Smokers: The Modern Lepers

The role of the tobacco smoker in America has changed dramatically over time. Once regarded as a symbol of wealth and giving the smoker an element of class, smoking is now widely regarded as a social problem that is to be ashamed of.
I lived in the Midwest for about 4 years and it was not an unfamiliar sight to see a billboard spouting something like "Imagine Your Wife a Widower - Quit Smoking Today!" Another common one was the picture of the coughing baby. This one was directed at mothers who smoke. This type of guilt based advertising is not acceptable for all health choices made in America. It is socially unacceptable for someone to harass a severely overweight individual on their health choices, though the two problems are comparable on their impact on human health. Some may say that they are not comparable, because overeating doesn't impact the health of others. Yet, this is not the case. There was even an episode of What Would You Do aired in late 2009 that dealt with the issue of overweight parents having overweight children. An actor addressed a mother of an overweight child, chiding her on her food choices for her daughter. In this instance, the popular opinion was that it was none of anyone else's business what the mother was feeding her child. Would the response have been the same if the woman had been smoking in front of her child, even if she went out of her way to explain to her daughter that it was not a good choice? Probably not.
For a symbolic interactionist's perspective, we have to look at what smoking means. What does it say when someone smokes a cigarette in public to everyone else? To many, smoking is still associated with the criminal and the otherwise defiant. One just has to look at the campaigns on the side of the Trax here in Utah. They are the "Are you a target of Big Tobacco?" ads. The girl has brightly dyed red hair, arm warmers, and heavy boots. The boy has spiked blonde hair and black baggy jeans. It is an assumption that this is a group that is likely to smoke. This reinforces the idea that smoking is viewed as a form of defiance, of going against the norm for no reason other than rebellion. We also have to look at how health is viewed in our society. I found this quote describing attractive, healthy individuals: "In society, attractive people tend to be more intelligent, better adjusted, and more popular. This is described as the halo effect - due to the perfection associated with angels. Research shows attractive people also have more occupational success and more dating experience than their unattractive counterparts." (Feng, 2002) We view healthy, attractive people as even more trustworthy than their sick counterparts. This may help explain why the smoker is so looked down upon.
Smokers are also often viewed as irresponsible, or directly responsible for the ill health effects felt by others. Many anti smoking campaigns are heavily guilt based, especially towards mothers who smoke. I found this description of an ad that appeared in England: "features a young mother, clearly in the terminal stages of lung cancer, who expresses her feelings of guilt and remorse that a cancer caused by her own smoking will soon take her away from her children. In turn, her daughter expresses her anger and grief at the fact that her mother is expected to die shortly as a result of a disease resulting from her smoking." (Fitzpatrick, 2006) There are many, many other health conditions caused by personal choice that cause premature death, such as diabetes or heart disease. We are trained to avoid all unhealthy behaviors, but those associated with deviance and criminality are stigmatized much more heavily than others.

Feng, Charles. "Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty." The Journal of Young Investigators :: JYI.org. Journal of Young Investigators, Dec. 2002. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

Fitzpatrick, Micheal. "The Stigma of Smoking | Dr Michael Fitzpatrick | Spiked." Spiked: Humanity Is Underrated. Spiked, 21 Feb. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. .

Victims of Discrimination vs. Religious Ties

We have begun to overcome many types of discrimination in our world today, but are still struggling with others. The issue of same-sex marriage has been debated for years, and in many states we have resolved to accept it. There are still many people who are not convinced it is ethical or should be legal. Frank Bruni’s article in the New York Times “Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage” calls attention to the fact that statistics are showing certain races or religions to be particularly opposed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/opinion/bruni-same-sex-marriage-and-blacks.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=marriage&st=cse

The sociological viewpoint of conflict theory is a great tool to use to analyze the questions raised by Bruni’s article. First there is the obvious conflict between traditional heterosexual marriages and same-sex marriages place in society. I find the conflicts revolving around the statistics of Blacks opinion of gay marriage more interesting in the context of this article: victims of discrimination vs. religious affiliation. Bruni points out that one might think that people who have suffered discrimination such as Blacks have in the past should see common ground with the gays being discriminated against and support them in their equal rights.

On the other hand, a large percentage of the Black population voting against the legalization of gay marriage are extremely religious, and find that the rules of the bible outweigh the issues of discrimination. I think this might make the statistics quoted in Bruni’s article more an issue of religion rather than race, as most of the focus in the article is put on. Our actions and opinions are often formed by our morals. If these morals are rooted in religion they can change our views of issues such as discrimination.

