Chris Myles

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Fieldwork 10

Snickers bars are a popular american chocolate bar that are produced by the company known as Mars Inc. The Snickers bar contains ingredients such as  milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, artificial flavor), peanuts, corn syrup, sugar, palm oil, skim milk, lactose, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, egg whites, and artificial flavor. The ingredients used to make this chocolate bar come from all over. For example, the cocoa comes from Guyana and the sugar comes from Brazil while the milk comes from Wisconsin. To make this chocolate bar you have to start with cocoa which goes through the process of removal, fermentation, drying, breaking, roasting, grinding and pressing. The cocoa starts as a bean and comes from small tropical trees, the theobroma Cacao, which are native to Central and South America. After the product is actually ready to be sold the  company uses an app that allows customers to tell their current mood ranging from angry to happy. If the numerous customers report angry then the cost of snickers bars will decrease in real time at local 7 elevens.

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Editorial: Economic Justice

Participants: Nichkole Johnson, Christopher Myles, and Dakotah Strother  

Based on our research we have concluded that economic justice is an arrangement of good standards for building financial organizations, a definitive object of which is to make an open door for every individual to make an adequate material establishment whereupon to have a nobel, profitable, and innovative life past financial aspects. In today’s society, a common issue that women struggle with is the “the glass ceiling and sticky floor”. In that situation women have the potential to grow but the business world holds them back from achieving their fullest potential such as reaching pay equity, livable wages, and job equality. Possible resolutions are to form strikes where women refuse to work. And or place stricter discrimination laws. Even if these options does not work , the awareness of this issue can be a possible start to change.

@sociologypersonified @nichkolej

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Fieldwork Assignment 9

Click Here for link to Article

( http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-lets-shoppers-check-out-without-cashiers-or-registers-2017-8 )

This article explains the new technology that Walmart has implemented to make customer service more smooth and easy going. This new technology allows customers to scan the items that they plan on purchasing. After the customer is done shopping they just checkout out via the Walmart's scan and go app and show the receipt to the store greeter. 

This scan and go process eliminates the need for most cashiers ultimately stealing terminating potential jobs for the working class. While the new technology will take away potential jobs from the working class it will benefit the company because now they don’t have to worry about paying for workers or the benefits. So this article mostly coincides with Marx theory of the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat where the company CEO and executive board would represent the bourgeoisie while the sales associates would be the working class or proletariat.

Speaking from experience sale associate jobs at local stores such as Walmart, Target etc... are jobs that people use to support themselves. As a college student I use my job as a way to pay bills and to sustain a decent living situation because I am on my own at the moment so imagine having your job being snatched away from you because of a new implemented system. That would basically set me back a lot due to the fact that I don’t make a lot of money (a little bit above minimum wage) and I’m considered working class so I’m basically surviving with the bit that I have.

From the Company head stand point or the bourgeoisie side this new technology would be so beneficial for the company because they now can eliminate workers from the staff. The elimination of staff members means less distribution of money from the company to the employees which allows the company to invest more in itself.

Although there is a positive side to the new technology there also is a negative side. While the app lets people scan and go it allows room for theft. With this new app customers can say that they put certain things on the receipt and in actuality they didn’t. This app also allows human error for the store greeter because they have to check each receipt before the customer leaves which can become troublesome to the eyes and makes for misreading. 

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Fieldwork Assignment 8

I noticed that within my family tree there isn’t a lot of married couple but instead more separate couples or couples that don’t live together. I also noticed that my parents are the only couple that have one single offspring. The thing that I noticed the most is that my paternal side of the family tree is mostly blank. So I basically don’t know potential relatives that could walk past me on a daily basis.

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Classwork Assignment: Concept Map on Black Gay Women

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Interview Analysis Essay

Sex and gender play major roles in society. Today it alters everyone’s life and how others see people and it can affect people in negative and/or positive ways. With sex and gender People have a preset way of looking at you and an idea of how that person should behave. The idea of sex and/or gender brings along certain responsibilities and ways of living. In today's society the previous idea of sex and/or gender is constantly being challenged and altered.

Identity is something that is discuss constantly when considering the idea of sex and gender. Throughout the videos that I have seen everyone seems to acknowledge that in today’s society sex and gender doesn’t define a people. For example, in video four (linked below) when asked is being gay normal the two participants state that being gay isn’t foreign to them. The guy states the “it’s 2018… you do what you want”. So, we have people that acknowledge that it’s a thing but in today's society we have other that see it as something bad or choose to ignore it and that’s partly due to traditional expectation of human living. Later on, in the video this is brought up and the participant to the right states that when you don’t identify with female or male “you can be judged” and the participant to the left sated that there are “repercussions”. But my question is why should people be judge or have repercussions based on how they identify?

