30. January 2010 by student.

Weather or not we should allow gay marriages to be legal or not is a growing social problem in today’s society. Written by Thomas Jefferson in our declaration of Independence in 1776 is “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable  rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia). It seems that as decades have gone by this document in which we supposedly live by has gotten more and more forgotten. All men are created equally inevitably justifies that they are human beings also; they in fact should be legalized with the same rights as any other man no matter what their sexual preference is. This doesn’t mean homosexuals should be aloud to flaunt their orientation in public. nobody wishes to see two men making out on their Sunday afternoon, so laws can be mad to deny that. Many people agree that gays should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accomodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, etc. The problem comes in play when GAY marriage is mentioned and all talk of equality stops dead cold. Getting into another argument is why someone would want to be gay, but gay people don’t choose to be the way they are, they’re born that way. This starts a whole other argument though. Pursuit of Happiness is all homosexuals are looking for and our society denies and torchers these people with anti-homosexual marches.

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

29. January 2010 by student.

“Don’t do drugs.” “Drugs are bad!” “Drug free is the way to be.”  Growing up we are taught that drugs have a negative effect on you and in most cases are illegal.  Teachers talk about drugs with a dramatic tone and encourage kids to stay “above the influence”.  However, as a teen I have found it that drug awareness is a joke for most kids.  This important life knowledge that teachers and adult role models are trying to pound into our heads is hypocritical.  How can they say that drugs are bad yet enjoy drinking a beer at dinner, or a glass of wine with their cheese?  Alcohol is a drug just like marijuana and cocaine.  In fact www.gdcada.org states that “alcohol is a drug-the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world.”  Alcohol is a depressant and impairs your senses and thought process.  It causes over 100,000 deaths every year and over 17,000 car accidents (www.myaddiction.com).  It tears apart families, and ruins lives forever.  With this being said, I am amazed that alcohol is legal in not only the U.S. but other countries as well.  However, its’ not only legal, but the government allows it to be advertised on TV, billboards, bus benches, t-shirts, EVERYWHERE!  To make matters worse, alcohol is usually displayed in a sexual or positive manner.  The ads and commercials leave you thinking it is cool to drink, and when you do you will be the most popular person around.  Kids are picking up on these ads at a young age, craving a taste of “adult living” their whole life.  Alcohol companies know this too, and as a result are feeding our youth nonsense and lies.  The most disturbing part of this is, those kids, the ones being brain washed my alcohol companies are our future.  If they grow up thinking that this is ok then who knows what is in store for us when they run the country.  I guess what I’m trying to say is if the alcohol is considered a drug, then why don’t we make it illegal like other drugs.  Why do we use it to benefit our economy, yet allow it to destroy lives and our future?

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

29. January 2010 by student.

Society- a body of people where everyone is a critic and no one can escape the judgment of others.  When you think about it, no one can escape the evil critics of society.  Everywhere you go you are being watched, analyzed, and judged.  Whether it is based on your clothing, physical appearance, location you live, the car you drive, or the bling you wear, you will be judged.  Society has created a monster making people insecure about all aspects of their life.  Since we were young people have been telling us that judging people on their appearance is cruel and harmful, yet every month when the new People magazine comes out everyone lines up to get it.  The new trends, styles and hot gossip keeps people coming back for more.   It entertains us and allows us to focus on other people’s lives instead of our own.  Media has corrupted society by being the instigator and head critic.  Magazines such as People, present us with the idea that gossip and being judgmental is ok.  We are constantly judging the celebrities and what’s happening in their lives.  Placing titles on people like Paris Hilton as promiscuous, and Carrie Underwood as “The American Girl” becomes routine, almost a hobby.  We then carry these titles over and apply them to people relevant in our life.  We have rockers, scene folk, church goers, activist, government officials, and nobodies.  All of these titles are seen as personality classification, or in one word, judgment.            

