Current Issues

I think that the largest issue in sociology facing the world today is inequality and stratification. In our age of supposed enlightenment and progress, more people go without then ever before in the history of the world. There are many correlated issues I will also point out. As any person who has had a course in Sociology has seen, the widening gap between the haves and have-nots is expanding rapidly. That so much wealth can be hoarded by such a small percentage of the world's population is sad and disgusting. The way I see it, the world has two options. The first is to willingly begin to redistribute the wealth and income in the world. Much could be done simply by opening up trade, without barriers to entry or subsidies of domestic products which push out smaller foreign producers. Another step towards promoting equality is that the world needs to remove oppressive leaders. America and others are hesitant to do this due to the benefit we often reap by having these dictators in office. First world countries need to invest in third world countries. I do not mean simply throwing money away, but helping them establish an industry in which they and the world will benefit. The other option if we do not do it willingly is revolution. Time and time again throughout history, when the have-nots have had enough, they revolt. We can hope that any revolution may be peaceful, but reality says otherwise. Perhaps if our leaders feared the guillotine or mobs, they would be more prepared to enact change.

In my view many of the other major issues in sociology stem from the major issue. Although women in some parts of the world have much more freedom than before, others are still oppressed and viewed as inferior. Much needs to be done to establish protection for women, especially in the Arab and African nations. Racism, although many pretend that it is gone, is still very much alive. Even in America, where we all act like no one is racist, there is still a wide opportunity gap between whites and all other races. Perhaps when Hispanics outnumber the whites in America, they will be more willing to accept equality! Although many issues face the world and need to be addressed, none is so drastic as the inequality and stratification and its ramifications.

Religion & Sociology

I am very intrigued by the sociological theories of religion. As a man of faith, my interest always perks up whenever faith and religion comes up in academic discussion. Early on I would often approach such discussion with hostility. However, as I have matured I always approach discussions with an open mind and willingness to learn. I agree with Durkheim's views of religion. It definitely serves to unify people and creates a collective consciousness. However, I would say that it goes too far, often seeking conformity to accepted behavior rather than acceptance of beliefs. For example, if I go to a conservative Christian church, although I may hold fervently to all accepted doctrine, if I am covered in tattoos or got a new tattoo while attending, i would be somewhat ostracized. I do think that religion provides for some moral cohesion. Recently I had my students read a proposed bill that would define life to begin at conception, virtually outlawing abortion. I was intrigued at how many wrote fervently in support of the bill on a moral/religious basis. However, when I asked these students if they were religious, most said not really. I believe that is a result of the collective religious moral conscious Durkheim spoke of. I think that the picture below represents the general feeling that God has blessed America and we must honor him if we are to persevere.

Weber and Marx bring up points that particularly interest me. As I have sat through service after service, I have heard messages on greed, charity, hard work, etc. However, when you look at the development of our "JudeoChristian" America, it does not seem to match what is taught in the Bible and other religious texts. I think that the huge amount of spending on elaborate churches, rather than helping others will eventually cause people to depart from those churches. My belief is echoed by Dan Harris in this clip:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/2011-predictions-faith-america-religion-faith-america-dan-harris-12522736

 I personally have always thought that a truly Christian community would be far more communistic and socialistic than we see in the United States. However, many including Martin Luther King Jr. in the following article, would disagree. http://www.redmoonrising.com/AmericanBabylon/christandcomm.htm Although Weber discusses the Protestant ethic, he fails to mention that many if not most protestants do not believe in John Calvin's predestination. Jesus even said that it is more difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. This leads me to believe that religion and faith had less to do with the economic development in America than Weber postulates. Ultimately I think that faith is powerful in shaping individuals and groups, however it is almost always checked by other aspects in society. An article that critiques Weber's view and provides an alternative view of the economic development of Protestant areas is, Was Weber Wrong? A Human Capital Theory of Protestant Economic History. by Sascha Becker and Ludger Wohmann. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED498129

The lyrics of the song below by the Casting Crowns echoes my frustration with how most churches and Christians are today:

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

Chorus (2x)
If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

Whatever your personal beliefs are, everyone should try to study the true development of America and decide if this is truly a Christian nation or not. The following sites provide opposing views:

http://www.faithofourfathers.net/

http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

Across

3.     Symbolic activities that express a group's spiritual convictions.

4.     Everything that pertains to the veryday world and things specifically not religious.

6.     An object or living thing that a religious group regards with special reverence.

8.     Formal organizations that tend to see themselves, and are seen by society, as the primary and legitimate religious institutions.

