Social Class & Health

By: Elisa Ventura

It is sad to say that our health will normaly depend on social class. We all know that if you are from a poor family the last thing on our parents minds are our health. It is not their choice of course; it is only because they are too bussy worieng about paying bills and keeping their jobs. Furthermore, a wealthy person has a whole lot more access to good health care unlike the poor who don’t have as much.

According to, Hardvard University Researchers, crunched 40 years of U.S census data to reveal that the gap in death rate between the poor and the rich Americans has nearly doubled since 1980. In fact, people who earned 36,000 or less a year in 2000 faced a 64% chance of early death than those in a household bringing on 101,000 a year. It is also shocking to know that, to predict a person’s health the primarly question one would ask is “what is their social class.” I find this very disturbing.

VS.

Both of these pictures represent a healthy eating place vs. a not so healthy one. As we all know most poor people can’t afford to buy at a whole food. Nutriciouse food is highly expensive therfore; the poor class normaly has no choice but to buy from these non healthy restaraunts.

In conclusion, something should be done so that we are all equal in health and in many more things. As we know the way the sytem works, it would never be equal but those who care we can try to make a difference.

What Race Am I?

By Jennifer Harding


The definition of biracial is “of, for, or consisting of members of two races, having parents of two different races.” Personally, I think that definition is straightforward, to the point, clear and I wouldn’t have any confusion or problems understanding this. But for so many people, this definition doesn’t sit well and just doesn’t seem to be enough. I discovered an article on CNN.com about being biracial or multiracial, and it caught my attention and intrigued me to look further into this topic for my organic post.

CNN Article

I then found an article called Passing as Black: How Biracial Americans Choose Identity, and it seemed to be very eye-opening. I am in fact biracial, which most people would never guess. I am black and white and do not identify with either black or white people. I have always been raised to see myself as both, because when it comes down to it, that’s what I am. But I understand why some mixed people feel the need to identify with one race. And according to the healthland.com article, biracial Americans are choosing to identify as black.

Healthland Article

More and more we see people who belong to two or more races all over the world. There has been a 32% increase since the year 2000 and right now 9 million people are biracial or multiracial. Socially, it is accepted much more now then every before, but there are still people who don’t want races mixing. Interracial marriage wasn’t even legal until 1967, so we as a country have come a long way, but we are still so far behind. In this video, you see a man who basically “disowns” his daughter, just because she gets married to a black man.

He says that he doesn’t believe he is racist, and that he is looking out for his daughter, against the racist people who will judge and refuse to accept her and her child. When in reality, he is the exact problem that he claims to be protecting her from. It’s sad to see just how quickly a father can turn on his child when it’s regarding interracial marriage and a biracial child. What also disturbed me were the comments underneath the video that ignorant, closed minded people left.

 In America, when we hear the word racist, generally we think white supremacists, black versus white, or something along those lines. But in all reality, it is everywhere, in every race, (Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) and even against those who are more than one race.

As a child I was always asked to choose a side, or to identify with one race, or told that I’m so light that I must be white. It is very confusing as to why our society can’t just accept that no one is going to fit into a perfect little box with the correct label. We should all realize that we are of one “race” and that is human. There are more important issues in the world, then to be so concerned about what race everyone is or isn’t.  

Law Above The Law

Quiessence Royster 

      

   When we think of police officers we place positive connotations on their label. They are people we respect, depend on in tough situations, and set high expectations on. Most of the time when we hear about police action its about a police officer either being a hero or a victim; but what about the times police officers are the actual criminal?

          Approximately 6,000 cases of police misconduct has been recorded from April 2009 to June 2010. How many have you heard about? These types of police incidents aren't heard of too often. These incidents are often covered up and for the times they do become public numerous justifications are made for the police officer(s) involved. Below are some more statistics......   

                                                                 

          Police are supposed to protect and serve not harm and kill. I understand that police officers have to protect themselves and granted some people are very dangerous which may cause police officers to use deadly or harmful force but there are numerous cases where they have gone overboard. For instance.....

          The man below is 26 year old Estaben Caprio. He has been charged and sentenced to life for the killing of a detective with his own gun. After the incident occurred Caprio escaped from the holding facility. A short while later he was apprehended but this is how he looked after his encounter with the police........

                                                          

          Some may argue that Caprio deserved his beating or he caused his beating by his behavior but what about an innocent 15 year disable boy?Below is a video explaining the horrific act of brutality against a 15 year old special needs boy inside his high school The boy was not acting out or doing anything that police rules would say is okay to act in such a manner.

