Crash Into Me

To end the semester of sociology, we watched the highly acclaimed movie crash which exposed viewers to our society of racism, fear, and speculations.  The movie did a fantastic job portraying realistic scenarios where race altered actions and treatments toward individuals present in society.  I rememeber especially the Sandra Bullock character who played an upper-middle class white woman struggling with her prejudice like attitude and she realizes in the end, that the only friend she has in this world is her house keeper.  This whole set-up was a mataphor regarding societies approach toward races and minority groups that struggle to conform with societies norms.  The movie placed a wake up call in my mind forcing me to realize that we are all human beings maybe with different skin color or complexions but we all have feelings and dignity which others must respect in order to create a balanced community.

Importance of Racism

This whole week in class we've been discussing racism and how it shapes our culture.  As a society it is so interesting to see different categories we place groups of people into based on race and ethnicity.  In some ways this can alter requirements for job positions, educational standards, and the overall income that that person could attain based on race.  I think that our society is working very hard to avoid racial issues and that we are determined to be one big nation working together trying to alter issues in society.  It's was so interesting to see how our society defines ceratin races compared to other parts of the world that may have different names and labels for ceratin groups of people.  I think what people need to understand about race is that it truly doesn't exist biologiacally.  It's a force that's shaped throughout our culture that had been influenced to the rest of society.  People need to create their own conclusions before judging each other by races.

Is Minimul Wage High Enough?

In class, we watched the exciting reality series 30 Days where Morgan Spurlock puts himself into other peoples shoes and exposes his viewers to real life issues and events that effect a great amount of society.  Him and his wife worked as minimul wage workers barely scraping by with each salary the two were earning.  The show gave me a great perspective on the challenges and difficulties so many individuals face on a daily basis and how the systems set forth in America make it virtually impossible to move out of these routine conditions.  This makes me look at my life as a student.  I come from an upper-middle class family in a wealthy suburb of Chicago.  I didn't choose to live this lifestyle.  Like everyone on earth, I was born into my family who controls what type of lifestyle I'll live.  It's to a large extent a luck of a draw of how you'll end up financially, and the degree of education you may obtain.  The show expressed how impossible it was to make ends meet and to control a liveable environment that's healthy and acceptable.  The minimul wage has made it nearly impossible to sustain life with a family and all the necessities life requires.  I am so grateful and I appreciate the life I have been given.

Optimism and Effort Equals a Better Future

In the movie we watched, it exposed us to the different classes and stereotypes placed on different grouos of people.  People are judged to a large extent on their race, ethnicity, social status, financial situation, and their ability to succeed in life.  People act in certain manners depending on the situation and who they are aquainted with.  We don't even realize we're living this way because it's been apart of us since we were raised in this world from birth.  Our parents teach us certain morals and principals that we take for granted not realizing that a majority of society alters these behaviors in life.  Different religions and social groups behave differently depending on the situation and how they were raised as adolecense.  For example, in the movie they showed the dedicated women Tammy optimistically working her way to supporting a family alone determined to provide an income no matter where it originated from.  Her sons were embarrased by her career path because modern society views the successful people as your doctors, lawyers, business men, scientists, pilots, and so many more professions out there.  This movie was an excellent lesson for me to never judge those around me who work hard and sacrfice for their families in order to survive.

What to do with the Prisoners...

The Morgan Spurlock documentary exposing himself to the inside of a real prison was very interesting and eye opening to view.  This was an experiment to see how being placed in the shoes of a prisoner felt and what challenges they face because of the current systems in place for the inmates.  This Virginia prison was unique in that they offered much assitance to those inmates willing to work hard to try and alter their life choices and their future goals.  These therapy sessions allowed the inmates to truly open up and express their feelings and emotions toward society and their paths in life.  The movie expressed how many prisons don't offer these therapy events and they leave the prisoners on their own fighting problems mentally and physically before being released into society with no personal aid.  Our system must be changed in order to accomodate and push for helping to transform these individuals back to citizens ready to survive in mainstream society.

