Response 9

Another example of religious radicalism taking a deadly turn was the cult leader Jim Jones killing 900 innocent followers. Religious practices should never be forgotten and lose their importance. Yet, there is a reason for the separation of church and state.   

Response 8

Brandin Reggio

Response 8

            “Blue is for boys and pink is for girls.” This is a message that we are told from the time we are born and throughout childhood. “Girls are pretty and boys are strong and tough” are other examples of gender stratification, or the process in which a society dictates what someone’s norms and actions should be based on their gender. Like most things in a civilization, these messages are instilled at a young age. Both the functionalist theorists and the conflict theorists have substantial arguments to why gender stratification occurs. However, I side more with the conflict theorists. I believe that just like race, genders are constantly in competition with one another. Gender stratification is just one tool of the gatekeepers to keep gender inequality in effect so that they can better their own personal goals.

            I believe that conflict and inequality are plainly seen throughout our society when referring to gender. A clear example of this is the fact that women make much less then men in “specific” types of job. Another example of this inequality is seen in the way that women are exploited for money. In the porn industry, women are viewed as a “piece of flesh”, so to speak. Yet, there are not many women owners of these porn companies. Throughout our society, the way that some may tell women to get ahead is by being pretty and sexual. A functionalist would say that gender inequality is just a process that is necessary to make the economy and country run. But, if you look at the facts, you can see that it is something more then that. For instance, if a girl sleeps with a lot of guys she is a whore, but if a guy sleeps with a lot of women he is cool and the “man”. What is this concept of being the man? It often seems that the bad behavior or over domination displayed by man is looked at as successful and masculine. But, on the other hand, such characteristics displayed by women are frowned upon. This shows that these norms are put into play to propitiate inequality among the genders and it seems like the scales are tilted in the men’s favor. I say this from the vantage point as a guy.

            Throughout life, this gender stratification has been pushed on me from many areas. Growing up, I was always encouraged to play sports. My dad always was trying to toughen me up, whereas my sister was encouraged to take up activities such as choir and band. I feel that from early on these gender roles were assigned to my sisters and I. On my father’s side of the family, the structure for gender was definitely patriarchal, with the men running the show. Also, being a tough man was extremely important. Both my grandfather and father were heavy labor construction workers. Their jobs entailed jack hammering bridges and laying down cement on the Garden State Parkway. I cannot even remember a time when I have seen either one of them cry. In many ways, my family affected the way I look at gender. However, in my relationship with my girlfriend, I would say I do the opposite of them. I am definitely not the tough he-man when it comes to my relationship with her. In fact, I am much more soft and understanding than my father. Also, in the culture that I was brought up in, cheating for the man was expectable. In my own life and relationship, I believe that cheating is the same for both genders and I do not do that with my girlfriend. Just because we are faced with stratification on an everyday basis does not mean we cannot choose for ourselves what is right.

            Like most things in this country, gender revolves around conflict and struggle. Even though inequality may be getting better in this country, will it ever truly be gone? This is a question that I do not know the answer to and I doubt anyone will. Will boys always be blue and girls pink? Will stratification prevail as it has for so many years? One thing for sure is that the scales of gender are tilted, but are slowly and surely moving.

Response 7

Brandin Reggio

Response 7

            As a Portuguese, Uruguayan, Italian-American, I have been around many ethnic groups growing up. It is also safe to say that from an aspect of race, I side with “conflict theorists.” I believe that in this country and around the world, racial and ethnic groups are always fighting for position. A great example of this is the Olympics, where the whole world gets together to compete and become the dominant nation. When you have a country as diverse as America, a similar thing happens when different types of people are living together. I am not necessarily stating if this is wrong or right per say, but merely just stating that it is happening. I cannot really pinpoint when exactly I became aware of my ethnicity, but I do know that it was at a young age. I come from a diverse ethnic background and both sets of my grandparents speak two different languages besides English. They also exposed me to their culture and food from a young age. In the first four years of my life, my mother’s mother raised me. She speaks Italian and Spanish fluently, and some English as well. From a young age I was made aware of my heritage and I am very proud of it.

