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Extra Credit Concept Reflection: Blacksburg Weight Club

On my adventure to the Blacksburg Weight Club I had the pleasure of participating in the 8:00 am session of Joe’s Yoga. Upon arriving I had a little trouble finding the weight club but was aided by spotting some young men in workout attire and carrying water bottles hurriedly heading to what seemed to be a mattress store.  Upon further inspection the weight club was within a small tired shopping center which connected multiple store fronts. There was a large sign and the weight club appeared to be the only presence of life in the mall. The difficulty in finding the weight club and its lack of visibility from the street and average passer created a sense of privacy and inclusiveness making it seem like a club rather than simply another gym.

I arrived just a few moments before the start of class and speedily found a mat and a couple foam blocks to participate. Our instructor, Joe, emphasized the experience should be on achieving peace and relaxation, freeing yourself from the stress of life, while concentrating on breathing to start off the day calmly. There was gentle music playing and the room was decorated with ornamental rugs, while Christmas lights hung from the ceiling providing our light source. This whole experience seemed like an attempt to achieve an oasis or private place away from the noise and chaos of everyday life. This was also aided by the exclusiveness of the weight club location hidden within the drabness of the University Mall shopping center.

At the beginning of the class Joe asked us to think of a goal for the session centered around someone else or something else. I found this request to be very enlightening, many of the people who attend gyms are focused on self-health and what they can do to make themselves better. Which is a good thing. But in the practice of yoga this goal is taken further to connect with the body and mind, utilize this self-realization and in return become more apt to the feelings of others while clearing the mind of the worry and bustle of life. Yoga recognizes this and those which attend find satisfaction releasing life’s worries. Joe stated throughout, take your time you have no where to go, no where to be.

When you think of yoga it is mainly seen as a feminine activity and if men were to take part they would be week or soft. I believe this idea is because you are required to take compromising positions which may not seem masculine. Yoga has become increasingly more popular in the modern day and as a society there has been a switch from the idea of Soccer Moms to Yoga Moms. I witnessed this feminine draw of yoga in person as all the participants of the class were female besides myself. In contrast, in the weightlifting area there was a majority of male patrons. This shows how gender role and gender socialization is seen in fitness. Yoga being soft and gentle appeals to women and weightlifting which is seen as tough and grueling is more acceptable for men to take part in. I will also add the weightlifting area had some pretty sweet stuff including 100-pound plates and deadlift jacks which you don’t see often. I may need to get membership.

The whole of the yoga experience is a way to escape from the bustle of life. Many people get caught in their role and idea of what they should be, but yoga allows an outlet to escape from the grueling monotonous role they have in society. This role we have and the stress which derives from a want to perform well are thought to be released when we lay down on a mat and play some calm music. The idea is great, unfortunately the goal is not always attained. This I found when Joe after the tranquil hour of emphasizing peace, the release of time and our daily tasks, quickly exited after the class was finished. Clearly in a hurry to move on to the days next activity.

What I found is the people here have a desire to rid themselves of societies goals and how they have confirmed to the bustle and chaos of life. Yoga is seen as outlet for this but unfortunately it has turned into another task that simply must be completed, not as the liberating experience it is meant to be. In Joe’s case and I’m sure many others this micro world of peace is liberating unfortunately the effects and burden of life are greater and do not allow one to truly immerse themselves in the art of yoga. This trend is present throughout the United States.

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Concept Reflection 10:Final Concept Reflection

I would like you to record (and elaborate—please do not simply list them) 2 things you learned in class that had an impact on you/your way of thinking.  One should be from a documentary/video and one should be from class lecture/note material or the article you read.

Of the multiple documentaries I had the pleasure of viewing the topics in Growing Up Trans were especially influential in curating my ideas and expanding my understanding of the struggles the trans community endures. From the documentary it became very apparent the mental and social struggle people go through who have gender dysphoria. I now see how those who undergo this kind of treatment struggle with a very difficult self-identity issue which nobody knows the best cure for, and society is pushing a narrative to conform to this treatment which is unknown of its true benefits and side effects. However, this is the only option they are given. I now see how difficult being trans is and have more compassion for those who have gone through it. In the class lectures the theory of the Dramaturgical Analysis stood out and shed light on how society is simply a play with many people acting out their role. This theory was awaking for me because I see how this is acted out in a daily basis and how people believe they must follow a certain path in life to conform to the social norm and achieve what society says they should be.