          The cases above are the bare minimum of acts of police brutality. There are many cases that result in death. Rules are set for police officers and they should be followed. If these rules are broken they should be punished accordingly. However, just as much as we don't hear about these cases are just as much as we don't hear about police officers being punished for them. They seem to be above the law.

Why is money more important than human life

by Daniel Augustin

It seems like the people in power in America value  money over human life. Healthcare has rapidly turned into a luxury that most can't afford. How long can you live without being in good health? Why stress where is the money to fund healthcare for all ? The people in the government should say  let's save lives.  I' ve decided to use one of the most influential republican in the house of representatives out of Texas M.D. Ron Paul. 

In Both interviews Paul is against health care for all, he argues down and only bring negative points supporting his position .  Ron Paul feels like that health care is not a government issue and  feels that it denies freedom in this country, if the goverment interferes with the health care situation. Ron Paul doesn't like the idea of taking from the wealthy to make all healthy. Not only does certaint government offical feel money is more important than a person . In a hit song named " Money on my mind"  rapper lil Wayne states " New Orleans my birth place where money is more important than a person ."

I think its sad to see what the world has come to , how come were not wise enough to pick life over a piece of paper? I feel health care for all is a great idea. We are all  past due. I'm a victim of not having insurance it really affects my life and i can bet im not 100% because of it. Instead of seeing Obama is ruining this country i feel like he s trying to expand our lifespand.

Cyber Bullying

By: Stephanie King

Cyber Bullying is the use of text messages ,social websites, and emails etc. Its used harass or embarrass or have hostile behavior to a group or individual, also its intended to harm that person or group. Cyber bullying has become more popular towards young people in today's society. So parents you don't have to watch out for playground bullying anymore its the internet mostly that bullying will be happening on.Cyber bullying shouldn't be taken lightly it's a horrendous thing and can have appalling outcomes such as suicide. Research shows that cyber bullying victims have lower self- esteem, increased suicidal ideation, and variety of emotional responses, retaliating, being scared, frustrated , angry, and depressed.

Statistics for cyber bullying are 42% of kids have been bullied while online, 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once." This research was conducted based on the 2003-2004 school year of grade 4th through 8th. A recent case of cyber bullying was the Megan Meier case she committed suicide after being a victim of cyber bullying after opening an account on the social website Myspace. She hung herself 3 weeks before her 14th birthday in 2006.
Here's a video on the Megan Meier case

In conclusion the younger society now a days are using these social websites for all the wrong reasons. Their making fake pages and just either harassing people calling their fellow teens out their name etc. Social websites are not created for that their created to network or find long lost family members or just to keep in touch with family or friends.Personally i think if you don't have anything nice to say let alone say something bad anonymously don't say it at all most people who bully others in the inside feel bad about their self.

NO TO CYBER BULLYING USE THE INTERNET WISELY

Athletics; Positive Outcome?

By: Hilary McFillin

We all belong to a group, for some it may be a chess club, an orchestra, or even the punk rock group, or not a group at all.  But for us who do belong to a group we do so for friendships, to accomplish certain goals, and to fulfill the social roles that have been set for you.  Social roles is a set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status. No matter what the group is we belong, we all feel the pressure of social roles we are expected to fulfill.  If your a mathlete, you must be exceptional at mathematics, if your a soccer player, you must have acquired much skill and hard work to be the best.

In this organic post I am going to concentrate on the athletic group and try to determine if the pressure is given, will result in a positive or negative outcome.  There are many athletes around the world that have succeeded and that have failed.  For us, we all know about Barry Bonds.  Barry Bonds is a famous baseball player, who was caught with taking steroids.  In 2007 he was indicated on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to the grand jury during the government's investigation, testifying he did not knowingly take any illegal steroids. The trial began March 21, 2011.  He was convicted on April 13, 2011 on the obstruction of justice charge.  All though many of us say he cheated, he had much pressure upon him to be the best. 

But yet, although he may not be a prime example of the postive affects athletics has on people, there are many.  Statistics show that men who participated in high school athletics that were at the age of 32 and graduated from college, received 31% more in their paychecks than those who were college graduates that did not participate in athletics.  I believe that there is much pressure in athletics, but there is a positive side.  You are more likely to do better in school, for if you do not then you are ineligible to play a sport.  Those who are involved in sports are less likely to become involved in drugs and alcholol and other misbehaviors. 

