Okay, I've been gone awhile, but taking a Psych 101 class and all is well. I'll be posting some of my quiz answers and such later on. So if you're into PSYC at all or taking a class this will really be beneficial to you. Stay tuned folks!

SOC 100 - Sociology of Religion Assignment

The last assignment! YaHoo!

 On page 369 in your text is a “Mass Media In Social Life” relating to God on the net.  At the end of that article are these questions:  How do you think that the Internet might change religion?  Can it replace the warm embrace of fellow believers? Do you think it can bring comfort to someone who is grieving for a loved one?
I got a 45/45 on this one. Seems like the grading is getting easier as the end nears. Good for me though :-) Here it is:

Religion on the Internet

How do you think that the Internet might change religion?  It changes how the people get information about religion. They no longer have to go to a physical church to hear the gospel or message. They can do it from their own home or anywhere for that matter with a computer. I think the Internet is a good tool that religions are able to use and it can serve many purposes. For one, they are able to reach millions of people with the hopes of bringing in new converts. They can also get their message out to members cheaply and quickly.  Even the Pope is on youtube.com (Henslin, 2011). It’s changing the way people get the teachings and messages from their religion or church. Internet video is becoming more popular with religions along with websites, newsletters and blogs.

Can it replace the warm embrace of fellow believers? I don't think it can. There have been a number of attempts to create online Christian communities, usually supplementing, but occasionally attempting to replace, more traditional, brick and mortar Christian communities ("Religion and the," ). From what I’ve seen, it may change the way people get communications from their church, but I can’t see it replacing the physical church and warm embrace of fellow believers.  From another website: Church of Fools is an experimental online site in which worshippers move around a virtual church building using avatars ("Religion and the,”). Again, I think this is an attempt to replace a physical church, but it doesn’t replace face-to-face socializing with fellow members. It may help temporarily or be used as a bridge to the “warm embrace”, but it cannot replace it. From a functionalist viewpoint I don’t think it can bring sufficient “emotional comfort.” As one Christian says, “For us to truly communicate the love and grace of Jesus Christ, we must have a personal relationship with people to witness to them. The sound of love and concern in someone’s voice, a gentle touch and the look into someone’s eyes are what really make a difference (Hearne, 2011).”

            Do you think it can bring comfort to someone who is grieving for a loved one? I think it can, but only for a short duration. It may temporarily bring some level of comfort to someone who is suffering, but we need personal contact with people. In all of the information I scanned on the Internet I haven’t seen one article that says it will replace face-to-face contact, but it is a good way to stay in contact with the person who is grieving.  It’s a good way to touch bases until the next time you can get together with them.  As I stated earlier, from a functionalist perspective I don’t think it can bring sufficient “emotional comfort.”  The answers that religion provides about ultimate meaning also comfort people by assuring them that there is a purpose to life, even to suffering (Henslin, 2011). I think this can only be fully achieved with personal contact, not by a website, blog or other electronic media. While technology has brought with it the benefits of convenience, flexibility and global connectivity, it’s also made us long for the warmth associated with more tactile experiences; those things that have a human touch ("The human touch,”).

            There are four concerns or questions that many people have. These are (1) the existence of God, (2) the purpose of life, (3) the existence of an afterlife, and (4) morality (Henslin, 2011). From a functionalist perspective religious sites on the Internet can help answer these questions. The Internet may help to serve the function of “emotional comfort”, but I don’t think it can replace face-to-face communications.  The Internet can also help the religion re-enforce the guidelines for everyday life which serves the function of “social control” and a website or online community can help its followers to keep up with teachings and practices which in turn re-enforces “social solidarity” within that community. I don’t believe the Internet is completely sufficient though. The Internet can be used as a tool or aid, but I don’t think it is going to completely eliminate the traditional approach.

            It’s true; there are many ways that the Internet can change religion. Our text book lists new ideas from online prayer requests to virtual church services.  I think the Internet is a good tool for religions to use to help market their own beliefs and it’s a good way to make contact with thousands and potentially millions of people either who are already members or who are potential converts. It’s just good business for them. Can it replace the warm embrace of fellow believers? No, it won’t replace face-to-face contact with fellow members. The sound of a person’s voice, the smile on someone’s face and the warmth of another’s touch can’t be replaced with a computer screen. We are social animals who crave the real company of others.

