While reading Chapter 12 of the textbook this week, I took notice that the author spent a decent portion of the chapter on rape. Throughout the section dedicated to the topic, I realized that it was entirely about the rape of women. Never once did he mention the rape of men during his writing. Although statistics prove that females are victims at a significantly higher rate than men (9 out of every 10), there is still the possibility that a male can be a victim of rape.
Shows dedicated to the police investigation of rape, such as Law & Order : Special Victims Unit, have become more prevalent on television today. I am not a hardcore SVU fan, but I do watch it occasionally. In all the episodes I have watched, I have NEVER EVER witnessed an episode where an adult male was a victim of a rape. Every episode was focused on the rape of women and/or children of both genders. The media is giving a false idea that only females and children can be victims of rape. Rape is classified as a victim being unable or unwilling to consent to sex. A man can be raped if he is:
1) impaired by drugs or alcohol
2) under the age of consent (16-18 in most states)
3) physically handicapped or limited
4) physically forced or coerced by a woman
There have been numerous cases of statutory rape in schools regarding a female teacher and a male student. In many of these cases, the female teachers do not face punishments as harsh as would have been presented if the perpetrator was a male. For instance, a New Jersey schoolteacher pled guilty to sexual assault charges in 2005 and was sentenced to probation and wasn't require to register as a sex offender. She wasn't fired from her job; instead, she was given an early retirement package that increased her pension. Think this same process would be taken if a male teacher had been convicted? I don't think so.
However, there are countries in which men cannot be viewed as victims of rape. In Zimbabwe, three women were convicted of 17 counts of aggravated indecent assault instead of rape because the country doesn't recognize the act of a woman raping a man. One victim stated that water was thrown in his face upon receiving a ride with the woman and was injected with something that provided him with a strong sexual desire. He was then made to have sex with them multiple times using condoms each time. Condoms
were used by the perpetrators to catch the sperm that the women allegedly used to in rituals that claim to make people wealthy. Since the report of the male rapes, many men have rejected the idea of hitch hiking and have went to riding buses to get around. These men are currently facing the same issues that a female rape victim would have to endure. Cases of denial, self-blaming, depression, and suicidal thoughts have been recognized in these rape victims.
Although not as prevalent, men are still the targets and can be victims of rape. In my opinion, our textbook and our society do not do a good job in portraying men as victims, only as perpetrators.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Experiencing Race for the First Time
Coming from a small farming community in rural Minnesota, I had not been extremely exposed to races, other than my own, growing up. Sure there were a handful of Hispanics and Somalians living in Windom, but I never really had much interaction with these people of a different race. All I had to go off of on how these people lived and behaved was stereotypes and generalizations I had heard from the news or from others within my own race.
My college search eventually led me to Hamline, a place that prides itself on diversity in all walks of life, race included. Here I was given first hand experience into meeting and interacting with those who looked "just a little bit different" than myself or those I had become accustomed to. At first, I was hesitant to begin building bonds with those who looked different than be, basing my decision off of the mainly negative stereotypes I had myself generated through my lifetime. But being in a place like Hamline has really provided me with a great opportunity to see what these people really have to offer.
I have been forming bonds with those of other races and ethnicities more often now that I have been accepted as a New Student Mentor. The New Student Mentor group prides itself on being a diverse group, and I feel safe to say that we definitely fit the bill. We have people from different backgrounds, religions, political parties, races, you name it we probably got it! Throwing away my negative stereotypes of other races from my previous years, I have developed good friendships with people of other races.
In this development of new friendships, I have been given an opportunity to see how people of races other than my own live their lives. Many of them have shared personal stories with me about the obstacles they have overcame and the criticism and suffering they've endured just because they are of a color other than the predominant white. Looking back, I have now gained a great understanding for the difficulties being of a different race. I can't say I'm an expert; however, because I haven't yet been placed in a situation where I am the minority race. But I do have a feeling for what my new friends have been through in their struggle in our racist, stereotypical society. We as a society have the ability to overlook race and color, as well as many other topics separating us from one another, but we just need to do it. I have overlooked race and am super glad I did because I have formed friendships and learned that I am no different than my friends of a different race. Yes, they have been exposed to different situations due to the fact that they are not the majority, but all of us are the same. Inside we are all the same color; we all bleed red.
