The story of Hun Hunahpu was something I learned in a history class where we studied the history of Mesoamerica, but the significance of maize is something I learned from my grandmother. Maize brought generations of our family together for the celebration of Navidad (Christmas). We use maize for making tamales and for making pozole ( meat soup with spices, chilies and hominy) in lue ham and turkey. Instead of the story of rebirth and fertility, we silently acknowledged through gathering and preparing these two laborious dishes the importance of coming together. While reading chapter two, “You Are What You Eat: Culture, Norms, and Values, I was able to understand Durkheim in a very deep and personal way. The following sentences from page 38 hit me rather deeply. It states, “Durkheim made a useful distinction between two realms of social life: the sacred and the profane. Totemic objects belong to the sacred realm of social life. When the group worships the sacred totem, the group is in essence worshipping itself, and generating a sense of social cohesion in the process. The totemic principle highlights how culture unifies people through specific revered objects.

What makes preparing tamales and pozole with maize so sacred? Well, it is the tradition that makes it sacred. The people. The time spent together. The cultural identity. 

Maize is my totem. This year was the first year my seven year old daughter was interested in learning to use the maize to make masa for the tamales. For me, this moment was sacred. She sat on my lap as I guided her hands, applying just the right amount of pressure to spread the masa on the corn husk and gently filling and folding the corn husk to represent a stuffed pocket. I too sat on my mother and grandmother’s lap as they both taught me to use maize to make tamales. My hope is that my daughter will teach her daughters and through this gift, continue to bring our family together through the totem that is maize. 

Viewing the importance of maize within my family and culture through a Durkheimanian lens of food as totem, has brought more value and richness into this sacred experience. In contrast, I was able to learn so much from the Marxist perspective of food as fetish. Living in a capitalist society makes it a priority to focus on abundance and not on the mechanisms. I never asked myself, “how did this maize get to my kitchen? “Who picked the maize and sorted the husks?” Marx: food as fetish brought my attention to something I had never truly or deeply considered. Marxist theoretical perspectives focus on conflict, and more specifically the class conflict that occurs in capitalist societies (1). 

Through research I have come to find out that a conflict exists between maize and capitalism. While there are many aspects that a Marxist lens can focus on, I would like to focus on how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)  has created a crisis within Latin America regarding the extinction of ancient varieties of maize. In an article published online entitled, “Of Maize and Men, published November 2017, Rafael Miers states, “We have a corn crisis in Mexico, You think we’d be spared from that given our culture and what the crop represents to us.” Meir is the founder of the activist organization Organización de Tortilla de Maíz Mexicana. He acknowledges the start of this crisis can be traced to the industrialization of maize and exacerbated by the implementation of NAFTA. The low prices of American yellow corn were introduced flooding the Mexican Market. According to “Of Maize and Men,” in 2016, “Mexico imported 13.8 million metric tons of U.S. corn, worth US$2.6 billion.” Mexican farmers began leaving their farms to farm American corn in the United States, ceasing to grow the various varieties of corn traditionally found in the country because prices were no longer competitive. While many may continue to praise the 1994 NAFTA agreement, truth is that Mexico has suffered immensely. The political Climate in the United States is not welcoming of immigrants from Latin America. I have taken a moment to think about what this means. People leaving their ancestral home for survival. Exploitation of labor. Low wages for those working the field. Cramped seasonal housing. Labor intensive work. This assignment has also made me think of other foods that I hold a fetish for. Living in a capitalist society makes me feel helpless when it comes to the choices I can make. While I am overwhelmed with theo choices of different products, I am limited in choosing products that are ethically sourced. I am limited in selecting products that are fair trade. I am limited in what I can do to stop the exploitation. 

There are people who are actively working on getting Latin American farmed produce into high end Latin American restaurants which often make the list for best places to eat. Connecting farmers and consumers by cutting out the middleman is a huge step in stemming the crisis.

1)  Johnston, Josée, et al. Introducing Sociology Using the Stuff of Everyday Life. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. 

2) https://www.wbcsd.org/Overview/Panorama/Articles/Of-maize-and-men

    One thing the Nemow have accomplished that earlier generations of Nemow have only dreamed of is a seat at the table. To sit at this table the Nemow have had to adjust, adapt, fight, and shape shift to convince the other members of society of the capability to maintain the position at the table. In this capacity the Newmow deem the worthiness of others as they come before them to be judged according to the law of the land. Often criticized for the wrong decision, deliberate calculated verbal expression is necessary. The first Nemow to hold this position is still alive, but her predecessor surpassed her in popularity and even more now after her death. These Nemow have encouraged the rising generation, paving the way for more Nemow to sit at other tables. 

