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SOCIOLOGY AND ME :

There are many ways that people use sociology in there life. There are also many different ways to define sociology. For my advantage i use sociology to be able to understand others and get to know them more in a personal way. Sociology also helps us understand our generation and maybe have answers for us that we would have never thought about and maybe get us thinking where do we want to be. It also helps us see that others have different thoughts than us and that we should not judge.
For me sociology is a good way to understand others and their beliefs, culture, and thoughts. It is important to me because I need to get out of my comfort zone and get to know others . Getting to know others will only help me grow as a person and also my knowledge about other cultures. I wouldn’t want to be the person that judges someone by how they look , I don’t want to be that ignorant person . Therefore sociology should be studied because it only helps us and gets us thinking about who we want to be and how our actions will affect someone . Helps to be able to understand why we do the things we do.
An article that helped me understand sociology was “Invitation to sociology” by Peter Berger it was helpful because it said , “world taken-for-granted” that to me means that no one is talking about how no one is worried about the big events happening and no one is trying to get to know about themselves or where do they stand. We are lucky to have many cultures and backgrounds in our society but we decide to be with the same people of our same belief because we are afraid of being judged or not fitting in the group. The article also mentions that “the fascination of sociology lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see new light the very world in which we have lived all our lives” sociology helps us see new things in the world that we are living in also that there are things that we have not taken the time to look into it.
There is one thing that I feel is important when doing some sociological and that’s not to judge when looking for the information that you are looking for because we will come across things that might not seem right to us but to others they do. Being understanding plays a big part of sociology because we should be able to understand others and their beliefs because they are allowed to think whatever they want. When doing an investigation we also need to know that there will be things that we come across that won’t be as interesting because it might be information that we already know about. Not getting the answers that you might want might be upsetting but we need to always understand that we don’t always get what we are looking for. You will also come across events that are notable to people’s lives.
In the beginning of class we read the article “The sociological imagination” by C. Wright Mills and it does a good job explaining where sociology comes from and the important facts and history that we should know about. Something interesting about the article is that it was written in 1959, a lot of the things that it mentions are true because they seem to be happening now in our society and generation. We know that sociology helps us understand someone’s actions and why they do the things they do and in the article it was said that “the very shaping of history now outpaces the ability of people to orient themselves in accordance with cherished values” and that just questions us what are those things that we do that make them important to us. I find that quote interesting because it’s also saying that everything is just moving so rapidly and we need to keep up to date , maybe or daily routine is what’s making our days go by faster. Wright Mills talks about this world that everyone seems to be trapped in and would much rather keep everything to ourselves and its true because everyone is afraid of being judged.
I personally think that sociology is important in my because it will help me understand others. I want to learn about others because I know that it will be helpful to me. There’s is nothing wrong with learning new things because our generations do keep changing and to be able to understand we need sociology.

BONGO SUBCULTURE :

Music plays a big role in African culture. Playing the bongo is important because that’s their main way of entertainment. The drum holds a strong significance symbolically and historical. Their music that would be made by the drums would be considered the heartbeat of African culture. It is considered something ancient because it is used to celebrate every good thing in life. It inspires excitement to everything being done.

Playing the drums is something that brings joy to the African communities. We know that music just brings joy to everyone but to an African community playing music with the drums in specific is just the paramount to their lives. There are many different drums that are played differently and make different types of sounds that make the drums unique and bring the music to life. The sounds that the drums make is what brings amusement to the African community and makes them cherish the sounds made by their culture. For centuries drumming in their culture has been there main way of entertainment to them that’s why they value it because it has been passed down to them. There is a drum that catches my attention and it’s called bougarabou it is played by hand; it’s made out of cow skin and it’s a little long.

Not only is the drum their main way of entertainment but it’s something symbolically and historically important to them because it holds a deeper meaning besides it being the main way of entertainment. There is a long history behind the drums and music. In the past drumming was used as a source of communication between tribes because the messages had to reach a long distance. To the African culture the drum can be known as their first telephone. In the African culture they share spiritual relationship because the music that is made with the drum is considered sacred. They believe that the drums hold a spirit. The drum that is more historically is the djembe drum because it has influenced the rest of Africa and it’s been used since 500 A.D. In the African families there job is to teach their families to learn how to play the drum.

Besides the drums just being used for music is also used to celebrate their events. Some of the events that they celebrate playing the drums is marriage, spring , full moon, baptism, honoring mothers , and other countless celebrations. Celebrating everything with music created by the drums is like it makes them feel good and makes everything so much better. To them celebrating with music is the best thing that they can do.The music is just know asdiverse range of rhythmic sounds , that can be said to be their heartbeat.

In my experience I have played the bougarabou drum. When I was in high school I was part of the choir group and we would play the drums for meditation or before beginning class. I personally enjoy and it made me feel relaxed because the sounds that can be made by the drum and you just enjoy hearing the sound that can be put together with people playing the drums together. It also makes you feel closer together and that belong in group that. Its also fun to get to learn and get to know something that you are not used to. Its also a good thing to try something new.

