Struggles are part of all of our lives. This time, many college students are struggling with school related areas such as studying for finals, planning vacations, and looking for summer jobs. Others may have family issues, relationship problems, or financial difficulties. Whatever the struggles are, no two people are experiencing the same situation and ,therefore, don't know the other's story.
In today's society, many people make an attempt to turn their own experiences into the same situation someone else is dealing with in order to help. I will be the first to admit that I have done this and I now realize that this may not be the best approach in helping with another's struggles. Unless the bond between the two of you is extremely strong, everything may not be able to be talked about and all the facts may not be presented. In cases when you're a bystander, situations like this may have you judging and assuming what the other person is experiencing and going through. I had a tendency to do this, but I have gotten much better at this. I don't know everything that goes on in someone else's life, and I definitely do not expect to. If I am asked to provide my perspective and help then I will, otherwise I make an attempt not to "judge the book by its cover." It's not fair to put myself in another's shoes when I have not shared the same experiences to form opinions.
To lighten the mood...
Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then when you judge them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes :)
Why would you wanna walk in someone else's shoes? They might not fit!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Hamline Inequality
One of Hamline's greatest qualities is its unique diversity. Hamline prides itself on being a very diverse university and is located in a very diverse neighborhood. However, with diversity come inequality. The inequality factor may not be as noticeable at Hamline to some, but I can definitely see it.
Three topics of inequality outlined in the sociology book were social class, race and ethnicity, and sex and gender. Social class may be the most difficult to view, but it ultimately may have the greatest effect on Hamline's student body. Hamline's liberal arts education has a great reputation, but also is very expensive. There are students here that have parents with deep pockets who are able to finance entire educations without feeling the burden. On the other end of the spectrum, there are students who are barely managing to make ends meet and pay for their education. Luckily, Hamline has a great scholarship and loan program that will help all students be able to afford and receive the excellent liberal arts education that they all deserve.
Race and ethnicity have been the topic of inequality I had the least amount of exposure to coming from a small town. I was hardly exposed to those of different race and culture than my own while living in Windom. Coming to Hamline has exposed me to MANY!!! different races and cultures. Here I have learned the beliefs and way of life of a few students, taping into what their daily lives consist of and the obstacles they must overcome. From my experiences, I have seen little, if any, racial discrimination while at Hamline, something I am very proud to be a part of. Although racial discrimination is a worldwide problem that will never be solved, we can attempt to solve it here at home.
Sex and gender is another topic I didn't have a ton of exposure to. Males and females were predominately treated equal, from what I saw anyway. I was never exposed to those who viewed themselves as LGBTQ, but that quickly changed when I arrived at Hamline. I wasn't sure how I would react to those sharing different beliefs in this area than me, but throughout the process I have developed friendships with them and have learned much about them. Their beliefs and attributes may be different than me and what I'm accustomed to, but they're people just like me. We're all equal.
Three topics of inequality outlined in the sociology book were social class, race and ethnicity, and sex and gender. Social class may be the most difficult to view, but it ultimately may have the greatest effect on Hamline's student body. Hamline's liberal arts education has a great reputation, but also is very expensive. There are students here that have parents with deep pockets who are able to finance entire educations without feeling the burden. On the other end of the spectrum, there are students who are barely managing to make ends meet and pay for their education. Luckily, Hamline has a great scholarship and loan program that will help all students be able to afford and receive the excellent liberal arts education that they all deserve.
Race and ethnicity have been the topic of inequality I had the least amount of exposure to coming from a small town. I was hardly exposed to those of different race and culture than my own while living in Windom. Coming to Hamline has exposed me to MANY!!! different races and cultures. Here I have learned the beliefs and way of life of a few students, taping into what their daily lives consist of and the obstacles they must overcome. From my experiences, I have seen little, if any, racial discrimination while at Hamline, something I am very proud to be a part of. Although racial discrimination is a worldwide problem that will never be solved, we can attempt to solve it here at home.
Sex and gender is another topic I didn't have a ton of exposure to. Males and females were predominately treated equal, from what I saw anyway. I was never exposed to those who viewed themselves as LGBTQ, but that quickly changed when I arrived at Hamline. I wasn't sure how I would react to those sharing different beliefs in this area than me, but throughout the process I have developed friendships with them and have learned much about them. Their beliefs and attributes may be different than me and what I'm accustomed to, but they're people just like me. We're all equal.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
I Love You, Man
I Love You, Man is a great movie. Just throwing that out there! The plot line and characters are intriguing and although random at some points in time, flow together to create a great male bonding flick. Looking past this, I noticed that the character of Sydney Fife is very much portrayed as a social deviant.
