IHSS Blog 2018-2019

Today teens are put into various social situations where they have a choice that can affect their health and well being, a choice that determines if they are “cool” or “uptight.” For almost every generation, there has been a drug, chemical, or an act that at the time was considered popular but not a single one of them has become as widespread as vaping. So what are the reasons for us making ourselves subject to this? Why have we allowed ourselves to participate in this social practice? Vaping can give off a sense of security for some teens whether it be the reassurance of having a vape trick to post on snapchat or being able to show off a new flavor pod or vape juice they have purchased. Not only is vaping considered cool or just plain fun, but e-cigs are also very accessible. While you need to be 18 to purchase a vape in stores, you can order from online vendors at any age. Not only are they easy to get they're also easy to conceal. Many devices are designed to look like pens...

Ashwin Dev Mr. Roddy IHSS 27 September 2018 Sociology Blog Post - Does Religion Still Divide Us?    Although there have been other issues that have a large role in causing both national and international conflict, differences in people's religion have been increasing the amount of hostility, misunderstanding, and conflict throughout different places in the world. If people weren't as divided as we are now, it's possible that a lot of harmful incidents could have been prevented. Religion, mainly in the 21st century, has now begun to separate people into large amounts of believers and non-believers.   A lot of incidents that religion has been associated with include, the 9/11 attacks, the attempt to end existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as well as "slavery, torture, genocide, honor killings, maiming, suicide bombings, kidnapping, arranged marriages to minors, human sacrifice, be-headings, burning of witches, child soldiers,...

I've always wondered why human beings take time out of their day to complain, it seems like such a fruitless effort. But, as a professional complainer myself, I have decided to take it upon myself to see why people partake in such an effort in futility. The first possibility is that people simply complain because it makes them feel better, takes pressure off of one's psyche. It might have a function similar to venting, just letting it out, or getting it off of your chest. A second possibility is that they do it for attention, to get sympathy from others. People do a lot of things to get attention from others, strange clothing, intentionally contrarian opinions, some even go to the extent of physically hurting themselves just for attention. It's very obvious that attention plays a major role in human lives, without it, we literally go insane. A third possibility might just be to have a conversation topic, sometimes if I'm hard pressed for things to talk about I'll j...

Justin Patera Mr. Roddy IHSS September 26th, 2018 Sociology Roundtable: The Performances of the Family The family, to me, holds great meaning when talking about sociology. The first of these is the child's behavior and influences. This is the child’s main source of interaction a large piece of his/her life is the family. Therefore the family will teach him/her all about their traditions, emotional connections and social identity. One other huge thing the family decides, unwillingly, for the child is their social identity. This all depends on what kind of family the child is born into, this has to do with social class, the hierarchy of races which in turn can relate to the child's opportunities throughout their life. Now, although through media, particularly T.V. shows, the family is perceived as a happy and cooperative unit. While the already listed remain true, the family isn’t family and the perfect family doesn’t exist. The family, as I know it, yells, screams an...

In the last few years vaping and e-cigarettes have seen a rise in popularity with teenagers and young adults all because the company Juul. As of late, Juul has been under fire for the way that they appeal to young people, effectively causing kids get nicotine addictions. I wanted to know what Juul does to appeal to teenagers, because I personally know several people who vape and I want to know how they got hooked on Juul. In the article I read from Vox, they cite two main reasons as to why Juul seems so appealing; those reasons being their design and the way they market their product. The design of a Juul makes it look like a flash drive or some sort of tech product which young people are already familiar with. This also allows them to be hidden easily or allow people to use them inconspicuously out in the open. The way Juuls are filled and recharged is a lot simpler than most other vaporizers or e-cigarettes, making it more accessible to people just introduced to it. In my personal ...

During your everyday routine, you exchange many words with people. You talk about your day, about your likes and dislikes, and share secrets and sentiments. When we speak with people, we mostly tend to accept whatever they say as truth. This is partially because we want to, and partially because in that moment, we can't think of a reason for them to be lying. However, the amount of times you lie in even the most mundane of social interactions could shock most people, including maybe yourself.  Lying is typically thought of as a very negative thing, but it is as much of a part of a person's social life as many other things. What counts as a lie can be debatable: From a minor exaggeration to "withholding the truth," dishonest behavior comes in many forms. We start our mornings by watching lies on the TV, followed by listening to our friends lie about what they did over the weekend, and responding with many minuscule lies ourselves. Most of us have accepted lies as a par...

