 2017).  This I feel reflects back to Mrs. Elliot's experiment, just on a smaller scale. In my opinion I feel that with this small scale example, if the teachings are truly absorbed, it can help prevent chaos and uncertainties from happen. Overall enabling smooth transition and hindering possible civil unrest when power shifts occur.

Word Count: 520

References

A Class Divided. (1985, March 26). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onKVeZaDzWg

Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton.

[creativelycarley-blog]

Overall I feel that feminism as a social movement has reached a point of success. In the speech given by Emma Watson, we see that feminism as a whole still has major issues to combat. She explains this when talks about fighting wage inequality, having control over one’s body, education, having the chance to reach a person’s full potential and briefly talking about the application of feminism to different races (Emma Watson's speech on feminism, 2014). I feel that Emma Watson is also doing a good job to mobilize not only women but men also. She does this by encouraging men to take a stand and fight for equality. Examples of this can be seen when she talks about men having the chance to be more vulnerable and have the chance to experience the full range of their emotions. Widening the support group, and showing how feminism is not just promoting women, but promoting equal rights for everyone, helps support the effort to have a productive social movement. In the beginning of the speech Emma talks about the negative association that feminism could have but with the points she makes, she gives a good presentation as to why this is not necessarily the case (Emma Watson's speech on feminism, 2014). By showcasing some of her history and mentioning about her involvement in the media, Emma gives a well-rounded argument as to why feminism and equal rights needs to supported. Starting from a young girl who played as a wizard in a movie, to an advocate for the UN, the transition she made impacted not only herself but possibly others in the future. I feel that with her role as an advocate and ambassador, she is a good example to represent the success that feminism had as a social movement and gives a glimpse as to what the social movement could look like in the future (Emma Watson's speech on feminism, 2014).

Word Count: 350

References

Emma Watson's speech on feminism. (2014, September 20). Retrieved from CNN Entertaiment : http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2014/09/22/sot-emma-watson-un-heforshe-feminist-speech.united-nations/video/playlists/emma-watson-equality/

[creativelycarley-blog]

Overall a significant fact that stood out to me was the number of individuals who viewed their physical attributes as a negative. This branched from the older girls saying negative things about the shade of there skin or their hair, to the younger children not liking a particular doll because it had a darker skin color (Colorism in Preschoolers: A Girl Like Me, 2007). I feel that this is institutional racism, not individual-level discrimination because on the outside most of society tries to see a race with a no color blinder but in the video, it showed the opposite of this. Instead of being race-neutral, we see girls who are ashamed of there physical attributes and children who prefer white dolls because there "better"  (Colorism in Preschoolers: A Girl Like Me, 2007) We can see that this social group dynamic is not equal and is a disadvantaged minority.   Children are expected to be treated the same because they are our future, but in this video, we can see a harsh reality that this is not the case. Something so simple, as a baby dolls skin tone, faces scrutiny. The examples listed in the video shows an unbalanced equation that was expected to be equal but at the moment is very biased (Colorism in Preschoolers: A Girl Like Me, 2007). Accepting Oppression is basically going along with the flow or trying to blend in with society to keep peace and make an effort to fit in with the rest of society. Resisting oppression means not conforming to societies norms that are placed upon a group. Examples of this could be genocide, peaceful rallies, or revolutions. Accepting Oppression could be a useful strategy for color-based discrimination and oppression because it could help a person fit in and navigate society. An example of this could be seen when the older teenage black girls wanted to relax there hair to help them fit in with there peer groups  (Colorism in Preschoolers: A Girl Like Me, 2007). This hair technique became a useful strategy for the girls to blend into there surroundings and keep a coexistent environment. Resisting oppression could be beneficial for people of color experiencing discrimination and oppression because it enables the individuals to make a claim saying they have had enough. With this claim, it shows others that they will not rest and that they demand change. An example of this can be seen from another hair form, and this wearing natural hair  (Colorism in Preschoolers: A Girl Like Me, 2007). Wearing kinky hair may not be a march or a revolution, but it does collectively show that the individuals choosing to partake in this will not settle with beauty standards being forced upon them. With this collective decision, a movement could be formed, and in the future, the stigma associated with kinky hair could be eliminated.

