Wolf's Sociology 204

Excellent example of paper 2 by Julianna Banse-Fay - Winter 2010.

Before modern technology, when an adolescent had a question, most would ask their parents. If the parents were unsure, then the adolescent would ask their grandparents. From there, they might ask a neighbor or a close friend. Then probably ask a member of a social group, such as church, for the answer. Information came from agents of socialization, or family, school, peers. The information was obtained from the geographical area one grew up in meaning the information received would usually be of best benefit in that area. After the expansion of technology (telephones, television, and in particular the internet), children most often go to the online world for answers. Then instead of going to their parents second, they chat online with friends. Sometimes they chat with people they have not met. The agents of socialization are now mass media, peers, family. The parents are left behind and close relationships with them are sparse. This happens because the internet offers very specific information about topics and the resources to chat with professionals of a topic. In comparison, parents' knowledge is microscopic. In this world, socialization creates who we are, thus technology advancements play an important role in the type of people we become.

Continue reading "Media Influences Dominate Parental Influences" »

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An excellent example of paper 2 by Eric Peek - Winter 2010

In a time when survival was entirely unorganized and unpredictable people valued a different assortment of attributes. You were respected for being a good hunter, gatherer or someone who was physically fit and had the ability to go beyond the laws of nature. As time continued on, man discovered innovative ways to make life more adaptable to fit our needs. We found ways to bring resources in closer proximity to where we lived by creating cooperative social groups known as societies. With basic life sustaining resources in a manageable position, humanity found themselves in a world where we could use our brains for more than just survival. This allowed humanity to invent new contraptions and concepts that further improves the quality of life. In this evolved western based society, people strive to modernize in order to be viewed as a success. We've come to value modernizing, because it allows us to be more productive and efficient. This momentous appearance has attracted other societies to join our ambitions. Not all societies see modernizing as a means to success.

Continue reading "Distorted Looking Glass" »

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This is an excellent example of paper 2 by Kelly Sittser - Winter 2010

As Americans we believe to view our way of life as the best way to live. We have developed technology that makes life easier for us. You want to talk to a friend send them a text message, you want to go out and take photos poof your digital camera will not only take the photo but you will be immediately able to see the image. We can log into a number of social networks to say "hello" to any acquaintances or family members that maybe on your friends list. We are a society that loves technology so much so that actual personal relationships seem to be a thing of the past. In American culture we tend to place value in materials, looks, and science/technology. The core family value is a thing of the past, education is not nearly important as it use to be; it seems more like a fashion show. Who's wearing the latest and greatest fashions? Parents give kids credit cards as a way to show their children that they are loved. Where are the family traditions that are to be passed down? Have we lost all core values that make us lose sight of a true family culture?

Continue reading "Modernization -Globalization- Culture" »

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Excellent example of the final paper by M. H. - Fall 2009

There are many different types of stratification within a society. A societies' particular value system based on their cultures ideology of how power, wealth, and prestige are allocated determine where a person is placed in their stratification system. These basic stratification processes can also be used to categorize countries around the world where the distribution of wealth, power and prestige is extremely unequal. An individual country's position in the stratification process is established by its relationship to other countries and its ability to achieve economic power. This is global stratification.

Continue reading "Global Stratification" »

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Excellent research paper by M.H. - Fall 2009

"Human history is the chronicle of class struggle, those in power using society's resources to benefit themselves and to oppress those beneath them - and of opposed groups trying to overcome domination." (Henslin 2009)

This quote from Henslin's book, "Essentials of Sociology," shows us that all throughout human history, there has been class struggle, and there have been those in power, whether it is political or corporate power, who will use society's resources to benefit only themselves.

Continue reading "The Exploitation of Guestworkers in the United States" »

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An excellent research paper by Maggie Hodges Fall 2009

I admit it, I am a Californian transplant. Unable to afford the rising housing trends of my home state, I moved northward where rumors of better prospects existed. When I asked locals where I would be able to buy a house in the Portland Metro area, I was unanimously directed (by whites) to what was referred to as "the Ghetto," or the inner Northeast. I was informed that there was a revival of areas where the prices were cheap and the neighborhoods were on the "up and up."

Continue reading "The Rose City by Any Other Name Still Smells Like Segregation: Gentrification in Portland" »

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An excellent research paper by A. Abero Fall 2009

When you go into any franchise market, restaurant, or store, you often encounter this rather impersonal and insincere attitude from the workers in these establishments. You are often thought of as a number, another customer that is adding to the company's profit, and not as a human being or individual. I remember going into a Walmart store in Virginia Beach, VA a long time ago, and experiencing first hand just how impersonal a big franchise could be. The cashier barely looked at me in the face, and had this rather monotonous tone in their voice that voided them of any personality. Most big companies are typically set up bureaucratically. This means that jobs are divided up, and the hard labor tasks are done by workers that make the company functional who, incidentally, all working under the supervision of CEOs and managers. After having experienced such an undesirable situation at a Walmart store, I made a conscious decision to start supporting local businesses because of the personal interaction and care you get from the workers when you buy from them, and not to mention you are supporting the local economy and making it thrive. The rise and expansion of big companies and franchises such as McDonald's and Walmart, has clearly made a negative impact on society by standardizing the way people live their lives.

Continue reading "The Socialization of Bureaucracies" »

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Excellent sample paper 1 by A. Abero Fall 2009.

