Sociology: What I've learned

I am going to have to say that this was one of my favorite classes of this semester. The discussions, the readings, the videos, they were all thought provoking. I understood so much more after watching the assigned videos, especially “People like us”.

            The first video, which was about the Stanford Experiment, was definitely an eye opener. It was the first experiment of sociology that I saw, and to see how it actually impacted the lives of the young men to almost forget who they were, completely threw me off. From then on, I just wanted to read more. How can Sociology be so important in our lives, but we know absolutely nothing of it unless we go to a class to find it out?

            Then we were assigned to watch the Milgram Experiment. That was like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. To see how far people would go to obey authority or someone who was in position of power, and to realize that there are many people who abuse this and use this advantage to get what they want. It is just like I said in my blog, people can convince themselves that in certain circumstances, violence is justifiable for the sake of “science” or some “good”.

            I could go on and on about how accurate the video of “Killing us Softly” is. Then the video of “People like Us” was the most entertaining. My mom watched it with me and she was just enthralled with it.

            I really liked that we had to do blog assignments instead of essays. It was such a different way of learning that was easy to do and stimulating at the same time. When Professors assign essays, you are forced to just write what the professor wants. If it is not long enough then you just end up writing nonsense. With the Blogs, you could write your thoughts out, and it never mattered how long or short it was, as long as you understood what you were writing about. After taking this class, I now understand more of how people and society is and why they (we) are like that. Before starting this class, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. Now I think otherwise. Sociology is something that everyone should learn about, even if you don’t go to college (and if you do, take Prof. Applewhite’s class, his is the best!).

Media Magic

After reading this essay and watching the video, I realized why many americans are confused about social class. The media tells us so many stories about poverty and wealth. On one side, media shows the poor as an annoyance. Drug addicts, gang members, theives, normally dipicted by latinos and blacks, are the usual faces of poverty.
     Then, as we watch the news, or read the papers, we individualize ourselves away from that and think that because we do not live that lifestyle or do not commit those acts in the news, then we are suddenly better then them, or "classier". But, on the other side, the media tries to portray a sense of "togetherness" and equality. News papers, magazines, television, etc., all focus attention on the fewer problems of the high-middle and upper classes. For example, the stock market. Not very many people own stock, and yet it is always on the daily news. Magazines and TVs advertize thousand dollar dresses as if everyone watching can afford it.
      The media presses everyone to think that the concerns and problems of the privileged are also the concerns of everyone else. Many people need to realize that there really is a separation of class, no matter how hard they or the media try to hide it. As the article states, the rich and the poor, even the middle class, do not have the same worries or customs.
      The video "People like us" proves this. Every social class even has its own set of rules. Even If you have acquired wealth, that will not "buy you automatic entry into high society". The media blurs everything together, making it hard for many Americans to see the difference or even notice that everything really is separated into social class.