There are also conflicts between types of discrimination. “African-Americans were enslaved. And during their brutal struggle for justice, they couldn’t make a secret of what set them apart from others, said Henderson, who supports same-sex marriage, during a phone interview Friday” (Bruni). Henderson’s point is that some Blacks feel that the discrimination against gays isn’t the same because they can hide or change the reasons that cause the discrimination against them, unlike issues of Black oppression.

Is sexual orientation really a choice? Should discrimination on a religious basis be tolerated? Conflicting processes of socilization in a person’s development create rifts in people’s opinions about such questions. To lessen these rifts, and come closer to equality for Blacks and gays alike, we need to examine statistics as Bruni’s article does and break down conflicts behind them to find some sort of a solution to inequalities in our world.

Are African Americans victims or perpetrators of racism?

Racism has for a long time in the United States of America been considered a matter based on White supremacy against the ‘poor Black victims’. A recent look at a site ‘rent-a-negro.com’ gave me a completely different insight on what drives racism in this country and just how it is driven. Typically, racism is defined as discrimination against a person or persons by another based on one’s skin color or ethnic orientation. In the recent past, this has greatly changed as we have seen a rise in the ‘victims’ themselves being a part of this process. The site afore mentioned offers the opportunity for any person looking to either create a good impression at work or even at a social event to literally pay to have an African American person with them. The home page of the site has the definition:
“Rent a Negro.com Serves today's changing nations by allowing you the chance to promote your connection with a creative, articulate, friendly, attractive, and pleasing African American person. This service comes without the commitment of learning about racism, challenging your own white privilege, or being labeled "radical." In fact, rent-a-negro.com allows you to use your money and status to your advantage! In addition, your dollars go to support the African American community.”
This definition alone raises a lot of questions of the ethical nature of such a business (or lack of it). According to the content of this definition, the site has no intentions of helping the African American community as they state that “in addition, your dollars go to support the African American community.” What a filthy way to help a community! I’d say that African Americans suffer more of inferiority complex than they do of poverty, it is about how they feel, not how much they earn that matters most. The site helps them with money yes but what does it do to their humanity? It turns them into “goods” they are used to make the same people they claim to undermine them feel better and prosper. Is it not a modernized slavery? Is it a solution to racism? I don’t think it is; the site clearly states that one does not have to be worried about learning about racism or being challenged of their “own white privilege.”
As anyone would expect, the site is run by an African American otherwise it would be a whole racism saga all over the United States. I can’t imagine how the media would frame it and how big a deal it would be if a white person were to run this kind of business. The name of the site itself uses the “N” word that is illegal and almost insulting to use to refer to an African American. This site leaves me wondering if truly African Americans want some change based on their color, and the true meaning of racism. Racism is all about who says what to who and who does what to who; the site still uses the skin color, it exploits black people but it is not racism because a black person does it. Does racism has to be between people of different color?
A functionalism would say that both race activists and human rights activists are failing to do their job well; it is very inhuman to start a business like the one in this site regardless of who runs it or who owns it. Activists should consider targeting both the African American communities as they do target white people. White people might be unconsciously racists due to what they see African Americans do around them. For instance, how would someone respect you if he/she can afford to rent you, use you as she/he feels? The site shocked me and left me wondering if African Americans are victims or perpetrators of racism.

Reference:
http://rent-a-negro.com/index.html

Is polygamy the answer to divorce?

Polygamy/polyandry is the act of having multiple life long partners. It has been around since the beginning of time, but with new reality shows on about every subject possible; it has come to the forefront of social media. The question I pose to you, is a form of polygamy the answer to our high divorce rates?

Most juvenile delinquents in today’s world come from broken homes of either divorced parents or a non-existent parent. The psychological effect this has on children is very saddening. In 2010, 2,077,000 marriages occurred in the United States. For every 1,000 marriages, 3.4 ended in divorce. People are not taking the time needed to select the partner they can live with for the rest of their lives. Instead, they look at marriage as a goal they must accomplish to move forward in life. This leads to a large amount of affairs, as they feel a large disconnect from their marriages. Instead of trying to work things out, people give up, and go back to searching. According to divorcerate.org, people are 60% more likely to divorce a second time if their first marriage fails. That statistic jumps to 73% if their first two fail. This sociological issue is out of control, and needs to be examined in more detail.

One solution that many will deny is polygamy/polyandry. One of the largest reasons for divorce is adultery or infidelity. Men and women alike become sexually disconnected with their partners and search for that connection with others. Polygamy seems to answer all these issues. Men are the more likely to wander into affairs. If they have more than one wife, they won’t feel disconnected from them all. Woman with more than one husband can feel sexually free. Many view polygamy as a terrible evil, but for an odd reason we think of adultery as much more acceptable? I feel cheating or committing adultery is the worst possible thing you could do to your partner. If polygamy were more accepted I feel it would significantly lower the divorce rate, while also lower the burden of women in the home. With more than one to help clean, cook, and take care of the children, the amount of stress would decrease significantly. The question still remains though, is polygamy the answer? That’s for your own interpretation.