Being born in the United States a Filipino-American, I have always had this underlying feeling of being "different" from the majority of my classmates growing up. Most of my classmates were predominately Caucasian, and I would always be part of the "few" who stood out from the rest. My parents and close relatives (who all immigrated from the Philippines some 30 years ago), never taught my brother or I how to speak Tagalog, which is one of the native languages spoken in the Philippines. My Mom would cook traditional Filipino fare, such as Pancit, a noodle dish, to Adobo, which is any kind of meat (usually pork) that is marinated in soy sauce and other spices). We would also eat a lot of Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Round Table Pizza, the typical "American" fast food. Although I knew my heritage is Filipino, having been raised in society that is "American", I associate and relate more to this western culture, rather than my Filipino heritage.

Continue reading "What Culture Do I Belong To?" »

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An excellent example of paper two by K. K. Winter 2009.

Perception is everything. What we perceive as reality and what is actually truth can be two VERY different things. Propaganda has proven to be an effective medium for imposing certain views on a group. Not all media poses negative results, but for the majority of our society is has become one of negative effects. During World War II, flyers depicted a Japanese soldier attacking an American soldier. Underneath the image was a clip from the newspaper, headline reading "5200 Yank Prisoners killed by Jap torture in Philippines (1)". The government used the media to illustrate the Japanese as harsh, inhumane people who should be killed. This helped increase the amount of soldiers recruited and also helped settle the conscience of the American people. The media was used to change the way that we viewed the Japanese. If the American society viewed the Japanese as human beings, soldiers that were only following orders, it would have been almost inhumane to be Pro-War. The Government wanted the American people to view the Japanese as "mean", so that going to war with them would be the right thing to do. The media negatively effects how we as a society behave and think.

Continue reading "The effects of the media on our society" »

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An excellent example of paper 2 by Katrina Weener, Fall 2009.

Situations that are defined as real are real according to Berger and Luckman. If we believe or are told by a trusted authority that the "value of bailing out financial institutions" is real, then it is real and we/they set about objectifying the, "value of bailing out financial institutions," so that it takes on a life of its own and it becomes part of an objective reality. "Letting banks fail, would ruin the economy," "If Wall Street falls, we all fall," "Why our country has to bail out GM." Finally, when we hear on Fox News that congress is rallying around the Wall Street, Banks and GM to save the economy, we are not surprised; in fact, we think it's the right thing to do. We have done it in the past a couple times; during the Great Depression and the S&L failures in the 1980s. Bailing out financial institutions has become an internalized, shared, and accepted social, "fact," and a Trillion dollars sounds OK.

Continue reading "Social Construction & Culture in Recent Bailouts" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Jillian Garrison Fall 2009.

If the "norm" in this society included wearing socks on your hands instead of mittens, carrying weights around to keep your balance, and raising your hand when you didn't have a question, that is the way we would live our lives, without questioning it. As individuals, conforming to society simply means fitting in with the social environment in which you have grown accustom. Thus, "norms" of the society become daily life that most individuals do not question as irregular. Ethnocentric values of our culture allow us to view ourselves as superior to all others. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, Ethnocentrism means "Belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group." From the culturally-based assumption that the world was created for man, to the personal belief that our culture is better, ethnocentrism appears in everyday life. In small ways, such as giving children unconditional praise and confidence, self-superiority is encouraged. Even the right to one's private property often promotes the mentality of, 'I deserve to have this, even though I did nothing to earn it', thus supporting cultural superiority.

Continue reading "Subtle Ethnocentrism" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Katie Mayer Fall 2009.

Stay objective: that should be the number one rule in sociology. In practicing any kind of sociological study, it is essential to view a culture from an impartial point of view. How can sociologists hope to understand how any society or group functions if they judge them by their own cultural standards? They cannot. However, maintaining objectivity is easier said than done, and it is easy to make ethnocentric judgments without realizing it.

Continue reading "Stay Objective" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Catie Draney Fall 2009

The awareness for our global deterioration has become known around the planet. Deforestation, smog and global warming are concerns of everyone today. Everywhere we look there is the "green movement". Reusable bags, recycled plastic, biodegradable clothes and environmentally safe soaps are consuming our markets. People are riding their bikes to work and changing their engines to biodiesel to help preserve the planet. But even though being green is so in right now, only a small percentage of people are acting on it. Organic and green products are more expensive and not everyone has the ability to ride their bikes to work. It is so much easier to live the way we do without regard to the planet. Why did it take so long for us to notice our harsh habits? And how did this destructive cycle begin? These questions bring up answers we don't want to know about ourselves. The system of our society holds us captive in this destructive cycle because of our sense of entitlement brought on by our culture.

Continue reading "What do you think of the idea that we "are captives of a civilization system that more or less compels us to go on destroying the world in order to live?" " »

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An excellent example of paper 1 by M.H. Fall 2009.

Why are we the way we are, and how has the society in which we live subconsciously influenced the decisions we make in our day-to-day lives? Every culture is unique, and it shapes our lives in more ways than we know. In his book, Essentials of Sociology, Henslin states "Sociologists look at how jobs, income, education, gender, age, and race-ethnicity affect people's ideas and behavior." (4) When we learn to think sociologically, we can begin to understand how our society's culture influences and ultimately helps shape our own personal life experiences. This "sociological imagination" is a way to look at a society's culture and "see" general social patterns that can affect an individual's day-to-day decisions. Additionally, it helps us to reach beyond the individual to try to understand how the society in which a person lives help shape them as individuals and how society influences their behavior and the decisions they make.

