Capitalism?

     Hey guys! Hope all of your week's went well. This week I shall discuss the pros and cons of, that's right, capitalism.
     Capitalism is defined as the organization of society in such a way that the wealth and means of production are privately owned by capitalists, commodities are produced for profit through a market mechanism, and workers are free to sell their labor to the highest bidder. There are many pros to this type of organization.
     The open competition that capitalism offers allows for a individuals to gain higher incomes depending on the progress their businesses make. It also pushes individuals to work harder. Their hard work is then rewarded with more profit, a larger business, or possibly more customers. The growing competition also opens doors to a multitude of job opportunities.
     Capitalism has many cons as well. Marxists see capitalism as unfair competition. Not every one benefits from capitalism. It is survival of the fittest and the weak are weeded out. Marxists see this as wrong and completely unfair to those who do not survive. Many individuals also believe that capitalism is harmful to the environment. The constant competition requires for their to be a constant depletion of environmental resources.
     In my opinion I believe that capitalism is good thing and we as humans need motivation to work hard. Capitalism pushes us to exceed to the best of our abilities and rewards us for our accomplishments.

Globalization. Yes! And no!

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great Easter. I really enjoyed spending time with God and thanking him for paying the price of death to give me the gift of salvation. My God's not dead he's surely alive. :) This week I am going to discuss the many pros and cons of the ever increasing phenomenon of globalization.
Globalization Is the idea that the development of social, cultural, and Economic relationships on a world scale has created a single social order or world system. There are many pros and cons to this theory that have been debated widely among sociologists. Some of the pros, I believe, include that globalization allows people from all over the world to feel connected in some way. Globalization also helps developing countries that are suffering. The diffusion of American companies to other countries helps provide jobs for the people in poverty. This then raises the country's economy, which further develops the country.
There are also many cons to globalization. One con is that globalization causes individual to lose their cultural identity. They adopt the customs trends that are made popular through globalization and gradually forget their individual customs that belong to their family and country.
In mu opinion I believe that globalization is a bad phenomenon. I don't like the idea of everyone becoming the same and doing the same things. I think that we all should have our own unique characteristics that add to the society as a whole.

Interactionists are the best stalkers

     Sociologists are pretty much educated stalkers in my book. They go around observing people from from far away as well as up close up. Some even are undercover while observing the people they are hanging out with. I don't know about you but to me this is just a little creepy. It puts me on the edge when I think about it. People who look and act like ordinary people could actually be sociologists watching your every move to see if you do something that interests them. They then record everything you do and add it to their pile of research. This may just be me but this makes me feel like i'm part of a museum display. My conclusion, as I said, is that sociologists are educated stalkers. 

     Sociologists can also take two different approaches to study the "museum exhibits" around them. There is the positivist and interactionist approaches. The approach that I believe gains a deeper knowledge of sociological issues would be the interactionist approach. This is because interactionists like to collect more qualitative data than quantitative data. Qualitative data deals directly with people's experiences, as well as their feelings about, and interpretations of, the situations they find themselves in. So sociologists who take the interactionist approach like to interview people more and interact with them. These are the real stalkers. They may work undercover or have one on one conversations with individuals. Interactionists like to get an understanding of how their clients feel about certain situations. In other words, interactionists want to know your thoughts and feelings in a deeper way than just by you filling out a multiple choice questionnaire. 

Poverty is a Culture?

     Salutations fellow people of the planet Earth. This week I am going to discuss the culture of poverty. Many of you are probably wondering "what, poverty is a type of culture?". Well yes in a sense those who are in poverty all share similar characteristics. These similar characteristics, over time, have developed into what some consider a culture.
    This statement was first coined in 1961 by Oscar Lewis. In his studies of small Mexican communities he discovered that these poor communities all share similar characteristics. The characteristics they shared included: neglect of planning for the future, frequent violence, and a lack of a sense of history. All of Lewis's studies created the paradigm that people in poverty share a consistent and observable "culture". Much of what Lewis discovered about the culture of poverty remains the same today.
    Today those individuals who are in poverty usually pass the unfortunate state onto future generations. It is possible but very hard for poverty stricken people to move up in class. There are many rags to riches stories in the united states but very few are seen in other countries. If you are born poor in a poor and developing country, your chances are very slim at rising to the top. America is one of the few countries that makes social mobility possible. That is why so many people migrate to the United States. These people come to escape the culture of poverty that has taken over their lives'.