    Recently, the habitat of the Nemow is depicted by the choices of other Nemow and citizens of the capitalist land in which they call home. For the first time ever, a Nemow now holds the second highest office within the land. She had on a purple skin that hid her legs and arms and she too walked on sticks of various width and length as she swore to uphold her office. The Nemow have had to carve out the right to individuality among a nation that has often regarded them as less than, unworthy, unnecessary, and less educated. There may have been a time when the Nemow may have been less than, unworthy, unnecessary, and uneducated, but that time is quickly passing by. Perhaps one day the highest office in the land and the house, and the table will be occupied by a majority of Nemow.

 

I really feel that the analogy of a sociologist “peering behind locked doors to better understand social life” and “how sociologists open those doors” helps me understand the foundation of sociology. The analogy also helps me see how I fit into the world of sociology as an individual. At first, the terms conducting empirical research and constructing a theoretical framework would be difficult concepts for me to understand. The fact that this relates to objective observations, that is, information that is gathered regarding behaviors and attitudes reminds me of the lecture in which we discussed the different types of research that is done. However, I remember that sociologists do not necessarily conduct this experiments, but gather information with the intent to dissect it by constructing a theoretical base in which they can find out what is going on behind those closed doors. 

The reading focuses on constructing a theoretical base, but cautions us not to think linearly, rather both methods work together bringing about the answers to questions posed by sociologists in explaining human behavior and attitudes. Each can be deployed separately, but realistically work hand in hand. I feel that this connection helps me understand the nature of sociological work in terms of following the trail and pausing to observe what one finds.

On this trail through sociology which I am taking via this course, I am learning so much about myself, while learning terminology for things which I already engage in. It is helping me formulate my thoughts and elevate my discussions regarding a multitude of topics both in my educational career and within my social circle. I feel that the reading described me in terms of feeling overwhelmed by the term “theory,” as I have always felt that theory is something professional people do and something learned people do and something I hope one day I can do also. However, understanding theory as something I engage in daily has eased my mind on this topic and shown me how I can and do engage in theory in everyday life. 

Theory is, “a conceptual framework that intercepts “facts;” it shows how “facts” (measurements, observations, or research results) are related to one another(2).” Taking facts and applying it to what we know about a certain thing to interpret that certain thing seems like a natural extension of human nature. I am learning to slow things down, to focus inward, and to interpret my personal findings to what I already know about myself. This week's reading has helped me see my true potential as a student who holds a full time job, mother of four, owner of two pups with a tight social circle. I often felt that one responsibility would make it harder to be successful within another responsibility. After applying the steps of constructing a theoretical base, I learned that one responsibility does have correlation, it does not have causality. I found out that the causality in my responsibilities is time management. I need to learn to manage all my responsibilities in a way that allows me adequate time to accomplish what needs to be done within a certain allotted time. 

While implementing the construction of a theoretical base, I also realized that I was engaging in one of the major themes of the dominant theories of sociology. Symbolic interaction human beings have a self. As I explored the relationship between my responsibilities and being successful vs not being successful, I learned what my measurement in success means (not missing an assignment, passing classes with an A, because I can, and feeling great about my work). I was engaging in what sociologists refer to a reflection of one’s own self and actions. I am able to explain how I felt and what I was thinking. Now that I have constructed meaning, I am acting on that meaning by implementing a time management plan.

In all, this reading taught me about how sociologists open the doors that they peer behind. But most importantly, this chapter has helped me grow as an individual. I feel more confident in my choice to return to school during a pandemic with such heavy responsibilities. It also helps me have a significantly deeper amount of compassion for the work others do and for individual experience and growth.

Pager states that, “over the past three decades, the number of prison inmates in the United States has increased by more than 600%, leaving it the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002) (1).” I did a little research and found the following, “The imprisonment rate fell 3% from 2018 to 2019, and 17% from 2009 to 2019 (1).” In 2019, the imprisonment rate fell for the 11th consecutive year, hitting its lowest point since 1995. (2).” While this trend seems positive, according to PrisonPolicy.org the United States continues to be the country with the highest imprisonment rate per capita (3). Pager’s work is an attempt at opening a door that many peers into but not many have explored in terms of what is going on behind that door. 

The reading is structured and sectioned in a way that helps the reader make sense of the work done by Pager. I would like to focus on “Racial Differences in the Effects of a Criminal Record.” In this section Pager clarifies that the criminal record “appears more profound for blacks than it is for whites.” This doesn’t surprise me given what I observed when I worked as an assistant to the terminal manager at a trucking company here in California. We were directed to screen applicants by asking a set of questions before giving applications. 

The set of questions had to do with possession of a class C license, any points against them, and work history. While I could not deny any one an application, I was asked to weed out those who were less desirable so that the terminal manager would not waste time digging through stacks of applications. Basically discourage those with a negative driving record from applying. Furthermore, Once I took the application I was to make a note if the applicant had a criminal record. However, this changed when we hired a new terminal manager. While the company did not end up hiring any one with a criminal record while I worked there,  I was no longer instructed to place marks on applications. I felt relief because I knew how difficult it was for someone with a criminal record to find a job.