What is their response to what you learned? What do they think of it? Please document that.

Knox listened intently with a goal to understand. He agreed with my increase in compassion around Growing up Trans and began to think deeper about how people going though this transformation have no other options. Personally, he disagreed with gender transformation but through the movie he also began to see how people in this situation truly don not know what to do and there really isn’t a good solution yet. In my ideas on the dramaturgical analysis he also agreed social pressure has an enormous impact on how we live day to day in addition he also brought to light how those who are deviant from their social role are really just trying to find their role and it all leads to a desire to fit in and be a part of society.

What did they learn? How is their perspective different from yours? How is it the same?

In the movie Crash Knox was intrigued by how racism and prejudice is still present in the modern age. The movie brought to light how discrimination still happens, and it led to him becoming more aware of the prejudice enacted on those of a minority daily. The extent to which prejudice and discrimination was being enacted was shocking. He stated this made him more aware of what discrimination may be taking place. I found this to be true for me as well as I did not actively search and understand how discrimination takes place in the current day. I did think discrimination took place but not the extent seen in the movie, I’m still not sure how accurate an indication the movie is of the actual discrimination taking place, but it made me more aware of the situations discrimination may be taking place in.

Knox referred to our reading of Modern Romance and stated he found how relationships in the modern day being conducted mainly online over social media and dating apps being the main way people meet each other and socialize surprising. He stated this was not something he did and was surprised many people interact with each other in this way. The numbers the book had on how long people utilized technology daily, around 7 hours, were surprising for him, as well as how the younger generation does not want to talk on the phone and shy’s away from in person interaction. For Knox this led him to think more critically about how he interacts with others and how his peer group socializes. In contrast I did think people in the modern day avoided personal interactions and have seen this taking place increasingly more as my peer group is becoming overly attached to the “safety” of the digital world.

 The subjects we discuss in Sociology are often sensitive, so people tend to not talk about them. How could you communicate about these topics with someone who had very different opinions than you do in an effective way? Why should we strive for this?

The goal when having a discussion is to further understand other people’s viewpoints, learn, and become more aware of how your ideas may not display the whole picture. Unfortunately, this is lost in the modern day and conversations are centered around proving you are right, and your viewpoint is the best. In order to talk to others and progress as a society that is diverse and inclusive, we need to go back to the root of what a conversation is. In doing this it allows us to understand others better and in turn discover more about ourselves and why we think the way we do. This type of conversation will foster a society which can overcome obstacles and progress because its members are not hindered by their own prejudice and are actively searching to expand their knowledge.

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Concept Reflection 9: Crash

The frustration-aggression hypothesis can be seen in the relationship between Farhad and Daniel. Farhad who is a Persian man and is not a strong English speaker is scared of being taking advantage of. This leads to a fear of becoming the scape goat and leads to him taking aggressive action when Daniel did not replace the door correctly. His shop is vandalized and Farhad decides it is Daniels fault because of the faulty door. The frustration turns to aggression when Farhad confronts Daniel with a gun to exact revenge.

Explain how the movie (as a whole) demonstrates the Symbolic Interaction idea of contact hypothesis

In the movie we see interactions of multiple different races and the impact the situation can have in how the relationship grows. For example, when Jean Cabot was home after having her car hijacked, she reacted with hostility towards the Latino man who was fixing her locks. The man personally had done nothing to aggravate her or make her feel uncomfortable but due to her recent experience with those in a minority taking advantage of her she automatically assumes this man will also has motives rooted in taking advantage of her. This narrative of pre-disposed beliefs on a given race is present throughout the movie and we see how one experience can shape a person’s whole view on category of people. The contact hypothesis argues this also, but it states that when the factors are switched the relationship will become favorable.

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Concept Reflection 8: Race Relations

First, generally speaking, what do you feel is the most problematic aspect of race relations, today? This could be a general idea or a specific problem. If you are unclear about what this means, be sure to ask me.

From my view the most problematic aspect of race relations is the widespread poverty and culture which African Americans are born in and therefore socialized in. Even though at the current time African Americans have all the rights, protections and for the most part opportunity as whites, the stigmatism is still present from the racial injustice which was common in America for the majority or entirety of its existence. The African American culture we now have is the aftermath of the injustice and prejudice people of color had to endure.