            The actual understanding of how race and ethnicity are used in the United States definitely came at a later age than my realization. As I have grown up, I have seen how important race is to many in this country. I also see how prevalent discrimination and stereotypes are in this country. I feel that in many areas of our society, being a certain race will benefit someone, whereas being another race will hurt you. For instance, if someone is going for a job interview at a “fortune 500 company” and is a minority, his or her chances of getting the job will be less, than a person who is white. Also, as I have become older and a wiser, I have realized that racism and discrimination are not only about the color of one’s skin. When you are young, you may see discrimination as “one person is black and another is white.” Yet, it is far more complex then that. For instance, there are certain countries that are right next to each other geographically on the map and that speak the same language, but they still hate each other with a passion. Another example could be Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, two Spanish-speaking peoples, but in many instances they do not get along. I believe that culture and ethnicity have a lot more to do with the competition among different groups. I feel that when looking for a job in this country, race and ethnicity are important and there is much institutional discrimination along with that process. Things like affirmative action have improved this, but this unbalance may always be there.

            In my opinion, along with the knowledge that I have gained in this course, I have learned to look from another person’s point of view more effectively. I believe that I am now more able to see things from another race, ethnicity, or gender perspective with better understanding and clarity. I believe that people can tend to be a little ethnocentric, because I feel everyone is going to perceive things from their own ethnicity or race’s point of view. But, this course has taught me to not do that as much. Another course that I am currently taking that has helped me do this is World History. I have always known the history of my cultures fairly well, but in World History I have learned about every part of the world. I have studied many places that I did not know much about like Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Asia and learning about these people and all of their accomplishments and civilizations fascinates me. Throughout the year in sociology, we have focused on issues of peoples and inequality. These are all things that I see and know exist, but I now focus on the reasons for them taking place in much more depth. I now approach the way that people act in a much more scientific way. I have learned that just because something seems simple, there may be a much bigger reason and explanation behind it.

            Race and ethnicity are important traits that make up an individual. They are things that are not going away anytime soon. They are the very things that make this world interesting and if everyone were the same, how boring would this world be? The culture, food, and music that makes us all different are the very things that makes us exciting.

Reponse 6

Brandin Reggio

Response 6

            The “haves” and the “have-nots” is an expression used to describe social class. This phrase means that in our country there are the people who have the social standing and wealth and then there are the individuals who are out of luck and do not have these pivotal things. Two other words to describe this principle are the “proletariat” and the bourgeoisie. In this case, the proletariats are the working class, or “have-nots” and the bourgeoisie are the owning class, or the “haves”. These classes were created by our society and are prevalent in our capitalist nation. The creations of classes are a social norm that we have created and put great emphasis on. I have always known that I was not a bourgeoisie, but the true realization of my social position was when I began working. During high school, most parents provide more so one may not truly grasp how important money and social standing is. Also, some may not realize how crucial it is to deciding where society puts you on the pecking order.

            As I have grown older, I have realized the importance of income. One major event that put things into perspective for me was when I began working at a country club. I am from Newark, and my grandparents came from Portugal. My grandfather and father made their living as heavy labor construction workers, working on roadways and jack hammering bridges. When I got a job at the Basking Ridge country club it was an eye opener. I was working in the catering department and Restaurant and the people that I was serving were much different then myself. The club was a private establishment that where only members can golf. Just by those standards, I was not even aloud to use the facility. I made 8 dollars an hour working there, but the members of the club probably made my years salary in a week. These people were the “top of the top” in tax brackets and social class. And the entire time that I was working there, I could not help but feel like a servant. I was very aware of my social class and where I was from. I would say that this was probably the time in my life that I was most aware of it. In the current job that I work at, I am aware of my social class as well.

