Spreading Holiday Cheer for the Habitat to Hear!

So instead of freezing my bum off hammering in the cold winter winds, I wrapped in the nice toasty confines of a Barnes and Noble where all the donations went to Habitat for Humanity.

Okay, so it wasn't all jolly red cheeks and merry people, and after two hours and nine presents later we only raised $40. I was surprised we even reached that.

On the way there, I was thinking that I had it in the bag. The location of the book store was in a wealthy town in a very popular shopping center. I thought there might even be a line for all the people that were willing to give a few bucks to have their presents wrapped.

When we got there though, after fifteen minutes, I started to freak out a little. No one was coming up to the booth. Being antsy I walked around, trying to talk to people and get them to stop by and reminded the cashiers to let customers know that there is gift wrapping going on and that all the donations are going to Habitat for Humanity. I even made a sample gift wrap to show everyone I had some mad skills when to wrapping and finishing with a bow.

Most people who walked by were into the free gift wrapping part but not so much about the donation part. Pretty Grinchy, eh? When walkers walked past, they didn't even make eye contact with us. I think that is because the idea of the American Dream is to be successful on yourself and yourself only and maybe when they saw what we were doing, they felt ashamed that people were lending a hand to help someone impoverished. That they were even scared that it could be them someday.

Although, on the other hand, some people were super giving! One person just wanted to give money, and didn't even need anything wrapped. Another woman and her son dropped a $20 just for wrapping two gifts! She knew that her donation was going to go to something much bigger than her, and she explained to her son why giving is so important. I thought that it was nice that she was telling her little boy that, because even though not one person can make a huge impact, people coming together can. Everyone who donated left with a smile, and not just because the gifts were wrapped perfectly, but because they truly got a good feeling for doing something so thoughtful. I even gave a couple of dollars because Habitat for Humanity does such a good thing for the community,  I really felt inspired to give. After the time, I know I might not have made the largest impact, but I do know that the money I did raise is going to be used for supplies that is going to give someone in need a roof over their heads, and that is what is going to make a huge impact on their life.

Does Race Exist?

Does race exist? I'm not so sure...

Why does race exist? How is it possible to draw a fine line between white and black, literally, when a person has so much background to them. A person is so much more than their skin color.
Race is just a social construction that we created. We grew lines in the sand as to what makes a person African American, or Asian etc; We essentially are the ones that created races and eventually stereotypes because we love to categorize and put people into groups just by a glance.
When we did that placement game in class today, I thought for sure I wasn't that far off in putting people into what race I thought they belonged in. Out of 20, I only got 2 correct! In real life, I can only imagine how many people I mis-categorize.

Middle is Middle right?

Americans would like us to believe that there are three social classes: upper class, middle class, and lower class. We like to think that being put into a social class is easy, but in reality, where is the line drawn for each class?
The hardest class to be ranked in to me, is the middle class. Even though someone could be making 20,000 a year and another could be making 50,000 a year, they are still considered to be in the same social class even though one is making considerably more than the other. That's harsh.
Besides the money factor that determines what social class someone is in, there is also a certain subculture one must follow in order to be accepted into that class. Take for example the upper class. They all talk a certain way, dress a certain way and are a certain way. Even if you are at their party in your finest and you are middle class, if you don't walk the walk and talk the talk you are screwed. They are going to see right through you.
I used to think that class structure was all mental. That if you wanted to be in a certain class, if you worked hard to be upper class, you could. Sure that might be true in some cases, but the majority of cases don't work out that way. Unfortunately, you're class determination starts before you were even born- it starts with your parents...and that means there is very little wiggle room as to what class you can jump to.

Social Classes

Part of being an American is always striving to do better, to be richer, to be happier. Americans are always reaching for the American Dream. In the movie we were watching in class, it was interesting to see all the people that consider themselves middle class since they all had such different life styles. People who made $20,000 and people who made $50,000 were both considering themselves middle class, however, 30,000 is quite a vast difference! Social classes really depend on where you live and what people you surround yourself with. When my parents were looking to move when I was younger, I remember them saying that it costs more money to live where we do compared to places like Carol Stream or Rockford even though it was a similar house in both areas. Another way people put themselves into social classes is always comparing themselves to others, always trying to keep up with the Jones'. Americans are always admiring people who have more than them, always wishing they had what someone with a little more money had. However, Americans never look down and see what they do have compared to others. A lot of being put into a social class is more of a mentality, and that mentality turns social classes into a reality. 