Sports are a common thing that people do to compete with each other, but what do we gain from them taking place? Lets start with individual sports.      Individual sports such as Track or Swimming (Excluding Relays) are the best in my opinion as most people use these to compete against themselves. Athletes try to perfect their form to run faster or do a cleaner flip turn to knock that extra second off their time. In individual sports most athletes don't seem to care as much about beating the other people as long as they themselves improve. I think that this helps people with dedication and commitment, as they will find improvements hard to reach without practice. The beginning of individual sports comes from the want to be better, to be better than others and to improve yourself. The social aspect of individual sports is that people who are more accomplished at them are deemed better than those who aren't as good and seen as a better person for being a faster runner...

Why do we feel the need to judge those with music tastes that don't match our own, when music tastes differ so much in society today? For most of us, our music tastes probably differ from the people around us. Whether one person likes American Pop Music, or if the other likes Country Music, but there is still judgement surrounding the type of music one or another person listens to in society today. This may strike some people as horrible or rude behavior, but it exists. Musical tastes are still used by our society today as a judgment of an entire person's character, or the entire person themselves. For example, loving the latest song by Korean pop band BTS or album is probably, more than likely, to invite insults and judgement, rather than any other type of response because, they represent a type of music that is unfamiliar to most Americans.  First, the dismissal people for their music taste is just a bizarre behavior. So what, BTS, no one is being hurt or harme...

Nathaniel Samuels IHSS David Roddy September 26 2018 In today’s culture, society often looks down on video games, ether being unproductive, or a waste of time. But with many video games, this just isn't the case.  Recent studies show that although in a large quantity video games can negatively affect development, in moderation, playing games helps develop and entertain people from kids to adults.  Firstly, there are different types of games. Often times when someone says gaming as an insult they are referring to games like first or third person shooters, like Grand Theft Auto or Fortnite. Although these games are not as academically challenging as others while still not physically challenging as simply playing outside, there are still benefits to be gained such as faster decision-making. People who play any multiplayer time sensitive battle have to either accept failure or learn to make split-second decisions that could affect whether or not they win. Another bene...

Izabella Curtis Mr. Roddy IHSS 25 September 2018 Plastic Surgery and the Effects on Society              I think everyone at some point in time said "I wish I could change..." Why? Why do we want to change? I believe it has to do with beauty standers. Due to media we have come to believe that changing our body is the only way we can be truly beautiful. Plastic Surgery has become a very popular solution to society's insecurities with patients as young as 13 years old. Plastic Surgery has some major ricks such as: a long recover time (6 months or more), chronic headaches, and breathing problems (For a nose job or botox). When being at 13 years old your body isn't fully developed, so honestly it isn't worth the money or recovery time. Can you imagine being in high school and having obvious sings of plastic surgery? Most people who have plastic surgery try to hide it because it looks so obvious. Plastic surgery can also cause self-esteem iss...

Abby Lynn Dr. Roddy IHSS 9/26/18 Over eighty five million American households own a pet of some kind. Why do so many people enjoy owning pets and what’s the psychological reasoning behind this? Petting or interacting with animals has been proven to release endorphins and help people deal with emotional stress. There are many studies showing that interacting with animals can help people be more productive and happy. On the other hand, being the owner and caretaker of animals can cause the opposite effect. The upkeep and work involved can add extra work and stress to someone’s day yet people still love owning animals. One theory for this explains that seeing someone with a friendly animal immediately makes them seem more trustworthy and as a result they are more accepted by strangers. This theory states that people with pets tend to have a better social life than people without pets. On the other hand, some people own animals to make up for a lack of social...

Brooks Farish IHSS 10 Conformity When it comes to sociology I find conformity to be a huge subject. I have watched a full documentary on this subject yet I have found the article below to be very informative. There are many types of conformity, and we see it many times throughout are daily life. A few common instances are normative conformity, where you will do something because of pressure to “fit in” or maybe informational conformity, in which you may change your personal answer or opinion to join the group answer or opinion. These are just a few common forms of conformity. I myself am guilty of conformity much like I'm sure you are. Everyone wants to feel accepted, it's normal and this is just a route sometimes used to get to acceptance. There really is no solution to conformity nor does it need a solution, but it is an interesting thought. Maybe you will strive to be more unique and different after this exploration into conformity. Link -  https://www.simplypsychol...