Playing the drums is just the essential to a African culture. To the culture the drum is what they cherish and value.

SOCIAL THEORIES

The social issue that I got to learn more about is Racism. Racism can be looked at in three different ways functionalism, conflict, and symbolic which are sociological theories. Reading the book “The Sun Does Shine” help put these three theoretical theories into perspective teaching that there are many ways that racism can be looked at and not just by the definition because there are things that are more deeply significant or meaningful.

In the book “The Sun Does Shine” showed that to Anthony Ray Hinton something that was symbolically important to him and that was god and having a strong faith in him and that everything was going to be okay. He knew that if god believed in him and his mom that’s all that mattered to him at the end of the day he could care less about what the judge was sentencing him for. He also knew that his faith was going to make him a strong person while standing in court and being accused of a murder he did not commite. Him also being a black male made it symbolic to him because it provided a strong symbolic sources of identity. Having a strong faith made him see and believe that one day the truth was going to be out and was his satisfaction besides having the one person that care about him and was always at his courts which was his mother. In the book it says, “Hinton’s story helps us understand some of these problems and ultimately what it means to survive, to overcome and forgive” and that’s an everyday thing but to think in the position that he was in and he still had that thought that’s crazy that he was positive. I can also say that im a firm believer of that quote.

Inequality of Ethnicity and social class was the functionalism. They judge Hinton just by his skin color and the stereotypes about black people. Also him being a poor black male made the judge discriminate him even more because he had no money to pay a good lawyer to help him with his case. The justice system was also being racially corrupt because they knew he had to money to be able to be able to support his side of the story the truth that needed to be out. The justice system just wanted to accuse someone of the murder that had happened to make themselves seem as the heroes and catching criminals and what better then accusing a black poor male.

The conflict in the book would be that he was being accused of a crime that he did not committee. He had to spend 30 years on death row for a crime that he did not commit. He was angry with everyone that had gotten him to be in the place that he was in because he knew that he was innocent. But because there was no other way for him to be able to help himself he just accepted the fact the he was going to be in prison and had to learn to cope and strategize ideas of what he was going to do while being in prison. He was seen as less and inferior to the justice system. Hinton had to grow up around segregation and had to learn to be observant and thoughtful because of the lives that people of color had to live that was also something that kept him from not trying show or to have truth out.

We learn that Hinton was a strong person due to the fact of the position and place that he was in. It’s hard to understand this but it’s necessary because we should know things about our criminal justice system and human dignity.

ABOUT ME:

My name is Leidy Judith Castillo Murcia I was born in EL Salvador but raised in the United States. My parents came to the United States looking for a better future and a better life for me filled with more opportunities. A year after being together as a family with my baby sister my parents separated and ever since then my sister and I have lived with my dad. My dad did raise my sister and I; he did the greatest job as a father raising my sister and I. But even though my dad did do the greatest job as a father I felt like we always needed a mother that will help us with things that my dad would have a hard time explaining to us. As a kid I feel like I went through hard circumstances that no kid should go through but those things have made me strong and an optimistic person that I am today.

Coming to the United States at a young age was a journey and till this day I remember the things that I saw along the way. As a little girl never did, I think I was going to come here to California I would just go with what they would tell me to. Coming to the united states as an immigrant was not the most comfortable thing. Along the way there was a time that I felt nasty because I had dirty muddy stinky clothes and it was bugging me so I would just cry because I wanted the clothes off. Therefor they had to stop because of me so that they can change my clothes so that I wouldn’t be whining anymore and while changing they changed me so fast and my clothes where left behind. Being a child and trying to understand why I was coming to the United States was not easy to comprehend. I’m also aware that because I came here, I need to work hard and have the opportunities being offered to me. I also know that I’m better here rather than in my country because my country isn’t doing so well. I will always appreciate my parents for bringing me to this country at a young age so that I can better myself and also look up to my parents because they have bettered themselves here and looking for ways to move forward in life.

The first year being with my family was good but then after that year everything faded away. My parents got separated and they had to go different paths. As a little girl I have always been attached to my dad so I decided to go with my dad and my sister also decided to go with my dad because she didn’t want to be alone and wanted to be with me. Ever since a little girl I have always been with my dad and looked after my sister and learn to clean and cook because we didn’t have a mom. My dad and my dad’s side of the family always showed us good morals and also taught me and my sister that we are worth and we need to know our value. I was always taught my wrong from right and I always keep that in mind everywhere I go and with what I’m doing.

Ever since senior year in high school I questioned myself to what was I doing to better myself besides going to school and looking for opportunities. Now I see that I have a role that I play in family and that’s to help my family and the one that I have helped so much would be my sister Karla she’s sixteen years old. I might not help my family financially right now but I do listen to them when they need to talk to someone and also give them motivation. Listening to someone might be more important than to be helping them financially because everyone has things that might make them feel discouraged in life. I learned that I love to spread positivity, love and dedicating time to others when they need it. Therefore I hope that one day I’m also able to help my parents financially and take care of them because they have always supported me and taken care of me and eventually it’s going to happen and fall into place I just need to be patient. I’m also a strong believer that throughout life we do discover in ourselves what we are good at and what we love to do.