 As I am getting older, I am beginning to realize that many of the things that I do not have are things that I want for myself and for my future family. At times, I have experienced this feeling of false consciousness. Sometimes I feel hopeless in my job. I also began to formulate irrational and inaccurate views of why I feel this way towards my position. I want to do more then I am doing, but at times I feel stuck. This is an example of the Marxist view of capitalism, the Iron Cage principle. The Iron Cage principle is defined as the feeling that one cannot change or get around the bureaucracy that capitalism brings. Sometimes, I feel like I have an ascribed position and that I am in this position regardless of my talents. However, the social structure in this country is much more flexible than something like the caste systems. This caste system is best described in the country of India. In this system, you are put into a social class and cannot move out of it regardless of your abilities. Still, these feelings about my social status have driven me to work hard in my job and to pursue a degree in college. This very feeling is what leads me to believe I have been conscious of my class for a long time and have been fighting to move up the ladder.

            Social class, to many, is a prison that suffocates and surrounds a person his or her whole life. It is a constant reminder of what others have that they do not. However, class is not necessarily a permanent thing. Many people have moved from proletariat to bourgeoisie. From the five children of my grandparents, three of them went to college and one of my uncle’s became a successful doctor. I hope to enhance my social status by expanding my knowledge. I believe that this capitalist system does have flaws, but if one works hard they can make something of themselves. I hope to make my grandparents proud also.  

Response Paper 5

Brandin Reggio

Response Paper 5

            Murders, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers, mobsters, racketeers, what do all these things have in common? These are all examples of people that our society deems to be deviant. Deviant, in the text, is defined as behavior that violates the standards of conduct for a society. If you have lived in America, or any country in the world for that matter, there is no doubt that you have come across some of these types of people. Growing up in Newark, I have been around many different norms then many people. Nevertheless, it is not to say that there is not any deviance in the "suburban picket fence towns" around me.

 

So, how does our society control or protect us from these deviant individuals, and where does this type of behavior actually come from? The way that society prevents these undesirable behaviors from occurring is social control. There are two types of social control; one is informal control and the other is formal. An example of informal control is classmates ridiculing or picking on a kid who eats glue. The child will see that his behavior is unacceptable, thus refraining from doing it next time. I must also point out that deviant behavior is not always extreme and, like murder, it can be any action that goes outside the norms of a society. An example of formal control is laws that are set up by an authorized entity, such as police officers or judges. Both of these techniques levy sanctions which are rewards or punishments.

            I work at a Stop and Shop supermarket. The guide lines for conduct at my work are extremely strict and, if broken, there is a good chance that sanctions can be placed against you. One example of formal social control is that if an employee is caught stealing it is automatic termination. On my interview, one of the managers told me a story about a boy that worked there for five years and that he had opened a candy bar while he was waiting on the line to pay for it. He was fired for doing this. To make sure that employees and customers don’t steal, there are cameras all over the store and securities guards watching everyone all day long. An example of informal control is when a manager complains about the work ethic of the staff and says “there are plenty of people looking for jobs in today’s world”. By this, the manager is trying to scare the workers into working even harder by implying that if they don’t, they will lose their jobs. In both cases, the fear, or sanction, is of the employee losing their job, but I believe that the formal technique is much more effective. My reasoning for this is that when people see authority behind statements or actions they seem to pay closer attention. For example, if an older lady asks you to turn your music down, you may not listen. But, if a SWAT team armed with automatic machine guns tells you to turn your music down, I doubt there will be any hesitation. I believe that the fear of jail, or penalties by the government, controls better than being threatened or even made fun of by your peers. Some people that are deviant thrive off of this ridicule, but when it comes down to going to jail, they will change their behavior quickly.