Charlie McGill Dr. Roddy IHSS 9.26.18 Gender Inequality in Sports     Sports is a huge part of our society as a whole, so naturally it is a focus in sociology. Sports can bring people or a community together, which it often does, even on large scale levels like cities or for the olympics, countries. It can also get between people, for example if two people live rival teams. But although sports does a lot of good for our community, there is still a large discrepancy between men and women in sports, especially at the higher levels. I will be talking about this gender inequality in this blog post.     In the past, this was an even worse issue. In the 1800’s women's participation in sports was either heavily discouraged or banned. Women didn’t have physical education in colleges until the 1850’s, and basketball, track and field, and softball were considered too masculine until the 1930’s for girls to play, and even then those didn’t become popular ...

In America today, it has become a practice to tip our waiters and bartenders every time we go out. Although tipping is not mandatory, most people do it and it has become a social norm. This is linked to the fact that tips are also a large part of the income of these employees. If you ask anyone the question- What is the reason you tip? A large number of people would respond saying that they tip for the good service, however, this is not the case because when people were asked how much they tipped and how they would rate the service, it was found that there was very little correlation between the two at all. According to Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell University, there are five main motives behind why people tip- to help the server, to show off, to get future service, to avoid disapproval, and out of a sense of duty. Professor Lynn found that tipping was more common in outgoing, extroverted countries. This is reasonable simply because a more outgoing person is more lik...

Drawing is, and has been a universal way for someone to express themselves. Whether they speak the same language or not, anything in a drawing is something that can be interpreted and given its own meaning by anyone. "People enjoy drawing because drawing simulates the universal desire to express oneself." Drawing is a way to let out emotions, especially in a way that may be hard for you to express in words, but you can express through your thoughts. Especially in young children, drawing can be used as a very important tool. Young children often carefully choose what they are going to draw. Many children have similar thoughts or ideas behind drawing, however, depending on the culture, the style and other aspects of the drawing may greatly vary. There are many reasons behind what is drawn by artist depending on what is drawn, where it's drawn and the color it is drawn in. Drawing, especially in young children has always been a way for people to interpret children's feel...

Adrian Perez Ghettos have majorly changed since the time in the 1900's to now. Back then, they were used in World War Two, by the nazis to enslave jews. Now, ghettos is defined by a group of ethnic and cultural group of people living together, and can also be called a public squalor, or the projects. I myself am am hispanic and live in the "ghetto".  Everyone in my neighborhood is hispanic. I guess it is like a cultural group living together. But new study have shown growing up in a bad neighborhood can have long term affects on you as you grow older. Many children by the age of fourteen and fifth-teen have been incarcareted because of stealing, armed robbery etc. I know form personal experience many young people get incarcerated. Fortunately, there are some people who live in such neighborhoods who are being able to see past all the negative around them, and push forward. This is a major topic in our society, there are many "ghettos" all around the Houston ar...

Sarah Powers IHSS 10-26-18 One of the things I do with my friends quite often is party. (just basically listening to loud music all together with those cool party lights). I knew this was a very common social event that almost every teen does, but what I didn't realize was why. Evolutionary psychologists said that gathering in groups and dancing was a way for our ancestors to communicate, bond, and survive. On top of that, those who were able to dance had an “evolutionary advantage”. A french sociologist said how when people are in close contact with others they feel this kind of electricity, and then it is released to others in a close proximity to them. The new term, vibing, is what a lot of teens describe that feeling as, without even realizing it. That feeling resebles something close to a natural “high” which is why many people find themselves really relaxed and euphoric when they are at concerts, bars, parties, etc... So, if you ever need an excuse to go to a party, ju...

     Racism has existed for a long time, more than 5000 years. Most people refer to slavery when they think of racism. You can trace slavery all the way back to the first civilizations of Mesopotamia, where slavery was mentioned in Hammurabi's Code. Back then slaves were prisoners of war, not exactly slaves because of the color of their skin. The first actual slavery based on racism is found in the 14th century Ottoman Empire, during the Byzantine-Ottoman Wars. As the Ottomans gained more land they gained more people, who were all Christian. The Ottomans, being Islamic, saw these people as lesser than them and enslaved them to do manual labor. Before the Ottomans Egyptians also enslaved Arabs. Centuries later, when Europe was in its monarchial stage, white people began to go to Africa. They noticed the natives, and they observed as to how primitive they were. They still had spears, they didn't have clothes, and they weren't intellectual. Noticing these differences, the Eu...

