lynnannmckithen-blog

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Advice to Future Classes

My advice would have to be learn as much as you can from Dr Jacobson. She is an awesome professor who will email you, zoom, talk on the phone with you. Basically will do whatever she can to help you pass her class. Start trying to work on the Tumblr project weekly as you are going through the modules. It will be so much easier to work that way. Do not wait till the last minute to start the final project and remember to cite and reference all your material, even your images, pictures, videos and movies. I would have to say study and work hard. Do not forget to respond to your classmates posts and read them all. It is a great class if you follow the instructions Dr. Jacobson gives you. Oh and do not have unexpected emergency surgery two weeks before the semester is over and if something crazy like this happens communicate with Dr. Jacobson, she will help you out the best she can.

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Reflection

As I sit here and reflect on this class, I realized that I use sociology or come in contact with some form of sociology everyday. It could be a race issue with my daughter facing a bully calling her a cross breed or a zebra nigger. I am trying to figure out how the social class really works. We are considered middle class but I am trying to see where the officials come up with this. I am going to need to use these lessons that I learned everyday in my career. As a social worker I will need to know the latest social movements, gender issues, culture happening and so on. i think though the biggest topic I as a social worker will have to deal with will be social equality and gender issues. These seem to be the two topics that are prominent in the news lately.

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The 1960s and 1970s were volatile decades for the emergence of social movements. The majority of the movements formed during this period continue to influence the modern social agenda. While the fight for racial equality began in the 1950s, the non-violent techniques the movement embraced began to pay off during the following decade. Civil rights activists and students across the South challenged segregation, and the relatively new technology of television allowed Americans to witness the often brutal response to these protests. his civil rights movement timeline focuses on the struggle's final years, when some activists embraced black power, and leaders no longer appealed to the federal government to end segregation, thanks to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Although the passage of such legislation was a major triumph for civil rights activists, Northern cities continued to suffer from "de facto" segregation, or segregation that was the result of economic inequality rather than discriminatory laws .De facto segregation was not as easily addressed as the legalized segregation that had existed in the South, and Martin Luther King Jr. spent the mid-to-late 1960s working on behalf of of both black and white Americans living in poverty. African-Americans in Northern cities became increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of change, and a number of cities experienced riots.(Vox, 2018)

Nuclear disarmament is the process of reducing and eradicating nuclear weapons, as well as ensuring that countries without nuclear weapons are not able to develop them.(Frazier, 2018)  As of a result of the movement, nations signed a variety of international treaties and agreements to either slow or stop the use and generation of nuclear weapons. First, in 1970, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force.  This agreement allows the five nations with nuclear weapons (United States, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, France, and China) to maintain the devices, but not to trade them to non-nuclear states. Additionally, non-nuclear states who sign the treaty cannot develop nuclear programs of their own.(Frazier, 2018)

There will always be something that people are fighting too change. Got to love people who are willing to stand up and fight.

References: 

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.y2dty16_yhrZSz1zysWM6gHaDS&pid=15.1&P=0&w=342&h=153

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.QRC637obherJ5AklFldIPAHaE0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=258&h=168

Vox, Lisa. "Civil Rights Movement Timeline From 1965 to 1969." ThoughtCo, Jun. 14, 2018, thoughtco.com/civil-rights-movement-timeline-from-1965-to-1969-45431.

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This is a poster that I see quite often in schools today. This poster is not only just about racism and different races, it’s about a learned behavior that us as adults are teaching these kids that know no color. First of all race is defined as a group of people who share a set of characteristics usually but not always physical ones and are said to share a common bloodline.(Conley, 2017,p. 324) OK so maybe they do not look alike but they share similar physical characteristics. Plump,stocky, overweight, fat, slim, skinny, buff, well built, short, tall, petite, average, pimply, freckles, spots, pimples, long, short, curly,frizzy, straight hair. These kids can have similar characteristics but they are taught to hate. This is called racism. Racism is the belief that members of separate races possess different and unequal traits.(Conley, 2017, p. 325) These kids here right now do not know that they are different. They are just friends wanting to hug. Because of discrimination they learn they are different and may stop wanting to be friends. Discrimination is a harmful or negative act against people deemed inferior on the basis of race without regard to their individual merit.(Conley, 2017, p.359.)

