Response due Tuesday, 9/25 by midnight
(use comment section below to submit response)
For this assignment, begin by identifying a social issue that is personally significant to you. Possible social issues could include gay rights, substance abuse, racial profiling, or any number of other social matters of discussion or concern. In a Word document, write no more than one page (single spaced) about that issue. You should discuss the issue from your perspective. Explain why it is significant to you using at least two detailed examples (at least one example should derive from personal experience). If you need some ideas for possible issues to write about, consider browsing through some of the resources here and here.
After writing your page about this social issue, copy what you’ve written and paste it as a comment below. Your comment is due by midnight on Tuesday (9/25). Please be sure to include your full name at the top of your comment.
You will then need to read ALL of your classmates’ comments before class on Thursday. During Thursday’s lecture, we will spend the first few minutes organizing the class into publishing groups based around common interests from this assignment. Keep in mind that your publishing groups will be writing about the same social issue throughout the course of the semester, so be sure that the issue you’re writing about here is one that can keep your attention.
This assignment is worth 20 of the 270 points available for the social issue publishing course component. I will use the following rubric to grade your responses:
20 points
Content -- Provides a focused discussion of a social issue. Addressed all of the assignment components. Clearly illustrate critical and reflective thinking. Well thought out response.
Technical -- Execution is excellent. No grammar or writing errors. Reads easily. Is well organized.
15 points
Content -- Provides a relatively focused discussion of a social issue. Addressed all of the assignment components. Is relatively detailed. Shows some critical and reflective thinking. Relatively well thought out response.
Technical -- Well executed. Few grammar or writing errors. Reads easily. Is fairly well organized.
10 points
Content -- Addresses a social issue, but could be much more focused. Addressed most of the assignment components. Not detailed.
Technical -- Execution is poor. Many grammar or writing errors. Hard to read. Poorly organized.
5 points
Content -- Is vague and does not address all assignment components. No evidence of having given the assignment real thought.
Technical -- Very poorly written. Very difficult to read. No organization is evident. Reads like a last minute effort.
0 points
No assignment submitted or submitted late.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBy: Linda Evan
ReplyDeleteThe social issue that I feel is significant in our society is health care reform. Although there are certainly other topics to explore, this particular issue may literally be a case of life and death for millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. I believe that health care should not be a luxury, but rather a right to be provided to every American as an affordable expense. The rising and unparalleled cost of health care in our country is deplorable. Despite our many scientific and technological advancements in medicine, many Americans are denied access to necessary medical care due to its high cost, thereby making it unattainable to many.
For example, many Americans battling terminal illnesses such as cancer are “dropped” from their insurance plans or denied coverage due to conditions believed to be preexisting. The very thought that someone would be denied necessary medical care for being “too sick” is reprehensible. In the documentary Sicko, Michael Moore depicted several real life examples of how the American health care system has failed its own citizens. Among them a woman who was terminally ill, was denied coverage by her insurance company due to the nature of her illness. Battling for her life, the woman was forced to make some tough choices regarding her health and her family’s finances, a choice that I believe no one should have to make.
Moreover, besides the high cost of medical services, is the soaring prices we are forced to pay for prescription drugs. The brand name prescription drugs we buy in the states are far more costly than in other countries where the same drug may be attained for a fraction of the price. Furthermore, due to the structure of our medical system, there are incentives for doctors and health care workers to recommend and perform treatments and procedures that are unnecessary and risky for patients. From these facts we can then deduce that the medical industry in our country has deviated from its purpose and has thus morphed into a profit-based business, which is solely concerned with generating revenue and not with saving lives.
My personal connection with this issue is a former manager of mine who was diagnosed with lupus in 2009. Due to the high cost of treatment for her illness, she was forced to pay for most of her own medical bills as her insurance would not cover the full cost. This in turn caused her not only a great deal of stress which exacerbated her condition, but she subsequently lost her house due to the pressure put on her finances. This case is of particular concern, as she was actually insured and still did not have adequate funding to cover medical expenses she incurred due to the nature of her illness.
In conclusion, I am very passionate about health care reform, and although it will certainly not be an easy task, I believe that it is a very pressing social issue, and that we need to make more people aware of its importance and how it is impacting our citizens. With that being said, I believe that all Americans deserve to have access to affordable and high-quality health care, regardless of their income level or pre-existing medical conditions.
The subject I chose was racial profiling and although I hate talking about the subject, I chose it because I have experienced racism myself at a young age and it stood out to me. I experienced racism early in my life probably around fifth grade. I went to a private school with roughly the same thirty kids from second to eight grade. It definitely was a happy period in my life. However it is when I first experienced being called a name based on ethnicity. The class was about half girls, half boys so it is safe to say there were around fifteen of us boys. Most of the boys were White or Caucasian and I'd say about half were minority or, like myself, mixed. Safe to assume about six out of the fifteen or so kids were non-white. We were all for the most part friends. The only problem I would say was with one white child who was a bit of a racist. Perhaps he was just a little unhappy with himself because he was always a little overweight. Oddly, the character of “Cartman” from the TV show Southpark would describe this kid entirely. A little bit of a name caller. I do not understand why he had to be this way as not all overweight white children are “Cartmans.” Myself being half-white, half-filipino identity made me perhaps the central target of this boy. I remember him saying things like “Kevin, you're half white and I am darker than you.” Also, he would call the boys of hispanic origin “Beaners” and my friend and I of Filipino origin “Filibeaners.” The school of ours is located in San Bernardino and not far from CSUSB. This particular child lived in Crestline, which is up the mountain closer to Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead. This child later went to Rim of the World High School which I remembered as being labeled a racist school. Racist school perhaps meaning predominantly white. I, like the rest of the boys in the class, gave this boy no reason for him to call us names which leads me to the conclusion this is what he learned from his family or television. This was pretty upsetting because I could remember a time when he didn't use these terms. This leads me to believe that there was a turning point around fifth grade or so when kids become more aware of social identities or social classes. This disturbs me to this day.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this is the reason why I dedicated myself to a sort of goal of promoting unity. A few years ago I wanted to create a music and dance group with my friend who is African American or Black where we would be rapping to uptempo electronic music. Sadly, I have had to advance my music/dance career in a solo fashion not due to any racial matters (I feel weird having to say that but just in case). However when my friend and I were making music, videos, and performing I'd say it was pretty successful in the fact I learned a lot and it garnered a lot of attention. Actually, a lot can't even start to describe how much I learned about other cultures, other people, myself, and the music field. Either way I knew that our group was a symbol of culture. My friend and I, a mixed Caucasian/Filipino and an African American, in our skinny jeans rapping and dancing to both hip hop and electronic music were helping to create a new teen culture and breaking down barriers. That is what it is all about to me. Look at Eminem rapping and Lil Wayne skating. Race should never determine what you like or who you are or your goals or none of that. I believe this also goes for men/women and straight/gay. However I believe it starts with race. I believe it is evident in history as well because if I remember correctly it was Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and then Gay Rights. This also brings me to a question what do u notice first about a person? Race, sex, or sexual preference? Personally I believe we do it in that order with male and female the only thing proceeding all three.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I do think times have gotten better for all people in general. Well, at least here in the United States. Being from the state known as the melting pot, good ol' California, we have to be the example for the rest of the country and perhaps the rest of the world. Myself being of mixed identity this subject is important to me because everywhere you go people are always judging you. However I believe being raised in two different cultures gives me more perspective than perhaps an individual with only one or one parent for that matter and for that I am grateful. I end with “Salamat Po!” which means “Thank You!” in Tagalog.
