Whether or not one realizes it, sociology and its issues are all around us. Taking this class brought to my attention just how much I take for granted about life. The things that seem so obvious, to the point where they fade into the background, are frequently a product of my upbringing as well as race and socioeconomic status. Thus, it is important to recognize that what is true of my story, is not the life everybody else experiences. I work at a personal care home for residents who have been diagnosed primarily with an intellectual disability or mental illness. Many have had very different life experiences than me, whether that be as children or adults. This course has helped me recognize my own bias when working with them. It has also enabled me to understand them better, recognizing that their life experiences and the world around them has very much shaped them into who they are today. This is a lesson that can be taken into the world at large, as we interact with those from all walks of life.
While the standards and expectations for this class are high, so are the rewards. There is a lot of work, but with steady pacing, you will get it all done. While many joke about not reading their college textbooks, I thoroughly enjoyed the text and started there each week. Professor Jacobson’s lectures are excellent and further explain concepts that might have been vague. I took notes on these lectures, which proved useful in the tests and quizzes as well as the discussions and final project. It was a lot easier to go back to my notes to find information than skim through entire lectures. I waited until almost the end to begin working on the Tumblr project. While this enabled me to draw on concepts from throughout the semester in each post, it also made for a lot of work all at the end of the semester. Had I done things differently, I think it would work well to at least find an artifact and type up a rough sketch of the post after each module. It would then be easy to go back and add to as needed. I enjoyed the ability to work ahead and open new modules at will, but overall, slow but steady progress is what will get you through the class.
How a new generation of tech-savvy activists made violence against African Americans into global headline news
While the social movements of today may look a little different than those of our parents and grandparents, they still follow the same four step process that has been used by sociologists to define and understand how they come to be. As Christiansen notes, most progress through the stages of emergence, coalescence, bureaucratization, and decline (2009, p. 2). The #blacklivesmatter movement began like many others, with increasing discontent and anger with the status quo, in this case that black lives are increasingly at risk for police brutality (Day, 2015). What began in the emergent stage as a discussion among friends, quickly coalesced as the use of the hashtag spread rapidly throughout the world of social media (Day, 2015). While there is not central leadership as was seen in the Civil Rights Movement with men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X, the movement has bureaucratized to some extent (Day, 2015). Other movements and organizations like the Coalition Against Police Violence, Black Youth Project 100, and Dream Defenders have grown out of and alongside #blacklivesmatter (Day, 2015). What has yet to be seen is the stage of decline. While the movement has certainly gained steam and recognition, it is not at the point yet where it has succeeded or become mainstream (Christiansen, 2009, p. 3). Encouragingly, nor has it been co-opted or failed (Christiansen, 2009, p. 3).
What’s most fascinating about this movement is how both the media and social media have interacted and shown very different sides of the story. Conservative media has frequently criminalized the black men shot and killed by police, choosing to use pictures that make the victims look hard or angry (Day, 2015). In fact, the photo chosen to depict victim Mike Brown that insinuated connection to a gang, sparked the new hashtag “IfTheyGunnedMeDown” (Day, 2015). Many posted contrasting pictures of themselves, wondering which portrayal the media would use if they became the next statistic (Day, 2015). This interesting interplay between mainstream media and social media perfectly depicts the new way of social movements and activism. Social media has allowed for people, particularly young adults, to connect and engage in dialogue about issues faced country-wide. This has allowed for greater participation and a wider reach for social movements.
Word count: 373
References
Christiansen, J. (2009). Four stages of social movements. Ebsco Research Starters, 1-7. Retrieved from https://ehacc.hacc.edu/d2l/le/content/193810/viewContent/3786497/View
Day, E. (2015). BlackLivesMatter: the birth of a new civil rights movement. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/19/blacklivesmatter-birth-civil-rights-movement
The problems start as early as childhood education.
When we think of racism, it is easy to believe it is a thing of the past. The term brings to mind pictures of the Antebellum South, the KKK, and the Civil Rights Movement. However, racism is alive and well today. Recent events like the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and the #blacklivesmatter movement have reminded society that it is an issue still faced by many. Yet, racism and discrimination are not always so obvious. Subtle, institutional discrimination is that which is unintentional and indirect, and occurs on a macro level in society (Jacobson, 2018a). It is often easier to point to things like the rally in Charlottesville as overt (obvious and intentional) discrimination (Jacobson, 2018a). It can be harder to find the discrimination that has imbedded itself within societal views and actions.
