30. May 2009 by student.

   The nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court justice is an excellent study of the balance between life chances and determination.  According to an article by Sharon Theimer with the Associated Press, Judge Sotomayor was born with poor life chances given her ethnicity, gender, and economic status.  In a speech entitled “A Latina Judge’s Voice”, she described herself as a “Newyorkrican” which she defined as “a born and bred New Yorker of Puerto Rican-born parents who came to the states during World War II”.  The White House, media, and her own speeches have emphasized her rags-to-riches rise fulfilling the “American Dream” against the odds.  She is proud of her Puerto Rican roots, but does not necessarily like others to call attention to it.  She was born in a South Bronx housing project into a blue collar family.  Intragenerational mobility was evident as she spent most of her youth in a middle class neighborhood attending private schools, going on to Princeton and Yale.  After law school, she moved up the ladder in Washington becoming part of the wealthy power elite.  She now earns over two hundred thousand dollars a year and lives in a million-dollar plus community.  Her brother is a physician in New York whose practice does not accept Medicaid or Medicare.  This debate for Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation will be intensive as it involves the highly charged aspects of ethnicity, sexism, tax brackets, racism, and the power elite.  She has nearly framed the argument by her own comments of being “more qualified as a judge (female, Hispanic) than a white male”(paraphrased from a speech in 2001).  Her rise in this country to such a powerful level from hard work and determination is a testament to the American Dream, but will certainly be highly scrutinized. 

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

30. May 2009 by student.

   The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results are due to come out to students this week across the state.  Many families wait nervously as their children’s promotion to the next grade depends on their test results.  Children as young as eight and nine years old feel tremendous amounts of test anxiety, stress, and burn-out as teachers push their own achievement pressures on to their students.  The FCAT was designed in 1971 to assess academic strengths and weaknesses, particularly in the basic skills.  Its manifest function was to implement a workable system of accountability for the public schools.  The students’ results from the FCAT are used to grade individual schools.  There is a direct relationship between financial funding and the school’s grade.  Although since its inception scores have risen,  the latent effects of stress, pressure, and stigma to the schools is becoming more evident.  Early objections to the FCAT have ranged from challenges to administrative procedures (Bradey v. State of Florida, 1979) to objections of stigmatizing entire schools (Debra P. v. Turlington, 1982).  More recent criticism centers on the over-emphasis of FCAT scores, teaching to the test, and funding being directed away from the very schools that need it most.  Although test scores can be diagnostically useful, they should not be used to drive the curriculum.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

29. May 2009 by student.

 Many parents, teachers and authoritative figures have been pushing for all high schools to change their dress code policy to a uniform manner. The main issue is, many teachers and parents are arguing, by changing the school’s dress code, bullying will decrease in many schools. I believe that while bullying is a major issue in many schools. This is not the way to solve it. Students need the right to express themselves; also it would cause an increase in behavioral issues and loss of time during class because students are uncomfortable looking like each other instead of expressing themselves. Changing the way a student dress will not affect bullying, students will only find other ways to bully other children. A necessary step to end bullying is to inform teachers on how to notice bullies, give the necessary consequences to the bully, and inform the parents. While, bullying is a major problem in high schools, changing the dress code will not help the situation, but only make it worse.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 5 Comments »

29. May 2009 by student.

  The impact of the cell phone on the institution of the school is significant and its use in school will continue to need to be refined.  The conflicting priorities of young people, parents, and teachers lead to problematic use in school.  Young people use it to connect with their social network with flexibility and mobility.  It is considered a status symbol.  In a study of 9-10 year-olds, 86% of the students who owned a cell phone kept it on in school.  Schools report that its use disrupts and reduces the student’s attention.  Use of the phone to cheat has been documented and “cyber-bullying” is evident.  Schools race to implement new policies to counteract the negative behaviors in the school environment.  It is critical that the schools create new social constructs to meet the evolving needs.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