ReplyDeleteCali Carter
ReplyDeleteSocial Issue Post
The social issue I would like to dive into and bring into the spotlight is the subject of animal rights. This has been a topic I have had strong passion for since I was a child. Many individuals may presume that animals are below humans in order of importance or significance. I do not want to address the manner of which topic is more important than another. Many social dilemmas plague modern society, all with very important status. I choose to bring forth information on the subject of animal rights because it is my passion. It is a topic I want, and have already started, to devote my life to.
I believe that many people today ignore or just do not know facts of what challenges are burdening the animal kingdom. Factory farming, whaling, the fur industry, puppy mills, shelter overpopulation, hunting of extinct species, annual dolphin slaughters, inhumane traps and dog fighting are just a few controversies that have animal rights groups and activists fighting in the name of animals. “Voices for the voiceless” are what many of us call ourselves. These innocent creatures are deemed property or a food source to many humans. Animals are tortured, exploited, used, beaten and killed in the name of very unnecessary things. “Why is this important to my life?” one may ask. Well, a country that sends groups of individuals out into neighborhoods stealing family dogs and cats to then be shoved into crates and later skinned alive for a fur coat, reveals indecency and lack of compassion. If a country can take “Fluffy” and then sell that pet’s fur as an expensive fashion statement in an American department store, what else are they willing to lie about? What else are they willing to do to make a buck?
An example that may hit closer to the human interest target is the tragic annual dolphin slaughter in Japan that occurs every year starting in September. The movie, “The Cove”, shed light on the truth of the bloody waters of Japan. Dolphins are speared to death, left to suffer. It does not matter what age the dolphins are or what babies are left behind. The goal is to kill as many dolphins as possible. The Japanese state this is for research, but proof states otherwise. Many of the meat collected from these hunts are sold in markets for money, or even used in school lunches for many Japanese children. Unfortunately, the mercury levels are significantly high in dolphins, thus leading to many health problems for young and unsuspecting children that consume this meat.
Another example, a personal one, is affiliated with my past experience working in an animal shelter. On a daily basis our shelter had hundreds of animals crammed into small cages, awaiting to be rescued or awaiting to die. Many had illnesses. Many had behavioral issues and would attack or be attacked by kennel mates. Many animals were just old and had a plethora of medical issues. Had the significance of spaying and neutering animals been more at the forefront of peoples’ minds, so many animals would not have to suffer behind the bars of a cold cell awaiting their sentence.
We as humans call many types of animals our pets, family, service animals, working animals, or companions. They are even used as educational tools to benefit society through research and experiments. The amount animals do for humans is astounding if one were to think about it. This is such a vital social issue in my eyes because of their importance, and we as humans should realize they need us just as much as we need them.
STEVE THOMSEN
ReplyDeleteDIGITAL MEDIA AND COMM.
SEPT. 23rd, 2012
ESSAY 1: BLOG
The topic of my “concern issue” is one that I very rarely find anyone interested in, yet in my opinion is the most pressing issue of the upcoming election. And since we’re in a communication class dedicated to using digital media to express our feelings about any given topic, I’d like to discuss the topic of financial reform in America.
I’d first like to dispose of pretentious talking points like “socialism” or “re-distribution of wealth” or even “class warfare.” It’s hard to talk about this issue in actual terms because it’s so ideological fueled that anyone you meet who actually talks about this is only speaking from the emotional gut reaction he holds to the idea of lais fair capitalism. And this gut reaction has been manipulated by various sides of the political aisle and large media outlets like CNBC. The problem is that everyone feels the effects of the economic collapse of 2008, and yet very few people know how it actually happened. So I feel the need to express some clarity to the subject. Maybe a few opinions, too. This is a blog, after all.
When we think of capitalism, the image many successful capitalists like to perpetuate is that of a Norman Rockwell-ian universe in the not so distant American past. A past where there are ice cream shops on every corner, every American still has a family doctor whom they know personally, and a few safe investments to help put their kids through college. And if you hear the talking heads discuss the subject, they will also portray the same kind of visuals: one of “free choice” and “market votes” that lead to a stable and prosperous economy, where the hard workers succeed if they’re willing to work for it.
Of course, now in 2008 we know that’s complete bullshit. Or, at least, some of us do. Because when we go to the doctor, pay off our credit cards, or take out a loan to go to college, we already understand that this is a largely mechanized process. The old idea of corner stores and the local lender are now dead in the wake of a massive capitalistic machine where little involvement with actual people is required. We just dance the dance, jump through the hoops, and go through the motions. We know instinctively how to operate in today’s financial landscape. It’s a self-sustaining mentality.
So that leads to the question of the moment: are we really paying the hardest working individuals, family doctors and local lenders? Or are we facing a new future of economic self-sustainment? And who is that self-sustainment really benefitting?
STEVE THOMSEN
ReplyDeleteDIGITAL MEDIA AND COMM.
SEPT. 23rd, 2012
ESSAY 1: BLOG
CONT.
As the veil begins to lift, you understand that the people who work the hardest are in fact the working class of America. The ones who work forty-plus hours a week and still don’t make enough to feed their families. The ones who achieve higher education, only to find their upward mobility crippled. And, most of all, the ones who actually build the cars, plant the crops, and fight the wars, yet are still the faceless vessel behind a company name. It seems that in many respects, capitalism is exploitative in nature and gives the working credit of many to the current sitting executive of the company.
Here at this level, where the rest of us work, we feel the sting of red tape and regulation. We feel the tax burden on society. And we understand that more of this would restrict our own prosperity. And so some of us believe it works that way at the top as well. They think these restrictions are holding back these deistic “job creators,” to whom we should all be grateful. We shouldn’t restrict them from doing business in a way that is un-regulated by government because we know what that’s like for us.
The world of finance couldn’t possibly be covered in one simple blog entry. Just dipping your toes in the pool of financial products (like CDOs, CMOs, CDSs, etc.) is going to be an exhausting swim, and understanding the legal nature of the financial world from the top is where all the bodies are buried in the global economic crisis. What I’m here to argue is that the illusion that I’ve painted (the Norman Rockwell-ian American Dream) is the illusion the financial elite want you to believe in. They don’t want you to know that, for you, the rules are different. They don’t want you to know about corporate welfare, compensation negotiations, arrangements for boards of directors, and the influence of opinion they have over ratings agencies, academics, and government. Because if you saw all of it, you’d understand the hypocrisy of their rhetoric that regulation is evil and people who fail financially shouldn’t ask for government assistance.
If you are one of the few who could read this and understand even a little of where I am going with this, I would be happy to take you with me. I have a vast American portrait to paint, and it isn’t very pretty. But it’s the world that none of us are privileged to see: how the Plutocracy is using it’s political power and capital advantages to shape our country to be what they see fit. The arguments are pervasive. But I’m hoping some of you will continue to read and learn and understand what the Plutocracy is and what it has in mind for you, the working class.
Stay tuned. I have much to share.
Of today’s social issues I find that media accountability and censorship to be the most interesting to me. I hope to one day be a producer of mass media and be a writer on a sitcom. It is because of my aspirations that I tend to follow television and film news fairly closely.