Sydney Fife, played by Jason Segal, is indeed a very interesting character. He is first introduced at a real estate open house and he admits that he is only attending in an effort to chill in expensive houses, get free food, and pick up divorced women. He also enjoys taking frequent walks with this dog on the beautiful Santa Monica pier, never failing to let his dog "do his business" wherever he pleases. "It's just nature taking it's course," he tells those unlucky enough to walk through the droppings. Although living in California, Sydney wears long sleeved dress shirts, camo cut off shorts, and Ugg boots (most definitely not typical California apparel). At his best friend's engagement party, he gives the lucky couple a toast. However, he goes on to state, with all relatives present, that his friend's fiance fails to perform oral sex on him enough. He later takes $8000 from his best friend as a loan to put up scandalous billboards of his friend, in an effort to increase publicity for his real estate company.
Clearly, Sydney is made out to be a deviant in this movie. Deviance, by definition, refers to socially disapproved behavior or the violation of agreed-upon norms of society. I don't see Sydney as a deviant, though. He is just a normal guy expressing his individuality in his own unique way. Although his behavior and antics clearly do against social norms, he believes this behavior is normal and, therefore, acceptable. One day, Sydney's behavior may be viewed as normal and those involving themselves in behavior that are normal today will be attributed as deviant. Let's hope that never happens!
Sydney Fife, played by Jason Segal, is indeed a very interesting character. He is first introduced at a real estate open house and he admits that he is only attending in an effort to chill in expensive houses, get free food, and pick up divorced women. He also enjoys taking frequent walks with this dog on the beautiful Santa Monica pier, never failing to let his dog "do his business" wherever he pleases. "It's just nature taking it's course," he tells those unlucky enough to walk through the droppings. Although living in California, Sydney wears long sleeved dress shirts, camo cut off shorts, and Ugg boots (most definitely not typical California apparel). At his best friend's engagement party, he gives the lucky couple a toast. However, he goes on to state, with all relatives present, that his friend's fiance fails to perform oral sex on him enough. He later takes $8000 from his best friend as a loan to put up scandalous billboards of his friend, in an effort to increase publicity for his real estate company.
Clearly, Sydney is made out to be a deviant in this movie. Deviance, by definition, refers to socially disapproved behavior or the violation of agreed-upon norms of society. I don't see Sydney as a deviant, though. He is just a normal guy expressing his individuality in his own unique way. Although his behavior and antics clearly do against social norms, he believes this behavior is normal and, therefore, acceptable. One day, Sydney's behavior may be viewed as normal and those involving themselves in behavior that are normal today will be attributed as deviant. Let's hope that never happens!
Defining Moments
I attended my younger brother's high school graduation this past weekend, and I quickly took notice to the speech directed to the senior class. Mr. Joyce, a social studies teacher, was chosen to deliver the last message to the seniors before they received their diplomas.
Joyce spoke of the defining moments he shared with the senior class. His first class he ever taught at Windom was with this group of seniors, then 7th graders, and he shared that as one of his defining moments that have shaped him to be the teacher he is today. During the speech, I began to think what defining moments shaped me and helped form my identity. I think of the opportunity to be brought up to the varsity level in high school as a freshman and sophomore to be an important moment in my development as an athlete. Never would I have though that I would be playing sports in college, only in my wildest dreams. A little moment in second grade may have well influenced by progression as a student. Being one of only four students admitted to the "Challenge Program," there was a standard set early in my educational process that I have the ability to be a very good student and I should do anything possible to exceed this expectation.
His speech touched many, as I could tell looking around at nearby faces in the crowd. His words of persistence, reaching for the stars, and a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude will no doubt propel many seniors, and audience members as well, to fulfill their craziest ambitions and to chase their dreams. Robert Griffin III, the recent #2 pick in this year's NFL draft, is a prime example of this. Struggles throughout his life have aspired to being named the Heisman Trophy winner in college football last season. Griffin once dreamt of winning this prestigious trophy and being drafted in the NFL, and now this is all true. His RG3, however, takes Joyce's message to the next level. Griffin said, "Don't just go chase your dream. Go catch your dream." He wore his motto proudly on his socks during the draft day festivities.