28. May 2009 by student.

Mike Tyson is back in the news, not for his strange behavior or grotest eating habits, but for the untimely death of his 4 yr. old daughter. This is a very sad time for him and his family. I think we can all agree that loosing a child or even the thought of it bring an overwhelming amount of grief. Losing a child has been described as the worst kind of loss anyone could possible go through. He should be receiving sympathy and prayers but one news station decided to re-hatch his past as if we don’t know who he is and what he has done. This shows a great lack of respect for him and his daughter. This also shows how powerful and skilled the media is in diverting our attention off the real truth of things. Something i think is criminal and should change. The media is supposed to report the news not distort it. The power in America is not in the people but in the media, for this is were we get our information. MAINSTREAM MEDIA? The word MAIN doesn’t really fit.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

28. May 2009 by student.

80% of young adults who have been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least 1 psychiatric disorder by the age of 21. Mental illness isnt a fad for young adults; it is true and real. Untimely deaths result from physical assult and/or severe neglect. Unfortunately society isnt saddened about child abuse but they know it exist. Truth is children are abused everyday all over america because society doesnt pay attention to the cycle. Reality is society thinks child abuse is something lament, especially if it is not happening to them. Which leaves many children subject to physically and mentally abused and sometimes sadly even death. Death of a child by the hands of am abuser is the only time society opens 1 eye to the topic. The daily abuse doesnt make headlines, the removing of a child from an abusive home doesnt make headlines. I am aquantied with a young man whos son was killed by his mothers boyfriend last year. The young man and his mother fought with the courts and the child protection agency to remove the child. They removed him only to court order and send him back. Going back to his mothers house would saddly be the little boys last trip. He wasnt even 5. When you are fighting for your childrens safety or the safety of another child who can you trust if the agencies set in place arent reliable. This poses the question Who will fight for our children?

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

26. May 2009 by student.

One of many books on helping people get and stay sober is The Tao of Sobrity, by; David Gregson & Jay S. Efran, PH.D.   It is said by Tao, and Buddhist that addiction blocks the natural flow of the “watercourse way”. Watercourse/waterflow-metaphor for a Zen attitude. people who use alcohol or other drugs to control their feelings often believe the “illusion of control” they think they have the power to avoid unpleasant experiences or create a permanent “high” to mask the boredom of everyday life. From the perspective of Taoism, addiction on a psychological level blocks the ability to accept the fullness of the present moment. For the addict acceptance of the” here and now”is replaced by the “Next Fix”. The urges and craving for substances that promise to ease the suffering or change the boredom to fun. For those “frustrated mystics” who reject the Christian orientation Taoism and Buddhism provides a alternative pathway leading to personal awakening and spiritual  enlightenment. Buddhist speak of the eight fold path as a alternative to the 12steps. Both may provide optional routes to the same overall destination. Unlike the disease model, which defines addiction solely in biological or physiological terms (addiction a disease of the brain or alcoholism as a genetic disorder), Eastern spiritual define addiction as a disease of the mind”.  The Tao and Buddhism share the belief  that there can be balance found through meditation. One of the definitions of Taoism is the Middle Way, a position of balance. In reading The Tao of Pooh by; Benjamin Hoff they discuss the famous painting The Vinegar Tasters which explains the Buddhist, Tao, and Confucianism beliefs. Albert Einstein warned that “the illusion that we are separate from one another is a optical delusion of our consciousness”. He realized that the conventional Western order for success, emphasizes on often a formula for loneliness, isolation, and despair. The Eastern views will be talking about advise a more holistic, compassionate and relational perspective. So it is believed that there is help without God. As far as my opinion goes, No! If God created “All” then that would include Tao, Buddhist,and all other religions. So in my opinion there would be NO help without God.   R.Szy

