We Are More Than Just Men and Women

       An ascribed status is a social position a person receives at birth or takes on involuntarily later in life.  Examples of these are being a son, daughter, sister, brother or a teenager. I personally am a daughter, sister, granddaughter, and I was a teenager.  There are also achieved status' which is a social position someone takes on voluntarily. I have taken on the status' of a Division one Athlete, a nursing student and a Captain on my team. Along with these status' are roles and each status can have multiple roles to them. For example being a Captain for my team I have to be a good teammate and leader on and off the field. Each of have more roles and status' than we think!
      With status' and roles sometimes come role conflict among different status'. A woman could be a teacher and also a mother so she needs to know how the keep each of those roles separate so it does not cause conflict with her children. It can also happen with a mother or father being their child's coach.  There are different boundaries that people of certain status' have to watch so they do not mix roles that will affect other people. I personally struggle with the role conflict of being a team leader and then also a friend to my teammates in certain situations. Being a student athlete we have to be careful with ever decision we make especially when we are able to go out on the weekends. We have to be smart and think of any consequences that could happen if we decide to make the decision we want. Being a team captain it is sometimes hard when I go out with my friends on the team and watch them make decisions that I know may not be the best, and then I have to decide if I should just be their friend or be the leader I am supposed to be and say something. Although having these roles and being held to certain is status' is hard it teaches us how to deal with situations in the correct way and helps us to find different ways in handling them. I know being in the position that I am, I have learned a lot this past year about how to handle different personalities and situations. There are many different roles and status' in our social structure everyone just has to figure out which ones they are and how to use them.

Sources:
http://anthro.palomar.edu/status/stat_2.htm
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07399339509516166#.UzlvSsJOXmI

Religion in The Changing Times- Margaret Rivera

Margaret Rivera

Religion in the Changing Times

            Religion is established and grown stronger and stronger by families and certain cultures that help build a specific it.  Religion establishes for some groups a social cohesion, purpose and control which in simpler terms means that people use religion for many different reason that they believe help them grow as a person and as a group. Individuals will come together and celebrate and rejoice over their religion while igniting new relationships between people that also feel the same as they do about their religion. At the same time there are many different versions of religions and sometimes the cultural differences are drastic within religions. With different religions we also talked in class about the different types of groups of religions including churches, sects and cults. All have different purposes as a church is well integrated into a larger society a sect is apart from the larger society sticking to mainly smaller groups or societies and a cult that is untraditional and sometimes unaccepted by other societies. Together these, along with many other religions, create a diverse and well sustained amount of people that believe and follow some type of religion.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=diverse+religion&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=diverse+religion&sc=0-1&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&id=C4CB14C15D8F5B8AF162EE18CAFFC07F3CB9A070&selectedIndex=4

The picture above illustrates and correlates to the many different religions that are around us and how none are the same but all are created for the same purchase, which is to fulfill the needs of people, by creating good environments for people to broaden their horizons and meet new people.

With the entering of a new era we are beginning to see the new generation of people begin to take hold of the communities around them. That begins the impact on religion and this new generation, the generations before us are much consumed into religion because that is what they have always grown up around, however this new group has consumed themselves in electronics and less on religion. As said by US news “The majority of American teens believe in God and worship in conventional congregations but their religious knowledge is remarkably shallow.”  We see and grasp that this age teens are not fully immersing themselves in religion as ancestors had. So we begin to decipher if religions will be as pursued as they were years ago because as said by Carol Lytch from religion-online “We have known for years that parents are key influences on teens religious lives.” So does that mean as this generation grows up and no longer has the religious push from parents will religion and worship begin to diminish. With sociological studies we will begin to understand and see the change in religion as the new age comes to terms with it and we will see whether it will increase or begin to diminish.

Sources:

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3254

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7019023/ns/us_news/t/study-most-us-teens-serious-about-religion/#.UzIenCzjiP8

The Way of Life for Me.

As a child, I was always taught to always have respect for my elders. I remember going to the temple every Sunday morning, where my family and I would pray alms to the Monks for our ancestors. It was normal to me, because that's how I grew up, and that's what I did every week without question. Growing older I had a realization that the teachings of Buddhism is who I've shaped to be today.

There's a part in each one of us in the social aspect that claims that we are religious in some type of way. These religious beliefs affect how we live life and what actions we take.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_faqs.htm

http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/buddhism.htm

You Haven't Heard Dysfunction Yet

                                       Picture of my dad and I on vacation when I was little.