My question to you is, what moments define you?
Joyce spoke of the defining moments he shared with the senior class. His first class he ever taught at Windom was with this group of seniors, then 7th graders, and he shared that as one of his defining moments that have shaped him to be the teacher he is today. During the speech, I began to think what defining moments shaped me and helped form my identity. I think of the opportunity to be brought up to the varsity level in high school as a freshman and sophomore to be an important moment in my development as an athlete. Never would I have though that I would be playing sports in college, only in my wildest dreams. A little moment in second grade may have well influenced by progression as a student. Being one of only four students admitted to the "Challenge Program," there was a standard set early in my educational process that I have the ability to be a very good student and I should do anything possible to exceed this expectation.
His speech touched many, as I could tell looking around at nearby faces in the crowd. His words of persistence, reaching for the stars, and a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude will no doubt propel many seniors, and audience members as well, to fulfill their craziest ambitions and to chase their dreams. Robert Griffin III, the recent #2 pick in this year's NFL draft, is a prime example of this. Struggles throughout his life have aspired to being named the Heisman Trophy winner in college football last season. Griffin once dreamt of winning this prestigious trophy and being drafted in the NFL, and now this is all true. His RG3, however, takes Joyce's message to the next level. Griffin said, "Don't just go chase your dream. Go catch your dream." He wore his motto proudly on his socks during the draft day festivities.
The Old Saying
The old saying "It's not what you know, it's who you know" presented itself as a sociological topic while reading about social class inequality. Social class, whether we like it or not, has the ability to push us in one direction or another when it comes to opportunities in society. The stratification lines distinguish one class from another, and with it, opportunities and exposure as well.
Ideals of hard work will get you to a place you want to be isn't going to be prevalent in the future. In more and more cases, low social background individuals are being overlooked for pistons in the workforce by interview teams, who instead turn their attention to the high class individuals with influential parents. Eventually, the children of higher class individuals will have a much higher advantage in the workforce competition than those of lower class parents. This eliminates the idea so ingrained into many children's minds at a young age, that they can be anything they want to be. Hardworking, diligent individuals born into low class families have a much lower chance to be hired in high profile job setting. Parents are now faced with a tough decision, do I tell my child that they may not be able to be in a successful job because of our social background? This is entirely unfair because everyone should have equal opportunity to prove their worth and ability in a job setting. High qualified job applicants are passed up to make room for the CEO's golf buddy's son, who has limited experience in the field. Is this what society has become? If so, we may be in trouble.
Social background will be the eventual criteria that determines who will get the job, not the old-fashioned ideals of hard work and personal sacrifice.
Ideals of hard work will get you to a place you want to be isn't going to be prevalent in the future. In more and more cases, low social background individuals are being overlooked for pistons in the workforce by interview teams, who instead turn their attention to the high class individuals with influential parents. Eventually, the children of higher class individuals will have a much higher advantage in the workforce competition than those of lower class parents. This eliminates the idea so ingrained into many children's minds at a young age, that they can be anything they want to be. Hardworking, diligent individuals born into low class families have a much lower chance to be hired in high profile job setting. Parents are now faced with a tough decision, do I tell my child that they may not be able to be in a successful job because of our social background? This is entirely unfair because everyone should have equal opportunity to prove their worth and ability in a job setting. High qualified job applicants are passed up to make room for the CEO's golf buddy's son, who has limited experience in the field. Is this what society has become? If so, we may be in trouble.
Social background will be the eventual criteria that determines who will get the job, not the old-fashioned ideals of hard work and personal sacrifice.
Rooney Rule
One sociological topic that was addressed in detail was the topic of racial discrimination. Racial discrimination will take place no matter what happens, but there are many organizations and groups fighting to make racial injustice a thing of the past. The National Football League (NFL) implemented a rule in an effort to eliminate an unbalanced ratio of minorities and whites in high-profile positions.
The Rooney Rule was created by the NFL in 2003 and requires a team to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions, as well as front-office jobs within the organization. The majority of the cases have to do with the hiring of head coaches. This rule has created many opportunities for minority coaches, as rates have climbed dramatically since the implication of the rule. Mike Tomlin, an African American coach, was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers and soon led them to a Super Bowl title. Ironically, the Rooney Rule is named after Dan Rooney, the owner and chairman of the Steelers.