The second picture shows males that are Spanish and black. It is a picture of how most jails in the United States look. The majority of prisoners are either black or Spanish. The prisons are set up to rehabilitate mostly the white prisoners. There are very few prisoners that really want to waste time on the blacks, because they were already labeled as un rehabilitative. This is a form of racism called institutional racism. Institutional racism is defined as institutions and social dynamics that may seem race neutral but actually disadvantage minority groups.(Conley, 2017, p.363)

  References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed).  New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/f1/21/edf12108bfcb1ea5568138f4405c6ef8.jpg

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BUyMBCq0fUk/Tc2k7a89nJI/AAAAAAAACCs/6RA1HW_rPws/s1600/CDC-Lancaster Overcrowding.jp

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I used three pictures to explain the topic of gender. The first picture is of a feminism t shirt. Feminism is defined as a consciousness raising movement to get people to understand that gender is an organizing principle of life. The underlying belief is that women and men should be accorded equal opportunities and respect.(Conley, 2017, p. 281)  Generations of society before us have had strong patriarchal themes .Patriarchy is a universal system involving the subordination of femininity to masculinity.(Conley, 2017, p.290) In certain societies including the USA, there are men that still have this belief that a woman stay cooking, cleaning and pregnant. Woman are still fighting for our equality across the world.

The second picture is an example of structural functionalism and sex role theory. Structural functionalism is a theoretical tradition that every society has certain structures(the family, the division of labor, or gender) that exist to fulfill some set of necessary functions.(Conley, 2017, p.291) Society also thinks that sex role theories are to stay as they were in the 1950′s.Sex roles theory is a theory that was developed by Talcott Parsons that states men and woman perform their sex roles as breadwinners and wives/mothers respectively, because the nuclear family arrangement in modern societies, fulfilling the function of reproducing workers.(Conley, 2017, p.291)

The third picture though is to show that the roles have been switched quite a bit in these current days. Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released Wednesday. This share, the highest on record, has quadrupled since 1960.  The recession may have played a role in pushing women into primary earning roles, as men are disproportionately employed in industries like construction and manufacturing that bore the brunt of the layoffs during the downturn. (Rampell, 2013)

References: Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 

 [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://40.media.tumblr.com/323b4ab6b57e3054acadaf9a6a5776da/tumblr_mj1qhlNxTQ1qcf25xo1_1280.jpg

 [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.-6LHzszQsaTwP3XA72HwcgHaDt&pid=15.1&P=0&w=321&h=16

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://study.com/cimages/videopreview/gender-identity-and-roles-in-early-adulthood_122015.jpg

Rampell, C. (2013, May 29). U.S. Women on the Rise as Family Breadwinner. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/business/economy/women-as-family-breadwinner-on-the-rise-study-says.html

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Globalization, according to sociologists, is an ongoing process that involves interconnected changes in the economic, cultural, social, and political spheres of society. As a process, it involves the ever-increasing integration of these aspects between nations, regions, communities, and even seemingly isolated places.(Cole, 2018)  The process of globalization also involves the spread and values, ideas, norms, beliefs, and expectations, that foster, justify, and provide legitimacy for economic and political globalization. History has shown that these are not neutral processes and that it is ideologies from dominant nations that fuel and frame economic and political globalization. Generally speaking, it is these that are spread around the world.(Cole, 2018). In the “Life of a T-Shirt” movie it shows the audience the process it takes to make 1 t-shirt. It goes from the cotton field, to the processing plant, to the maker, to the shipping then the consumer. This is a great example of globalization.

McDonaldization is the process of rationalization,  taken to extreme levels. Rationalization is a sociological term that simply means the substitution of  consistent rules for traditional  rules. One of the fundamental aspects of McDonaldization is that almost any task can (and should) be rationalized. According to Ritzer, the four main dimensions of McDonaldization are: Effeciency, the optimum method of completing a task. The rational determination of the best mode of production. Individuality is not allowed. Calculibility, assessment of outcomes based on quantifiable rather than subjective criteria. In other words, quantity over quality. They sell the Big Mac, not the Good Mac. Predictibility,  the production process is organized to guarantee uniformity of product and standardized outcomes. All shopping malls begin to look the same and all highway exits have the same assortment of businesses.Control - The substitution of more predictable non-human labor for human labor, either through automation or the deskilling of the work force.There are other dimensions of McDonaldization that Ritzer didn't include with the main four, but are worthy enough for prime attention. They are:Irrationality - A side effect of over-rationalized systems. Ritzer himself hints that this is the fifth dimension of McDonaldization. An example of this could be workers on an assembly line that are hired and trained to perform a single highly rationalized task. Although this may be a very efficient method of operating a business, an irrationality that is spawned can be worker burnout.Deskilling - A work force with the minimum abilities possible to complete simple focused tasks. This means that they can be quickly and cheaply trained and are easily replaceable.Consumer Workers - One of the sneakiest things about McDonaldization is how consumers get tricked into becoming unpaid employees. They do the work that was traditionally performed by the company. The prime example of this is diners who bus their own tables at the fast food restaurant. They dutifully carry their trash to friendly receptacles marked "thank you." (The extreme rationalization of this is the drive-thru; consumers take their trash with them!) Other examples are many and include: ATM's, salad bars, automated telephone menus, and pumping gas.(Burleson, n.d.)