Continue reading "What is a sociological imagination, and can it affect how we live our daily lives?" »

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Excellent sample research paper by TaiAnn Thompson - Spring 2009

In this paper I want to explore the causes of affluency and poverty. In our society it seems that the rich are continually getting richer and the poor are getting continually poorer. The rich are admired for their "opulent displays of consumption", while the poor are rebuked for the inability to save or work hard enough. My question is, why does our society continue this pattern of destruction? There is a very unequal allocation of society and world resources, with a majority of the resources going to the smallest population with the smallest amount of resources stretching out to take care of the world's biggest population, those at or under the poverty line.

Continue reading "What features of society cause different groups to have different opportunities?" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Alyssa Phimmasone - Spring 2009

I've always grown up with people (by "people" I mean people of a non Asian ethnic background) assuming I was part of the "model minority. " In elementary I seemed to have somewhat of an advantage, I excelled academically; but who doesn't in elementary. The majority of students don't have a hard time getting through elementary. I grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon; we probably had a handful of Lao and Cambodian - American students in our neighborhood. There weren't many Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or Filipinos; the few Asians that we did have were Lao and Cambodian.

Continue reading "I'm Not Part of What They Call the Model Minority" »

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Sample research paper by Jennifer Bailey - Winter 2009

With everyday that goes by, healthy food is becoming increasingly expensive to buy in our society. Whether it is a bag of groceries or going out to a restaurant, people (especially within lower income families) are only able to get by with cheaper types of food which in return causes major health issues which we are already seeing today and they will only become worst overtime. This problem is decreasing our life expectancy rates for not only adults but also especially children within our society. If something is not done about this problem we could have a health catastrophe on our hands. We have always been taught through education that eating healthy is important. However, looking through advertisements and commercials the media portrays unhealthy food more often than healthy food. Many advertisers know that people do not either want to spend a lot of money on food or they simply can't afford to buy healthy food, therefore advertising cheaper foods will be more appealing to the customer. Even though fast food is cheap it will only cost our society in long run more money due to health problems. We need to find a better way for people to eat healthier but to also maintain the prices so that healthy food is affordable for everyone and so that obesity rates can be lowered, life expectancy rates can be raised and in return it would decrease health problems.

Continue reading "How Fast Food is Hurting our Society in the United States" »

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Sample research paper. Ashlyn Olson. Winter 2009

In the society we live in, we are constantly being fed information. From how we should act to what we should strive to look like; none of us are exempt from experiencing this on a daily basis. From very early on in life, men and women are socialized to be nearly opposite of one another. This has serious implications for the relationships between men and women. Our society constructs men to be dominant, strong, and forceful and women to be quite the opposite. Unfortunately, the gender roles men and women learn from a very early age ultimately lead to the horrendous act of rape.

Continue reading "Gender Socialization and Rape" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Edward Sleigh - Winter 2009

Grades in college courses are a far broader topic than A through F or a scale of percentage. They function in many different ways, motivating some and challenging others. The decisions we make have direct and indirect consequences. Robert Merton suggested that human behavior has both manifest and latent functions. "Manifest functions are the stated and open goals of social behavior. Latent functions are the unintended consequences of behavior" (Andersen 21). The classroom environment may be the easiest to study from the functionalist theoretical framework because much like the functionalist view on society, the goal of a classroom is to produce an environment for learning, with consensus and order, with stability. With a classroom as our example of society, we can study how grades in college seem to have more latent functions than manifest functions.

Continue reading "The Function of Grades in College Courses" »

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Excellent sample paper 2 by Timea Martin - Winter 2009

Culture is the force that holds society together and it refers to the general way of life, to norms, customs, beliefs, and language. Human society is a system of social interaction that includes both culture and social organization. In society people think that they are different from other societies, true or not, we all have to know that we have to obey the rules of every society, and everywhere we go, we need to accept each society as our own. In Ishmael, Daniel Quinn said that "blessed are those who do whatever they can wherever they are, for no one is devoid of resources or opportunities." (Ishmael)

Continue reading "Obedience in society" »

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Excellent sample paper 2 by Mika Nakazawa - Winter 2009

The term Third Culture Kid refers to the "third culture" created by individuals who have grown up in multiple cultures when they are in the process of relating their societies, or sections thereof, to each other. Third Culture Kids was a term that Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem first coined.

In summarizing that which we had observed in our cross-cultural encounters, we began to use the term "third culture" as a generic term to cover the styles of life created, shared, and learned by persons who are in the pro-cess of relating their societies, or sections there of, to each other. The term "Third Culture Kids" or TCK's was coined to refer to the children who accompany their parents into another society. (Useem, par.6)

Continue reading "Third Culture Kids" »

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Excellent example of paper 1 by Hanna Hramyka (Anya) - Winter 2009.

The image of America radically changed during the last eight years. Its face is now scared with incompetence in international relationships, failed policies and a war which might last for many more years to come. But regardless of all the above, America is still the place one wants to be to make his dreams come true and to live to the best of his potential. I was one of these people as well. I always wanted to prove to myself that hard work pays off and that good things happen to good people.