Recent national conversation has brought Native Americans and the racism and discrimination they face to light. High schools and even professional sports teams like the Washington Redskins have come under pressure to change mascots that further derogatory and stereotypical messages about Native Americans (Saccaro, 2014). Things like Columbus Day and the Dakota Access Pipeline protest remind us that this discrimination is not just on an individual level, but has been going on for years and is deeply entrenched within society. Many of the problems that Native Americans face can be attributed to institutional racism. Similarly to subtle, institutional discrimination, this is racism that is often unintended and part of the normal functioning of society, but denies minority groups opportunities and rights (Jacobson, 2018b).
This article points to the sub-par education Native Americans receive as an indicator of institutional racism. While the government is supposed to provide funding for their schools, many date back to the 1930s and feature hazards and pests as well as a lack of supplies (Saccaro, 2014). This has led to underperformance by Native American students in math and reading, as well as a dropout rate that is twice that of the national average (Saccaro, 2014). Unfortunately this only feeds into issues like greater rates of violence against women, unemployment, lack of healthcare, and decreased life expectancy (Saccaro, 2014). If the government and society wish to do something about these serious problems, they need to recognize that they stem from institutional racism that begins with the education system.
Word count: 386
References
Jacobson, S. (2018a). Lecture on A Sociological perspective on race. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Jacobson, S. (2018b). Lecture on Institutional racism. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Saccaro, M. (2014). This is what modern day discrimination against Native Americans looks like. Mic. Retrieved from https://mic.com/articles/101804/this-is-what-modern-day-discrimination-against-native-americans-looks-like#.Zn7JSSrCf
Women of color have months to go before they reach symbolic parity.
Women have long been behind men when it comes to equal pay. Sex role theory, the idea that men and women stick to strict gender roles, where woman lead lives of domesticity, and men work outside the home, has dominated our thinking when it comes to women and work (Conley, 2017, p. 291). These views have continued, even as women have joined the work force in increasing numbers. Women are disproportionately employed in caring professions, like teaching and nursing, and tend to study arts and the humanities, while men are pushed into the high-powered fields of math and science (Conley, 2017, p. 307). This trend among others has led to a gender gap in equal pay.
As stated in the article, April 10th is Equal Pay Day (Connley, 2018). This date is how far into the new year women have to work in order to make the same as a man in the previous year (Connley, 2018). As frustrating as the discrimination between genders is, it is further exacerbated when one takes race and ethnicity into account. Equal Pay Day does not happen for African American women until August 7th, September 7th for Native American women, and November 1st for Latin American women (Connley, 2018). While all women face factors like the glass ceiling, which limits their ability to advance in their field of work, minorities face still greater challenges (Conley, 2017, p. 312).
Women of color are disproportionately represented in low and minimum-wage paying jobs (Connley, 2018). They face further discrimination and bias in the hiring and promotion system as well. While this subtle discrimination may not be intended, it can be felt on the macro level, leading to institutional racism that denies minority women equal opportunities (Jacobson, 2018). We tend to hire those around us, and they are usually those who also look like us, whether that be male or female, white or black (Jacobson, 2018). Thus, it is crucial for organizations to look at their own biases when it comes to hiring, enabling women, particularly women of color, to climb the professional ladder to leadership positions. As the article states, until this happens, Equal Pay Day should not be marked until November 1st, when all women have earned a pay equal to that of men. As is true of many societal issues, there are multiple facets and all must be considered to view the full picture.
Word count: 399
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed). New York, NY: W.W. Norton.
Connley, C. (2018). Reminder: Today isn’t equal pay day for black, Latina, or Native American women. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/10/today-isnt-equal-pay-day-for-black-latina-or-native-american-women.html
Jacobson, S. (2018). Lecture on A Sociological perspective on race. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Amazon is on the forefront of automation, finding new ways of getting robots to do the work once handled by human employees.
French fries. Robots. Giant warehouses. While seemingly unrelated terms, the concepts linking these three have come to dominate much of today’s economy. The McDonaldization of society is how sociologist George Ritzer came to view the rationalization of the American economy (Jacobson, 2018). Ritzer argued that as demonstrated by fast food restaurants, America has put further and further emphasis on things like efficiency, predictability, calculability, the use of non-human technology, and control (Jacobson, 2018). What originally began as a cheap, convenient way to get food has come to dominate almost all aspects of society, including shopping.
Amazon has streamlined the retail experience, allowing for fast, convenient, cheap shopping. McDonaldization can be seen in virtually every aspect of this process. Online shopping speaks to American’s needs for predictability and calculability. Predictability is demonstrated in the fact that buying online takes the guesswork out of shopping and lets consumers find the brands they know and trust (Jacobson, 2018). Further, the focus on calculability, or value of quantity over quality, means more often than not people prefer a cheap product they can buy lots of (Jacobson, 2018). America’s high demand for cheap products has in turn encouraged retailers to ascribe to McDonaldization to meet that need.
