The Division Between Gender

When norms are created in society, we create a mental image of what we should look like and how we should act. Standards have evolved around a gender issue. Whether pink stands for girls or blue represents boys, not everyone follows the unwritten rules. Rules that decide how each gender should act and essentially think. And those rule-breakers are often frowned upon by others. This is because our minds have set images for specific genders. Such as, women are portrayed as delicate as have special abilities to cook AND clean; while men have the ability to fix what's ever in sight and are most likely found glued to the TV watching Monday night football. Consequently, younger children are mistaken for being the opposite gender of what they truly are. this is because they wear specific items (clothes, color, etc.) that represent a certain gender.

Looking towards my personal life, I notice I have some undefinable "masculine" traits. For example, I am athletic, like the color blue, want to take charge, and ultimately I get along with everyone no matter who they are. In conclusion, I don't believe unwritten rules should minimize our behavior, personality, or beliefs and shouldn't define who we are; there are more important things in life.

all of a sudden i saw sociology when....

Last Thanksgiving, my cousin took part in the French exchange program. She housed a guy from France that has never been to the United States before. He was faced with both a culture shock and clash. While at dinner, we all said grace before eating, and this was part of our culture that he normally doesn't take part in. My Uncle attended to our dinner and he was a huge factor towards the Frenchman's shock. Adam was his name and you could tell by his facial expressions towards my Uncle that he was not in his comfort zone anymore. He became very shy while my Uncle recited song lyrics and told many gruesome stories, WHILE AT THE DINNER TABLE. Thereafter, the whole family headed downstairs to watch the BIG game (football). This was a factor of our culture that many Americans take part in; watching football on Thanksgiving day followed by a huge selection of pies and deserts. Our food, football games, and the way we sit down to have a family meal together, are all examples of the culture clash Adam encountered while visiting America. followed by many culture shocks he witnessed from both our citizens and my family, particularly my Uncle Chris.

American Symbols

The materialistic objects portrayed on the runway serves as an important basis of what we wear. What we wear defines us as humans. We portray our mood, personality, and feelings through clothing/accessories.

Signs represent cautions for people who don't use their common sense and take precautions while surrounded by deadly or harmful chemicals. They serve as a reminder for us to be alert. 

Jersey Shore: the TV show that serves no purpose but to annoy, entertain, and make fun of people who really act like this. The cast show no role model behavior but none-the-less causes an epidemic TV sensation among all ages throughout the US.

Our technology defines our nation. It provides laziness and convenience. The industry is constantly battling to create a new gadget that WOWs America and empowers us into buying the latest and greatest.

The elephant and donkey are key symbols to our government. It creates tension among voters. New voters struggle to pick which side of the spectrum they belong to.

This symbol is dispersed among border states along the Mexican-American border; informing citizens to be aware of possible immigrants strolling our streets. It has created conflict among our citizens battling for control over immigration.

The woman and man are indicators of same-sex facilities. This allows people to be aware of the difference between restrooms usually. Although some people might not obey these signs, for the sake of others, we like the indication of whether or not we belong in the specific room.

This picture shows the convenience of picking up food through a DRIVE-THRU.You don't even need to leave your car! This issue is a factor of the increasing rate of obesity among Americans.

Bemused in America

In the article Bemused in America, Stefan Shirmer, a journalist from Munich (Germany) is analyzing the American culture in a supermarket. He found many differences among the sales, "Buy-one-get-one-free", Ready to eat food, and the never ending brand names. He also was shocked that grocery stores are open until midnight AND on Sundays. He was very concerned with the lack of nutrition among our food and the idea of fat-free chips, yogurt, and milk. This has proven Stefan that his culture is some-what different compared to the lives of Americans. He pointed out that many of the decorations and advertising inside the stores were similar to those in Germany.

Having a complete-opposite culture among you may feel very uncomfortable. Felling lost in a world that is unlike yours is pretty scary and unwelcoming. Stefan experienced the outcome of a stranger/alien entering a new culture.

American values influence the way we act, speak, and react towards situations. Since the German journalist wasn't prone to the the American culture he reacted differently in certain situations than an American would. The value of money management was introduced while Stefan commented on the amount of saving that is provided in advertisements and throughout the isles.

It occured to me...

It has occured to me that sociology exists everywhere I go. Sitting in the mall sipping on my smoothie, I witnessed what is common in every single one of us. We have similar language, clothing, ideals, and many values. Seeing shoppers holding massive bags in their hands, I realize the amount of pressure on us Americans wanting to have the latest trend. Throughout time, society has changed tremendous. From the 1920's belief of wearing dresses that would cover us literally from head to toe, to present day, wearing little to no clothing. Society has created a bond between us and it will be a constant throughout life.

Functionalist perspective among us

"The world is a system of interrelated parts, and each part makes a necessary contribution to the vitality of the system." -Bohm

Everything has a purpose in life. It may be essential to living or simply present for a well-being. For example, if we didn't have crime,employment wouldn't exist for thousands of people, including police officers, criminal investigators, judges, attornies, etc. Our world would be completely lost without crime becuase we wouldn't have the need for laws or enforcement. The point is that we need a structure in order to function. It is happening all around us. Every second of the day we are proving that functionalism is present in our everyday lives. Our world wouldn't be the same without it.

Survey

Get a free sms student response system at Poll Everywhere