Random act of kindness

Okay, so you're crying in the bathroom stall. Tears streaming down your face, buggers everywhere. You don't think anyone is in there, but you open the door to see that you are not alone.
No I wasn't the person that was crying in the bathroom, I was the person washing my hands, hearing sniffles coming from a stall from a person who didn't think anyone was in the bathroom.
Normally, I would just go on and dry my hands, pretending that I wasn't hearing somebody weeping, but it sounded like something really bothering this girl. I could hear it in the way she blubbered.
So, I waited to see if this girl would open the stall door. In a few minutes she did and was almost startled to see me standing there. This wasn't my usual place to make conversation. I felt so awkward. I contemplated if I should say something or not, and then I just blurted out, "Are you okay?"
I thought for sure she would've replied, "ya everything's fine," and I would've been on my way- but she didn't. She told me that she failed her second psychology test in a row. I asked her if she was a senior, she said yes. I then said, "Well, why do you care?! Relax." She then reveled that she stayed up all night and studied so hard to try and ace this test. I really tried to put myself in her shoes and understand where she was coming from. I consoled her until she stopped crying.
I have never seen this girl before in my life, and even after this, I don't know her name. However, she was so grateful just to have someone to vent to. This is just one example how deviance doesn't have to be a negative zing to society. On my way back to class, I felt good that I helped someone. In the end, what's five minutes of  your time to help someone out?

Technically a Teenager

Since I am in the teen years of my life, I am considered a teenager, thus I am going through my adolescence phase. What a bunch of bologna. In some ways, I wish our culture was less about being the legal age to be mature enough to do something, and more about being mature when you are mature.

Just because I was 16, society allows me to obtain my driver's license. To be completely honest, I shouldn't of been able to drive. Even though I've never been in an accident (knock on wood) with only ten hours under my belt before getting my license, I for sure wasn't ready. Because I was 16, however, my parents made me go to the DMV and take the test.

I think that age is only a number. That everyone matures differently depending on what surrounds them. Since I have a late birthday, all my friends had their licenses and I much rather be driven around than being the driver. However, maybe if I grew up and it was my responsibility to get somebody somewhere (i.e. a little sister to dance class,) I would have felt a stronger need for my license. I think it should be more about if you are emotionally ready for something, rather than you have reached a certain age to do it.

Men don't cry, right?

Enough about the Women's Revolution- What about men?

Over time, the woman's role has evolved from housewife to working woman. There is no fine line between what a woman can do equally to men; However, there is still a line as to what men can do equally to women. Nowadays, women have almost equal power to men. They can work where they wish, have an education and when things get stressful, cry it out. Men have always had some of these opportunities, but, if a man were to cry because of the stress he faces at work, people would view him as weak, as a woman, as a "wuss."

Due to media and societal influences, men think that crying, showing emotions etc; are not masculine.On top of that, men feel that in extreme cases they must prove their toughness by acting out in violence(such as school shootings and sexual harassment). Why is it masculine to fight? Why can't they just bake brownies and sit around sharing their feelings? If we keep sending this message to men that they need to be violent, nothing is going to improve and the line between what men can do equally to women will just keep widening as what women can do equally to men will narrow.

False advertising.

Advertising- it's funny to think that it doesn't effect us. The truth is, the media has a huge impact on how we live. It is one of the biggest influences in our lives. The worst part? The silent messages seep through when we are idly flipping the pages of a magazine, or driving on the highway and glancing at a billboard.
One of the problems with advertisements is that none of them are pure. What do I mean by pure? I mean that advertisers spend hours and hours critiquing and photo shopping images to create the "perfect" picture. Sure, the ad might be more visually appealing and alluring, I'm not disagreeing with that; However, I am disagreeing that this shouldn't be happening in the first place! Because advertisers are selling this false ideal beauty, they do not realize the effect it has on a person's self esteem. Advertisements are just one of the factors that contribute to how we act, because they give us a sense of what is socially acceptable in society today. If these woman, for example, are all sizes 0 and 00, then it is silently forcing other women to be that size too. The problem is that not all women can be this size and if they fail then it lowers their self-esteem. Even though there is no way to avoid being influenced by the media, we need to realize what the ads are silently trying to tell us and be aware of it.

All you need is love

The Beatles were onto something when they sang all you need is love. 

Even though genetics play a huge part on how are as a person, your surroundings have a big, if not bigger, effect. In fact, I believe a person can never reach their full potential unless they interact with others on a regular basis.