In you own words, please define race-based critical theory.

Race based critical theory looks at the identities and ideologies of different races in effort to make connections on the premise of interaction and how society is built on racial relations. In this way race-based critical theory makes judgments on racism and its effect on the structure of society as a whole as racist ideas are ingrained in it.

Review Table 8.1—which of the 4 key contributors to race based critical theory resonates with you the most and why? This could be because it aligns with the way you view race or because it is something you hadn’t really considered.  Be sure to elaborate.

Racial formation theory resonates the best for me. Its ideas on how society simply must view something as true and it will in turn become true. In the case of race this sense of conformity to the stereotype of racial ideas or racist ideas on what or how a certain race is, is simply influenced by society and the power social conformity. Society and economic agendas are the constructor of what race is dominant and important.

Explain color blindness-how can it be problematic?

The implementation of this theory can inhibit you from seeing the underlying causes of racial inequality and does not allow a view on how one might become economically deficient other than simply not being smart. Color blindness can blind you of the real discrimination that is taking place.

Explain white normativity-how is this related to discussions of diversity (specifically the “host” analogy)?

White normativity is stating those in the dominant group of society are considered normal. Normativity is applied to this group which in our case  is Caucasian Americans. Those not in the group should aspire to conform to its beliefs. In the host example we see this idea of white normativity at work. The “host”, who is white feels obligated to extend their privilege from being the dominant group towards the person they are “hosting”. The main idea being, the white individual believes their privilege is better and automatically assumes others aspire to have it.

How might these ideas play into the problematic aspect of race relations you mentioned at the beginning of your reflection?

In the connection to color blindness it restates the dilemma in not accepting how racial background could negatively affect one’s upbringing due to economic plight which was the result of racism. This connection would not be made, and we would conclude most of the minority is going to jail or simply struggling due to their own lack action. For white normativity, society would view African American culture as subpar and the reason for their common lack of economic prosperity, African Americans would be better off if they adapted and were more like the white dominant society. This idea blinds us from the other causes of African Americans difficulty in social mobility such as ingrained racism and lams inhibiting minorities from achieving or moving up the social ladder.

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Concept reflection 6: Tough Guise

What was the main idea/s behind it?

Masculinity is a front put up by society to fit in. Men are insecure about their sexual identity. The movies like Rambo and Rocky were against social movements of the time. Ronald Regan, John Wayne are only actors, and their ideas come from the past which shows how the mass media and politicians are still in the past when it comes to the ideas behind gender role. In the case of John Wayne, he did not live the way he acted, and this is a glaring signal to how Hollywood is an act. You have to look mean or people won’t respect you. Fear is a means to invoke respect. There is a rugged individualist ideal. “covert depression”.

 What were some of the relevant concepts from class that you saw depicted in the movie?

Agents of Socialization as seen by the media’s messages, parents, and peer groups all contributing to the idea of what is means to be a man. Conflict Theory by the men wanting to keep women down so they can remain in their position of authority over them. Labeling Theory as seen in the socialization of men to become masculine and the ideas children get from others views upon who they should be from a young age. Gender Role as seen in societies definition of what a man should be. The tough macho man, who does not show emotions and is able to fend for themselves.

What were some points that stood out for you in the movie?

Masculinity is a pose or performance everybody learns from somebody else. Normal boys are those who have Violent Masculinity. Men don’t want to talk about their problems because that is perceived as being weak. There is a culturally stigmatism towards women, a hatred from men. There is a male heterosexual power structure that men are afraid of losing. “You gain respect from disrespecting another person” 

Did you agree with the perspective of society and gender/sexuality in the movie? Why or why not?

Yes, to an extent, the movie defines masculinity as being tough and not letting others know how you feel. Men need to be individualistic and able to sustain themselves and fend for themselves. All these characteristics are important to what our current society’s idea of what a man is. However nearing the end of the movie it goes into depth on how in some men such as the professional baseball player and in movies such as Saving Private Ryan there are men showing more compassion and sentiment towards others deviating from their tough guy, macho man persona and this being an anomaly. I believe societies view of a real man is one who has the tough characteristics and can fend for themselves but also has compassion and a loving, caring heart who will do anything to support their brothers or family.  This idea was presented as deviant from the social norm and I belief it is one of the biggest factors into what it means in society to be a man.