"Sports and other forms of vigorous physical activity provide educational experience which cannot be duplicated in the classroom. They are an uncompromising laboratory in which we must think and act quickly and efficiently under pressure and then force us to meet our own inadequacies face-to-face and to do something about them, as nothing else does.... Sports resemble life in capsule form and the participant quickly learns that his performance depends upon the development of strength, stamina, self-discipline and a sure and steady judgment. "
--Supreme Court Justice Byron White

Statistics also show that those kids who are involved in sports are more likely to do better in school, are more likely to attend college, and are less likely to be truant or drop out of school than their less active peers. But we see our educational system continue to cut recess and physical education programs to spend more time on academics.  High school students who play sports are more likely to attending college at the age of 21 than non participants.  High school athletes are also more likely to have a positive relationship with the school than non participants.  A study of 22, 696 high school students in 1,052 schools found that both male and female athletes had higher grades, higher educational aspirations and fewer school discipline problems than non-athletes.
There are two sides that you can take for belonging to a social group such as athletics.  Negative, so much pressure that we rely on "medicaliaztion", to make us better.  Medicalization meaning "fixing" natural process with medicine.  The positive is that we discipline our children and hopefully point them into the right direction of becoming successsful Americans.

Religion, Good or Bad?

by: Anthony Sanchez
    
   For many years I have struggled with religion for various reasons, but mostly due to the many unexplained ideas various religions share. To me what might be the work of  "God" for others, is not very imaginable and possibly a work of fiction with out any real evidence. But, I am not a person that doubts any possible existence, I am, like I am sure many others are, a doubter and a person in need of facts and I double guess everything.
    Religion has ruled the world for many years, regardless of how laws are suppose to be. It is fact that politicians through-out the world use religion to their advantage when necessary; and many places around the world continue to this day to completely place their way of life on the word of their chosen faith.
    But, is placing your life in the words of books written centuries ago, where a different lifestyle was lived, appropriate or a hindrance in moving forward and accepting life as it is today. In the documentary "Religulous" by Bill Maher, it follows him across the globe as he attempts to learn the reasons behind why so many people follow and base their thoughts on these ideas that were written so many years ago. He uncovers the flaws, and hypocrisies many leaders show; and basically asks the for the simple answers to Who, What, When, Where, and most importantly Why?

I live my life everyday with a respect for the people that walk around me, regardless of their opinions, color, or any lifestyle they choose to live, but I have always felt the same way, although my biological parents would have me think otherwise. I have never thought religion was necessary to tell me that. But do you? How important is the role of religion in the way you think? Do you treat people differently because of the ideas? Do you feel religion is a hindrance?

Here you will find the last few minutes of the documentary "Religulous," by Bill Maher, where he sums up his personal biased thoughts on what he found during his excursion around the world.
http://youtu.be/7jETVUulGwc

Unfortunately this video is not allowed to be embedded by the provider, but follow the link to sum up this blog post :)

Violent Video Games and Child Aggression

By: David Newsome

Over the years video games have become more and more violent. As a result there have been many discussions concerning what playing these games is doing to the minds of our youth. Certainly many of these violent games are not to be sold to children under a certain age. Consequently a wide range of young children still find it easy to access these games. Indeed studies have shown that playing these games does alter the behavior of children not just in the U.S. but around the world.

Video games such as the Call of Duty and Grand Theft auto Series (both pictured below) are popular among children around the world.

(The games pictured above clearly state on the covers that they are for video gamers ages 17 and above however thousands of children under that age find it easy to access these games.)

A study involving three groups a children was conducted. The first group consisted of 181 Japanese students ranging from ages 12-15. The second group involved 1,050 Japanese students ranging from age 13-18 and the third group involved 364 U.S. children ranging from ages 9-12. Researches monitored what games the children played and how much time they spent playing them. After playing these games students monitored there own behavior in addition to being monitored by there peers and teachers. Indeed it was discovered that students with more exposure to violent video games had become more aggressive than those with less exposure. Children exposed to more violent video games tend to get into more fights and are more likely to react violently in certain situations. As a result many researchers see this as a predictor of future behavior problems. 

Dr. Huesmann, director of the Research Center of Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor has been studying violence in the media and behavior for over 30 years. He came to the conclusion that the most obvious result of exposure to violence is imitation. For example, children that are exposed to violence in the media may develop the mindset that the world around them is hostile and that violence is an acceptable way of dealing with it. Furthermore Huesmann states that children can become desensitized to violence. In other words too much exposure to violence can lead to a lower emotional impact on an individual. In addition Huesmann asserted "Once you're emotionally numb to violence, it's much easier to engage in violence." However, there are some who disagree with Huesmann's viewpoint, I am sure they all agree that video game violence and child aggression are closely related.

(The video below shows a guy explaining his point of view on the topic)

All in all children who played violent video games were found to be more aggressive. There are indeed many children who play these games without being effected by the violence. However, that does not take away from the children that are. Indeed overtime new information will develop involving this topic.