To me the chapter on families was one that was most relatable to me. I have a very unusual family situation. Think of every crazy dysfunctional family problem and I've probably been through it. We talked in class about just how much divorce can affect every person involved, and I think that is completely accurate. Divorce rips families apart and causes a lot of tension between the parents. It's hard to watch two people who you grew up watching kiss, hug and talk together everyday suddenly resort to yelling and fighting. In a kid's mind, they immediately think that it has to be something that they did wrong and that it is their fault. I was looking at articles and came across one article that I really liked because it focused on how the family was effected and, after all, this chapter is about families.
 I was only 10 and in fourth grade when my parents got divorced. Like every kid, I was extremely confused. I could not wrap my head around divorce and what it truly meant. As it turns out, my dad had been having an affair with a family friend for about a year before my parents finally decided to separate permanently. Soon after my parents began the typical arguing and resentment. I was young enough to where I was mostly oblivious to what was going on, but I know that my older brother, Mitch, had a really hard time. I remember one time we were both waiting in the car after being picked up to go to our dads. It was taking a long time so he finally went to see what was taking so long, and he walked in on my parents arguing with each other and he ran away crying and upset. Mitch was in 6th grade when this was all happening so he knew more about the situation than I did, which was not necessarily a good thing.
My parents soon got remarried, my dad to the woman he left my mom for and my mom found a guy through mutual friends. My step mom had two kids of her own and my step dad had one too, creating my new blended family. This caused a lot of problems too  because I was suddenly forced to make connections and have relationships  with a whole group of new people. I think that was one of the biggest challenges when my parents got remarried.
We skipped over the idea of family abuse during our class discussion, but I read that part in the book. This is something that really interests me, and I turned to this website for more useful information on the topic of violence against women. Unfortunately, my step dad began physically abusing my mom during their relationship leading to yet another divorce. Although this time it was somewhat easier, losing the relationship with my step dad and step brother was just as hard as building it in the first place. I grew extremely close to my step dad, and it was hard knowing the circumstances of the divorce. As a result, I know have a blended family and a one-parent family, as well.

The Road To Acceptance

I, like many, are part of a family who have many traditions, values, and beliefs. My family is very big on being there for one another. No matter the situation, the celebrations, and the drama I know I can count on them, except when it comes to who I date or who I can be friends with.  As a child, my grandparents have frowned upon interracial relationships whether they are romantic or even just friends. My mother, as well as my three aunts were involved and got married to Hispanic men. The men were accepted with open arms by my grandparents. My uncles on the other hand challenged that view by involving themselves with Caucasian women; my grandparents were not very accepting of the women. It took many months’ for my grandparents to invite them into their home. Growing up I never understood why that was. Curiously, I asked my grandmother why it hard to accept the women. She responded that it wasn't a norm for Hispanic families to date or interact outside their race. It astonished me that even now, in this new generation that they still thought that way. My family has been passing down this belief of it being wrong to date or befriend outside our race. Many of my family members still think that way because that’s what was brought down from generation to generation.

                    http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/talking_to_our_children/

It was difficult to bring friends who weren't Hispanic over without the dirty looks or the whispering under my family’s breath. At one point I didn't want to be a part of my family’s culture, tradition or whatever they wanted to call it. I was part of the new, accepting generation while my family was more old school. There was a time where I had brought a friend over, of a different race, and I was scolded once my visitor left by my grandfather. He told me that he does not accept that I disrespected him in his house. By disrespect he meant that I did not respect his beliefs. I was offended by his scolding, how is inviting my friend over disrespect? I didn't agree or understand where he was coming from and I told him that not everyone has the same beliefs or was brought up the same way, and I was one of those people that do not believe what has been taught from our guardians. My mother has not set limits or let her parents beliefs get in the way of raising my sisters and I. It took a while but my grandfather then realized that our culture is changing. Many things are evolving and there is nothing that can be done about it. He as well as the rest of my family has to either accept it or fight the same battle every day. Today, together we fixed or have modernized the culture and beliefs that my family has been carrying through generation to generation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19902/

How are you Rolling?