ReplyDeleteUsually I take the stance that there is no wrong or right opinion when it comes to television or films but it upsets me when people take the view that media should be censored for fear that it might have detrimental effect on society. One such example of this was with the Aurora shooting that occurred during a screening of “the Dark Knight Rises.” I’m sure everyone knows the basic story of the man walking into a screening of the film and then shooting into the audience. In response to the event, the movies production company, Warner Brothers, attempted to find a solution and take action that would prevent blame for the incident. There was discussions as intense as removing the movie from circulation in the wake of the shooting. They decided to leave the movie in circulation but removed a trailer from the movie that was thought to be violent and glorify the gangster lifestyle. While I do agree that this event was a tragedy, I do not agree with those finding fault with the movie itself. When the newest Batman movie was released I attempted a media black out to avoid any spoilers of the film. When I first heard of the shooting in Aurora, I ended my black out and read an article stating that due to the shooting, executives at Warner Brothers were considering pulling the movie from theaters. I went to see the movie the following day before it could be pulled even though I doubted it would be. After leaving the theater I understood the argument that the movie was violent and had undesirable themes but I called into question the logic of accusing the movie of encouraging the shooting. I read the shooter; James Holmes had referred to himself as “the Joker” who was featured in the previous movie. Some accuse violent movies and violent images in video games as being responsible for this type of behavior, when in fact it is just plain psychosis and mental instability.(cont'd)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was five years old I watched the Stanley Kubrick movie “the Shining” with my parents. Probably not the most appropriate movie for a five year old but I guess my parents were tired of “the Land Before Time.” “The Shining is violent as it features a family secluded in a empty hotel being haunted by ghosts and the father going insane and attempting to kill his family. While at the tender age of five, I was unable to pick up on the subtle creepiness and was only scared of the crazy dad with the ax. “The Shining” isn’t the only such movie a saw at an age that was probably too young for. I saw “Alien”, “the Exorcist”, and even “From Hell” a movie focusing on Jack the Ripper. I saw all of these throughout my child hood but my parents were there to explain them to me and make me realize why the actions of the characters made them evil or bad. I grew up fine if I do say so myself. I developed a taste for the horror genre and am fascinated by anything to do with the genre. I know the difference between reality and fiction; unlike the shooter of Aurora who through some psychological dementia believes himself to be one of the characters.
ReplyDeleteDon’t get me wrong though. While I am against having film and television censored I do believe there is a time and a place for everything. That is why in most television shows, the more violent and adult themed shows are on later in the evening or on premium channels such as HBO, Showtime or Cinemax. Shows and films are also rated to let viewers now of any inappropriate material will be featured.
While many will say that violent images need to be censored from children for fear it will give the violent tendencies or a warped sense of reality, I argue that if those images are available for kids to view and they view them either with or with out their parent’s consent to view the, it is up the parents to sit there child down and help them understand the difference between right and wrong or the difference between reality and fiction.
Luz Hernandez
ReplyDeleteSocial Issue- Children On Reality Television
In recent years, Americans have witnessed an increase in the reality television genre. Reality television shows that are shown often include competition between individuals in which a grand prize is handed at the end of the season to the winner and documenting of individuals and their drama (celebrities especially). One of the biggest trends in reality television is the filming of underage kids. Shows like the Laguna Beach that aired on MTV in the early 2000s featured High School kids under the age of 18. The kids were from Laguna Beach, Ca and it showcased a life of luxury, high school love and betrayal. Another reality television trend is that of families and their children. TLC made this television trend popular by airing“19 Kids and Counting” which is a show about a family which is rapidly growing, “Jon and Kate Plus 8” which is about a family of 10 (the twins and the sextuples), “Toddlers and Tiaras” which is a show that documents the life of stage parents and their kids in pageants and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”, a spin-off of “Toddlers and Tiaras” that documents Alana, a 7 year-old beauty contestant and and her family.
Although many Americans see reality television as entertainment, we all forget that no matter how entertaining the show is we forget that these children are being exploited for a small 15 minutes of fame and money. It is very sad to see the already bratty temperaments that are being shown on television coming from both the parents and the children. It is safe to say that the children do not always know what’s in their best interest and it is up to their parents to make the correct decision for them. A great danger that I believe exists with allowing the filming of children and putting them on television is that anyone, and I mean anyone has access to these children. With a click of a mouse it is very easy for someone to find the whereabouts of these kids because although they are reality stars, they are not a celebrity, and do not come with the same protection as Justin Beiber. Pedofiles are another danger lurking nearby. It is a very scary thought that the world is filled with them and these parents are putting their kids out there and giving these kids access to them.
It is a known fact that there is a high prize to pay with fame. Many of these kids are not taught on how to deal with the fast climb to fame because the children have parents who are not famous or prepared to deal with fame either. Since reality television often brings fame overnight to these children and their families, they are not taught how to cope with the climb and the rapid fall. The fall brings a change in lifestyle because the money is gone and the child and parents do not know how to deal with a rapid change in lifestyle.
This issue is very important to me because as a new parent it angers me that anyone would like to exploit their children in that way. Kids do not know any better especially if they cannot talk and do not have any say in whether they want to be o television or not.
Angel Lizardi
ReplyDeleteCOMM-309
Prof. Corrigan
September 24th, 2012
As I was thinking about what to write about for this assignment I was having a conversation with a couple of my co-workers about the extensive use of cell phones in our everyday lives. In my line of work we interact with many people every single day, business people, families, and young people on dates, and all of them have something in common: they are always on their phones. In class we discussed the movement of digital media and how it has affected not only us as individuals, but us as a globe as well. Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many other social media networks, we have access to what people are doing in their everyday lives and it also has created a medium in which we can get on the internet and find out what current events are taking place across the globe. The ability to bridge the gap between the world using technology was a crowning moment in modern civilization and there are many more benefits to it than there are deficiencies. However I feel that with all these new, innovative inventions that keep on coming that allow us to connect with people on a more worldwide basis, the ability to communicate with another person on an interpersonal level will be sacrificed.
At work I constantly see families, friends, people on dates, on their phones, updating their statuses or texting their friends rather than communicating with the person that they are with. I feel like some of the people are more interested with what’s going on outside of their lives than focusing their attention on the present. I remember when I was younger and when we would go out to eat or spend some time together, whether it be with family or friends, that we would dedicate ourselves to the moment and give each other all undivided attention, and now (especially with the younger generation) I constantly see more and more people checking their phones to see if they have received a text message from their friends or on Facebook checking what everybody else is doing. I agree that the more tools we have to connect people the better, however I feel that we should not stray away from developing personal bonds from one another the old fashioned way: by conversation.
I feel that especially with the younger generation, they are more at risk of being in danger because of all the risks there are with posting information online. I feel that the younger generation is more susceptible to giving out personal information and trusting people that they do not even know which has the potential to escalate into something much more dangerous. In the most severe of cases people have committed suicide because of online bullying. I’m not saying that this happens all the time, and with the increased security on website like FaceBook, technology is working on ways for situations like this not to happen again.
I understand that the need to be kept in the loop is how we keep up with the jones’ and like most of the people out there, I have my phone and computer that I carry with me all of the time, but I never forget that the reason why I chose to get in the communication field is the pure aspect of getting to talk to people, and that is something that I plan to share with everyone.
Destiny Okonkwo
ReplyDeleteAs a child growing up in Nigeria, Africa people always hailed that America was the land of the free, a place where you could do and be who ever you wanted to be. After coming here and getting a bit older, it seems as though that idea only applies if you are able to live in the confines, of the already set up laws and rules. Anything out of the norm is looked down upon and generally unaccepted.
Homosexuality is a topic that has rubbed many people the wrong way in this country since the day it was realized, that people out there could be and were homosexuals. Even in my country till today, being a homo-sexual openly will get you jailed, as it is considered a crime and immoral. Why is it that people have such a problem with same sex relationships? What is it about this world that we live in, that does not accept being different? These are just a few of so many more questions, that arise from the idea of homosexuality. One of the most general reasons as to why many frown upon same sex relationships, stem from the religious aspect. According to the Holy Bible it is a sin to engage in such behavior and is ultimately unpleasant to God. So many people in this country are uneasy about homosexuality for what ever reason. Which is the reason why it is so difficult for Gays to get the rights they want and need, in order to coexist with people.
