Sociological Mindfulness

So the other day I asked the class if they knew or could imagine what their place in the future would be.  Where did they fit in or could they see where they would fit in the big picture.  Of course most of the students weren't able to give an answer.  So here is some food for thought for those who are having a hard time grasping the concept of sociological mindfulness.  Think about the
 past and all the ways individuals with sociological mindfulness have impacted our world.  Some people might  think about  Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Elenore Roosevelt, Einstein, Mother Theresa and think about the movements like the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the women's rights movement, the civil rights movement, the elimination of polio, the homosexual movement and etc...  Here is 10 acts of courage that changed the world.  All of these people and movements are a product of those who had sociological mindfulness.  Think about Rosa Parks and realize that her actions changed the people on that bus and that changed the people of the city which changed our nation and that has influenced the world's view of human rights and the dignity of all human beings.  Our actions in day to day life, like where we sit on the bus and how we treat others can make a difference.   That awareness is sociological mindfulness.  In personal life, it might be  parents sending a kid to college even though they themselves never went there and they didn't have the money.
 
The Starfish Parable is another way to think about being sociologically mindful

One day, an old man was walking along a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore by the high tide. As he walked he came upon a young boy who was eagerly throwing the starfish back into the ocean, one by one.
Puzzled, the man looked at the boy and asked what he was doing. Without looking up from his task, the boy simply replied, "I'm saving these starfish, Sir".
The old man chuckled aloud, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"
The boy picked up a starfish, gently tossed it into the water and turning to the man, said, "It made a difference to that one!"

 We cannot change the world, but by being aware of how our actions affect those around us, we can make a difference for those who we do come into contact with us.


 Here is a video that highlights sociological mindfulness from a radical perspective.

https://www.ted.com/talks/sam_richards_a_radical_experiment_in_empathy?language=en

Your assignment is to think about sociological mindfulness.  In a 300 word post I want you to reflect on the above video.  I want you to also include examples of where you were sociologically mindful or at least an example related to your life.  Lastly I would like you to finish the question "I see myself fitting into the big picture of society..."

Mass shootings: an American problem?

So the other day I mentioned manifest and latent functions.  Over a year ago there was a shooting of a TV reporter and her cameraman in Roanoke, Virginia.  Since then there have been several shootings in the United States including the Dylan Roof shooting in a South Carolina church.  When questioned about the shooting Roof admitted to the shooting showing little remorse.  He even laughed at certain points in the questioning.  Sociologist Robert Merton came up with manifest and latent functions, but he also had a theory that he called "Strain Theory." 



What I want you to do is read the article at the following link "American Exceptionalism."

Tell me what you think about the article.  You may agree or disagree.  Tie in Merton's strain theory with your opinion.  Be prepared to give a short oral report tomorrow in front of the class.

An Easy A?

So know you don't get an easy A.  What I am talking about is Merton’s manifest and latent functions via "An Easy A".  Most of you are familiar with the movie mentioned above.  I chose the story of Easy A, to illustrate Merton’s concepts of manifest and latent functions.  This tale of rumors and reputations is about how high school student Olive Penderghast’s decision to help a friend out brings a series of unexpected events and consequences.  Olive’s decision to help her bullied friend out by saying they had hooked up, could be viewed as the manifest function, or the intended purpose.  However, the repercussion of this act was a suddenly tarnished reputation and the requests from a lot more of her less than desired and troubled peers, which could be regarded as the latent function or the unintended consequence.  Watch the trailer below to gain an understanding into the concept.

or click link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KNbPnqyvItk


And here is a link to a Sociology project that explains how Reality TV has changed the norms of society.  There are some examples of symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, and so forth.

https://sociologyjrs2012.wordpress.com/

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shhhh...

Today we started the day in silence.  Sitting in silence was awkward and unusual for most of us. Some students feel the need to fill the silence with a comment or a joke. I use this to show that most students already think sociologically. That is, you have already learned to analyze groups and their behaviors. That is sociology. Nearly every class you have been in has started with the teacher standing in front of you and saying this is what you should or shouldn't do, etc... From participating in all of these first classes, you have begun to expect certain things from them. That is, loosely, what sociologists do; analyze people in groups and look for patterns of behavior and then analyze how those patterns affect people.

