25. April 2010 by student.

It’s almost unimaginable to think of a child as being bought and sold, but if we as a society are to even wrap ourselves around such an atrocity we need to ask why this terrible thing is taking place.  Not only is it taking place, but the demand for it has increase over the years.  One of just many factors in children becoming victims of trafficking is because they are poor.  It is true that poverty is an important element in explaining why some children are trafficked.  However, poverty can mean many things and it is not by itself the answer to the question. There are many children living in poverty who do not fall victim to trafficking, and understanding poverty and the differences between these children and victims of trafficking is important if we are to know how to protect those children at risk. In fact, poverty is only one of a range of risk factors that create vulnerability to trafficking. Domestic violence has also been shown to be a factor in increasing the vulnerability of children to trafficking. Children who witness or suffer violence in the home may run away and live on the streets, where their vulnerability to exploitation, violence and trafficking is severe. Left to fend for themselves, they become easy prey to traffickers because they have no means of survival. Most often, however, it is not the extreme situations that give emphasis to trafficking events but an accumulation of the everyday realities of survival. Many families live in poverty partly because the adult members of the household do not have jobs that provide enough money for the family to survive. It may be that there are no jobs in the area where they live, but often it is because the adults are not equipped for the jobs that do exist. This is why getting parents jobs and keeping children in school and then some sort of training is so important. It is the only way to break the cycle of unemployment and poverty that puts whole families at risk.  Trafficking is also a serious violation of children’s rights, including specifically their rights to be protected from exploitation, to remain with their family, to go to school, to be protected from sexual violence and to have time to play. When children are trafficked, they almost always end up in work that is dangerous to their health, safety and morals. They are not able to go to school and so lose the opportunity to improve their lives in the future. They are often cutoff from their families and at risk of sexual abuse and other forms of violence.  In many countries young girls are sold because the family needs money.  Children are also sold in the United States by their parents for money, you just don’t often hear about it.  We tend to think of it as some third world problem, however it does take place.  This growing problem breaks down the very fiber of our society.  It is too easy to turn off the dateline report that is covering this all too often occurrence. We tend to think that it doesn’t touch our lives and there is nothing we can do about it.  When in reality it could be the family next door or the new family that just moved in the neighbor who have inside children held as sex slaves or servants.  Many times people think that prostitution is not a problem because it has the consent of the prostitute and the John; that we should use our tax dollars pursuing more serious crimes.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Where there is demand there is supply, and whether we get it or not, there are adults out there who prefer sex with a child and don’t care about the consequences to the child.  And as long as they are there, there will be those individuals who are ready to give them what they want if it means making a profit. This isn’t just some third world problem; this is our problem, right here in the USA.   

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

Facebook. The website that ruined it all. As with great computer advances, comes great disadvantages. Everyone think Facebook is such an amazing website, when I would beg to differ. There has been many problems caused with this website and people don’t really seem to realize it. It is ruining so many peoples life and people don’t even know.  For example, when Myspace was popular around 2005, I was on that site. When Facebook became prominent, I quickly switched to it. It was something to do to connect to people, but it became so much bigger and insanely absorbent that everyone wastes way too much time on it and doesn’t have a good “social” life. This is not a social way, not a great way to communicate. Communication needs to be done physically, not electronically. It may convenient, however it is ruining social life everywhere. It is gotten so popular that even the infamous South Park television animation series has poked fun about it. They make fun of a kid for having “0″ friends, which is ‘unheard of’ in the Facebook world. This site has ruined my life and has definitely made me indulge way too many hours of my life on it. I constantly have a tab open on my web browser for “notifications” so I can see them as soon as they pop up. I would have gotten better grades in high school and as well as college if I didn’t have this distraction easily available. People could debate self control in this issue, but it is an evil site still to begin with, where a lot of people get “internet muscles” and believe they are all tough on the internet, but when it comes to it in person, they back down in fear because they are afraid. The site needs to be abolished so people can start getting out in the real world instead of the virtual world!