(For more detailed information on the study described in the paragraphs above click the link below)

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-03/health/healthmag.violent.video.kids_1_violent-video-video-games-game-genres?_s=PM:HEALTH

Health Insurance and Why Costs are High

By Lynzee Coble

As I mentioned in class, an episode of "This American Life" just had a section of their show that discussed the doctors role, the insurers role, and what you can do personally to keep the costs of health care down. There is almost always a generic version of a drug you're prescribed, and it costs you, and your insurer's costs down. You can listen to the episode here. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/play_full.php?play=433&podcast=1
The rest of the podcast includes a story about familial relationships, another about false confessions, and one about divorce, issues i'm sure we can all relate to.

Also, to hear past episodes about almost anything and everything you could ever imagine and plenty of things relating to sociology, check out www.thisamericanlife.org and look through their radio and tv archives.

Social Networking at it's Finest..

By Desiree Raucci
 
Through recent years, social networking has been redesigned. The internet has formed a whole new way to meet people, find family and friends, and stay in the loop with your buddies. I remember when I was a sophomore in High School, MySpace became the newest and coolest thing since AOL Instant Messenger. You could upload pictures, comment on your friends’ posts, and listen to your local bands. When Facebook was developed, it blew MySpace out of the water. I am sure we all know how Facebook changed our lives, especially my generation. It’s almost like an addiction now, many of my friends regularly are on the Facebook App on their I phone and updating their statuses constantly.

            Yet no one really talks about the “dark side” of Facebook. Facebook can be used to destroy reputations and lives. In my neighborhood of South Philadelphia, a group of girls created an anonymous Facebook with the name “Burn Book”. The name referencing the movie Mean Girls, where they write awful things about fellow teenagers in copybook. Well now, the Burn Book has evolved, and is on a website that anyone anywhere in the world can view. One day I stumbled upon it, and was appalled to see the stuff that these girls were writing!  “ Burnys Back - Michele Kohlenberg iz presleys lil follower.....shes 1 of da bestest slutz in philly michele fucked over half of SP......dirty ass bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

I know to these teenage girls these words don’t seem like they can hurt someone that bad, but in reality they can. Being a girl growing up in South Philly before this Burn Book, I still would come home crying from school because girls are just so damn mean. Now I couldn’t even imagine how some of these girls feel with things being written on the internet for everyone to see. Not only is it hurtful, but its embarrassing. Yet, the bigger question is, why is no one trying to stop this internet bullying? We have already seen that the worst can happen with teenagers and bullying, and nothing is really being done about this huge issue. Lately I have seen commercials and ads on television trying to make people aware of the problem, but something else needs to be done. A social networking tool should not be used to destroy lives.

 

Does America Respect Religion?

By William Davis

In 1602, a group settlers called Pilgrams came to America from England  so that they could be free to practice their religion away from the King of England who had rejected their beleifs. Freedom of religion was the founding purpose for America. As of 1781, freedom of religion is a right given to every citizen and even though America honors that right, I feel that America as a whole does not respect it. I feel this way because there have been many stereotypes created do to the lack of  understanding and a lack of respect for other religions in American societies.

On September 11 2001 two planes were driven into the World Trade Center. The leader of  the attack is or was believed to be a man named Osama Bin Laden who was Muslim. Ever since that day, many Americans have looked at people of the Muslim faith as terrorist. After 911 the media only focused on Bin Laden and his group Al-Qaeda which became America's impression of the Muslim faith and what it teaches. America did not bother to view the everyday Muslims we see everyday and ask them how that attack made them feel as Americas or if what Bin Laden is doing have anything to with what Muslim faith teaches, but instead we just assumed based on the actions of one man, a man who actions were so bad that he lost his Saudi citizenship and was disowned by his wealthy family. We allowed Muslims to be distrinated aginst. We have allowed the Muslim faith to be disrespected because we allowed the media to project false facts about the Muslim faith to Americans making them feel as if they were the enemy.  Besides  anyone with just a little bit of knowledge would know the Muslim faith does not teach hate. The Ku Klux Klan hung, beat and robbed people because they were another race, political party or Jewish and practiced christianity but no one looks at christianity as religion that teaches hate but they know the KKK was evil and prositcuted them with out attacking the religion.  We have learned and understood  what the Bible teaches and people knew what the Christianity taught even if they weren't Christian. Why didn't we learn about the Muslim faith before we as a country started  linking them terrorism? 