Pop Culture!

Hola everyone!! Guess what? Its spring break!! Well it is for some of us in South Florida. Spring break is a great time to have fun, relax, and keep up with the latest trends and fads of today. For instance wearing the newest styles of clothing or listening to the most popular music.
What is popular culture? Well from the Marxist perspective popular culture is seen as a way to divide classes. The upper classes wear the newest styles and they can afford the latest apple products. The lower classes still strive to keep up with the newest trends but are still divided from the upper classes in many ways. The popular trends of the upper classes can also differ from those of the lower classes. Every class adopts their own popular culture that that makes them feel more connected. Over the years this gap in popular trends between classes has diminished greatly. The middle class has become more and more similar to the upper class because the mass production of popular products are now being made so that lower classes can afford them. Now many upper and middle class families have similar clothes and cars due to these company's efforts to reach out to a larger group of customers. Popular culture is a way to divide classes but also to bring the people within each class closer together.

The Theory of Symbolic Interactionism

     Hey everyone!! I hope you all had an awesome week. This week I shall discuss the idea of symbolic interactionism. Most people out there are probably asking themselves "what in the world is symbolic interactionism?"
     So what is symbolic interactionism? Well it is the theoretical approach and sociological perspective that emphasizes motives and meaning for individuals. It focuses on the importance of symbols for people, particularly language, as the core elements of all human interaction. The founder of this approach is George Herbert Mead. Many see symbolic interaction as more of a psychological theory while it is essentially a theory of socialization. The process of becoming a human is much more complex than merely being born. This process is achieved through the interactions that are between a child and his or her elders that surround him or her. The first step in an individuals journey to becoming a human being is finding his or her own social self. This is where an individual realizes that he or she is no longer a part of his or her mother, as in the womb, but that he or she is a unique and completely separate individual. After this is achieved the individual then goes onto the stage where he or she becomes a generalized other. This is where individuals learn how to operate as  a member of a wider group (society).
    Symbolic interactionism is clearly a sociological theory due to the complex and social process of becoming a human being.

We each have a function.

       Hello fellow people of the world! Society as we know it is changing,  but one thing remains the same. The theory of functionalism is the best and will remain the best way to explain how the machine known as society works. Functionalism is where every individual has his or her own function or duty which contributes to the society as a whole. 
       Some individuals may be teachers others stay at home to take care of their children. The point is, is that every human being has something uniquely different that they contribute to the functioning society. Even if the roles of individuals change the idea that each person is valuable to society stays in tack. For example society needs doctors to save lives, garbage men to keep the planet clean, entertainers to bring joy to depressing situations, and Olympians to push others to achieve their highest goals. Sure their has always been a class struggle between the wealthy and the poor,  but that may end in  the future. The idea of a functioning society will always remain because everyone will always be doing something that contributes to society, whether in a negative or positive way, and is needed for it's survival.

Online classes?

     Hello students of the world! Do you enjoy online classes or do
you despise them? Do you find them helpful or a waste of time? I would
say that online class have the best of both worlds.

     I enjoy how online classes allow me to reciece credits for classes that cannot take in school. Virtual classes also give you the opportunity to receive grade forgiveness. This means that if a student receives an "F" or a "D" for a class taken at school, he or she has the opportunity to take that class online and receive a better grade that will replace the "F" or "D" permanently off his or her record. Online classes also allow students to take classes over the summer which is good for students who are low on high school credits. Online classes also have their downfalls. One is that they are very self motivated classes and if a student has hard time learning on his or her own then online classes my be a bad choice for that student. I also don't like how the online classes are extremely strict about finishing your course on time. I rather have it where you can work on the course on your own pace. I don't think that a student should take like two years to finish a particular class but I do think that if a student is already at school all day then he or she should be allowed to only do about one or two assignments a week instead of three or four. So I conclude that online classes are amazing yet terrible at the same time.