Gays have it very difficult, and this is because of the mindset that people have in the world and because they are highly misunderstood. People are looking at homosexuality from a religious stand point, or from the aspect that they are different from the general conventionality. It is important in order for progress to occur people really understand homosexuality. When I was younger, I wasn’t exactly considered the most attractive person. People would call me ugly and treat me like I was different just because I wasn’t the usual beauty. This feeling of being left out, made me think I was gay because the only sex that was nice to me were females. So for some time I engaged in sexual activities with girls, because I thought that’s what I wanted. In retrospect I realize I was merely acting out of anger and pain from being left out of the circle. The things that I was doing were characteristics that I picked up. I trained my mind without even knowing to be attracted to girls. I know many people that have went through similar ordeals, and it isn’t right to be judged or looked down upon because I was confused or decided to take a different path in order to find peace and happiness.
My best friend, of about 5 years was also gay. Since the day she could formulate cognition of the world she felt attracted to the same sex. As a result of her story I started to believe that being gay wasn’t something one can mentally grasp, but something one was born with. This year she decided she no longer wanted to be gay, and expressed to me that through out her life she felt a certain empty-ness and lack of peace. She shared with me many experiences she had with rape, molestation and not being accepted my her father for who she was, gay or not. This changed my thinking. This idea of being rejected and not being able to formulate an attraction to the opposite sex was similar to my situation.
This life is very difficult and many us have different experiences and are brought up differently. Whether or not one feels like they are born gay or has experienced something that made them gay. They are still human and should be treated as equals and with respect. There is nothing wrong with being different, because we do not know where someone came from and what they have been through or what their story is.
Social Issue- Obesity
ReplyDeleteIs it a coincidence that as technology, social networking, and television increases so does obesity? We learned today in class that majority of peoples time is spent watching television, how many of those people are overweight? TV watching could promote obesity in several ways: moving time for physical activity, encouraging poor diets, giving more opportunities for unhealthy snacking (during TV viewing) and even by interfering with sleep. It seems to me that about more than 75% of commercials are on junk food, making it tempting to order pizza or go to the nearest drive-thru McDonalds. Food marketing on television is also responsible for the high rate of obesity.
The problem with obesity is now affecting America. The rate of obesity means higher health care costs, reduced quality of life, and shortened life spans. This means America is spending billions of dollars on a problem that can be eliminated if people would get off the couch and do something active but instead are taking the easiest way out and receiving, in my opinion, cosmetic surgery. Isn’t something wrong here? Is America going to be runner up for the laziest country in the world? In the Walt Disney movie Wall-E it showed how humans would end up being dependent on technology. It is no longer a joke though. People with this problem are not only harming their own life but affecting others.
As a child I was always active in sports and it carried on throughout high school and college. Now as a 23-year old I work out at least 6 days a week and have the energy to keep up with my busy schedule being a full time student and working 30 hours a week. I’m too busy to spend much time watching television but I do spend time on YouTube. I watch videos that interest me and that motivates me to get up and do something. Common videos I watch are make-up tutorials, hair tutorials, tips on exercising correctly, and professional physique competitions. These videos motivate me to work out, look better, and feel better about myself. Everybody has their own interest and different people will have different motivations.
Personally, I am tired of walking through grocery stores and being bumped into because people are taking up the whole aisle. I think it is disgusting to be so overweight you need a motor wheel chair to get you from one place to the other. And our health care is being spent on these people who can’t find it in themselves to get up and exercise. That is such a waste of money! The billions of dollars being spent on obese people should be going to a better cause. It is a choice to be overweight, people are not born obese.
Contemporary Culture: Roles Women Are Allowed to Play
ReplyDeleteFor a while now, I have been interested in how women are represented in media and the specific roles they are allowed to play. I am sure many have heard the phrase that “women are to be seen and not heard.” Movies, videos, commercials, cartoons, etc., continue to affirm this phrase, and there are striking mentalities present in contemporary society that can be compared to those of antiquity. Of course, globally there are many cultures that still abide by, let alone strictly enforce, what this phrase represents in all aspects of a woman’s daily life. When one considers Western mentality, women have always been associated with lower binary elements, such as mind/body, intellect/passion, human/animal. Many roles that are provided for women even in mainstream culture range from the “evil witch,” the “innocent virgin,” the “good/bad mother,” the “old seamstress,” to the “siren” or the “good girl turned bad.” For example, I recently watched Disney’s, Tangled, for the first time. I was shocked to see that the villain was (surprise!) as an old witch who has to kidnap the main young blonde, blue-eyed protagonist, and exploit the child’s “magical powers”, in order to systematically “steal” her youth. Although she pretends to be a loving, caring mother figure, the audience quickly understands what an old, evil hag she really is. Why is it that we have advanced technology to create the ways we watch entertainment, but the entertainment itself is a reflection of old models?
Aside from roles that women are given in culture, they are always portrayed in the same manner: a woman’s worth is associated with her physicality. Makeup, hair, skin tone, “right amount” of curves, and much more define “beauty,” which in turn is identity. It is not only these basic ideals, but more upsettingly, this notion of beauty that discriminates against non-Western, ethnic appearances. Blonde hair, light eyes, and thin body structures are images that constantly inundate American women. We see this also in the rhetoric that is used to sell product geared towards women. What does it mean to have “good hair”? Why are women of color encouraged to use skin lighteners? There are countless makeup commercials that encourage women to “express themselves” and let their “inner beauty” reveal itself, all the while using visual images that make invisible any element that ventures outside of the ideal.
For me, this is an important issue because it is never-ending in all aspects of media and advertising, yet it is often left out of social conversation when we discuss issues of marginalization. Despite what many might say, there is an immense pressure in contemporary American society for women to portray a certain image, to fit a certain social script, and/or to attract a particular gaze (generally, though not always, from a male audience). These goals are all accomplished through the physical. I find this in my own daily life. I can acknowledge these constructions of femininity, while at the same time investing a lot of money into product to attain an image that I recognize is fabricated. In other words, women do not just wake up one day and say “this is what we should strive for; this will make me happy.”
ReplyDeleteOf course, women have made progress towards doing what they want in their lives, especially in regard to career and family life, but there is always the extra pressure that unless one is visually appeasing, something is not “right” or “whole.” This issue is important because one can tell a lot about a culture by the way it indicate what is significant or valuable. Shirky’s discussion of “milkshake mistakes” exemplifies the way our culture posits images of women as a reflection of what people should want. He asserts that focusing on the product is not the way to understand how to make it sell. One should instead focus on the roles that people want the product to take part in to satisfy their needs (Shirky, 2010). If our culture’s notion of female “empowerment” is directly linked to physicality, then what does it say about culture’s mentality towards women and women’s mentality towards themselves?
