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I'm taking sociology first and foremost, to fulfill one of my class requirements to work toward an associates degree. I chose sociology because I find the topic of social constructs and why we "work" the way we do, very interesting. I enjoy taking classes that I can easily apply the material I learn to my daily life.

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Interestingly enough, I can't remember my very first purchase. The first purchase I made that I can recall would be merchandise from the Hello Kitty stores they used to have inside of malls. It was one of my favorite places to shop and I remember the displays of items being visually pleasing, lights were bright and I can even remember the distinct smell of the plastic used to make the Hello Kitty wallets they sold. It was exciting and memorable each time I'd get to go pick something out from the store. I used money given to me by my parents. Hello Kitty was very popular in the 90's when I was a kid, so while I did love the characters, I'm sure there was an underlying social sway or pressure to own at least one Hello Kitty item. I do remember enjoying taking my new things, specifically the stationary items, to school the following day and it felt good to use them and to have something that other girls my age had a desire for or had as well. Hello Kitty was largely advertised in the mass media, which created more of a demand especially for young girls during that time period.

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I found the jeans chapter very interesting for a few different reasons. The process of making jeans has honestly never even crossed my mind when shopping for them. Jeans have always been a staple in everyone's wardrobe from the time of infancy- baby jeans are adorable! Because they are such a "normal" and integral part of everyday clothing, I don't think the average consumer gives much thought to the process and hard, unfair labor it took to get them to a retail shelf. As consumers, we are very spoiled and out of touch with what others have to go through to produce these goods for us. Convenience and fast paced society has made this even more true today.

A quote from the chapter that stuck out to me was, "these two examples reveal that jeans are a way for people to feel included and excluded in social life". This was about the two examples given of one woman in London who felt like her jeans were a status symbol and the other woman who was told she looked too big and bad in jeans. This stood out to me because its so true- jeans are socially acceptable and very fashionable in some social settings but considered sloppy or underdressed in others. A great on trend pair of designer jeans during the day with your girlfriends will turn heads and have you looking your best. The same pair of jeans at a formal job interview may be considered underdressed and frowned upon. The same pair of jeans at a fancy wedding venue would definitely have people thinking you were embarrassingly underdressed and may even have you removed due to a dress code. It's all about time and place, just like the lecture regarding saliva vs. spit.

Buying jeans as a 33 year old mom of 4 is interesting. I'm sort of in that in between stage of too old to shop there but too young to shop here. A lot of jeans marketed toward my demographic are "mom jeans" which are high waisted and meant to hide your extra weight in the belly from carrying babies. While I feel as a society we have made great strides and advances in carrying jeans that fit all body types, this type of marketing doesn't come without an underlying statement that your body after you've had kids is something that needs to be covered up or is large and needs extra stretch in the jeans.

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Invitation to Sociology by Berger reminded me of an issue very prevalent in today's society. "Things are not what they seem" jumped out at me. He then follows up that quote with, "discovery of each new layer changes the perception of the whole". The first example of this that came to mind was social media. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or Twitter, so many false and untrue things can be shared with the click of one button and viewed by millions of people. We have become so accustomed to this way of getting "news", that sometimes we automatically take it as facts without actually looking further into the material we are reading. Inaccurate information can be spread and it can very quickly help form somebody's opinion on something without even being true. This becomes a very slippery slope when the person who shares said material has a large audience who also shares it, and so on and so forth. It also can create a situation where our society has trouble trusting what to believe, what to think and where to go for actual facts.

Another area on social media where things are not what they seem, is that we have been lied to as a society with the "highlight reel" of these platforms. Especially for the younger generation. It is very easy to see someones photos from a nice vacation or a job promotion, etc. and begin comparing yourself and feeling inadequate about your own life. We see their highs, their accomplishments, their best photos, and not what's behind the lense. We don't see financial struggles, the debt they went into to go on that vacation or the makeup it took to achieve the perfect selfie. Truly, things are not what they seem.

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Mills' chapter, The Promise, taught me about sociological imagination. My takeaway of this is being aware of the connection between self and society. This is constantly changing based on generational society gaps. A great example of this is what society considers good parenting in the 1980's vs. today. In the 1980's you may have been considered a good parent if you left a house key under your porch mat for your children to let themselves in the front door after school, instructed them to watch a two hour movie after homework, look after their siblings and heat up dinner before you got home from work at 7pm. You'd be raising self sufficient, capable and responsible children. In today's society, this would be considered dangerous, psychologically harmful, being a non-present parent and too much screen time. If your child walks home from school they might get kidnapped. If your child watches 2 hours of tv, they'll be less smart and less active. If your child has to stay home by themselves while the parent is working, they will have issues stemming from not having a parent who's present. They also might burn the house down if they heat up a TV dinner which also doesn't have proper nutrients. The mindset and expectations for parents has done a complete shift from what it used to be, just based on societal standards and what is considered acceptable. I often wonder how things will look differently when my children are raising their own children 20 years from now, and it will be interesting to see.

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Food in society and culture is such an interesting topic. On one hand, food is a bare necessity and essential to survival. On the other, food is viewed as fun, celebratory, and easily ends up being the center of most events. So much so, that I think sometimes we forget that it's purpose is to keep us alive rather than happy and excited. While reading the chapter on food, I was stunned to learn that the Cocoa industry is primary run by children who are slaves to the unsafe labor and processing. As consumers we never give second thought to these issues while enjoying something as simple as a candy bar. I will never look at chocolate the same!

Food is rooted in traditions. Cake on birthdays, popcorn during movie night, a feast on Thanksgiving and Christmas, freshly baked cookies on a rainy day, a hot dog on the fourth of July, candy on Halloween...on and on the list can go. A celebration or accomplishment often times is paired with going out to eat at a restaurant. These traditions and societal norms have resulted in a detriment to the American person's health. Overindulgence and the view of food as fun rather than necessary have contributed hugely to obesity and disease. Our culture is so food-centered that I don't see it changing.

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A food (or drink, in this case) that serves as a totem in my life is Coffee. A cup of coffee can serve many different purposes and rituals for me. At home, a hot cup of coffee In the morning brings comfort as I am sipping it on my couch. Warm, cozy, with my family or enjoying some quiet time before the rest of the house is awake. It feels like "home". An iced latte at a coffee shop while catching up with my friends holds an entirely different meaning. Togetherness, fun, friendship, catching up with important people in my life. Coffee is enjoyment for me all around. Looking through the lens of Marxism and commodity fetishism, the cup of coffee takes on a different meaning. If the curtain were pulled back, I would see the hours of labor it took to plant and then harvest the coffee beans. The process of milling, drying and roasting the beans, grinding them, shipping them, the mass production of this coffee to get it to consumers, the employees and baristas working to make the coffee.

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Something I thought of while reading this chapter on body language and communication without words is how a baby communicates. A baby who has not yet learned to speak words can effectively communicate their needs and emotions, and we as caregivers are able to understand. It's quite fascinating if you really think about it. As a parent you learn your baby's cues and cries and can distinguish different meanings for each of them. A baby can communicate happiness and contentment just simply by smiling or laying their head on your shoulder.