Your curiosity and excitement for learning has been squashed by a system that rewards conformity. Rather than taking initiative for your own learning, you (students) expect the teacher to provide you with exactly what you need - "Just tell me what to do," is the attitude.

 I am a part of this modern institutional creation.  My class will ask you to engage in the learning; take part in the process. Sometimes we will do experiential lessons like the silence experience where you as students will be active participants in the class.  Students will also be asked to be active as teachers in the class through their blogging. Each student will create a blog that will not only be a source of displaying what a student has learned, it will also be a resource for teaching other students. We all learn from each other. We are all both teacher and student.

 

Let's face it, all the content and information you can find on the internet.  You don't need me to teach it to you.  So what is my purpose.  To facilitate your mind and open it up.  That's it-period.

Finally, checkout teacher Clint Smith speaking at a TED Talk about silence.  It is often our own silences that speak louder than our words.  This is especially true in a culture that teaches you to be a follower; to sit down and shut up and conform.  Watch that video. 

 

Think about the speaker's message.  I want you to find your voice.  To learn who you are as a person and to learn to speak up for what you believe in in an educated and meaningful way.

What do you think about the awkward silence? Do you see how we set expectations based on our experiences? Did you know what sociologists studied before taking this class? Do you realize that students expect the teacher to tell them what to do? Can you see how this crushes a love for learning? What do you think about the idea of blogging as a way of teaching others?

Reminders about blogging

Here is some reminders about blogging:

Here are some reminders about blogging:
Remember, do NOT use your last name or our school's name.
Please use proper grammar and punctuation.
After each post you do, you must comment on other students' posts.
Please write mindfully because what you post to the internet can last even after you delete it.
Make your posts unique and authentic. Feel free to add pictures and links.

By the end of today, try to accomplish these tasks:
Write your first post.  For the first post, simply try to answer this question: Who are you? Write a blog entry that defines who you are. Explain to the class what makes up the person you are. What are the biggest influences in your life? What are your goals/purposes in life?

After that, check to see if you have a link to my page from your page.

Then, go to my page and see if I have your blog listed (on the right side).

Then, comment on 2 other students' posts. Comments should be short(1 to 2 sentences) but sweet (meaningful; leave feedback)


Grading the blogs:

After this first post each subsequent post will be assessed in these three areas:

Academic Standards
The assignment should be neat, well organized, and on-time. It should contain proper writing including proper prose and correct spelling.

Sociology Content
The student should demonstrate an understanding of sociological ideas and themes. Student should use sociological terms correctly. Each blog needs to incorporate specific content from the class using readings, class discussions, videos, activities and the posts on my blog page. It is necessary to convey your understanding of course content as it relates to sociology and your life.

Application
Student is able to fully apply the sociological ideas to his/her own experiences (a real life experience, something s/he watched or read, another class s/he had). Student gives an authentic example of the sociology. The example may include how s/he has been influenced as well as life experiences s/he has had. The post should demonstrate how you may feel differently now having learned a new perspective

Catfish or Catfished

Taken from an article I read but now can’t find.

"When I finally met the 40-year-old mom, we also met her husband and he told us this amazing story," Schulman explained. "They used to take these live cod in these giant vats on ships from Alaska to China, but by the time the fish got to China, their flesh would become mushy and tasteless, so some guy had the bright idea to put catfish in the vats with the cod to chase them around and keep them moving, and he finished by saying that he thanks God for the catfish because life would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have someone nipping at our fins."

That story inspired Schulman and the "Catfish" filmmakers to name their project after those catfish, and not long after the film was released, the term appeared in the Urban Dictionary. "A Catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they're not- using Facebook or other social media to create false identities," reads the definition. "Particularly to pursue deceptive online romances."

So my question is “does everyone have a Catfish.”  Who is your Catfish?  Are Catfish necessary in life to keep people “alive”. 

List some groups of people and what or who their Catfish may be.

Environmental Sociology

Ok.  So we have studied a lot of sociology this year but almost all of it has dealt with human interaction.  But there are sociologists out there that study relationships that aren't necessarily human.  For example, there are environmental sociologists.  They study human interaction with the environment.  Click on the link above to learn more about these sociologists and the two schools of thought.

My question to you is what type (school of thought) are you and why?  I want you to do some research, read some articles and investigate some issue in particular.  Create a blog for it including links to articles and sources.  Also I want you to insert a picture or two dealing with your issue.