Let’s Talk Sociology

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Advice for future students

This is not a class to put on the back burner. You have to apply yourself to get the grade. I know we all heard that its easy, but its not. If you do the work and apply yourself, then you should pass. Not focusing on grades alone, I do want to say this class was interesting. The discussions covered were both fun and thought provoking. Some topics may have even been considered controversial. Most people say don’t talk politics or race, while this class throws it right in your face. I truly enjoyed it (even though sometimes I wanted to cry), and I am happy I took this class. Mrs. Jacobs is an amazing teacher by the way, If you look at her videos you will learn a lot. She also keeps it interesting with her documentary videos she assigns you to watch.

[fun-o-physics]

A previous post updated :)

[the-rad-grunge-queen-deactivate]

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Re-socialization

When we think of re-socialization, we may think of prisoners,drug addicts, or children of war. We may even think of women and children who suffered from domestic violence. What about the men who carried out this violence? After the damage has been done how do they become a member of the family again. Resocialization is the process by which one’s sense of social values, beliefs, and norms are re-engineered.This process can take a long time and a lot of ups and downs to achieve. Many men who battered their wives did it because they could and got away with it. Others learned it from their own fathers, and felt it was the norm. After causing such heartache, and going thru their punishment, how do these men gain relationships again? How do they co-parent their children with the woman they once caused harm. I have found online many churches offer repentance and programs for men who battered. They use religion as a means of resocializing these men. One program I liked in particular was the FaithTrust Institute. They gave steps on how to reconcile and renew trust with the victims. The steps include: owning up and listening to the victims, paying child support and therapy costs, and learning to integrate their masculinity with femininity. They not only work on restoring the perpetrator so he may become a contributing member of society, but also work to make the victim feel whole again. There are not many programs like this, but i hope in the future many more are developed. As much as we may dislike those who exhibit violence, they to can benefit from socialization not just ostracization.

http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org

[politicalsci]

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

As the years pass, the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. As prices on consumer goods rise, our wages stay stagnant. To afford rent and food, the poor have to work harder and longer hours. While the rich work less, and still earn bonuses that could pay our rent for the next year.The working poor makeup 16% of our population, where the rich make up 1% of our population. They makeup such a small percentage but own half of the worlds wealth! Working poor are defined as people who work whose income falls below poverty line due to low wages. Upper class is defined as a group who has the highest status in society. Max Weber was the sociologist who linked social class to property, prestige, and power.

[gett-merkedd]

[retrogamingblog]

Toys R Us is closing all stores after 60 years in business

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

The closing of Toys R us was a sad one for me. I remember as a little girl running down aisles of toys and showing my mom and dad everything I wanted for Christmas. I did this same thing with my 2 little boys, we would bring home a catalog and have them circle the toys they wanted. Sadly, Last year was my last chance of going down memory lane. What caused Toys R us to close? They blame Amazon, Walmart, and Target. The convenience and slashed prices made it difficult for the toy store to stay above water. Amazon and the latter also had the convenience of selling more than just toys. They had the extensive selection of consumer goods that Toys R us could not offer. Amazon has grown to be one of the main retailers used today. They have even started a service called Amazon key, where they can bring the packages inside your home. Amazon is the new face of Mcdonaldization. Mcdonaldization is a term developed by George Ritzer, which means fast food convenience is taking over many sectors of American society. Americans love variety, convenience and efficiency. By adopting this concept, retailers like Amazon and Walmart are taking other retailers out of business. These companies have a chain mentality, taking over many different markets. The biggest benefit Amazon had was its use of technology, replacing human. Amazon retail is entirely online and make shopping easy from the comfort of your own home. With no brick and mortar stores, they have less employees to pay.

[catching-starz94]

About the cornrows thing...

It really was never about the hair.

The core of Amandla’s discussion about cultural appropriation had barely settled on America’s consciousness, much less our subconsciousness before this happened…..

and then swiftly this happened.