It's All About Money and Power

The article Sal had us read was really interesting because it presented many situations where certain classes of people were able to maneuver around authorities and the rest of society.  However, "roughneck" type kids exposed themselves more with an attempt to participate in illegal activities out in the open with little concern of punishment and consequences.  The so called "saints" tried to find trouble and fun to a certain level where little damage occurred or they fled the scene in order to maintain a healthy reputation.  The article shocked me when they mentioned how they ditched classes all the time and the teachers rarely noticed their tricky tactics or their absence regularly.  At our school attendance is taken very seriously and kids take their education pretty seriously in our middle upper class community.  It was interesting to read how authority figures would react to certain situations depending on who was doing it and where it took place.  Saints would plead for forgiveness while roughnecks searched for a fight and a chance to present their "tough guy" image.  Our society judges to a great extent on the type of person committing the act and the background of the person financially and socially.  Money and power is all it takes unfortunately in our society.

Soup Kitchen Round 2

This week me and a few sociology scholars scurried to the St. Thomas Church of Canterberry to volunteer at their soup kitchen held every tuesday and friday.  I had visited the church with Sal a few weeks before and the experience was just as rewarding and accomplishing.  I mingled with many of the guests discussing present topics of all sorts.  Many of them were so eager to open up and share their life experiences with us high schoolers.  To physically contribute to their house of healing and aid was such a rewarding experience and I'm so proud to have committed my community service time for this cause.  Thank you again Sal for the recommendation and the exciting opportunity!

The Dominant Effect

Today in sociology we continued discussing the norms of masculinity in our society and how it effects young boys maturing and feeling superior to peers and elders surrounding them.  Manhood has been teased and tested to its extreme in our institutions where peers expose each other to confirm their controlled selves and their barbaric tones.  Men must build up through their lives to become these fictional people that do more damage to themselves physically and emotionally through stress and power.  Society sees bigger and stronger as better in order to prove ones manhood but in essence this creates a standard for status quo.  Men are idiotically thought of as lossers and queers who can't protect themselves and sustain life if they don't prove themselves as true men.  An irksome obligation constantly hangs on one's shoulders to be faster and stronger which appears to give one peace of mind.  In reality, nothing is more dangerous for a yearning individual who establishes a secured future that pars up with the rest of society.  Alterations are needed to define masculinity in our culture.  Also women must be seen not as objects or sex partners, rather beautiful human beings who help sustain life on earth and nourish our children and care for ones being.

What the **** has happened to society?

Today was quite an eye opener as Salituro exposed the true perceptions and images society tries to portray through social norms.  This creates a negative view for the citizens of the republic because they form this narrow minded idea of what is considered acceptable for society's standards.  The youth are catching on quickly from a young age which scares me the most.  They are absorbing this "sick" perception on life as a sort of means to gain popularity and to aggressively persuade other peers.  Luckily I have recognized this behavior in societies role and I create my own perception through education and learning both sides in order to form an educated opinion through hard work and good character.  I am eager to view other perceptions on social norms and how it effects the rest of society.

Community Service Experience

This week was very unique and quite rewarding for me since I traveled with people from sociology to the St. Thomas church in Chicago.  We were greeted with homeless individuals waiting for a meal outside the church when we arrived.  It was quite a wake up call to see the poverty and lack of resources for these individuals living in one of the largest cities in the country.  Of course poverty and gangs usually come with a large urban setting where people barely get by each day.  The most rewarding part of this journey for me was serving the open hearted people their meals and really getting to know them.  They were eager and more than willing to share their life stories and experiences which shape their lives and characters.  Also we had the privilege to help clean the place and physically contribute to our good deeds as citizens of the republic.  As many jewish people would say, we were acting as a "mench" or a good person through good deeds and services.  This was a life changing experience and I look forward to returning to the church to complete my service hours and my duty as a contributor to society.