9.     The belief in one god.

Down

1.     the intensity and consistency of preactice of a person's or group's faith.

2.     The belief in many gods.

3.     An institutionalized system of symbols, beliefs, values, and practices by which a group of people interprets and responds to what they feel is sacred and that provides answers to questions of ultimate meaning.

5.     That which is set apart from ordinary activity for worship, seen as holy, and protected by special rites and rituals.

7.     Groups that have broken off from an established church.

 

Sexuality: Teen Pregnancy

I chose to do this topic because I have some insight into being a teen parent. I had my first son when I was 16, as a junior in high school. When discussing the various hardships that teen parents face, one that has yet to be explored in depth is social acceptance and isolation. For teens who are about to be a parent or even those who are a parent, they exist in between several social groups. For the purpose of this discussion, a review of some social groups is in order. Whenever looking at social groups, one must remember that they are arbitrary and the boundaries of each group are somewhat flexible to adapt to the individual. The first major social group the teen is concerned with is broadly labeled "teenagers". I would divide that group in to at least two subgroups : middle school and high school. Generally, those between 12-15 generally do not interact much with those in the 16-19 age group. I separate these because the early teen years are primarily about learning about oneself, whereas the later teen years are more about making decisions about one's future, though these two activities do interact and both groups have elements of each. The post-high school years are generally the time when people begin to make decisions that will set the pace for the rest of their lives. After that social group comes early adulthood. This is the time when people begin to get married, have children, buy homes, etc.


The main issue with teen parents is that they are encroaching upon a social group that is two maybe three steps above their age-like peers. Many teens think that they will be able to manage their new responsibilities and maintain their bubbling social life. However, unless someone is in the teens' life to finance their new child's upbringing, that hope will never be realized. Not only will the teen parent have less time for social interaction, but the social interaction they receive will not be edifying. Few teens are mature enough to supply the type of peerage that will help young parents overcome the stress of their new lives. A teen parent, when interacting with those their own age, may begin to feel disconnected. They no longer have time to keep up with everything that is going on and quite frankly, will be too tired to care. With the void left in their social life, teens may seek companionship from others that are at a similar stage in their lives. Unfortunately, they will find that many people are not willing to admit so young a parent into their circle, and if they do, it will be as a charity case. The teen parent will never be considered an equal amongst those that have ascended the normal timeline of social groups. Although, older parents will always be willing to give advice, the opinion of a teen parent is often unwanted or overlooked. For those teen parents who have braved to mingle amongst their older parenting peers, the rejection of this group can be confusing and devastating. The teen essentially enters into a social isolation, where they are a part of many social groups, but included in none. Where do these teen parents turn? How do they build healthy social interaction? Once out of the loop, how do these teens get back in? And finally, does anyone care?

Much of the litereature is dedicated to preventing teen pregnancy. This is a noble and worthwhile cause and should be propogated. Such websites as http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/ are excellent resources for prevention.  However, what about the ones who do get pregnant? There are also sites that are there to help pregnant teens like http://www.teenpregnancyhelp.net/. These sites however do not fully prepare teens for the life that is now before them. That is why it is essential for preganat teens to seek out some type of support group. Those who have become succesful inspite of teen pregnancy must offer their assistance to those now struggling. Too much emphasis is place upon the negative. As a teen parent who has become succesful I find articles such as Brenda Maynard's "Kids Having Kids"( http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED409389&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED409389)  to be depressing. All she talks about is how teen pregnancy is so costly for everyone. One would come away from her articles with a very pessimistic view of their life. However, Helen Keller said that
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." Whether it is physical suffering or social and emotional, such as that brought on by teen pregnancy, all can be overcome. This is the message we need to send to teens who are pregnant. The video below helps to illustrate my point:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uf-C1nFkqpU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Across

3.     Term that refers to the attraction that people feel for people of the same or different sex.

6.     The termination of a pregnancy.

8.     Term refering to the illegal imprisonment and forced prostitution of boys or girls.

9.     The fear and hatred of homosexuality.

10.   Any method of preventing pregancy.

Down

1.     The definition of oneself that is formed around one's sexual relationships.

2.     Refers to the widespread  changes in men's and women's roles and a greater public acceptance of sexuality as a normal part of social development.