On a personal level, my father has struggled with addictive substances since childhood. As an adult, it has brought him repeated trouble with the law. He has a criminal record that has made it difficult, but not impossible for him to find a job. He has had to take jobs that pay less, jobs that do not pay what was promised, and jobs with employers who take advantage of the situation. My father is a white male. I watched him struggle to make a living once released from Federal prison. Everyone told me life would be hard for him. As a child, I did not understand why, since he has served his time. Twelve years behind bars cost him an education. An entire decade passed without him knowing or understanding the societal changes he would encounter with his release.  A long story short…. He lost his job and house when the market crashed. He turned to the one thing he knew would welcome him with open arms and no judgment. Our family lost a father for the second time, one we still have not gained back.

Seeing the difficulties of a white male with a criminal record and comparing that to the statistical evidence in Pager’s research helps me understand that while both may have a similar story, there are hardships that the other does not endure on such a burdensome level. Pager points out that “race continues to play a dominant role in shaping employment opportunities, equal to or greater than the impact of a criminal report.” This is heavy stuff to digest, even heavier for it to be an individual truth.

While looking at Prison Policy Research, we can see a further breakdown of how each state plays a large role in imprisoning its population compared to other states. For example, in 2018, Oklahoma incarcerated 1,079 per 100,000 of its population, making it higher than the imprisonment rate for the entire nation of 698 per 100,000. I found it interesting to look at data for individual states since Pager did her study in Milwaukee.

Understanding the structure behind large numbers of the population of the United States being incarcerated shows what an affect it truly has on society as a whole.

If we were to continue further down the psychological theory of self, we would eventually arrive at self image which would include our physical image and our social role. It is here in the social role that I find intertwined with the overall message given by Goffman, “...that when an individual appears before others he will have many motives for trying to control the impression they receive of the situation (p145). While the psychology class introduced the concept of self image and the role of environmental and cultural influences on the “self,” I did not think about how those two influences really work to form the self or the role the individual plays in the formation. 

While reading this chapter, I recalled a few instances in which I presented myself in a way that manipulated the situation. I translate for a firm downtown for their Spanish speaking clients. 30 minutes prior to a meeting, I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with my hair up in a messy bun. I did not go into this meeting dressed like this. I changed into professional clothing and fixed my hair. Dressed in either set of clothing, I was still able to perform the job. However, it would have been socially awkward for me to show up in the first outfit while others are dressed nicely. I wanted to project professionalism and that I had the right to be in this meeting because I am qualified. 

Looking back on this situation, I see that I felt the need to feel acceptance within this circle, so I needed to play the “look.” Goffman also mentions, “In everyday life, of course, there is a clear understanding that first impressions are important (pg.142)” This is an important component of our society at large. We thrive on the feeling of being accepted into a social circle. We morph like a chameleon, changing “looks” and bend like wire to show others that we belong, that we are similar. 

Social interactions are complex, consisting of reactions and adjustments to those reactions while simultaneously calculating our next facial expression, body language and words. We anticipate the reactions of others. Goffmen states, “Society is organized on the principle that an individual who possesses certain social characteristics has a moral right to expect that others will value and treat him in an appropriate way. Connected with this principle is a second, namely that an individual who implicitly or explicitly signifies that he has a certain social characteristics ought to in fact be what he claims he is (pg. 143).” This reminds me of old movies where a nicely dressed man insists on a certain kind of treatment based upon his appearance and social states by stating, “I am a gentleman,” which is a demand that a person(s) change the social interaction. 

Overall, I am learning to dig deeper and to peer inside of the situations to find symbolic meaning to what people are saying and doing. This is helping me become a well rounded student. I am making connections and recalling information from previous courses. I feel that this specific chapter focuses on the deeper, heavier, less talked about aspects of social interaction and that rereading it will help me have a better understanding of what Goffman is expressing.

 

Through social experiences we start to learn, that is develop a sense of social order. We learn the unspoken ways of maneuvering through a sea of social currents that change moment to moment. One typically would not associate the lack of knowing or the lack of experience with the word power. It typically seems the opposite. 

However, during this reading I kept thinking about the power of ignorance. Thompson describes how death and the dead have been far removed from our experiences that it has become some morbid taboo topic and that those who perform the tasks associated with death and the dead fit into socially constructed ideology. When we lack knowledge it is typical for the human mind to fill in those gaps. The power of ignorance is filling in those gaps with possibly flawed stigmatizing ideas. If we were to handle our own dead, like it was done in the past, we would feel different toward the situation. 