What's School for Anyway?

Dakota Hawkins

Last class, we watched part of a documentary about higher education in America. The film wasn't very flattering of our system: grade inflation, apathy, and uninterested teachers seem to plague the system. It's interesting to consider reality of college verse the perception of college.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but when I was in high school, there was a leviathan perception of college. On one end, it was a non-stop party. Drinking alcohol, participating in drug use, and rampant sex were all suppose to be part of your college experience. On the other hand, we were suppose to better ourselves: become worldly individuals with the ability to think our way through problems that before would be unsolvable; we would "find" ourselves, and do not forget how much work college was suppose to be.

Did this perception hold up to reality? Probably more so in the first description than the second. Westminster kids like to party, and school really isn't that hard. Maybe this is just personal experience, but I have a few friends who are more likely to snort cocaine on a Tuesday instead of studying for their test they have the next day. Yet, college students are lionized in the our society: we are the future; we will discover things never before thought of, and while our political views may be a little radical at times, we will change the world. By no means does one instance of a friend doing drugs over studying account for, or represent, college students across the board, but it is observable behavior present in more than just one individual.

Should we talk about the other perception now? Am I a better person now that I'm in college? Probably not. Actually, I'm less aware of what is going on in the world. Everyday in high school I would read the New York Times, that doesn't happen often now-a-days. Yes, I read snippets of articles and listen to NPR and Democracy Now when I feel up for it, but to say I better understand the world and am I better person because of college would be fallacious in the least.

This brings me to a point that I think is important to consider in our education system: grades. What are they and why do they exist? Are they necessary for us to understand and learn material? No, of course not. That would imply that I could not learn anything outside of school because the institution of grades is not present. We know this isn't true. So if they don't help us learn, at least in any measurable quantity, why do they exist? To compare us with other students. If the education system was purely about learning and bettering oneself, grades and comparisons would not be necessary: there would be no reason for grades because the end goal of education would be to learn, not to see who has learned "better," (assuming this is something that can even be measured by grades). The absence of learning as a major goal in higher education seems even more prevalent given a recent study published that found college students actually learn very little in the first two years of college. I'm not saying that grades are the reason why colleges have been failing to adequately teach students, but simply making the statement that education seems to be less important than grades. The problem seems to be a lack of challenge in classes and too much emphasis on grades.

Source: http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/125979/

Violence in the Home

Spouse battering is a social issue that has been around for years and years. It can happen to anyone regardless of who you are. It is defined as someone causing abuse, physical and emotional, to an adult or child through behaviors in which to gain control over another. This includes partners who are married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian: living together, separated, or dating. Abuse on the other hand is defined as intentionally or recklessly causing, or attempting to cause bodily injury, as well as treating a person with cruelty and/or violence. Abuse can be physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual.

Physical abuse is when physical force is used against some ones right and it injures or endangers that individual. Sexual abuse is a form if physical abuse. This is when a person is forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activities. Even if your spouse or intimate partner forces sexual relations, this is an act of aggression and violence. Signs of abuse and some control tactics include jealousy, isolation, threats and intimidation, economical abuse, self-esteem diminishment, general control, obsessive intrusions, and passive-aggressiveness/withdrawal. The most obvious sign of being in an abusive relationship is fear of your partner.

You don’t have to be physically assaulted to be a victim of abuse. Not all abusive relationships involve violent behavior. Both men and women suffer from emotional abuse. Emotional abuse (also know as psychological abuse) involves verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shame. It is overlooked and minimized more so than it is not. It is even overlooked by a person experiencing it first hand because they aren’t aware it is considered abuse. Just because it isn’t physical, that doesn’t mean that emotional abuse is less destructive. For those in emotionally abusive relationships, they may experience the feeling of diminished self-worth and independence. They’ll feel like there is no way out of their relationship as well as feeling like they’ll have nothing without their abusive partner. Emotionally, the scars can run much deeper than those from physically abusive relationships. In which, they both are extremely damaging and dangerous.

There seems to be a cycle or pattern that domestic violence falls into. This pattern is made up of abuse, guilt, excuses, “normal” behavior, fantasy and planning, and set-up (Smith & Segal, 2011).