This “conversation” between 16 year old Stenberg and the now 18 year old Jenner caused a huge uproar. Immediately Amandla not only was accused of being a race baiter and of being the stereotypical “angry black girl” she also became Andy Cohen’s “jackhole of the day” for her counter of Kylie’s cornrows. Many people were astounded that this situation was all about hair. Anyone should be allowed to wear their hair in any fashion they want. Even the styles that have been traditionally worn by black women and girls for decades. The styles that have been worn traditionally by black women and girls for decades, primarily for function, secondarily for fashion. The styles didn’t seem to be on anyones radar or worthy of praise until Miley,or Iggy, Kendall Jenner started wearing them.

 When Amandla Stenberg called out Kylie Jenner’s cultural appropriation many came to her defense. Cries of: shes young (she had allegedly been in a relationship with a now 25 year old man since she was 16), “shes just trying to figure it out” the words of Justin Bieber, and that shes can do whatever she wants flooded the interwebs as the dispute between the girls became the highest trending hashtag.

I agree everyone should be allowed to wear their hair the way they want. A London boy in 2011 shouldn’t have been sent home because his cornrows were believed to be too closely associated with London’s gang culture. White children were also prevented from shaving their heads for fear of its association to skinheads.  

7 year old Tiana Parker should not have had to leave school because of her hair in 2013. She had attended her school for a year before her dreadlocks caused an issue.12 year old Vanessa VanDyke should not have been threatened with expulsion for wearing her hair in the natural form that grew out of her head. 

A Native American boy, 5 years old, was sent home on his first day of kindergarten because his traditional braids did not meet the required dress code for little boys. 

Okay…clearly the issue also lies in the school dress code policies. Policies that seem to make it very difficult for children of color or of other cultures to wear their hair in anyway that is different from their straight haired counterparts.  So no, Amandla’s comment was not a jab at Kylie but instead were the actions of a young woman trying to inform a privileged, young, soon to be adult celebrity with a massive fan base of impresionable individuals, to not be so careless and ignorant to the value that has historically been placed on hair and hairstyles by other cultures. It is possible to appreciate that culture without appropriating it.

  After these events I imagine that amandla would have had one last question:

What would America be like if we, as a society, defended the freedom of children of any and all color to be who they are the same way we defend  young girls/women, like Kylie Jenner, to do what they want? 

UPDATE

Vanessa was featured on the real 11/13/2015 and her Afro still looks amazing.

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

What would a culture discussion be without cultural appropriation artifact? Culture is the language, beliefs, values, norms, and even material  objects passed from one generation to another. I heard a funny joke before where someone (who was white) said “I hate when people say white people don’t have culture, we have culture, it is stealing.” Very funny and semi-true. I don’t want to say white people don’t have culture, because Italians are white and they have their own language, food, mannerisms, and music. However, white people are big on appropriation, especially in media and on holidays (Halloween). But to say white people don’t have culture is a little harsh. I did some research, and it seems like white people in America particularly feel like they do lack their own culture. About 60% of white people in America feel like they lack their own food and color. This could be why racial tensions in America are so high lately, do white people feel left behind? Do they feel like their non-existent culture, is being lost in African American/Hispanic culture? Looking at current demographics, white growth is lagging, where mixed and Asian demographics are growing rapidly. I’m starting to believe that culture, or the lack of, could be contributing to the racial tension in America. White Americans are not only having to accept that they don’t have much of their own culture (unless they are children of 1st generation immigrants), but having to accept other people’s culture. 

[public-rhetoric]

(Chester Scoville is a scholar in teaching, learning, and multimodal rhetorics

[source]

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Black lives matter is an activist movement found after the killing of Trayvon Martin, after George Zimmerman was acquitted. Social movement is a group of organized people or organization working towards a common goal relating to human society or social change. What started as a hashtag soon became a full blown protest movement after the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown in Ferguson. You could say the development of this group, depending on conflict theory of social change. In response came All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. Sadly instead of seeing the bias in the justice system against African Americans, many took the protests as “black lives matter more.” The social movement has met a lot of criticism from politicians, Rudy Giuliani said that the movement was racist and anti-American. The Black Lives Matter movement was inspired by civil rights movements, but sadly is finding less success. With a new President, and a new found confidence in being openly racist, black lives matter has been labeled a hate group. The President Donald Trump did not follow in presidents steps before him to show his support to this group. However, when white supremacists went marching with tiki torches in Virginia, killed and injured civilians, the president called them “fine people.” Instead of seeing what Black Lives Matter stands for, many people made it about themselves. White privilege is to see injustice against black Americans, but still thinking “well white people matter also.”

