Masculinity

A few weeks ago, in sociology, we learned about masculinity. We read an article about school shootings, and we discovered that most of the people who were the shooters were predominantly white males. In the American culture, men are always thought of with a strength and tough connotation. The article explained many examples of these white males who were attacking these schools, and basically all of these shooters were bullied because others were questioning their masculinity. They all were looking for revenge, and they thought that holding a gun and shooting the schools would make others see them with fear. Ever since childhood, boys are taught to not seem vulnerable or scared. Whenever they cry, they're made fun of and told to stop because "big boys don't cry." Unlike females, they don't show as much affection, and they keep their feelings bottled up because it's not manly to talk about their feelings.

Social class

This week in sociology, we learned about social classes. Americans like to believe that everyone has equal opportunities and is just equal in general. However, the reality is that depending on the families we are born into, and where we were raised shapes just how equal we are. For example, a person who grew up in the Stevenson area would have enough money to be able to afford tutors, prep books, and college. Also, since Stevenson is a school that values going to college and a good education, most Stevenson students end up going to college. However, for a kid who grows up in the ghetto/ south side of Chicago, they're schools might not have as much funding as Stevenson does, so they might not have the correct resources to go about these opportunities. Although the same opportunities are present for every student at both schools, it would be a lot easier for Stevenson students to attain these opportunities.

Soup Kitchen: A Just Harvest

Last Friday, I volunteered at a Soup Kitchen called "A Just Harvest." This volunteer opportunity definitely led me to step outside of my comfort zone. It was unlike any volunteer work I had done before. It involved a lot of interaction with the people we were serving, and we also had to stay attentive and alert. As soon as we arrived at the Soup Kitchen, we were told to put on aprons, hair nets, and gloves, and we had to go and talk to the guests. At first I was scared because my perception of them was very different from how they actually were. Before I went, I thought that they would have a very negative outlook on life, due to their situation. However, everyone I had talked to was very friendly and some of the most positive and happy people I had ever met! One woman even said that "God always finds a way." I was amazed because most of the people I know, back home, are very negative all of the time. They always have something to complain about even when they've been blessed with the best families, talents and opportunities. The other thing that amazed me was the amount of homeless people there were in the Chicago area. They explained how they got hundreds of people coming in each night. Also, the people that were working there were very nice and willing to help. It made me so grateful that there were people like them in the world. All they do in their free time is devote their time and energy to people who are less fortunate than them, and that is truly amazing! My job throughout the night was to pour milk for anyone who wanted it. However, because of the shortage of milk, I was only allowed to pour one glass for each person. Also, each person I poured it for was very particular about how much I poured into their glass. They made sure that I was pouring it to the very top, and if I fell even a little short, they made me come back and fill it back up to the top. I never realized how valuable an extra sip of milk could be until this night. Back home, if I want another glass of milk, I can go to the fridge and pour some; however, they were so desperate to get as much as they could. Also, one time a little girl asked me for more milk, but because we could only fill the cup once, I had to deny her more. It was really hard to tell this adorable little girl that she couldn't have any more. This little girl and I are no different, but just due to the fact that I was born into a family that was better off than hers, I could have as much as I wanted while she couldn't even have something as simple as milk.

Deviance

This week in Sociology, we learned about deviance. Deviance is when people repeatedly or excessively violate the norms of society. It's relative to the time and the place, and even though the connotation doesn't show it, it can be positive. A few days ago, a few kids from our school came in to talk about their stories dealing with others reactions to them being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. It was amazing to hear about everything they had been through up to this point. I'm sure that if I was in their shoes, I couldn't have dealt with it. It's amazing how brave and strong of a person they had to be in order to shake everything off. What's even greater about their stories is that they all said that Stevenson was a school that was very accepting and a place where it was easy to be who they wanted to be. It made me realize that I was very fortunate to attend a school where it was okay to myself.

Project dance

Last Saturday, I participated in Project dance! Even though it was a lot of fun, "fun" wasn't the reason that everyone was there. Project dance is a fundraiser done by Stevenson in order to help raise money for the Riverside foundation. Towards the end, they showed a video about how the money we raised was going to a great cause for great people who deserved the absolute best. It made me sociologically mindful because I never realized the hard times that people, who weren't as fortunate as I was, had to go through. While my friends and I were dancing, we saw some of the people, that this organization helps, dancing towards the stage. My friends and I went up to them, and we danced with them. Although they had every right to be angry and upset with life, they were dancing without a care in the world. They seemed so happy with what they were given, and it was a huge eye-opener. It helped me to realize to be happy with every blessing I was given. Even if life gets hard, I know I can pull through because there are others who get through in even harder situations.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Last week in Sociology, we continued to discuss values and how Americans had a different set than other countries. During class, we watched the movie, "Tuesdays with Morrie," and it was about a sociology teacher that was dying from a disease, and how he wanted to teach people how to live and love. He had a former student, Mitch, who began visiting him after finding out about his coming death. This movie really changed my view on death. I realized that Americans had a different way of mourning over the someone's death than other cultures. Americans see death as a much more tragic event than others because we see everyone as an individual. Therefore, when somebody dies, it is seen as they are gone forever, and things will never be the same. On the other hand, other cultures see everyone as part of a community, so if there's death, they see it as everyone else is still alive, and our community isn't broken. Morrie told Mitch that people didn't want to love because they were afraid. Americans don't want to depend on others because they see everybody as being so individualistic.

Nature vs. nurture

This week in sociology, we learned about how humans aren't born with actions we see as natural. For example, something as simple as chewing is something we've all learned as babies watching our parents while they ate. All children are born with the potential of being able to interact, walk, and talk; however depending on our environment, it's not always guaranteed. During class, we watched an episode of Oprah about kids who were neglected and abused by their parents for even making noise. They were confined in these tiny rooms where they were given just enough food to survive, and they were living in the worst conditions. While I was watching the clip, I thought about how these kids were so helpless and how it wasn't fair how they had no choice but to be born to these horrible parents. It made me realize how fortunate I was that I had parents that valued me and nurtured me to be who I was today. It made me socially mindful that no matter how bad anything got, it wouldn't be anything compared to what these kids had been through.