For the most part America tries to keep religion and politics seperate but there are times when politicians use religion to gain votes. The problem most politicians gain their votes by preaching their religous views like family, love for god and the their dislike for gay marrige and abortions. The problem with that is not everyone is feels the same way as you do because not every citizen is the same religion. Besides religous beliefs are personal and should not be a political issue because political issues should be about how things effect the country as a whole. How does stopping 2 men from getting married or telling a women she can't have abortion effect me, it doesn't. I'm more concerned with education, tax increases, gas prices and the war. Those are the issues that people who worry about 2 men getting married forget about and then get mad when stuff start happening wondering how it happened. Why should I care about what a woman I never met do with her body? Because the bible says it is wrong to have abortions. That woman might not be christian and besides this is not a christian country. This is a country of many religions.  When you only support one religion's point of view you disrespect the other religions as to say "your religious point of view does not matter". You can't tell someone they can't do something because of a religious point of view. You are not only violating their rights as American citizens, you may also be disrepecting their religion. What is accepted in a Jewish home may not be tollerated in a Christian home. If your going to make some thing a religious issue should at least have opinions from all religions rather than just your own.

In conclusion I feel that America does not respect religion because it allows mass media to create false sterotypes. When politicians project their own religious aspects they sometimes ignore

other religious opinions, making Americans ignorant to other religions and their beliefs. These are just some of the issues the religion cause, some other issues include religious inequality and religous counter culture. Most important thing is that America forgets that it was founded on religious freedom so we as Americans must to respect other religions and their customes. 

 

 

Gender Roles in a Relationship

 By: Amanda Tadrzynski

In societies all around the world, gender roles, expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females play a large part in how people socialize with each other. Whether at work, school, or just walking down the street, we change of we act towards a person depending on their gender.

Besides everyday socialization with strangers, gender roles also play a large part in how we act in our romantic relationships. Traditionally, men are considered the dominate sex. They are expected the protect the woman they care for, and shower her with lavish gifts and presents to show his affection towards her. The woman are suppose to be submissive towards the men, and let them  be the bread winners, while they stay home bare footed pregnant in the kitchen.

I noticed just how large a role gender roles play in a relationship while going out the dinner with my boyfriend one night. We had agreed to go out together and split the bill between the two of us. However, before going into the restaurant, my boyfriend asked for me to give him my share of the money so it would appear he was paying for the bill himself. He felt as a man he should pay for the bill himself. He of course was not born with this kind of thinking. Years of the media and other people telling him the man must pay for dinner surly influenced his actions.

In the end, gender roles play a large part in our everyday reactions, but none more so then in our romantic relationships.

Fitness Confusion

 By Sa'ood Abdul-Basit

 

The other day, I  happened to walk into the Y and noticed something different.  Usually the magazines available for member's reading pleasures are decorated with slim women or in some cases, men, promoting the same thing, "Weight Loss". 

Flex Magezine

Flex Magezine

This time I felt in a way, "accommodated"  when I saw the new edition of Bodybuilding Magazines(Examples Above) made available in the gym, after all, the last thing I want to do is lose weight.   America appears to have a obvious obsession with promoting weight lost. Some say because we are the country with the highest rate of over weight people.  Still is it correct to promote majority of the time slim as being fit?  I'm not against anyone who is slim(I am myself) or would like to become slimmer etc.   Still I feel it is wrong that being "In shape" is overly associated with a slim figure,  after all being slim does not necessarily mean you have a healthy body.

It is my theory that this common practice makes most people follow a low food diet when it comes to working out programs. The main problem is that people do not understand what exactly they would like to achieve with their bodies, but whatever it is they assume it can be achieved by a low calorie diet.


Ladies, do you want to lose weight? lower bodyfat percentage? Gain weight? Increase your Curves?

Guys Do you want to lose weight? get a sixpack? gain muscle? increase muscle Tone? Build Mass?

All these things can be asociated with each other, but in many cases, they can not be all achieved at once.
Lets say calories for example, what are calories?  calories are simply energy for your body .  We all need calories to survive,  the average person burns around 5000 calories each day! Calories come from food,  the amount of calories in each food depends on the type of food itself and its serving size.  Just because a food has less calories, does not necessarily mean it is more healthy, just as foods with more calories are not always less haelthy.(Again Food Type is what  matters the most with this issue)

Workout and Diet 
Different diets suite different workout plans.  A person trying to Build muscle mass would eat completely different from a person trying to rapidly lose weight.

