This video was quite interesting. It was filled with statistics I had never even thought about.
This video makes me feel somewhat unsure of the future. It's impressive how fast technology is advancing in this world. That's a good thing. What I'm unsure of is whether or not our society will be ready for it. I think it's nice that we can rely on technology to do many things for us. I just don't think we need to depend on technology. If technology is going to advance as much as they say it is, then most of America will become even more obese.
I think our educational system should begin training students in technology as soon as they get in Kindergarten. The sooner they begin to learn the better. If they do this in the schools, their knowledge in technology will advance at the same pace that the technology is advancing.
Technology is now a necessity in life. Without it, most people are lost. The advances in medical technology have helped tremendously. Now, we can detect many illnesses and diseases. It can almost prevent death or lengthen a person's time frame. While it does have its pros, technology also has its cons. Most people are becoming obsessed with FaceBook. I've seen how people lose sleep because of it. It's becoming such a problem that the new Psychology DSM-V is going to have a disorder caused by Social Networks. Texting is also another problem. People text all the time. The texting has become so bad that people are causing car accidents because of it.
In the end, technology is more good than bad. We all need to educate ourselves as much as possible and be ready to embrace the technology-filled future ahead of us!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Week 14: Political Power
Our political system is somewhat complicated. In our political system, I believe that the wealthy investors control our system. Everything in the United States revolves around money. Whoever has the money has the power. If we sit here at look at the past elections, republicans only think about money. That was the main topic of the debates. Republicans wanted to reduce the taxes of the wealthy. Democrats wanted to increase the taxes of the wealthy. In the end, the only thing that matters is money.
If there is a crisis in another country, the United States doesn't get involved unless it's interests are threatened. It's sad but true. Like I said before, whoever has the money has control over our political system in this country.
If there is a crisis in another country, the United States doesn't get involved unless it's interests are threatened. It's sad but true. Like I said before, whoever has the money has control over our political system in this country.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Week 15: Urbanization
I was born and raised in a rural area. When I was 13 years old, my family moved to the city. We didn't live there long and moved back. We go visit that city every year for the Holidays. Every year that I go, I always notice something different. There are more stores around the area. There's always some kind of new construction going on. The cost of living there has drastically gone up. Since this has happened, there are more and more people moving there. All kinds of people are moving there, so the violence has increased. There are more robberies and car jackings now than there were 12 years ago when I lived there.
Where I currently live, the same thing is sort of happening. New stores and restaurants have opened up around here too. Walmart was recently built about 5 minutes from my house. With Walmart now in town, several local stores have closed because people prefer to go to Walmart. The violence around has also increased. You would never hear about a murder around here. Now there are roughly around 5-6 murders annually. It may not seem like much but it's unbelievably high for this area.
Where I currently live, the same thing is sort of happening. New stores and restaurants have opened up around here too. Walmart was recently built about 5 minutes from my house. With Walmart now in town, several local stores have closed because people prefer to go to Walmart. The violence around has also increased. You would never hear about a murder around here. Now there are roughly around 5-6 murders annually. It may not seem like much but it's unbelievably high for this area.
Week 13: Is Walmart Good for America?
I used to always think that Walmart was good America. Who doesn't love the low prices and deals that Walmart has to offer? After watching the video, my view was changed. I'm not sure as to whether it's good or not. I wasn't aware of some the facts stated by some of the people they were interviewing. One man said that lower prices mean lower wages. I never would have thought of that.
When we think of Walmart, we think of a benefit to every consumer's pocket. Honestly, Walmart is the best place to go shopping for a low price. They are even willing to offer you a lower price on their items in order to beat the competitors. Walmart is always the store that the best Black Friday specials. That store always has the best deals.
I was impressed by that strong statement made about lower prices means lower wages. As I sat here thinking about that, it's true. In order for a store to sell their merchandise at such a low price, they must reduce the output of money in their company. In reality, the consumer may be getting a benefit but the employees of the company aren't.
When we think of Walmart, we think of a benefit to every consumer's pocket. Honestly, Walmart is the best place to go shopping for a low price. They are even willing to offer you a lower price on their items in order to beat the competitors. Walmart is always the store that the best Black Friday specials. That store always has the best deals.