Continue reading "Can We Become Better People?" »

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An excellent example of paper 1 by Chvonne Wardrop - Winter 2009

Upon reading Body Ritual among the Nacirema By Horace Miner, I was painfully relating to their suffering and how our culture is too living this way, also how they do not even realize the torment they have afflicted upon themselves. These poor people, even worse off then us! That is what I thought as I read this article. To probe into the depth of my story I will discuss a question that stems from C. Wright Mills argument about sociological imagination. How did the context of society shape my life in such a way that living daily in torment was my "norm".

Continue reading "The Social in the Personal" »

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Excellent sample first paper from Chloe Mills - Winter 2009

The American culture as a whole is a very self conscience culture focusing on appearance and success. The steps people take to be culturally accepted by society in America are seen as important daily acts, such as taking a vast amount of time preparing one's hair or makeup, or deciding the clothes that they wear. Other times this striving for acceptance goes to greater lengths and sometimes becomes expensive, such as surgically altering cosmetic features. Yet these rituals that the people of the American society perform upon themselves are seen by a person of this society as normal things to do. These customs are all socially acceptable and are perhaps necessary so that one can fit into the culture and conform.

Continue reading "Seeing the American Culture from a Detached and Outside Perspective" »

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Excellent example of the Research Paper by Tamas Baker - Fall 2008.

My own personal experience is that the U.S. Educational System is failing Latino Youth . One example is at my daughters' high school, Sunset High School, where I have served for seven years as a mentor in their College & Career Center. I mentor high school juniors and seniors on post high school plans. It is frustrating being assigned Latino students because there are so many opportunities available to them, but I (and other mentors) cannot get them to even come in so we can talk with them. Another example occurred last spring at a Sunset High School parent meeting where a Vice Principal expressed concern at the difficulty the school was having keeping Latinos students engaged in school. Lastly, my husband is a first year high school teacher and struggles to successfully reach Latino students. This is relevant to me because I am applying to a School Counselor Masters program this winter and I wondered is this just me (and my experiences) or is this a universal issue.

Continue reading "Latino Youth and the U.S. Educational System" »

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Excellent example of paper 2 by Krystal Riley. Fall 2008.

Is it possible to write an objective analysis on human values? Of this I am uncertain, although I feel it must require being a master of contradictions. From what I can tell, nothing can exist entirely outside of the context from which it was created, and we humans tend to play with this relativity through awareness and our being intentional. The meaning interpreted through a word is often dependent on its placement in a sentence, and that sentence rests almost entirely on the thesis of the whole. If society is drafting a story, then it is almost certain that I would be doomed to ridicule if I was to loudly assert myself as merely being the letter 'E'. Standing alone, this letter carries no message, except to suggest that at some point it has strayed from its original home. Sure, as a vowel I can boast of my adaptability and the fact I am in high demand, but it is quite clear that if I were to attempt to truly alter the spelling of any word where the letter 'E' does not belong I would quickly be shunned, and my creation misunderstood. Culture, both material and non-material, is often just the interaction between symbols, rituals, and the environment in which they are occurring; just as we likely are all in agreement on the order of our alphabet, its pronunciations, and the corresponding definitions to the words it can build, humans have assigned meaning to every facet of existence.

Continue reading "Culture and the Paradigm of the Letter 'E'" »

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An excellent example for paper 1. Fall 2008.

Every day all over America, women strive to be beautiful. They make choices from how to style their hair, to what clothes to wear, what make-up to apply and perhaps what surgical improvements could be made to help them match the idealized version of physical beauty. There seems to be no limit to what some women will do to attain this perfection. Why are women willing to spend large amounts of time and money, while sometimes risking their health to try to attain the unattainable?

Continue reading "American Beauty" »

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An excellent research paper by Kristy Reddick - Spring 2008

Throughout the countless wars of human history, rape and other forms of sexual violence have been perpetrated against citizens by advancing soldiers and occupational military forces. While in the past, rapes and other sexual aggressions have been considered as random occurrences taking place in the "fog of war", increasing evidence may prove to debunk this social myth, especially in cases of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The opportunistic rape and pillage of previous centuries has been replaced in modern conflict by rape used as an orchestrated combat tool, (Smith-Spark, 2008) used to humiliate and demoralize individuals and cause ruinous rifts between spouses, extended family members and whole communities.

Continue reading "The Strategic Use of Rape as a Weapon in War and Ethnic Cleansing" »

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This is an excellent research paper by Jeremiah Ashbaugh - Spring 2008

I chose this topic because there does not seem to be a week that goes by that I hear some comment from a friend, family member, the media, or just someone in passing that seems to falsely explain the poverty situation. It has become obvious to me that American's in general really buy the "pull yourself up by bootstraps" theory, hook, line and sinker. My mother, who raised me, came from a poor family of twelve brothers and sisters and sometimes around mealtime, it was survival of the fittest. Needless to say, I have also been socialized to think that the homeless and poor create their own problems and if they wanted to do better, they could, just like my mom and her siblings. That the lower class and poor are lazy and that they do nothing but drain the money out of the hard working pockets of people who have pulled themselves up by their boot straps. Through much observation, life experience, a decent amount of reading, and some informative classes I have concluded that this issue is far more complex then the general public understands.

Continue reading "How the poor stay poor" »

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An excellent example of a research paper by Tiffany Rozee - June 2008

Today, roughly149,000 women are incarcerated throughout the United States. (TIME Magazine Tammerlin/ Drummmond, Miami 2000) What has contributed to women being sent to jail, and how are they treated in prisons that were designed and structured for men? When a new methodology was introduced called the feminist scholarship (Belknap in 2001) there was more information brought to light on why women committed crimes, and how gender plays a large part in the type of crimes.