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have never set foot on foreign soil.  They watch television and believe they know what the world looks like just by what they see.  You never know until you physically go there, and I was fortunate enough to learn that.  I have been to many, many places, all of which I am proud to say I have been lucky enough to have gone to.  The United States of America is but a piece of a magnificent world that we live in, and it is a crime to not see it.  Though it is understandable when it is just a dream to see these places since you are stopped from going there due to financial reasons, you can always find a way.  Many join the Peace Corps, the army, or the Red Cross to go around the world.  The fact of the matter is that we are not the only society.  In fact, we are just a big collection of societies.  The world is the same, holding possibly millions of societies and cultures that we have not yet seen.  It is an education to explore the world, even if you can only explore a small portion.  I am a changed person from the man I was before I went to the places I did, and I do not regret this change, but I cherish it.  Ignorance is a big problem in the USA, and the remedy for this problem would be travel.  Whatever your reasons or your way to get there, you should get there, wherever there is.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

Cults usually remain unknown to the general population.  The only time we ever hear about cults are when they do illegal things that turn into huge federal cases, such as polygamist compounds being raided.  The reason why cults are still around and strong is because of the fact that society is generally unaware of what cults really are.  They may be seen as just another church group or even a general club or hobby group that people join.  What seems like a harmless group at first can turn into something dangerous and scary very quickly.  A cult is defined as a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.  Though mostly all cults are considered to be dangerous in one way or another, some cults may also be considered to be good.  There are minor groups that people call cults, but aren’t that bad overall.  Physical fitness groups are sometimes considered cults, but what’s wrong with keeping people physically fit?  The cults you need to worry about are the ‘life-controlling’ cults, such as The Twelve Tribes, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Everyone knows about Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, but do you really know about these cults?  These cults are on the top 10 list, along with the Church of Scientology, of the most dangerous cults of the United States list.  The Twelve Tribes have many rules that group members are to adhere to or there will be severe consequences.  These rules include not reading unapproved books or newspapers, as well as listening to unapproved radio stations, music, or watching unapproved television or movies, completely and utterly obeying all elders, (who are speakers of God apparently), and giving up all possessions to them.  All others cults have similar rules, regulations, and customs that they practice.  All of which are dangerous, especially since many cults just use the cult as a front to take your property, your money, and even your children.  Societies must be aware of the dangers of cults, as much as they should be aware of the harms involved in smoking cigarettes, or even wearing a seat belt while driving a car.  Cults are a necessary teaching that we must warn our children about so that they will be ready to reject them if they ever approached by one.

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25. April 2010 by student.

     Who cheats more, men or women?  Approximately “22% of men and a 14% of women cheat (Associated Press)”. Men typically cheat for physical reasons. They are looking for more sex or new and different sex. Women typically cheat for emotional reasons. The amount of women having affairs has risen dramatically in the last 20 years (Maureen Rice). In terms of evolution, men are programmed to sleep with many women, and women are programmed to attract and retain a quality mate (Dr. David Holmes, Manchester Metropolitan University). Studies show that women are just better at keeping an affair a secret because they are better liars. “Women are better liars, because they’re more psychologically sophisticated. Whether its nature or nurture, women are programmed to be more relationship and paople orientated than men (Dr. David Holmes)”.

     The internet provides  access for people to meet anonomysly for casual sex. There are many sites that accommodate this such as Adult Friend Finders, Fling.Com, Craigs list, and the number one site, Ashley Madison. Ashley Madison is unique in the respect that it caters to married people. Their motto is “life is short, have an affair”. Also offered is “An Affair Guarantee” that offers you the $250 membership fee back if you are unable to meet someone to have an affair with. There are currently 4 million users.  Its a free site that allows you some access to contacting others, they can contact you, some access to pictures. But if you are looking for more, you can pay for a membership and they will handle private instant messaging between you and another member, live chat, unlimited photo exchange. All is based on “credits” that are purchased. For example, a 30 minute private chat is 30 credits. Email messages (within the site) are 5 credits. Credits appear to begin at about $1.00 each, with a discount for more purchased. That can get expensive fast. They even have a panic button feature that will re-route you from the main screen to a movie trailer site without logging out of the site. The ratio of men to women signed up on this site is 1:1. I don’t think men are more apt to cheat. I believe women are right there with them.