I was impressed by that strong statement made about lower prices means lower wages. As I sat here thinking about that, it's true. In order for a store to sell their merchandise at such a low price, they must reduce the output of money in their company. In reality, the consumer may be getting a benefit but the employees of the company aren't.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Week 12: Second Shift
After completing the chart, I was surprised by the results. There are six people who live in my household. It's my father, my mother, my two sisters, my little brother, and I. When I got through completing the chart, I realized that my mother & I are the ones who do the most work. I always felt that I did more work than my sisters but I confirmed it after filling out the chart.
I also didn't consider taking the dogs to the vet a chore. There were several things on the chart that I don't think of as a chore. I just think of it as something that I have to do, such as buying birthday presents. I always buy presents for people but I never thought it was a chore. It's something completely normal that everyone does.
After completing this chart, things are going to start to change in my household. We all need to split these things up evenly.
I also didn't consider taking the dogs to the vet a chore. There were several things on the chart that I don't think of as a chore. I just think of it as something that I have to do, such as buying birthday presents. I always buy presents for people but I never thought it was a chore. It's something completely normal that everyone does.
After completing this chart, things are going to start to change in my household. We all need to split these things up evenly.
Week 11: Religion
After reading about religion, I'm shocked by how religion has changed over the past years. I remember that in the past, it was very important to go to church. Nowadays, it doesn't matter. I can even use myself as an example. The last time I went to church for mass was when I was 8 years old. I'm 25 years old now. That means it was 17 years ago. I'm not an atheist but I don't feel it necessary to go to church.
Our world is constantly changing and it's affecting everything. I do believe the world is becoming more secular. There are less and less people who believe in religion everyday. It's suprising. I hear so many people using God's name in vain because they have have no care for religion. A lot more people are also becoming part of cults or sects because they believe this can help them get what they want.
Our world is constantly changing and it's affecting everything. I do believe the world is becoming more secular. There are less and less people who believe in religion everyday. It's suprising. I hear so many people using God's name in vain because they have have no care for religion. A lot more people are also becoming part of cults or sects because they believe this can help them get what they want.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Week 10: A Tale of Two Families
I decided to do my blog entry on A Tale of Two Families. I wasn't really shocked by the differences but I was shocked by how BIG the differences were. Here's a short summary about each family.
Byron
He's an African-American whose family purchased a home in Chester, PA. Their home cost $6,500. His family gave $1,000 for down payment and had the rest financed. His father had a low-income job and stated that black men were the last to get hired and first to get fired. His family wasn't wealthy. Byron received an academic scholarship, so he could attend an ivy league school. His family sold their home for $29,500. They didn't really see a profit because they spent a lot of money of repairs. Byron purchased a condo and he has to make mortgage payments every month. He also has to financially responsible for his parents.
Max
He's a Caucasian-American. His family purchased a home in New York for $21,500. His father started his own business in 1965. His father's business went well and was able to send his three children to private colleges. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 & received a lot of money as gifts. By the time Max was 18, he was able to use his savings and money from his parents to travel, explore his interests, and go to college worry-free. His parents sold their home for $299,000. They were financially stable and were even able to give money to their kids for down payment of their homes. Max purchased a home and lived worry-free.
If you look at both summaries, there is an extreme difference when it comes to the economic situation of each family. This was back in the 1950s but this continues to happen in modern-day society. It's unfortunate that everybody continues to be discriminated by their race and skin-color.
Byron
He's an African-American whose family purchased a home in Chester, PA. Their home cost $6,500. His family gave $1,000 for down payment and had the rest financed. His father had a low-income job and stated that black men were the last to get hired and first to get fired. His family wasn't wealthy. Byron received an academic scholarship, so he could attend an ivy league school. His family sold their home for $29,500. They didn't really see a profit because they spent a lot of money of repairs. Byron purchased a condo and he has to make mortgage payments every month. He also has to financially responsible for his parents.