Word Count: 475

References

Conley, D. (2017). You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

A Girl Like Me. (2007, May 2007). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyI77Yh1Gg

[creativelycarley-blog]

In the video the presenter talks about femininity and homosexuality. This topic is further explained throughout her educational video when a group of women surround a frozen chocolate treat in order to promote something in an advertisement. The advertisement it was using women to sexualize an object and in simple terms, the commercial almost resembled a porn session. In the video the presenter further goes on to explain how relationships normally happen in advertisements. Normally relationships are usually represented in a heterosexual pairing (Kilbourne, 2010). With this imagery that is shown throughout the video that is associated with relationships, the lack of representation of all types of healthy relationships can have negative impacts on the viewers as a whole. The presenter also mentions that homosexuality is blatantly not represented in advertisements and if it is it is almost as a taboo. In the example it combines sexuality with under-representation, presenting a misrepresented identity of individuals who identify as homosexual (Kilbourne, 2010). While the commercial choses to showcase a group of women having sexual relations with multiple individuals circled around a chocolate frozen treat representing its main purpose, this is a misrepresentation though of individuals who chose to have a relationship with the same gender. Weather it is male or female, transgender, or any person who could be classified under the LGBTQ community, advertisements seem to only focus on exploitation and profit that can come from consumerism (Kilbourne, 2010). I feel that this term applies well here overall because the presenter not only focuses on gender but homosexuality as well. A common theme throughout the video is the mistreatment of women but an underlining theme I feel should be considered is that with the sexualization of relationships used in advertisements, it clearly misses the bar on not only straight relationships but a deeper understanding of what a true relationship could encompass (Kilbourne, 2010). While main stream advertisements seems to depict that our gender is the final deciding factor of who a person should be with, this is not necessarily the case and simple biological labeling should not be the only criteria to make a final decision (Conley, 2017).

Word Count: 390

References

Conley, D. (2017). You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

Kilbourne, J. (2010). Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women. Retrieved January 06, 2018, from http://www.mediaed.org/killingussoftly4/stream/48hr.html

[creativelycarley-blog]

I chose to take a closer look at standards of Equality. Due to the topic having three branches, I decided to examine Equality of Opportunity (Conely, 2017). When it is paired with Robert Reich’s movie, it showcases a very compelling case. I took a closer look at the gap that is growing between the middle class and the rich. Equality of opportunity is laid out along the lines that as long as society is following the same standards, that it should be fair for everyone. This primarily happens when each individual has an opportunity to succeed, and even if a person has more resources in the beginnings, every individual still has a chance to succeed in this model (Conely, 2017). In practice, this may be a good idea, but when a person views the movie, this model is not necessarily the case. While opportunity for people to succeed is presented in the textbook, Reich counters this point by talking about the growing gap in income from high paying job positions and the disparities that individuals face due to this income gap. (Kornbluth, April 2, 2015). In a 30 year span, the gap of income for individuals with high paying job positions has increased by 7 percent. This shows that while some people may have the chance to succeed the rate at which this is possible is decreasing. This is important because even though individuals have equal opportunity to achieve success, it has become harder to do so. In turn, this impacts the amount of accomplishments certain individuals can obtain (Kornbluth, April 2, 2015). This outcome affects people in the movie and other individuals outside of the documentary. For example, college students who are trying to get their education to improve themselves may struggle to achieve a certain level of success. While it is nice to have people who make high incomes, the individuals below them should have this opportunity also. This stood out to me because working in my current field, we hear a lot of people who are in higher paying positions above us not doing their jobs correctly and lining their pockets for personal gain. This particularly infuriates me because the people I support do not have the opportunity to change their position and in a sense, it is almost robbing them of their resources.

Word Count: 410

 References

Conley, D. (2017). You May ask Yourself. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Kornbluth, J. (April 2, 2015). Inequality for All.

[creativelycarley-blog]