My college search eventually led me to Hamline, a place that prides itself on diversity in all walks of life, race included. Here I was given first hand experience into meeting and interacting with those who looked "just a little bit different" than myself or those I had become accustomed to. At first, I was hesitant to begin building bonds with those who looked different than be, basing my decision off of the mainly negative stereotypes I had myself generated through my lifetime. But being in a place like Hamline has really provided me with a great opportunity to see what these people really have to offer.
I have been forming bonds with those of other races and ethnicities more often now that I have been accepted as a New Student Mentor. The New Student Mentor group prides itself on being a diverse group, and I feel safe to say that we definitely fit the bill. We have people from different backgrounds, religions, political parties, races, you name it we probably got it! Throwing away my negative stereotypes of other races from my previous years, I have developed good friendships with people of other races.
In this development of new friendships, I have been given an opportunity to see how people of races other than my own live their lives. Many of them have shared personal stories with me about the obstacles they have overcame and the criticism and suffering they've endured just because they are of a color other than the predominant white. Looking back, I have now gained a great understanding for the difficulties being of a different race. I can't say I'm an expert; however, because I haven't yet been placed in a situation where I am the minority race. But I do have a feeling for what my new friends have been through in their struggle in our racist, stereotypical society. We as a society have the ability to overlook race and color, as well as many other topics separating us from one another, but we just need to do it. I have overlooked race and am super glad I did because I have formed friendships and learned that I am no different than my friends of a different race. Yes, they have been exposed to different situations due to the fact that they are not the majority, but all of us are the same. Inside we are all the same color; we all bleed red.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Reaching the Poverty Line
I recently looked into a variety of estimates for goods and services costs that a family of four would need to function at a minimum subsistence level in my hometown of Windom, Minnesota. Both parents are employed, the oldest child is 7 and in elementary school, and the youngest is 3 and require daycare during the day.
The federal government's cutoff for the official poverty line is around $22,113. After compiling my list of what I though were essential for this family to function, I realized my numbers came in significantly higher than the poverty line. My estimate was around $31,002. My estimate calculations were broken down by category into yearly costs.
Childcare/School - $9885 (average cost of child care in MN)
Car insurance - $1000
Phone/Cable/Internet - $717 (Windomnet rates)
Health insurance - $2400
Food - $5840 ($4/person/day)
Clothes - $960 ($20/person/month)
Housing - $9600 ($800 rent&utilities/month for 2 bedroom apartment)
Miscellaneous - $600
Total - $31,002
Poverty Line - $22,113
Amount over Poverty Line - $8,889
I included these goods and services because I figured that a family of four would be able to get by with just these essentials. I also decided to add in a "Miscellaneous" category as sort of a catch-all section where a wide variety of things could fall into (entertainment, gas, sickness, etc...). The categories of car and health insurance were quite difficult to predict, since I pay for neither of these. My guess is that these values are too low, but I made my best guess in this situation. I gave the family the benefit of the doubt that they had a car and it had been paid for.
It would be extremely difficult for me to cut anything in order to reach the poverty line. Childcare expenses must remain about the same because of the 3 year old requiring care during the day. Food and clothing have a little room to move; however, there isn't much give there. It would potentially be possible to find less expensive housing and utilities, but it would have to be drastic in order to reach the poverty line. The biggest area of potential decreases is within the insurance categories. I suppose insurance isn't completely necessary, but I believe it to be an essential.
This family would have a very difficult time being able to maintain a comfortable life. They are too poor to be able to afford to do much splurging on items such as a vacation, a new car, or even something as simple as a night out on the town. On the other hand, they make too much money to reap the benefits of being under the poverty line.