            Deviance is not an absolute principle; it is a term and standard made up by society. It also varies from society to society. Something in the middle east, such as women wearing shorts, could be looked at as deviant. Yet, in the United States, it is a norm. I also believe that the frequency for the amount of deviant people in a society varies by the environment that one is placed in. For example, there may be more deviant individuals in a rough neighborhood then a wealthy suburban town. An example of this is Merton’s Theory. In his theory, he poses the question: what do a mugger and teacher have in common? He states that both of these people are engaging in their actions to obtain money so they can buy goods for personal gratification. This theory backs up the idea that deviant people are formed due to society’s expectations and norms. Money and wealth were both created by society. If a person is placed in a certain type of environment without opportunities, they will do anything to be successful by societies standards.. even if this means committing deviant acts to obtain wealth.

            Deviance is a problem that plagues every culture and subculture around the globe. Whether it is sticking gum under the class desk or committing heinous acts such as multiple murders, unwanted and dangerous behavior is all around us. Should we lock these villainous creatures away for life or try to reform and rehabilitate them? That is a question with many answers. But, one thing is for certain is that deviance is a product of the world which we have created, and it is very well up for us to stop it. 

response 4 pictures

response 3

Brandin Reggio

Response 3

            I chose to monitor my use of media on this past Saturday and Sunday. I selected these two days in particular because I did not have work or school on Saturday and I have more time for media related activities. The technique in which I used to record and monitor my media intact could be called characterized as observation. As discussed in chapter two, observation is a key component in sociological research. So, on Saturday and Sunday I went on my computer and checked and updated my Facebook. I also replied to my Kean e-mails. The use of technology has greatly increased as a norm for American and world culture, and they have certainly become a norm for me. I constantly hear stories told to me by my dad about when he was a kid and no one used to be on cellphones or Ipads. There were also no computers in individual houses. He would tell me that everything was face to face and when he was a kid he was always out playing at the park. Now, he said, everyone is on their phone twenty four seven and they are constantly updating their facebook status every hour on the hour. To even do anything for school you have to do it online! For example, every assignment for this class has to be posted on three different websites. However, 30 years ago this was not the case. This fact is one way that our culture has evolved and how the norm of “face to face contact” was replaced by “internet and computer contact”. I believe that is socialization at its core, because our society over a gradual period of time deemed this behavior as acceptable.  I must say that computer use is the biggest way that I was socialized over the past two years. I was never a “big computer person” and never even had an e-mail up until senior year of high school. Now, all I do is go on the computer. I believe that is exactly what socialization is.

            Another media outlet that I used was the television. The wide usage of television has definitely been around for longer than the computer. Yet, the frequency of which it is being used has gone up. I am basing these statements on what I have heard from older members of my family and friends. It almost seems as if people do not even leave their home anymore. When I was a young boy, I used to go to blockbuster and rent movies. But now a lot of blockbusters are going out of business. All you have to do to rent a movie is order it online and it is mailed straight to your house through Netflix. I, taking the role of a sociologist, see that again human to human contact has been given up as a norm for computers and television. Another norm that has changed is the content that is being watched. On Saturday night, I watched HBO re-runs of Boardwalk Empire, one of my favorite shows along with True Blood. Both of these shows are filled with violence, nudity, sexual content, and offensive language. However, this has become the norm for much of America’s television. I am not saying that there was not offensive material on television thirty years ago, but from the information that I have been given, it was not at the extent it is now. To be perfectly honest, the crude and vulgar material does not even bother me because I have been socialized to believe that it is entertaining. Coming from the culture that I am, my very conservative Portuguese Catholic grandmother showed me that these types of things are not norms to her generation. But as different as our entertainment norms are, I still live in the same world and home as her. This, as a sociologist, leads me to believe that culture is ever changing and evolving. C Wright Mills stated that the society around us has an immediate effect on us. And, this can be seen through the fact that each generation has different norms even though they are living in the same world. This is an example of sub-culture.