In a recent study, it found that when individuals partake in religion, there is a drop in suicide rates. Some research methods that seemed to be used were taking into account other countries religious backing in order to make a more effective conclusion when it came to understanding religion when it is compared to suicide (Conley, 2017).This study found that this is true in many regions but certain portions of Europe and Asia had different results. The finding from the countries that did not have a drop in suicide rates found that these places had different religious participation and different types of religious backings (Michigan State University, 2018). Suicide factors in for a lot of deaths globally and the study gave light into the linkage between religion and suicide. The study was conducted over a 20 year period and had 42 different countries involved. The study used a participant based observation in order to see what social actions happen when they are associated with religion (Conley, 2017). The type of information that was collected to understand the research was taking the amount of individuals that went to a religious service at least one occasion per a month and put it into a percentage. The studies found varied results. Some of these varied results were people who partook in religious ceremonies and had higher suicide rates, and another is countries that did not have high suicide rates (Michigan State University, 2018). Some of the reasoning behind this could be due to collective cultural values, religious differences, and the change in different factors that impact religious practice. The research also notes that suicide is an important topic and on a global level needs to address in many different platforms. Suicide can reach many different individuals and even on community level it needs to be combated (Michigan State University, 2018). I feel that this is a good example of Symbolic interactionism because suicide and religion can have many shared meanings and can collectively provoke people make certain decisions. The meaning behind suicide and religion can hold shared experiences and can shape how a group reacts to these topics (Conley, 2017). For example say Christians believe that if a person commits suicide, that individual will go to hell. This creates a shared meaning of how they view suicide from a religious perspective. This shared meaning could then provoke the individuals who believe in Christianity not to commit suicide because they do not want to go to hell (Conley, 2017). Concluding that this shared experience impacted the reactions and outputs from this situation. Religion and Suicide holds importance too many different people and when individuals come together to collectively back an idea this in turn becomes a symbolic agreement of meaning (Conley, 2017).

Word Count: 430

References

Michigan State University. (2017, June 28). Does religion protect against suicide?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 12, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170628102328.htm

Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton.

[creativelycarley-blog]

Listed above is a spoken word that talks about human’s impact on the environment. I chose this article because I feel that it covers many topics and combines it together in a creative presentation. It talks about capitalism, industry growth, gratification, the impact that humans have on consumerism and in turn how it impacts the environment. When comparing this spoken word to McDonaldization, I feel that while it does highlight environmental issues, it also lays out the negative aspects that could happen from when applied to Mcdonaldization.

Breaking them down into the categories of McDonaldization, I feel that someone could get the full picture of its negative impacts when it is applied to this concept. Starting with the efficiency we can see the negative impacts when the poet talks about one raw material (Ea, 2015). This comes in the form of trees. To further elaborate this, it is more efficient to chop down trees on a massive scale than doing safer logging practices. With the efficiency aspect applied to the poet's point, we can see how clear-cutting a forest may be efficient in a paper mills eyes. In contrast though, to the woodland animals and the people living off the land, this is not the case (Ea, 2015).

Next would be the amount of calculability that a product could produce. This in turn no longer focus on abstract thought but a definitive numbered output. This can be seen in the poet's description of Native Americans when he relates it to the negative impacts on calculability. Instead of having instant products that can be produced in massive quantity and what is expected from this product, we see him implementing a historic approach. This historic approach happens when he talks about methods Native Americans used in order to preserve land. The Native Americans didn't focus so much on the now and how much the "now" could yield, but it focused more on the future (Ea, 2015).

The next topic that is looked at is predictability. This in simple terms is how uniformly services or resources could be given to its consumers. An opposing point to this though is when the author talks nature as a whole. Throughout the video, he talks about people thinking that the resources that earth has to offer are expendable and unlimited but through making his case, we see this is not entirely true. For example, trees that are being chopped down at extensive rates, fossil fuels are burning rapidly, and our animal population declining (Ea, 2015).

The last topic that is mentioned is Control. This means that in life almost everything has a definition and a purpose. Things that were previously nature, are now being regulated to their most rudimentary foundations. I feel that one of the greatest representations of this is in the ending of the video when a point is made by the poet when he gets really frank about his apology for societies acceptance of hurting nature. Control is expressed throughout the video in the form of acceptance and societies need to regulate practically everything that interacts with the environment. He makes a point though to no longer accept the negativity that goes along with apologizing and releases his (and poetically speaking societies hold) control of constricting the enforcement of stripping nature of its resources. Instead, he proposed to no longer control the environment but grow with it in a sense (Ea, 2015).

I feel that overall this video compared to McDonaldization shows the negative aspects of Mcdonaldization. The social construction that is depicted in the spoken word is societies need to continually hurt the environment and societies collective efforts to strip all the resources that natures have. Through many different examples, the author not only shows its drawbacks but also positive/corrective methods at the end of the spoken word.

