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Today I want to talk about Using the Sociological Imagination - C. Wright Mills' concept talks about the connection between individual experiences and social interactions. According to C. Wright Mills, to fully grasp the significance of individual experiences, we need to consider the social circumstances surrounding them, the social context in which they are occurring, and the course of history. We don't just look at the reason from an individual or rely on their emotions to judge, but we learn about the objective reasons that society gives them. In this way, sociology views all situations more broadly and comprehensively, with more sympathy for each person's experiences.

I once had a similar experience with the concept that Mills introduced. The major that I pursued during the two years I studied at a university in Vietnam was sociology, we were able to conduct surveys to find out the causes - Why do Vietnamese women reduce their desire to have children and at the same time find ways to help them? According to the results, Vietnamese women reduce their desire to have children because the Vietnamese government does not fully support benefits to ensure economic security during maternity leave, life is too busy and there is pressure for women to have children. As the person in charge of housework and work, Vietnamese culture still has many antiquities when it comes to putting pressure on mothers to take on the responsibility of raising children. From there, we have a comprehensive view and a general answer for the decreasing birth rate in women. Instead of focusing on each woman's situation, we have researched and concluded society. We have since then taken measures: actively calling on the government to change policies and prioritize many benefits for pregnant women and small children (support for basic expenses each month, free or reduced hospital bills), offering convenient products for housework so mothers have more time and calling on husbands to share responsibilities.

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This is a photo I took at my younger brother's wedding, a symbol of the love and bond of a couple. When I read about the meanings of the symbols, I felt many strong emotions because I was born and raised in Vietnam - a country with a long history stretching back 4,000 years that possesses a profound culture. When talking about a symbol, we often know it as a symbolic object, an action or gesture, or a dish that represents something spiritually meaningful. In the photo shared, this is simply a jelly cake filled with green beans combined with roasted sesame and grated coconut, with a chewy, sweet, nutty flavor that can be used as a snack or as a snack and dessert. The groom's family uses this special wedding cake in traditional Vietnamese weddings on the day to welcome the bride home as an offering with a promise to only love, bond, and be faithful for life. with the bride like the way green beans are wrapped in jelly. ecause the special meaning and rich cultural traditions of the Vietnamese people aroused in me deep emotions when remembering family memories, a deep homesickness when I learned about symbolism, I immediately chose this cake to introduce.

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When I was learning about social structures, the concept "Status and Roles" talks about the essential elements in the social structure that determine each individual's position and how they interact with those around them. I know that each person born into society will simultaneously play many different roles, each role will be a different aspect of society, but through the interaction of society, the roles that mutual conflict is inevitable. I have a little experience with this in my current life, I'm in Vietnam and do all my homework in a time zone 14 hours ahead of California time, I'm in my fall semester with the responsibilities of a full-time student in the US, but at the same time I am also the cousin of someone who is becoming a groom in my hometown in Vietnam, to resolve the conflict of these two roles with two options: absent from the wedding to stay at school or skip a semester to return to Vietnam because his wedding only happens once. I took all the TBA classes for the fall and brought my laptop back to Vietnam, sitting at the party that had just witnessed my cousin get married and do Padlet Midterm Checkin.

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 Module 4: Social Interaction and the Self

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 Module 4: Social Interaction and the Self

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A particular highlight this week for me was The Looking-Glass Self theory, a concept developed by sociologist Charles Cooley. This theory has given me a new perspective from old experiences as it analyzes psychological developments and the process of forming our awareness through social interactions, our inner self will automatically change and interpret the problem and this may or may not be right, but it reflects how we see ourselves.

I was allowed to represent my family and give a speech at the wedding in front of all the guests at the party this afternoon. First, I introduced the newlyweds confidently and fluently, I can't imagine my straight back and bright smile in the eyes of the guests below. Until I started to get confused when I was interrupted by the photographer about needing to speak loudly and stand in a different position for a more balanced scene. I started to forget what to say and think about how the guests would react below. They could be confused, laugh at my clumsiness or simply upset because I ruined the curtain. important introduction. Even now, as I write these lines, the shame in me is still there.

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There are two things that I learned and found interesting through the reading "The Functions of Crime" by the sociologist Émile Durkheim.