4.     Term that refers to the link between sexuality and power.

5.     Refers to the epidemic of adolescents who become pregnant.

7.     Term that refers to the institutionalization of heterosexuality as the only natural form of sexual orientation.

Racism

Racism abounds in America. We can deny, hide it or ignore it, but it exists. We often like to think that we have evolved to a level where race is not even looked at, but even this idea is somewhat racist. By ignoring the differences between us we ignore the trials that some in this country go through. Tim Wise succinctly said "The denial of racism is a form of racism itself.” Only by accepting that racism still exists can we take further steps to correct it. For a revealing look at how we are racist without knowing it on the left and the right read Wise's article,

With Friends Like These, Who Needs Glenn Beck? Racism and White Privilege on the Liberal-Left

When I have talked to students in my high school classes, they argue that race is a real category. Many believe that it is genetic or scientifically defined. I try to make them realize that it is a social construct that is highly inaccurate and leads to discrimination. An excellent website I found that can help build lessons that reveal the flaws of race and the dangers of racism is:
http://www.bcbst.com/about/diversity/General_lesson_plans/DramaLessonPlans.pdf
I also sometimes show Michael Moore's "Brief History of the United States" cartoon from his documentary "Bowling for Columbine." It shows very well the history of racism and gun rights. It is shocking and I like to have them write a reaction to it. It can be found below:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zEVPSfJIQ84" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

LAstly, a great site that lays out the issues of racism in the world today and how to fight it is the UN's World Conference Against Racism:
http://www.un.org/WCAR/

Across

2.     An oversimplified set of beliefs about members of a social group or social stratum.

4.     A social category of people who share a common culture.

7.     The perception and treatment of a racial or ethnic group or member of that group, as intellectually, socially, and culturally inferior to one's own group.

9.     The droup that assigns a racial or ethnic group to subordinate status.

10.   A process whereby some social category takes on what societ percieves to be racial charecteristics.

Down

1.     Overt negative and unequal treatment of the members of some social group or stratum solely because of their membership in that group or stratum.

3.     The belief that one's group is superior to all toher groups.

5.     A group treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics, some of which are biological, that have been assigned social importance.

6.     The evaluation of a social group and the individuals within based on conceptions about the group held despite facts that disprove them.

8.     Any distinct group in society that shares common group characteristics and is forced to occupy low status in society because of prejudice and discrimination.

Global Stratification

The stratification that takes place in the world is a crime against humanity that can't be punished. The reason for this pessimism is that the victim has no voice to cry for justice and the bystanders are too comfortable to get involved. Those of us who are privileged enough to have been born in a first world country take what we have for granted. We have no idea how bad most people in the world have it and quite frankly, we don't care.

We can read all day about what the perceived cause of global poverty is, but let me give it to you simply: IT IS YOU! AND ME! Everyone of us that basks in the glow of our privileged birth, is giving the apathetic finger to all of those in the world who live, in spite of being absolutely impoverished. In his article "The Duty to Eradicate Global Poverty: Positive or Negative", Pablo Gilabert argues that it is the responsibility of the wealthy to aid the poor, because it is the system of the rich that has caused the poverty.The full text can be found at http://www.jstor.org/pss/25733600.  I agree.

In a comedic, yet vivid look at the need to help end global poverty I recommend that you watch an interview of Peter Singer by Stephen Colbert. http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221466/march-12-2009/peter-singer. The humor really helps reflect how ridiculous the apathetic outlook of many Americans is.

It is only too simple to say it is too large a problem, and your small contribution couldn't possible lead to any real change. However Anne Frank said "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." It may seem cliched, but it isn't! DO SOMETHING!

If you feel so inclined, here are two websites that can help you find an outlet to give your money or services to help alleviate world poverty and be sure what you give, actually will help:

http://www.endpoverty2015.org/
http://aidwatchers.com/

 

Across

   1.     The total output of goods and services produced by residents of a country each year divided by the population.

   3.     This is the type of poverty in which people live on less than $.75 per day.

   4.     The term used to describe an individual who is not receiving adequate amounts of food, water, vitamins, etc.

   7.     The process of benefiting at the expense of another, due to their weaker or inferior state.

   8.     The money or goods given from nation to another to alleviate poverty.

9.     This is the type of poverty in which people live on less than a $1 per day.

   10.   The process by which the world delineates into rich and poor countries.

  Down

2.     Poor, under-developed periphery countries.

5.     The process whereby a powerful country controls another, but without direct military or political involvement.

6.     The type of poverty is compared amongst others within a nation.