In society a persons status and roles plays a key part in the overall social structure. Social structure is integral to everyone in society in order to understand certain situations. A persons status and the roles they play can have a huge impact on the way they portray themselves and how they view society. In some instances, a person's role can put a strain and or cause conflict among the various statuses they hold up. The link below explains social structure :https://globalsociology.pbworks.com/w/page/14711305/What%20is%20Social%20Structure

In the world we live in most are concerned with the status they uphold in society. Status simply means a position a person holds. As we talked about in class a status can also be seen a ''prestige'' For example, some colleges and universities hold a higher ranking than others. So much that the status of the college a person attended can have an affect on their chances of being hired when seeking employment. Also, everyone holds various status at once. The word status can be broken down into two parts: ascribed and archived status. An ascribed status is one that everyone is given at birth. For example, at birth I received the status of a sister and daughter. Another status is archived status this is one of which a person earns and it reflects their own abilities. It can be said that most of society  believes that social status is important.

Another key part of social structure are roles. The text book defines roles as a expected behavior of someone who holds a certain status. However, role conflict can occur when there is a conflict among roles that are connected to two or more statuses. I have experienced this first hand being a college student. I deal with conflict among being a student and a family member. For example, there are times when I want to go home on the weekend but I have to stay on campus and focus on my school work.  Dealing with role conflict that be stressful at times however, it comes down to making the best decision for yourself and deciding what roles should come first.  These statuses and roles define who we are and what we do in society. So, how are you Rolling?

 

.http://www.happynews.com/living/conflict/role-conflict.htm

Divorce is Scary

Divorce has become more socially accepted over the years, and nearly half of the people who get married end up divorced. People are beginning to marry very young, or because of an unexpected pregnancy, which are two main reasons why people get divorced now a days, because they never truly loved the person. They just felt that they needed to get married because of a major life event. Or why get married if you know you are going to be unfaithful? Is getting married and then divorced really worth it?

My parents got divorced when I was only 4 years old. I never understood why my parents lived in two separate houses, or why it was only every other weekend I got to see my dad. At such a young age, I was not really affected by the divorce, except maybe for all traveling I had to do. Being so young I did not understand what was going on or why things were the way were. When I got older, the divorce took a toll on me. My parents would fight all the time about who got us on the weekends. Being a teenager and wanting to have my own life, caused my parents to fight even more because I did not want to go to my dad’s on the weekend, I wanted to be with friends. This also caused my dad and me to fight all the time and I began to distance myself from him because he would be mean. My brother was only 1 when my parents divorced. I know the divorce still affects him a little bit because he occasionally asks me what I think our lives would be like if they hadn’t gotten divorced. He never knew what life was like when our parents were married because he was so young.

My mom has been a single mom since the divorce. My dad stopped paying child support, and when he did pay it was not even enough for a months’ worth of lunch at school. The divorce was hard on my mom in the first few years. But overall I think she is pretty lucky. She landed an awesome job, making enough money to support my brother and me. And she also got remarried this year after being with her now husband for 15 plus years. They also have an eight year old daughter, my half-sister. This is a link to help children that are affected by divorce:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm

According to the book, the United States is the fourth highest country in divorce rate. There are many reasons for the high divorce rates in the United States such as women are becoming less dependent on men, many marriages are stressful, and divorce has become more socially acceptable. Divorce is not easier to get. In the past both parties needed to prove they were both guilty of misbehavior not just one of them. Also romantic love fades because many people get married because of an unexpected pregnancy or other reasons. Other people also find new love.

This is a link that explains more about divorce and marriage:

http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/

Find Yourself

Find Yourself 

     If you think High School is one of the toughest and most crucial points in one’s life, there is an even tougher one. It is called College. In college, it is where we start developing our adult lives and pave the way for what is to come. We meet all these new people, start doing tasks parents would always do, and start paying this thing called bills. What is one of the most influential factors in our lives are the people around us.

     In college there are a lot groups that people can be a part of. It is one of the most important activities in College that students do not join much. If one was to join an organization, it would help them drastically improve their everyday lives and their social experience. Many do not do it though. Either reason of traveling or do not have time.

   
     That’s all lies! If you say one is busy with school work, I am currently taking 18 credits and am on the e-board for two different organizations. My free time is hardly there because the free time that I do, is the time I use to study and catch up on certain stuff. Being busy isn’t a good thing because stress comes from it, but it is always better to keep busy because one will feel great satisfaction.

    We all go through a moment in our College careers where we spend 75% of our times in our dorm or residence hall depending on what school you go to. That is all nice and stuff, but this is like if you were living back home! Mom or Dad would be all over business trying to see what you were up to and not letting you be out and free. Being in the dorm, you are the own mother and father to your mind, go out and explore the world and campus around you! Exploring the campus can lead to so much of a more entertaining college life, but better yet, a lasting one.