Abuse is the first part of the cycle and happens when the abusive partner lashes out with aggressiveness, belittling, or violent behavior. The abuser likes control, so this tactic is used as a power play to show who is in charge. Secondly, we have guilt. Once the victim has been abused, the partner feels guilty. Unfortunately it’s not because of what they did. The abuser is concerned about the consequences they might face if they get caught for acting out abusive behavior. Moving on to excuses, the abuser starts to rationalize what they just did. They don’t want to own up to the abusive behavior so they blame the victim and make up an array of excuses to avoid responsibility. In order to regain control over the victim, the abuser acts out “normal” behavior, also known as the honeymoon phase. They’ll act as if nothing has happened and work their charm. They may even buy lavish gifts and attempt a sincere apology. This gives the victim hope that the abuser has changed, but in a matter of short time everything is the way it was before. This part of the cycle is short lived and quickly moves into the next phase, fantasy and planning. This is when the abuser dwells on things the victim has done because they fantasizes on beating them again. Before you know it, fantasizing becomes reality. Lastly, before the cycle starts over, is the set-up. The abuser sets up the victim and puts his plan into action. This allows the abuser to feel like his abusive behavior is justified.

Wives are not the only ones who are abused these days. Husbands are victims of being slapped and shoved with the same frequency as wives are. Obviously though, the most physical damage is suffered by women. More than 10% of all murder victims are killed by spouses (Zastrow, 2010). Women are known to endure malice longer then men because they feel trapped due to financial insecurity and lack of employment. Domestic Violence from husbands, male partners, or other family members happens so often that violence is the major cause of injury to women (Zastrow, 2010). Male spouses who severely beat their wives don’t have high divorce rates. The wives do not seek to leave their husbands are most likely to stay in the home if (1) there is an infrequency in violence, (2) they grew up being abused as children by their parents, or (3) believing they are financially dependent on their husband.

Today, it is estimated that as many as five million spouses, primarily wives, are abused each year. The U.S Attorney General’s office estimates that at lease ninety-four percent of all cases of spouse abuse involve a man beating a woman (Kendall, 2010). Recovery from such trauma is no easy task. Fortunately, we have many organizations that help assist and treat victims and perpetrators who suffer with domestic violence. A highly respected agency that provides domestic violence therapy is called Cornerstone Counseling. This organization is part of Volunteers of America. Their goal on the Domestic Violence team is to provide intensive treatment for perpetrators, adults, and children who are survivors of abuse. Available therapy is individual and group psychotherapy, child play therapy, couples, marriage, and family therapy. Improving the quality of life for their patients is one of the main focuses, as well as helping individuals overcome the hardship of domestic abuse and treating psychological conditions.

Majority of the therapy sessions is group therapy. Perpetrators are always in groups. They are almost always court ordered for treatment. On average, state law requires 24-26 sessions for perpetrators. Survivors of domestic abuse are often referred to Cornerstone Counseling by shelters, work force services, and self-referring. The number of sessions of treatment for survivors depends a lot on the amount of funding involved. On average though, they are scheduled for a year of therapy. Once the year is up, they are then re-evaluated. Children therapy is specific to each child’s needs. They have play therapy that helps with expressing experiences and working out fears and anxieties. Even with therapy, there still is a high rate of recidivism. Although they know it’s unsafe to do so, they have a hard time not slipping back into their comfort zone. At that point, the therapists and family hope treatment has educated them enough to survive. Something unique about Cornerstone Counseling is the Spanish speaking domestic violence treatment. They also have a research program with clients to better treat them. Recovery at Cornerstone Counseling and any other organization involved in domestic violence is very broad. Therefore, the staff does their best to better the lives of patients and to achieve their main goal, Stop The Violence!

References:

Kendall. D. (2010). Social Problems in a Diverse Society, Fifth edition. Boston, MA. Pearson Education, Inc.

Zastrow, C. (2010). Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering People. Tenth Edition. Belmont, CA. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

Jones, D. (2006). Domestic Violence Incidence and Prevalence Study. Salt Lake City, UT. Dan Jones & Associates.

Hamel, J., Pratt, D., Harris, C. (2010). Domestic Violence Today. San Rafael, CA. John Hamel & Associates.

Smith, M., Segal, J. (2011). Domestic Violence and Abuse: Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationships. Helpguide.org. A Trusted Non-Profit Resource.

Cornerstone Counseling Center (2011). Domestic Violence Counseling. Salt Lake City, UT. Volunteers of America-Utah.

2+2=...um: American Education System

Ask any parent in the US and they will say next to their child's safety, comes education. Education is the gateway to social mobility. With a GED, one can procure remedial work, but can still be self-sufficient. With a Bachelors degree, you can be assured that your pay grade will be slightly higher than average. And with a higher degree such as a masters or doctorate, a person can be confident in having a substantial career. With so much promise in the world of education, who wouldn't make the most of a learning opportunity? Sadly, the drive to become a proficient academic has floundered in America.