To me, love is so important because it is the foundation for everything and everyone. If you don't receive love at an early age, then you become sad, introverted, and eventually will effect you long term because you will have trouble connecting with people later on.

I never realized how fortunate I was to be in such a loving and nurturing family until I realized how others had it- especially the feral children who received no love or attention from anyone (family, friends, neighbors, peers etc;). The people that I surround myself with have always been so loving and have realized that they have always believed in me, thus installing in me a confidence to succeed.

Money doesn't equal happieness?

Green. Currency. Dough. 

All those words are synonyms for the word money. I used to think happiness was in that list- but now I'm not so sure. 
In the book, Elsewhere, U.S.A., people were interviewed who make 200k or more. I for sure thought they would say how money has made them so happy because they can buy whatever they want, go where ever they want, and be who ever they want. But no. Instead, they still consider themselves, "poor" and unsatisfied in life. 
Honestly, my first reaction was-wow, these people are so greedy and spoiled! Even though that may be true, I don't think that's completely why they feel so...poor. 
When I first started working, even though I make minimum wage, I was on cloud 9 when I got my paycheck. After awhile, however, I began to feel unsatisfied, and began to search for baby sitting jobs for extra cash. 
American culture subconsciously forces us to always keeping wanting more, to never settle. When it comes to money, people are never satisfied with their bank amount. People are constantly trying to find new ways to get rich(er). Taking a step back, I don't think money is everything. Even though money is important, it's not everything. It's about surrounding yourself with the people that matter and the ones you love.

Peace, Love, Apple Pie

I'm English American.


Sure, my mom's side of the family may be from England and carried so many values and traditions here to the states, but no, that doesn't make me English- It makes me American. 


I'm American because I was not only born in America, but because the American culture has shaped me into the person I am today. Efficiency/Timeliness, one of America's values, I strongly relate to and is something that makes me American. I am constantly in a rush, or pressed for time. There is always a deadline I need to make, or something that needs to be done- I can never just be. Especially in school is when I feel time is of the essence. Each period has 50 minutes and there is soooo much information that needs to be reviewed, there's a constant pressure to get things done and to work efficiently.  

I'm going to leave my baby in a stroller...say what?!

Alright, I'm going to go to a cafe in New York City and leave my baby in the stroller on the street. Not.
Why wouldn't I do this? Hellllooooooo?! It's super dangerous! In America, we are taught that if you like something you always take good care of it- for us, that means always making sure it's safe and out of harms way. We see leaving a baby on the street unsupervised as hazardous. However to some other cultures, it's perfectly safe and acceptable. In fact, a Danish woman visited New York and left her baby on the street as she ate lunch in a cafe. To the woman, she saw no danger- In Holland, it was custom to do this! However, when she did it on the streets of New York, her baby was taken away and put into custody. i feel that if Americans, or all people in general, had more of a sociological imagination, they would have been more accepting of this. Yeah, okay, maybe they would've still taken the baby into custody, but they would have been more understanding as to why the woman left her baby outside. Unfortunately, because not all people are educated in sociology, they don't think this way, and I think this is why culture is still a barrier between all different types of people.

A Bronx Tale

     In the movie, A Bronx Tale, I think it was interesting to see how over time which people influenced Calogero the most.
     At first, I think his master status / group is his family's. He rides the bus with his dad daily, idolizes baseball- something that brings him and his dad together, and enjoys spending time at home.Calogero was proud of his father and how hard he worked day in and day out. However, over time, his master status switches to Sonny's gang. He changes his name, that has been passed down from generations, Calegero, to just "C"- a nickname that Sonny came up for him. Instead of going to baseball games with his dad, he went to the racetrack with Sonny.
     In his neighborhood, the only way to have respect of the people was to be tough. You had to dress a certain way, walk the walk, and talk the talk. I found it to be kind of a let down that C let all of those influences influence him, considering the fact that his dad had such integrity and never fell under the fear or influence Sonny possessed.

The message

The excerpt from Gang Leader for a Day put a lot of different aspect about being a sociology in perspective. 