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Sympathy is dependent upon circumstance, culture and social groups or settings. I am currently watching a reenactment type of show on Netflix about the Menendez brothers and the crime they committed; murdering their parents. This crime took place in 1989 but has sparked new feelings of division among people who either A. think they deserve sympathy and B. those who do not think they deserve sympathy. The folks who believe they deserve sympathy and less of a jail sentence than they received, typically say their opinion is based upon the abuse the brothers endured. Heavy and tortuous abuse from the time they were small boys and a mother who turned a blind eye to it created two angry and fearful young men who felt they had no way out but to kill their parents. On the flip side, those who think they do not deserve sympathy typically say that the murders were money motivated. The Menendez family was wealthy and lived in Beverly Hills, and one of the theories was the brothers killed their parents to inherit insurance money and continue on with a lavish lifestyle. Their social and economic status can sway someone's level of sympathy. If they were not rich and did not live in Beverly Hills, would someone still offer the same lack of sympathy? Would they sympathize more if they were poor? They are a great example of how culture and social settings directly impacts sympathy and an individual's conclusion of who is worthy and who is not.

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If I had to do quantitative research on measuring a teacher's success in numbers, resulting in better learning outcomes in numbers, my best survey question would be as follows:

Q: How many past students of yours have met or exceeded state standards in each subject?

Q: How many current students of yours are below state standards in each subject?

This would be a very tough survey to conduct because there are so many factors to consider. I don't believe you can fully measure success when it comes to both a teacher and a student. Home life, parental guidance, outside influences, grade level and so many other things would have to be taken into consideration while "measuring" this success or lack thereof. While I do believe better teaching leads to better learning outcomes- there is also no one size fits all learning approach for every student. Learning and teaching has to be tailored to each individual student and what works to help them be successful cannot be measured in numbers.

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In today's society, marketing has become huge and in my opinion, pretty easy with the advancements in technology that we have. What once used to be on tv commercials, newspapers and billboards, is now in our faces constantly. Ads pop up on videos we watch, social media is HUGE for marketing- with people even making it a full time job as influencers, our digital lives being saturated in advertisements and marketing. We know immediately when there's a sale on items we've recently browsed, we can shop from a computer or a handheld device aka a smart phone, we have Tik Tok shop, links shared for anything and everything you can imagine. It has turned us into more of a consumer society with shopping being available at our fingertips, and always seeing new products that we had no idea we needed. It's also very interesting and almost a bit creepy the way the internet search engines create a profile for you based on certain demographics. For example, if I search for a baby item, all of a sudden I will be flooded with ads for similar items, articles about parenting young children, baby registry top items, even birthday party venues for kids. The marketing and advertising world has boomed so much with the growth of social media.

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I found the reading on research methods and data collection a bit overwhelming, which took me by surprise. Admittedly, I was unaware of all of the different methods of data analysis there was, and all of the factors that go into getting different answers. Maybe I just haven't put a lot of thought into it before. After reading, I almost feel more of a distrust in things like surveys, whereas before I assumed that they were a solid form of collecting data. The chapter really made me think about how skewed some answers and results can be, and how with the advancement of technology can actually change the numbers- this makes me feel like I might question how accurate some research is, depending upon the methods used to collect it. While coming up with the quantitative research question in a previous padlet entry of better teaching equaling better learning outcomes, it was almost impossible in my brain to come up with a question that I felt could truly measure the research accurately. It opened my eyes to how important it is to know the method behind each collection of data whether its a survey, historical data, an experiment or any other form, because that will absolutely determine and even skew results. At the conclusion of the chapter, further technological advancements were mentioned and how the research we have today will inevitably once again change and become better as we gain more knowledge and tools during collection. It will be interesting to compare past data with future data as these changes happen.

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Considering hiring an ex convict can be a complicated task. It's not a simple answer or a one size fits all situation. Personally, I would hire an ex convict. It is dependent upon a few things and comes with some conditions, though. Type of crime is a big one. If their crime was not violent, they are not repeating offenders and if some time has elapsed since their crime, I would hire them. I believe in second chances. I believe we can make poor decisions, especially as young adults, that we later regret and wouldn't make with maturity and a different outlook on life under our belt. For example, if a 19 year old robbed a store, should that impact his ability to become employed at 25? I don't think so. I think it's one of the things about our justice system that doesn't work. It becomes a cycle that is very hard to get out of- a criminal background makes you unemployable, but being unemployable may leave people with no choice but to rob, sell drugs and other criminal activity to make a living. In the chapter by Pager, the racial inequality highlighted is disturbing. The fact that blacks with no criminal record received less call backs than whites WITH a criminal record is deplorable.

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Listening to the lecture where Nature vs. Nurture was talked about made me think more in depth about what my stance on it is. Although I have heard of the term, I haven't truly given it a whole lot of thought from a sociology standpoint. When thinking about it, I can't come up with a conclusion of which "side" makes a bigger impact. I believe it is middle of the road for both nature and nurture, and they equally contribute to a person as a whole. If a child is born with a disorder such as autism or ADHD, that is a nature but will effect the way they learn, their social interactions, their relationships, which is nurture. If a person is genetically predisposed to diabetes (nature) but lives a heathy, active lifestyle (nurture) they can end up not getting diabetes because of their lifestyle choices. Both nature and nurture are equal contributors to a person's life.

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I'm at the park on a Saturday afternoon with two of my children ages 8 and 4. There are a few other younger kids here with their parents and a few older kids in the nearby field playing catch with a football. I'm sitting on the park bench observing my children and others on the playground. One young boy about 3 years old is climbing up the slide but he slips a bit onto his knee and his dad comes over and tells him he cannot climb up the side. He grabs the boy's arm to help him hop off the side of the slide and he does. He runs around to his right where the stairs are and he climbs all 3 to get up to the platform where the entrance of the slide is. He sits down on his bottom, scoots himself closer to the opening of the slide and slides down. He has a big smile on his face and is enjoying himself. My two kids have joined one girl and two boys who I believe are brothers in a game of tag. They are all running around the playground playing hide and go seek. My son is the first counter. He hides behind a pole near the monkey bars, covers his eyes and begins to count to 10. Once he gets to 10 he yells, "ready or not, here I come!" He first walks past the play equipment and finds one of the girls crouched down by the park picnic table. She's on her knees hidden behind the bench part of the table but he spots her feet. He runs to her and tags her on the back and yells "tag, you're it!" I can see beads of sweat starting to form on a couple of the kids' heads. I offer my kids a drink of water. They come over to me on the bench where I have their water bottles propped up next to me and they take a drink. Long, big drinks as they breathe heavy from being out of breath from their game of tag.

The older boys in the field look to be about 10-12 years old. There are 4 of them playing catch with a football. They have bicycles laid in the grass. The foul language they are using is quite offensive for their age and the fact that there are small kids here. They are tossing the football back and forth with each other. They have split into two groups of two. One boy misses a catch and yells. The football bounces a couple feet behind him and he turns in a half circle to lightly jog to get it. He picks the ball up and slams it to the grass but in a playful angry way, he's not really angry. He steps back two steps, lines his fingers up with the laces on the football and hurls it across the field. The ball spirals and goes far- the boy has a pretty good arm and i'm impressed. The other boy across from him catches the ball and you can hear an audible thud as it hits his forearm and chest. The boy who threw the ball cheers and is happy that he caught it. More foul but happy language.