            On Sunday, I had work. I work at the deli department in Stop and Shop, so one may not think I am exposed to media here. Working for a big company like Stop and Shop, I see bureaucracy at its worst, and sometimes I understand where Karl Marx was coming from.  On the ride to work, I listened to music like I always do. I listened to songs from The Carter 4, which is Lil Wayne’s new cd. Again, just like television, the music is full of violence and sex. But, because it is the norm to me, it does not bother me. I do not really even listen to the messages sent out; it is more like mindless music with clever verses. If I were to put this music on in an Amish community, I bet you their “ears would bleed”. Or, better yet, if I was to put this on around my grandmother, she would grab her rosary beads and start praying. I feel as if I have been socialized into thinking that sex and violence are entertaining, I have been desensitized by media and the world around me. There is not much media at work around me, except the intercom blasting advertising products to buy at the store. This constant advertising of these products tries to show us that we “need” them to better our lives. I cannot flip through the channels on my television without seeing ten commercials for “this amazing product” or “that special thing”. And, it is another part of our culture telling us to be consumers and buy these things. This is a part of our Capitalist world’s socialization program.

            Throughout this whole social experiment, I came to one solid conclusion. This is that socialization is all around us and it is ever growing and changing. Today’s norms may be tomorrow’s awkward occurrences. Culture is not “set in stone” and just because your parents acted a certain way does not mean you will too. Nevertheless, I do believe that it is intelligent to keep in mind that there is much to be learned from the past. As a sociologist, a student, and a member of a society, my deduction is that media has immensely affected my life and the way I have lived it.

Response 2

Brandin Reggio

Response 2

            Born and raised in Newark, I am no stranger to different cultures. I am proud to say that I am half Portuguese, a quarter Uruguayan, and a quarter Italian. Both sets of my grandparents came over to the USA from another country and brought many cultural customs and traditions. Both my mother’s and father’s sides of my family have native languages other than English. Unfortunately, I can only speak English fluently. But I can certainly understand Portuguese and Spanish fairly well. In my city, culture is very important and there are many subcultures as well. Just from walking down the block you can notice the diversity of cultures. There are various Portuguese and Italian social clubs and businesses everywhere. The streets are also blooming with stores and shops which are ran by individuals who were not born in this country or “society”, but now they have blended into the USA and have become a part of it. My point here is that the cultural atmosphere in Newark is much more diverse than a town like Westfield or Clark, where the people living there are predominately what one could call “standard Americans”. In my neighborhood of Newark, the nationalities of the inhabitants vary greatly from block to block. On one block the residents might all be African American and another block might be all Portuguese and Brazilian. Because of this, growing up around different cultures and customs became a normal occurrence. However, I can definitely recall a few times in my life when I did experience culture shock, or in other words, felt out of place by another culture.

            One specific time I can remember is recent and fresh in my memory. It all started when I went on a family trip with my girlfriend and her family last summer. The trip was to Kansas…..yes, I said it - Kansas. And this trip consisted of a week of driving across half of the United States, to places which were very different than what I was used to. And, as can be expected from six people being in close corners with others for a week, there was a lot of fighting and arguing. On our journey, we drove through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and then finally, Kansas. One huge difference that I noticed between New Jersey and the states that I mentioned is that the residents of these states mainly only speak English. The map on page 73 in the text book is proof of the fact that these states greatly differ from New Jersey in which 25% or more residents speak another language at home. In the states that we visited, I felt very much like an outsider. The way in which I dressed and talked were different than the people around me, and the amount of space and farmland was so different from  the cramped apartment buildings and one way streets that I was used to. I admit that I am a bit ethnocentric and I believe that my culture is more normal than others are. I do not intend for that statement to be offensive to other cultures, but it is just what I am used to, especially coming from a family that is so culturally oriented.

At one point on the trip, we made a stop at an Amish cheese market in Ohio. There was a young Amish girl selling fruit; she probably was no older than ten years old and she was dressed in a long dress and bonnet, similar to what the pilgrims wore. In the back of the market there were horses behind a barbed fence, extremely secluded. The people we came across at this cheese shop were very different than myself. They were much more well-mannered than the people I am used to dealing with in New Jersey. One thing I particularly noticed was that the each woman’s dress covered her whole body in order to not reveal anything. My girlfriend was in awe. I felt so different next to these people; I had tattoos and a Jersey accent. I felt like I did not  belong, and the crazy thing about this culture shock is that I did not even have to go outside of the United States or my society to experience it. Instead of traveling to another continent, I experienced culture shock from voyaging a few hundred miles west of where I lived. To be honest, I have more in common with the immigrants in my neighborhood then I did with these Americans from the mid-west. I was so used to different cultures around me, that all along this trip what others consider “American” was actually foreign to me.