Judging someone during a first impression is something most everyone does.  However, by doing this the individual is hurting themselves by closing the door to a potentially awesome relationship.  I’ve always said that everyone has something to teach you, but it’s your responsibility to allow them the opportunity to.  Most life skills are introduced by others in unobvious ways.  For example, I learned the importance of being honest and taking chances due to life situations I experienced with my friend Alvin.  If I went off my first impression of him, we probably wouldn’t be as close as we are now.  I believe that it is important for others to be open-minded about people and place themselves in their shoes before passing judgment.  I would like to urge everyone to ignore societies evil criticism and focus more on the individual inside.  With this being done there is no doubt in my mind that the world will be a better place.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

26. January 2010 by student.

I thought it was funny and horrifying that Prof. Andoscia said Democracy was Greek for “mob rule”.  Mobs often make bad decisions.  I found a site on the Internet that said Mob Rule means the same as Tyranny of the Majority.   A mob claims to speak for all people. Does it? No. This made me think of the story “The Lottery”  by Shirley Jackson.  This is a short but must read.  The townspeople had a “herd mentality”.   One often goes along with others without making a conscious decision of their own.   Many Sociologists have written about this concept (Simmel, Freud, Jung, ect..)  I think everyone should read about these concepts so injustices of the past are not repeated.

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26. January 2010 by student.

The definition of Socialism is a theory or system of social reform with contemplates a reconstruction of society, where the distribution of property and labor are more just.  Karl Marx once said “Democracy is the road to Socialism”.  I have a problem with Capitalistic America being described as a Democracy sometimes.  I don’t feel like I am represented.  I feel like there a bunch of little kings in Congress, who express desire is to fatten their wallets and those of their friends.   I don’t think if our country had universal health-care we would suddenly become a Socialist country.  I think that the argument against universal health-care is ludicrous.  I, like most young people like the idea of Socialism.  I think we are a long way off, so don’t freak out Republicans!  I do think we can pick and choose the parts of society where reform needs to happen.  I don’t like extremism even when it applies to something I agree with.  The extreme picture of Socialism could be outright public ownership and redistribution.  I tend to lean towards a more moderate view of socialism.  I want high regulation (take that Wall Street!), protectionism and a better sense of nationalism. 
 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

26. January 2010 by student.

First of all I would like to point out an important fact.  Herbert Spencer’s theories preceded Charles Darwin’s.   Spencer wrote “Progress: Its Law and Cause” in 1857 that was two years before Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”.  Herbert Spencer did coin the phrase “survival of the fittest”.  I read both last semester in school.  I do recommend both.  Spencer’s theory a.k.a. Social Darwinism theory applies natural selection priniciples to human society.  This society should let the unhealthy and poor die because they are biological inferior and should not procreate.  I was horrified at Spencer’s theories and don’t think it is fair to Darwin to use his name to decribe some horrific idealogy.  For those that don’t know… this was the basic idealogy of the Nazi’s.  This theory has been used to support laissez-faire capitalism and political conservatism.  We need more activism and less political conservatism!   

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. January 2010 by student.

I would like to know what the catalyst was that resulted in the dissipation of masculinity.  I’m not talking about the increasing femininity among men; I’m talking about The Pedestal.  In no way am I attempting to knock women, quite the opposite really.  Men seem to have lost the primordial go-getter edge.  It seems we have allowed ourselves to fall victim to society’s conditioning that dictates beautiful women are something to be feared.

 If I come off condescending, I apologize; that is not my intent.  I do not claim immunity from these predilections, and I too find myself with a knot in my throat when I plan to approach said women.  However, I do my best to fight The Good Fight, and feign confidence.  I find it necessary to do so, because if you begin to pass on the small things that play upon your sympathetic nervous system, the affliction metastasizes, and soon you become consumed with timidness.

 Women, in all their grandeur, are still individuals despite all of the disparities creating the gulf between the opposite sex.  The fear that manifests hesitation should be nipped in the bud.  For if we fall victim to sociological pressures, we lose our individuality.

Posted in Mr. Andoscia, Introduction to Sociology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. January 2010 by student.