Bodybuilding diets: For us who want build huge muscle  this is the basic of how we want our diet. Consist of a high carb and protien rich diet, usually requires you to eat more calories than you burn each day, this is commonly known as the "Bulking stage".  Secondly, mainly for competive bodybuilders, there is a second stage known as "Cutting",  that serves to rid your body of excess fat and improve the apearance in muscle tone. Carbs are usually only consumed before and after workouts,  protien is still a rquirement to maintain the muscle,  less calories and meals that are of low fat percentage( Clean Meals).

Workouts should Include Heavy Weight lifting and  limited Cardio(during the cutting stage, more cardio is needed)

Weight lost Diet:  Whether you've seen or heard of it from Oprah, the View, Rachel Ray etc. Diets like these maybe perhaps the most commonly promoted in America.  This is for those of us who wish to drop body weight rapidly.  As you probably already know low Calories are a must, meals are usually aimed to be "clean" or as low fat as possible.

Workouts Should Include Cardio, and some weight lifting to maintain muscle(simple weights or Heavy)


I cant be certain why weight lost diets are so stressed in our society. Perhaps it is due to what I stated earlier(The claim America is the highest rate of overweight people in the world).  But I have another suggestion,  Perhaps it is due to the sexist views that women must maintain a slim figure to be considered acceptable by media promoted standards. I believe men do also have a image projected to them as well, of course muscle is a sign of masculinity in our society and many parts of the world.  But I don't feel men are pressured to match the media projected images as much as women.

This issue reminded me of sociology mainly because it relates topics such as  "Weight Loss Obsession". I would label it a social norm in our society based on media facts such as the  Magazines, Television programming, and word of mouth.      

To conclude, most of us do not have the same body type so  before you decide you want to transform your body through diet and exercise,  consider your current body status and do your research first.

Socialization Methods

By: Elisa Ventura
Socialization is the process by which an individual learns the values, beliefs, and norms of given society. This process starts off when we are just infants. A baby is born with absolutley no knowledge, therefore it is by his/her suroundings how they learn from. There are many methods of learning good socialization, from those around the child, some of  which include these six:

Selective Exposure: It is a method that is used to control what type of influence you want the child raised around. Whether is beeing exposed to a positive influence or negative one. Of course it is best to have a positive influence, although it takes alot of work. It can be done!

Modeling: It is the second method of socialization. It means that the person beeing socialized, picks one of the people of his/her suroundings who they realy admire, and choose to be like that person.

Identification: This is a bit m more advanced then modeling. This is the process by which one learns more or lesss who they realy are and is going to become.

Possitive Reinforcement: Teaches one the different types of behaviors which are socially accepted and rewarded.

Negative Reinforcement: Teaches one, which behaviors are not accepted due to negative feedback.

Nurturance: Involves both negative and possitive reinforcement because it all depends on the feedback one gets back from another individual due to what is said.

The picture above is a good example of the modeling method. Kids always try to imitate their parents in the work field. As you see in this picture, the little boy is trying to represent his self as a proffesional just like his dad. This is the process in which helps the child who they will become in the future. It may not always follow the same foot steps, but it sure helps determine who they are.

In conclusion, all of these methods are a very important part in our lives. If we dint have any, we would not learn anything. Also we must remember that our children learn from us and despite the fact that we are not their only influence, we are the first teachers. Therefore we should try to make the best impact possible!

Racism, Racial Stereotypes

Maria Lebron

          Racism is the belief  that some races are inherently superior (physically, intellectually, or culturally) to others and therefore have a right to dominate them. In United States racism particularly by whites against black, has created profound racial tension and conflict in virtually all aspects of American society.
When people of different races believing in or supporting such racist views come in contact with each others, they are likely to engage in racist behavior.

         Racism is a moral issue and a political issue. The government of the United States should make every effort to insure that each individual are allowed his or hers "inalienable rights" Until we as people learn to see each other through the eyes of God, we will never see one another without fear and prejudice.

         In this clip this white man suffers from a disorder but yet still has the nerve to say at least he's not a nigger, point blank ignorant!!

 

     

      

           My boyfriend is black and I'm always being called a nigger lover from my neighbor which resulted into bad actions when my boyfriend over heard him. My neighbors are racist and are always put the blame on black people such as; rapes, robberies and murders. They are always talking about how black people are ignorant and have nothing going for themselves, which I totally disagree. I think people should see the bigger picture and realize that it's 2011 and the ignorance needs to stop!                                                                                                                                                                

WHY CAN'T WE JUST ALL GET ALONG?

Does Appearance Matter?

Carl Roberts

Is There Cliques For Everyone?

            The question sounds so easy to reply to but, the answer is no. Cliques are filled with people that share the same ideas, clothes and even morals. But is there something for everyone out there in the world I doubt that. Sometimes people values and ideals are sometimes too radical and right-winged and nobody will follow them but the creator. Even if their ideas are comprehendible and sensible there approach to project their message is comically at best and appearance is deceiving. In this link I have just off appearance alone would you follow his beliefs?