References

Hearne, R. (2011, July 08). [Web log message]. Retrieved from             http://www.ntcumc.org/_blog/The_Lay_Leaders_Blog/post/Texts_and_tweets_can't_repl ace_old-fashioned_face-to-face_contact/

Henslin, J. (2011). Essentials of sociology: a down-to-earth approach. (Ninth ed., p. 368, 369).     Pearson. Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/SR/3803881/9780205841141/369

The human touch. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://contributor.corbis.com/content/Creative     Research/Macro Briefs/100222-ExecSummary-HumanTouch-EN.pdf

Religion and the internet. (n.d.). Retrieved from                                                                                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_the_Internet

SOC 100 - Sociology of Education Assignment

This was a fun assignment. I used Powerpoint 2010 and then converted the PP to a video file. The first wmv video I made was too big so I converted that one to mp4 which turned out great. I got a 45/45 on this and could have done a better job, but the initial video conversion took my poor laptop about 6 hours to make, so I didn't go back and fix my mistakes. I got a very good grade though. So here's the assignment: For your assignment select at least two countries not mentioned in the text or on the video and develop a slide presentation illustrating one of the three sociological perspectives mentioned in the text. In other words you would use the significant concepts (constructs) the perspective you choose and explain how these concepts and perspective could impact test scores. 

SOC 100 - Gender

This assignment was pretty easy. He had it embedded in the video lecture and even though I don't remember exactly what it was, he said to write a couple of paragraphs on Viagra and Botox. Write about how they are marketed and the social constraints. I got a 43/45 so I was happy with it. Here it is:

Viagra, Botox and Social Constraints

Pfizer makes Viagra, an erectile dysfunction medication for men. This is not an over the counter (OTC) medication, but it is prescribed by doctors for men who have trouble with erectile dysfunction. This medication has been very popular for around 13 years now and since its inception has gained tremendous popularity with men over 50 years of age. Since it came on the market many other similar medications have followed that are similar in nature, but Viagra is the first and most widely used today. The advertising and marketing of Viagra is targeted toward men. Advertisements show strong, seemingly successful, healthy men promoting the product Images are of masculine, good looking men in their 50’s, dressed in business suits or nice casual attire ("Viagra," ). They are usually White or African American men and I don’t think I’ve ever seen any other races or ethnic groups in these ads. On Viagra’s website the description of erectile dysfunction lists the problems and builds the fear of not being able to perform with a woman. Specifically it states erectile dysfunction is when a man has difficulty getting an erection or keeping it long enough for sex. In the ads most of the men look to be either middle or upper class in society, nicely dressed and sometimes the outdoors type. They look strong and powerful and as in one ad, “in charge” of their life. When it comes to social constraints I think normally in our society we think of older men in the later years (65+) as not having sex at all or at least very little and not being concerned with it. At least that’s the way it was seen for years. However, now it seems to be saying that men and women in their later stages of life do want to have sex and have it on a regular basis. There’s even a pill similar to Viagra and it’s taken daily. This is breaking the old idea that sex is for the young. Another social constraint is that people just didn’t use to talk about things like this in public and we never saw it on TV. It wasn’t acceptable. That has certainly changed and advertisements like these are all over the media. Talking about these things is not taboo any longer.

            Botox use on wrinkles was first documented by a plastic surgeon in California in 1989. Cosmetic use of botulinum toxin type A has become popular with celebrities who view it as less intrusive and/or artificial than other types of plastic surgery. The results of cosmetic procedures vary but can last up to eight months ("Botulinum toxin,”). On the website advertising and marketing is targeted toward women. Images show nicely dressed, beautiful, happy, confident women who are smiling ("Botox cosmetic home,”). The images of most of the women look to be in their 40’s, and all who appear in the forefront of the advertising are White American women. On one page they show before and after photos of women who have taken the treatment. On that page there are many photos and the majority are women, but there are couple of men. Most are White women, but I did see one African American women. In the majority of the ads the women all appear to be middle or upper class. On the webpage “About Botox”, it lists some reasons why you might want to have it. It specifically mentions you might want to have it if you look “tired or unapproachable”, which I see as reaching out to women’s fears. When it comes to social constraints I use to think that our society forbid things like plastic surgery and treatments like Botox strictly for the purpose of vanity and we never use to see it advertised on TV. Plastic surgery use to be for people that needed it, say if a person was disfigured in a car accident, but it’s not that way anymore.  It’s acceptable today to see ads like these in all the media. These ads appeal to a person’s vanity and that’s okay today. It’s perfectly acceptable for women and men to talk about these issues openly. Today, people don’t hide the fact they’re considering Botox and people are less likely today to hide the fact that they had the procedure . Also, our society used to think of signs of aging, like wrinkles, as a natural progression and a sign of wisdom, but now people have Botox to remove those signs of aging. In the ads it’s promoted that if you want to be successful you have to look good, either handsome if you are a man, or young and beautiful if you’re a women. I can also see that our society used to believe that when a person ages, looks should be less important.  When you got older you were expected to slow down and stay at home. However, our human lifespan is increasing, our health is better and age is not a constraint like it used to be. As people age, they are more active today than ever before and they care about physical appearances.

