Participation : Oral -> Video in Class Wednesday, October 17th

In yesterday’s class we watched a video showing people caught on candid camera in strange social situations. When we were asked to discuss them in groups afterward, my group came up with a lot of interesting topics. We talked about the power of suggestion related to part of the video showing an unknowing person entering an elevator with a few actors who were all facing the back wall. The person would eventually give in and turn to the back wall as well to fit in. It was humourous but also interesting to see that people so willingly conform to those around them. What is is within humans that makes us so deeply need to be seen as “normal” or “the same”?

Thinking About Sociology Chapter 2: Critical Sociological Thinking

Paraphrastic Reading

This chapter is on one for the three main skills that are necessary for practicing the sociological perspective, critical thinking. The author begins by explain how critical thinking has developed over the ages. From the ancient Greeks who tried to find universal truths without preconceived judgments  and attempt to find the “essence of the universe”, to the 17th century philosophers who would only believe what could be tested and proved via scientific inquiry, to modern day critical thinkers who seek to challenge preconceived notions and common knowledge. The characteristics of a critical sociological thinker are then laid out. One must be: able to think for themself,  curious about the world,  willing to look at something from all points of view and then chose a position, aware that their own knowledge has limitations, able to put themselves in another’s shoes in order to understand, tolerant of ambiguity, and able to understand that there are pros and cons to anyway of viewing the world. When used along with the SI, these characteristics help the individual to understand that the surface level, and taken-for-granted assumptions about most anything are not always the most accurate explanations. Critical think allows one to find deeper meanings that better explain societal issues.

 

“The skills necessary to arrive at reasoned judgements include interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, and explanation (Keesler, Fermin, & Schneider, 2008, p. 346). A critical thinker must possess the ability to identify value judgements, the predisposition to seek out evidence, and a commitment to fairness. For the most part, those who address the general issue of critical thinking emphasize thought that enables thinkers to ‘avoid conventional misunderstandings, misleading notions,  and literalism’ and that encourages thinkers to ‘challenge conventional suppositions  and positions’ ( Van Gyn, et al., 2006, p.26).

Critical thinkers are mindful of the ways in which they accept or reject information to support a position. They are aware, too, that the status of knowledge is not constant: with further inquiry, a position taken now may ahnge later (Van Gyn, et al., 2006, p. 26).”

 

Paraphrased: In order to be a critical thinker, you must be able to think for yourself. You must disregard what is sold to you as the truth, and find evidence to help support and evalute what is truly at the heart of a given issue. You must also acknowledge that the truths you find may people unture after further inquiry, and be willing to accept this and keep your mind open to all possibilities.

This piece of text is important because it shows that critical thinking is a very useful tool in exploring and understanding the society we live in.

Thinking About Sociology Ch9: Socialization and The Young Child

Dialectic Reading

What question did the chapter raise?	How did the text answer this question?	How does this match my own ideas and experiences?
Are human infants born as “blank slates” that only learn via social interactions, or are we innately social from birth?	The text presents evidence contrary to the “blank slate” theory. Through evidence from studies they show that from birth infants have mental categories in place and a very basic understanding of themselves as a social being. However, as shown through case-studies of feral and isolated children, without constant social interaction and nurturing these capabilities will not grow and could eventually fade away. To further help understand this concept, the text presents the attachment theory and theory of intersubjectivity. These theories are based on the idea that there is a very important and active mutual interaction between the infant and their primary caregivers (although the attachment theory focuses mainly on the maternal figure). This interaction would suggest that infants are active participants in their own socialization process and that they have some control over if, when, and how they interact with others.	I’ve never had much interaction with infants, but I’d always assumed they were not entirely unaware and passive. If you look into a baby’s eyes you can almost see some level of personality that is entirely their own. Although I am aware of the malleability of the immature infant mind, it seems unlikely that you could mold them into absolutely anything you desired. The idea of humans being born as social creatures is something that I definitely believe.

 

Thinking About Sociology Chapter 1: The Sociological Perspective

Paraphrastic Reading

In this first chapter of the aforementioned textbook author Karen Anderson gives the reader an overview of the core concepts, skills, and topics that are crucial to understanding and adopting the sociological perspective. Some of the core concepts included, but were not limited to; the social construct of reality, the sociological imagination, social institutions, socialization, and culture. Core skills required are critical thinking skills, theorizing skills, and research skills. Core topics included gender, social class, race, and sexual orientation. Anderson then goes on to explain that while society is a human product and we could not live without it. Society shapes us. However, this does not mean that we are powerless to push back and change society. Later, Anderson explains how the sociological imagination (a way of looking at world and recognizing how our individual experiences connect to larger social structures) shows that there is no such thing as true “objective knowledge.” This is due to the fact that every single person’s interpretation of any event is skewed by their own beliefs about the world. To conclude, Anderson applies to sociological perspective to three examples: Individualism and how it used to be very unsupported in the West, but is now a very common way of thinking: Racial Prejudice and how, although Canadians see ourselves as very open and multicultural, we need not look too far into our past to see a country filled with blatant racism and prejudice: and finally, Romantic Love and how vastly it has evolved over the past eight centuries, which suggests that instead of being a natural outcome of humanness it is actually a social construct.