THE PRIMARY.

        Hey fellow Americans!  Just last week an event took place right here in the state of Florida.  This event only takes place in America every four years. Yes, that's right, it was the Republican Primary Election.  The major runners for the Republican side this year are Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum.  The candidate Mitt Romney won for the Florida Primary just last week.
       So where were all of these candidates on the day of the election?  Let us find out.  We shall start out with the candidate Rick Santorum.  Rick was actually in the state of Nevada the day of the Florida Republican Primary.  Nevada was the next state to hold the Primary.  So the little "sneak", Rick Santorum, was already looking ahead to the next state that was going to vote.  His tactics didn't work because Mitt Romney also won the Nevada Primary as well.
        The candidate Mitt Romney, who won the Florida Primary, was actually located in Tampa, Florida while the election took place.  He must of been campaigning hard core, since he won for Florida.  Newt Gingrich was also in Florida during the Primary.  He was in Orlando during the voting.  Even though he did not win for the state of Florida, Newt came in a close second place.  It makes sense that the two candidates who were in Florida, the day of the election, had the most votes out of all the candidates.
        The last major Republican candidate is Ron Paul who was located in the states of Nevada and Maine the day of the Florida Primary.  Nevada and Maine were the next two states to hold Primaries this year.  Ron Paul's sneaky planning did not benefit him in Nevada because in the end Mitt Romney triumphed in that state.  The Maine Primary has not taken place yet so we shall see how that turns out soon.
   

technology+school=unlimited possibilities

      Hey everyone!  What kinds of things pop into your head when you think about technology?  Some may think about beating their high score in temple run or typing up an essay for their English class.  Technology is used all around the world for entertainment, hard work, and communication.  Today more and more schools are implementing the use of technology in every single class they offer.
      The use of technology in school can lead to a more organized and efficient work environment.  Technology could be better utilized at my school through the use of more computer lab access or personal electronic distribution, online classes, and through the use of Google groups.  If my school allowed more students to use computers during class then students would be able to get a head start on homework or to start research for a particular project.  If students were given their own personal Ipads or laptops then the excuse of i don't have a computer would be eliminated.  If students had their own personal computers that they could carry around with them throughout their classes they could utilize them for notes, online textbooks, and much more.  As being a part of the Step Up program at my school I have the privilege of having my own personal Ipad for the year.  This is very useful for my education because now I can have my notes with me at all times and keep them very organized.  One more implementation of technology that would benefit the students at my school would be for every teacher to make a Google group for the student that are in his or her class.  A Google group is excellent way for a teachers and students to communicate with each other.  Basically the teacher and students all make email accounts through Google and then create group that allow to only communicate to everyone who is in the group.
      Technology is a powerful and helpful tool for students everywhere.  Like they all say, technology opens the doors to a brighter future.
   

Giving back

Hey guys! Today is such a beautiful day isn't it? It's a beautiful day for helping others. Well of course, everyday is a perfect opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than us. I have done some things to help and give back to my community but I plan to do much more. I have participated in water way cleanups. When I was a girl scout we did many things to keep the earth clean as well as sing at senior homes. When I was 13 and 14 I volunteered at the Holday Park Gymnastics Center. I assisted in the the summer camp for chidren's gymnastics. I got to have fun with the kidsas well as make sure that they had a really fun time. I currently do gymnastics at this gym as well as coach during summer camps and other times when I am needed. It feels good to help kids accomplish skills that they never thought that they would be able to do before. Their faces of accomplishment makes my heart leap for joy. Helping others is something that I really enjoy doing. In the future I plan to help my community a lot more through the company Hands On Broward. I really hope to feed the homeless, clean the earth, and help keep animals happy and healthy. There is a quote that I try to live by to the best of my ability. The quote is " love others as you love yourself". So let's all put a smile on our face and other faces to bring joy to the world. :)