     I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other on the adult sites. People can do what they wish, as long as they are prepared for the consequences if and when they get caught. The success of these sites shows that cheating is alive and well, and on the rise. I believe that people use these sites to explore sexual desires they wouldn’t otherwise be able to, keep it a secret (if they can) and go about their “normal” life. I’m sure there are also many couples that live the “swinger” lifestyle that utilize these sites to meet people. Statistics show that 90% of Americans believe that adultery is morally wrong. I’m curious what percentage of these same people have used these sites.  I imagine Tiger Woods and Jesse James now feel its morally wrong, now that they’ve been caught.  

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

Abortion is one of the hottest topics right now in our society.   I am very pro-life and love children, but i think that there  are certain sircomstances that abortion isn’t always a bad thing. 

 *If a teenager were to get raped I think that if they don’t want to be constiently reminded about that awful experience keeping the child wouldn’t be your best option.  The number of abortions that happen due to rape are only about 1% (New York Times). 

*Another reason that people say they can’t afford a baby. This is probably true for most people.  If you cant afford a child why would you want to have one and not be able to financialy take care of the child. 

*A final reason is women said it would interfere with work or school.  If you are trying to better yourself with school and work I don’t think they should get punished for what they think is best for their lives.  It also doesnt affect men as much with work so why should the men get to continue there jobs like normal while the ladies have to usually take a leave of absence.

Some people may think well why not adoption?

Even thought adaption is a good answer it still is a huge commitment to have to just carry a baby for 9 months.  This is another responsiblity that most women wouldnt want to do if they are going to give the baby to other parents.

i don’t know where I stand on the scale of abortion but here are just some ideas of why its not always a bad thing.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 3 Comments »

25. April 2010 by student.

Anxiety/panic attacks are not to be confused with “just being nervous”; panic attacks are on a much larger scale.  Normally, someone can feel anxiety before taking a test or right before his or her first day of school, or even before their first date; but there is a point on the line that differentiates and teeters between pure nervousness or stage fright and being completely terrified and feeling like you are going to die.  People who have panic attacks feel like the worst is inevitably going to happen, and whatever is coming, it is right around the corner.  When you cannot live your daily life without fearing every single oncoming obstacle, no matter how menial, it is a problem.  Anxiety is something relatively normal that happens to everyone; it is the body’s natural response to danger or stress; but for some reason, it affects some more than others.             There are two different groups of symptoms that someone can experience, either separate or together all at once. There are emotional effects (anxiety attack) as well as physical (panic attack). The emotional symptoms of having an attack can include feelings of apprehension or dread, trouble concentrating, feeling tense or jumpy, thinking that the worst is going to happen, being irritable or restless, looking around for any signs of danger, or sometimes feeling like your mind is blank.  Not all panic attacks have a cause or reason.  In some cases, anxiety attacks come randomly with no emotions attached, strictly physical.  The physical symptoms more commonly associated with panic attacks can also be very intense, including having a pounding heart, sweating, stomachaches or dizziness, frequent urination or diarrhea, shortness of breath, tremors and twitches, muscle tension or muscle cramps, headaches, fatigue, or insomnia.  Hyperventilating, trouble breathing, and feeling as if you lost control are some of the key signs that you are having an attack.  Either way it is a lot to handle while trying to carry on a normal lifestyle with everyday responsibilities.  For the most part, panic/anxiety attacks climax within ten minutes and generally never last more than a half hour.  It may not seem like a long time but to that person, it is as if they are going to die, it may seem like hours until they finally calm back down.  Many people who suffer from this disorder compared their attacks to having a heart attack and felt too crazy to rationalize through anything.              Besides anxiety/panic attacks there are four other major types of anxiety disorders; OCD, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.  In the United States alone there are approximately 6.8 million people affected by anxiety attacks and panic attacks, 7.7 million for PTSD, 15 million be social anxiety disorder, 2.2 million with OCD, and 19 million with phobias.  Throughout my research, I found that anxiety and panic attacks are even more prevalent than bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, or depression; I was amazed at the statistics.  These two disorders alone cost America around $42 billion dollars a year and according to “The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders,” a study commissioned by the ADAA then published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, this is almost 1/3 of the country’s $148 billion dollar health bill.  Some other statistics I found important were that it affected mostly adults between 18 and 54, mostly women, and approximately eight people per minute are going through an anxiety or panic attack.  Attacks are easily triggered, whether by a demanding schedule, lack of exercise or sleep, pressure at home or work, or even from too much coffee, but it’s important for people to know that they can get help, in fact most anxiety is wiped away with 5-8 treatment sessions including behavioral therapy, medication, or some combination of the two.  There are two types of behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy and exposure therapy.  Medications can include benzodiazepines or antidepressants.  Some health alternatives would be doing some exercise, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, or even hypnosis.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