First of all, according to Émile Durkheim, crime is "normal". "Crime is normal because it is completely impossible for any
society entirely free of it to exist". This quote reflects Émile Durkheim's belief that crime is an inevitable and natural part of social life. Because in a community or a group, each individual will have different beliefs, thoughts and behaviors, there will be a few individuals who do not comply with the standards set by the group, leading to deviations. behavior and this is inevitable. And the appearance of crime is not a failure of society as we often think. I often have prejudices against areas, communities, or, more broadly, countries with many criminals that become famous through the media. I think the above places are places where society has failed, leading to moral deterioration and crime appearing with increasing frequency. Through this perspective, I learned that, no matter where crime can happen regardless of the morality or prosperity of the entire society there. For example, in Austria, there was a case that shook the world when a father built a basement in his house and raped and kept his own daughter captive for decades and had many children with her. Stories of incest and going against human civilization are often attributed to places with developing economies or poor countries, but in the heart of beautiful Europe, this type of crime can completely appear. Regardless of the prosperity and security of the surrounding society.

Secondly, "thus crime is necessary. It is linked to the basic conditions of social life, but on this very account is useful, for the conditions to which it is bound are themselves indispensable to the normal evolution of morality and law." Durkheim argued that crime is necessary because it performs key functions in society such as defining moral boundaries, strengthening conscience, and promoting social solidarity when an entire group comes together to condemn and condemn crime. Except for deviant behavior, I learned that everything that happens in society has its own role, even though there are things we don't quite want. The same goes for criminals. Along with condemning criminal acts and the whole community aiming to comply with the law, those deviant acts have helped people distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. I still remember two years ago, in Vietnam, there was a case of a stepmother beating her husband's stepdaughter to death and being helped by the child's biological father to cover up the crime. According to Vietnamese law and the stepmother's wealthy family background, the price to pay can only be up to ten years in prison. But thanks to the strength of the community, the voices of mothers with young children and the entire young generation of Vietnam working together for children's rights, the stepmother received the death penalty. I was one of the people attending that large meeting, everyone was extremely angry and dissatisfied with the 3-year-old girl. Although the stepmother's behavior is completely wrong because it violates human rights, it is necessary to promote social concern for children's rights in a country with the concept that spanking children is normal like Vietnam.

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Ngày 25/11 Xét Xử Lại Vụ “Dì Ghẻ Dạy Dỗ Con Chồng” Đến Tử Vong: Bản Án Nào Cho Trang Và Thái? | SKĐS

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Race is a fascinating subject because of its sensitivity and the issue has existed throughout history. So when it comes to this module, I want to use the first prompt to introduce a novel to everyone.

"The Hate U Give" is a gripping novel that was adapted into a film by Angie Thomas. The story follows Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African American girl. She lives between two worlds: the predominantly black Garden Heights neighborhood and the working class. Meanwhile, life at her private school, Williamson Prep, is predominantly rich and upper-class white. Her life changed completely when she witnessed her best friend Khalil being shot dead on the spot by a white police officer during a traffic stop. As Khalil's death becomes more and more famous, Starr becomes the center of attention as she faces pressure from family, friends, and the community. She struggles deeply between speaking out for justice for her friend and risking reflecting cruel racism or remaining anonymous and silent to protect her safety. The novel is a journey of the main character's intense internal struggle when facing racism, and police brutality against people of color, and searching for her own identity.

The novel is a prime example of "Michael Omi and Howard Winant’s racial formation theory". Starr's experiences speak to how black identities are constructed and shaped in different contexts, especially when their interactions in legal spaces are predominately white. Racism is evident in Khalil's death as the media portrays him as a "thug" because he is a black man and this is serving as a stereotype to justify the actions of systematic violence. The fact that the police officer who killed Khalil was not held accountable reflects the institutional racism and inequality in the US justice system towards African Americans. The public protests described in the novel are said to be inspired by the "Black Lives Matter" movement against the violence of racist police. The protests highlight the importance of a collective voice in fighting inequality and systemic racism. The novel serves as an educational tool and raises the issue of racism against people of African descent.

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Source: Mulan (1998 Disney Animated Film)

Link: [Disney+ - Mulan](https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/mulan/1N2h07aL3EP5)

I chose Disney's Mulan because it is legendary for its symbolism in breaking gender stereotypes. Mulan is set in ancient China and tells the story of Fa Mulan, a young girl who disguises herself as a man to replace her father in the army to join the war. Throughout the film, Mulan faces countless difficulties in adapting to the masculine military environment. She succeeded in the war to protect her country, proving that her value was not bound by the gender prejudices of ancient society.