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Concept Reflection 5: Model Meritocracy

In my model the positions that have the biggest impact scope are put at the top and the difficulty to achieve that position is taken into account as we go down. Surprisingly what I found is it matches pretty accurately with our current social class structure. The difference would be in order to achieve these positions all people would need to start at the same level  meaning inherited social status and the demographic you are from does not play a part and those that achieved high social standing due to being a celebrity or having an entertaining talent are not present.

Why do you think people in the United States support a hierarchically arranged society?

I believe the people of the United States do not truly understand how much of a hierarchically arranged structure we currently have as a society.  As seen in the video we watched in class the average citizens perception of the distribution of wealth is far from the actual. Another reason is the dilemma when it comes to why is there an unequal distribution and what can be done to fix it. Many think redistribution of wealth sounds like a good idea but it also is the main idea behind communism and this is scary to Americans. Because there is no such thing as redistribution of wealth, only redistribution of poverty in a socialist society. This leads into the biggest factor of why the people of the United States support a hierarchically arranged society. The belief in the American dream and the ability to work up the social ladder, attaining wealth and working toward your dream.

Discuss the Davis–Moore theory of meritocracy and why it appeals to American values.

The Davis-Moore theory of meritocracy is the belief people should receive wealth because of a service they provide which is important to the survival of others. The more important and more exclusive, meaning other people are unable to provide it, the more wealth one should receive. This idea works for Americans because it does not take away the American Dream and the American ideal of Achievement and success. It also adds another layer by appealing to the ideal of Equal opportunity and that wealth should be achieved by activity and work. All of these are core to the American value system. Unfortunately, the Davis-Moore theory is a utopian idea because there will never be true equality of opportunity.

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Concept Reflection 4: Breaching Experiment.

In my social explorations as an ethnomethodologist I broke the social norm of being decisive with where you are walking by others. The results were for the most part very consistent in how people reacted with my inability to be able to walk by them. Many individuals would apologize accepting the awkward standstill result as their own fault. I would wait and each time they decided to go one direction I too would choose that direction to pass by. On a few occasions the result would be a strong five seconds of standing waiting for each other to make up their mind on which way to go. I believe these responses shed some interesting light on how we approach socializing and our expectations for interaction with others.

From this experience it could be reasoned to say most people when faced with awkward experiences in public decide they are the reason it became awkward. The response is most certainly an attempt to apologize for their own perceived lack of ability to conform to other people’s expectations for them. I believe this is indicative of our attempt to conform to social norms. When a small norm or social script does the play out the way it typically does, such as being aware of where people are walking or standing facing the front of the elevator the response is not, “this guy doesn’t know what he is doing”. It more typically results in an attempt to conform to what they are doing. I think this is because many people in the modern age lack self-confidence and put an emphasis on the opinions of others about what makes them socially acceptable.

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Concept Reflection 3: Research In Volunteering

For this assignment I had the pleasure of volunteering for an organization called Shalom Farms. Shalom Farms is a non-profit organization located in Midlothian Va. Their mission is to work with communities to ensure access to healthy food and the support to live healthy lives. Currently they supply over 500,000 fresh fruits and vegetables annually to families across the Richmond area.          

Shalom was started in 2008 by the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond in consultation with Westview on the James who found there was a need for broader food justice work and a desire to use West Views rural resources to better serve urban Richmond. At that time the farm utilized three acres on the West View campus in western Goochland. Since then the farm has grown. In 2015 they moved to their current location in Midlothian, VA and in 2018 they had 16,282 hours given by volunteers. The farm now offers a nutrition program where they help people learn how to purchase and use fresh food. They also have a distribution program which works to identify those in need of the resources Shalom provides and get those resources to the families in need. In the future there are plans to open another farm in north Richmond further expanding the amount of produce Shalom can grow for the Richmond area.

Through all this expansion the humble beginnings and the grass roots culture of Shalom remains. Steve, the director of operations for the Farm exudes this. Starting with the insistence to be on a first name basis. This is a simple request and it shows how Steve values the individual and a personal relationship with the volunteers and all who take part in Shalom. This value of a personal relationship is shared by all the leaders of the farm as they put out a great effort to make sure they know you by name, who you are, and that your time at the farm is a positive experience.