The article describes Amazon’s recent addition of robots to their workforce (Wingfield, 2017). Increased automation has allowed for more efficient work, leading to lower costs, and therefore more sales and more profit (Wingfield, 2017). Many have worried that the robots will replace workers. However, Amazon contends that the robots have helped their human coworkers by doing the physically difficult, mundane jobs. The increase in efficiency and subsequent sales has enabled the company to hire more human employees (Wingfield, 2017).
A side effect of the non-human technology, has been greater control over both employees and their output. Robots do not make mistakes. This circles around to the fact that they enable greater efficiency, predictability, and calculability. Humans technically oversee the robots and watch for issues as they arise. However, as we reach greater levels of automation and McDonaldization, the question remains as to who actually has control: society or society’s need for rationalization.
Word count: 354
References
Jacobson, S. (2018). Lecture on the McDonaldization of society. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Wingfield, N. (2017). As Amazon pushes forward with robots, workers find new roles. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/technology/amazon robots-workers.html
Our updated calculator lets you find out which group you are in – first compared with other adults in your metropolitan area and among American adults overall, and then compared with other adults similar to you in education, age, race or ethnicity, and marital status.
While almost all would agree that inequality has long existed in society, the how and why has been frequently debated. Jean-Jacques Rosseau argued that although inequality based on physical traits would always exist, by doing away with private property, society could achieve a state of social equality, without differences in wealth, status, and power (Conley, 2017, p. 239). Conversely, Adam Ferguson and Thomas Malthus saw the rise in private property as an indicator of progress towards a greater civilization (Conley, 2017, p. 239). Finally, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel thought of society as a relationship, with slave and master, powerful and powerless, existing in a co-dependent bond (Conley, 2017, p. 234). Regardless of how it came to be, America is clearly stratified by socioeconomic status into the categories of upper class, middle class, working class, and the poor (Conley, 2017, p. 258).
While 90% of Americans would identify themselves as middle class, its boundaries and definition prove hard to find (Conley, 2017, p. 260). Traditionally, the middle class was seen as those with white-collar jobs, while the working class was made up of those with manual jobs (Conley, 2017, p. 260). However, the post-World War II economy increased the wages of many in the working class, allowing them to join the middle class. Conversely, service sector jobs that are technically white-collar and yet draw low wages challenge the association of working class with manual jobs (Conley, 2017, p. 260).
This Pew Research Center article chose to determine middle class as those having an income that is two-thirds to double the median income of the median US household (Fry and Kochhar, 2016). By inputting your state, metropolitan area, income, and number in your household, the calculator will tell you whether or not you qualify as middle class. The calculator also compares what it means to be middle class locally versus nationally. It further allows you to compare yourself to others of a similar demographic background. It is this final comparison that interested me most. Stratification is based on so much more than class. Ethnicity, age, education, and location all factor in to how one fares in life. Sociological concepts do not stand on their own, but rather interact to give us a greater picture of how and why society functions as it does.
Word count: 381
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed). New York, NY: W.W. Norton.
Frey, R. & Kochhar, R. (2016). Are you in the American middle class? Find out with our income calculator. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/05/11/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/
A photographer explores the hidden world of the hikikomori, and the human bonds that draw them out.
The word deviant brings to mind bad or wrong behavior. While it can mean breaking the law, it can also be as simple as wearing white after Labor Day. In fact, social deviance is simply going against society’s expectations and breaking societal norms (Conley, 2017, p. 191).
This article explores the Japanese concept of hikikomori, which are men that have chosen to isolate themselves from society (Butet-Roch, 2018). Japan has recently shifted from a collectivist society to a more individualistic one (Butet-Roch, 2018). In doing so, their social integration has loosened, as people interact less and less on a daily basis (Conley, 2017, p. 200). However, Japanese society continues to have a high level of social regulation, with rules and strict gender roles dominating expectations for young men (Conley, 2017, p. 200). The decreasing social integration along with high rates of social regulation has led many young Japanese men to deviant behavior.
Society has taught these men that they must work day and night to be economically successful (Butet-Roch, 2018). Instead, they have chosen to abandon both the means (being workaholics) and goals (economic success) of society (Conley, 2017, p. 205). According to Merton’s strain theory, these men would be known as retreatists (Conley, 2017, p. 205). They have literally shut themselves off from society, often relying on their parents for support.
