Chapter 3: Culture

Chapter 3 was quite interesting to me. I really learned alot about different views of others culture. The test describes culture as one of sociology's core concepts, and it is essential in society. Culture is a collection of values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, language, behaviors, and material objects shared by a people and socially transmitted from generation to generation. To me, everything such as what we eat, drink, how we dress, how we behave in different settings, language, how we speak, and how we think is a part of ones culture and every one has their own. What may seem normal to Americans may not seem normal to people from other countries, and what may be normal to other countries may not seem normal to us Americans. Based upon the article "The Body of Nacirema" , the ritual of the mouth-rite, didnt really seem normal to me, and us as Americans going to the dentist to clean our mouths may not seem normal to those who practice the mouth-rite. I also learmed the different elements of culture, which are material culture and nonmaterial culture. Material culture refers to physical objects produced by people in a particular culture, including tools, clothing, toys, works of art and housing, while non material culture refers to the ideas of a culture, including values and beliefs. Also culture has alot to do with values which is a deeply held principle or standard that people use to make judgments about the world, beliefs which are the specific convictions or opinions that its people generally accept as being true, knowledge which is the range of information, awareness, and understanding that helps us navigate our world, and norms that are culture's rule and expectations for "appropriate" behavior. There is also cultural diversity which involves dominant cultural subcultures, and countercultures, high culture and popular culture, the commercialization of culture, and multiculturalism. Culture basically has a significance in our every day lives.

Sense and Nonsense About Surveys by Howard Schuman

The article gave me an insight on how a survey should be studied and how and why it is important and beneficial. Surveys is one to gatther information by asking questions. Asking questions continues to be an effective way of acquiring information of all kinds with assumption that a person answers accurately. When it comes to sampling,  probability sampling in its simplest form calls for each person in the population to have an equal chance of being selected. Also, surveys do not only depend on probability sampling. Surveys vary greatly in their quality of implementation. Another important factor in surveys are the wording and context of the questions asked. An example given in the article:
    

• Do you think the United States should forbid public speeches against democracy?
• Do you think the United States should allow public speeches against democracy?

I definetely do believe that answers would be different based on how the questions was asked. If you really pay attention its asking the same thing. But while taking surveys I dont think people take the time out to pay attention to whats being asked due to the fact that they might want to hurry and get the survey done with, its ti many questions, they are limited to say what they actually feel because they dont really have an option to say it because its either a yes or no or maybe because the survey isnt interesting to them. While some people do process the questions asked much more after they read it the first time. While said this, surveys do have an advantage still over some methods which is the ability to develop both [probability theory in sampling and experiments in questionings.

Chapter 2: Understanding the Research Process and The Body Ritual Among The Nacirema

  Chapter 2 was basically about understanding social science, how to do research, the different types of research, and how to think critically by assesing research. I learned that they are three different ways that one can interpret both the natural and social worlds. By basic research, applied research, and public sociology. According to the text, basic research is the primary goal of which is to describe some aspect of society and audience ourunderstanding of it. Applied research is the primary goal of which is to directly adress some problem or need, and public sociology is the effort to bring the findings of both basic and applied sociological research to a broader non academic audience. In doing research they are roles of theory because thoery plays several vital roles in social research. The roles are highlighting key questions, explaining collected data, and seeing connections. There is a theory-research dynamic and methods of collecting data. In collecting data the most commonly used technique is a survey. They are versitile and useful. Intensive interviews and focus groups are also useful as well. Intensive interviews is a gathering techinique that uses open-ended questions during somewhat lengthy face-to-face sessions including fewer than 100 participants, while focus groups made up usually of six to twelve people. Other ways to collect data also is by field research, which a researcher systematically observes some aspect of social life in its natural settings, existing sources, which is data previously collected by other researchers and experiments. The three different types of research I learned about are Positivist Social Science, Interpretive Social Science, and Critical Social Science. To assess research a scientific community does monitoring through peer-review process which is a way in which scholars evaluate research manuscripts before they are published in order to ensure their quality.
  According to the Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, I read that the Nacirema culture is characterized by  highly developed market economy which has evolvedin a rich natural habitat. The focus on the activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people. This article really opened my mind . It really had me in total shock after reading some of the things that takes place. Such as a "mouth-rite". The "mouth-rite" involved opening a clients mouth and using either a auger, awl, probe or prod to enlarge holes which decay may have created in the teeth. Magical materials are put into these holes and if they aren't naturally occuring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance cane be applied. Knowing that people actualy take magic and other supernatural things so seriously and appling that to their culture was interesting and makes me want to read into other cultures.