Christopher Weddell
ReplyDeleteMany people will agree that showering is when they spend the most amount of time in deep thought. It is often joked about that it is in the shower that one contemplates the meaning and key to life. I feel that the key to life is persistence. The willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish ones goals. There are many social issues that face our society this day and age. Some issues will not matter in years to come and other will develop and become more important. There is one however that I feel very strongly about and one that is not new to society. Woman’s rights is something that has been a social issue for a very long time. It is an issue that I have always known about and is one that and it is one that I feel has a very big impact on society. It was not until my girlfriend took a class on women’s rights and the feminist movements that I began to see how much woman’s rights affect everyone. This issue began to take on a new meaning after learning more about not just what the feminist movement was working toward but also seeing how it affects not just my life but everyone. This is an issue that is at the cause of many other social problems but is also a problem in itself. This topic really became significant to me after I became a volunteer youth minister for a high school youth group. Through talking with these youth I began to see the affects that unequal rights and standards placed upon women were having a huge effect on not just the youth but all people. From young women that felt the need to harm their bodies to fit and unachievable standard of beauty, to a young man battling with his sexuality and everything in between. These are all things that the feminist movement and the fight for women’s rights fight to fix and address. I had for such a long time a false misconception of what the feminist movement was about and through being able to learn from what my girlfriend learned in her class I was able to get a full and true picture of what it was that women were fighting for. It was through my talks with my girlfriend and attending one of her classes that I became passionate about what women were fighting for. They are fighting for the equality of all people not just the equality of women. Women’s rights are not something that should just be fought by women. Men should be doing their part as well to fight for women’s rights. So often we hear about people talking about the injustice placed on women and how they are help to such a high standard and those women are being driven to try and reach unreachable goals yet society is not changing. The reason why companies are still using super skinny models and are altering their bodies in unnatural ways is because society is still buying into what they are selling. It takes both awareness and action to create true change and I am hoping that trough my passion for this issue and trough exploring the issue more in this blog I can through my action make people more aware about this issue and fight to create a change that I feel will benefit the whole of society.
Media Bias by Heather Rundengan
ReplyDeleteFor this assignment, there are many topics I would like to discuss, but what intrigues me the most is how strongly mass media can influence us in so many ways. We are constantly expose to many things on a daily basis starting from violence, sex, celebrities, racism, mass murder, poverty, and the list goes on. This topic is very broad, so I would like to talk about how media bias affects our society today. I took COM 550 last quarter, and it is a class that discusses Muslim women in media and society; this is a good example of how strongly the media can influence with the way we perceive things. In class we discuss how the media plays a huge role with the way we view Muslims or the Arabs. Ever since the tragic event of 9/11 happened, most people perceive Muslims to be terrorist, but we are just generalizing because not all Muslims or Arabs are terrorist. In class, we went back to the early days of Western movies to see how the Arabs were represented. Many movies portray Arab men to be violent, and the women to be highly sexualized/exotic, or oppressed and submissive. Even up to this day that’s how Hollywood depicts the Arabs. Back in the days many artist from the past has traveled to the Arab countries, and images of the Arab world has been fabricated. As a result, when we think about Arabs, we would think of palm trees, belly dancers, oasis, harem, magic carpet, etc. This stereotypical image that has been going on from back in the days made its way to the present day. This whole thing is a perfect example of how media bias can affect with the way we think and perceive things around us. I’m Indonesian, and Indonesia is known to be the most populated Muslim country in the world. I have many Muslim family and friends, and they are known to be the most kind and lovable people I’ve known; they don’t act violent as the media portrays them to be. I believe that we should all keep an open mind before jumping into conclusion when it comes to the things we’ve seen on Television or movies because not all are true. We need to understand the importance of media bias because all the thing we have seen through the media are “filtered” , and we need to learn not to based our knowledge and judgment from the things we’ve seen through media, and try to learn to avoid it.
April Standifer
ReplyDeleteStereo Types on the college Greek life.
To start with, there is a very large stereo type that pops up every time that the words Sorority and Fraternity are said or thought of. If you happen to be a part of such an origination you become extremely used to having to defend against this wether it happens to be your loved ones, friends, or random people on the street saying it. Personally I am in a sorority and am used to hearing all of the stereotypes that exist out there.
I had a chance to write about anything that I wanted to for this post and the reason that I chose to write about Sorority and Fraternity stereotypes is I deal with this hardship more than most. I have a family that does not completely understand where I am coming from when I mention my “sisters”, or when I talk about the fraternity I always hang out with. To people on the surface I seem as though I am the poster girl of the stereotypes out there.
A few of the main stereotypes that exist about sororities are number one, sorority girls drink and party way too often. Two, sorority girls sleep around with everyone. Three, sorority girls are all air heads and flip their hair and are the fakest of fake. A few about fraternities are all they do is party and look to hook up with women. All fraternity men wear polo’s with their collar popped up, pretty much like rich pretty boys not knowing how to grow up.
Even though there are these stereotypes that exist they are proved wrong every day by the millions of people actually in these organizations. People often forget that Greeks are not just Greek we are in college and decided to go to college to get a degree and make a better life for ourselves. In saying that, we care about our grades and staying in school. If all we do is party then that wouldn’t really be possible. Our other main goal is philanthropy. Which in simple words is community service, every organization dedicates a lot of time to this.
There are many things that I can say to either support or disprove the stereotypes amongst the Greek community, so being able to write about this topic would be most beneficial, and possibly sway the opinions of non affiliates.
Shanieka Perrier
ReplyDeleteHave you notice we cannot see our own faces without using a mirror? I want to blog about beauty portrayal in the media. This will include plastic surgery for both male and female and hair.
In society today people are going under the knife having drastic plastics surgery. The top five plastic surgeries today are breast implants, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery and breast lift. The cost ranges from about $3,000 dollars to $6,000 dollars for these top five procedures. Women had 8.4 million cosmetic procedures in 2011, while Men had 800,000 cosmetic procedures in 2011. As well as people are having permanent tattoo make –up, such as eye brows and eye liner.
Botulinum toxin type A (Botox and Dysport) continued to rank as the top nonsurgical procedures. I don’t’ understand why so many people are getting this procedure because they’re face look stiff without expression. It’s hard to tell whether a person is happy or sad; they keep a straight poker face all day long. I don’t think people should poison their face to appear younger. People should try natural remedies such as exercising or self acceptance of aging.
During the Egyptian times hair was considered a form of self-expression and it was a common practice among wealthy Egyptians to shave their hair and wear fashion elaborate wigs out of the shorn human hair. While men sometimes wore more flamboyant wig styles than women, women utilized hair weave methods to supplement the thinning hair.
I want to blog about beauty and its portrayal in media and hair because this is a billion dollar industry. People lives are affected by this daily and sometimes people go through extreme measures such as risking their lives to change themselves from how God made them.
I can relate to both topics because when I was 15 years old I was advised to get nose job. Up until that point I was self confident and did not worry about beauty and body image. Even though I know my nose is fine, for some odd reason, I am still self conscious about it. Before I take pictures I usually squeeze my nose and alter it a little bit.
I definitely relate to hair because since my childhood that’s been an ongoing struggle for me. At my previous job, I had to wear my hair bone straight because my natural hair was unprofessional. My natural hair is curly coily. I spent $600.00 half of my salary, every month just to “look” professional in corporate America.
Emilie Chacon
ReplyDeleteThe social issue I decided to choose with is animal’s rights. This subject may seem futile for some. With all the wars in the world, the racism, the violence, the upcoming elections, people don’t usually talk about animals. But for me animals are important and we need to take care of them. We do share the same planet with them and we are the main cause of the extinction of some species. We do pollute their environment, we killed them for their fur, we used them for fighting, etc.
I am really sad when I see what humans can do to the animals in the wild, in their home. I was at the San Diego Zoo last week and you can see that so much of them are endangered (some of the species count only 12 beasts at this time!)
But not only we have to be careful with these wild animals, but also with pets. I think it is so unfair that some people buy pets like they buy disposable things. People abandoned them for no valuable reason. The result? Too many pets are in the shelter, euthanized or dying miserably in the streets.
In Québec (a province in Canada), we have a special day for moving out on July 1st. Sadly, it’s also a day where a lot of pets are abandoned in the street because they are not allowed in some apartments. It is way easier for some to leave them behind than just looking for a place that accept them.
