In my first blog I talked about what you do isn't who you are and I think in a way I was right but in a way I was wrong. We learned that certain activities can influence the type of person you are. But we also discused it is more than that, that it about how you are who you are because of what surrounds you, not only the people but the environment. I still don't really know how to define myself, becuase I feel like I'm always changing the perception of who I am with the new things I learn. In class we learned how certain aspects of society shape people, so as much as I try to establish my own individuality I know a lot of who I am is shaped by society. The bigest thing I would say sociology has done for me, is made me question and I believe with that questioning comes along meaning. So I thinkt that who I am depends on what I question myself about, becuase if you don't question you are merely being molded by your surroundings.

Race

Race is definitally more than a black and white issue. America is a melting pot of different people that come from all over the world. When coming to America it is common to want to find people that are similar to you, but the children of those imigrants go to school with other kids from America and in turn want to fit into American culture. They are not interested in flaunting their background and would rather fit in. It just seems like people are becoming ashamed of themselves and afraid of being grouped into a certain categories. They want to be individuals to fit in. (Like the Oprah Video & Jew Couple)

Social Mobility

I've been reading a book by Malcolm Gladwell (the same guy who wrote blink and the tipping point) called Outliers the story of success. And More or less Gladwell looks sociologically at society and uses various theories and experiments to show the odd ways and reasons (usually relating to class) on how people got around in life. Ultimately, to no one's surprise, Gladwell sees the rich succeed in every category as the poor squander good fortune time and time again. Our system, as unfair as it is, seems to have real functional reasons behind the way it works. Its unfortunate that people have to still be enslaved to such a classist society in this day and age.

monopoly

I thought monopoly was really interesting and put the social classes into a prospective that was easy visualize. The person who rolled to be the lowest class had the hardest time making money and the person with the highest class only moved up. It was easy for the rich to be entrepreneurs but the poor only had eneough money to get themsleves by so they could not invest. It represented the capitalistic society we have in America and how hard it is for someone to get out of poverty. I believe our government needs to do more to help people out of the cycle of poverty. I don't think that everyone should make the same amount of money, but I do believe that we should all be given the same oppertunities, expecially as a child. However, with the school being run off the taxes the schools in more wealthy areas will always have better resources, maybe thats a place to start a change.

movie

I didn't realize how much people thought about social class. I guess I just have always thought of it as people are just trying to make their live's better by working hard and earning money not really switching social classes, but I guess that comes along with it until you get to a certain class where it is not only money but name. I thought that the woman that taught you how to act to fit into upper class was wierd at first, but then I was thinking that reform schools do the same thing except for kids.

Rambling Thoughts On Class

Class keeps America undemocratic.  There is a very coordinated and hierarchical system which defines America and keeps the poor down. Did you know that in 1971 the average Ceo to citizen salary ratio was 50/1? Did you know thats grown tenfold since?  In a democracy which is run around a capitalistic supergiant, many stopgaps must be put in place to assure that an excess of money tips the scales of democracy - deeply in favor of the rich. Whether rotting in the depths of a mediocre school system, or slaving away at three minimum wage jobs to pay the bills, the rich in America that pillage the world have begun to pillage americans themselves.  Racism and such problems are obsolete when everyone, based on a simple standard, are so ruthlessly discriminated against.

I Love America But...

After Barack's win, I am rejuvinated in my complete faith and love in America and its mystique. However I still cant shake that other part of American politics has led to horrific mishaps. The part that always errs on the side of a harsh power. The best example is of the current state of America's penal system. We currently have something like 2.2 million people in jail. Thats more than any country in the world-- including China. Its a disgrace. Its a drain on taxes. Its destructive to race relations. Its a stain on the soul of America. And why? The Drug War.  The cruel tale of Reagan Era drug politics left potheads rotting in hellish jails for life, while rapists got off in ten years. Crack was a much higher offense than pure cocaine ( a complete fallacy in logic ) which astronomically raised the amount of black offenders, an already abused category. That backwards practice goes on to this day. The principals are  based on the decades old culture war. Which the far left lost for at least half a century in the late sixties. Hippies, Bobby Kennedy and all. Many since have suffered for it. Unfortunately it is a story of something that is hatefully undemocratic, in what is supposed to be the shining city of Democracy in the world.

With a quick denunciation of the far-right fascism in Guantanamo Bay. Perhaps we cane hope of serious progressive democracy from Obama