Max
He's a Caucasian-American. His family purchased a home in New York for $21,500. His father started his own business in 1965. His father's business went well and was able to send his three children to private colleges. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age 13 & received a lot of money as gifts. By the time Max was 18, he was able to use his savings and money from his parents to travel, explore his interests, and go to college worry-free. His parents sold their home for $299,000. They were financially stable and were even able to give money to their kids for down payment of their homes. Max purchased a home and lived worry-free.
If you look at both summaries, there is an extreme difference when it comes to the economic situation of each family. This was back in the 1950s but this continues to happen in modern-day society. It's unfortunate that everybody continues to be discriminated by their race and skin-color.
Week 9: Social Construction of Gender
Gender Inequality has affected very greatly on how society has constructed Gender. Gender is used to qualify whether a person can or can't do a certain type of job. It's also used for other reasons in society. Gender has been used to classify people, not because of their sex, but because of their "weaknesses."
Women are considered to be the weaker sex. Therefore, gender comes into play. Society considers that gender should decide on what our place in society is. It also suggest gender should decide on what jobs we should have. All this is due to how society has constructed gender.
I do and don't agree with some of the sociological perspective on gender.
Women are considered to be the weaker sex. Therefore, gender comes into play. Society considers that gender should decide on what our place in society is. It also suggest gender should decide on what jobs we should have. All this is due to how society has constructed gender.
I do and don't agree with some of the sociological perspective on gender.
Week 8: Why Should We Care About Global Inequality?
We should care about global inequality because it affects our everyday life, just like Jennifer Lerner said on the podcast. She made very important points about everything that's affected. Global inequality affects the prices of goods, the economy, and the world environment. Jennifer said that our countries are intertwined. That's very much true. The United States relies on other countries for petroleum and crude oil. If this relationship becomes unequal, then the price of gas will be sky-high and it will affect the economy greatly. Global inequality can lead to wars. Wars lead to an economic crisis and deaths of hundreds of people.
Week 7: Social Classes
How much do you think social class matters in the U.S. today?
I think that social class matters very much in the U.S. today. Most people now treat you by your monetary value than your personal value. If you're rich, everybody wants to be your friend. If you're poor, then people are embarrassed to be seen with you. It's a very sad thing but it's very true. I know because I experienced it for many years.
My father started his own drywall company in 2004. His business was going very well for him and my family starting receiving more income. When he began his business, we were living a single-wide mobile home. Three years after he created his business, we moved into a custom-built brand new home in an exclusive area. Our house was very beautiful. We were always having parties and always spending money. People started to refer to us as the "new millionaires." My parents bought several new cars. Everybody was always coming over to visit and people would suck-up to my father. Unfortunately, his business stopped doing so well in 2009-2010. We had four cars repossessed and our house was foreclosed on this year. When that happened, most of my family's so-called friends disappeared. They stopped talking to us or they changed because we were no longer "rich."
After having experienced that personally, I do think that social class matters very much. One the stories from website that shocked me very much was the one about the woman named Val. Her father wouldn't accept anything from her. I've seen this many times. The "poor" parents don't want to accept anything from the "rich" sons/daughters-in-laws because they think that's a way of humiliation.
I don't think that this will change. I think that it will get worse. Social class matters very much and it's almost how our society is divided.
I think that social class matters very much in the U.S. today. Most people now treat you by your monetary value than your personal value. If you're rich, everybody wants to be your friend. If you're poor, then people are embarrassed to be seen with you. It's a very sad thing but it's very true. I know because I experienced it for many years.
My father started his own drywall company in 2004. His business was going very well for him and my family starting receiving more income. When he began his business, we were living a single-wide mobile home. Three years after he created his business, we moved into a custom-built brand new home in an exclusive area. Our house was very beautiful. We were always having parties and always spending money. People started to refer to us as the "new millionaires." My parents bought several new cars. Everybody was always coming over to visit and people would suck-up to my father. Unfortunately, his business stopped doing so well in 2009-2010. We had four cars repossessed and our house was foreclosed on this year. When that happened, most of my family's so-called friends disappeared. They stopped talking to us or they changed because we were no longer "rich."
After having experienced that personally, I do think that social class matters very much. One the stories from website that shocked me very much was the one about the woman named Val. Her father wouldn't accept anything from her. I've seen this many times. The "poor" parents don't want to accept anything from the "rich" sons/daughters-in-laws because they think that's a way of humiliation.