Labeling theory and stigmas offer insight into how these men become stuck in this role. The emphasis Japanese society has placed on economic success, in turn identifies those who cannot reach this, as lazy or failures. Hikikomori have come to be viewed in this way, and thus internalize such feelings of failure. The label of hikikomori is a negative stigma, in that it changes how these men are viewed by society (as lazy or failures), and therefore how they view themselves (Conley, 2017, p. 213). The identity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as they retreat further and further from society. Only by breaking the stigma and learning skills like confidence, are the men able to rejoin the greater world.
Word count: 340
References
Butet-Roch, L. (2018). Pictures reveal the isolated lives of Japan’s social recluses. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2018/february/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society/
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed). New York, NY: W.W. Norton.
Western society has a rather specific view of what a good childhood should be like; protecting, sheltering and legislating to ensure compliance with it. However, perceptions of childhood vary greatly with geography, culture and time. What was it like to be a child in prehistoric times, for example – in the absence of toys, tablets and television?
Children learn through observation. By watching the world around them, they learn how to act, what to believe, how society works, and just how they fit into the world (Conley, 2017, p. 118). This is the process of socialization.
This article explores how scientists are able to use the preserved footprints of children from thousands of years ago to discover how they lived and learned. For most, parents and family members are the initial examples to follow (Conley, 2017, p. 124). Ancient children learned survival and daily living skills alongside their parents. Unlike today’s children who are often protected and sheltered, ancient children were encouraged to practice with adult tools and given many responsibilities (Bennett and Reynolds, 2018).
The concepts of status, or the position a person holds in society, and roles, the behavior expected with that status, apply to this article (Conley, 2017, p. 132). Children’s status and role in society has changed over the years, as cultures differ in how they view their abilities and responsibilities. The Namibian children’s footprints are intermixed with animals, demonstrating that they were entrusted with the responsibility of caring for flocks from an early age (Bennett and Reynolds, 2018). Remains at the Melka Kunture site show that children were brought along on hunting expeditions, perhaps even allowed to handle stone tools, learning how to butcher alongside their parents (Bennett and Reynolds, 2018). Bennet and Reynolds explain that in ancient cultures, children held a low status in society, and were expected to perform a supporting role to their parents (2018). Because of this, they learned how to work from an early age (Bennet and Reynolds, 2018). This is different from today’s age of helicopter parenting, where children often hold a high status, and are given fewer responsibilities and chores. Be it for better or worse, as the world has grown tamer, so have we softened our expectations of children. Play has taken the place of survival skills, and schools do much of the socializing, rather than the survival of the fittest classroom of the past.
Word count: 341
References
Bennett, M. R., & Reynolds, S. C. (2018). What ancient footprints can tell us about what it was like to be a child in prehistoric times. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2018-02-ancient-footprints-child-prehistoric.html
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself (5th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Burgers or tofu? Fair trade clothing or fast fashion? Millennials are making conscious statements with their purchases.
Millennials have proven themselves different from past generations time and again. How they form their identity and find meaning and purpose is no different. Past generations have been more traditional, sticking closely to the religion and politics of their parents, the hometowns of their birth, and often times lasting their whole lives in one career (Redmond, 2017). Conversely, many millennials have shied away from political and religious identities, and frequently move and change jobs (Redmond, 2017). Consumerism is the general idea that money can buy happiness and that material possessions can bring fulfillment (Conley, 2017, p. 107). For many people, clothing, cars, and other material possessions help form their identity, announcing to the world just who they are. Millennials have taken this to a new extreme as they turn to branding and social media.
Millennials frequently turn to social media to both find brands to trust and demonstrate their consumer prowess to others (Redmond, 2017). One of the sociological ideas behind this is conspicuous consumption, using a public display of their buying power to gain social status (Jacobson, 2018). Furthermore, millennials use their buying power to make a statement about their values and beliefs. The article uses the example of expensive athleisure, which demonstrates to the world both that the wearer is fashionable, as well as the idea that they live a healthy lifestyle (Redmond, 2017). Brands like Tom’s and Warby Parker, which make donations for every purchase made, further promote the idea that the buyer believes in such charitable contributions (Jacobson, 2018). Through this, millennials are drawing on the power of conspicuous compassion to show both their socio-economic status as well as benevolence (Jacobson, 2018). They have taken consumerism to a new level, using branding to create much of their identity.
Word count: 292
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself (5th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Jacobson, S. (2018). Lecture on Culture and consumerism. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Redmond, A. (2017). How millennials signal personal identity through brand preference. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287794
From medieval witch hunts in Europe to contemporary "witch doctors" in Tanzania, belief in witchcraft has existed across human societies throughout history. Anthropologists have long been fascinated by the phenomenon, but have struggled to study it with quantitative methods – our understanding of how and why it arises is therefore poor.