Continue reading "Women incarcerated: Why life behind bars? " »

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An excellent example of paper 2 by Autumn Kniel - spring 2008

Through reading Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, the reader is introduced to two very different societies that live on Earth together, but not so harmoniously or cooperatively. These two societies are the Takers and the Leavers. The Takers can be seen as the people of "civilized" cultures and the Leavers as those of "primitive" cultures (Quinn, 39). In other words, the Takers are you and I and culture of Ishmael's pupil, while the Leavers are those people of all the other cultures besides our own lumped together (Quinn, 39). Also, according to Ishmael, a story is a scenario interrelating man, the world, and the gods, while culture can be seen as a people enacting a story (Quinn, 41). To enact a story is "to live so as to make the story a reality" (Quinn, 41). It is here where we dissect the stories that the Takers and the Leavers are enacting, as well as the effects of having the Takers and the Leavers co-inhabit our planet.

Continue reading "A Societal and Cultural Perspective: The Takers and the Leavers" »

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An excellent example of paper 2 by Aliesha Powers

What is the perfect body? Who gets to decide such a thing? Most importantly, why does a person care so much about their image? These are all legitimate questions I would love to ask to our so called "mother culture". You can see these body image "standards" all across our country everyday. They are strewn across our televisions and magazines daily. " The perfect body" consisting of a 6'2 girl that has tan skin and weighs 110 pounds. Women in our culture strain and strive in unhealthy ways to achieve such a body.

Continue reading "What is the Perfect Body?" »

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An excellent example of paper 2 by Tiffany Rozee

Advertisers work as social agents, a social agent is defined as "those who pass on social expectations"(Andersen, m & Taylor, F "Sociology in Everyday Life; chapter 4 2008) we know that Family, Religion, Peers and Media are all strong influences in the socialization process, but how do advertisements fit into the picture. We view them all over the world, there are studies to prove you can not ignore adds, even when turning off the sound, the visual picture alone can influence us. Even on a subconscious level we still absorb the message. It has been said that "People are most influenced, when they are not paying attention at all" ("The Ad and the Ego" Boihem, H. 1997") "Advertising monopolizes our space by reaching the culture by which we live"(The Ad and the Ego" Boihem, H. 1997")

Continue reading "The Effects of Advertising on Adults and Children" »

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Excellent example of paper 2 by Devin Rentz

It is the sound pounding in peoples' heads that is so loud, most people have become accustomed or even deaf to it. Culture is the essence of mainstream. It is the dominant system of language, norms, folkways, mores, beliefs and values of a given society. It is imbued in children from the time they are able to be instructed. Its presence is overlooked simply because it is everywhere one looks. It is not necessarily a sinister bunch of ideas lurking in the shadows, but to realize the effects, both positive and negative, it has on the thoughts and actions of people, it deserves a closer examination. Mother Culture, which will be explored more after an understanding of culture is established, is a term used in Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael, to describe a peoples' early culture, their perception of this culture, and its relevance to the offspring culture they are presently a part of.

Continue reading "Culture" »

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Excellent example of paper 2 by Kristy Reddick.

While various systems of trade and currency exchanges have spanned the globe for thousands of years, the late 20th century and early 21st century has been witness to the advent of a bona fide global economy. Rapid advancements in industry, technology and the birth of the "information age" have had dramatic effects upon business's ability to produce and market goods and services the world over. The West, most notably the United States, has been at the forefront of the commercialized global economy, exerting an incredible influence upon fellow industrialized states and developing nations. The fashion icons, franchise logos, foods, and film industry of the United States have radically impacted the material cultures of other parts of the world. Yet the affects of the globalized commercial economy and world wide information network extend beyond the absorption of US products and services. The nonmaterial aspects of world cultures are being vastly influenced by globalization. This phenomena is being embraced and celebrated by many people the world over but is met with opposition by others who view our cultural influence to be detrimental and dangerous to their societies. My intent is to briefly explore how nonmaterial aspects of culture in nations such as those in the Middle East have been influenced by the inclusion of material culture from the West.

Continue reading "Reshaping Nonmaterial Culture: The Global Affect of the Material Culture of the West" »

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An excellent example of paper 1 by Ngan Nguyen.

Hong Nuong was born and grew up in a poor farmer family in Southern Dong Thap in the Mekong Delta Region. When Nuong was a high school junior, she left school to help her mother with the farming and take care of her sick father and younger siblings. Although Nuong and her mother worked hard in the field from sunrise to sunset, they couldn't earn enough money to support the family. Gradually, Nuong's family was in heavy debt. Nuong moved to Cao Lanh and worked at a restaurant in town to earn more money. After a few months, the restaurant's owner gave Nuong the phone number of a matchmaker in Saigon who promised to find girls rich husbands from Taiwan. Nuong thought so much about it. Nuong knew it would be difficult to live with a strange husband, who didn't speak the same language, in a strange country, but it was Nuong's only way to escape from poverty. Through a matchmaker in Saigon, Nuong married Wang Liang, the thirty-seven year old Taiwanese man, and received $5,000 from him. For Nuong, the dollars from her Taiwanese husband was significantly important to her family in paying off family's debts and going to support her four younger siblings in school. But was it really better when she put her happiness in the hands of fortune and marriage decided by dollars?

Continue reading "Troubles and Issues" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent research paper by Maggie Kercher.

