How Classy is America?

We are divided into social classes in our society. Granted that these lines of class are drawn by the society itself, and everyone believes they're the middle ground, these classes still exist. I believe the angst, of "class wars" or unhappiness due to class, comes when a person is trying to change the status that they occupy. Those who seem to embrace their class rather than resist appear to live more comfortably. Those who transcend between classes, do so because circumstances allowed them to. A person who is trying to force themselves to a higher part of society without significant backing will simply alienate him or her self from their original group and will still be viewed as an inauthentic member in the opinion of those above.

The video we watched in class spoke largely about how the "media elite" try to create shows that appease the middle and lower classes into feeling comfortable where they are. The experts who are interviewed suggest that the lower class viewers are "dooped" into feeling comfortable with their own situations because the characters on television, who share the viewer's values, seems to also be comfortable. I argue that the very existence of television is to make you feel comfortable. The video argues that shows like Maury are supposed to convince the upper class that lower-class people(represented on the show) are simply inadequate when it comes to rising in social classes. I think that shows like Maury and Jerry Springer are meant to be watched by these lower class viewers just as much as higher class. I believe the guests on that show are supposed to trigger a sense of relief in most human beings, which lies in the lines of "Well I know for a fact i'll never be that guy!" Some parts of the television and advertising world are driven by hidden means, but to say that the entire media spread is out to push the same universal agenda of suppression is not logical in my opinion.

...I just keep a youthful soul. Oh, and their habits.

I think a large part of this Adultescent epidemic comes from generational means. These 20 or 30 year olds, that are returning to live with their parents or are choosing to practice the same habits that they did as teenagers, are here because, for the first time, a generation of young people will not do better in America than their ancestors did. First, there were immigrants to the U.S. that had never been educated. Then, the first generation in the United States; these were the first of the family to go to college. Now comes the adultescents. They are college educated, just like their parents, but as a country we are nearing a time when a degree doesn't even guarentee a stable job. This depreciation of the college education spawns these young adults to fall back on the one person they know that is already stable, their parents.

Don't blame the culture or the decisions of these adultescents, blame an America that has reached it's peak as the ultimate country, strive to sympathize with the first generation of the American decline.

We are all misunderstood.

Men and women communicate in very different ways when it comes to the social world. Men prefer a very straight-forward, no fluff approach to problems and word choice. On the other hand, women prefer an exchange of complaints or self minimization to remain on an equal social level. This exchange between men and women becomes complicated when women offer their social step up and men don't follow suit.
Some might just see how men are being the dominant relentless figure, but realistically they don't even know they are doing something wrong. They are not purposely attacking the woman's feelings or status, but the man is seen as aggressive and insensitive. Could this simple misunderstanding be morphing into a large portion of why men and women sit at polar ends so often? Could simple misjudgment by both sides, over time, result in permanent bad blood between two different groups?
Why does not society take the time to educate our people from a young age about the differences in mannerism that will arise in their futures? Does society not have a mutual vested interest in the compatibility of their males and females and an elevated level of communication between them? So many problems might just boil down to "This was all just a giant misunderstanding." instead of the complex problems that hang above our heads still.

Hip-Hop Artists

Throughout the last two decades, the hip-hop and rap genres have morphed and adapted in many ways. One major change in rap culture has been the transformation of the M.C. performer and songwriter, to the musically-talented gangster. This shift from subtle, behind-the-booth performers, to in your face Goliaths, has changed how we view the lives and attitudes of the rap subculture. A more friendly and funky 80's rap has been replaced by a raw and taunting attack on the listener and his/her ears. The picture above truly says it all; we are at a point in society where rappers do not earn their respect through undoubted skill and timing, but rather demand it. Current day album covers scream, "You will respect what lies behind this plastic case, or i'll punchisize your face, go ahead...try me..."

So we must take a step back and examine, has the skill of these performers increased with their bicep measurements and gun sizes, or has music morphed into a sort of acting role, half fact and half fiction.

Ask yourself why you respect these musicians.

A Matter of Choice

The most interesting piece of the gender debate in advertising is the difference between men and women and the supposed biased towards the female image. When looking at a situation like modeling for an advertisement, you consider what the model is doing and what other media is included with that model to make an advertisement.

Many paying jobs in this country, and around the world, can be characterized as situations where a human makes his or her self vulnerable for the benefit of others. Someone who sits on a street corner with a sign for a "free oil change" at the local Jiffy Lube is putting him or her self at risk socially in exchange for pay. Modeling is much the same whether you're a male or female. As a model you don't have control over where your image goes or what is paired with it, just like the guy on the corner doesn't control what's on his sign. The man stays at that job because he doesn't care what goes on that sign. I don't believe most models care what goes with their image on an advertisement either. I believe that most models know exactly what's going to happen with their photo or they simply don't care what happens.

The advertiser is paying for control over that image, and they will use it how they wish because that's how the system works. If the model doesn't like what happens with that photo, they will quit. As an outsider you might say that the image is being used in an inappropriate or negative manner, but I think that choice is ultimately up to the model.

Mistreatment of women shouldn't be blamed on advertising, the blame should sit where it belonged from the beginning, on the ignorant males who support or partake in a social and physical campaign against women. Saying it's the "industries" fault instead of the people is ignorant in itself. Society was this way before advertising became so sexist. We need to look at the faults within ourselves, not within the t.v. screen or the magazine pages.

Nature or Nurture...It's quite simple really....

How much of what we do is the result of those around us? Would you know how to walk on two legs if you didn't see your parents do it first? Would you eat your food by picking it up to your mouth if you had never seen someone do it before? The way we act and learn in this world is through the instruction of others. As the feral children video and article showed, with an animal family and not a human family, those children developed the habits and mannerisms of their animal companions. As humans we adapt to the others around us, we don't have a genetic make-up of how we will go about acting. As a society we chose how we were going to act as a collective. We developed a culture. But these feral children show us that those choices we made on how to act were not guided by any primal instinct, we simply made the choice that made sense at the time, and that is what we follow. Humans are nurtured as they grow to act in the ways that their environment does. If people around a human baby walk on two legs, soon the baby will observe and follow suite.

Sociological Research

In class we've been discussing how sociologists go about pitching their ideas and how they gather support for them. Data can be divided into two categories, qualitative data and quantitative data. Qualitative data is what people think or feel, which could best be gained through observation or possibly interviews. Quantitative data is usually facts and figures that support a certain viewpoint. This type of quantitative data might come from a process such as polling where a large group of people is asked a few simple questions.

Both of these methods can only be started after a sociologist developes an idea and creates a starting point for the research with a thesis. Following through with a thesis and trying to develope answers is the process of research.

If a sociologist observes an event, they may write several hypotheses to possibly pursue. This habit of coming up with possible ideas as you witness or wonder about something is an extremely important skill in a world that requires critical thinking.