Cheating.
Lets look at the definition of cheating.
CHEATING is and act of lying, deception, fraud, trickery, imposture, or imposition. Cheating characteristically is employed to create an unfair advantage, usually in one’s own interest, and often at the expense of others, Cheating implies the breaking of rules. The term “cheating” is less applicable to the breaking of laws, as illegal activities are referred to by specific legal terminology such as fraud or corruption.
——
Now knowing the definition without knowing what cheating I’m talking about. . . Would you still cheat?
What if I was to say I’m talking about relationship cheating. . . Would you then not say this is the right definition of cheating?

Cheating is Cheating there is no other definition.

Kinda look at it this way: If someone is caught cheating on a test your teacher loses respect for you and maybe even your parents and friends. If you’re caught cheating on a test in college most times you’re kicked out . .How is cheating in a relationship any different? How are you trusted again.

SO WHY DO PEOPLE CHEAT IN RELATIONSHIPS
You think by now people would learn that your going to get caught. Whether it be now or later on in life. So why do people still cheat? Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Husband/Wife. I’m not going to but the blame on just the males, because who is everyone kidding females do it too.
BUT WHY?
There is never a “right reason.” Some will because they are bored, confused, you let them, revenge, the thrill, etc.
Many wonder once the other person finds out that they were cheated on how do they stay with them? It should be that easy to leave. RIGHT?

Infidelity statistics:
It’s tough to get a handle on how many of us are having affairs, given the inherent secrecy.

- 22 percent of married men have strayed at least once during their married lives.
- 14 percent of married women have had affairs at least once during their married lives.
- Younger people are more likely candidates; in fact, younger women are as likely as younger men to be unfaithful.
- 70 percent of married women and 54 percent of married men did not know of their spouses’ extramarital activity.
- 5 percent of married men and 3 percent of married women reported having sex with someone other than their spouse in the 1997.
- 22 percent of men and 14 percent of women admitted to having sexual relations outside their marriage sometime in their past.
- 90 percent of Americans believe adultery is morally wrong.
- 50 percent of Americans say President Clinton’s adultery makes his moral standard “about the same as the average married man,” according to a Time-CNN poll.

Have we been taught throughout life that cheating in a relationship is okay?
It seems like that. Most people you seen in the spot light that have been cheated on still stick to there spouses. You can look at people you personally know such as friends, family members, maybe even people you work with and see how many have mentioned they were cheated on and see if they’re still with their spouse.

THEN YOU HAVE THE ONES THAT DON’T EVEN KNOW
There was a new study that was done by marriage counselor M.Gary Neuman that showed an estimation of 1 in 2.7 men will cheat and their wives will never know.
REASON WHY. Around 92% of these men said it wasn’t primarily for sex. It was an emotional disconnection and a sense of feeling underappreciated . . .
Who would of thought?!

What do you believe in? Do you think cheating is okay? Would you be okay if your spouse cheated on you?

One thing to look at is your reputation you have. To be a well rounded professional person but be cheating on your spouse . . Would you want people to find out? What would happen if it ruined your career?