     Being a Latino in a predominately white campus has been enjoyable to me! The Caste System has been able to define me a student who would never graduate high school, let alone come to college. Now that the caste system has changed over time, now it is in the position that the Latinos that come to college do not complete it. I am against all odds but I love it because the impacts I have made in two different organizations has been taken into account by faculty on campus that would have never thought it would happen. Though you may be in a position in which it is paved to be successful, to something that one has never done before because that is what would make you different. 

     I encourage one to look around at all orgs and give them a try because eventually one will find something they are comfortable with. When one finds something they are comfortable with, they can start developing new leadership skills to help out those in the orgs while extending their social connections. Social groups / organizations are a major help as long as one loves it. Do not do one you are not comfortable with just as you wouldn’t do a job that you do not like.

http://specialsections.suntimes.com/education/college/22630118-555/joining-student-organizations-benefits-your-present-future.html

http://studentlife.msu.edu/student-organizations-activities/benefits-of-involvement 

Invite the Old to Build the New

For the past 20 years of my life, I just went along with whatever values, lessons and ideas that have grown within my family. I never put too much thought into why I just listen to what they say and find it to be golden or key to what I should follow. My family has had a major say in every value that has been put into my head. I remember recently having a conversation with my mother about the differences between her side and my fathers. First thing I think you should know, we aren't the average family. My mom mostly runs things, so I guess that kills the patriarch views most of America has. Yes, my parents are married and have been for over 30 years. My mom was telling me about how although it is only her and her sister, they have a huge family. Which is very true, my moms side seems larger than my dads and they are all close. My mom told about how her family believes that family is just that, family. No matter what happens, if one falls we all fall. If one smiles we all do. Her side values old southern views on religion and family. Marriage before children is a strong value although over the years it has seemed to fall apart. One thing that has remained consistent is the faith on the Lord. We have all been passed through the Baptist Church and baptized at a very young age. I was taught to never question the Lord, everything happens for a reason and do right. It didn't occur until I was older and hit high school that it is ok to question the family values. I started wondering if I could choose my own faith rather than be forced into one. (my mother)

Religion has always been a question to me. I wondered why there were so many branches. I wondered why something that was supposed to bring people together had the power to bring them to foolish decisions such as cults. Or why does it cause conflict like the wars going on in other parts of the world. I felt sometimes when things went wrong, that there wasn't a God. To say the least I went against family values a lot in that period with religion. Another strong value from my mother is education. Education is everything to my mother. We often get into arguments about why must I get certain grades when other children can get away with others. Why must I go to college when other family members (my fathers side) barely finished high school. I never really saw the bigger picture on why education was a big thing until my senior year of high school. I realized education is a competition these days. Those who can go the distance make it farther in the real world. You gain jobs required for survival in the unstable economy. You have more bragging rights for your peers. You also have an uneasy amount of debt but that's a different story. As I got further into college and questioned exactly why I was here, I always remembered my mom's constant nagging tied into my own ideas of success. I admit my family isn't a perfect one. I might not agree with their values and expectations. I can say that the values of family mean the most to me even if I find my own feelings toward religion, education and other things. I value their opinion to the highest extent. I might or might not follow what they say but I am happy knowing that it was passed down to me and shaping me into an independent person. Old values are a driving force behind my own feelings and growth on my journey to making my own life.

http://www.parenting.com/article/family-values http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7767714517.html http://www.parentiq.com/news/definingyourfamilyvalues.asp

Monkey See Monkey Do

”Through widespread cultural norms and values we use as references in evaluating ourselves”- Mead

           
    Through this idea we can see through the eyes of a sociologist that this causes imitation, which is beneficial for our growth within this society. The idea of “Monkey See, Monkey Do” in this context comes from the idea that when one performs an action, others will follow. This even comes down to the idea of the bystander effect in psychology. This term shows us that when one person is doing something others will follow. 

    These two concepts from very different disciplines comes into play to help up on our journey to find our way into this society. Through imitation what we see others do before the age of 7 we can have enough social experience to engage in team sports. This even comes down to our education during elementary, middle, and high school we imitate others to find our place in this big “Circle of Life” we call society among our peers. We copy the alpha dog, or the diva of our peers to get the attention we think we need to be successful among our peers. Through this action three things can happen. We can be integrated into this part of society that we believe we need by acceptance, you can considered an outcast because you are trying to be someone you’re not, or finally you can be sent ten steps back, frustrated because you have still not found your place in the “circle of life”.