According to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and development, the US educational system is ranked 14th internationally, receiving scores of 487 in math and 502 in science from a scale is out of a possible 1000 points; scores that are described as being average. Why is it that the country regarded as the most powerful and affluent in the world, has the education system behind 13 other countries? Should we not be at the tippy-top of all lists? The answer can be explained by observing the higher educational system (college and up).

In the documentary "Declining by Degree: Higher Education Risk", systemic flaws are exposed to the viewer. It was determined that 44% of all professors are part-time workers. Another startling statistic is that half of all students accepted to a four year university eventually drop-out. This could be said to show how hard our institution, but this however is not the case. Instead of focusing on ensuring information sticks with a student and knowledge of how to apply it in real-world situations, information is spewed at the students in hopes that it all is absorbed by the the individual in their half-awake state of mind. Why have we gone to such an impersonal and un-interactive format? Who is to blame for all this? The answer my friends is the economic pressure educational systems are subjected to.

The problem first arises at the lower educational levels (elementary and high school). Because schools receive money and grants based on standardized test scores, teachers have adopted a method of teaching based solely around the tests. This in turn shifts the learning experience from practical, comprehensive knowledge of subject to teaching students how to effectively take tests. It seems that the passion to spear-head future generations to greater success has fallen victim to the desire for more money, and job security. This style is also relevant in higher education institutions.

Professors in college are not as concerned if students actually retain knowledge, it is more about if the children pass the class. retention of students ultimately is the determinant if the professor is welcomed back the next year. It is broken down to basic economics: more students passing classes leads to more students paying tuition, more tuition received the greater the revenue for the university, and the more revenue the university is able to bring in allows it to expand and recruit more incoming students the next year; thus perpetuating this vicious cycle that leaves many students lost in the wind. The emphasis seems to be more inclined to increase the university's prestige rather than train a highly effective work force. Because the drive is to ensure there is a high GPA on campus, poor teaching techniques are utilized by the staff.

Grade inflation is a huge problem on college campuses. For fear that if they grade to harshly they may lose their job, professors give higher grades on papers (such as C+s and Bs) that traditional exemplify a piece of work deserving of a D or C. This robs the students of knowing what they need to improve on and teaches them that they can just float through the courses. Class size also plays into this as well. A professors consumed by three classes, each with 150 plus students, doesn't have the time to give critical attention to each paper. Curving of grades and deliberate inflation of student work creates an atmosphere of, "oh i can breeze through the information right before the test and still expect at least a C." A sample of students in the documentary went on to describe that 50% of all students attending four year programs spend less than 15 hours a week studying. Not only has this system taught students a slacker-mentality when it comes to school, but economic strains also hurt the professors ability to teach as well.

In most universities, tenure (or a permanent job placement) is given to professors with the most research. How well students actually retain knowledge comes second to the institutions desire for higher prestige. This creates a dilemma for professors at these universities: should i publish as many studies as possible so I can have a guaranteed salary or focus on actually teaching my students? It would appear that selfishness has gained hold of the majority of these professors. In large universities, teaching assistants, not even actual professors, lead classes in power point format; while the actual professor is off conducting their own research. With this, we see a lack of traditional teaching skills in professors, as they are more specialized in their individual areas of research. Loss of the teacher and replacement by a graduate student is a severe blow to the learning environment.

It seems that this trend will continue to characterize the US educational system, unless a HUGE paradigm shift happens. Gone are the days of actual teaching (ensuring that training and knowledge is gained for future application), and that has now been replaced by professing (Spitting out information & hoping that it sticks with the students). This unethical cycle of greed and economic motivation must stop if we are to seriously improve the state of learning in America. However, education is most often the victim of budget cuts (as seen in the crises in California) when a state faces economic hardship. Change needs to start with those who are in charge of our learning.

Teachers, why is it that you were first lured to the field of education? I doubt that it was to become rich. No, i believe that a traditional teacher pursued a career in education to truly have a significant effect on future generation, and had a deep desire to make the world a better place. The role of a teacher was once revered as a honorable position to hold, but now it is seen as an unfavorable occupation. We must rekindle the flame of genuine passion in the learning process! The administration at universities must look within their selves and have a conscious discussion on what is more important: money or the improvement of our society as a whole. My vote is for the later of the two options. Until they have a deep conversation with their selves and realize the error in there ways, this system of economics driven learning will lead us into a great depression of knowledge; which is something we cannot afford to do.