Who Am I?

Recently we have been talking about teens and their rolelessness. This is a simple term...not knowing what their role is in life. Teens have been pictured in a completely different way than in the 1960s when the word "teen" came into play. There is so much less in a teenager's life now. Our lives consist of school, homework, friends, sports, clubs and MAYBE a job. Even with this, most of my friends do not have jobs in the school year. So when we are put into college or the real world, it is a shock! Many of my friends have gone to college and been very confused with having to do everything for themselves. Sociologists say that some of this rolelessness may be due to the lack of teen jobs with adult supervisors. Also, there are a lot less public "hang outs". Everywhere that my friends and I go now uses money in some form, and since most of my friends aren't working, the money comes from their parents. All of this leads to that lack of self knowledge. Many teens that do have jobs are in jobs where they work with other teens and possibly one or two adults. This gives a lack of interaction with people who are actually living in the real world.

This relates to our class because we (teens) are being treated as children. When we go into the real world we have to go from being completely dependent to being almost completely independent. That is a huge jump that they expect almost instantly. It's not that easy!!

In my life, my job is a babysitter. I babysit everyday after school until about 6:30. The whole time I am the adult in the situation. I think this is one of the best jobs I can have, because I am acting as the adult to these children while still being able to go home and be the dependent one. I believe this is one of the best ways to give teens a look into the real world. I feel like right now in my life, I am in that awkward "not a girl not yet a woman" stage, but I feel like my transition to woman will be a lot easier after having both of the sides present at once.

Let's Be Real!

Why is it that everyone has to try to be someone they're not? Both girls and guys. Girls have to be picture perfect, skinny, big boobs, big butt, bleach blonde hair, and have that misterious look. Guys have to be tough, built, have abs and biceps, and can't show emotion about anything. This is based a lot on the media and how people are portrayed. It is rare to see a normal size girl on the cover of a magazine. It is just as rare to see a guy crying or expressing his emotions in a movie.
I agree with Sal and other sociologists that this has to stop. I don't want to have to be a size 00 to fit in. I don't want to date a guy that only fights and is a "tough guy". What matters most is what is on the inside!
This relates to my life beacause of two young girls that I know. One of them is a normal size girl; some may even call her a little heavy; she's 9. Her mom has a huge problem with her being a little round and not perfectly skinny. She is taking her to a doctor to see if she has a hormone inbalance. Her sister is 11 and is a stick. She is proud of that. They only wear name brand clothes because that's how they think they fit in. Why do little kids have to be affected so young?! This reminds me of Taylor Swift's new song:

Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
It can stay this simple

And no one's ever burned you
Nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to
Just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad get's home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all you're little brothers favorite songs
I just realized everything I had is someday gonna be gone
If  only everyone could stay young and not have to deal with the harms of society.

Random note: When I was opening the song lyrics, I had a pop up...it was an advertisement. "Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks!" Really? IT'S EVERYWHERE! Why can't we have normal size people in this world?

Don't Judge Me!

Today we were exposed to the bad portrayals of women in the media. This media portrayal is hurting women, even if they don't realize it. A lot of girls are choosing eating disorders now, even if they don't realize it. They may eat less just to get that "perfect body" that they see on television or on billboards. IT'S NOT REAL!! THEY'RE AIRBRUSHED! I wish all girls would realize that! It bothers me that I know so many girls that idolize the models in the media. I have known people to stop eating so they can get the best body for a dance, or for summer. So eating part of the year is okay? I disagree. The media is making people feel like it is okay to judge how people look. What matters is on the inside. I wish everyone were like Hal in the movie Shallow Hal. He was one of the most shallow people, and he got a "curse" put on him to see inner beauty. He ended up falling in love with a girl that was not a model, or someone that a lot of people would look at. He fell in love with a girl that people would jump the gun to judge. I thought this movie was amazing; I wish all people could see it for what it is worth. Again: what matters most is on the inside!!! The media needs to start understanding this so that women (and men) will stop being portrayed in the fake way that they are.