A study shows that the average time people keep their pets in Montreal is only 19 months. On that day, about 500 000 of them are left behind. But the situation is not unique to that place. In France, 100 000 pets are abandoned every year and thousands in California only.
I do have cats. They are like my kids. I just can’t believe that it’s okay for some people throw them out. They won’t do that to a kid or a baby, I don’t get why it’s okay for an animal that relies on you. We did adopt one of them in a shelter, and just to see how much of them are there, super skinny, waiting for a new owner. It’s heartbreaking.
To finish, Gandhi once said: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I think it’s time to take care of our animals.
Yay Emilie! Another animal rights supporter! :)
DeleteThere is a social norm that everyone encounters every day. This social norm does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, creed, political preferences, and it is present in spite of one’s sexual orientation. While some people have little to no issues on this social norm, other people have many issues with it. This social norm is something that everyone knows all too well, and that is dating and relationships.
ReplyDeleteDating and relationships are something that everyone deals with willingly and unwillingly, as they develop with the consent of two or more people. Often times, there is a process when it comes to dating, when at least two people agree to go out to get acquainted with each other. However, in order for a “date” to occur, usually a man accosts a woman that he has interest in, and eventually asks the woman out. Consequently, the man puts his ego on the line, because there is a possibility that the woman will reject him for a variety of reasons (i.e. lack of interest, personal reasons, already in a relationship, etc…). On the contrary, there is that other possibility that the woman will accept his offer, and the man moves forward with his plans to take the woman out to get better acquainted. If the man develops chemistry with the woman, then under the right conditions, the man and woman may agree to take their dating to the next level to a relationship. In essence, the man and woman becomes a couple, and if they are really ready to take the next step, they may agree to get married, have children and hopefully stay together to raise their children. In other words, we would assume that this couple lives happily ever after, and become a news feature where they are in their 90s and been married for over 50 years.
The story mentioned above would be nice if everything was perfect. However, everyone knows that just as life is not perfect, so relationships are not perfect as well. There are so many variable factors that attribute to the development of relationships, and these factors are always changing. For example, it was common for a woman to be a housewife, while the man worked to sustain the financial stability of the household, especially if he had children. However, as the generations change, so does the roles of men and women. There are women who attend colleges, have multiple degrees, and work more now than ever, while still participating in the tradition role as a wife and/or mother. Furthermore, there are more women who opt to have children before marriage, aka wedlock, and either forego marriage altogether, or feel the consolation of being “engaged indefinitely”. In addition, the women who decide to become “pseudo-independent”, usually require that the men whom have interest in dating them to have some stability in their lives. This ensures that the women can enjoy the companionship of the men they choose to date, rather than to have to worry about if the men can provide for them.
The process for dating for women and men are both similar and different. Both the women and men have an interest in dating one another, but the process to acquire a date is different. Most women get accosted by men, as it is the social norm that it is the man that approaches the women that he seeks interest. There are positives and negatives to the process of setting up a date. Because women constantly get approached by different types of men on a regular basis, they essentially have options of who they want to date, and who to decline. For men, because we constantly have to approach women that we have interest in dating, men tend to get more rejections (with few exceptions) than success, and some men get enormously rejected more than other men. The process of approaching a woman can be nerve-racking for some men, because of the possibility of rejection, and the fear of it can prevent some men from approaching women altogether.
Jennifer Bacca
ReplyDeleteFinancial aid and how It is distributed is something that I feel very passionate about, and I feel it is a social issue that is often over looked. I am a transfer student from RCC and was fortunate enough to have never needed to use financial aid, but as an upper-division student at CSUSB I am finding it is nearly impossible to finish your college career without some sort of financial support. My former co-worker was telling me how she and her boyfriend are making money by going to school. I was confused and asked her for more information, because that is not my situation and was not clear of what she meant. She explained to me how she gets about four thousand dollars every quarter in grants, covering well over the tuition rate and her books. Yeah, that’s cool for her, but what about the other people who get zero dollars in grants and have to take out loans? Unfortunately, I only qualified for an unsubsidized loan, and in my opinion happens to be the worst one available. Granted I am not looking for the government to hand me the money to finish my college education, but I am looking for the government to reconsider how they determine how much money each student is allotted. The government looks at your parent’s income unless you are the age of twenty-four or older. I am perplexed and cannot seem to rationalize their reasoning of why my parent’s income has any effect on me and how I pay for school. I can honestly say they do not pay one penny towards my education, so why does their income and what they have in their bank account matter? Also, twenty-four? By the age of eighteen I can go to jail or prison, I can vote, I am a legal adult, and all the actions I choose to take are on me, not my parents. So why is it so important to know my parents income in order for me to receive any form of money from the government? The guidelines of this are absurd and ridiculous. I am an advocate of reforming the guidelines and making it fair for each and every student, based on the individuals and not on their parents.
I love that you wrote about financial aid. I was contemplating whether or not I should use this as my topic. Majority of students are receiving aid and I felt that I would offend our classmates. I am a 23 yr old married student taking 18 units and working 4-5 days out of the week. And because I work I receive no help. I agree with everything you said and yes the guidelines are absurd and ridiculous. Happy to know that I'm not alone on this.
DeleteKarissa Watt
ReplyDeleteCom 309
Social Issue Post
One social issue I find extremely prominent in our society is the subordinate role of women in the media. This issue is of course relevant to me as a woman, the role women play in the media continues to be limited, negative, and subordinate to their male counterparts. In the year 2012 we still find that women are presented on television, on the radio, in newspapers and in magazines as less significant and less intelligent than men. The media has profound effects on our society, it helps shape our perception of our surroundings; therefore the constant reminder that women are considered to be a lesser people has many negative repercussions. Young boys are conditioned to feel that they have the upper hand, more inherent rights, and power over women. Young women grow up learning just the opposite. We are taught that we are sexual objects and must be attractive to achieve any social capital. In addition, women are told still today in 2012 that we have certain roles to play; if we don’t wish to become wives and mothers we are perceived as strange, or feminists.
A prime example of this perception of women in the media can be found through the study of a recent YouTube video. A young couple made a short video in which the husband recorded his attractive blonde wife a simple question regarding speed and distance. He asked, if they are driving 60 mph, how long will it take them to drive 60 miles. This simple question was given a very long and detailed, yet very wrong response. What should be taken as a simple and funny happening received unimagined feedback, earning millions of views, parodies along with interviews on talk shows and a spot on Tosh.0 who is notorious for perpetuating stereotypical jokes about women. What is most shocking were the responses bashing women as a whole. The women in the video was not singled out, rather comments were posted on the video bashing women. Making comments saying this is an example of why women should be seen not heard, belong in the kitchen, or the bedroom. Even the television hosts and journalists who interviewed this young couple had similar attitudes. None of the hosts attempted to provide her with a way to redeem herself, they continued to show her in a negative light with their condescending tones and questions. This video was so interesting to me because of the simple fact that an overwhelming amount of the public viewed this silly event and related it to all women. It gave them an additional outlet to perpetuate ideas of female inferiority to men.
Women need more positive images in the media to emulate. Young girls are so impressionable, these thoughts of inferiority along with pressures to be beautiful and skinny only hold them back from reaching their potential. Media has a profound impact on our community, I believe that bringing this issue to people’s attention is of vast importance. Only after we understand the problem and its consequences can we move forward and boost the confidence of our young women.