   This cycle continues throughout our adulthood, but concept of imitation does not change. Going into our adulthood we continue to do these three things. We try to be accepted by the people who represent the lifestyle that we believe is necessary for us to be a part of this cycle we call the “Circle of Life” We as a society imitate what we think is needed to get the best job, so we can get the highest salary. We imitate what we think is required, so we can a great social life, great love life, family life, and community presence. Often times in order to do this we have to step out of our comfort zone, so we can achieve what we want to be successful in this society.

Overall imitating is something that we do every day, so we can achieve what we need to achieve to be integrated into this society. The idea of “Monkey See Monkey Do” can now be considered as a positive and a negative thing within our society. So the next time that you hear the term “Monkey See Monkey Do” you can now know that you can choose to use the concept of imitation, and the term generalized other by Mead to benefit yourself in society. In my view of the world through the eyes of sociology I believe that these are the fundamentals of our necessary growth through the macro point of view. By understanding the power of these fundamentals we can see how politics, government, and social media plays such a huge part in our development of who we become as members in this, as well as our global society.                                                     

Welcome to My Crazy Family

  The first memories that I ever recall are of my sister in her little bouncy swing in the kitchen and me trying to tip her out of it. I was only two or three at the time and my sister is two years younger than me. But now that my sister and I are grown up we love each other, yes we still bump heads with each other but at the end of the day we are still family. But a family starts with a mom and dad falling in love and making the choice to have kids. My family is the most important thing that I have. I know that if I am ever confused with life or just need someone to talk too they will always be here for me. I love making my family proud. Without my family I would not be who I am today let alone be here at all. When a child is first born the first people that the child sees is its immediate family. That is the most important stage because that family is going to be there for the child for its whole life.  But if the family is not their for the child then the child can go in many directions which can be very dangerous. If no one is there for the child then it can turn to find people there for them and it could turn really ugly.  The functionalist theory suggests that the function of a family is to socialize children into society and which in turn benefits both the children and society as a whole. Luckily for me my family has been there for me through it all and we are super close and we all get along. Here is a picture of my family and I in Orange Beach Alabama on a family vacation and as you can see we are very happy and stable.

  The textbook describes kinship as a social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption. Kinships change when a kid grows older, they eventually will start their own family whether with a spouse or if they never marry. A family as described in the book states that it is a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another, including any children. A family is branched off into two sections, an extended family and a nuclear family. An extended family is a family composed of parents and children. A nuclear family is a family composed of one or two parents and their children.  But now a day’s families are either extremely close or not so close. Families today also are sometimes very diverse. But outside of immediate families are certain kinships that you are in and those should be as strong as your actual family. Although families come in many shapes and sizes, they all have a common core and that is unity.

  My family may fight and not get along all the time but without all of them I wouldn’t be the person who I am today.

External sites:

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2004/04-02/11.htm

This website gives all the structures of a family and how they function.

http://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/family-approaches.html

This website gave all the sociological theories of a family.

A Bond Never Broken

    In my option I believe that family is the most important piece of the puzzle you have in your life. In my case, I know that my family will be there for me until the end but in my earlier years it was not always like that. My parents had my older sister at a young age and had me at a more mature age. This left a 13 year gap between my sister and I. Growing up she was more like a baby sitter towards me then an actual sister because of this we were never really close causing us to fight constantly which in the end always turned into a huge argument within the household. This was an issue until we both grew up and my sister moved onto a different stage of her life, marriage. My sister got engaged about two years ago and since then my family’s attitude completely changed. All four of us, mom, dad, sister and I came together to make the wedding as special as possible. Throughout the year of planning, we had our share of arguments but in the end ended up getting extremely close. Now that I have moved onto the next stage of my life by going to college, our family has never been closer.

                                        

 

         Throughout my life I have realized that family comes with an extraordinary bond. In class we learned about family and what it was. In our lecture we learned that family is a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another. My family ties greatly into this definition. In this special time we all put aside our differences and helped out an important member of our family. Also in this story we came across kinship which was also talked about in class. As my sister met the man she wanted to marry they were brought together by a social bond that resulted in marriage. Marriage is legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation, sexual activity and childbearing.

Not every family is perfect but when people see the true meaning of family it can bring out the best in people. I have learned throughout my years that friends come and go but your family will always be there. My family can be embarrassing at times but I would not want in any other way. In the picture above you can see how happy we all were. We all weren’t fighting or being mean to each other, we found the bond family is supposed to have and embraced it.

 

In this article it helps talk about resolving family conflict.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/relationship_challenges/conflict_resolution.aspx

This website it gives different types of family life styles and allows you to read more on the type of family you have or are.

http://www.familylife.com/