            There were definitely many cultural differences that I experienced along my trip, but the Amish cheese shop is the one that stands out the most to me. In my opinion, ethnocentrism was a factor in the way that I looked at these people and the new environments that I encountered. Every time that we passed through another state, I still thought of my subculture and customs as the “norm”. However, I definitely did learn that the rest of America is not like New Jersey. But, I still must say that the ethnocentrism inside me is proud of that. When the word “American” is used, I do not just think of New Jersey, New York and California. Since my trip, I reflect on this term with a much broader meaning. One of the greatest things about this country is all of the thousands of subcultures and I am glad that I got to experience ones that I did not already know on my trip to Kansas.

Reponse 1

Brandin Reggio

Response 1

            After reading chapters 1 and 2, I have come to the conclusion that the study of sociology analyzes how people interact and engage with one another. As an individual living in a world full of people, this course strikes me as being relevant and vital for me to take.  I think that it is important for a person to understand how different people communicate and to explore other cultures. The material covered in sociology is of great importance to any person pursuing an education, but it is especially important to me because my major is criminal justice. After college, I plan to pursue a career in law enforcement. I believe that getting a better understanding of sociology is crucial for my success. With the hopes of one day becoming a law officer and eventually a detective, understanding how and why groups of people act differently is a critical skill.

            I hope that this course will better help me attain a better comprehension of how groups of people act a certain way, but more importantly why they act the way they do. Studying sociology can help me understand how to better read people and to analyze situations when I have to interact with them in my future work field. I believe that this course will help me become a better student as well. When an individual is in school, he or she is surrounded by various types of people and groups.  Learning how to communicate and interact with others can help a person go much further with every aspect of life and school. I think that this skill can even help someone to place his or herself in someone else’s shoes, so to speak. I am also hoping that studying sociology can help me with my various psychology and political science classes, which I also have to take with my major.

            As a potential future detective, a major task of mine will be finding out about the acts that people have committed - or will commit. In order to actually solve a crime, one must understand why people would commit it in the first place. I am hoping that sociology will better help me understand and analyze the minds of victims and criminals. Gaining a better understanding of people in general helps any education or career. In my line of work I will undoubtedly come across “deviant” groups such as gangs. Sociology can help me recognize the inner workers of these types or people and misunderstood individuals. Sociology can also help me understand individuals who are different then myself, and I believe to be a good law officer (and a person in general) this is an important trait. Being able to relate to others, even though you may not agree with how they act, is an important skill.

            During my life growing up in Newark, I have interacted with many different types of people on a daily basis. My neighborhood is extremely diverse and is composed of many different social and ethnic groups. So, in a way, I am no stranger to sociology. Both sets of my grandparents immigrated to the USA from different countries and speak different languages. Because of them, I was raised around cultures other than American. I also was raised in an environment that is a little harsher and more abrasive then others. I believe that this will help me understand and grasp some of the concepts in this course and is also one of the reasons that I want to pursue law enforcement as a career. I have seen how sinister and evil people in this world can become from being in a negative environment around harmful groups of people. Along with this course, I hope to expand on the knowledge I have already have from  my everyday life.

            I do not believe that this course is “just another class”, but I feel as if it is a crucial building block for my further education and future career. I honestly hope to learn from this course and incorporate the information which I have obtained into my daily life.  I hope by gaining a better understanding of the social world, different cultures, and deviants, there may be a chance that one day I can prevent and stop heinous acts from occurring. Since I was a young boy, I always dreamed of being a police officer. I believe that this sociology course will most definitely help me in obtaining my goal.