Who Am I                          Part II

In doing these tests I learned something about myself that I didn’t even really realize. I figured out that I am a very caring person! Before you take these tests, you don’t realize these little things about yourself. They go unnoticed in everyday life. At least by yourself! The more and more I look at these polls. The more I realize I actually am like these say! It also states that I am an extrovert! This is something I already know as I like being around big crowds and I really find it interesting to find out someone’s life story. You can learn so much of a person by letting them converse with you and just visit. That is something I wouldn’t do without. I love hearing about how some people grew up and the hardships they experienced. By listening and talking you can open up parts of knowledge that may have been previously locked.  The test I though was the most valid was the happiness test! I found out that I wasn’t a cynical or stern person but I was far from it. I actually believe I scored in the 30s indicating that I was a happy and generous individual. The test that had me the most skeptic was the Celebrity test. I feel like this could be true but it just surprises me that I am the most like Oprah! I can see the positive aspects of this as everyone indicated in my group was an Extrovert and a very social person. All these tests served their purposes and it was extremely interesting to see that I was in fact an extrovert and I could actually compare myself to other kids in my class in a way. Everyone is different and that is what makes us unique. By us being unique that is what leads to these tests. This is why we all can be who we want to be and how we can all hold our own values. Overall, this was an extremely interesting project and I would gladly take more of these tests to truly see who I am and who I may be!

Who Am I                                   Part 1  

 

After reading and some careful consideration I truly believe that heredity has to do the most with how you turn out. It just makes the most sense. If you are truly like your parents than surely that means that your personal traits will be very much alike them. I directly believe that this contributes the most but although the other traits serve just as much as this one.

  

           Parental Characteristics also have a large part in this. With the fact that they raise you and you seeing how they act directly can influence how you act. This is key to development as a child because than you can form a basis of guidelines and norms by which you can follow. If you have good parents than generally you will act better and more respectable.

 

         Birth Order: I don’t believe that this is directly influential to how you act. But I do believe that kids act different ways because of their age. The oldest child is generally the responsible one. While, the younger two are the fun and often the ones who get in trouble.  This directly has to do with how the kid is treated or babied according to the parent.  I still don’t believe this is directly correlated to age although.

 

              The surroundings of the child is extremely influential to the development of a child. So, if you have a child that is relatively good kid who lives in the drug ridden streets of a city. That child will change and adapt in a negative way to survive. In these situations, the nice guys truly do finish last. On the flip side, if we take that kid who has had these terrible things happen and put him in an area where there is nothing but peace and quiet….that kid may really adapt and become a better person because of it.

 

         All four of these things are very influential in the development of a human being. Whether from genetics or from your environment, everyone adapts to the card they are dealt. Whether its expressing yourself to match your peers or surrounding area, or dealing with the color of your eyes or skin. In the end, these are key to the development of the human being.

 

 

 

 

  Veterans Blog
        
           After reading this blog I have realized how truly mistreated our troops are. These men and women have fought for us and our beautiful country and they are repaid with shunning. It's not just this but it is the fact that they have a chance to be in serious trouble because of our ROE! They need to follow so many guidelines and rules to engage in conflict, that by the time they go through the list they or their squad mate may be dead. It needs to be revised! If someone has a weapon no matter how old they are... they present a threat to you and you have a right to engage. This of course has its downsides as misunderstandings will happen. Although, this is war and this stuff will happen no matter the approach you take. If changing the ROE can save a person's life.... why not change it! And on the quote I believe in this quote. We all need to do our jobs to keep this prized treasure. We need to treat it like so! This is a treasured prize. And all jobs need to be done to maintain it. Its been earned on the battlefields and in the face of adversity. We deserve this as a country. I truly believe if we maintain our duties and better our communities than we will truly deserve to have our citizenship. As long as you are contributing to the betterment of our country... Citizenship is something you deserve!

Sociology Blogs                                                                                                        Mason Hanse

·         Article 1

o   The question stated in this article was “Is racism a Western idea”. After reading I have concluded that racism isn’t just a western idea….it’s everywhere. It has always been around. As long as humankind is around there will always be the thought of someone looking down on another person. It was even stated that the Arab people thought their definition of a perfect human was a person with “Light brown skin”. A person will always believe that their culture is always superior.  It just always has been that way. The thought of it just being an idea developed by the European idea is ridiculous to me. Although, no one really ever thought of racism as the way it is till before the 1950’s. Overall, this article I believe sides with the fact that racism as we know it is a western idea. But, there is no doubt that racism has always been around and will continue to be around. Racism is everywhere whether you want to think that or not. The points stated in the article feed both sides of the argument. I believe firmly in the end that racism is truly universal and isn’t just a western idea.