I hope one day this group will no longer be seen as a hate group, but as a needed social movement so all Americans can be equal.

[occupywatchdog]

The person at the store with food stamps isn’t the problem. A corrupt tax code that allowed 8 dudes to accumulate as much wealth as 4 billion people is the problem.

[kabaks]

YOU WROTE THE RULES. READ THEM. 

[redline-the-senses]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Reflection

I would like to take this time to reflect how I am feeling about this class. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be this difficult. I have heard time and time again, sociology is an easy A. I’m not much of a writer and I’m not good at reflecting my feelings or beliefs on paper. So to many this may have been an “easy A”, but to me this class was difficult. It’s a lot of work, a lot of reading, and critical thinking. I would not recommend taking this class while taking nursing classes, because my brain is feeling fried. However, I am enjoying the topics we cover, and the videos we watch in class are very interesting. I would have never watched them otherwise if I didn’t take this class. On a positive note, I’m learning a lot, especially statistics I have never known before. This class makes u a little less judge mental.

[a-random-emu]

18

The day she was born

The doctor said

“it’s a boy.”

and proceeded to wrap her in blue.

When she was one,

she was called big, fierce, and strong;

She just went along.

And she always wore blue.

When she was two,

She was given toy construction vehicles,

plastic dinosaurs,

and a gun - that shot bubbles.

When she was three,

she told her mom that she wasn’t happy,

she wasn’t who she wanted to be,

She was a boy.

Her mom assumed it was a phase

and figured things would change.

She told her

to give it some time.

When she was four,

she wanted a doll.

Her dad bought her a ball,

and called it a close call.

When she was five,

she tried to paint her nails

like the other females.

But her mom found her and took it away.

She cried and cried,

but her dad told her to grow up,

Boys don’t cry.

She should just be a tough guy.

When she was six,

She tried growing out her hair

but then her parents gave her a glare

and made her cut it all.

When she was seven,

she went to school.

Most of her friends were girls

and

they were able to be who they wanted to be.

When she was eight,

her dad signed her up

for little league baseball

He didn’t care for her opinion at all.

When she was nine,

she gave up.

She’d had enough.

This was her life,

and it wasn’t going to change.

When she was ten,

she was made fun of

for taking her shirt off the “feminine way”

at a pool party

When she was eleven

she read that

people who felt the way she did

wouldn’t be allowed into heaven.

When she was twelve,

she got first place in a science fair

and for the first time in her life,

her father was proud.

When she was thirteen,

she realized she was attracted

to other girls.

When she was fourteen,

she was called gay,

and several other names.

When she was fifteen,

she got sick of her life being a lie.

She couldn’t stop thinking how

all she wanted to do was die.

When she was sixteen,

she met a girl,

who was nice and all,

but very confusing too.

They began to date,

to her this felt like fate.

But deep down she knew,

she mustn’t stay around.

When she was seventeen,

she finally told her girlfriend

the truth.

Her girlfriend told her

she knew.

When she was eighteen,

she told her parents something unforeseen

she was a girl,

she always had been,

and always will.

M.C.R. // @a-random-emu (A project I made for my Sociology Class)

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

This is a good example of social construction of gender. Social construction of gender is the view that society and culture create gender roles. This girl (who was announced a boy) since the day she was born was wrapped in blue, a presumed boy color. She was called strong and fierce, and was given toy trucks, but she wanted to play with dolls. Her mother thought she was going through a phase, even made her take her nail polish off. Classmates even thought the way she took her T-shirt off was girly. We apply gender roles to so much, even taking your clothes off can be labeled manly or girly. This child knew she was a she since 3 years old, her mother thought it was a phase. Her mother and her peers are all agents of socialization. Agents of socialization are our parents, peers, and media. How we socialize with these people has an affect on how we socialize with others. At 18 she found the courage as an adult to tell her parents she was a girl. After spending most of her life being denied her right of being herself, because of gender roles. She started her gender transition since 3 years old, she knew what she was but needed the confidence and the acceptance from the people around her to feel comfortable. Transgender studies in sociology have expanded so much in the last decade. With new found studies, hopefully many more people will be educated and more accepting of those who are transgendered.