While identity is something a lot of people struggle with other know who they are, and they express it even if it’s not the “ideal living situation”. Today there are many people that identify as transgender, and due to their identity, they have experienced many slur or backslash from it some have even been killed. So, when the topic of transgender people is brought up there are various viewpoints. For example, in video one (linked below) Nichkole, the participant, talks about how transgender is just acceptance of being a gender that you weren’t born as. The idea of gender and sex push this concept of a perfect life or a suitable life for everyone. In video three Dahkota, the participant, explains that gender stereotypes are damaging. Dahkota used the example of “gay people being soft” and “straight women can’t be providers” which further decrease the human experience with these traditional ideas of living. Traditions should be challenged on a daily basis because it allows people to get the most experience out of life.

The idea of masculinity and femininity is always placed upon a certain gender. In video five question of how gender stereotypes negative impact people the participant, person on the right, states that men are commonly portrayed as masculine and told to be “a man” which means don’t show emotion. She states that it negatively impacts them because growing up “they don’t know how to express themselves.” When masculinity and femininity come into play there’s a pre-determined expectation of how to act and behavior and if you don’t follow it then you are scolded. This in turn can be very damaging to any human because it can make them feel rejected and lead to self-hatred which is never a good thing.

           In Conclusion I have realized that sex and gender are things that were specifically geared towards certain things from activities to behavior. In my opinion it has been changed and constantly challenged but is nowhere near where it needs to be. I see it as a construct that was developed to place people in categories but in actuality sex and gender just determines what you have between your legs and how you identify. I advise that people mind there business until it’s their business because how someone else lives doesn’t involve anyone but that person.

 Videos:

·         Video 1: https://socio-j.tumblr.com/post/172314192649/gender-andor-sex-questions-1-what-do-you

·         Video 2: https://angx4.tumblr.com/post/172312631214/fieldwork-assignment

·         Video 3: https://chris-pycreme.tumblr.com/post/172314241419/person-being-interviewed-sociologypersonified

·         Video 4: https://lilteazzzzz.tumblr.com/post/172312279903/5-questions-about-sex-and-gender-filming-jayson

·         Video 5: https://anthrospring2018.tumblr.com/post/172320313404/anthropology-interview

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In Class Assignment: Gender

How are gender stereotype and ideology are reinforced in everyday life?

Through school systems you see teachers, especially when your young, section people off based on gender.

People’s upbringings basically encompass the idea of gender because when your young everything is decided for you from toys to clothes. You have this expectation of how your supposed to act and live.

On television we see women falling more into submissive roles while men portray more dominance and while that is changing its still prevalent in today’s society.

 In the work place, especially office firms, because of past representation of women and their role they are seen as incapable of handling “rigorous” tasks.

In people’s homes we see dynamics from the relationships men vs women have with their children to the way the interact with others and that affects the way they act and view people and their gender.

Men were supposed to be dominant and brute like.

Women were supposed to be submissive and caring.

On the playground we see that boys play cops and robbers while girl play hopscotch and when one ventures into another it’s frowned upon.

It was seen that women be home and clean while men make money.

There are transitions from the old idea of gender to a new way of think but these old ideas are still prevalent today with many components.

How society has made me see gender?

I see gender as something that was given to me based on what I have between my legs. Society really messed me over because my way of living and thinking was always seen as wrong because I didn’t fall into all gender norms that people wanted me to. And because society tell us that men and women should act certain ways people start to expect similarity in living from everyone. Growing up I had long hair, so I was always mistaken as a girl so to compensate for that my parents would try to make me seem for “masculine” so that it was clear what I was. As I grew I realized that gender is nothing to me. At this point in life I defy gender norms from wear pink platforms to acting “fem” while also doing “masc” this too like playing sports.

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Person being interviewed: @sociologypersonified

1. How do you describe yourself? 2. How is sex/gender described your community or society? 3. Should your gender/sex be collected on surveys or applications? 4. How do you feel about societies definition of masculinity and femininity? 5. What do you think are the most damaging gender stereotypes.