For one, I thought it was interesting how in a way society tells us how to act around different types of people. Some are more obvious, others are more hidden. When Sudhir Venkatesh was attending U of C, people told him to stay away from the poverty neighborhoods that surrounded the school. This created a blind fear in the people that lived in the projects. Vice versa, the people that lived in the projects were afraid of the people that were not impoverished. Venkatesh's study was done in the 80's. During that same time, musical artists like, Grand Master Flash, were coming up with songs like "The Message." The whole time I was reading this excerpt, the lyrics kept popping in my head. The opening line is "it's like a jungle sometimes, it keeps me wonderin' how I keep from goin' under." This line itself could create a sense of fear into people that live in the projects of what life is for them. 


Also I never realized how there are two different methods to studying people. If I had to preform a study, I think I would gather some quantitative information, but most of it would be qualitative. I would want to be an Ethnographer; I would want to go out in the world and experience different ways of life. I think talking to people, not as if they are data, will actually give you the answers you are looking for. 


This sociology stuff is pushing me to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head ahahaha :D

Social Construction of Reality

To spit or not to spit?-that is truly the question. 


Everyday, without realizing it, we as a society have created a tacit list of things that are considered acceptable in certain situations.Social Construction reminds me of the saying "there is a time and place for everything."

A good example of Social Construction is spit...it's true! People find it okay to swap spit.(i.e kissing, or sharing a drink.) However when spit is by itself or someone spits on the ground or on someone, or dare I say it, drinks it, people are thoroughly grossed out.  

But why are we pleased sometimes and grossed out at other times of spit? Spit is the same consistency in both situations-what's the difference? If we took out every judgement or experience we had with spit and we were "new minds" we wouldn't see a difference because there isn't one, but because we have had experiences in society with spit, we know when it is okay and when to grimace. 

A example of social construction of reality that deals with gender comes to mind quickly. For the school dance, Turnabout, it is okay for a girl to ask a guy to a dance. That is what you are supposed to do. However, if a girl asked a guy to Homecoming, a girl might feel awkward-but why? It's not like there is any rule that a guy has to ask a girl... it's just another tacit rule that we follow. 

Silence=Awkward?

Since when did silence bring awkwardness?

The other day, on my first day of school, in my high school in the suburbs, my first period class was Sociology. (Honestly, I had no idea what sociology was until the first reading, my brother was the one that told me to take this class.) Every single class I have ever had-ever-always started off the same way. Teacher X states his/her name, a little bit about themselves, do the "name game" and then immediately start learning information that will be on the final at the end of the semester. This class, however, was completely different. Instead of my teacher getting the ball rolling, he just sat down at a random desk, and was silent. His silence rippled off to the rest of the class and no one knew what to do. Some made "this is awkward jokes" others found a friend from across the room and gave the "wth" glare...

But why was that so weird? Why was this silence so awkward? I have to admit, it threw me off guard but I wasn't really sure why. Then, I started thinking about the big picture. Some would say that the 21st century revolves around technology. Always in the background there is music playing off a computer or MP3 player, a T.V program on in the background etc; I couldn't remember the last time there was a pure silence.

Another reason why the the silence became awkward could be because we are trained what to expect out of school. We, as students, expect the teacher to immediately jump into details right away, and memorize the information from there on. We are trained to memorize, but not to absorb the information. I used to think I had a great teacher. He crammed info in my brain and then the next day we would have a mini quiz on it to see what we learned. But I now see that I didn't learn anything, I memorized. It makes me wonder- am I a scholar or a student? A scholar, to me, is one that absorbs information, and a student is one that memorizes it.

Crap. I feel like Alice, and  I am going further and further down the rabbit whole-but in a good way.

-Katie

Who is Katie?

Hello Subscribers!
My name is Katie-and I live in the suburbs. But isn't that just a little obvious? 


Who am I? I have no idea. I'm not on this blog to give my expertise on life- I have none, yet.  I'm just here to share my view on the world. The way I see it. (And because this is for my sociology class, but I digress...) At 17, people always tell you that "The world is at your feet," or "The world is in your hands," or whatever. Truthfully, I have no idea what that means but hopefully I'll figure that out someday.

I am currently a senior in high school in the Chicago land area. Being from Chicago, I am a HUGE Cubs fan. Being a cubs fan has actually taught me a lot-never give up and always put your heart 100% into whatever you do. My family has always supported me in my dreams and aspirations, especially in my life goal to become an awesome journalist. I want to be a journalist because I want to always know what is going on in the world and be involved in new experiences the world has to offer.


Also, I feel it is important for my followers to know that this is my first blog ever.  I am going into this with no expectations, and no idea what to do. Seriously. Me+Technology=Disaster. 


Crossing my fingers that this goes well and that my blogs are somewhat influential!
-Katie