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Woman practices informal deviance and refuses to tip at restaurants. No matter how good or how bad the service is, she refuses to tip the waiter. She chooses to do this, because she believes it’s a master-servant relationship. The waiter appeasing the diner (master) for money. She even compares it to blackmail. If she wants good service, or to get good service you have to be a good tipper. She hates the faux-friendliness the waiters put on for money. She thinks if we keep tipping, companies won’t raise wages. Her friends are often embarrassed by this practice. They feel that tipping is just expected of them, and that is why they tip. This woman however, just wants to pay for her meal, a fair price, and that’s it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3208862/I-refuse-tip-One-opinionated-woman-argues-against-leaving-extra-cash-waiters-says-doesn-t-care-embarrasses-friends.html

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Hello, just wanted to introduce myself!

My name is Kayla Jefferies, and I am a student at Harrisburg Area Community College. I’m currently taking sociology 201, and my teacher has this neat project where we make tumblr pages. I have used tumblr in the past, but never really kept up with it.

A little about me: I’m 26 years old, I have 2 beautiful children, a fiancé, and a dog. My kids are awesome! They play every sport and are super polite. My fiancé is so ambitious and motivating and then there’s my dog. He’s probably the worst dog ever! He’s a beagle/bulldog mix and his name is Bowser. He’s extremely hyper, digs in houseplants, and slobbers on EVERYTHING! When we go on walks, it’s more like he’s walking me. He is 70lbs of destruction, but I love him still. I like to do hot yoga to stay in shape, and I am a firm believer that water cures everything. I don’t like President Trump, because he is mean and nasty! I’m a multi-ethnic woman, who has a Muslim uncle and cousins. That should give you another idea why I dislike Trump! I love following movements, the Me too movement, Black Lives matter, and my new favorite March for Our lives. I really love seeing young people use their voices. As a mother, I really think gun control in this country is important

I’m looking forward to this class, especially the risqué topics. I don’t mind a little debate, and I love hearing other people’s point of views.

(253 words)

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

Conspicuous consumption

[left-reminders]

Right-libertarian: Take the red pill and question society's ideas about government.

Leftist: Absolutely. Question the liberal idea that it represents the people's interests, question the conservative idea that militarism and nationalism are good, and question the right-libertarian idea that stratified capitalism reinforced by state violence is the only possible system. Question male domination, white supremacy, ableism, the very ideological foundations that shape our society. The whole point of "taking the red pill" is that it's supposed to lead you to conclusions that might be difficult to accept and that are supposed to shake your preconceived notions to the core, and right-libertarianism and individual right-libertarians question nothing about society other than a few taken-for-granted liberal notions about welfare capitalism versus laissez-faire capitalism. Seriously -- your ideology and its accompanying "above the fray" red pill narrative are beyond farcical. Read some conflict theory and then you might be taken more seriously on that front.

Right-libertarian: But....but Murray Rothbard said it would make me edgy....=/

[kjefferiessoc-blog]

This! This is social conflict theory. This is exactly what Marx believed drove society to change (Conley, 2017, p.32). Without conflict is there change? If everything was equal and in harmony, would we as a society improve? If black Americans sat and kumbaya’d with white slave owners, would there have been a civil rights movement?

We need social conflict to improve as a society. You can’t sit blindly and let the “superiors” lead. Our country, or society will run into the ground. We will suffer mass violence, mass debt, and a future civil war. It is up to us as a society to see social injustices and speak up against them and demand change. It is up to us to lobby for affordable education. We as a society need to demand our right to healthcare.

Without conflict, without the minorities and vulnerable populations, no one would demand change. We can’t expect the rich, white, cisgender males to look out for us. They don’t deal with social injustices everyday. They don’t have fear driving as a minority, they don’t have fear of being raped/sexually assaulted in the workplace, they don’t have fear of being murdered because of their gender identity. White male congressmen don’t have to worry about there piling school debt, or how to pay for the epipen their child needs.

This country has a big old magnifying glass over it. People are seeing the issues, we are questioning things more than ever. This is what the country needs! Social conflict will make the WORLD great again.

(255 words)