Tough Guise & Sex in America

In the film "Tough Guise", Jackson Katz claims that masculinity is socially constructed to be strong and violent towards others in search for respect. Katz point stands out, that masculinity is purely invisible to the naked eye, we don't notice why men are being tough until we fully examine it. This is true in so many ways, especially that most women motivate the "Tough Guise" than those who are aboslutely nothing like them, which results to men acting more masculine in regards to the sexuality provided by women.

"Sex in America: How many Partners Do We Have?" claims that through time sexual activities are more open to the young as opposed to the past where sex wasn't too active, which result in the newer generation having more sexual partners than those of the past generation. Married American couples seize to open to this fact because they are more dedicated to one another.

With the culture we are living in today, society is building quite rapidly to sexuality regardless of age. Men being more masculine and earning respect from women can provide more sexual activity with many other women in an individual male's lifetime.

Race Matters

In the article "Race Matters" by Cornel West, the author claims that racial discrimination is still lurking within America till this day. For many years racial differences has taken its place between Blacks and Whites. The belief in America that Whites are more suprerior than any other race, also known as "White Supremacy," has given a fact that discrimnation is still beared in society. White Supremacy overwhelmes those of color, which makes those feel less forunate than White Americans.

As I was reading this article, I felt the need to look back at the past leaders of our country and came to realize that we live in a multiracial country runned by white indiviuals. It seems that through time the more we advance through the regulations of the American democracy, white supremacy stays the same. For instance, our country has been run by 43 white presidents, now that Barack Obama has been president, shouldn't whites be as overwhelmed that their supremacy is being lowered by a multiracial president? 

Racial Stratification and Education in the United States

Everyday we are ranked based on our income, neighborhood, gender, etc. but education plays the largest role on power and prestige. With that at hand, racial differences are just another problem within schools in the United States. In the article "Racial Stratification and Education in the United States: Why Inequality Persists" by John U. Ogbu, the author claims that Black Americans are still facing the issue of racial inequality, not only economically, but educationally as well.

I felt the article really stood out, Ogbu explains how many Black Americans are ranked low on education. The author lets us realize "segregation, unequal resources and rewards, perception and treatment of blacks in schools, and community forces" are ways that racial stratification affect black education, which lower ranks accordingly.

I work near a Middle School where, I believe is populated with mostly Black Americans and I could easily pick out those who are failing their classes. Not in a sense of judging individuals, but by the regulations NOT offered by the school. As opposed to schools in New Jersey, where I went to school, (which was filled with White Americans) where discipline and regulations stand out. I believe schools offer the confidence an individual should have to stay with their education. That's why, based on my personal experience, I've noticed most students near my job here in New York are not as disciplined as those who I graduated with in New Jersey.

People Like Us

"People Like Us" is an interesting documentary about those who judge others by class. The video gives an example why and how others do their judgement based on income, race, education, location, and so on. Class conflict shows individuals how powerful and influencial those of higher class can be opposed to those that are lower.

I believe a greater class is influenced by the higher class because they show more power with the money they hold. With the majority of society attempting to be "classy" they must appear to be in a higher class or try to change your class all together to show society that they are higher than they appear. For example, in the video the women show that they must appear to be high class by how they dress, talk, gesture, etc. and with this, they appeared to show the rich people, in the party that they had attended, that they can appear as rich as they are. Appeance and presentation is key to class conflict.

"Positive Functions of the Undeserving Poor"

     This passage by Herbert Gans explains the role and uses that play upon the underclass in society. The rich part of society looks down on the poor and at the same time tries to regulate the underclass. Regulation of the underclass occupies many parts of society by creating more jobs like police or security, it also obtains new social norms such as looking down on nonmartial and/or teenage pregnancy.

     Gans' set of positive functions, consisting of 13 total specific functions, on the undeserving poor give a reason why society still runs as the underclass play a huge role in society. The poor give examples of why the development and economic rate reduce in society. It also changes the way invidividuals see their lifestyle, for example, a child from a lower class may develop low grades in school than a child from a upperclass who may have high grades, because they have more to look forward to than a child from a lower class does.

The poor gives us a reason to run our society better.

A story I found on http://www.brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=352813

Quote :

"Homeless people are good for something So today I am eating breakfast at Phillipe's, a famous spot in LA. I go to the bathroom to piss, and all the urinals are occupied so I have to use a stall. As I am pissing someone calls me and instead of just waiting till I was done like a normal person, I fumble with my cell...and drop my car keys right into the toilet bowl. I stood there for a good ten seconds contemplating what the fuck I had done. Not only was my piss in the bowl, the water was yellow when I got there...and there were shit marks on the side of the bowl. I momentarily contemplated just ditching it and buying a new car, but even though I am doing well financially, I'm not doing anywhere near that great. Well what the fuck do I do now? I am not putting my hand in there. Then it popped into my head: I went a block away to where I had seen a bunch of homeless people hanging out (LA is crawling with disgusting vagrants) and walked up to a group of them: Tucker "Any of you want to make ten dollars? All you have to do is get my keys out of the toilet at Phillipes." They kinda stood there staring at me for a minute, then one of them agreed and followed me to the bathroom. When he saw the toilet, he paused and said, "Do you have the money?" I produced the cash and without missing a beat he reached into the yellowish brown water like it was a mountain spring and grabbed them. He tried to hand them to me: Tucker "What the fuck? Put them in the sink." He placed them under the faucet, I gave him the money and he left. Then I let the water run over them for five minutes, got a cup of bleach from the busboy, and let them soak while I ate. This was the only time in my life I have ever been happy that homeless people exist."



Deviance

Social deviance leads to public awkwardness whether illegal or not. From picking your nose, to walking backwards on a sidewalk, to robbing a bank, society finds their way to avoid and reject those who bring awkward attention. We see deviance everywhere, and the most common deviant acts are tolerated more than the uncommon, such as, graffiti artists doing what they love, over someone talking to themselves very loudly.

We all perform deviant acts. Whether we think its deviant or not, society thinks it in a different way. We grow up to learn all these social norms so that we do not embarrass ourselves. Almost like an act of survival to show society that we are not refusing to follow the rules that are appropriate in public, otherwise they would avoid the individual acting deviant. 

On the other hand, Deviance is used in many other ways to show justification. Seems ironic, but in most cases, deviance brings high attention. Take for example Rosa Parks during the Civil Rights movement; as an African American, she stood up and took her place in the front of a bus, in which often segregates white people from colored people. Acts like these show that deviance can make a difference when used correctly.

  

Socialization of Men & Women

In the Speech "Killing Us Softly," Jean Kilbourne claims that advertisements are spoiling the minds of the consumers with inappropriate messages. These advertisements are mostly centered through women, as they are used as so called "objects" which represent the beauty and sexuality within the majority of society. Take for example, women models, which portray an example to other women how they should look to show "beauty." Killbourne also argues that advertisements degrade women over men, and that men are least to be used as an object as women are to be.

                                                                                                                                    

Tony Porter claims in his speech "A Call To Men," that the majority of men are socialized to become a higher power than women, to become masculine and strong. His definition of this collective socialization is based of a list of masculinity called the "Man Box", which include not to cry or express emotions, be a protector, be heterosexual, view women as property, and so on. Porter expands his views on his personal experiences, which include, sex at a young age to feel like a man within a group of men. We are socialized by other men, much like our fathers, to be masculine and stay strong.

                                                                                                                                    

These two speeches represent a lot of how men and women are socialized to be how the majority of society is. From advertisements, to influence, to whatever we experience, we become and interpret how we think and see masculinity and femininity should be, which can socialize us all to be the same.