"Caneo, why do you always call me, 'usted'?" I had known Spanish long enough to understand that Dominicans only use the formal pronoun 'you' (usted) for those of very high rank--the boss of a corporation, or a political official--never with an acquaintance or friend. This had bothered me for some time that Caneo referred to me in this way; I considered him a friend just as I would consider any young man with whom I'd spent some time conversing.

Continue reading "El Prejuicio--Dominican Society's Tragic Flaw " »

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An excellent example of a research paper by V.S.

It's in all the media outlets; obesity is on the rise in the United States. "More than one-third of adults or over 72 million people were obese in 2005-2006 (CDC)." These stories tell us that Americans are the fattest people in the world and the number of people who are obese is getting higher every year. How would a sociologist view what the causes are for this trend? How does obesity affect our society as a whole? Who has been affected the most? What can we do as a society to reverse the trend?

Continue reading "Obesity" »

Posted by Rowan at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent example of a research paper by Reid Stady.

After only taking a few glances around at this man-made American culture, it's fairly easy for most to come to the realization that our daily rituals are devastating the planet and other humans as well. The truth is that our government, which controls the most powerful army and weaponry on the planet, uses oil, at least to some extent, as a primary reason for entering into devastating wars. Now that our favorite natural resource is diminishing, a few very powerful countries around the world, including the United States, are scrambling for a new means of powering the amenities we've come to enjoy, with side-effects possibly even more devastating than the oil wars we've engaged in over the last few decades.

Continue reading "The Effects of the Food and Oil Crisis" »

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An excellent research paper by Sonya Scott.

Imagine yourself as a parent of a young, active child. You are taking your child to a routine doctor's appointment because although your child has had high energy their whole life, this energy is not being "harnessed" properly as your child is getting older. During the appointment, numerous questions are asked regarding your child's behavior and activity level. Some of these questions may include: What is the duration of your child's attention span? What is their ability to follow directions? Are they able to sit still for long periods of time? Do they interrupt conversations frequently? After replying to the above questions, and with further discussion, your doctor informs you your child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Both of these diagnoses can be commonly referred to as Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (AD/HD). After this visit and diagnosis from your doctor, you are now among the millions of parents in the United States that lives with this common disorder in their children. In 2003 alone, 4.4 million children ages four to seventeen were diagnosed with AD/HD, 2.5 million were prescribed medications, and 3.3 billion dollars was spent in medical costs relating to these disorders (http://www.cdc.gov).

Continue reading "Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And The Sociological Perspectives Associated With These Diagnoses" »

Posted by Rowan at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Excellent example of paper two by Jacklyn Ferraris.

It could be heard from blocks away. Drums, singing, chants, excitement as people gathered to march through the city of downtown Portland. On this Sunday there would be a "peace march" that would follow a specific path for thousands of people to protest the war. As I walked to the park blocks I was nervous and timid. The thought of leaving crossed my mind, but as I walked closer I realized there was an alarming amount of people. So many that I felt comfortable as if I blended in.

Continue reading "Peace March in Portland" »

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An excellent of paper 2 by J.L.

In Daniel Quinn's novel "Ishmael" the gorilla compares the Taker's way of life to a trial attempt at flight (104-110). At first I found this analogy difficult to believe, but then as I thought about perception up close compared to far away, it made a lot of sense. It was difficult to assume with so many diverse cultures on Earth that we could lump them all into two groups. Then take one group and further lump them into one person attempting flight, hardly a sufficient sample size. Of course Quinn goes on to give another example of a flight with a craft that the Takers all use together called the Taker Thunderbolt (107). The initial descent of the lone pilot seemed ludicrous. How can one not see they are dropping not flying? Then I thought if the canyon was large enough that you did not immediately see the ground and you could possibly soar, then any direction that was not nose down would seem like flight. This was the same as any situation that one is too close to see the entire reality. Life, to each person, is seen from a narrow perspective. As much as we try to look openly, we still see with the blinders of our own individual experiences. In comparing this final acceptance of the analogy I can see clearly how it compares to the Takers as well as Society today.

Continue reading "Flight of Life" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent example of paper two by M.J.H.

I recall reading about horrific genocides in grade school, practiced by colonizing European nations on the multitudes of Native American nations. Sometimes, it was found in my favorite childhood literature which included stories about Kit Carson, Calamity Jane, or in a T.V. miniseries special, such as The Last of the Mohicans. Bad traders would be introduced, who intentionally traded in blankets inoculated with small pox; with the horrific intent to "wipe out" entire tribes of Native Americans. Other times, the genocidal activities where retold in stories of the Trail of Tears, the name given to a historic U.S. government program, in which Native Americans where marched, the majority to their death, across huge expanses of America, in the dead of winter. Sometimes, the genocidal activities where more social or cultural, as in Spanish missionary schools, and Australian adoption programs, in which children were removed from their native cultures and families, and forbidden, often beaten or tortured, for speaking their own native languages.

Continue reading "The World's Greatest Lost Treasures are Cultural" »

Posted by Rowan at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Excellent paper 2 example. Student's name withheld.

What is Socialization? Socialization is the process by which human beings learn the social expectations of society. (Andersen & Taylor) There are numerous social expectations that come across in everyday life. These expectations, either clear or unspoken, can pervade our entire presence and attempt to shape us. Who we are; how we define ourselves and the set of values we judge ourselves by is the product of multiple forces. What is the process by which socialization shapes individuals? How does this affect the world in which we live?