I look over to the playground where my daughter is now practicing her skills on the green monkey bars. She yells for me to watch her and I tell her I am. She starts by placing both hands on one bar, then swings her body in the same rhythm as her hands move one at a time to each bar ahead. Instead of having one hand at a time on each bar, she moves both hands to one bar, then both hands to the next bar. This causes her to go slower and lose strength. She drops about halfway across the bars to her feet. She wipes her hands along the side of her jean shorts to dry any sweat off of them and to comfort the sting of the bars making callouses. She is determined to try again and she does. This time she makes it all the way across and is beaming with pride.

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Ascribed statuses:

I am white

I am female

I am an only child

Achieved Statuses:

I am a Mother

I am a wife

I am a homeowner

Roles I take on as a Mother-

As a Mother I have many jobs and expectations within my role, both by me and by society. My main roles or jobs as a Mother are to nurture, take care of my kids' basic needs such as feeding them balanced meals, making sure they are bathed and have clean clothes to wear, making sure to teach them hygiene such as brushing their teeth and washing their faces, brushing their hair and wearing deodorant. I am a scheduler- I schedule their appointments, extra curricular activities, keep track of when school projects are due, schedule playdates and teacher conferences. I am a caretaker. I take temperatures, bandage cuts, ice bumps, wipe noses, give medicine when its needed and make doctor's appointments when necessary. The most complex and important role as a mother, and probably the most challenging or scary to me, is being responsible for teaching them how to be self sufficient, successful and good humans. I have to model good choices, good behavior, healthy relationships and teach them how to make good choices. I have to let them fail to learn from their mistakes. I have to give them just enough freedom to choose while also knowing when to reel it back in if they take advantage of said freedom. Being a mother is the most important job in the world.

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Personally I don't consider myself a big "brand" person, so when I think about material objects that are significant to my sense of self, not much comes to mind. When directly correlating a material object to my sense of self, it may sound silly but my mini van is what I think about! My messy mini van, might I add. It is a symbol of who I am and what season of life i'm currently in. I am a mom of 4 children, in the thick of raising little ones and being sort of like a taxi driver between school drop offs, sporting events, trips to the park, family vacations where all of us and our stuff are piled in tight like a game of tetris. The crushed up cracker crumbs and and hot wheels cars on the floorboard are remnants of who I am right now- a Mom.

As far as contributing to a brand's value or free "advertising" I am for sure an unpaid starbucks and Target advertiser! If I order an iced coffee that I love, I will share it with my friends or on my Instagram story with how to order it and what's in it. If I find a great deal on clothes or kids items at Target, I will immediately share with my friends who may also be interested in the sale items. This generates business for both of these brands. In our society right now, influencers are very big and popular on social media platforms. Their job is literally to influence their followers to purchase things- their income comes from brand deals who pay them to advertise. I always wonder how many of them have never tried or even dislike the brand they are promoting for a paycheck. At least I can say I honestly enjoy by Starbucks coffee and Target trips.

On the topic of how someone could resist the political-economic power of big name brands, I think it is easier to do so in our current time period. In this day and age where things can very quickly and easily go viral on social media, brands have been exposed for all sorts of things. Unfair wages, toxic work environments, questionable morals, or even unsafe chemicals used in the production of their goods. SHEIN is one that has been under fire recently for claims of child labor in China at the manufacturing factories. There also was a claim of their clothing material containing levels of lead. These things get broadcasted to thousands or even millions of people very easily now, whereas before social media, you didn't hear much about the ins and outs of how a brand operated behind the scenes.

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After reading Goffman's theory of the presentation of ourselves in every day life, I take away that he is stating in a nutshell, that we (self) are almost like actors in a play (varying social settings). I think we do this without always realizing it. Even the most confident, self aware individuals want to fit in, within whatever social setting they're immersed in. I think back to high school and how this applies heavily to teenagers trying to find where they belong. They will face criticism, peer pressure and cliques. In hopes of fitting in, they could present themselves to the rebel crowd as an edgy, rule bending person in order to fit in and be accepted. For a young girl trying to fit into the preppy crowd, she may present herself as knowing all the current dance moves and top fashion. Someone trying to do well at a job interview will play the part of intelligent, responsible and someone who is perfect for the job. They'll tell the interviewer what they want to hear, essentially. I believe humans are partially driven by fear of rejection from a very young age and carrying through their whole lives. We all want to fit in and be accepted, whether its a conscious choice or subconscious. First impressions absolutely do matter and as humans we are all guilty at judging someone based on multiple different forms of self presentation the person may display. We want to fit in but we also silently judge who fits in, whether we mean to or not.

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Handling the Stigma of Handling the Dead

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Handling the Stigma of Handling the Dead

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Handling the Stigma of Handling the dead was an interesting read. I have always been intrigued by those who are in the business of death, whether it's a funeral director or an embalmer. It's interesting that most funeral businesses have been passed down in a family for decades. I believe for most of them, when you're raised around the taboo topics of death and what happens to a body after death, it just becomes second nature and not as scary or bizarre. While reading about the symbolic redefinition of all things surrounding death, bodies and funerals, it's something I hadn't realized but I find it very much true. Less harsh words like final resting place or loved one are much more socially accepted than technical terms. When highlighting the emotional detachment required to work as a mortician, it made me think about a bunch of other professions where you could easily let emotions get in the way of doing your job well and keeping a sane mind. EMT's, doctors, nurses, first responders, even teachers, face this challenge. As a parent myself, I find myself getting emotionally distraught while reading or watching a segment about child abuse or the loss of a child. You immediately put yourself in their shoes and have compassion for the parents and for the child since you can relate to them. Being a funeral director is one of those jobs someone has to do, and i'm glad despite the stigma surrounding it that there are people willing to do it!

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A time that sticks out to me where I conformed to society and peer pressure was with consuming alcohol- and in different settings/stages of my life, not just as a teenager. I will say the "mommy wine culture" and pressure to drink is almost worse when you are an adult, at least in my experience. I do not and have never enjoyed alcohol, from the taste to the way it makes me feel. I've tried to like it because of different societal pressures and social settings where alcohol was involved. Each time at a party where i'm offered a drink and decline and then am talked into it, I regret it. People will say "come on, just one! Have fun with us!". At a wedding or other celebratory event, you're expected to drink champagne as a toast. I find it vile and would much rather toast with sparkling cider. Today's society glorifies alcohol, specifically wine or the newer seltzer drinks such as white claws or Trulys, for parents- hence my reference to "mommy wine culture". There is so much humor, jokes, and almost part of being in this exclusive club when other moms talk about needing a glass of wine/a drink after a long day of parenting. While I understand the sentiment, I do feel like it has been so widely accepted and can allow those with a drinking problem to ignore it and think their addiction is justified. As far as me conforming to those standards, I have gone as far as to try multiple different types of wine or seltzer drinks just to find one that I like. Why? I honestly don't know. It wasn't because I have a desire to drink. I actually think every wine and alcoholic beverage i've tried tastes terrible. Social media, tv, other moms, even clothing brands have told me i'm a busy mom so I need a glass of wine at the end of the day in order to cope. I don't and don't want one, but I have tried because that's what society has told me to do. It's what's cool, what's on trend and what a lot of other moms can relate to each other with. Stressful day with the kids= needing a drink. I recently went to a game night in with a few girlfriends who were drinking, and I don't have any issue with that, but I wasn't partaking. She looked at me after discussing how I have 4 kids and said, "how do you do it sober?!" She has been fed the same societal standard of you must drink in order to get through parenthood.