Money Doesn't buy one Happiness and Love

The story that was posted about the man who lived without money and materialistic possessions really got me thinking about all of the things in our lives that are simply objects.  We have it brainwashed in our minds that the more things one owns, the more happy and successful they are in life.  Main stream society creates an image in our heads about what it means to live a fulfilled american dream and to many people a more simple life is the answer for true happiness in life.  Through the lens that I view our society, it is unfortunate to see traditional values and morals disappear from many families because of the constant drive for more things and a constant pressure filled lifestyle that brings temporary happiness.  People need to recognize the true values and important things that we value.  Similarly to what we read, play with your children, explore the flora and fauna, work can wait until the true answers to our existence are answered.  People just need to keep searching for meanings in life and take the initiative for radical thinking.

The All American Lifestyle

It was very interesting today when we discussed the differences and habits we possess in America as compared with other cultures and social groups in the world.  American's ways of living can be seen as profitable, best impacted, and well rounded in the lense of western sociologists that understand and study our societies habits for a living.  However, in the article we read listing our traditions and norms in our culture, other cultures viewed our beliefs and routines as ridiculous and in some cases an insult.  The don't understand the "American norm" regarding our high paced, materialistic, over achieving self images that robotically live passing up some basic morals and values that pertain to a fulfilled life.  Seeing the differences in our norms and other cultures habits really got me thinking about what I am truly thankful for in life and what I desire to attain before my life ends.  Our families, careers, wealth, financial success, and religion shape many of our lives and it represents who we are as people living on the city upon the shining hill.

Materialistc Based Culture

One of the articles that was assigned to us called Affluenza described all of the patterns and consequences our actions have placed on our culture and our dear planet that may be unable to survive at the pace we strive at.  I have contemplated greatly over the Affluenza article and it really described the truth in a way us consumers never realize because the ugliness rarely stands out in a national market economy where more and faster is all we strive for.  It also shows how pathetic and ridiculous parts of society have declared enjoyment and satisfaction spending money that certain people flat out don't have.  One who thinks in a scholar approach realizes the impacts our choices make and how they effect the rest of society.  We need to examine other cultures behaviors and conclude that the rest of the world lives in a more appropriate state where the planet is thought of and the citizens adapt to the challenges that face them.  We need to also define our true values and morals in life in order to understand the purposes for our existence on God's green earth.  Our culture is a lesson that we all can learn from.  We just need to recognize our true meaning on Earth.

A Bronx Tale

In the movie, A Bronx Tale, there are many different ethnic groups seperated based on races, ethnicities and power that individuals express.  Much of this power has been inherited from families that pass down the authority and status to their children that continue the development of power.  This grotesque behavior was ridiculous when a clan of different races attempted to interact and communicate.  The fact that a different race tried to interact in an out of place zone caused massive altercations and diplorable behavior which suggests that our minds train us to act in certain ways based on what we've been taught.  Similarly today in many large urban communities of ethnic groups, people stay commited in their little clans and they have much difficulty changing the "norm" and routine of everyday living.  This causes any alterations attempted great conflict and anger if actions occur that certain groups don't agree on.  It's unbelievable regarding the endless amounts of socially constructed groups we all belong to without thinking about it and to a large extent it controls the actions and choices we make in every day life.  This movie has been a wake up call to me and has allowed me to explore my sociological imagination regarding how I want my life to be guided.  People need to take control and concideration in order to eliminate main stream society from controlling every choice and path they take in order to attain the scholarly well-rounded role that humans desire. This will also lead to constructing a better rounded world during ones short existence on God's green Earth.  The power rests in each one of our priceless hands.