·         Article 2

o   In our second article, it is asked “How Racist are we?” I believe naturally as much as I hate to say it I believe all of us have a little bit of racism in us. That doesn’t make you a terrible person but it does say that we may be hardwired to believe that we are superior to others. The author of this article states that the color of your skin our race shouldn’t determine how to judge a person. I believe we don’t have the right to judge a person as no one is perfect. Even if a person is perfect they do not have the right to judge anyone lesser than them. That is why this article states that everyone has a racist side to them. It also says that it isn’t just a white vs everyone problem anymore. Other cultures are in on the problem and we saw an example of this in our movie we watched the Bronx Tale. Not to mention that we stereotype cultures and pre-judge before we even got to know people. We view all welfare people as lazy drug addicts and all smart people nerds. It is just how we are raised. We are taught to be the best and be at the top of the pedestal. When in all reality we all breathe the same air and sleep under the same moon. We are all equal but our culture doesn’t view it as that. And that to me is a sad deal.

·         Article 3

o   This was an extremely interesting article as it views the physiological side of things. That to me is extremely interesting as we got to see that it isn’t our racist views that make us look down upon us but it may actually be the media that is making us used to seeing these stereotypes. Now, in this experiment they stuck words that were used together often like cool-night; summer-warm and they compared these to so called stereotypes. And after they quizzed the people on what they first thought when they found that the people viewed the races like whites as greedy and even females as “weak” and “fragile”. This states that this issue isn’t just confined to race but even age and gender as well. This article did a great job on explaining that media directly influences what we view as we are so used to seeing these words used together that its almost become second nature to what we think.

·         Now as we are asked to answer these questions it starts with “Is racism a culturally diverse or is it just a Western Idea?” I truly believe that this is a universal thing we have here. It isn’t just confined to us. Racism has always existed because someone always needs to be better than the person across the street or in another town.  It came from the very first person who looked down upon another. It came from when the very first people who were different skin colors and conquered each other and viewed them as slaves. And the sad part is that we all have a little bit of it in all of us. Whether you choose to show it openly or keep it inside of you…. It’s still present.  It’s everywhere as well.  There isn’t a way to completely avoid it. That doesn’t make you a bad person as I have stated because NO one is absolutely perfect and has done everything right in his lifetime. That doesn’t dismiss the fact that prejudices are ruining cultural relations and even some livelihoods. People are killed and attacked everyday just because of the color of their skin. It’s sad to me that the color of someone’s skin is what automatically makes them “lazy” or “weak”. People need to determine a person by their personality or what is on the inside. Until we are all getting along and learning to have some cultural awareness. Crimes will still happen and hate will still be around. We need to keep in mind that we will never get fully rid of racism. It will never disappear and it won’t ever change. But we can make changes to how we think. And to me I believe it all starts with the media. If we see more positive than maybe we will do more positive. That may just be the spark that can start a flame that will change the whole world. Hopefully we will get to live in a world where we don’t have to see that a busload of people was blown up solely because they believed in a different god than everyone else. Imagine if we all could get along for one day. Relationships would be mended and nations united. That’s maybe just what this world needs…….Positivity.

Too lazy to get a Job!	People can’t help it sometimes as they live in low privilege areas and jobs aren’t easy to find
There aren’t any jobs…	They found that in low income areas….. It is found to be more difficult to find a job in this.
That all Democrats support Welfare	This is false as Clinton really tried to reform welfare and eliminates them!
The money is squandered on alcohol!	That is actually very false as many of them try to support their families!
It got poor people into jobs	This is true as millions of people have been helped by giving them guidance!
Helped save the people during the Depression	It gave them jobs during the greatest recession is US History
Develops a safety net for a lot of people	Gives something for someone to fall back on just in case of times of low income
People need to be helped into jobs	This may very well be the answer to helping this decades old problem

 

 

After reading about how Clinton wanted to end the social welfare program…. I support Clinton and how he realized that welfare has more downsides than upsides.  Social welfare was certainly a great idea at the time it was needed. But now as more jobs are created we need to take advantage of this. There are thousands of jobs for the taking and it needs to happen.  By eradicating the program and eliminating welfare for society. This may help lead to taxes not being lowered.  Maybe with this being eradicated more jobs will be taken and more taxes will be paid. This may lead to a big increase in income. After all of this maybe the problem won’t be solved but might as well try. Maybe it will urge people to get jobs and pursue a career. It just may work!