         His name is Jimmy McMillan. He’s a politician for a new politically party which is called “The Rent Is Too Damn High”. His message is very understandable helping out the helpless; also helping people that are hard workers in America that are under appreciated. Jimmy McMillan most of all wants to help the kids. His ideas make so much sense to me as a son of a parent that work hard and the bills were still uneasy to pay from month to month. Also in today’s society the messenger is viewed not by his message, but by his appearance. 

         With that being said would people seriously listen to his views on the government and the policies they partake in. No this one man clique or party more or less in viewed as a joke with no politically knowledge, but a gimmick. This politician is a Republican, and he wants reform and change that will affect the rich people and benefit the middle class. But his messages are being misconstrued and joked at (I think) and his overall messages will not be heard, because his appearance matters too much to people.  

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum

By: Lan Lam

            In Sociology Class we learnt about the hidden curriculum in education.  According to “Sociology Matters”, hidden curriculum refers to standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society and are taught subtly in schools.  In each school district every child are being taught the general skills like Math, Science, English, and History, but what makes them different from one another is the way the skills are taught in each social class. The inequality of education among social class gives little mobility to lower class because wealthy communities are known to have better education, which helps them to prepare for their future career, rather than poor communities learning how to behave and learn simple instructions.

            I read an essay from English class called “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” by Jean Anyon, where the meaning of work is learning. This essay discusses examples of work tasks and interaction in five elementary schools contrasting in social class communities. The examples illustrate the differences in classroom experience amongest the schools. The students work in each social setting in the light of a theoretical approach to social class analysis. It is suggested that there is a "hidden curriculum" in school work that has profound implication for practice in education.  

           Here is a link to the essay that I have read in English class, it may be a little long but you might be surprised by the information given.

                                 http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~cac/nlu/fnd504/anyon.htm
          We can’t face the fact that we are born in a society where the rich gets richer while poor schools get poorer. It’s a shame that we have to think of education that way as if there’s no hope. Good thing for fundraising and alumni giving us hope to our new generations that mobility can exist. Although we have some help, WE as a society should stand up to the Board of Education ask for more resources to children’s in need so they have a fair education like anyone else.

In case if the essay is to long to read here is a video that also gives an example of social class in education.



Bullying

By: Haneefa Robinson


     Bullying is an act of violence and a form of abuse. It is repeated acts over time attempting to create and/or enforce one's person power over another. It is an issue that is not always looked upon. Therefore, I decided to talk about the issue for my organic post. It seems as though no one ever puts themselves in the person's shoes and want to lend out their hand for help. Being bullied can make a child feel sick and unwanted.



Most people see being bullied as being weak. Although, that is not always the case. In some cases the bully is smaller than the person they are bullying. Sometimes that person just may always be quiet, therefore the bully may feel that they are superior of the other and in that case can "beat" them. In this video the one being bullied is in fact bigger than his bully, and he has become fed up and has had enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdaOicJ8xUU&feature=youtu.be
   
  According to a survey released by Josephson Institute, states that 50% of high schoolers have admitted to have been bullied or been the bullier. That's half and outrageous! Researchers surveyed 43,321 teens aged between 15 to 18 from 78 different public schools and 22 private schools about bullying. Frightfully, around 24% feared school and find school unsafe and an unhappy place to be. While 28% of students (37 percent of boys and 19 percent of girls) felt violence was ok in school. The problem is, violence isn’t just limited to verbal threats anymore. The study found that 52% had physical reaction of anger in the past year. The study doesn’t get any better either. The bully study showed that 10% of students studied had carried a weapon to school.
   
      In conclusion, school is not a place to tease or pick on others, it is in fact, a place to learn. It should be the one place kids can go and not have to "watch their backs". Being bullied is a serious issue, and it extremely affects the person that the act is on. People should not one to bully others,instead they should want to find a common ground with poeple they dislike and be civil. I guess life is not perfect and that's too much to ask for in today's society.

Education

By: Haneefa Robinson

     Eduaction is defined as any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In the simplest sense it is the formal process of learning. Education consist of  pre-school, elementary shool, high school, college, and technical institutions. In these environments, the learners should feel comfortable and be eager to learn. Through education is how we as a whole learn the essentials of life through math and reading: such as how to write our names and how to count to ten.
    