I can recall a time when I was visiting my family in Mexico. my great uncle passed away. Since he died of a contagious infection, it was decided that it would be best to turn his body over to an undertaker. I figured we would get a call from the place when it was all said and done. Nope. We went and waited. We waited, waited right on site until it was done. Since no one had a vehicle that could fit the casket, the undertaker provided a truck and back to the house we went. Casket in the living room, guests coming and going. This lasted two days before our family decided that we would pay for some one to dig the grave for us. Well, we went and stood by while the grave was dug. This experience was the closest I have ever had to death. Which has made me more comfortable around the deaths of my grandmother (I sat by her for three days until she passed away).

How does one escape the stigma? According to Thompson, "One of the ways which morticians and funeral directors handle the stigma of their occupations is through symbolically negating as much of it as possible (pg. 252)." There are many examples in which morticians negate the stigma of their occupation such as role distancing. In role distancing one can violate some of the role expectations associated with the occupation. For example, having two pairs of shoes as a child where one pair was for using while socializing was a way in which my mother negated the stigma of being a poor single mother. While we could not escape poverty, we were able to escape the perception of it while we socialized. We can look at the shoes as a material possession but we can dig deeper and look at the shoes as a symbolic association. Some how my mother was taught that poor people had worn out shoes. So if we did not have worn out shoes, then no one could look at us and think, "hey, they are poor!"

At first,  Ehrenreich comes to understand the difficulty of finding a place to live in which she can afford on her assumption of earning $7.00 an hour. She has to make tradeoffs in order to make things work. Should she forego location? Pay more in gas? As she talks about finding a place, the first thing I thought about was, how does one come up with a deposit? Most places want you to make two to three times the rent, have good credit, and professional references. As a manager at a janitorial company, I work with a lady who is a single mother. She lives in a one bedroom apartment with her two teenage daughters. She shares her hopes of one day having a two bedroom apartment. She needs to make more money so she can meet the qualifications renters are requiring. She struggles but manages to make ends meet. She is making tradeoffs just like Ehrenreich. The difference is that Ehrenhreich has deposit money available to make this happen. She doesn’t talk about the realities of credit worthiness for an apartment. I figure the less desirable a neighborhood, the less a landlord cares about your credit history. But this is just one more hardship.

Ehrenereich has difficulty finding a job in a sea of others seeking for the same low wage low skill jobs available for the working poor. As she becomes more aware of the process, she understands that it is more about being at the right place at the right time than it is about a resume. She works hard, but still struggles to make ends meet. She takes on a second job and finds how truly difficult it is to work two low wage jobs. The jobs are demanding, not rewarding, and taxing. As a manager, I interview and hire people to fill janitorial positions. I understand that the people willing to do the work are people who really need to make ends meet. I have to do a visual screening too, just like the visual screenings Ehrenhreich discussed in this chapter. At my work, there are several people who work two jobs. I trained a lady who works an average of 13 hours a day just to make ends meet. Both jobs are cleaning positions that pay minimum wage. She is in retirement age, but is not able to retire because she does not have legal status. This reality is difficult. When people say, “they just need to work harder,” it bothers me so much because she is working hard but she is still struggling to make ends meet, has no health insurance, and no savings to rely on.

I recall listening to a special edition on NPR that spoke about the difficulty in accessing nutritious food among the working poor due to the lack of grocery stores within their neighborhoods. Ehrenreich shares her difficulty in obtaining nutritious food due to her lack of finances in affording the pots/pans/utensils needed to even cook in her place of living and that stopping at an actual grocery store for food would not necessarily be in her budget. Eating what is available is not always nutritious. This is the reality for many working poor people in our country. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 39.4 million Americans continue to live in communities where it is far easier for most residents to buy grape soda instead of a handful of grapes (1). Furthermore, Without easy, affordable access to healthy food, families are forced to make difficult decisions about the food they eat (1). Ehrenreich experiences this first hand as there is a lack of food choices available in her immediate area and a lack of health insurance coverage. 

It is a sad and difficult reality to see people who work so hard continually come up short, forced to make difficult decisions, and make due with what little finances available. On page 412, Ehrenreich states, “.... low-wage work is not a solution to poverty and possibly not even to homelessness. Too often we here remarks like, “if they just got a job….” or “ if they just worked harder….” These statements do not take into account the reality that a job will not take care of everything. One can work two jobs and still experience homelesness, fatigue and hunger. Our society is unkind to those who are poor. We fail to see the actual difficulty they face with such limited resources. Going back to the single mother who works with me. I encouraged her to go back to school. She had shared her dream of going back to school but really lacked in the self worth department. I am happy to say that she has been at Modesto Jr College for three semesters now. It is not easy for her to be a single parent, work evenings and find time to be a student. She dreams of being able to land a higher paying job once she establishes a career through higher education. She tells me how her one bedroom apartment will do, it's a sacrifice she makes instead of taking on two jobs so she can afford the extra space.