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.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
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.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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.
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