 References:  Burleson, T. B. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mcdonaldization.com/related.shtml

 Cole, Nicki Lisa, Ph.D. "The Definition of Globalization in Sociology." ThoughtCo, Sep. 21, 2018, thoughtco.com/globalization-definition-3026071.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.squareyards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/multinazional.jpg

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sociallife2ndhandclothes.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/img_41082.jpg

(n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/series/248799434/planet-moneys-t-shirt-project

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This picture shows us a few thing and does not show us somethings. Social equality is a condition in which there is no differences in wealth, power, prestige, or status based on non-natural inventions exist.(Conley, 2017, p.239) This does not show us social equality but shows us a class system. A class system is an economically based hierarchical system characterized by cohesive op-positional groups and somewhat loose social mobility.(Conley, 2017, p.251) This could also illustrate a status hierarchy system which means that it is a system based on social prestige.(Conley, 2017, p.253) This picture though best illustrates how America is divided into social classes today. This is based off their individual socioeconomic status which is a position in a stratified social disorder.(Conley, 2017, p.258) In society today the 3 most known and referred to classes are upper class, middle class and the poor. The poor are on the bottom of this picture and they look unhappy. Poor are at the bottom of the pyramid and they constitutes 12% to 15% of the population. (Suman et.al, 2017) They may live below the poverty line with a yearly income of just $18,000 to $24,500.(Conley, 2017, p. 263) The middle class is  the middle picture. The middle class is defined as individuals with non-manual jobs that pay significantly more than the poverty line.(Conley, 2017, p..260) This class looks fairly comfortable. The top people are the upper class, these people are the economic elite.(Conley, 2017, p. 258) These people in the picture look very happy. But does money really but happiness?

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/612661555749715968/1240/10/scaletowidth

Suman, S., Cameron, L., Leroy, Emozino, E., Ratul, Das, D., . . . Bellale. (2017, August 09). Poor Vs Middle Class Vs Rich in United States of America. Retrieved from https://moneyconnexion.com/poor-vs-middle-class-vs-rich-in-usa.htm

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In my first picture you see an example of what labeling theory looks like.  Labeling theory states that people come to identify and behave in ways that reflect how others label them. (Conley, 2017, p. 207)  The person labeled as deviant becomes stigmatized and is likely to be considered, and treated, as untrustworthy by others. (Conley, 2017, p. 213)  The deviant individual is then likely to act in a way that fulfills the expectations of that label. Escaping such a label can be extremely difficult. A convicted criminal often has a hard time finding a job after being released from prison. They have been formally and publicly labeled a wrongdoer and are often treated with suspicion for the remainder of their lives. 

In this picture you see an example of social deviance. Social deviance is defined as any transgression of socially established norms.(Conley, 2017, p.191)  Deviance is divided into two types of deviant activities. The first, crime is the violation of formally enacted laws and is referred to as formal deviance.(Conley, 2017, p.191) Some examples of formal deviance would include: robbery, theft, rape, murder, and assault. The second type of deviant behavior is the violations of informal social norms, norms that have not been codified into law, and is known as informal social sanctions.(Conley, 2017, p. 198) Some examples of informal deviance might include: picking one's nose, belching loudly, or standing too close to another unnecessarily.These boy’s in this picture would be considered rebels. Rebels are individuals who reject both traditional goals and traditional means and wants to alter or destroy the social institutions from which they are alienated.(Conley, 2017, p.2016)

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/612661555749715968/1240/10/scaletowidth

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Gender roles are sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one’s status as a male or female.(Conley, 2018, p.133)  Society expects different attitudes and behaviors from boys and girls. Gender socialization is the tendency for boys and girls to be socialized differently. Boys are raised to conform to the male gender role, and girls are raised to conform to the female gender role.  Every culture has different guidelines about what is expected of males and females, and parents may socialize babies in gendered ways without consciously following that path. American society, associates the color pink  with girls and the color blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently, according to what is considered “appropriate” for their respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less “gendered” parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles. If cultural expectations dictate that girls are more compassionate and nurturing than boys, then parents, teachers, and counselors will steer them toward fields that require patience and concern for other people, such as nursing, social work, or elementary school teaching. Though a girl who expresses a desire to become a nuclear engineer would probably no longer be discouraged, a boy with a similar goal would probably encounter more encouragement. Women working in traditionally male occupations often hit a glass ceiling, A glass ceiling is defined as invisible limit on women’s climb up the occupational ladder.(Conley, 2017, p.312)  Men who work in traditionally female occupations, such as nursing, social work, or elementary school teaching, are often viewed as more qualified than women. These men often benefit from a glass escalator. A glass escalator is the accelerated promotion of men to the top of a work especially in feminized jobs.(Conley, 2017, p.314) They are paid more and promoted more quickly than their female counterparts.