1:            15% or 46 million people
2:            50th
3:            This chart is saying that the percentage chance of ending up in the lowest quartile..... (Lowest Class) by the time you are 30, is significantly higher than the chance of ending up in the highest quartile.

4:            Growing up in a two earning household, Completing a formal education, Developing a healthy spending habit, Storing savings, and healthy home life

5:   Work, Faith, Family, Community

6:   Safety Net- The government will help build a career by supplying financial aid
      Earned Income Tax Credit- This provides a rewards program that encourages people to work.
      Education: By getting an education, you are going to provide yourself with income.
      Criminal Justice: Helps the better prisoners adjust to society by providing them a credit system
      Regressive Regulations: Protects low income citizens from harsh payment on energy or bills that government imposes

7:   Both are to blame in my mind..... I think that by the government giving them the option to not work and live on welfare is part of the problem. By this the person is showed that he doesn't need to work. On the contrary, the person receiving welfare needs to do his part by getting a job and paying taxes.

8: I believe that the taxes need to be kept at a reasonable rate...... By cutting programs, more harm is being done than good. I just thing more work has to be done by the individual to pay the taxes!

             Civilizations
         As we sit here and asked the question "Do people control societies or do societies control the people?" Well, I believe societies control the people. Its just the way we are! Everyone wants to conform to these social norms. And because of that the society is the one that is the controller of sorts. People I believe are hardwired to conform to their beliefs and values. We will adapt to how our society views us. As long as you want to fit in... Society is the one controlling us. Although, a different view can be looked upon. People are the ones who created this societies. Therefore, don't peoples opinions (societies) control the other people? Either way, norms and morals are set by a certain society. If you follow those views you are dedicating yourself to that societies' cause. The only way to be aware of this is to promote sociological mindfulness. By learning of another's cultures norms and values you can learn to be more aware and respectful. It leads to a more close knit relationship between cultures and may lead to more peace. If societies viewpoints are possibly intertwined that may lead to a cure to some problems. So overall, I believe that really in the end that societies do control the people. But, in a different viewpoint, that maybe its not the literal people but the urges to conform to norms and wanting to fit in to a society that makes people be controlled. Doesn't that mean you can control how much  you are controlled?

28^th Amendment

·         I believe if we were to revise the Amendments and add another right to pray in school or express religious beliefs in school events. I think that this needs to be added because there is a lack of faith and well-being in our schools now days. The bible provides us with moral guidelines to follow and faithfully keep to. I don’t see why we aren’t allowed to say our prayers. Since all religions would be allowed, no one would be singled out. If you pray to yourself it shouldn’t matter as it will keep to yourself. I think this needs to be added because it may add some morals in a world where there are not a lot of them anymore.

                                                                                                 

Barnga

•   It was stressful
• I was expecting a normal game of cards.
• When I realized we couldn't talk!!
• I really have no clue
• I wanted to yell "Diamonds trump all"
• Yes..... Everyone has different values in life and we all did in this game
• Absolutely... We all need to realize each others values and communicate for success!
• We need to learn others customs and cultures in order for all of us to thrive.

6^th Amendment

·         This amendment states that a person who is accused that we have the right to a fair and speedy trial. In the state where the act was committed. Enacted to make trials more efficient and fair.

o   Basically summarizes that no matter who the person or what crime has been committed the criminal has a right to a fast fair trial. This effectively sped up trials and made them fairer in the process.

o   Was part of the original Bill of Rights

o   Ratified on December 15^th, 1791.

o   (Example): Basically any case that involves a jury is using this amendment actively.

This Amendment means  that no person will have to experience a dragged out trial.

 

8^th Amendment

·         This amendment states that a convict is not legally subject to cruel and unusual punishment. Referred to as the cruel and unusual punishment clause. Is mainly an amendment for the law enforcement.

o   Aims to prevent cruelty and excessive bail/punishments.

o   Bill of rights

o   Ratified on December 15^th, 1791.

o   (Example) :http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/cruel-and-unusual-punishment#49730

         Along with the 6th Amendment any case is actively using this by not providing excessive punishment.

This Amendment means that no one will be treated cruelly no  matter what because they are protected by this amendment.

Bacha Bazi
       After reading this article I am appalled to find out that these type of things happen in that culture. It is shocking to say the least. For Bacha Bazi to be acceptable in their culture is absolutely unacceptable. These children are forced to do these unmoral and terrible acts at the threat of death. The worse part about this is the fact that the people do it...... are the people who are supposed to be protecting them from harm. It's kind of easy to see the irony in this situation. To think the troops are just supposed to stand by and watch is terrible to say the least. Their jobs are at stake if they intervene. It is just sickening.