Regrettably, I know too little about female bathroom dynamics to comment, so the entire focus will be on the male restroom.  As deceptively expansive as the topic is, I will further limit the discussion to issues dealing primarily with urinals.  Handwashing, sound-suppressing, use of the handicap stall, replying to a knock etc. will all be omitted for the sake of brevity.

Consider the following situation:  At the urging of his bladder, James strolls into a large, public restroom.  Lining the wall are four urinals: three of normal height and one on the far right for midgets and children, appropriately dubbed “The Splasher” for people of normal stature.  In front of the urinal to the far left, there is a man getting things done.  Should James use the urinal directly adjacent to the man, the urinal adjacent to The Splasher, or The Splasher?  Almost unanimously the choice would be the urinal adjacent to The Splasher.  Leaving stalls, the choice of the timid, out of the equation, a few may choose The Splasher, and risk the consequences.  However, per social norm, none would choose the stall directly adjacent to the man.

 Does this suggest homophobia?  In a word, no.  It simply provides a courtesy stall between the men to enlarge their proximity.  Put succinctly, this is how it works.

So what do you do when a stranger chooses a urinal directly adjacent to you when plenty others are available?  First, do not panic.  You must breathe deeply and assess the situation with a cool head.  Do you pinch off the stream and feign fruition? NO.  Truthfully, there is little to be done when caught in such an impasse.  You must simply finish the task and be alert for the stranger trying to tap your foot.

Posted in Mr. Andoscia, Introduction to Sociology, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

24. January 2010 by student.

In the need-to-know world of technology that we now live in, there seems to be a pattern of increasing illiteracy.  To focus on a major contributor, “text-talk” has seemed to replace actual, intelligible communication.  Grammar is cast aside in order to keep messages succinct.  Periods are replaced with LOL or LMFAO in order to convey a type of ambiguous pseudo-emotion.  Why talk when you can just as easily send a string of incoherent fragments of speech in a perfunctory fashion?  In a generation, we armed ourselves with the necessary weapons to infect the English language with a perniciously caustic type of stupidity.  Steadily, this insidious new form of “communication” is beginning to spread beyond “texting.”  Its growth needs to be arrested before it manifests in more official papers, reports etc.  So, if you want to break away from the herd, eliminate “LOL,” and comparable text-type, from your lexicon.  Don’t allow yourself to be assimilated among the masses by assailing the English language.

Posted in Social Problems, Introduction to Sociology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

24. January 2010 by student.

NO!!!!!!! Did someone say JOBS??? YES Jobs, Jobs, More JObs!!!!! Maybe that idea looks at this from a conflict perspective, but we got bigger problems right now than this immediate urge to reform Health Care, right?. Which, one president, one bill, one party, isn’t enough to reform Health Care in this country, right? Liberal icon, Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy’s mission was universal health care and he was in the Senate for over 40 years. Now, in Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown has won Kennedy’s seat in congress. Having a republican in that seat creates the republicans 41st vote they need to block legislation in the Senate! 61% say it’s time for congress to drop health care. 59% say the Obama administration should wait on health care reform until the economy improves. 73% of voter’s say it’s time for legistration to turn their attention to more immediate issues like the economy and job creation. Look at these number! 1.4 trillion deficit, 15.3million unemployed, Afghanistan, Iraq, 1.6 trillion in war costs, increase in the homeless 1.5 million (one out of 50 is a child), 1.5 million homes in foureclosure. America has several issues to consider as priority. Now with the posibility of a filibuster in the Senate house in regards to the Health Care Reform bill, I feel we should take the time to explore public opinion together, as I further my research and document my findings. I am making this blog entry my exploration (survey, if you will) to public opinion. I will have follow up blogs to document our progress and my research to find the best and most educated answer to this question. Is Health care a top priority righ now?

So, what do you think and WHY? (responding earns points
- Yes, it’s top priority.
- No, it’s not.
- Undecided.
Respond to this blog! Together we can learn more about this subject and understand better why or why not congress should continue to push Health Care Reform. I will explore
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE…………… Yes/No/Undecided?????????

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 5 Comments »