Cite:
http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Why-Men-Cheat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheating

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/9-reasons-people-cheat-430729

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/70106/trust_and_cheating_can_a_relationship.html?cat=41

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »

25. April 2010 by student.

Here is a riddle: What am I? I see you in your home, I see u in your car, I see you at work, I can be caught at the gym or on the street, you can see right through me, and I melt under pressure. Give up yet? I am a water bottle. Americans buy 500 million water bottles a year. We take them everywhere and anywhere we want. It is so much easier than carrying around a cup of water and pose less risk of a spill. We see the bottle water market begin covered by just about everyone. Drink companies to local grocery stores all have their own brand of bottled water. The large consumption of water is healthy for our bodies, but it is toxic for the environment. The plastic bottles that water comes in are 100% recyclable, yet 80% of plastic bottles end up in the trash. The lifespan of plastic is not known for sure, but hundreds of years are being suggested as the answer. At this rate plastic bottles will quite literally take over the world! To reduce the invasion we need to recycle plastic bottles. It takes little to no effort and in most communities all you have to do is put it in a separate container and the garbage people do the rest. In some states you can even sell your cans and bottles for money. Don’t get too excited now, it’s only between 5 to 15 cents per bottle or can. You can also recycle the bottles you already have. Once you drink all the water go to your tap and fill it back up; even less effort than having to take two trash cans to the curb. In case you feel tap water is beneath you or not clean enough for you, I’ll let you in on a little secret: tap water is just as clean, if not cleaner than the “spring water.”  Cleveland Public Utilities in Cleveland, Ohio challenged Fiji water to see which one was cleaner. Cleveland won in a landslide. The Fiji water had 6.31 micrograms of arsenic per liter, while Cleveland had none! Think about that the next time you spend money on imported water. The more durable plastic and stainless steel bottles, used for hiking and outdoor sports, are an even better choice than plastic bottles offered at grocery stores. These bottles are a onetime buy and offer unlimited refills with a longer lifespan that are also dishwasher safe, so you have a clean bottle every time. Take responsibility for you bottles! Recycle them and save your wallet and the planet form this invasion.   

cite:

Posted in Social Problems | 1 Comment »

25. April 2010 by student.

We communicate nonverabally on a daily basis without even realizing it.  Whether it is through our outward gestures made with our hands, eyes, or our bodies we all send messages to other people through our actions and not necessarily our words.  People have allowed what they see of a person to strongly influence what they feel and what they believe about a person.  Good looks and attractivenss among our society is held in high regard.  Just take a look at the magazines you see lining the shelves at the grocery store.  You don’t see very many “average Joe’s” on the covers, do you?  The mass media has glorified youth and beauty so much that millions of Americans spend their lives in an endless quest to enhnace their physical appearances, often at the expense of their health.

What you look like often has an effect on how others perceive you.  It’s a key factor in finding and keeping mates and close friends, in choosing an occupation, in fidning or keeping a job, and in defining the limits of an individual’s success in a chosen field.  Physical attractiveness has a profound influence on how we define role models, who governs us, what products we buy, and what services we consume.  It is a component of the core values that we pass along to our children.

Pursuit of better physical attractiveness has created a $160-billion-a-year indusry ranging from weight-loss programs, cosmetics, skin and hair care, perfumes, to cosmetic surgery, health clubs, and hormone injections.  Americans spend more money each year on beauty enhancements than they do on education.  Elective characteristics are the physical characteristics we can control.  Spending billions of dollars a year just to achieve a higher level of physical attractivenss is definately a characteristic within ourselves that we can control, however, most of the time we choose not to because society governs our behavior. 

Is all of this really necessary?  Studies have shown that individuals who are physically attractive have a much better chance at achieving success in their lives as their less attractive counterparts.  School principals, administrators, and counselors have shown to have higher expectations for attractive students.  In turn, these children often receive greater academic attention and ultimately end-up doing better than their less attractive classmates.  The Nonelective characteristics are the thinkgs we do not have any control over such as our build, eye or hair color, height, body structure, and physical disabilities.  Individuals who are less attractive due to nonelective characteristics often struggle to gain a promotion at work, make more money, or receive more attention.

This all seems very unfair that better looking individuals will always be on step ahead of the game no  matter how much more skill or talent an average looking individual possesses.  But, studies have shown that this is the way it has been all the way back to the biblical days.  Chances are, this is how things will remain in the future unless social change happens. 

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