I don't think that this will change. I think that it will get worse. Social class matters very much and it's almost how our society is divided.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Week 6: Technology=Isolation
Do you think Americans today are more isolated due to technology?
When it comes to technology, it's amazing all the advances that are being made everyday. Technology is advancing a little too fast for us to adapt to it so quickly.
I do believe that Americans are being more isolated today due to technology. Practically everything we do can be done with our cell phones or any other electronic device. I will use myself as an example. I remember that whenever I wanted to see my friends, I would have to go to their house. Nowadays, all we need a camera and an internet connection. People are becoming so obsessed with technology that it's leading to pervasive behavior. People can't live without technology.
I recently visited a friend. Her entire family was divided. Her mother was texting on her cell phone. Her father was on his laptop on facebook. One of her brothers was playing video games alone is his room. Her other brother was on facebook on a laptop. She said that her household was like that everyday. Her family only got together whenever they went out together. They even remained on their devices while they were eating dinner. They had become an isolated family.
I honestly do believe that technology is isolating Americans. Technology is extremely beneficial to our society but I think that the amount of use should be limited to people. If it's isolating us this much already, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like in the future.
I found this image on facebook. It's suppose to be gag image but it describes exactly what's happening with modern-day families.
When it comes to technology, it's amazing all the advances that are being made everyday. Technology is advancing a little too fast for us to adapt to it so quickly.
I do believe that Americans are being more isolated today due to technology. Practically everything we do can be done with our cell phones or any other electronic device. I will use myself as an example. I remember that whenever I wanted to see my friends, I would have to go to their house. Nowadays, all we need a camera and an internet connection. People are becoming so obsessed with technology that it's leading to pervasive behavior. People can't live without technology.
I recently visited a friend. Her entire family was divided. Her mother was texting on her cell phone. Her father was on his laptop on facebook. One of her brothers was playing video games alone is his room. Her other brother was on facebook on a laptop. She said that her household was like that everyday. Her family only got together whenever they went out together. They even remained on their devices while they were eating dinner. They had become an isolated family.
I honestly do believe that technology is isolating Americans. Technology is extremely beneficial to our society but I think that the amount of use should be limited to people. If it's isolating us this much already, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like in the future.
I found this image on facebook. It's suppose to be gag image but it describes exactly what's happening with modern-day families.
Week 5: Criminal Justice System
I think that the criminal justice system in the United States is unbalanced. There are criminals who commit horrendous crimes and they are given a minimal sentence. There are criminals who commit insignificant crimes and they are given extreme sentences. If we were to analyze at least half of all the cases in each of our counties, we would see that harsher sentences are given to people who committed an insignificant crime. I recently read about a man who was given two years in jail for being in possession of a marijuana cigarette. After that, I read about a man who raped a woman and then tortured her. He was given five years in jail with all but six months being suspended. He would only be in jail for six months and the remaining 54 months would be on probation. That's absolutely ridiculous. I believe our justice system should be changed. There should be harsher punishments for people who commit sexual crimes or murder.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Week 4: Nature vs. Nurture Debate
Nature vs Nurture debate is a topic I have studied a lot in my previous psychology classes. It's a very interesting topic to discuss because every person has a different point of view. When it comes down to making a decision, the students in my classes were usually divided down the middle. I believe we are mostly shaped by our environment, so I believe in the nurture part.
John Locke came up with an interesting theory, tabula rasa. He stated that all human beings are born with their minds being a blank slate. He believed that the way we raised affected greatly what kind of person we would become later on in life. He didn't believe that nature affected the way we were.
Another interesting theory is one by Albert Bandura. His theory was Bandura's Social Learning Theory. This theory stated that we learned our behaviors through observing our environment. If a person imitates aggression then that behavior would be learned through observation and imitating.
If a child's parents are evil, I don't think the child will automatically be born evil. I believe that the child will learn the parents' behavior and imitate it. If the child is raised by it's sweet grandmother, then the child will be sweet just like the grandmother. I strongly believe that our surroundings and family affect the person we become as adults.