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

26. May 2009 by student.

Unfortunately, in our society today, we not only have to combat illegal street narcotics, but also prescription medications used as narcotics.  Studies by the CDC show that an average of 79% of physician, outpatient and emergency visits combined resulted in a drug therapy, typically 2-3 prescriptions each.   Of these prescriptions, the most frequent class of drug prescribed were analgesics, namely painkillers.  These prescription drugs are detrimental to our society as a whole because they are highly addictive, as most are opiates.  Due to the intensely addictive nature of these drugs, even the most straight laced individuals can become addicted to painkillers after surgery or dental procedures.  Another impact these drugs have are that on the street they are particularly expensive, which leads to either patients falsifying symptoms and/or physicians providing false prescription documents in order to obtain them and make a profit off of them.  Due to the combination of addictiveness and the cost, users are also often prone to steal or perform other illegal actions in order to obtain the drugs.  Prescription drugs can put physicians in a mess of trouble.  Physicians have the pharmaceutical companies forcing them to sell their product, often times enticing them with large bonuses or vacations; and drug users on the other hand willing to lie, cheat and blackmail in order to obtain them.  So, who pays the ultimate price for this situation?  Families of the addicted users, whose lives fall apart from their loved ones lives becoming entangled in pursuit and use of said drugs?  Taxpayers, whom in the end have to pay to imprison these people or, best case scenario, pay for their sobriety treatment?

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

25. May 2009 by student.

Society has little or no bearing on a person becoming a alcoholic. Excerpt John Wallace,PhD., was the director of New York State Board of Alcoholism Treatment and Rehabilitation in Albany. Medical Science has found that there is sound reasoning in the “Doctors Opinion” Alcoholics Anonymous pg.XXV. They have been able to determine that the physical powerlessness or allergy that Dr. Silkworth wrote about is the result of a dysfunctional liver and pancreas. These organs do not produce a sufficient quantity or quality that is needed to complete the chemical breakdown of ethanol(ETOH) through the body. The chemical break down of ethanol through the body is as follows:

1.ETHANOL-Enzymes convert the ethanol into acetaldehyde

2.ACETALDEYDE-Enzymes convert acetaldehyde into diacetic acid

3.DIACETIC ACID-Enzymes convert diacetic acid into acetate

4.ACETATE-Enzymes convert the acetate into water, carbon dioxide and sugar.

The water is put out of the body through the urinary tract the carbon dioxide through the respiratory system and the sugar is “burned up” through exercise. If a person is not a alcoholic, they can drink about one ounce of alcohol per hour to maintain the “glow” that they get from drinking.  This is not so with the alcoholic. The alcoholics liver and pancreas fail to produce sufficient enzymes to complete the decomposition(breakdown) process. The “acetate” produces the “craving” that deprives the alcoholic the ability to control the amount they drink. Society has nothing to do with this. Alcoholism is a serious and sometimes fatal disease that some people are just borne with. Though these alcoholics may spend much of there time in lots of social gatherings, and places that are sometimes unhealthy to be on a regular basis, the fact of the matter is they were what they are long before they got there.

Posted in Social Problems | 8 Comments »

25. May 2009 by student.

Do parents deny the amount of influence society has on our children? Have you ever heard the statement? “Well look at the parents.” It isn’t surprising that children will sort people into groups, and then make decisions on value and certain judgments about them. Of course left to themselves they may see the groups very differently then the ones society see’s as important. Without parents to instruct them how do they know what groups to follow or even how to group them at all. Children have been known to group people by color, what they wear, the language that they speak or even where they live. If a parent is to believe that they will outgrow this on there own that would be a grave mistake. Children need proper guidance and certain skills that should be provided in the home. There are so many different value systems in are society that if a child is left to “figure it out” on his own, it could cause much confusion as well as poor decision making skills. Parents need to be responsible and influence there children to be open minded and loving. If parents spend quality time with ther children, turn off the television, look up from the computer, hell put the damm cell phone down! Perhaps they would be able to see what there children are looking at, and the choices that need to be made. Society has to much influence on children today. Parents be aware!

Posted in Social Problems | 6 Comments »