My Meaning to Society

I personally feel that I lack a place or meaning in society. When I was younger my purpose was just to be young and innocent. Once I entered high school and could work, I felt like I lacked a purpose. If anything, I feel like my purpose is to prepare for a greater purpose that will come after college. Some of my friends have jobs but only to earn personal spending cash. They do help support their families making themselves a contributing member of society. I feel the age of having no purpose but to enjoy life has been extended.
I have been doing community service since freshman year. Doing service definitely helps me feel that I do matter to society. Service allows me to help make my community the wonderful community it is. The service I have most enjoyed is serving food for the homeless through PADS. I felt I truly helped people even if was only for one night. I also enjoyed being a guest speaker at S.E.E.D., because it made me feel that I was bettering the members mindsets.

Race

Until this class, I never even entertained the idea that race is not a biological factor. I assumed that I am white because both my parents are white and I was born that way. I never considered the idea that I could be white, because that is the label society assigned. The timeline of how racial differentiations were formed is never taught in a history class. I think it should be. I think that not teaching it is encouraging racial stereotyping. I am to assume that because a person has dark skin they are black according to science. But that is not the case. I call dark-skinned people black, because that is what society taught me to call them.

Class Mobility

My dad's mom was part of the upper middle class, and she married down to my dad's dad who was part of the lower class. My dad grew up a member of the lower class. My mom's mom was middle class and my mom's dad leaned towards the lower class. My mom grew up as a part of the upper middle class. I plan to be an actress and most stage actors do not make very much money. Therefore, due to my career choice, I will probably become a member of the lower class. However, If I am a successful Broadway actress, I could be part of the middle class.
My family class mobility seems to be based on career choice. My dad's parents were in the lower class, because my grandfather had trouble maintaining his glass business. My mom's dad was able to move up in class because he had a successful tavern and restaurant. My mom moved us up to the upper middle, because she became a well-paid accountant.
The class mobility seems to also depend on education. My dad's dad never went to college. My mom's dad went to junior college. My mom earned her Master's degree. For me, my success will depend on talent rather than bettering myself through education. However, I will be attending college.

Blue Collar

The two groups that were presented in the movie as glamorizing the blue collar life style were trying to show appreciation and longing for the genuine nature of blue collar people. They were not making fun of the blue collar people, however, they were being condescending. For example, the yuppies that went to the "dive bar" would spend their weekends with the blue collared but then return to their comfortable middle class life. They were hypocrites, because they claimed to appreciate how genuine blue collared people were but they themselves were not genuine. They would put on a facade during the week and use the dive bars as a form of escapism.
People are comfortable making references to class stereotypes, because they personally do not associate themselves with a certain class. If someone does not commit themselves to one class they have the freedom to make such references because they do not feel they will offend anyone.

Prison

The 30 Days video fascinated me. I watch alot of shows about prison; for example: Locked Up on MSNBC. On this show, cameras are taken into prisons, and prisoners are interviewed about their crimes and view on prison life. However, it was interesting to view prison from he point of view of a respectable member of society. Prisons need to be organized in a different way. Prison's goal should be to cure criminals of their addiction to crime. The way they are currently being run, it seems as if their gaol is merely to keep criminals away from crime for a period of time. George, Morgan's cellmate, put it best; prison takes away so much of a person's freedom that the first thing a person wants to do when they are let out is run wild. Obviously, prison has to put some restrictions on a person's freedom, but not to the point of dehumanizing prisoners. Many prisoners have a separate wing for curing drug addiction. Well crime can be an addiction; therefore all prisons should be set up as a support group; instead of a caging facility. Prisons should have a way to support prisoners when they are released to keep them from resorting back to crime or drugs.

Masculinity

When I think about macho masculinity, one particular memory comes to mind. When my brother was younger, he attended a summer camp that provided busing. He walked into the house one day and he was crying. He told my parents that some kid had been making fun of him. My dad yelled at my brother. He said that my brother should suck it up, be a "man", and stop crying. If the situation had placed me in my brother's shoes, my dad would have expected me to cry. But because my brother was a boy, he was expected to be tough and repress his vulnerability.
When I entered high school, my brother told my mom that if he found out someone as picking on me, he was going to beat that kid up. I was shocked to hear my mother's reaction. She accepted what my brother was saying. I decided that if I was getting picked on, I would take care of it myself. I figured I would handle myself without resorting to violence.

Fear

The major agent of socialization that invokes fear into Americans is the media. In general the news is bad. Newspapers and TV stations are constantly reporting on murders. This causes Americans to constantly fear for their lives. I can't remember the last time a murder occurred in Buffalo Grove, yet I am still afraid of answering the door when I am home alone. Despite the fact that crime rates have decreased, Moore stated that ownership of guns has increased. People are scared for themselves and the life of their families.
The media has also caused the white community to fear black males. News stations are always reporting that suspects in crimes are black males. In reality, the black community is for gun control. However, the black ment that make headlines carry guns and are criminals.