Some women feel like shaving is an absolute yes, like they can't go out in public with body hair, whether that be on their arms or legs or face. Most women fear of being called unhygienic or gross. Others feel like shaving is just a thing some girls do to be more attractive to their either partners or crushes. Although this is true, most of the time girls are pressured to shave because of social norms or beauty standards. The norm is for women to have no hair what-so-ever on their pits, arms, legs... etc. I don't agree with the norms. Some other women who have started and became a part of the "no-shave movement." The no-shave movement is exactly as it sounds, women who stop caring what people think about body hair and don't shave because they don't want to and are comfortable with how they look. One example of a woman who has facial hair is Harnaam Kaur. Ms. Kaur is  rocking a full beard. Although her beard is caused by her  polycystic ovary syndrome, she stil...

Blake Peterson Mr. Roddy IHSS 26 September 2018 Social Norms  Social norms are what people’s beliefs, actions, and attitudes are expected to be. The social norms are what is considered appropriate or inappropriate for people’s behavior. If you do not follow social norms you may be seen as an outcast, you may have few friends, or a lack of social development. People are influenced in different ways by social norms. Social norms change the way people think and act. Some people are affected more than others by social norms. Different groups of people have different norms. An example of a social norm in a school might be to get to class on time because that is what most of the students do so that is what everyone would be expected to do. People respond with approval when others follow the norms well and they don’t approve when others don’t follow the norms. Overall people are greatly affected by the norms and act and live there life based on the norms.

Ren Shimada Mr. Roddy IHSS 26 September 2018 Music & Sociology Music is one of my favorite things in life. It brings excitement and relaxation and plays a huge part in many parts of our social and daily lives. It is a huge part of social bonding which is why music is played at clubs, restaurants, and parties. It also a way to express yourself and is greatly linked to our culture and what the people around us listen to. There is actually a lot of science behind music about how it affects us. It is the same thing for sociology. Music can reveal a lot about someone or a specific culture or generation. In fact, our choices of music are based mainly off of social norms and our cultures. This is why music has such a big influence on popular culture. This is also why different generations like different kinds of music and don’t like music from other generations. Something else that relates to this is a pattern that we’ve seen throughout history with many things. This is how each ge...

There are many benefits of listening to loud music. To people who are suffering from physical pain, the loud music can help them distract themselves from the pain. Loud music has also been shown to help both medicated and unmedicated schizophrenic patients. They listen to loud music do help drown out their loss of reality and delusions. In certain social situations, loud music can help people communicate both non-verbally and verbally. Sometimes to get away or distract themselves from certain social situations, people listen to loud music on their headphones. Most times when people are listening to music with headphones in, it gives them a sense of personal space. It can make it more enjoyable for someone if they are in a situation they would rather not be in to distract themselves. Loud music has been shown to lift people’s moods as well. When listening to loud music, even if it is sad, it will tempt you to get up and dance around or sing along.

Why do we love to gossip? What effect does gossiping have on us? What makes gossiping so intriguing?  For most of us, gossiping helps us to feel included, boost our confidence, or make new friends. Its been proven that you make a stronger connection with someone new by bonding over something you both dislike, rather than something you both like or enjoy. Among both children and elders, gossiping usually takes place when one is feeling insecure or lacks self-esteem and thinks dragging others down will make them look better or feel better about themselves. It is important for you to remember this if you are ever being gossiped about. According to anthropologist Robin Dunbar, our earliest ancestors even gossiped about which men were the best hunters or which women were the best seamstresses! They believed that sharing this information with the community helped them improve their society. In fact, some scientists even call gossip "a glue that binds our society". Ho...