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Crocs are something I purchased because I wanted to fit into a group and was influenced to buy. I used to say i'd never wear crocs- they were ugly and funny looking. I didn't understand the hype. After some time of the trend being popular, I ended up getting a pair. They were worn by almost everyone and I no longer felt like i'd stick out like a sore thumb if I wore them. Having crocs conveyed my membership in the group of society by simply wearing them around and being seen in public with crocs on. I was now part of the trend. I go even further with it now by buying the croc charms that display bits and pieces of your personality and likes/dislikes right on your crocs.

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I can understand Durkheimian's perspective that shopping and consumerism plays a crucial part in maintaining social order, but I can also see the other side of it that shopping and consumerism creates a divide among society as well. Durkeimian's theory that shopping creates a sense of community and a sense of collective conscience makes sense because it is something that most of society can relate to. Shopping is something we all do on some level. With that being said, the economic divide of who can afford what, when it comes to shopping, can also create a societal divide. Somebody shopping for rolexes and designer clothes probably isn't going to relate much to those shopping for the basics at Walmart or other discount stores.

I think we are mostly consumer "dupes" who are manipulated by market forces and influenced by society versus our own wants when it comes to buying things, even if we don't necessarily realize it. With influencing and social media marketing being such a huge industry right now, there are so many products in our faces at all times. We naturally gravitate toward products that have large advertising, a popular and well known name, and great reviews. This creates a sense of security in our purchase. We exercise free choice as far as what we buy and when, but I believe we are moreso influenced by society in what we buy than not.

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The obedience to authority highlighted in Meyers book of the Milgram study did not surprise me. While it is alarming, I am not surprised that most people would follow the commands of an authority figure, even if it means injury or death to somebody else. I feel like this is part of human nature to protect ourselves. When it comes down to it, we value our own lives over the lives of others. When faced with a choice of potential death or harm from an authority figure or harming somebody else instead, humans will choose harming the other person. It is a natural reaction to want to protect yourself, and then your offspring when you have the choice. Humans' morals and ethical beliefs can be influenced by outside interruptions such as authority and fear.

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The minimum wage argument has been around for quite some time, but has really picked up in the last few years as inflation has wreaked havoc on many peoples' financial situations. I see and agree with both angles of the argument and it almost feels like there's no good solution. There's got to be one, but i'm not sure what it is and how it would be done without trading in one problem for another. I do not think it's as simple of an issue as some think. First, fast food and minimum wage jobs were not necessarily intended to support a lifestyle much beyond basic needs and definitely not meant to support a family. To argue that one cannot support their family while working at Mcdonald's is a no brainer. These types of jobs are meant for entry level, generally teens or young adults just starting out in the work force. They are meant to gain experience and act as a stepping stone while they either go to some sort of college/trade school or work their way up to corporate ladder. With this being said, I do believe it is a sticky situation because everyone deserves a livable wage. Especially now in current times, people are barely scraping by as prices for everything have sky rocketed. I often wonder and worry about what my own children will do and how they will make it as independent young adults. An apartment is Manteca is upwards of $2,000 and even with a roomate or two, that is not feasible for a teenager just starting out in the world. The other issue with raising minimum wage is the trickle-down effect. Workers make more money, companies raise the prices of their food or goods to make up for it, which then drives inflation up and we're back at square one. Like I said, i'm not sure what the solution is without creating problems elsewhere but I do agree that we need a change somewhere.

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Ehrenreich's Nickled and Dimed was a grim eye opener for the reality of so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck working low wage jobs just to get by. I think her experiment of becoming one of them for a month was a brilliant way to learn and highlight the struggles by immersing herself in the lifestyle. She really hits home when she explains mathematically what it takes for someone earning minimum wage at the jobs she experimented at to pay their bills and still have enough money left over for groceries and gas, just barely scraping by. She brings up an excellent point when she states that she has an advantage by not having children in this situation, and that many single mothers will have to not only work two low wage jobs just to make ends meet, but they will also have to figure out how to pay for childcare and also the added expensive of feeding and clothing children. She could barely take care of herself financially, let alone children. I think the most important takeaway other than the financial reality, was how poorly and unfairly these low wage employees are treated. They work incredibly hard physically at most of these jobs and are paid pennies compared to other jobs that require a lot less physical labor, yet they are looked down upon for having these jobs. The workers are treated like property for companies to have cheap labor done by a machine- as she points out that she's not even called by name most of the time. The poor are not lazy - in fact, they arguably have a better work ethic than someone who is in a better financial position because they are forced to do strenuous physical jobs just to be able to buy food and pay rent in their trailer or cheap motel room. While it was sad to read, I feel it's important for everyone to read and understand more of what low wage workers go through, and how fortunate a lot of us are to have what we have. It puts things into perspective, thats for sure!

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Out of the ten pieces of clothing I looked at in my closet, no pieces at all were made in the USA. They were made in China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Thailand. This is a prime example of our jobs being outsourced to different countries for cheaper labor. It goes along with the rest of the lectures this week about the post industrial revolution and technology wreaking havoc on jobs, and it is only going to get worse. With the huge increase in the production of technology, as we read in "Caught Between the Ages", i'm afraid in 10-20 years the need for humans is going to be slim to none. I think we are going to see a negative impact on society and civilization as a whole with the newer things like AI technology. We are barely scratching the surface of it now and already have concerns of identity theft and large data breaches. It will only get worse, and the snowball of problems is going to continue to grow as we become more and more reliant on technology and less on humans. I fear for my children and what their generation of adulthood will look like.

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My biggest takeaway and red flag from reading Over the Counter at Mcdonald's by Leidner, was the irony of the level of standardization and regulations Mcdonald's expects of their employees, but the employees are not allowed to have standards or regulations for themselves- only flexibility for their job. It's no surprise that Mcdonald's is so standardized and automated. They are a brand known and recognized all over the world. The power dynamic between Mcdonald's and their employees is interesting. Employees are basically expected to behave like robots, delivering the same Mcdonald's standards at all times.

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Watching the wealth inequality video was eye opening and honestly, a bit sickening. While I agree that some of the top earners have worked hard for their earnings and deserve the payout from the fruits of their labor, it makes no sense that in a prosperous, rich country like America, there are so many living below the poverty line. The video demonstrates that most Americans are not even aware of the stark difference between what they think wealth inequality looks like and what it actually looks like. The other issue is a lot of the top tier earners are absolutely not working harder than middle or lower class Americans. This brings me back to the readings last week showcasing how low wage jobs are typically much more strenuous as far as manual labor and long work hours go. It saddens me to think that the person working as a janitor for 10 hours a day is barely scraping by, while an heir to a billionaire is born into wealth without ever having to lift a finger. Life is not always fair and we have to create our own paths, but the lack of balance when it comes to this is astounding.

