Week 10 Social Change

Out of the 23 classes I have taken at De Anza, this class is definitely a class that has impacted my life and way of thinking. I will continue to use what I learned in this class this quarter to better myself and the people around. One of the most important things I have learned from this class to be sociologically mindful of everything going on around me.

Learning how to be sociologically mindful of everything and everyone gives you the ability to understand that not everything is what it seems. For example I feel that now I have the skills and knowledge to understand that everyone has a different situation and not everyone has an equal chance of meeting the same goal. I have also learned that the reasons these people may not have an equal chance of meeting a certain goal is not because of the person they are but because of the resources that are available to them. I believe this is a very important lesson to learn because people often have the misconception that everyone has an equal chance at success.

Another thing I have learned from this class is the concept of reading indexes. I never realized how a small action could have so much meaning and effect society as a whole. Knowing this allowed me to think about all the small actions the people around me do that effect everyone in the larger picture, such as smoking. I learned that smoking is not just personal choice because it effects everyone who comes in contact with the person who has made the personal choice to smoke.

I hope that with the knowledge I have gained from this class and all the readings we did that I can better myself as a person that can then better the people around them and make progress to society. Just by me being more aware and sociological of the things around me I will be making a difference to society. Change always starts with one person's action being different than everyone elses' around them.

T.O.U.C.Ch. Update

I did all of my T.O.U.C.Ch. community service hours during the first half of the quarter but I did only posted one blog. Therefore I thought I should post another blog as a follow up of how I felt about my experiences with the kids in Watsonville.
First of all I went to the Calabasas Elementary School five times and each time was more interesting than the last. I really enjoyed the last few times I went because the kids began to recognize me and each time they became more comfortable with me and I found it easier to get them to cooperate with me to help them out.

On one of trips I worked with two young boys in the fourth grade with their math homework and then reading. I realized while working with them that they the kids are exhausted by the time school is over and it is really hard for them to be serious and concentrate on their present assignment. After noticing this I tried to make the assignment more fun to do by talking to them like a "kid". Instead of seeming serious and authoritative like their teacher usually are I tried to joke around with them just to losen them up bit. After they had a few laughs I found that it was easier to get them to think about the question they were working on and it was easier to get them to work together to figure out the solution.

After all the hours I spent at Calabasas Elementary School I learned that these students have all the same capabilities as other students. They just need someone to understand their situation and help them overcome their fears of working on a problem and getting it wrong or reading a book and not being able to pronounce some of the words. I learned that if you can be understanding of these kids they tend to appreaciate your help more and they gain more from your prescense. Working with T.O.U.C.Ch. is definitely an experience that has impacted me for the better.

Week 8 Gender

I am a female and therefore fall in the female gender category. I would say that I am attached to my assigned gender because I follow many of the gender rules for females. I wear "girl" clothes, I wear makeup, I pluck my eyebrows, I shave my legs, and so on. These are some of the simple actions that help solidify my gender so that there are never any doubts as to what gender I am. Apart from doing these things I do also do some things that are not considered "lady-like". For examples I have always loved climbing fences and jumping off swings. These usually actions associated with boys. Also I tend to talk like a guy, which means that I speak pretty bluntly. (So I have been told.) Although I wear "girl" clothes I wear all types. I will not always be in a dress or skirt, I will most likely be in jeans and a t-shirt and converse.

There are advantages and disadvantages to being a male or female. In addition the advantages could be described as disadvantages and the disadvantages could be described as advantages. For example one of the advantages of being a female is that people tend to be kinder towards you, they open doors for you, they have more sympathy for you, and there is always that rule, "ladies first". Some of these can be seen as advantages but they can also be seen as disadvantages. They can be seen as numerous ways that woman are treated like delicate creatures rather than the independent people they are, just like men.

One of the biggest disadvantages of being a female is having to be aware of your surroundings all the time. In general everyone should be aware of there surroundings, but females must be extra careful because they tend to be victims of violent crimes more often than males. Therefore if I were born a male the biggest difference to my life would be that I probably would not feel as scared walking to my car at night or going anywhere alone.