            Whether it’s bold advertising on television about erectile dysfunction or talking openly with friends about removing wrinkles with Botox, social constraints have loosened.

 

References

Botox cosmetic home page. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.botoxcosmetic.com/home.aspx

Botulinum toxin. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin

Viagra. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.viagra.com

SOC 100 - Global Stratification Assignment

Okay, we had a video with this assignment as with most of our assignments, but I'm not able to post the video because it's not mine to post. We're reading the chapter on Global Stratification in Essentials of Sociology, A Down to Earth Approach, Henslin, 9th Edition. Here's the assignment: In the video lecture it was discussed how the concepts we studied in Culture strongly influenced social stratification in different countries. In other words how does the definition of each of the three concepts that sociologists use to measure social stratification influence the strata in a society? (Power, Property, and Prestige). Here's my paper:

The Three Elements: Property, Power and Prestige

Property, power and prestige normally occur together in a society. Yet they are not always evenly distributed. Property is all the wealth, investments, deeded and titled properties, and other tangible sources of income. Power is the ability to get one's way even in the face of opposition to one's goals. Prestige is the degree of social honor attached with your position in society (Cheney, 2009). How do these influence the strata in society? In our country and in other industrialized nations wealth or income is the major determining factor of a person’s social status.  However, in the least industrialized nations they are less dependent upon income as a means of stratifying the society. They have a stratification system based more on power and prestige.  For instance, in Sudan the number of cattle a family owns is a sign of wealth and status. In some countries a shaman or medicine man ranks high in status and little importance is placed on material possessions or income.

Max Weber said that three elements determine social class: property, power and prestige (the three Ps). So let’s look at our country and how the three Ps occur together but aren’t always evenly distributed.  In our country people who are wealthy and in the upper class tend to also have power and prestige. Yet this is not always the case. Plumbers may make more money than college professors, but holding a professorship is more prestigious than being a “blue collar worker” (Cliffnotes.com, 2011). Normally people who have very powerful positions also tend to have more wealth and prestige. Again, this is not always the case. Look at the President of the United States. This is a very powerful position. President Obama wields a lot of power, but in fact doesn’t make that much money in comparison to the tremendous power his position holds.  Firefighters are viewed by 61% of the public as having “very great prestige,” and rightly so – with an occupation that puts them decisively in harm’s way in order to save lives and properties, it’s of little wonder why firefighters stand firmly at the top of the occupation prestige list (Tu, 2009). However, the salary for firefighters on the average is only around $41,000 per year. Given all of the prestige of a firefighter one would think they would have more power and wealth, but they don’t. 

In the least industrialized countries income isn’t a major determining factor of social class. In those countries stratification is based more on power and prestige.  In our society wealth and income play an important role in determining social class, but as we’ve seen, even though power, property and prestige normally occur together, they aren’t always evenly distributed.

 

References

Cheney, P. (2009). Stratification and the three p's. Retrieved from 
http://freebooks.uvu.edu/SOC1010/index.php/09.html

CliffsNotes.com. What Divides Us: Stratification. 28 Oct 2011
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26879.html

Tu, D. (2009, August 02). Top 10 most (& least) prestigious jobs in america: How much they earn and     how to land them [Web log message]. Retrieved from         
http://www.billshrink.com/blog/4556/best-worst-jobs-america/