Unfortunately, there have been a few cases in which the Rooney Rule has been implicated against the stated ideals. In 2003 the Detroit Lions were fined for failing to interview a minority candidate after their previous coach was fired, and Steve Mariucci, a white coach, was immediately hired. The Lions appealed their fine after saying that they attempted to interview African American coaches; however, they declined the interviews in part because the hiring of Mariucci was inevitable. In a more recent case, the New Orleans Saints were looking for an interim coach to replace Sean Payton, who was suspended for the 2012-2013 season. Payton's choice for his replacement was his mentor, Bill Parcells. Parcells is a Hall of Fame coach with a long legacy in the NFL. However, this potential hiring caused some uproar in regards to complying with the Rooney Rule in the same way as the Lions case.
There have been cases in which the Rooney Rule has been used in the way it was intended to be and in which the spirit of the rule has been challenged. In my person opinion, I believe this is a great rule but their needs to be accountability for those who fail to abide by the rules in the correct manner. There have been countless cases of success for an organization after hiring a minority coach and the rate keeps going up. The teams that fail to abide by the correct means of the rule have compromised the integrity of the rule and have unfairly not given a minority candidate an opportunity to be a head coach, even if he is highly qualified. The league needs to create stricter guidelines on this rule because I am a firm believer that minority candidates have the exact same possibility for success as a white coach.
The Rooney Rule was created by the NFL in 2003 and requires a team to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions, as well as front-office jobs within the organization. The majority of the cases have to do with the hiring of head coaches. This rule has created many opportunities for minority coaches, as rates have climbed dramatically since the implication of the rule. Mike Tomlin, an African American coach, was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers and soon led them to a Super Bowl title. Ironically, the Rooney Rule is named after Dan Rooney, the owner and chairman of the Steelers.
There have been cases in which the Rooney Rule has been used in the way it was intended to be and in which the spirit of the rule has been challenged. In my person opinion, I believe this is a great rule but their needs to be accountability for those who fail to abide by the rules in the correct manner. There have been countless cases of success for an organization after hiring a minority coach and the rate keeps going up. The teams that fail to abide by the correct means of the rule have compromised the integrity of the rule and have unfairly not given a minority candidate an opportunity to be a head coach, even if he is highly qualified. The league needs to create stricter guidelines on this rule because I am a firm believer that minority candidates have the exact same possibility for success as a white coach.
Sociology in Everyday Life
Throughout this semester, I have learned many different aspects that go into studying sociology. I never realized how broad of a spectrum sociology covers. Any behavior by humans essentially falls into potential study subjects under the topic of sociology! I am very grateful I took this class and was able to explore and broaden by horizons in the way I look at human behavior.
During this semester, I have seen a change in my behavior in regards to society and how I wish to perceive myself. Topics such as race inequality, social and political structures, and social deviance have come up many times in conversation and the knowledge I have gained through this course has propelled me to voice my opinions with others much more than I used to. Becoming more comfortable in settings where these topics are being discussed has been a key aspect of my process in sociological learning this semester.
I also have started to construct a more visible identity of who I am and who I wish to be. Socialization has showed me what society wants me to be. Although I have made an attempt to adapt to a persona of what society demands of me, I have always struck out on my own and formed the identity that I want to be seen.
Parents, teachers, friends, and family all have different views of what they wish us to be in society. However, none of that matters if our own vision of "self" isn't what we want. We are the ones who make choices in an effort to form our identity and although others may influence us, it's ultimately our decision how to create who we are. Our stepping stones in this process shows a prime example of how sociology is in every aspect of our life, whether we know it or not.
During this semester, I have seen a change in my behavior in regards to society and how I wish to perceive myself. Topics such as race inequality, social and political structures, and social deviance have come up many times in conversation and the knowledge I have gained through this course has propelled me to voice my opinions with others much more than I used to. Becoming more comfortable in settings where these topics are being discussed has been a key aspect of my process in sociological learning this semester.
I also have started to construct a more visible identity of who I am and who I wish to be. Socialization has showed me what society wants me to be. Although I have made an attempt to adapt to a persona of what society demands of me, I have always struck out on my own and formed the identity that I want to be seen.
Parents, teachers, friends, and family all have different views of what they wish us to be in society. However, none of that matters if our own vision of "self" isn't what we want. We are the ones who make choices in an effort to form our identity and although others may influence us, it's ultimately our decision how to create who we are. Our stepping stones in this process shows a prime example of how sociology is in every aspect of our life, whether we know it or not.
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