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The Uses of Poverty reading by Gans was extremely eye opening. The facts he highlighted ring true to me and make perfect sense. The poor and poverty stricken individual will work "dirty" low wage jobs in order to have money for basics such as food and shelter (if they're lucky). Without desperate folks to do these jobs, we would not have maids, janitors, trash collectors, and food service workers contributing to society. Poverty serves several functions of society which leaves one to wonder, is this why poverty continues to be a problem? Is this why we haven't come up with a solution? It benefits too many people to find a way to solve it. The poor contribute to a society in a way that serves the wealthier, without ever benefitting from it.

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I am married and myself and my husband as a whole are considered middle class. Being middle class allows us to live a comfortable life, with access to a multitude of job opportunities, purchase a home, and take modest family vacations. We are not well off, but also not struggling. For this I am thankful, but I also know the hard work and dedication it has taken and still is taking to maintain this lifestyle.

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The goods we consume allow us to draw social boundaries by dividing us into groups. Fine dining versus fast food for example, will draw very different crowds and allow you to align with the folks who are present at each place. If my husband and I are out on a date just the two of us at a nice steakhouse, chances are we will look around and fit in with people in a similar social setting. If we take our 4 kids to lunch at Burger King on a Saturday afternoon, we will likely run into either other parents, or young single people looking for a quick, relatively cheap lunch. When consumers want high status goods for the cheapest possible price, it only benefits the Global North. Companies are able to charge 7 dollars for a coffee, while the Global South has workers slaving away in fields as coffee farmers do not benefit at all from this. The imbalance is terrible.

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With playing sports comes certain benefits. Different factors go in to deciding to play. Natural ability or talent, social status, and physical exercise are probably the top motivators. When I played sports briefly as a child, I actually did not enjoy it because I was not athletic or in great physical shape. This lead to anxiety and embarrassment when it came to worrying about my performance. I did feel sort of a pressure to participate though, whether it was from my eager parents or friends who were also joining the team. Wanting to be part of something was a motivating factor for me. My son on the other hand, is naturally athletic in basketball to be specific, and he has a love for it. I believe his motivation is doing something he loves along with showcasing his talent, but also a social circle of the friends he goes to school with who are also on the team.

I am not a big sports person in general. I do enjoy watching football on Sundays and I root for the San Francisco 49ers. That decision is probably rooted in growing up with 49er fans in my family, as well as them being the home team. There is a push in the media and social settings to automatically root for your home team, as a way of banding together with your community. Even more so in high school or college sports, it becomes a giant social gathering to go to the games and cheer for your school.

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I find my taste of music and how it has changed/evolved over the years with age and maturity interesting, but on target for what I believe in now as a 33 year old woman. As a young teen/early 20's, I found hip hop and the edgy, current music cool and a top choice for what I listened to. Looking back, I feel the biggest reason for that wasn't even the music itself, but the social pressure of following the crowd and doing what was cool and acceptable by most of your peers. Now, I cringe at most of the songs I used to listen to. They're highly inappropriate, demeaning to women, promote violence and drug use and are just all around gross, in my opinion. Maturity has made me question how a lot of these hip hop artists can even become popular or get away with making music that is so horrendous and sends damaging messages to our youth. As a parent, I wouldn't let my young teen listen to these songs uncensored at all. I listen to some pop music now, but mostly country, older rock n roll and I do love Christmas music :). I love Stevie Nicks and Garth Brooks.

Music companies following and collecting data on our listening habits doesn't bother or surprise me. This tactic is used by just about everything we consume these days, especially when most of it is done on a digital platform. Ad revenue and targeting a specific audience is how a business becomes or stays successful in selling/promoting their products. I actually prefer to open Apple Music or Pandora and be given songs on a playlist that I enjoy, rather than having to skip through songs I don't enjoy.

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Reading Page's "Showing My Color" was a great reminder of the term color blindness. I will highlight that as my biggest takeaway from his writing because I believe it's very important in today's society. It is no secret that we have grown by leaps and bounds and made huge positive changes when it comes to racism and prejudice. We are much more of an equal society today than we used to be; that is a fact and something to be proud of. There is still and always will be more work to be done, though. Color blindness is a term that means well. It sends a message that we are blind to the color of one's skin, and that it's a moot point- something that doesn't or shouldn't matter. While I can appreciate that sentiment and accept that it is coming from a good place, it is not a good approach to take. Being color blind is ignoring the ethnic differences that took place and still take place for minorities. Society needs to be aware of color, rather than blind to it, to continue to push forward in eliminating prejudice. Being "color blind" is an example of denying racism still exists, which is a road block to bettering ourselves as a society. We must see, recognize and accept color in order to move forward in a positive direction. Diversity makes up our country and being color blind is counterproductive to a society of ridding prejudice.

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1. What race are you?

My skin is white but I have many different races in me. Spanish, German, Dutch, Native American, etc

2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?

Just based on what Grandparents or family has said.

3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you first received about race in general or your race in particular?

I don't ever remember being taught this until we did a school project and we had to pick a place our ancestors were from and I picked Spain.

4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?

I don't remember receiving messages. When I was a kid we were just kids, we didn't get race shoved down our throats. All my friends were Philippino but we never talked about it or cared. We were just kids and we were just friends.

5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

I would assume they think I am white because my skin is white, but how can I know what others assume? We put too much emphasis on what others assume.

1. What race are you?

Caucasian aka white, I know I have some German and Irish. I'm not sure what else.

2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?

It is what I have been told by family.

3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you first received about race in general or your race in particular?

Other than it being obvious, I do remember doing a class project on it as a child.

4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?

First and foremost, I don't care or have an opinion on what another person's race is so I don't give it much thought. It is obvious.

5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

By looking at me.

1. What race are you?

Hispanic

2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?

By looking at the color of my skin and by looking at my family/ancestors.

3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you first received about race in general or your race in particular?

I learned at a young age what color my skin is. I received messages as a child about what it meant to be hispanic and have darker skin. Some good, some bad.

4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?

By looking at their skin color. It's not always what it seems though. A light skinned person can be something other than white and a dark skinned person can be something other than black. There are alot of in betweens.

5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

I would assume most people determine my race by looking at my skin and features.

1. What race are you?

I am black.

2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?

I know I am black because that is a fact. My skin is dark and my family is the same.

3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you first received about race in general or your race in particular?

I learned from a very young age that I was black and had darker skin. I knew I was different than lighter skin classmates but it was never an issue. I don't remember being treated differently.

4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?

I don't really assume other than being observant of another person's skin tone.

5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

I believe they likely decide based on the color of my skin.

1. What race are you?

I am caucasian/white.

2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?

I know this because of the color of my skin, eyes and hair. It is obvious.

3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you first received about race in general or your race in particular?