              Another aspect is the way Steve and the other leaders respond to things not going as planned. At one point in my volunteering we were moving crates using a tractor and the operator accidentally poked a hole in one of the green houses. Rather than condemning the driver Steve simply gave us the materials to fix the problem. The ability to handle unexpectedness and look for the solution, not blame the cause. This is at the epitome of what Shalom was founded to do. In fact, the term Shalom is from the Jewish language meaning peace and truly that is the atmosphere on the farm. A peaceful place where people can come together and work to help create peace in the lives of those less fortunate.

              The demographic who is drawn to volunteer Shalom is quite diverse and yet the volunteers share many similarities. The connection is a yearning to live a healthy and active life as well as a love for the outdoors. There is a material culture seen through the yearning to enjoy the outdoors and be connected to the earth. I saw this as soon as I arrived. After parking, on my walk over to the volunteer area I counted how many cars had bike racks. Out of the twelve cars there five had them. I found this interesting because it shows the active and nature bond lifestyle of the individuals who come here. Upon arriving at the volunteer area, I noticed how our crew leader was using a mason jar as her water bottle. The farm also utilized solar panels in an effort to attain all their energy in an environmentally friendly way. I found this attitude customary with the people I interacted with during my time at the farm.

              The attitude the people at Shalom have has an impact on the people who come to the farm. I felt some socialization taking place with myself. The way the crew members interact and seem to live life in an others-centered viewpoint is refreshing instead of the primarily self-centered world in which we live. It seems to invite people, including myself, to not take life too seriously and enjoy the time we have here. I am glad I had this experience and was able to explore the micro level dynamics and culture which is unique to the farm and the people who make it possible.

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Concept Reflection 2: There’s Something Different About Robbie

Is the problem with Robbie purely nature (biological)? Or purely nurture (environmental)? Or a combination of the two?

The problem with Robbie is mostly nature. At the age of four Robbie already had behavior issues causing him to get kicked out of school and his parents were forced to send him to psychiatric care. For Robbie to have such outbursts of anger at this age it can be reasoned to say this is a biological issue simply because Robbie hasn’t had time to nurture. The attempts at treatment were to no avail. Robbie did not respond and pushed away all psychiatric treatment he was given. Further strengthening the argument Robbie was troubled from the start and no nurturing could have been done to pull him out of his troubles.

What, if anything, could Robbie’s parents have done differently that might have resulted in a different outcome?  Please explain in detail, with examples, what they could’ve done to avoid this situation or why they could not have done anything.

Robbie’s parents loved him and did everything which they could think of to help him. The bottom line is Robbie did grow up in a troubled home. The divorce of his parents at a young age was the first of these troubles. Robbie’s stepmom Candance Sims attempted to fill this void but being a step parent it is hard to create a loving and trusting relationship. From how the film displayed Candance’s interactions with Robbie she was demanding. I believe Candance could have been more understanding and not as harsh towards Robbie but it is hard to judge without truly seeing the cause of the interactions. Overall Robbie’s parents did all they could. They did not have the expertise to understand how to handle a child with Robbie’s problems so they did what was second best, send him to someone who did. Unfortunately for Robbie and the people at Westroads Mall on December 5, 2007 psychiatric care did not help him or understand him either.

Can any of our Core American Values (Williams) help to explain why this happened?

Robbie had lost the will to live. What brought Robbie to this point was his troubled childhood and a naturally troubled mind. I think what motivated him to put out his anger on others could have been the American value of Achievement and success. Robbie knew he didn’t want to live anymore so he could get rid of all the troubles his mind contained. By taking this out on others he wanted them to understand the pain he had while also dying with his name known nationally. The achievement and fame he obtained from committing such an atrocious act was a driving factor which led him to put his pain out on others.

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My Name is Sam Brooks, I am in General Engineering and plan on declaring a major in Construction Engineering and Management (CEM). I am from Richmond, VA and went to Goochland High School where I played football, basketball, and baseball. I am currently on the football team here at Virginia Tech. I have two older brothers, one graduated from VCU and the other currently plays football at Randolph Macon College. I also have two younger sisters.

Conflict is the theoretical perspective I believe best describes society. The motivation for power and what that means to one’s person is the driving force behind all or most social change and interaction. All people have a desire to be successful and achieve their goals whether that is buying a house, going to college, or getting married. Inadvertently this will result in competition with others to leading to conflict.