John Mazziotti September 26th, 2018 IHSS Mr. Roddy Why are Shoes so expensive      Humans have developed footwear thousands of years ago dating back to Mesopotamia, but why do some pairs of shoes cost upwards of $1,000? Today there are average shoes that are not very expensive, and are easy to afford because they are around $30-$50. But there is an industry that focuses on shoes that range anywhere from $120-$1,000. Companies like Adidas, Nike, and Vans, have average footwear. But the companies like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton, own the "designer" industry that focuses on shoes that are luxurious and high quality. The wealthy have always had some way to show that they are different than the average person. So the wealthier typically buy expensive clothing or jewelry to show that they are superior financially. This has been going on for awhile because humans typically want to be more significant than their peers. So in conclusion, some individuals with th...

Clark May II Mr. Roddy IHSS 9/26/18 America’s Obsession With Football In the article the main theme talks about how hard it is to get people hooked off of something that has been such a large part of our culture for so many years. Obviously football is an extremely dangerous sport, but it is entertaining, which is the reason why 110 million people watched last year’s Super Bowl. Recently, there have also been a lot of social problems protested throughout the NFL such as black inequality among many other things. Despite all of the dangers, protests and injuries that come along with football, we continue to watch. Within the article there is no reason given as to why viewership hasn’t dropped drastically but I do have a few ideas. I believe the main reason is because in many places you are seen as an outsider if you don’t enjoy, or watch football. Whenever I travel throughout the South, to places like Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and other states, it’s more common to see ca...

Perjhing Mardani 9/26/18 IHSS Acne, blemishes, and scars, are main priorities to cover when wearing makeup for most. Although, when did people start feeling that we HAVE to wear makeup to be beautiful? 44% of women feel obligated to wear makeup or they will be treated differently. I believe that makeup is an art, and we should experiment with it. But, when did it become a necessity to wear makeup everyday? Why do people feel insecure? Having acne comes across as being unhygienic. Acne does not make you unhygienic, it is a part of growing up. I have never struggled with bad acne, but I know others close to me who have. From when I was young I loved playing with my Moms makeup. Not because I wanted to cover up my blemishes, but because it was fun, and made me feel mature. Now, some girls and boys do not feel comfortable in their own skin if they have a blemish. They put on makeup to cover it, but what they need to do is embrace their natural beauty. Makeup does not fill the gap...

What Is Religion? Religion, according to Crash Course, is "a social institution that involves a unified system of beliefs and practices that recognizes the sacred." There are many different religions in the world,  such as Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism, and they are each specific to different cultures and regions. Religion is also something that makes up a large part of a culture.  The man who defined religion was the French sociologist Emile Durkheim. He also gave three major functions of religion. They are as follows: 1. Establish Social Cohesion - uniting people around a shared group of norms, values, and symbols. Religion promotes things like morality and justice 2. Form of Social Control -  people have good conduct because they want to stay on the "good side" of the being they worship 3. Provides a Sense of Purpose - the reason people say their lives matter is because it is part of a grand plan made by a god Religion consists of sy...

Cidette Rice September 26th, 2018 Mr.Roddy Anthropology                                       Do Social Norms Intersect With Self-Improvement? As of late, I’ve noticed many of those who suffer from damaging mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, O.C.D etc. make a concious effort to improve themselves and help reduce the impact of their condition(s). Of course, this is an incredible thing, but I’ve come to wonder whether or not there’s a social impact to it. Are they improving for others? For just themselves? Possibly a mix of both? Let’s see. As a person who has also been looking to make this change, it’s easy to think of the basic steps. My first step was to cut out saying things that deteriorated my self-worth. This includes sayings like ‘I’m trash’ and ‘I’m so awful at this’. After I decided to cut these things out four months ago, I’ve already seen an insane amount of impr...

Asher Forman Mr. Roddy IHSS 25 September 2018 Media has a very big influence on body image. Media has led younger adults into developing eating disorders. It is more typical for a woman to have an eating disorder over a man. This is mainly due to the fact of how women are portrayed on television. Women on television are portrayed as really skinny and beautiful. Watching these women on television, many girls might think that they need to be skinny which will make them beautiful. This leads to girls developing anorexia. For someone who is anorexic, their main focus is losing weight, this drives them to eat small meals and maybe not eat at all. If one were to weigh themselves and they didn’t like it, this could affect their entire day. These are some of the symptoms and side effects that can occur when someone has anorexia. (Mascarelli). A researcher named Anna Becker was very interested in eating disorders. She did her research around the occurrences of eating disord...