I learned what race I was probably around kindergarten age. This is when you go to school and become aware that there are other races and skin colors. To this day I am assumed privileged because I am white, which I do not think is fair. My ancestors were racist, I am not. It is racist in itself to assume I am racist or privileged based on my skin tone.

4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?

I don't necessarily assume other people's races because skin color alone isn't enough to base it on. For example, you can have very light skinned latinos and darker skinned Caucasians or Europeans. If you are curious about someone's race you should respectfully ask the person rather than assume.

5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

Just by looking at the color of my skin and my caucasian features, I would assume.

What is Race: race is a social construct. It is a self made group of people based on physical characteristics like skin tone, and features. As someone pointed out in their above answers, determining race by skin color or features can easily be incorrect, as you can have a large variety of different cultures/ethnic backgrounds that may not have the "norm" when it comes to physical characteristics. Race being socially constructed can lead to prejudice and inequality. It leads to division of people. You must look a certain way to be in a group of a certain race, rather than just being the human race and being a harmonized, equal society.

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Gender neutral toys really were not a "thing" until recent years, and we haven't even really begun to scratch the surface on getting rid of "girl toys" and "boy toys". Having four kids spanning from 13 to 4, I have great experience first hand of toys both advertised and played with in the last decade. There used to be much clearer lines drawn in the sand when it came to what girls were allowed to play with and what boys were allowed to play with. Gender roles were present in toys and toy ads. Dolls, play kitchens, and princesses were/are marketed toward girls and cars, action figures and superheroes were/are marketed toward boys. In my parents' generation and even mine, boys were made fun of for playing with girl toys, or called names like sissy or gay. Girls were a little less made fun of but definitely labelled a tomboy if they played with sports and liked to get dirty outside with the boys. Society has relaxed a bit, as now there are baby dolls marketed for boys as well as gender neutral play kitchens. Toys are truly just toys, and children should be able to play with whatever interests them without judgement. My 4 year old son plays barbies with his 7 year old sister and has a great time. He has no idea they're marketed as "girl toys". He also enjoys playing with monster trucks and action figures. I think playing with dolls and pretend cooking teaches boys very important life skills they'll grow up to need as men and possibly fathers. I think with supportive parents and peers who do not gender label toys, children will be able to freely select (to a degree) what they enjoy. Society though, and the marketing media still has work to do. While they've pushed for more toy equality, a child can very quickly pick up on which aisles are deemed appropriate for them to be browsing in the store based on their gender.

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I know in recent years, most stores did away with labelling toy aisles with Girl/Boy, and they are mostly organized now by toy type. In Target, the first 2-3 toy aisles are organized by age. It's the baby, toddler and preschool aged toys. Interestingly enough, these aisles are the most gender neutral toy aisles with a mix of all colors and interests. The next few aisles are pretty separated by gender- barbies and baby dolls, princesses, explosions of pink. It then goes into Super heroes, hot wheels, action figures, remote control cars with no trace of pink or purple anywhere. I would say the most gender neutral aisle outside of the baby/toddler aisles would be the Legos aisle. There you can find pink and "girly" lego sets mixed with Star Wars and "boyish" sets.

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Browsing the website of the retailer American Eagle, I see predominately white women who are tall, skinny and have desirable features. I spotted two black women models, one with darker skin and one with lighter skin. Most of the white women have light colored hair- blonde or lighter brunette. There is no body fat in sight. Only very skinny bodies and airbrushed faces. There is a men's line and their models seem a tiny bit more diverse but there aren't as many. They are all very young. One young black man, one Asian, two white- one with longer blonde hair and one with short brown hair. They are all chiseled and not overweight at all. They actually all appear to be the same size. Muscular, clean shaven. Perfection is what sells. Having a model who's overweight with blemishes and facial hair isn't a good look for a company, in their eyes. Their products are too good to be on a real human. Its funny though, because the average consumer does not look like a model, and I have thought so many times while shopping that i'd love to see clothing on a person that looks like me for an accurate depiction of how it may look or fit me. It sends a message, especially to girls, at a very young age that beauty standards are extremely high and unachievable.

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Becoming Female highlights the struggles that not only are faced during adolescence, but that truly stick with us through our entire lifetime. The focus on beauty and having to maintain a certain look never really goes away. It changes throughout different phases of a woman's life, but it doesn't go away. Society expects you to look a certain way to be seen as pretty and desirable, just like the cheerleaders in the passage. In your 20's and 30's its to not gain too much weight after having babies, have perfect hair and makeup, a good sense of fashion. Then the 40's and 50's hit and you must combat aging with anti wrinkle creams and hair dye to cover gray hairs. The element of gossip doesn't go away either. There is so much comparison and jealousy even among grown women. Gossip is not left on the schoolyard playground, unfortunately. Sometimes as a woman It can feel really challenging and isolating to find friends who are genuine and do not wish to see your downfalls in order to feel more secure about themselves. To have friends in your corner who love you for you without judgement is very nice, but also hard to find.

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Becoming Male by Henslin really highlights the social construct of gender roles. With males being raised from birth to be the more dominant and masculine gender, it leaves no room for boys and men who don't fit into that category to be perceived as "normal" in society. I have said in my lifetime many of times that men have an incredible amount of pressure to perform. Sexually, romantically, they are looked at to be the protector, provider, dominant head of household, just to name a few. If they are not these things they are looked at as a failure or less of a man, because of the roles society has given men. That is incredibly unfair since we are all individuals with different strengths and weaknesses, along with wants and desires. Maybe a boy or a man doesn't desire to be macho and dominant? Maybe their personality is more reserved and they prefer to not be the decision maker or protector. It's okay for boys and men to need protection too. As a mother raising two sons, it's very important to me to show them softness and let them know it's okay to show emotion and not have to be tough all the time. Unfortunately, no matter what I do, they will feel to societal pressures just like my daughters will, but I hope to do my best regardless.

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Communication differences between men and women are obvious and very apparent. Some of it I believe is nature, but most of it is socially constructed and what's an acceptable way of communicating as a woman vs. a man. This starts at a very young age- boys cant cry, whine, show their emotions or they'll be labeled a sissy. Girls are allowed to cry. Girls aren't allowed to show aggression. It carries on to grown men and women. A huge running joke is about how a woman will not communicate her needs, but will give passive aggressive innuendoes and hints to her male spouse and he is supposed to just figure it out. Men tend to be more straight forward with their wants and needs, but also not as deep emotionally. Women are "supposed" to be the better communicators- a man may even be told by society that he is too soft and not manly enough if he's great at expressing emotion and communicating. It's truly wild when you think about it. In society, I feel our relationships would fail at a much lesser rate if we communicated just as people, rather than the societal pressures to fit in to a certain box based on our gender.

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Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder. Our society's beauty standards and what makes an attractive or beautiful person is alarming. A flawless face, a perfect body and gorgeous hair are goals for a woman. Who cares about personality, intellect, intelligence or integrity? The traits that really matter and make up who a person is get tossed aside when it comes to a beautiful face. Or you may hear comments like "he/she has such a pretty face, if only they lost weight!" or the opposite- "he/she has a great body, too bad their face doesn't match". Its sickening. Nowadays you also have primarily women doing a million steps each day to alter their looks. Fake eyelashes, lip injections, botox, hair extensions, tummy tucks, butt lifts, boob jobs- it's hard to know if a person would even look the same without all of the alterations. The message it sends to young girls is crushing.