Angel Beltran
ReplyDeleteOne major social issue which I find fascinating is the usage and consumption of cannabis. Although cannabis, also known as marijuana, is an illegal drug in the United States, its' side effects and reactions are less harsh and less dangerous than that of alcohol, which we know is legal. Being a college student, you are exposed to these "recreational drugs" and some have even have had a first-hand experience with them. You hear all these rumors about the effects of marijuana and what it does to you through the halls on campus, but I chose to not believe anything until I did some research. I watched a special in which they took 3 different people and examined them while under the influence of their drug of choice; alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. Cocaine proved to have the most longterm and short term damaging effects, while most of alcohol's damaging effects were short term with a few long term complications. Marijuana's short term side effects included relaxation, lack of awareness and long term included anxiety and throat cancers.
It seems illogical to have a substance which causes thousands of deaths every year be legal, while having a almost harmless drug be illegal. I think if marijuana became illegal it could be used for its beneficiary effects for those with eye problems, such as glaucoma, but also can be used for those with anxiety and emotional problems. Today, "medical marijuana cards" are distributed in California amongst those who have any of these conditions, this allows them to purchase cannabis in limited qualities in a legal matter. But I believe that if marijuana was to be sold over the counter, like cigarettes, not only will there be less crime but also it could single-handedly help boost the economy. Marijuana could be sold over the counter just like cigarettes or alcohol, and I suggest that an age-limit should be placed so that those younger than 18 or 21 do not have access.
I do understand that minors will be doing it either way, if there is an age limit or not, but it is up to one's ethics if they want to consume cannabis, alcohol or cigarettes. No new problems would arise from the legalization of marijuana in the United States. I strongly believe that society will benefit in an economical and sociological sense.
Miguel Gomez
ReplyDeleteComm 309
September 25, 2012
Health Care
There’s a lot that can be said about our health care in this country, but the first thing that comes to my mind is, not enough! As of right now there are many different programs trying to help, one of them being the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(PPACA) also known as Obamacare. This program focuses on decreasing the number of uninsured Americans and reducing the costs of health care. I actually still have health insurance because of Obamacare. In his program he extended the age requirement so that people my age could still be on their parents insurance without having to pay. Although, I’m lucky many people aren’t. I think it’s crazy that hospitals can turn you clean you up and turn you away after realizing that you don’t have health insurance. This should never be the case. There are still around 20 million people in this country without health insurance and that too many lives at stake. Of course this has been an issue for a long time, we actually have improved. According to Alisson Rizzolo from the public agenda in 2010 there were over 50 million people in the United States without insurance. So we are improving, but can we continue to get better? I believe so, but it has to start with us. I think on top of all these issues they should make it cheaper for the people who do have jobs, but cant get insurance. I have a friend who has a job but isn’t eligible for insurance and can’t afford it outside of work, along with the fact that medi-cal denied her. This is an issue we need to start addressing.
Christine Manzo (1 of 2)
ReplyDeleteRacism is a social issue that has always been and will probably always be. This might be a negative start for this post, but I believe we will never succeed in eliminating racism, as we cannot eliminate poverty or violence either. However, we can definitely educate ourselves on these topics in order to reach a greater level of tolerance, open mindedness and understanding.
Coming from Montreal, Canada, a large multiethnic city that is part of Quebec, the only French speaking province (state) in the country, I can say I have been exposed to different races, languages, cultures, religions and values my whole life. I am proud to say Montreal is a very liberal city and that its people’s different cultures contribute to its richness and welcoming feel. I love walking around hearing people mix French and English words in the same sentence, then cross path with Haitians speaking Creole and see Latinos having lunch on the terrace of an Indian restaurant.
I am totally aware of the fact that even though I have depicted my hometown as a beautiful melting pot of cultures, I cannot say it is peaceful and free of racism. As I previously wrote, I do not think that it will ever be possible to eradicate racism, and the explanation for that is simple: differences are at the root of racial discrimination, and human beings are all totally different from each other, whether it is from a racial, religious, sexual or psychological point of view. People are all different, period. We cannot ignore or deny differences between cultures – I like to use “cultures” instead of “races”, because one’s ethnicity does not dictate their culture – therefore we should try to learn more about and from them, appreciate and make the most of them.
In my opinion, being aware of differences between cultures and pointing them out should not be considered as racism, as it is neither positive nor negative. Harm is done when we start thinking that one’s culture is better than another, and this is what we need to change. I think we should start working on tolerance and acceptance towards differences to be able to appreciate them.
It is true that our level of open mindedness first comes from the education we receive as children, but I believe that we have the power to change things and break the tradition of passing on old mentalities to our own children if we really want to. For example, as a child I have heard my father say a lot of negative comments about different ethnicities, and later on I just chose not to accept him saying those things around me anymore. Even though some might not find the strength to confront their own parents about their behavior like I did – I understand in some cultures you just can’t argue with your parents at all, because it would be considered as a lack of respect – I think you can definitely break the mould and choose not to perpetuate that discrimination yourself.
Christine Manzo (2 of 2)
ReplyDeleteI have always been one to denounce racism for no particular reason (it just appeared to be a nonsense to me) until two or three years ago, when I experienced what being discriminated based on ethnicity felt like for the first and only time in my life. I am Canadian/Caucasian of Italian heritage, so my complexion is a little darker than the usual and I have dark hair and eyebrows. I was working at a store and had quite a good, friendly conversation with a customer asking me about a particular article. Then the man asked me “You’re not Canadian, right? Where are you from?” so I told him I was Canadian but had Italian roots, as I am used to tell people because I get that question a lot, usually in a positive, curious way. He just shouted “You’re a f*ing wop!” and left the store. Wop is a pejorative word meaning “without papers” referring to Italians who came to America almost a century ago. I was in shock and couldn’t even say anything to defend myself before he left. I then stood there speechless; I just couldn’t believe what had actually happened. I find it hard to believe some people actually have to deal with that kind of racial discrimination on a daily basis, and I have now chosen to make this my battle. Not changing the world, but making people around me realize that different doesn’t mean bad or inferior, it just means different.
Miranda Bonelli
ReplyDeleteThere are many social issues that I am passionate about and that we face every day. The one I feel most strongly about is gay rights. I know it is not something that everyone is comfortable talking about but it is not going away any time soon. I don’t understand why it is so hard for some people to accept this sexual orientation preference. Any disagreement I have ever heard always brings religion into it to prove that it is “wrong.” I just think we need to remove religion out of it. Love is love; it shouldn’t matter if it is between a man or a woman. This community does not have an easy path. They go through so much, having to defend who they are constantly. They are definitely entitled to the same rights and benefits as heterosexual individuals. Just because someone doesn’t understand it does not make it wrong.
I have not experienced this personally but I do have a couple of gay friends so I have seen how it affects them. It’s very hard and heartbreaking to watch. Even the strongest person has the moments where they break down. One of my friends is currently in the middle of an investigation at his job because a woman has a problem with his sexual orientation and has made written complaints with HR every day. Can you imagine trying to work while someone is constantly attacking you? It is so frustrating to see this discrimination continue.
So many young adolescents have been bullied, harassed and beaten because they are gay. And today it is taken to another level with cyber bullying. Before, kids used to be able to escape the bullying when they went home from school but that is no longer the case. There have been countless cases when an individual takes their own life to escape the torment they go through on a daily basis. The Trevor Project is an organization that helps young adolescents battling this through a number of resources including a 24 hour a day crisis intervention hotline as well as educating others on this issue to help prevent the occurrence of suicide attempts among this population. No one should have to feel depressed, fearful or that they have to hide who they are. I can only imagine what it is like to live this way. We are all supposed to be treated equally but that is clearly not the case. I am very passionate about this issue and sincerely hope that this community can get the rights and respect they deserve soon.