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Fieldwork Assignment 7

Seeing the Business of Ethnicity

The place that I chose to sit in and observe was a local Chinese restaurant called China Chef located Lombard street. During my time there I wasn’t able to interview any of the staff, but I did take a lot of notes. One main thing that I notice is that the food that we consider “Chinese food” here in America has been Americanized and doesn’t hold that same weigh as it would in tradition Chinese places. While I sat and observed the surrounding I notice that a lot of the reasons that I identify the restaurant as a Chinese carryout place is because I have been conditioned to have a certain idea of Chinese people and what their surrounds should look like. For example, in the restaurant there were a lot of symbols of the walls that I assumed were Chinese letters along with the glass cat with ribbons on it, which I something I normally see in restaurants that I associate with Chinese carryout spots. I also noticed that there was a lot of the color red which is something else that is commonly associated with Chinese culture, at least in my mind. But one main thing that I notice was the people that worked there. Everyone that worked at the restaurant looked the same in the sense that they had similar complexions, facial feature and had similar accents. None of the works looked like me and from what I have been conditioned to know the workers fit the description of a person who is from Asia or from the Asian culture.

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Fieldwork Assignment 3

I chose White Marsh Mall’s food court as my location to observe because I am usually at the mall shopping almost every weekend. In the mall’s food court, I found a lot of things I didn’t usually pay attention to, such as the food selection, the shape of the tables, the smell and the people in it. In my observation I notice the whole environment. I don’t normally sit in the food court, so a lot of things stood out to me such as the placement of the lights in this section of the mall. I guess I never really notice the light placement because I’m usually there during the day and natural light enters the mall through the sky light. Something that was absent that I thought would be in the mall’s food court would be the napkin dispensers on the tables. There weren’t any tables with napkin dispensers so if you needed napkins you would have to get it from the food stand where you got your food. I went back to the mall’s food court the next day and the atmosphere really didn’t change. The only thing that changed was the people and that’s due to me going back on a different day and at a different time. Other than the people the food stands, tables and more remained the same.

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Fieldwork Assignment 2

Electronics

Phone - $900 - Need

Computer - $200 - Need

Apple Watch - $400 - Want - I saw this item as something that would make my phone more efficient

iPad - $400 - Want - This was an item i saw that would allow me to have my textbook at my disposal at anytime

Flash Drive - $20 - Need

Earphone - $20 - Need

Speaker - $15 - Need

Chargers - $10 - Need

School Supplies

Pen/Pencils - $10 - Need

Textbooks (All) - $500+ - Need

Binder - $3 - Want - I saw older kids using them in elementary school and I wanted it cause it was interesting but then I started using it to stay organized

Notebooks - $2 - Need

Highlighters - $2 - Want - I saw it helped with color coding specific things in books

Folders - $1 - Need

Sticky Notes - $1 - Want - These were helpful in reminding me to do things because I cause write a quick note and stick it somewhere noticeable

Index Cards - $1 - Want - These help with studying material for classes

Book Tabs - $1 - Want - They always help me remember my spot in a book or help me know where important passages are

Stapler - $1 - Need

Whiteout - $1 - Need

Scissors - $1 - Need

Clothes

T-Shirts - $10 or more -Need

Jeans - $25 or more - Need

Shorts - $25 or more - Need

Joggers - $25 or more - Need

Button Up Shirts - $25 or more -  Need

Dress Shoes - $40 or more -  Need

Sneakers - $45 or more -  Need

Boots - $45 or more -  Need

Accessories

Belts - $5-200 - Need

Watches - $200 or more - Want -  When I was young I noticed that men didn't have a lot of variety in accessories. Later on i realized watches were worn as a statement piece and tried to incorporate it into my style

Hats - $10 - Need

Scarves - $2 - Need

Pins - $10 - Want - I saw them online and put them into my looks to add flavor and pizazz

Grooming Items

Cantu Products - $5 or more - Need

Shea Moisture Products - $7 or more - Need

Brushes - $2 - Need

Combs - $2 - Need

Hair Pins - $2 - Need

Clips - $2 - Need

Shampoo - $5 or more - Need

Conditioner - $6 or more - Need

Scarves - $3 - Need

Gels - $6 or more - Need

Moisturizers - $7 or more - Need

Flexi Rods - $1 per pack - Need

Transportation

Lyft - $6.55 or more - Want - This was a quicker way for me to get around instead of catching the bus

MTA Busses - $4 or more - Need

Uber - $7 or more - Want - The convenience of the mode of transportation made me become a consumer

Car - $2,500 or more - Need

Other

Bed Sheets - $10 or more - Want - I grew up with sheets on my bed so I have grown accustom to them being on a bed. Its apart of my culture

Blanket - $10 or more - Need

Pillow - $5 or more - Need

Bed - $100 or more - Need

Teddy Bear - $3 or more - Want - As I have grown throughout my life teddy bears were given to me or even won for me so I have developed the desire to have at least 1 on my bed