In the article linked above, researchers set out to study why women across the world are accused of witchcraft. Specifically, they examined the hypothesis that women are accused of witchcraft because they have defied social norms (Mace et al., 2018). Other studies have frequently concluded that women are marked as such for being untrustworthy and uncooperative (Mace et al., 2018). This research starts with the deductive approach, as it begins with the theory and hypothesis that witchcraft accusations happen to those who defy social norms, and works to either prove or repudiate it (Conley, 2017, p. 48). As the researchers were looking specifically at the how and why of why witchcraft labels happen, they used qualitative methods, those that do not look at numbers or quantities (Conley, 2017, p. 47).
This study surveyed 800 households in rural China looking at relationships, economics, and work. Mace et al. (2018) found that all data could be separated into the four social networks of “kinship, reproductive partners, gifts exchanged or farm work.” Those with the witchcraft label tended to intermarry and work together to overcome the social and economic barriers they faced (Mace et al., 2018). These households were often led by women and wealthier in comparison to their unlabeled counterparts (Mace et al., 2018). Frequently it was unknown as to where the label came from, and occasionally it was even passed generationally from mother to daughter. Thus, the researchers concluded that accusations of witchcraft grow out of a competition for resources among households (Mace et al., 2018). Marx would explain this as conflict theory at work (Conley, 2017, p. 32). Marx would say that the competition for resources and ensuing witchcraft label, is simply a natural progression of society (Conley, 2017, p. 32). However, the researchers also contend that witchcraft accusations could come from male-dominated institutions trying to gain control over matriarchal ones. Feminists would state that in this case, conflict theory has mixed with gender relations, as men and women struggle for power (Conley, 2017, p. 294). The article closes with the need for more research to further discover just how these accusations come about.
Word count: 354
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself (5th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Mace et al. (2018). Why are women accused of witchcraft? Study in rural China gives clue. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2018-01-women-accused-witchcraft-ruralchina.html
Functionalism is a sociological theory that explains how society and its institutions peacefully work together, like cogs on a machine, progressing towards a greater world (Conley, 2017, p. 31). This theory came under much scrutiny in the 1960s, when sociologists began to view this as too idealistic (Conley, 2017, p. 32). They instead preferred to explain the world through conflict theory. Conflict theory, based off of the teachings of Karl Marx, is the idea that societal change occurs through the constant struggle between competing groups (Conley, 2017, p. 32). Society is split into factions of those with power and those without. Conflict theorists argue that the struggle between these groups, and inevitable revolution, is what brings about social change (Jacobson, 2018).
Occupy Wall Street was a social movement in September of 2011. It began as Americans grew increasingly frustrated with issues like the income gap, the large influence of corporations on politics, and general social inequality (Taylor, 2011). The frequently spouted adage “We are the 99%” referred to the statistic that the top 1% of Americans owned 30-40% of the country’s wealth (Taylor, 2011).
Sociologists would argue that this is an example of conflict theory. Competition for resources and power is a constant struggle between the socioeconomic classes of American society. The wealthy 1% held much power over the 99%, frequently in the form of political influence. Further, as cited by Conley, between 2009 and 2012, the top 1% saw a 31.4% increase in their income, while all others grew only by .4% (2017, p. 258). Eventually this struggle came to a head in September 2011, when demonstrators took to the streets, to make their voices and discontent known. While the protest was officially disbanded a few months later, it was a catalyst for other movements and protests, calling greater attention to the issue of economic inequality.
Word count: 307
References
Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself (5th ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Jacobson, S. (2018). Lecture on the Theoretical perspectives in sociology. Personal Collection of S. Jacobson, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster PA
Taylor, A. (2011). Occupy Wall Street. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/09/occupy-wall-street/100159/
Welcome to my Tumblr. This semester I am taking Sociology and learning to look at the world differently. This page will be a deeper journey into the topics we cover in class as I learn to apply them to the greater world. Join me as I discover just what it means to look at the world through a sociological lens, connecting new ideas and turning old ones on their heads.
I am currently taking classes in Gerontology and I work as a resident support coordinator (i.e., social worker) at a personal care home for adults with mental illness and/or intellectual disabilities. My passion is working to combat the stereotypes and injustices faced by those mental illness. While much progress has been made in how mental illness is treated and looked at, much still needs to happen. I am encouraged when I see how far things have come, but look hopefully toward a future with even more progress made. Learning about Sociology has helped me further understand how and why society thinks and functions as it does, as well as how needed and necessary change can occur.