Ashley Harper
ReplyDeleteIn a society that seems to be driven by trying to procure as many followers and likes as you can by posting pictures of yourself and all the "cool" things you and your friends do on the internet. It's easy to see why there are so many negative self-image statistics floating around regarding women and girls in the United States. How can the focus switch from only showing what's pretty on the outside to what matters on the inside as well? I think that a very important social issue is self-esteem and self-worth for women in this new digitally charged world. In the past beauty was discretely looked upon as advantagious in having power and status in the world. Now however things have shifted to promoting the notion that being beautiful is a necessity to get ahead in life. The prettier you are the more friends, money, and happiness you’ll have is the deception women and girls are falling victim to. Women and girls are not able to keep up with the ever changing ideas of beauty. The old saying is of course that "beauty is in rhe eye of the beholder," but when women and girls only see one version of beauty portrayed in the media, it can be hard to juggle the reflection they see in their mirrors with the images they see in television, magazines, and social networking sites. The point of my social mission is not to bring down the institutions of the beauty industry or make women and girls feel that we all have to look frumpy to be equal and happy. The point is to bring awareness to the aspects of what makes us beautiful as individuals is what we are able to positively contribute to society.
I was born with a cleft lip and palate, although I went through multiple surgeries to repair my face I never felt like I wasn't a normal girl. I loved playing team sports, hanging out with friends, performing on stage, and overall engaging in life. Throughout my life all of my experiences have made my self-image one made out of teflon. I want to use my story to shine a light on how self-image truly comes from yourself, not the images that you see in the media. I love the beauty industry and want my career to definitely encompass the industry. However, I hope to influence a move towards beauty as something that you exude through confidence, because let’s be honest no amount of makeup looks good when you’re doing the ugly cry because you think you are not matching up to what is perceived as beautiful. If the focus is transitions to women and girls using the images they see in the media and social networking as mere ideas to throw on their inspiration boards, instead of fundamental beliefs that they feel they need to follow, more positive self-images would probably emerge.
Amanda Tapia
ReplyDeleteComm 309
Social Issue
The social issue I choose to write about is the distortion of body image within the media. This topic directly affects women within our society. It leads to degrading images and unobtainable body images in the mind of society. With multimedia being so in your face and upfront there is no avoiding the issue, it is something that everyone has faced at some point in their life. The want to be “just like” Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Aniston, who have tons of help to achieve the body that they have today. With TV being something that almost everyone does for leisure there isn’t a way to get around it.
Women are the ones that are most affected by this issue. The need to be skinny and fit into the size 0 just like the models in the Hollister advertisement not only are these diseases affecting them but also dieting in general. Too much dieting can be a bad thing and also diet pills are not a simple solution to weight loose. The media has created a system that knows exactly how to manipulate the minds of viewers and readers that no matter how their thinking is they will still be somewhat insecure about themselves.
I have personally been affected by the body image issue. Although I may not be the size 1 model like women in the magazines or on TV. I have felt a need to watch the size of pants and shirts that I wear. It also creates an overall good feeling knowing that you have dropped down to the smaller size, say from a 5 to a 3. Body image is a constant struggle and only strong can survive. You also need to have a strong support system or many will not make it through and fall into the cracks of this issue.
It is impossible for anyone to avoid it. Many young girls envy the body image of another and crave an instant gratification for the images they see. Some even go to extreme measure to reach their body image goals such as anorexia and bulimia, which later on down the road create more health problems in the long run. Not everyone has to look like the images that are seen on a day to day basis on the TV and magazines. It is just so hard to make young girls and even older women see that with such body issues that are at everyone’s front door step.
The body image is extremely distorted and sends the wrong messages to the women of America. There is already a struggle with the fact of obesity within this country to add something else on top such as a body image multiplies the effects ten times more. But without someone looking out for the young men and women who are we to tell them what they are doing is wrong? There are also companies out there that are trying to forth a better more positive body image such as Dove. Which has shown women of many different sizes within their ads to help create a more positive body image. Body image is all around and it’s something that is very important within our daily lives. Without touching on it nothing will get better and nothing will help this situation.
Geselle Martinez
ReplyDeleteA social issue that is significant to me is weight and nutrition, more specific obesity. Obesity is common in United States. More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity can lead to many things that damage your health like heart-disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. What I find disturbing is kids that are barely in their teens suffering obesity. According to Donorschoose.org, more than one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are now considered overweight. “Childhood obesity has been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and poor academic performance (Donorschoose.org).”
I think it is really important to start a healthy life style at a young age. My oldest sister is diabetic and my grandfather passed away from diabetes. Diabetes is something that runs in my family, so it is important for me to have a healthy life-style. I feel if my oldest sister would have known the importance of making healthier choices she would haven’t diabetes.
I recently started making healthier choices with my food. I try to juice vegetables a couple times a week and prepare my own lunch for work and school. Not only am I eating healthier, but also saving money. Eating out can be costly and most fast food restaurants are not healthy. When I bought my juicer and started juicing vegetables that I normally don’t eat, I notice a change inside my body. I felt more energetic, my head aches went away and my immune system became stronger.
If more people would start making these healthier choices they would have a better and longer life. Most of the unhealthy foods lead to things like obesity, high blood pressure, cancer and heart attacks. People should to make this transition of eating healthy and working out. A simple walk around your neighborhood could make a difference. Making better choices like choosing whole grain bread instead of white bread, juicing instead of drinking soda.
Eric F. Walker
ReplyDeleteComm 309-2
DMC
Marriage Divorce
Most divorces occur within the first few years of being married. As speedy as the state can process marriage certificates and allows one to be married, is even speedier at allowing divorce. The issue of divorce in marriage is a significant issue to me because it is something that affects the most important group of people in the world…Family. The significance and importance of family transcends all social, cultural, and political lines. Everyone values family life. Everyone in some manner has a family acquaintance or relationship. It is the thriving unit responsible for the growth and wellbeing of society. It is the very foundation of one’s morals, values, and biological beginnings. When a family home is interrupted by divorce, it not only affects the couple but those around them. I seen my parents argue and fight. I even heard them discussing divorce, but gladly they never separated. I knew for sure their passion for God and each would bring them through. This affects me positively today. No matter what issues I face, will never see divorce as a solution.
I’ve been married for a bit over a year now. After being counseled and brought through the vigorous learning process of what marriages was all about, I’d been given the opportunity to pursue my loving wife in a lifelong covenant unto God and her. I vowed to be faithful and committed to her, and to love her as Christ loved the Church. I vowed to provide and protect her with the best of my ability. Making this promise to her and knowing the importance of the family unit should make it clear as to why this is a significant issue worth writing about this quarter. By no means am I saying “I can’t fall victim to this social issue”. I realize there are some situations that break some and make others. I feel that if we allow our marital problems to strengthen us and make us better as individuals, divorce wouldn’t be a default.
I’ve seen so many people (relatives, friends and celebrities) go through divorce. This trend doesn’t encourage me as a married man; in fact it does the opposite. Before when divorce wasn’t considered the solution to marital issues I believe family was more together. Men took on their role with their wives in raises children, dinner time would be issue and homework-handling time. Somewhere something went wrong in our heads where we consider divorce quicker than considering being married from the start. It’s time to break the silence of this family-killing mechanism. It’s time to discuss where to begin to solve this issue. It’s time to bring back what’s been stolen from us generations ago.
This issue has carved its way into everyone’s family. I had an uncle who divorced and it tore my world apart. I knew things would change during family get-togethers. I knew that someone gave up on the other on this journey called marriage before a life-time had come. I came to learn later that my uncle had found interest elsewhere while being married to my aunt. I learned that today I will take heed the problem that cause divorce so I may have victory over it.