Week 10: Blog Entry on Race and Ethnicity Topics

Racism has been an issue that has plagued our country since its birth.  To think that racial inequality no longer exists is to think that air is not needed for one’s survival. The website on the internment of Japanese Americans was a great informational website that delved into the history and American conflicts during WW II.

I was both shocked and appalled at the degree of racism both Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals were forced to bear. What was most disturbing was that even though our government had no evidence to support claims that Japanese Americans or Japanese nationals were spies, these individuals were forced out of their homes and into lowly concentration camps with armed guards. President Roosevelt ignored reports from various organizations like the FBI and the Naval Intelligence that there wasn’t a need to round up those of Japanese descent and incarcerate them.  FBI director J. Edgar Hoover stated, “… the decision to evacuate was… based primarily on public and political pressures rather than factual data.”

How could this happen in the United States of America? How could this happen in a land that believed “innocent until proven guilty”? This happened because racism back during the WW II era was still widely accepted. The only difference between then and now is that racism is implicit whereas back then it was explicit. The website on the internment of Japanese Americans was an eye opener for me. Studying and learning history is essential in preventing history from repeating itself.

Week 9: Social Construction of Gender

Gender inequality exists in the United States. Today, gender inequality prevails implicitly rather than explicitly.  Our textbook teaches that gender inequality is learned through socialization.  How true that is! From an early age children are taught boys are stronger while girls are the weaker sex.  Boys are given trucks and video games while girls are given Barbie dolls and little kid-sized kitchens.  Males and females are expected to fill different roles in society from the moment they’re born. Now, is this right? Well, I’m on middle ground here.  Although I believe God created men and women differently, I also believe we are equal.

On the other hand, some women enjoy being objectified.  They enjoy the attention and perks it may bring.  It is not only men downplay a woman’s value. Now is the time to change that.

I am what some would call a liberal feminist. I believe that men and women should be treated equally politically and legally.  No more to men receiving a higher salary than a woman who has the same qualifications than him! No more to a woman being expected to be Susie homemaker! I support a family organization, but I also support gender equality.

Week 8: Global Inequality

Global inequality affects our everyday life. It affects us because all countries are interknit as each affects one another. Mexico is far behind the United States when it comes to power and success in riches. In film Food Inc, Mexican workers were recruited to come to the United States to work for a meat company.  That same meat company that recruited those people later turned them in to immigration and customs.

Another place where such crimes of global inequality are being committed is in China.  American factories move most manufacturing businesses overseas where working conditions and minimum pay cost them the least therefore yielding a far higher profit.  In that scenario, while the company benefits, the victims are those workers. Those victims are forced to tolerate such miserable treatment since in many cases that job is the best job around.  Everyday third world country citizens are being exploited to further riches of world powers such as the US. 

Such outrageous acts don’t affect just the foreigners…it also affects Americans here in our country! These manufacturing jobs going overseas bring forth one more American unemployed.  Here is where global inequality falls into place.  Those examples are an injustice that needs to be rectified.

Week 7: Social Class

Segregation in the United States was abolished years ago, yet at some levels it still exists.  Race is not the only contributing factor for segregation. Segregation is separation of race, CLASS, or ethnicity.  The US is known as the land of opportunity.  It’s common belief that a young child from a poor background may one day grow up to be President.  Here in this great land, anything is possible.  

Unfortunately, regardless of all the endless possibilities, segregation of class still exists.  According to our textbook, separation exists from the working class, middle class, and upper class. But it also applies to children.  At school, social class is marked by brands of clothing or the latest technology the student owns.  Cliques form based on similar characteristics.  Among those characteristics are possessions.  Kids hang out with other kids from a similar social class, because they best relate to those kids. As lamentable as it is, social class matters.

Social class in the United States matters on so many levels.  Some choose to not be seen with or associate with certain people in fear of being lowered in status.  Others associate with people of a certain class to elevate status or to be seen as charitable. Social class matters because those of higher social class have better access to a higher quality education and therefore better opportunities in life.

The PBS website People Like Us was both decorative in style and informative in knowledge. The website had stories, games, and resources available.  I believe that it’s important to know there is an issue in order to fix it.  PBS is known as an educational organization. It addressed quite well the issue of social class.

Week Six: Changing Social Connections

Today Americans are far more isolated due to technology than ever before.  We have so much available such as phones, webcams, and social networking websites. It’s easier to utilize the technology available than to actually make time for others in this fast paced society.

Technology hinders growth of socialization and builds a freedom to personify something they’re not.  Ever heard of the country song by Brad Paisley “Online”?  The lyrics are so true as to what could and probably is happening.  Technology enables people to pretend they’re something they’re not. Who’s to know better? Americans need to be careful with depending too heavily on technology.  Many are becoming socially awkward when it comes to face to face time.  Let’s not forget the importance of physical interaction!

On the other hand, technology can be a good thing.  Many such as soldiers and Marines that are away from home depend on technology to keep in touch with family.  Telephone calls, text messages, webcam videos over Skype, social networking on Facebook and so much more are a blessing.  These avenues of communication are like glue that keeps families or groups of friends together.

Technology has both pros and cons.  It’s something that like everything else can be abused if overused.

Week Five: The Criminal Justice System

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies 2007, the United States has the highest incarceration rates when compared to fourteen other countries.  How is this possible when the United States is a world leader? How can we police nations when we can't manage to police our own?  Over the past forty years the state and federal prison population has increased dramatically based on information provided by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics.

In my last sociology class we watched "Waiting For Superman".  In that documentary I learned that more taxpayer's money is spent on jails rather than on schools.  Ridiculous!!!!

Instead of focusing so much on prisoners, we should be focusing on our future- the children!  Children are impressionable, soaking up the good and the bad.

The government should enforce harsher punishment on criminals which would deter them from committing the crime in the first place.  Our government should invest more resources on our children.  Preventive care is far more inexpensive than damage repair.

Week Four: Nature vs Nurture

For years there has been a debate on nature versus nurture.  Is a person a product of their parents’ genes or is that person a product of his parents’ nurture?  There is evidence to support either claim.  As for me, I believe that both nature and nurture play a big role in how a person turns out.

I’ve always enjoyed observing others. I observe how they react to situations.  Then I wonder why they chose what they chose.  If a child from a broken home ends up bouncing from foster home to foster home until he turns of legal age and is thrown out to the real world, unequipped, turns out to be a “low life,” is that to be expected?  Would you expect a person from the same situation to grow up to be a successful contributing citizen? Most would probably not think he could end up well.  But why?  Was it because of his environment?  Were his parents uneducated, lazy or disgusting?  What if he succeeded even though his parents were unfit in all ways to be a parent?

When I was young, my mother did foster care.  I’ve seen children come in and out of our home over the years.  Some were helped, but not all.  Not all of those children’s parents were awful. Sometimes life just happened.

Humans have free will.  Although our experiences or nurture may influence our decisions, ultimately it falls upon the individual to choose his path.

A man doesn’t commit murder because he has a “killer gene”.  A man may kill because he chose that.  Although he may have had a mental illness which is inherited through nature, in the end, its up to that man. Nature and nurture go hand in hand, but in most cases, free will is the deciding factor.