Word Count: 650

References

Ea, P. (2015, April 20). Dear Future Generations: Sorry. Retrieved from Youtube: https://youtu.be/eRLJscAlk1M

[creativelycarley-blog]

One of my favorite shows to watch is Impractical Jokers. The reason why I chose to examine this television show was because I was watching it prior to doing the section on social deviancy. After reading this chapter though, it became a lot clear that their bits are so funny because they are considered socially deviant. While I had this idea prior to watching the show, after putting the two together it became increasingly clear that impractical Jokers are majorly successful due to being rule breakers. They try new and exciting material in almost every show, which showcases a very good model when trying to understand social deviancy. In the example above Joey and Q, are purposefully being noisy in order to disrupt the readers (Impractical Jokers - Professional Noisemakers Disturb the Peace, 2015). Normally it is expected within a library to be very quiet in order for people to study and when the jokers enter the room they essentially throw this out the window. The jokers further agitate the situation by making jokes about it and in a sense are silly about the situation (Impractical Jokers - Professional Noisemakers Disturb the Peace, 2015). In the end one of the individuals in the library had enough with the situation and stops the jokers from making disruptive noise. This essentially stops them from breaking the rules and restores order to follow the general rule that when you’re in a library, you are supposed to be quiet (Impractical Jokers - Professional Noisemakers Disturb the Peace, 2015). I feel this is a good example of social deviancy because the whole premise of the show Impractical Jokers is to break social rules set in place by society and these individuals make a living off of it (Conley, 2017). This clip in particular gives a good glimpse into what the show is about and how it correlates to social deviancy (Conley, 2017).

Word Count: 400

Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Impractical Jokers - Professional Noisemakers Disturb The Peace. (2015, March 10). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnp46b6D74Y&feature=youtu.be

[creativelycarley-blog]

I chose to talk about sensory processing disorder in relation to socialization because I fell that with any disorder, especially this one, it can make it more difficult to become a functioning member of society. This means that down to the littlest interaction, it can be hard for a person to integrate into the demands that are needed to prosper in a modern setting. To summarize this video, I feel that overall a sensory processing disorder is basically trying to find your way through a maze but there is no clear exit (What is Sensory Processing Disorder, 2009). When an exit is found, it can cause mix up’s and even possibly cause a catastrophic collision. While time can aid in helping someone deal with a sensory processing disorder, this does not mean it is fixed. Having this disorder can be a lifelong battle and will take time to deal with (What is Sensory Processing Disorder, 2009). This video hit home for me because I found it so relatable to my own personal experience. When I was younger, I was diagnosed with this disorder and it took many years to overcome the challenges presented with this disorder. I found one of the most difficult issues was trying to overcome the roles that were placed on me (Conley, 2017). I didn’t understand the role that I had in school. The obligations and expectations associated with being a student and so I was considered a troubled child who was always getting corrected (Conley, 2017). After I repeatedly spelled my spelling words backwards on a test (they were all correct) it gave the inclination to my teacher and mom that something may not be right. After this inclination, I was tested for many different disorders. Paired with other events, it gave significant evidence that I struggled with processing certain materials. I later was diagnosed with a Sensory Processing disorder and was given some clarity on my condition. With the help from external sources, I started to deal with my issues. While I still face some issues associated with having my disorder have learned tools that have helped me become a more functioning member of society.

Word count: 430

Reference

Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

What is Sensory Processing Disorder? (2009, March 12). Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6Cm0WxEZA&feature=youtu.be

[creativelycarley-blog]

(above is the link to my account displaying the image)

I chose to use the iPhone X reference because it reminded me when I was a teenager and wanted the iPhone 5s. I was so envious of my friends who had the iPhone 4s and 5. I only had a 4 and Siri was the new “gadget” to play with. When they came out I fantasized about having one. I searched on many different sites to try to find one for the best price but due to it being such a new phone that did not happen. I became obsessed for a short time trying to find the best deal because I did not want to spend the asking price for the phone. I did not find a good deal though. I was naïve and thought that even though I could not find a good deal, I would be fine because I have a job. When I actually saved up enough money, I was finally able to buy my very first phone! I remember spending a month’s worth of pay on it in order to be the first one to have it in my circle of friends. It was the first time being on my own plan and buying my phone out right. While I was envied within my group because I was the first one with the new IPhone 5s, I had to ride the bus for 2 months because I did not have enough money to put gas in my car. My dream manifested  itself when I felt the new phone in my hands and I got to choose a cool case for my IPhone 5s (Conley, 2017). The latent effect though from my new purchase was the responsibility that came with owning a new phone and learning the true meaning of having to budget (Conley, 2017). Since I spent all my money on buying this cell phone, I had to learn quickly how to balance out the effects from my new purchase. While playing with Siri was fun, I think her charm wore off the second day I had to ride the bus. This is when the reality started to truly sink in. So when I saw this picture, it reminded me when I bought my first phone on my own and it brought back found(ish) memories.

Word Count: 280

Reference

http://notsarcastic.tumblr.com/post/165268180597

Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.