SOC 100 - Discussion Posts Day Five

Okay, here is the final discussion post. This series of posts are related to the "Children of the Plains" video presented by 20/20. This was a very good video, I thought, on the Lakota in the Pine Ridge reservation of South Dakota. See the other posts to get the full list of discussion questions. Here is the final question: Day five:  Draw your own conclusions from the video about the little girl and the middle school boy, will they succeed? and here is my post:

The boy, Robert Looks Twice, has strong character. He’s honest, hardworking and is on a good path in life. He’s determined to overcome the odds. He’s quarterback on the football team, student council president of his class and he dreams of better things. These are all admirable for any 12 year old in any ethnic group.  He’s in a difficult situation on the reservation, but is very intelligent and wise for his age. Just the fact that he knows his struggles are making him stronger is a good indication to me that he’ll succeed. I think he’ll do his best to stay away from drugs and alcohol and I think he’ll try his best to go far in his education and even graduate college. He has some opportunities out there and with just a little help from others he has a chance to succeed. I think his elders will give him the support he needs and he’ll continue to do well. I’m very hopeful for him; he’s a modern day warrior.
The little girl, Louise, has had a tough time. She’s already tried marijuana, to commit suicide and she still has thoughts of it according to the picture she drew. I’m very sad for her and she needs a good support system to overcome this. Her psychologist is a long way away and she probably doesn’t have many sessions with him. She is fragile and she doesn’t eat well at home. Her home environment is sad, because her mother drinks and her home is cold. On the bright side she is good in math and has a bright personality. She seems to keep her head up and the teachers, school counselor and principle of her school watch over her. Even though things are tough now I think with a good support system and people watching over she can survive and succeed. I sincerely hope she does. Heather Thompson, from a neighboring tribe graduated from Harvard law. With a role model like that Louise can succeed. Those role models can teach Louise resilience.

SOC 100 - Discussion Posts Day Four

Day four: Derive from the four theories about prejudice your own theory as to why Pine Ridge Sioux are in the social condition they are living. Here's my post:

It’s a combination of things.  I can see that sometimes they use a scapegoat. They blame their social condition on others, white people, the gov’t, businesses, and educational institutions. People often unfairly blame their troubles on another or a scapegoat. Frustrated, people strike out and look for someone to blame.
Our society is full of authoritarian people who believe that things are either right or wrong and ambiguity disturbs them. They get disturbed when they see norms and values that are different from their own. The authoritarian views people who are different as inferior and this assures them that their own position is right. I think this is what happened to the Native Americans when Europeans settled in their land. They saw the Native Americans as being different and couldn’t understand it, so they viewed the Native Americans as inferior. That’s how the prejudice started and it didn’t stop there, they killed them and ran them off their land.
In another theory functionalist’s show, “Prejudice becomes practically irresistible when state machinery is used to advance the cause of hatred. To produce prejudice, the Nazis harnessed government agencies, the schools, police, courts, and mass media. The results were devastating.” We can see how functional it was for our gov’t, who wanted the land and resources from the Native Americans, to use its power to advance hatred toward the Native people. I think the Pine Ridge Sioux are in the social condition they’re in, because of the campaign waged against them years ago by the federal gov’t. Conflict theorists focus on how groups compete for scarce resources and in the case of the Native Americans I believe it was the land, gold in the Black Hills and buffalo. At that time Europeans, French, and others saw themselves as able to make gains only at the expense of the Native Americans. They still haven’t recovered from the devastation.
When we label a group it affects the way we see people. Labels cause selective perception as it states in our textbook. Long ago people started labeling the Native Americans and using horrible words such as savages, dirty, and lazy. That really affected how people perceived them and even though it’s better today, it’s taken a long time to correct those awful labels. I think the Lakota Sioux are still feeling the repercussions of those labels. In the video it shows how some businesses still today don’t want to hire Native Americans. Also, it shows how difficult it is for them to start a business. As the textbook states, “If we apply a label to a group, we tend to perceive its members as all alike.”
Finally, I think some of it may be contributed to labeling and self-fulfilling stereotypes. The Native Americans were labeled as lazy a long time ago, and not deserving good jobs. Being denied good jobs they got what they could and it wasn’t the best of things. People see the social condition they’re in and then the cycle starts all over again. The discrimination that created the “laziness” in the first place passes unnoticed (Henslin, 2011). The Pine Ridge Sioux aren’t in the social condition they’re in because they want to be, it’s because of a lot of different factors. It’ll take some time and some good people like the children we saw in the video to change things.