Being in this awkward position clearly affects the family as a whole, but may have the greatest impact on the kids. Their parents won't be able to keep up college fund for them, give them an allowance to spend money on what they want, or provide them with some items that are a part of many childhoods, things such as a ball, a glove, and a bike. Although many schools, including my hometown of Windom, have programs set up that will help defray some of the costs to enroll kids in summer recreation activities, these kids may not be able to receive all the coaching and help needed to be outstanding in any particular area. The two children will receive a public school education, have to work part-time at a young age to pay for what they want and help out the family, and will either end up joining with work force full-time directly after graduation or going to a community college. As in any case, it is possible that these kids will be able to overcome all these obstacles placed in front of them and have a successful academic or athletic life, but the cards are against them.
The federal government's cutoff for the official poverty line is around $22,113. After compiling my list of what I though were essential for this family to function, I realized my numbers came in significantly higher than the poverty line. My estimate was around $31,002. My estimate calculations were broken down by category into yearly costs.
Childcare/School - $9885 (average cost of child care in MN)
Car insurance - $1000
Phone/Cable/Internet - $717 (Windomnet rates)
Health insurance - $2400
Food - $5840 ($4/person/day)
Clothes - $960 ($20/person/month)
Housing - $9600 ($800 rent&utilities/month for 2 bedroom apartment)
Miscellaneous - $600
Total - $31,002
Poverty Line - $22,113
Amount over Poverty Line - $8,889
I included these goods and services because I figured that a family of four would be able to get by with just these essentials. I also decided to add in a "Miscellaneous" category as sort of a catch-all section where a wide variety of things could fall into (entertainment, gas, sickness, etc...). The categories of car and health insurance were quite difficult to predict, since I pay for neither of these. My guess is that these values are too low, but I made my best guess in this situation. I gave the family the benefit of the doubt that they had a car and it had been paid for.
It would be extremely difficult for me to cut anything in order to reach the poverty line. Childcare expenses must remain about the same because of the 3 year old requiring care during the day. Food and clothing have a little room to move; however, there isn't much give there. It would potentially be possible to find less expensive housing and utilities, but it would have to be drastic in order to reach the poverty line. The biggest area of potential decreases is within the insurance categories. I suppose insurance isn't completely necessary, but I believe it to be an essential.
This family would have a very difficult time being able to maintain a comfortable life. They are too poor to be able to afford to do much splurging on items such as a vacation, a new car, or even something as simple as a night out on the town. On the other hand, they make too much money to reap the benefits of being under the poverty line.
Being in this awkward position clearly affects the family as a whole, but may have the greatest impact on the kids. Their parents won't be able to keep up college fund for them, give them an allowance to spend money on what they want, or provide them with some items that are a part of many childhoods, things such as a ball, a glove, and a bike. Although many schools, including my hometown of Windom, have programs set up that will help defray some of the costs to enroll kids in summer recreation activities, these kids may not be able to receive all the coaching and help needed to be outstanding in any particular area. The two children will receive a public school education, have to work part-time at a young age to pay for what they want and help out the family, and will either end up joining with work force full-time directly after graduation or going to a community college. As in any case, it is possible that these kids will be able to overcome all these obstacles placed in front of them and have a successful academic or athletic life, but the cards are against them.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Structure of a Student
One area in society that fits extremely well into the mold of social structure is the educational system. For years, myself and countless others have followed the plans set forth by organizations and groups in order to achieve an education. Although it seems that each organization has its own guidelines and expectations, all of these are essentially the same.
As an elementary and middle school student, things were simpler, but all actions taken in the classroom were set on one common goal, success on standardized tests. Of course individuals grades throughout the year were important, but when it came down to it, standardized tests seemed to take precedent. Weeks, if not months, of class time were spent on preparation and studying for the MCA's and Iowa Basics standardized tests. Our tests scores not only showed what we knew, but showed how effective the groups within the school system taught the material on the tests. I never experienced anything with teachers changing answers or teaching to the test (thankfully) in order to give themselves a positive impression as an instructor.