In the movie, Mulan navigating her gender in society by disguising herself as a man to join the army in her father's place shows us that: gender is something we "do", not something inherent. Mulan's masculine performances such as cutting her hair, wearing men's clothing, and acting in a manly manner reflect the concept of "doing gender" (West and Zimmerman 1987). "Without the deliberate use of gendered clothing, hairstyles, jewelry, and cosmetics, women and men would look far more alike" (1994, 18-19) by Lorber. In her case, the "gender display" is so convincing that it leads to her acceptance as a male soldier, reflecting Goffman’s (1976) concept of gender being a social performance. Mulan's society's two-and-only system dictates that women must be passive, dependent on men, weak, and obedient. Men are expected to be brave, strong, head of the family and protectors. It is this rigid binary system that causes Mulan many limitations with the difficulties she faces when she is not in a suitable role. By the end of the film, Mulan is still hailed as a hero in a male-dominated military, but she does so as a woman who has "proven" her worth in a male-dominated way (strength, courage and honor). This is entirely consistent with Lorber's argument that gender bending may not involve challenging gender boundaries but instead reinforcing them.

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To talk about the topic of sex, especially when "How Sex Became Fun", I think it would be a big mistake if I didn't mention the famous series called "Sex and the City" (1998 - 2004). The film revolves around four women in New York City: Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha about their lives, friendships, careers, and most notably, their rich love lives. The film became a cultural phenomenon by depicting the lives of women in their 30s and 40s as they become financially independent and seek no-strings-attached, sexually liberated relationships. The film presents a diverse approach to love and sex that highlights the richness of women's sexual experiences and identities.

Initially, sex was only seen as a tool to produce the next race or generation. The fact that sex has become interesting is no longer for procreation but is a major change in modern culture. Sex for procreation has become sex for pleasure - hook-up culture. "Sex was a "lot of fun," a "fun experience," and a "fun time." People wanted to have "one night of fun," "a little fun," and to "do it for fun." Sex was just "a fun thing that friends do sometimes"; something that should be "fun and taken lightly"; about "having the most fun possible" and "tons of fun if both people are willing to have some fun." This seems to become a standard of modern society after industrialization, when life improves and individualism has space to develop.

In "Sex and the City", this concept plays a central role in Samantha's pursuit of no-strings-attached sex, representing sex as just a source of personal pleasure, an entertainment - "Feminists wanted this for women. They wanted them to have the right to put themselves first, to build impressive careers, and to have sex freely. And they got that". With Carrie, she reflects on how modern women are reclaiming their sexuality, viewing sex as a personal experience rather than tied to marriage or family - "Hookups are described by women as sexual liberation itself, but also as a way to protect their ambitious trajectories".

Most of all, being open-minded like Samantha challenges expectations that women need to prioritize emotional intimacy or monogamy during sex even though men are more forgiving. than when having an affair or having multiple sexual partners - "Decades of feminist activism have shown us that monogamy is no protection from mistreatment and violence. Hookups expose students to emotional trauma and physical assault, to be sure, but relationships do not protect them from these things." (Lisa Wade)

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When I was in high school, I accidentally read the novel "Kane and Abel" by Jeffrey Arche and felt strongly impressed by it. The novel is a typical example of social stratification represented by two lives of two people with different backgrounds.

The novel tells the story of the lives of two main characters, William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, with backgrounds from two opposing classes in society. Kane is the heir to a banking empire in the United States, born into the love, hope of the whole family. Abel, a Polish immigrant, was born into poverty, and rejected by his own family. By the miracle of fate, they became rivals in both career and life. The novel is a series of stories depicting their birth, growth, maturity, and death, interwoven with ambition, rivalry, and resilience.

Perrucci and Wysong's concept of the "privileged class" resonates with Kane’s character. Kane was born into the upper class with privileges and opportunities that helped him access success more easily than anyone else. It's not just about money, it's also about access to investment opportunities, social networks, and resources that people like Abel have to fight for at least a small chance - "This is class inequality, a structured system of unequal rewards that provides enormous advantages to a small percentage of people in the United States at the expense of the overwhelming majority. Inequality is contained within a class system that resembles a game of monopoly that is "rigged" so that only certain players have a chance to own Park Place, and a great many others go directly to jail."

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https://youtu.be/Ttt2-niO3zo?si=O7q3hTDREfgKGBn_

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Final Video for Intro to Sociology class