     These learning environments should be equal for all and be a safe place for the learners. When these environments are not equal for all and a safe place for the learners, then the learning process is affected. It may become hard to focus or to the extreme: cause the learners not to even want  to attend. According to the article, "School conditions threatened children's health" concludes that, 55 million children attend k-12 schools with poor air quality, mismanaged hazardous chemicals and other unhealthy conditons, that makes the children sick and handicap their learning ability. Below is the link to the article.

http://www.healthyschools.org/SICK_SCHOOLS_2009.pdf

 In this very same article is a picture of a summer classroom for students with autism and emotional disabilities in horrible conditions. It was later renovated. When looking at the picture I became furious. The School Board should be ashamed to even let the children attend. I personally would give the children and automatic A+ for having to endure such conditions. I feel as though schools should be in tip-top shape to assure that the children are getting the best education available.

     Education is the most important aspect in today's society. It is a fundamental building-block for human development.  It is not always considered to be, but it should. It is not something that should be swept under a carpet when it is not in the best condition. Instead it should be top priority. It is the key to maintaing a healthy and successful life.

    

Gender Roles and Sexism

By: Thu Le



Within our world history of every place and every culture, sexism of males are considered to dominate females. Their gender roles were very different from each other. Males had an instrumentality role where they work outside of their home, social and network. On the other side, females had an expressiveness role where they work inside of their home and structure the family communication and bonds.

Mulan is a Disney movie that reflects on a young brave girl who hides her female identity and turn herself into a male figure just so she can replace her injured father, a soldier, to save her country. In the picture you can see half her face as herself and the other half as a male figure. Even though the King was upset by her pretended male figure, he and everyone in the nation honored her for saving their nation.


Today, gender role and sexism is not strict as it was generations ago but it still exist today. Women are allow to join the military, men can be a home dad and so on. When you go to restaurants you can see the hostess are more likely to be women, mostly because people think it draws in customers. Also, dishwashers or heavy working jobs are usually by males. Importantly, our relationship between males and females has a better bond and changed increasingly throughout time!

Obesity in the United States

By: Lan Lam

Obesity has been an epidemic in the United States for many decades already and continues to be an alarming concern not only as individuals but also to our society. Obesity can play a tremendous role in a person social class along with health risk. According to medical records, obesity is a medical condition when there is an excess amount of fat in one's body which may be linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lack of breathing, and cancer etc. The easiest way to determine if you’re obese is by calculating your body mass index (BMI), which is the ratio of your weight to your height. Adults with a BMI of 25 or higher are considered overweight and anything higher than 30 is consider obese.

Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults

2009 State Obesity Rates
State	%	State	%	State	%	State	%
Alabama	31.0	Illinois	26.5	Montana	23.2	Rhode Island	24.6
Alaska	24.8	Indiana	29.5	Nebraska	27.2	South Carolina	29.4
Arizona	25.5	Iowa	27.9	Nevada	25.8	South Dakota	29.6
Arkansas	30.5	Kansas	28.1	New Hampshire	25.7	Tennessee	32.3
California	24.8	Kentucky	31.5	New Jersey	23.3	Texas	28.7
Colorado	18.6	Louisiana	33.0	New Mexico	25.1	Utah	23.5
Connecticut	20.6	Maine	25.8	New York	24.2	Vermont	22.8
Delaware	27.0	Maryland	26.2	North Carolina	29.3	Virginia	25.0
Washington DC	19.7	Massachusetts	21.4	North Dakota	27.9	Washington	26.4
Florida	25.2	Michigan	29.6	Ohio	28.8	West Virginia	31.1
Georgia	27.2	Minnesota	24.6	Oklahoma	31.4	Wisconsin	28.7
Hawaii	22.3	Mississippi	34.4	Oregon	23.0	Wyoming	24.6
Idaho	24.5	Missouri	30.0	Pennsylvania	27.4

The data shown in these maps were collected through the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor which is a percentage of obesity rates in the United States. According to statistics, high levels of poverty and low levels of education are linked with obesity across the U.S. For example, Mississippi is also the poorest state in America and ranks in the bottom ten in educational spending as well. When unemployment rises, obesity can soon follow because cutting back on expenses often means cutting the healthier, more expensive foods and people also turn to junk food to relieve stress.

As the increase of obesity in the United States arouses the new generation may seek shorter life expectancy due to health issues which contribute from overweight or obese. The government gives billions of dollars every year for medical cost contributing obesity while millions of people spends money on surgery and diet pills to help lose weight, but is it really working?. In some cases I think surgery and diet pills do work but reality you may gain all your weight back. Like any doctor would say to any patient healthy eating and regular exercise would help keep a healthy diet to society. Walking in the park with the family is a great way to keep fit like the picture below.