Gang Leader For A Day

In the Story Gang Leader For A Day, it was so interesting and dramatic how much one kid could learn and teach the rest of society based on one study attempted.  The Indian young college student was on a mission to see how different backgrounds and living conditions could alter ones future and success in "the city upon a shining hill".  His first tactic was to go around asking different groups of people what it was like to be living how they are and what has led them to these paths they're taking in life.  He realized that to be accepted and taken seriously, he had to blend in more and be apart of his study in order to feel what lives they live in the shoes that they wear.  The story was a very interesting piece for me to read because it gave a perception on different groups of people and how they view different parts of society.  Students are taught to think one way about certain groups of people when in reality, their lives are much more complex and complicated.  It was also very interesting to me how society as a whole is seperated to some point into different social groups that we cluster into.  An example is the different sections in cities where people of different cultures live and converse with similar people that share their beliefs and religious paths.  Every individual is apart of some sort of group that represents them in society and we just need to identify what these groups mean regarding what our lives are shaped from.

social construction of reality

It was a very interesting lesson during class regarding the saliva and spit experiment.  Our minds are trained as to conform with whatever everyone else is doing and so when an action comes up that's out of the ordinary, we feel that it's weird and out of character.  It's so interesting to me to see how our minds are trained to think based on the influences around us.  That is just one of many reasons why community service is such a great opportunity to explore outside our comfort zones and to stretch a helping hand where one is needed.  The people we interact with around us every day construct how we view and experience the world and it's just important that people realize that they can go off on their on paths in life and start new adventures for society to follow.  People need varieties of ways to live their lives.  It's so interesting with the response from the blog Sal put up about how changing someone's ethnicity, race, or sex could change a situation of interaction dramatically.  We are so trained like robots to think certain ways about certain types of people based on these categories.  The question is why?  Society is the major influence in our lives and people express what is considered normal and what is wrong and unhealthy.

Sociological Mindfulness

During the past week in Sociology, we have discussed all of the larger forces that shape who we are and what we have come to be because of the sociological imagination and how it shapes our society socially.  Discussions have given us evidence that our society is shaped in a way that it is in a particular social way because of the large amounts of influence we observe on a day to day basis on Earth.  From the story we read, Outliers, it really helped me understand sociology more clearly and how it effects people in a community based on social groups and other higher forces present.  It's so crucial for people to not pass through life not contemplating about how the actions they are performing are completed based on influences in their surrondings and shaping some of the most simple actions they make.  Having a sociological open mind allows one to answer questions regarding their purpose for existence on God's green Earth and to conclude what one wants to achieve on this short quest called life.  We can all make a difference in the world we live in and it can all start with giving back to the community which is part of our assingment for Sociology.  Community service allows us scholars to be exposed to the sociological world and it gives us the opportunity to help citizens in need of a helping hand.  This service experience is an excercise in sociological mindfulness that allows us to understand ourselves and each other better living a more meaningful life from these experiences.  The actions that we take in our social society carve a huge impact on the individuals around us and it's important that we understand these elements.  It's similar to a dominoe effect that occurs when one person does something many other people join in to help attain the issue or event.  An example of the sociological imagination I can give is how when I make conversations with the people I work with after school, the impact regarding the advice toward an issue or topic can be life changing in many instances.  I am very inspiring and motivated to help underpaid workers the opportunity to move up in the work place in order to attain bigger and better dreams.  One doesn't realize the impact they make towards the person they give a hand to because they are so distracted from the larger forces shaping us individuals personallly.  The only question is what mark do you want to make before exiting God's green Earth?   

Who am I?

Hey everyone!  My name's Steven Kiley and I'm a senior at Stevenson this year.  I'm very excited for high school to be concluded and I can't wait to start a new chapter in my life.  I have many interests outside of school including aviation, cycling, kayaking, and swimming.  I love to be near the water anywhere in the world and I love to travel to new places.  My Dad, my sister and myself traveled to Antarctica in 2000 for the millennium and I loved seeing the south pole and what life survived in the deep south.  I love to bicycle around the country meeting new people and seeing how our country is shaped and formed to what it is today.  This past summer and the previous summer I traveled to the Pacific Northwest on a bicycle tour for 18 days traveling north of Seattle into Vancouver and ferrying the San Juan Islands.  Coming south we traveled to Victoria, BC and other mainland hotspots in Washington embracing the breathtaking scenery and amazing people along the way of my adventure.  This has made me realize what my purposes are in life and what I want to do in my future.  Exploring new land and endlessly changing horizons appeal to me in order to find my main purposes in life and to live with a variety of new experiences!