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://slideplayer.com/9416963/28/images/8/Gender Socialization: Toys.jpg

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blogs-images.forbes.com/realspin/files/2012/05/reports-gender-pay-gap-persists-new-jpg.jpg

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How would you describe the culture of the United States? Would you talk about the way we dress? The foods that originated here? The English language? The way we salute the American flag? What about our individualistic values and emphasis on competition?

Culture can be defined as the language, norms, values, beliefs, and more that, together, form a people's way of life. It is a combination of elements that affect how people think, how they act, and what they own. American culture, for instance, includes everything just mentioned. It also includes our history, architecture, accepted behavior, and so much more.is an essential part of being human. No one is completely without it; in fact, an individual can be part of many  Culture and subcultures. A subculture is the distinct cultural values and behavioral pattern of a particular group in society.(Conley, 2017, p.88) For example, someone who lives in the U.S. could be part of the United States culture in addition to the culture of the area they live in, a religious community, or a heritage group.In the first picture there are 2 girls both with similar hairstyles but the black girl is called Ghetto and the white girl is called High fashion. This is a perfect example of racism in the media. The second picture shows consumerism which is the steady acquisition of material possessions, often with the belief that happiness and fulfillment can be achieved.(Conley, 2017, p,107) Though the person that has everything does not seem too happy to me. Sometimes less is more.

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed).  New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c9/1f/b2/c91fb228821161d938898249e19f7262.jpg

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PRISON is no place to raise a baby. Or is it? Prisons are horrible,violent and cold by design. So, not surprisingly, the fact that some prisons house infant babies is shocking to most people.  Programs allow a mother to parent her infant for a finite period of time--from 30 days to 30 months, depending on the facility and their sentencing time.. To participate, the woman must meet this criteria: a nonviolent offender  with no history of child abuse or neglect. Some nurseries form a wing or segregated unit of a prison complex, and others are off-site in community corrections settings. Support for prison nurseries is informed by some research that say these programs reduce re offending rates and provide a way for mothers and babies to bond during critical periods of infant development. To study the outcomes of these programs, researchers have to use a number of research techniques. Researchers can either first take a deductive approach which means that, they start with a theory, form a hypothesis, make empirical observations and then follow the women after release to confirm, or reject the idea.(Conley, 2017, p. 48) The researcher can also just make empirical observations and then form a theory.(Conley, 2017, p.48) I believe the best way though to gain information and do research on this issue would be direct interviews and follow ups. There are currently 12 studies in various stages of research on women that keep their babies behind bars with them. There of course so far has been a lower number of mom’s that have re offended,

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed).  New York, NY: W.W. Norton

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ABC_prison_born_jtm_140207_16x9_992.jpg

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This post caught my eye. It relates to how we think like a sociologist and two theories of sociology. There has been 3 main categories that sociological theories can fall in and the conflict theory is one of those 3. A conflict theory is a theory also known as the Marxist theory. It is a theory where the idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of social change and society in general.(Conley, 2017, p.32) Conflict theory, in short, is a theory which shows everybody  the difference in rights and power in different groups can lead to conflicts and tension among the various groups of people. The power and rights work as the key factors in determining a person’s position in a society.  Some real life examples of conflict theories would be people fight for food and water and even kill each other whenever there is a shortage. Conflict theory is the wealthy versus the poor in most situations. It’s the haves and the have not’s. For years there has been a struggle between men and women and arguments on which of the sexes has more power. This is a typical conflict theory like stated in the first statement. Feminism was birthed out of the conflict theory. It emerged from the woman’s movement of the 60′s and 70′s.(Conley, 2017, p.32) Feminists theorists emphasize the need for equality between men and woman. Two examples of the feminist movement is that women can own their own property and businesses.Women have the ability to become doctors, lawyers and even heads of state.

References:  Conley, D. (2017). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (5th core ed).  New York, NY: W.W. Norton

[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.nk267p9c6wmVG0VtRTgIaQHaFj&pid=15.1&P=0&w=229&h=173

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My name is Lynnann Moyer- McKithen. I am 43 years old and love my life. I am studying to become a social worker, currently I am at Harrisburg Area Community College. I am planning on transferring to either Kutztown or Millersville University. These people right here are my life. This is my husband Ken and my daughter Rosie. We spend a lot of time together either running Rosie to cheer practice or going to church events. We do love the lake, beach, snow and hiking. With my degree we(my husband and I) plan on opening a sort of half way house for people who lose their kids to children and youth services. The parents are never given a true chance to regain custody of their children, we want to give them that opportunity. The system is for the children but rarely help the parents We want to help reunification between the family happen. We are currently writing grants and looking at ways to fund this idea.