FFV Doc Quiet Rage - The Standford Prison Study - Experiment Video; The Promise and Pitfalls of Going Into the Field Article

  Based upon the video I watched, "The Stanford Prison Study", I learned about how people can transition themselves into a whole different person when they are given a job/role, especially one that requires you to have power. I also learned about the manipulation  that occurs in a prison and the psychological tactics that the guards use to punish prisoners. In a way its harsh,but then again, the only reason a person should be in prison, is because he/she violates a law. Its sort of like "you made your bed so lay in it' situation. For people who were falsely accused of violations and do end up in prison, and have to deal with the lack of freedom there, would be very difficult and they will completely loose their minds.
  Psychological tactics included prisoners to do jumping jacks, push ups, and sit ups. This is all done by the prisoners because they feel that the guards have the upper hand. Those who didnt want to cooperate had been put in the "hole", which was punishment for them. Its called solitary confinement, when a prisoner is isolated from the rest of the inmantes.To me that was a physical punishment and unnecessary. The are already in prison which is already bad enough and locking them up into another place would lead them to go mentally crazy in a matter of time. This did happened to an inmate throughout the experiment. In his case, it was done purposely, forgetting that it was just an experiment. Watching the video, I myself forgot it was an experiment as well because it seemed so real. Manipulation took place when the visitors came to see the inmates. The prison was cleaned, the prisoners were groomed, and the prisoners were fed a hot meal and warned to not complain about visiting hours. Also, the music was played for the visitors through the intercom while they waited to see who they came for. This I can compare to when its PTA meeting at schools. Teachers classroom are clean, handouts suddenly appear on the walls, the teachers change their clothes and speak differently, all for the parents and even when there aren't PTA meetings, this takes place. For instance when the principal walks in a classroom without being expected, the teachers begins to teach like its their first day of work. The video basically proved that with power and authority, you can control those who are weak or have no say
  What I learned from the article "The Promise and Pitfalls of Going Into the Field" is that ethnography, is that in order to understand why people do or act the way they do you have participate in their activities and speak to people. You can't develop a theory based upon your own assumption. You have to be involved in what you want to observe with the people your observing and what they do. Participating in these activities, you would have to gather data, have a data analysis and a data presentation and thats what would make a successful ethnograpy.

Who Am I?

    Who am I? I am a kind, respectful, loving, intelligent, beautiful young lady. I love to see others happy and will do anything for someone who needs help to get back on their feet, or needs a smile on their face. I am very dedicated to whatever I put my mind too. I don't have a temper but I do get upset. Thing that get me upset are lies, when people take advantage of my kindness, and when I am disrespected. I dont believe anyone should be disrespectful to another. Singing and dancing are my passion. Those two things makes me who I am. Singing takes me to a whole different place. Its me, myself and I. No one and nothing but my unique voice. Dancing helps me relieve the stress that I may be under at times. Everything that once was on my mind suddenly erases once I start to move. The music I mostly dance too is dancehall. Takes me back to my roots since my background is Jamaican. When it comes down to influences in my life I would have to say my mom. She influences me each and every single day. She also influences me to pursue a singing career as well. My purpose in life is to achieve the plan that God has in store for me. Also to make my mother proud and myself. I have plenty of goals in life. To become a teacher, a cosmetologist, a professional dancer and a reggae artist.