The person that has influenced my entire life and is my role model is my dad. My dad has always made sure that my sister and I have a good and safe environment and the rest of the necessities that come with raising children. For him being a male and raising two girls on his own I’m pretty sure it was easy because there were many things that he had to tell us because we are girls. Till this day he is always teaching us life lessons and advice to how to be and deal with life because he has always told us that life is not easy and we have to work hard to better ourselves. He has always taught me nothing but good things. He is my role model for many things he works super hard he came into this country without knowing the language and getting paid 8 dollars and hour and had to also help out his family in his county. Coming to this country for him it was not easy because he had to also spend money to get a permit to be here and have a work permit and that makes me feel so proud of him because he has done his very best to do things the right way. The one thing that also makes him my role model is that now he started his own business and he is always looking for ways to better himself. To me my dad is just a great person and physically and mentally strong. I will always put everything that I’ve learned from my dad into practice and continue to take his advice into consideration. Coming to this country for him it was not easy because he had to also spend money to get a permit to be here and have a work permit and that makes me feel so proud of him because he has done his very best to do things the right way. The one thing that also makes him my role model is that now he started his own business and he is always looking for ways to better himself. To me my dad is just a great person and physically and mentally strong. I will always put everything that I’ve learned from my dad into practice and continue to take his advice into consideration.

As of now I’m leaning still learning from life and will always continue to learn from life. Lately I been learning nothing but good things from life depending on my actions and decisions. I’m also learning from myself that I need to respect, be humble, be wise, and responsible. I also know that from the mistakes and errors we make we learn from them to be better. Lately I’ve had many life experiences that I’m learning from them but I have realized that I am a really optimistic person because I know that there is good in everything that happens. I know that I have to learn from a lot of things in life and hold no grudges towards anything because if anything it has only helped me know my worth and values. In everything I try to stay positive because everything will get better and fall into place. I also appreciate the morals and everything that is taught to me. I learned to set goals but I know that when I set a goal for myself, I can’t just think about the goal i need to look more into how will I get to that goal that I’m setting myself.

DOES RACISM CREATE FEAR?:

THE FINAL ESSAY

The learning process

Throughout the english course I was able to learn from my writing as well from my classmates and my teacher. Now im more understanding and aware that writing is a process that takes time and we should always prepare before writing. The writing/learning process does not begin when you start to write in begins when you are preparing and getting everything organized. I have learned good and things that need improvement in my writing so that become that good writer. Overall I enjoyed the class with professor Lewis because it was based on sociology to help us view things differently.

Many of professor Lewis teachings were based on how we should should start the learning process before we start writing. I feel like its an important thing to teach to students because they need to learn about the topic look for ideas and resources that will get them down to putting an essay together. Throughout the learning process, not only will it help you have knowledge but also help you get to learn some things about yourself and what you are doing to help yourself during the learning process. It’s always a good thing to practice how you can become a better learner so that things do end up getting easier because you will be open minded to know that you need to look for help to be able to get something something. The learning process is not something only used for school but also outside the classroom .

A good thing i have always learned about my writing is that in some way it will always improve in a way but sometimes it takes time for me to see my improvement. I always try to improve my writing in some shape or form. I have learned that my writing might not be the most professional writing but I know that for my writing to get better i do need to improve in some things. Something I need to improve is preparing for the essay having everything together because so times i am not prepared enough to get down to writing. I need to improve in my conclusion and kicking the reader of my essay because most of the time I just end up summuraring what i wrote throughout the essay but I do that because that is what we were taught in high school. But I will continue to practice my writing to get better.

I loved that the class was based on sociology because never did i think about sociology or what it really meant. It’s also go because we were able to talk about topics that maybe we would never talked about outside the classroom. The teaching presentations were fun because we all got to teach the class a topic and discuss and get new ideas from the other groups. I find it cool that we actually go to look into topics that sociologists look into and are trying to have and understanding of these controversial topics. Talking about those topics helped me get to learn about the class.

Overall i am so happy with was i was bale to learn about myself and my writing throughout the course. Something that professor Lewis always said and will stay in my head is “we learn things we are not born with them” helped me alot and i know it will help me alot in life because i know i will go back to that when I feel like everything’s falling apart . That saying will encourage me to do my best at something and to keep trying because everything is a learning process that takes time but eventually we will get the hang of it.

I learned that I can always do my very best in my writing to become a better writer and my teacher will give it a grade but at the end of the day, that’s my writing , I am writing for myself. But I thank my professor for my helping me see that an essay doesn’t have to be how they taught us in high school , he helped me see that there are different ways to help you write and organize an essay.

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