In high school things began to change towards individual abilities and success in the classroom. Classes are more lenient towards what the student wants to learn, but are still structured in a way that student's are similar. Class selection has a large impact on what a student's future may hold. It became more clear who has the intelligence and capability to be something big in the world and also who will eventually fall out and not provide much to society. Again, standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT, are critical instruments of measuring our intelligence. Even though many colleges and universities say they "don't take your ACT score into much account when determining admission or financial aid," they actually do! These tests have the ability to set out role expectations regarding the student who either did well or struggled on the tests.
The expectation many high school students have coming into college is that they are free to make their own decisions and do things that they want to experience. Partially, they are right, but on the other hand they are dead wrong. It may seem that we can choose whatever classes we want to take, but really we can't. We are all required to declare a major program of study during our college careers. A major program is set up with classes that a student HAS to take in order to achieve a major in that respective program. Certain majors, then, are set up with certain occupational fields. The college education system is set up as almost a "training and orientation" session as the first step going into the work force. Things begin to look towards the future long-term, instead of focusing on the here-and-now as was the case in younger schooling years.
As an elementary and middle school student, things were simpler, but all actions taken in the classroom were set on one common goal, success on standardized tests. Of course individuals grades throughout the year were important, but when it came down to it, standardized tests seemed to take precedent. Weeks, if not months, of class time were spent on preparation and studying for the MCA's and Iowa Basics standardized tests. Our tests scores not only showed what we knew, but showed how effective the groups within the school system taught the material on the tests. I never experienced anything with teachers changing answers or teaching to the test (thankfully) in order to give themselves a positive impression as an instructor.
In high school things began to change towards individual abilities and success in the classroom. Classes are more lenient towards what the student wants to learn, but are still structured in a way that student's are similar. Class selection has a large impact on what a student's future may hold. It became more clear who has the intelligence and capability to be something big in the world and also who will eventually fall out and not provide much to society. Again, standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT, are critical instruments of measuring our intelligence. Even though many colleges and universities say they "don't take your ACT score into much account when determining admission or financial aid," they actually do! These tests have the ability to set out role expectations regarding the student who either did well or struggled on the tests.
The expectation many high school students have coming into college is that they are free to make their own decisions and do things that they want to experience. Partially, they are right, but on the other hand they are dead wrong. It may seem that we can choose whatever classes we want to take, but really we can't. We are all required to declare a major program of study during our college careers. A major program is set up with classes that a student HAS to take in order to achieve a major in that respective program. Certain majors, then, are set up with certain occupational fields. The college education system is set up as almost a "training and orientation" session as the first step going into the work force. Things begin to look towards the future long-term, instead of focusing on the here-and-now as was the case in younger schooling years.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sticky Labels
One topic I found particularly interesting in Chapter 8 was the labeling theory. The labeling theory, by definition, is the process of being singled out, defined, and reacted to as deviant changes a person in the eyes of others and has important life consequences for the individual. Once the label sticks, others may react to the labeled deviant with rejection, suspicion, withdrawal, fear, mistrust, and hatred.
The labeling theory is a serious topic and can have serious actions along with it. When someone is given a label, it will most definitely stick. In many instances, these labels are overgeneralized and subject to only a small minority of those being labeled. There are countless occasions in which someone is grouped in with others and wrongfully labeled as a deviant, just because he or she is associated with a deviant group.
Those who receive the brunt of the sticky labels are those who have committed acts that are unlawful or portrayed as normal by society, such as rapists, murderers, burglars, and drug dealers. Although these people have been (potentially) convicted of their respective crimes, it does not mean that are terrible, deviant people. In some cases it is possible that they were wrongly accused or it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These people, through jail and other forms of service, have paid their debt to society. We do not need to further their burden and prolong their agony by placing a label on them that will stick forever.