Continue reading "Socialization: The Impact of Societal Forces" »

Posted by Rowan at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent example of paper 2 by Keaton Snyder.

Getting a tattoo has long been a discussion for many individuals. It is a practice that has been around for centuries, yet is still an evolving part of society. Not too long ago in the US it was a practice that only lower class people participated in and was looked down upon by society. But more recently society has started to change the way that tattoos are seen. This is in part because it has become much cleaner and people know more about it, as well as tattoo artists being required to have a license to practice. In fact there are even schools that teach the art of tattooing. How does having a tattoo affect the way that American society sees an individual and why does American society see it this way?

Continue reading "Tattoos and Society" »

Posted by Rowan at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent example of a student research paper by Kerri Thorpe.

Absolute autonomy of the individual is a fanciful dream. At one point or another we all believe that we are sovereign beings, independent on our self governing islands of existence. A large majority of us also at one point believed that a large fat man would squeeze down our chimneys to give us candy and presents. As time went along, it was clear that the Santa Claus was our mother, but we wanted the presents so we decided to keep believing. Likewise we decide to believe in personal autonomy because it is so attractive. Our ego's have an appetite for control and have a thirst for recognition. Personal autonomy means that we cannot be controlled by outside forces, that our actions, decisions and results are governed solely by our individual self. We are in control of our life. The only thing that can bring us down is not taking responsibility for ourselves and looking for someone else to blame. Belief in the autonomy of the individual is a very popular thought mostly among people who belong to dominate groups. It is also an avenue dominate groups believe non-dominate groups should utilizes a means to break free from the subjugation of oppression. Ironically this focus on the individual and not the community significantly contributes to all forms of institutional oppression.

Continue reading "The Mutual Exclusivity of Personal Autonomy and Diversity" »

Posted by Rowan at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent example of paper 3 by Ryan Crab.

It is not hard to find a myriad of cultural stereotypes when looking at videogames. Stereotypes based on race are everywhere with in the medium. While in general, we as gamers might think we value diversity, what we ingest as entertainment is far from it. Could this be a factor of the general immaturity of the industry and its struggle to find its voice? Or is it a representation of an industry that is mainly in habited by white males, at least in the North American market ("Game"). I personally have a vested interest in the future of the video games industry. I am currently on a path to develop my skills to enter into the industry, to potentially one day become a game designer. So I am very much interested in finding new ways to tell stories from alternative perspectives.

Continue reading "Video Games, Responsible Media?" »

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An excellent paper 2 example by Morgan Waldroff.

What is the first thing you heard when you were born? Can't remember? It was probably something like loud voices, crying, laughing, cheering, the television. That's right, the television, almost every room in hospitals across America have at least one television set. The average American consumes some form of media 71 hours per week; about 32 of those hours are spent watching television (U.S. Census Bureau 2004). That's more time than most children spend in school! In many homes across the country the T.V. is on most of the time, these homes are referred to as "constant television households", often being African American families (Gitlin 2001). Other forms of mass media are magazines, radio, Internet, movies, and advertisements.

Continue reading "The Role of Mass Media in the Lives of Americans" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent paper 2 example by Dawn Duran.

Socialization is the process by which people learn the expectations of society (Andersen 83). In the past most socialization occurred within the family unit. We passed on our values, morals and beliefs to our children through daily interaction. As adults we received validation from our families and peers. In today's world we receive our socialization from many areas of society. In addition to the social institution of the family we receive socialization from school, the media, religion and peers. In American society the focus is put on individualism as opposed to collectivism as is done in so called "primitive societies." Our individualistic approach dictates that some must fail in order for others to succeed. In a collectivism society when everyone succeeds it serves the whole community (Wolf lecture 2/12/08).

Continue reading "Dangers of American Socialization" »

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An excellent paper 2 example by Natalie Stager.

Marilyn Frye's birdcage analogy is meant to represent oppression. She talks about how, when looking at a birdcage microscopically, there seems no reason that a bird couldn't fly out of the cage. It would seem the bird was stuck due to the fact that by looking at it this way, all the observer would see is one wire and they wouldn't be able to see that, in actuality, the bird is surrounded by a series of wires that contain it in a certain space. In Frye's writing entitled "Oppression" she concludes, "It is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere..." (Frye). In the original work, Frye speaks about the oppression of women, but her comparison of social structures that keep people from reaching certain levels or leaving certain spaces to a birdcage can be used to describe many other types of oppression found in society today.

Continue reading "Sociology Paper #2 - Birdcage" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent paper 2 example by Chelsea Fuller.

From a young age our parents and family always asks, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Many answer extravagantly with occupations like a doctor, a super star, a pro athlete, and sometimes even an astronaut. Often, we are then told that we can be anything we want to as long as we work hard. That is until we get a little older, and our dreams undeniably doubtful. As we go through adolescence we begin to be asked the same question, but this one comes with a little extra, being asked to discover who we will be as an adult and how will we contribute to society. Having just recently turned eighteen I am personally facing many obstacles in answering that question. Realizing it is a lot more complicated now than when it was asked as a child. The multiple social locating factors that we use to identify ourselves cause many challenges as we shift into our adult lives.

Continue reading "The Life Challenge" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent paper 2 example by Christine Jones.