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The "script" for how a child is supposed to behave sexually and romantically based on their gender is written from a very young age. If you think about it, most people without even realizing they may be doing harm, assume a little boy will be chasing after little girls on the playground, or that little girls will be giggling with crushes on little boys. The societal pressure this puts on a child who may hid adolesence/puberty and realizes they are attracted to the same sex, can be very hard. Society expects children to act a certain way and behave a certain way that reflects traditional gender roles and heterosexual relationships.

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I consider myself outside of the norm when it comes to fantasizing about my future wedding when I was a little girl. I knew I wanted to get married and have a family. My fantasies were more surrounded around the white picket fence type of life, with a husband, a house, a few kids and a baby on my hip. I didn't focus much on my wedding day like most little girls do. As I got older and especially when I became engaged, the big wedding never appealed to me. Because of this, my husband and I eloped to Hawaii and got married with just our Moms by our sides. Neither one of us are super social people with large circles of friends. Society says you must have a huge, elaborate wedding with a very large bridal party and mountains of debt to start your married life off with, or else it's not "special". Large weddings are often times more for the attendees than the couple getting married. A small, intimate celebration without the pressure of perfection and a hundred eyes on you all night sounded like a much better option for us, and i'm still glad 10 years later that we did it that way!

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My very first opinions on a large, "traditional" white wedding is that it is a giant waste of money. The social concept that a perfect wedding requires thousands upon thousands of dollars that most standard American families do not have laying around, is an issue. The material focus on elaborate venues, wedding gowns, floral arrangements, and large diamond rings is part of the societal pressure and materialistic culture of our world. The first thing someone asks (mostly women) when they hear of an engagement is to see the ring- typically to see how big and shiny the diamond is, as if that equates to how special and loved she is by her new fiance. The gender structures of a wedding from the time of proposal through the wedding itself and then into the married relationship run very deep. The bride's family is supposed to take on most of the cost of the wedding- how is this fair? Or realistic? If you do not have 50,000 dollars to give your daughter the wedding of her dreams, are you considered a failure in the eyes of society? If you do have the money, is it a status symbol? Is it a public display to show off your wealth or is it really about your daughter? Having gender roles for planning and paying for a wedding is silly and should be done away with. I have often wondered how this would change in a same sex wedding- since both are grooms or brides, who's family picks up the bill if they are following traditional rules? I think its probably more split down the middle for same sex couples, as it should be.

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I really loved the reading on the American Family by Coontz. She brings up excellent points about the reality of the "picture perfect" American family in the 1950's and how it was glorified as the dream back then, and it is still glorified as the dream today. I am actually guilty of this nostalgic feeling of sometimes wishing things could go back to slower, simpler times of the 1950's family, but without really pulling out the magnifying glass like Coontz did, you quickly overlook the issues that these families faced. The first one, is people did not talk about their problems back then, and Coontz brings this up in the article. Adultery, financial issues, depression and parenting struggles were very much kept hidden and swept under the rug. There was a pressure by society to keep up an image of the perfect family- a dedicated housewife, a handsome husband who was gone working all the time and perfectly groomed and well behaved children. Dinner on the table each night at the same time, and a perfectly kept house. If you did not have these things, society said you were failing and did not have the perfect family. Nowadays, imperfections are met with more grace and acceptance. As Coontz said, women now are able to have an identity outside of just their family whereas in the 1950's they weren't even allowed to have a credit card in their name. This led to major depression and being stuck in unfavorable relationships. I especially loved the points Coontz wrote about when it comes to happy mothers having happier children, and working mothers forcing husbands to be more present and involved fathers. I could not agree with this more and have seen it in my own marriage and family life. Having an identity outside of my home and being a mother/wife is important for my mental health. It is hard to balance at times, but having a husband who is an equal partner and working as my teammate is very important when it comes to making our family dynamics work. Bottom line is, there are all sorts of different families and styles. We shouldn't be too quick to forget the struggles families faced 80 years ago.

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Eating Your Friends Is The Hardest (Henslin)

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Eating Your Friends Is The Hardest (Henslin)

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Reading Eating Your Friends is the Hardest made me think of murder in self defense, and how socially constructed rules and regulations are bent. Killing someone is socially unacceptable. If you kill someone as a means to get away or stop yourself from being killed first, it becomes socially acceptable because of the circumstances. It's interesting though, because the act and the end result is no different; a life was taken. Henslin brings up the example of eating animals and comparing it to humans. In reality, it's not much different. It's not socially acceptable to eat humans or even domesticated animals like cats and dogs, but it is acceptable to eat cows, chickens, goats etc. These rules are just made up rules by society if you really think about it. Socially constructed limits and regulations we all follow in order to not be shunned by society or our peers.

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I watch quite a bit of true crime TV- both dramas and documentaries that showcase real criminals. I have held the opinion for quite some time that our prison system and the way it is set up, is a failure for those imprisoned. While I agree that strong punishment is necessary for criminals, keeping humans imprisoned does no good to "rehabilitate" them so they do not reoffend or become productive members of society when released, like Zimbardo points out. Many finish their sentences and are now not hirable, and do not have important social skills to be able to go from prison cell to mainstream society. Zimbardo also pointed out the position of the prison guards and how he observed the way their personality was very closely related to their roles. Assigning the role of prisoner or guard determined the individual's actions and behavior. Similar to other roles in society, roles and social status strongly influences a person's actions, behavior and personality. This was just an experiment and after a few days, the roles were taken so seriously that it became reality.

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After reading Being Sane in Insane Places by Rosenhan, I see a direct correlation to the last reading, "The Pathology of Imprisonment". It reminds me exactly of what I read about how prisoners and prison guards adapt to their surroundings. The psuedo patients at the mental facility all were deemed insane, with no correction later after displaying normal behaviors. Rosenhan's quote, "How many patients might be sane outside the psychiatric hospital but seem insane in it- not because craziness resides in them, as it were, but because they are responding to a bizarre setting", can be correlated to the prison issue as well. The environment can start to create problems for an individual trying to survive in very mentally unhealthy places. Once patients were labeled as being insane, or having a mental disorder, that label stuck with them and any undesirable behavior was blamed on their disorder. This is a direct example of social control. Labels, diagnoses, categories and environments all shape who a person is and how they are treated by society.

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Each individual police officer has a different definition of what's acceptable force. Justifying their use of force and what's appropriate and inappropriate force is largely situational and conditional to their environment- much like the previous readings on prison and mental institutions. Rationalizing force is also done by social context of both the perpetrator who's posing a threat as well as the environment where the altercation is taking place. A police officer, while justified, may be more on guard and ready to use heavier force in a crime riddled area versus a generally safe and quiet neighborhood. Social inequality comes into play here as well. If a young man is walking down the street with his hands in his pocket at night with a hood on in a poor neighborhood with higher crime rates, i'd say he's much more likely to be stopped and possibly brutalized by police than if that same young man was walking through a higher class neighborhood with lower crime rates. Police interactions and the use of force absolutely varies on gender, race, class, etc. Finally, another thing that ties into the other readings and deviance this week, is the fact that police officers are in a position of power which can lead to excusing instances where force was inappropriately used. If an officer beats a suspected criminal with a nightstick, it's more socially acceptable because it's a police officer. If a regular civilian beats someone with a nightstick who might look like they're going to break into their house, it's not as socially acceptable because they are not in a position of power and social control.

