Jail Bird -

Over the past few days in class, we read, watched, and discussed the criminal justice system. Cracks in the system become obvious as the film, that we watched, progressed. It seemed that most of the people in jail were minorities and were poor. Most of them had been in jail on several occasions. One inmate, who was in his 50s, said he had been in the system since he was 14 years old. He has become so dependent on the the environment that he has in jail, that he doesn't know how to live anywhere else. The system that we've created, doesn't allow for the inmates to ever get out. If we could come up with a way or an organization that would allow for the inmates to recover from any sort of addiction or to help them with mental or emotional disabilities, than I think that the number of inmates that the United States has, would dramatically decrease.

Freaks and Geeks

During class we watched the TV show Freaks and Geeks in order to relate it what we've been learning about deviance in class. In the show, you can see how Lyndsey is seen as deviant in the eyes of both her old and new friends. The old friends that she has see her as becoming an out of control party girl. However, the new friends that shes with think that she is a goody two shoes. Both friend groups see her as being deviant.This deviance sometimes isolates her from everyone. Its the same way in the real world. When people see someone that does something that is really good or really bad, we label them as deviant. Those random acts of kindness that we had to do for our project, really seemed to impact people. Something as simple as buying dinner for someone, could have changed their day. But people don't always accept the gift. A lot of times they think you want something from them, because you did something nice for them.They label you as out of the ordinary.

Deviance

Every society has its norms and its expectations of the way you should act. They are followed by the people who have grown up in the society, but can be a stumbling block for the people who do not. Foreigners can violate these norms, and be accused of being deviant. Whether it be something serious or something the society considers unnatural, it can lead to misunderstanding. In class we mentioned the example of someone picking their nose. We think it is something that is disgusting and isn't appropriate for a grown person to do. Anyone who does do the habit is labeled as deviant. This label can lead to a shunning from the society, or other casting out. The rules of norms, set boundaries for what is deviant and what is not. However, one form of deviance may not carry over from one society to the next. Each society has something different that is considered deviant.

Self Image

Over the past week, class discussion has been about advertising and self perception. The focus has been on how girls are objectified in the media. According to the media, women are supposed to be thin, fragile, weak, nameless, objects. Men on the other hand, are constantly told they need to be strong, clever, and powerful. The class watched multiple videos in class about the digital modifications that editors do on models. These modifications include to make them look thinner, taller, have better hair, larger eyes, longer neck, whiter teeth and prettier skin. The women that every girl tries to look like doesn't exist. After seeing all of the modifications that people put into women's pictures, I wonder if they do the same for men. In one of the videos that we watched, the director seemed to be making a much stronger case for the effect that media has on women instead of men. Do the media images really not have the same effect on men as it does on women? I find that hard to believe. Girls are CONSTANTLY thinking about the way they look. They compare themselves to the girl next to them in class. And most likely, a girl will think (at least once) that the reason that guy is now with that girl, is because shes thinner and prettier. It doesn't matter if its true or not, because we make it true to ourselves. Which in my opinion is the last step to ruining yourself. When you convince yourself of something, you rarely change your mind. It doesn't matter who tells you otherwise. If you think your too fat, too ugly, too this, too that, then that's what you are. Period. I think we need to start getting to girls younger with this image of a beautiful person (regardless of looks), earlier in their lives. High school, is simply too late.

Service Project -

For my service opportunity, I was able to go to Myanmar. After the 36 hour trip, I was able to go around the country and help out at orphanages. The kids there were super sweet and they loved to be with you. When we would get out of the car, we would be swarmed by all the kids trying to hold your hands, touch your hair, or carry your bag. We were able to hang out with the kids and to play games and do crafts with them. It was interesting to see the kinds of traditions that they have and to see how their culture is a mix of India, China, and Vietnam. The food is mostly Chinese and Vietnamese. However, many Indian themes, like their writing, look Indian. The people there are so warm and friendly. They work hard for the little that they have and they seem very content with what they have. They never seemed to feel sorry for themselves and always had a smile on their faces.