My 23-year-old son, Shaun, is a charter member of a new subculture--the cyberculture. (or virtual culture). I intentionally use the term "charter" because he began his involvement in this particular culture at the beginning of its formation around 1995, when he was only 10 years old. At that time he took an after-school class to learn how to use personal computers and then encouraged his teacher to start an after-school computer club, which he attended until we moved the next year. He learned quite a bit from his mentor and acquired his own computer and convinced his father and I to set up an account with AOL, which connected him to the internet and the cyber world of which he has been a part of ever since. It has played a major role in his life, and though he may at times take part in other groups, the majority of his social interaction takes place in this subculture. He has also earned his income through it since he was 12 years old. Therefore I thought I would do my second paper on cyberculture with the objective of gaining a better understanding of it as a subculture.

Continue reading "Cyberculture--The New Subculture" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent paper 2 example by Megan Chambers.

Question: Identify a group on you campus that you would call a subculture. What are the distinctive norms of this group? Based on your observations of this group, how would you describe its relationship to the dominant culture on campus?

Continue reading "High School Norms" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An excellent Paper 1 example by Thao Mai

" Guess what? The Nazis didn't lose the war after all. They won it and flourished. They took over the world...This took a long, long time, but when it was all over, everyone in the world was one hundred percent Aryan, and they were all very, very happy. Naturally the textbooks used in the schools no longer mentioned any race but Aryan or any language but German or any religion but Hitlerism...After a few generations of that, no one could have pit anything different into the textbooks...because they didn't know any thing deferent. But one day two young students were conversing at the University of New Heidelberg in Tokyo....Kurt said, " I'll tell you, Hans. There is something that's troubling me- and troubling me deeply"... "it is this" Kurt said. " I cant shake the crazy feeling that there is some small thing that we are being lied to about" (Ishmael, 27). If one day Kurt can get out of that Hitlerism planet, he will find out what he has been lied about; Based on my own story, I can guarantee this. In past seventeen years living in Vietnam, lot of things in society did not make sense but I had no ideas what I had been lied about. One day, an airplane took me thousands miles away to America where I have enough critical distance to realize that my brain has been "washed" pretty well.

Continue reading "Brain Wash" »

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An excellent example of paper 1 by Mandy Dye.

What I am about to tell you may seem shocking. Indeed, you might be tempted to label me an armchair conspiracy theorist or a perma-baked dilettante junior hippie. But before you judge, consider the evidence that I use to support my outlandish claims. The peculiar point of view I propose is this— what we call reality is fake, but its consequences are real. Of course, I am engaging in hyperbole, but only to help shift your brain into a different gear. Trust me, it will help when I begin to explain myself. What I really mean by my statement is that most people don’t tend to think about why the world seems to operate as it does, and how this has shaped their own experiences and respective positions in life. Nor do they go on to consider that they also affect reality through their action, inaction and ideas.

Continue reading "Reality is Fake, Sociology is Real: Or, How to Make a Sociologist" »

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This is an excellent Paper 1 example by Maggie Kercher.

I come from their very ranks. I have a deep understanding of what it means to “conform” to the social norms of the group. A “deep understanding” is most thoroughly valuable when one has personally experienced the subject in question—which is just what I have done.

Continue reading "A Sociological Look at Molalla" »

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This is an excellent Paper 1 example by Kay Pettygrove.

Diversity at Portland Community College appears to be everywhere. But is it? Diversity is defined in the Encarta English Dictionary as “ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution.” Based on that definition, it appears that Portland Community College embraces a culture rich in diversity of all types. Walking the campus, it is easy to identify the many different ethnic groups as well as the varying ages of the students. What is more difficult to determine is the differences in socio-economic groups and particular sexual preferences of individuals. Is diversity however, a numbers game? True diversity should be judged by the institution’s efforts to increase educational opportunities that identify and promote understanding of the differences and similarities among different cultural groups. Being able to meet a predetermined quota of minority students is not enough.

Continue reading "What is Diversity…Really?" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is an excellent Paper 1 example by Kindra Kerp.

Pick up a National Geographic magazine, flip through the pages and describe what you see. Perhaps the pictures that stand out are the ones that display people of different cultures practicing rituals or chores that you find extremely odd, maybe even frightening and horrifying. Why do you think that is, and what is it's relevance? What conclusions do you make about the people on those other-world pages?

Continue reading "The Importance of Objectivity in Sociology" »

Posted by Rowan at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In April of 2006, officials with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released projections that the nation’s nursing shortage would grow to more than one million nurses by 2020 (HRSA, 2006). A report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) states that nursing schools in the U.S. turned away 42,866 qualified applicants from nursing programs in 2006 (AACN, 2007). The current nursing shortage and the difficulty of qualified applicants getting into nursing programs is therefore an issue that interests me so I am choosing it as the topic of this paper.

Continue reading "The Nursing Shortage as a Sociological Issue " »

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Seeing Through New Eyes: The Sociological Perspective

By Student Author Genevieve Andersen

What is Sociology? Sociology is the study of human behavior in society (Andersen & Taylor 2006). ‘Well, that’s all well and good,’ you say, ‘but what do you mean by that statement? There are many components to human behavior, not to mention human interaction; many parts and pieces of society. In fact, what does one mean by society? Does a sociologist study the individual or the group as a whole? Does he or she study the reasons for behavioral patterns and or simply the statistics – what they are? What is so special? And why should it matter?’

Continue reading "Excellent Student Paper Example" »

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