It is stated in the text that "many employers believe that prisons do not rehabilitate but actually makes convicts more deviant...." Typically, as a society, when we see someone leaving prison, we view them as someone who WILL re-offend. I believe that by placing this label on them, we are increasing the chance that this will happen. We don't give them the chance or show a positive mentality that they most definitely have the opportunity to start over and move on from their past. However, by labeling them, we are essentially giving up on them. They see that we don't care about how and what they can bring to our society, that we can only see them as scum. In my experiences, it is more difficult to succeed when no one has faith in you. Lack of faith from others will lead to lack of faith in oneself, eventually dooming them to follow old habits.
We as a society have great difficulty in overlooking one's flaws. As an example, a high school sophomore girl goes to a party, gets wasted, and ends up sleeping with a guy. Tales of the night instantly spread, creating labels such as a "drunk", "slut" and "easy" for this sophomore girl. This was the girl's first time drinking and having sex. Does this one instance provide enough validity to label this girl as a drunk slut? Sure her behavior was deviant, but people make mistakes. She may never live down this moment and the label can follow her through the rest of her high school years. We are human; we make mistakes. One instance should not stick someone with a label and potentially change where they were heading in life. Overlooking another's mistakes is an extremely difficult thing to do; I have experienced difficulty with it lately, but it is possible to do.
It is my belief that we as a society have the ability to eliminate the use of the labeling theory, as used in a negative manner. Positive understanding and encouragement have the ability to provide those previously affected by labels to overcome their stickiness and turn over a new leaf. Mistakes will be made and labels will be created, but society has the ability to rip off the stickiness and overlook what has happened in the past.
The labeling theory is a serious topic and can have serious actions along with it. When someone is given a label, it will most definitely stick. In many instances, these labels are overgeneralized and subject to only a small minority of those being labeled. There are countless occasions in which someone is grouped in with others and wrongfully labeled as a deviant, just because he or she is associated with a deviant group.
Those who receive the brunt of the sticky labels are those who have committed acts that are unlawful or portrayed as normal by society, such as rapists, murderers, burglars, and drug dealers. Although these people have been (potentially) convicted of their respective crimes, it does not mean that are terrible, deviant people. In some cases it is possible that they were wrongly accused or it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These people, through jail and other forms of service, have paid their debt to society. We do not need to further their burden and prolong their agony by placing a label on them that will stick forever.
It is stated in the text that "many employers believe that prisons do not rehabilitate but actually makes convicts more deviant...." Typically, as a society, when we see someone leaving prison, we view them as someone who WILL re-offend. I believe that by placing this label on them, we are increasing the chance that this will happen. We don't give them the chance or show a positive mentality that they most definitely have the opportunity to start over and move on from their past. However, by labeling them, we are essentially giving up on them. They see that we don't care about how and what they can bring to our society, that we can only see them as scum. In my experiences, it is more difficult to succeed when no one has faith in you. Lack of faith from others will lead to lack of faith in oneself, eventually dooming them to follow old habits.
We as a society have great difficulty in overlooking one's flaws. As an example, a high school sophomore girl goes to a party, gets wasted, and ends up sleeping with a guy. Tales of the night instantly spread, creating labels such as a "drunk", "slut" and "easy" for this sophomore girl. This was the girl's first time drinking and having sex. Does this one instance provide enough validity to label this girl as a drunk slut? Sure her behavior was deviant, but people make mistakes. She may never live down this moment and the label can follow her through the rest of her high school years. We are human; we make mistakes. One instance should not stick someone with a label and potentially change where they were heading in life. Overlooking another's mistakes is an extremely difficult thing to do; I have experienced difficulty with it lately, but it is possible to do.
It is my belief that we as a society have the ability to eliminate the use of the labeling theory, as used in a negative manner. Positive understanding and encouragement have the ability to provide those previously affected by labels to overcome their stickiness and turn over a new leaf. Mistakes will be made and labels will be created, but society has the ability to rip off the stickiness and overlook what has happened in the past.
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