     We have to keep in mind that this is their culture. That means we need to practice sociological mindfulness. We need to put ourselves in their shoes. That doesn't make this okay! Although this has been practiced for years, this doesn't make it acceptable in todays culture. This culture has practices that are out of date! To think that they are still allowed to do this is awful. Those people have been doing this for centuries. They don't want our culture but they want our help fighting the terrorists. The difficult part is if we leave this will continue on because its part of the culture. And no civilization wants to change its culture.

  
         Dear Auntie,

                I'm stuck in a nightmare to which I am never sure I will leave. Our plane has crashed on the beach killing all adults, leaving only us kids to fight for survival. I'm not worried though, as we have a kid who believes he can lead us to safety.
              His name is Ralph. He is an intelligent, nice kid. He is widely considered to be a very responsible leader. Some of the other survivors tend to believe he is our way out of this wretched mess. He listens well and is very mature for our age. There is one kid that seems to be a bit of jerk and his name is Jack. To me, he has an ego and seems counter-productive at times. He also seems like he may be part of the problem in the future as he an Ralph don't really get along. I am not a very big fan of this kid. Food is around but sometimes we just have a hard time getting it. For instance, Jack was hunting along with his group when he came upon this boar. Instead of killing it, providing a feast for the rest of us, he let it escape because I think he didn't have the guts to kill it. Another kid I can tell you about is Simon. He is a small kid with a large mind. Almost like a philosopher! He is very intelligent and if he spoke up more maybe he could help find a way of this horrible island.
             We have had to come up with ideas to keep us civilized and organized. One of which is called, the Conch. When you have this conch and blow into it means that a meeting is in order or food is prepared. I'm afraid this may turn into a bad deal as its power will be misleading to some. One terrible thing about this island is the beasties. We believe they are snakes in the trees that serve no purpose other than to terrorize the survivors. The only one who doesn't believe they are snakes is Simon? Maybe he's right but it isn't worth the risk for me. The thing that terrifies me the most is the Beast. It is a scary thought and just talking about it makes me shudder. It seems to always be around which makes it equally as terrifying. We also have two groups the hunters and gathers. They are a choir who was on the plane when it crashed. The hunters tend to be more cruel I believe. Anyways, I'm not respected a whole lot by either group because of how I look. It is a shame because I tend to have some great ideas but no one really listens. I believe that with working together I could come home. But until then, I am stuck here.

               Best Wishes,
                                 Piggy

  Sociology Blog
    
       After watching this video on micro and macrosociology, we learned about how each one relates to society. Macrosociology is how topics are viewed on a large scale.

          That can be related to our earlier blog as we were asked to think about not only stepping into the shoes of a single person but also of an entire society. By doing this we can better communicate with other people in whole cultures. It can also lead to better understanding of how other people think.

 Microsociology is the easier of the two to understand I believe.
   
          It is easier to understand because this deals with the interactions between two individuals. It is easier to adapt to their ideas and their thinking because you can better understand their views. It is easier to recommend. In our project, we got to better understand the people and their values by determining who was most useful to the boat. We got a better understanding of microsociology in return.

  Both views are key to Sociology because they describe how we can view a subject. They just different viewpoints on things. Microsociology focuses on face to face interaction whereas Macrosociology focus on the big view of things.

  Sociological Mindfulness

          After watching this video and listening to Sam Richard's thoughts on mindfulness, I can relate to his thoughts. What he was saying about putting ourselves in the typical Muslim man's shoes and try to think how tough it is over there isn't an easy thing to do. We have been lucky enough to be placed on this country. We are shielded from insults and the everyday violence the people of the Middle East endure every time they take a step out their door. Us as American's don't have to step outside to see a tank drive by or wake up to the sound of gunfire just don the street. Bombs go off everyday in the streets killing innocent men, women, and children; and very rarely we hear about it on the news. I agree with the what Mr. Richards said when he stated that all we were to them were "Christian Invaders". To them we have no real good reason we are there. The only legit reason is oil. The Muslim people don't even think we should be there. And they might have a good point. But we can't ignore the good we have done. But I don't think they remember that as well as they remember what negative things such as drone attacks, and the battles being fought. So basically, in their eyes we are just the enemy. Just as some of them are enemies to us. Both sides have different viewpoints on this. The only way to truly understand both is to put ourselves in the shoes of the less fortunate. This is the only way to engage of social mindfulness. This is how we can better our views on the world. Social mindfulness, I believe, could help solve some problems in everyday life. So overall, if we can just learn to see both sides of a problem, it in turn can solve the problem.

'Merica