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What norms were being violated by this person?  Did you know those norms were “there”?  Where is this “there?’

I observed a woman acting crazy in a fast food restaurant over an order being wrong. She started yelling and cussing at the employee working behind the counter after what appeared to be a calmer interaction at first, but quickly escalated. I could tell the employee was uncomfortable and the woman was making a scene over a hamburger. Social norms were being violated- mostly her raising her voice and cussing at the employee and making her uncomfortable. It's not socially acceptable to handle conflict that way in a restaurant. These norms are more so common sense practices, and basic respect for other humans in society. I know these norms were there through observation of both appropriate and inappropriate behavior in these situations throughout my life. A better way to handle it would've been to remain calm and cordial, and not lose her cool.

How were the norms specific to the person’s social status (age, gender, race, class, etc.)?

These norms were specific to her age. She was a grown adult who should have had enough self control and maturity to handle her temper and the situation differently. If it were a child throwing a tantrum or an immature teenager with much less life experience, it would be more socially accepted because of their age. I'd say it could also be specific to her gender a bit as well. Being female, usually a social norm would be for a woman not to get as loud and aggressive as a male might get. Society also expects women to have more compassion than men, which would go against her behavior of not taking into consideration how she was making the employee she was yelling at feel.

Are there situations in which these behaviors might appear rational?  Describe them.  What is the significance of this?

There aren't many situations where this type of behavior would be rational unless the setting was completely different. A more heated altercation could be warranted or seem more rational possibly if both parties are doing equal amounts of yelling and cussing at each other, and if there were a bigger issue at hand than a hamburger that was cooked wrong.

Can you imagine a situation where you might behave similarly and not think of yourself as “weird or “crazy?”

My personality is not one that is loud and outspoken, so when I have been in this same exact situation I do the opposite and do not speak up, in order to avoid conflict. I cannot imagine myself ever behaving in this manner, but if I witnessed someone close to me behaving similarly, I would still think they were acting crazy and out of hand.

How did the label (“weird,”  “crazy,” etc.) affect how you perceived the situation and the person?  How did the label affect your interaction with or feelings about the person?

Being labelled crazy and behaving in the way the woman was behaving definitely made me judge her and perceive both her and the situation unfolding in a negative light. I thought her behavior in the situation was unwarranted and downright silly to be acting so crazy over a hamburger being wrong. It made me think of her as rude, out of control and ridiculous. Labels in society absolutely can change how people are perceived. But, in this case, the crazy woman brought the label on herself.

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What norms were being violated by this person?  Did you know those norms were “there”?  Where is this “there?’

I witnessed what appeared to be a homeless man acting very weird at a stoplight. He was on the corner talking to himself, swinging his arms as if he was fighting someone but nobody was there. I assume he either was on drugs causing hallucinations or he had some type of mental disorder, so I did have some compassion for him thinking of the latter. If he had a true medical diagnosis, I hope he's able to get the help he needs. Nonetheless, his behavior was something i would label as weird. Societal norms were being violated by him. Appearing sane and of sound mind in public was the biggest one. Being in clean, presentable clothes was another. He had pants on that appeared very dirty and you could tell he hadn't showered in quite some time. I know these norms are "there"- as in society- just by being a part of the human race. Society expects a person to be bathed and hygienic. Society expects a person to not hallucinate on the curb and punch the air. You are expected to at least appear like you are a mentally healthy person.

How were the norms specific to the person’s social status (age, gender, race, class, etc.)?

His social status and social class were a huge factor in his behavior. I would say they are almost more expected of a man in his class/social status of being poor and homeless. A lot of homeless people around the community I live are drug users, so it is not uncommon to see them hallucinate and talk to themselves, unfortunately. In society, it would be more shocking to see a man in a business suit acting like this.

Are there situations in which these behaviors might appear rational?  Describe them.  What is the significance of this?

The only bit of rationality I can think of would be as I stated earlier, the hallucinations and being visibly dirty are more expected or the norm in the homeless population. Their behavior does not appear rational, but it is more expected than not, if that makes sense.

Can you imagine a situation where you might behave similarly and not think of yourself as “weird or “crazy?”

I cannot imagine myself behaving similarly unless some day I ended up with a mental illness that caused me to hallucinate and become homeless.

How did the label (“weird,”  “crazy,” etc.) affect how you perceived the situation and the person?  How did the label affect your interaction with or feelings about the person?

The label weird combined with his bizarre behavior and appearance made me perceive him as an unwell and dirty person. I had pity and compassion for him in the sense that he is not well and needs help, but I suspect he was on drugs which makes me lose a lot of my compassion, to be honest. I would have much more respect and compassion if he was a homeless man trying to get by, versus behaving erratically in public.

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Listening to the lecture covering the pledge of allegiance and putting the word God in it, as well as printed on our money, was very interesting to me and sort of a lightbulb moment. I had never connected the dots between the Pledge of Allegiance and sociology until now. The Pledge is very much a social norm, construct and expectation. I remember as a child every single morning at school standing to do it. As a young child, I truly had no idea what it meant or what I was even pledging to. It was just something we did. It was a social expectation that all the students stand each morning with their hand over their heart, pledging their allegiance to the flag when they had no clue what they were doing. It was also a social expectation/norm to stand and participate or else you were disobedient and rude. It's not socially acceptable to remain seated or remain quiet during the pledge. It became so normal, no child ever really questioned it or asked what it meant.

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Kindergarten As Academic Boot Camp (Gracey)

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Kindergarten As Academic Boot Camp (Gracey)

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From what I gathered, Gracey describes kindergarten as academic bootcamp because it is the start of social training, or "bootcamp", for children learning how to take on their role as a student. Kindergarten is less about academics and more about developing social skills, learning how to be obedient, follow a structured day, and become a productive student as the years go on. In Edith's classroom, it was much more about students learning to obey and become puppets in a sense. They weren't allowed to question anything and I would even argue they didn't learn much because of that. It was all about social norms and how to follow Edith's instructions whether they liked it or not. Show and tell, which is supposed to be a fun activity for kids to express their creativity, was definitely lackluster in Edith's classroom which was sad. The kids weren't able to ask questions or be inquisitive when it came to the show and tell objects. Another part of her routine I found interesting was the Pledge of Allegiance, and Bible time. I believe this is taught as a form of social conformity, so the children go on to first grade, second grade, third grade and beyond, knowing how to conform to these teachings and viewing them as something they just do- rather than having questions. This follows students in the public school system all the way to grade 12, so in many ways, Gracey's label of an academic bootcamp is pretty spot on. It's the beginning of shaping obedient students into the role of student vs. authority figure, and those expectations are placed each year the student advances to a new grade.