Lamp - $5 or more - Need

Paints - $4 or more - Need

Canvases - $10 or more - Need

Mirror - $5 or more - Need

Pictures - $1 per 5 pics - Want - I always wanted a Polaroid camera that would print the pictures instantly so my desire developed from that and my love of pictures

Bamboo Plant - $3 - Need

Chakra Stones - $10 or more - Need

Crystals - $10 or more - Need

I noticed that the items that i labeled as needs or wants varied from person to person. A lot of the items that I said were necessities for me the guy friend labeled as wants or didn’t list due to us being two different people who have different values and ideas or what is necessary. It would also be notable that what I, a young black male, labels as a need would probably be different from someone who is seen as an older white woman because where are different demographics. The places where my items are made range from the United States to China and beyond. For example my Shea Moisture products are made in the USA but my teddy bear was made in China. A lot of the items are apart of my culture and have been placed upon me from a young age. For example bed sheets are something that were presented to me when i was young so when I got to college I had to get sheets for my bed. While somethings are apart of my culture others were developed from my own thing and self actualization. For example my chakra stones and crystals are used for my meditation, something I stated doing because I wanted to manage my stress.

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FieldWork Assignment 1

History

Sofi Tucker started selling Shea Nuts at the village market in Bonthe, Sierra Leone in 1912. By age 19, the widowed mother of four was selling Shea Butter, African Black Soap and her homemade hair and skin preparations all over the countryside. Sofi Tucker was the Grandmother of the product’s owner and Shea Moisture is her legacy. Richelieu Dennis came to America to attend Business school and due to is entrepreneurship passion he and his roommate when to purse skin and hair care issues traditionally ignored by mass market companies. He used his African family traditional recipes to sustain many products that are beneficial for hair and skin issues. The product brand stands for inclusively exclusive, modern wisdom, sensory solutions, cultures cultivated with the best ingredients gathered from around the world and picked to complement perfectly.

Product Description

               This product, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, is targeted towards people that want to replenish, moisturize and tackle their natural hair. The product helps manage thick curly hair by tackling frizz and adding moisture and shine. To successfully accomplish the products goal it contains ingredients that are very beneficial for natural hair such as silk protein, which smooths hair for a soft, silky feel, and neem oil, which controls frizz while adding shine. On top of the main ingredients the product also has plenty of other oils and extracts that are very helpful when taking care of natural hair, such as avocado oil and hibiscus flower extract. To top it all off the product strays away from sulfates, which strip your hair of it’s natural oils, parabens, phthalates, paraffin, mineral oils, synthetic color and more. The product isn’t even tested on animals meaning that no animals were harmed for the success of this product.

Impact on my Life

               This Product along with other natural hair products has helped me maintain my hair while giving it a good feel and look. During the summer of 2016 I cut all my hair off because I had bad heat damage and Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie has helped bring my hair back to life. It also helped me retain my length. Although this product is just one component to my health hair and its length it has shaped the outcome of my hair. I’m always getting question about my hair and how I get it to look the way it looks and often I suggest this product for people that are beginning their natural hair journey.

People Who Made It

               This product, Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, is made in the USA but originally it was made by the founder’s, Sundial Brands, grandmother and was based off their traditional African family recipes. Currently the products are manufactured in the USA but Shea Moisture has this project called Community Commerce where many women help with the shea butter for the project and in exchange they are offered wages in the form of currency and Sundial also provided them with fresh water for them and their families.

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Uneven Development (Picture with the building): This is a representation of uneven development due to the fact that there are so many high tech buildings that are used for unnecessary stuff but we stiff have people living in poverty. It also demonstrates how a high tech buildings are placed in areas with low revenue or areas with low appeal to make them more appealing to the eye and create more revenue.

Time-Space Compression (Facetime Picture): This is an example of time-space compression because due the the new innovative technology that has advanced our society we now are able to contact people in a blink of an eye. For example we now have facetime as a form of communication, which allows us to have face to face interaction contrary to the past where we would have to send things by mail or physically take time out of our day to visit someone who might be far away. Although some love these advancements others believe it has made us lazy.

Increasing Migration (People walking the world): This is a visual representation of increasing migration due to the number of people walking the earth and the type of person. As demonstrated we see that there are people of different races and religions finding places to go which allows us to know that this a growing issue and not just a cultural this or something relating to only one group of people.

Flexible Accumulation (Dragon handing groceries): All though this image doesn’t directly demonstrate the act of flexible accumulation it demonstrates a way that american companies indulgent in the act of flexible accumulation. The image displays a dragon handing a person bags that are possibly filled with items. The assumption here is that the dragon is a representation of China and the person is another country that profits off of the cheapness of labor and product in China or places such as China.