Nurture

This week we started talking a lot about how humans need Nurture with Nature in order to become fully functioning humans. We talked about feral (wild) children and how they become like the animals that raised them. Also, if someone is isolated, they are still in baby/infant stages if they are ever recovered.
This relates to sociology because of the studies that show that children need Nature AND Nurture. Not Nature OR Nurture. We are humans because of the two working together. Our societies, familes, religions, jobs, schools, etc.,etc., determine the person that we become.
I thought it was so sad to hear about the children that did not have human families. It was depressing to hear about and even watch.
Hearing about feral children reminds me of The Jungle Book. I now know that the movie/book is NOT reality. The human child could not be raised by animals and still have all human characteristics. Being human is not based on nature alone. We become the people that we are because of the nature in our genes and the nurture that surrounds us.

Tuesdays With Morrie

In class, we watched the movie Tuesdays With Morrie. This is one of the most touching movies that I have ever seen. It's about a sociology professor that was recently diagnosed with ALS. This was a man that was very independent and did everything on his own. When he was diagnosed, he lost most of his independence. Near the end, he was dependednt on people for everything. This was so devistating to watch, because the man was such an independednt, free spirited man.

In America, dependancy is frowned upon. People are focused on fast paced independence. The sociology in this is a huge part of our culture. In other countries, dependancy is a must. I don't like that in America dependency looks like a weakness. Other countries think of independence as a sign of weekness because you cannot work well with others. I think it is really cool to think of the differences that the different countries have.

Personally, I am a very dependent person. I always have to be around people; I absolutely hate being alone. And I refuse to make major decisions without input from several people. So do I look weak and hopeless to other Americans? I hope not...but I really don't care. As long as I am happy, that's what really matters. I think thats how we all need to live our lives!

Different Cultures

We read an article this week about how a child was left on the street in their stroller while the parents were eating in the resturaunt. Thiw was unacceptable in America, but in their home country, it was perfectly normal. This shows the culture differences in the world. We, especially in America, are very close minded to other cultures and ideas. When thinking sociologically, we shouldn't do that. We should see the big picture, and why that should be good. It is good for children to get fresh air, so leaving them outside should be harmless. But in America, the fast paced life outside would not be safe for a child.
This is similar to when I went to Japan. When I was there, the different culture struck me drastically. Seeing vending machines for everything and ANYTHING freaked me out a little bit. I was somewhat uncomfortable with cigarette and alcohol vending machines. I now know that things like that are considered normal in different parts of the world. Thinking socioligically, I appreciate the different cultures. If everyone were the same, the world would be boring!

Culture

This week, we have been talking a lot about culture. This is one of my favorite topics because of the trip that I took to Japan in 2009. While there, I experienced Japanese culture 100%. One of my favorite topics in class was when we talked about the toilets. That sounds funny to say "My favorite topic is toilets" but I thought it was very interesting to see and think about different toilets from around the world. While there, I remember thinking about the toilets being different, but never thought that much into it. The sociology behind it is a lot more obvious now that I think about it. There are reasons that cultures do the things they do. Each culture thinks differently about things, and this is truly reflected in their toilets. In Japan, they are small, and water efficient. Often times the toilets are in the ground. And they have urinals for women. This would be almost unthinkable in America!

It's funny to think about how the girls reacted to these toilets when I was there. Our first experience was one day when we went to a lunch buffet. We decided that we needed to go to the bathroom, so being American girls, we all went to the bathroom together. When we walked in, they were immaculate. They were the cleaniest, freshest smelling bathrooms that i have ever been in. Then we opened the stalls to go in, and there were sideways urinals in the ground!!! We were in shock. We walked out in shock. We had no idea what to do! So we thought it through, and decided it was something that we needed to try to fully experience Japanese culture. It's so interesting to think that this isn't weird to them! This all has to do with culture, and how different Americans and Japanese are. Every culture is different in their own way. After thinking about this a lot more in class, it makes me appreciate it more. I think it is really cool to think about how everyone does everything different. Culture is a huge part of everyone, and all of our cultures are different!