John Locke came up with an interesting theory, tabula rasa. He stated that all human beings are born with their minds being a blank slate. He believed that the way we raised affected greatly what kind of person we would become later on in life. He didn't believe that nature affected the way we were.
Another interesting theory is one by Albert Bandura. His theory was Bandura's Social Learning Theory. This theory stated that we learned our behaviors through observing our environment. If a person imitates aggression then that behavior would be learned through observation and imitating.
If a child's parents are evil, I don't think the child will automatically be born evil. I believe that the child will learn the parents' behavior and imitate it. If the child is raised by it's sweet grandmother, then the child will be sweet just like the grandmother. I strongly believe that our surroundings and family affect the person we become as adults.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Week 3: Comedy Sketch
What I got from this video is that the British think that Americans are too proud. Hugh Laurie was singing the song. Every time he says "America" or "the states," the audience almost dies of laughter. I'm sure everybody is proud of their heritage and their country. I know I am. This comedy sketch is portraying that Americans are exaggeratedly proud. When the man comes out and punches Hugh Laurie in the face, it kind of demonstrates hatred towards the Americans. I think that British think that Americans are being ridiculous for being so proud. They might possibly annoyed by it. This was my interpretation of the video.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Week 2: Stanford Experiment
I'm not sure whether or not the Stanford Prison Experiment was ethical. After reading about it, I'm kind of undecided. All the students were told about the experiment. They knew what they were doing. Of course, the setting that they were in made them forget that it was all an experiment. It made these students believe that they were really prison guards and prisoners. As I sit here reading my notes about this experiment, I believe it started out as an ethical experiment. As the experiment progressed, the students turned it into an unethical experiment. I think that as soon as the guards started abusing their power, the experiment should have been ended. Luckily enough for the "prisoners," the experiment was stopped before the guards went even further with their abuse and torture. It did become an unethical experiment when the guards overstepped their boundaries. If the people in charge of the experiment kept these "guards" under control, then it would have been an ethical experiment. If they had been kept under control, they wouldn't have gone to the extreme forms of punishment that they resorted to.
As far as interesting, I found it interesting how quickly the students assumed their roles as guards and prisoners. It's amazing how our mind works. The students who were guards quickly adapted to their position and started abusing their power. The students who were prisoners also began rebelling as if they were really imprisoned.
As far as interesting, I found it interesting how quickly the students assumed their roles as guards and prisoners. It's amazing how our mind works. The students who were guards quickly adapted to their position and started abusing their power. The students who were prisoners also began rebelling as if they were really imprisoned.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Week One Blog Entry: Introduction
Hi Everybody.
My name is Fatima. I am 25 years old. I'm very shy, so this online class allows me to be a little more social. I am currently pursuing a degree in Radiology at Eastern Shore Community College. This is my 3rd year in college. I am taking Sociology 200 online because I wanted to know what Sociology was all about. I plan on getting my associate's degree in Radiology. I do plan on continuing my education until I get my master's in Radiology. I would like to specialize in Nuclear Medicine. I plan on continuing my education either in Florida or Maryland. Some of my hobbies include listening to music, spending time with my family & friends, and traveling. I also love shopping! My favorite TV shows are CSI: Miami, Law & Order: SVU, The Glades, True Blood, & Dr. G: Medical Examiner. I only watch TV when these shows are on. I think that pretty much covers everything, so good luck everybody. I'm sure this will be an interesting class.
My name is Fatima. I am 25 years old. I'm very shy, so this online class allows me to be a little more social. I am currently pursuing a degree in Radiology at Eastern Shore Community College. This is my 3rd year in college. I am taking Sociology 200 online because I wanted to know what Sociology was all about. I plan on getting my associate's degree in Radiology. I do plan on continuing my education until I get my master's in Radiology. I would like to specialize in Nuclear Medicine. I plan on continuing my education either in Florida or Maryland. Some of my hobbies include listening to music, spending time with my family & friends, and traveling. I also love shopping! My favorite TV shows are CSI: Miami, Law & Order: SVU, The Glades, True Blood, & Dr. G: Medical Examiner. I only watch TV when these shows are on. I think that pretty much covers everything, so good luck everybody. I'm sure this will be an interesting class.
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