Social Inequality : Lacy Piece

When reading the Lacy piece, I was just in shock in general about how the desirability of racial integration was still frowned on from all different races. The way Lacy drew on interviews with thirty middle class black couples and ethnographic study in two distinct middle class suburban communities in DC. I was really impressed the way she focused especially on the symbolic distinctions drawn by respondents, as a means of marking off the black world as a strategy for negotiating the transition from the black to white world. I was really in shock by one of the middle class black families saying if there daughter wanted to marry a white men, how he would be a “red-neck” and how it would indirectly be frowned around from everyone in her family. It just really boggles my mind that there are still a lot of forms of social inequality in all parts of society. Especially after everything our country has gone through, you would think that it would be close to elimination, but no it is alive and well.

Are Humans Being Free?

 “Results from our own commitment to certain cultural standards and "truths" (Charon p. 102) and "We all interact, we take on the cultures of the social organizations in which we exist, and those cultures influence how we think about the world in which we live." (Charon p. 102-103) For reading this chapter I have learned that Culture plays a hufe roll in what people see other people as. I can really relate too what we have learned and apply ot to my life because I was also a privileged young child, my father  did extremely well our whole life. He was a stroke broker and I also had everything I needed and wanted, until the market crashed ,and we went into a recession. I had to start all on my own, and learn everything ,and how to survive on my own. This connects with the reading in my personal live because people started treating me different after my father wealth could not provide from them anymore. I slowly lost friends, lost my place in social groups ,and found out who my real friends were because my social class changed. The culture and lifestyle I was used to and grew up in completely changed and I had to learn how to adapt to it on my own, but it taught me a lot of amazing lessons. 

Identity of Rap Music

"Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas: Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music," by Charis E. Kubrin I learn about the connect between respect and power in the street. "This street code articulates powerful norms and characterizes public social relations among residents, particularly with respect to violence," this being said meant that the street code was in order for on to be powerful like everybody else in the streets or respected, one must use violence. In using violence one is building a reputation that gives one an identity as a person that deserves respect. For example using guns because guns symbolize  power and stop disputes, which many would respect you because they fear actions done with guns. In this article we see that in the inner city these residents take matters in their own hands where the make justice and "willingly suffer the consequences," all fro social control since police wouldn't help these people from the streets the helped themselves. The ideas I can connect to the ideas of street life and rap music which Kubrin describes, are that in order to survive in a social world you should be about to find a way to express yourself and the way one express their-selves can allow others to understand you and your life just like raps and street life residents try to express their personality in a way so others would respect them and understand them. Rap and street life build a reputation so many wouldn't have to go through the trouble of judging (because judging a rapper or a street person could bring out a gun if thats how they get their respect) because they express themselves once and for life they are known for that, and for raps the lyrics express what their reputation is and how they came across from it. From this article the only one idea that I thought about was the main idea of rap and street life behavior was all for respect, I know everybody does things for respect but I mainly thought street residents were act in such a manor because they were angry about something, but now I know that it's about respect.

Inequality

  

Socialization and the ideas set forth by society are big factors that affect rationalization and ‘flexible ethnicity’.  Due to these factors, these people multiracial backgrounds, both men and women, face many hardships in such areas of confronting specialized stereotypes, feeling the need to engage in trying to establish ‘flexible ethnicity’, and finding it hard to define the terms of their own race/ethnicity in the U.S. Because of society, it is hard for such third generation Mexican Americans to confront peers about the certain stereotypes or even jokes they may have stated about their race. These third Generation Mexicans know how society views them so they accept "flexible ethnicity" as a way to blend in with society. I feel like everyone who is treated with an inequality finding it easier to blend in so therefore there is no fight against it. Which connects to Charon book in the sense that society justifies inequality. I feel like we are letting it come together, and be because we do not like change or discomfort, so blending in would be the easiest way to ignore it all ,and just try to live life.

I just wonder what it would be like if everyone who was treated negatively with an inequality would band together and fight for justice, if anything would really change. In all honesty, I feel like regardless of what happens there will always be some from of inequality in all societies, as long as there is a higher form of command ,and power.

Socialization Week 3

According to Milkie " The Impact of Pervasive Beauty Images on Black and White Girls' Self-Concept",I thought it was very interesting how the study that was used by seeing the affect magazines and medias version of how you should look affect the black girls and the white girls in there sense of self concept. I thought it was very interesting how the black girls cared less,and actually deferred from the images saying there were "unrealistic" "fake" ,and such. I can see how they would feel that way because in there ethnic community that being "skinny" is not everything. Unlike the white girls who said that they did not agree with the media,but were the ones wanting too look identical or be skinny. The white girls actually had more eating disorders,and self image issues. I personally really connect with this issue because I am a Group Leader and Program Coordinator for an all girls weight loss camp. I see all of these issues all summer long,and it is a battle I am trying to put a full forced effort in fighting against,

"The Promise of Sociology" Mills

When reading Mills article I  really picked up on he connected the social context around people and why they act the way they. When Mills talks about the "personal troubles of milieu" and the "public issues of the social structure" (Mills 14) . Mills speaks about how troubles are essential private matter,and how issues are often a crisis in institutional arrrangements. I do believe this statement to be true, but take into consideration Hurricane Sandy. I am a Staten Islander who got hit by the hurricane too extreme measures,and not just me my whole extended family. All of our cars were totaled,all of our belongings in our basements and first floors were destroyed. Plus the fact that we did not have power for about 25 days, under these circumstance I felt like I was living in a third world country.
Connecting this too Mills article in a way my troubles became a Tri-State issues, my troubles of no power or hot water or a car where being connected to many people cities and towns away ,so we all were having the same troubles that stemmed from this one horrible issue. I agree with Mills,but I just thought it was interesting how many peoples troubles and issues were connected at some point this year.

Class In America

When reading "Class in America", the statement Class is still a powerful force in American life, I do agree with,but at the same time I have some points that I disagree with. When talking about being born into a class it already has it automatic perks ,and privileges that the average person has to work extremely hard for. Speaking of being born into a class kind of turns that quote on it's head. When being born into a specific class therefore you have nothing to earn,or succeed because it has it automatic perls,but working you way through classes is  what the American Dream is. As of classes with fincial backing like middle class,or upper middle class ,the atricle talks about parents using money to reward there children,which apparently shows there child success,and how to work hard,and what to be successful for. I disagree with that from personal experience everything comes with hard work,and motivation to better oneself. Even if parents are willing to reward merit I feel many of those children that get rewarded therfore slack ,and become lazy,so they do not always work as hard in some cases not all. They just count there success through there parents merit. Especially in my generation, I feel like before this recession many young adults in there 20's parents where doing well from the time Clinton was president,so they therefore we able to receive a lot more rewards,and things they wanted and not necessarily needed. Personal I have learned from that, when I was in middle school and high school my parents helped me with a lot, they always rewarded me from doing well. As the time have changed and our society has fallen into a recession at times where I have need my parents help who were in the upper middle class,I could not ask. My parents being in the upper middle class I was always used to getting help,and now being 23 years old,I am leaving I have to start climbing the class ladder because it is time too do it on my own. Also attributes to income mobility, because income can always change.