 

“To be recognizable as a human being means that we are, first and foremost, social beings. In fact, existence in a ‘state of nature’, without social influences or contact, is impossible. Human existence is always existence in the context of order, direction, and stability. And that order, direction, and stability, which are social constructs, precede the existence of any given human. We are all born into a society that is itself a product of human activity.”

Paraphrased: Before anything else, human beings are social creatures that exist within the socially constructed frames of order, direction, and stability. It is impossible to exist “naturally” without any sort of social contact. The existence of society comes before the existence of any single person. Just as society creates us, we create society.

This paragraph, to me, shows the whole idea of the interconnectedness between humans an society extremely well. Not only is it very informative about the sociological perspective, it is also very beautifully written.

Issues in Social Justice Chapter 6: Public Space and Criminal Justice

Dialectic Reading

What question did the chapter raise?	How did the chapter answer that question?	How does this answer match my own ideas and experiences?
Does maintaining order and control in public spaces ultimately criminalize the homeless?	Throughout the chapter many examples are given to prove that homeless people are stigmatized and punished as criminals often for the simple fact that they do not have a place to live. Some examples included laws against sleeping in public which are in place in many cities across the US. If one is caught breaking these laws they can be charged up to $2500 or 6 months in jail. There are also laws against feeding homeless people in a public setting such as a park. Police sweeps of homeless encampments in public spaces, where the homeless are often arrested and have their personal property destroyed or seized, are common. Overall, the information provided by the text made it clear that public space is not welcoming to all citizens.	Although I am ashamed to admit it, I have often been in situations where I wished that homeless people were not around. Living in a place such as Vancouver, you see them almost on a daily basis. You walk past them on the streets, try to avoid them outside of stores, and ignore their inquiries for change at the bus stop. However, I don’t believe that criminalizing their actions will fix the problem of homelessness. Instead of throwing money at the police forces to arrest or charge them, invest money in programs to help those who are mentally ill, drug addicted, or just impoverished. They are not criminals, they are people in need of help.

 

Issues in Social Justice Chapter 3: Human Trafficking

Paraphrastic Reading

This chapter is about human trafficking on a global scale. Topics discussed include types of trafficking, how it occurs, who the victims are, and who the traffickers are. Human trafficking is when individuals are taken by means of deception or kidnapping and sold to others. Some tasks expected to be preformed by trafficking  victims include prostitution, domestic labour, industrial labour and military service. Victims can be children, men, and women of any age. The people are forced to preform these tasks for no wage. They are subject to physical abuse, exposure to diseases, and psychological traumas. Traffickers come from everywhere in the world. They can individuals, organizations or industries. Even today, human trafficking is a widespread epidemic.

“Overall, the outcome for individuals that undergo the horrifying experience of being trafficked into forced labor is bleak at best. The hardships that victims are expected to endure are painful, and tragic. Adults and children alike are exposed to every type of undeserved human behavior possible ranging from: lack of personal freedom, to physical and psychological harm, to even a cap off of human potential. None of the individuals captured and used for the purpose of forced labor or bondage deserve it, and certainly no one wants to be resigned to a life of servitude; and yet this is the situation that millions of people across the globe find themselves within on a daily basis.” Darrick Brake, Issues in Social Justice, pg 67

Paraphrased: Victims of trafficking are subject to grim fates as a result of their experiences in the forced labor industry. These people suffer serious physical and psychological harms. They lose all semblance of freedom and often are unable to grow full as human beings. No one deserves this type of treatment or detriment, however it is a sad reality that a large amount of people face all over the world.

I feel that this paragraph exhibits well how horrible human trafficking is and that is not a thing of the past, but a serious, current global issue.

Issues in Social Justice Chapter 1; Homosexuality and Religion

Affective Reading

 

What is the reading about? 

This chapter focuses on the topics of homosexuality and religion and how they interact with each other within American culture and society. The religion that is majorly focused on is Christianity because it is the most widely practised religion in the USA. One of the major points in the chapter is that Christianity has a huge influence on the moral beliefs and behaviours of the larger society that makes up the US. As most branches on the Christian belief are anti-gay, so is a large part of America. However, the author goes on to state that through gay-affirming and ex-gay Christian organizations, the ideologies of the religion are being challenged and revised. However, one might question whether or not this is just reinforcing the heterosexist ideologies of the society. 

 

How do I feel about what I just read?

I find it strange that so many people are still so deeply devoted to religion, even though it was predicted that as human advanced technologically and in other ways we would leave religion behind. Also, I was quite angered by the information about “ex-gay” Christian organizations that try to “fix” gay individuals. They are not broken. Christian ideas that hating someone for who they love are broken.

 

What do I think about what I just read?

I think that the State (or the larger society) and the Church should be entirely separate. In my opinion, it is wrong for religion to play such a huge role in social structures and morals. My opinion may be biased due to the fact that I am firmly non-religious. 

 

What do I believe about the reading I just finished?

I believe that the author was correct in suggesting that gay Christian functioning within gay-affirmative and ex-gay groups may be reaffirming the very ideas that marginalize gay individuals in the first place. In order to bring about social change, these marginalized people must separate from the Church and look to the State. 

 

What do I know about the reading I just finished?

I know that Christianity has influenced the American culture and society since the time the land was first colonized. It will be nearly impossible to ever separate the two.