Blog #6: Sociology is...

We began this class with an activity to help define the term sociology. 

As previously discussed, Sociology is the scientific study of group behavior.  Now that most of us have spend two weeks practicing social distancing, make some generalizations about some group behaviors that you have seen while quarantined.  This could come from personal experience or anything that you have seen in the news.  What kind of group behaviors have been exhibited by your fellow Americans?  Why are people acting the way that they are?  What do you think they are thinking?  Feeling?  Is there behavior deviant?  Are their life chances being determined by their social class in this pandemic?  How important is social interaction?  What impact is social distancing or even social isolation having on people's brains? 

You are not required to cite sources for this blog entry unless you reference something from the news. 

Don't forget this is still due on Friday and the comments are due on Monday.  Same time as usual. 

Blog #5 Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020

Never did I think I would be teaching from the friendly confines of my favorite recliner in my house!  However, this is the reality I am facing right now. 

Schools are closed.  The IHSA has shut down the end of winter sports and the beginning of spring sports.  March Madness is cancelled. There are no NBA games.  MLB sent everyone home from Spring Training.  Restaurants are closed for dining.  There is no toilet paper!!!!!!  The list goes on and on. 

Yet, I believe that we will find a way to persevere and get through all of this because we have each other.  We won't turn our backs on our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.  Things will get better at some point and we will all not take our freedoms for granted in the future. 

What are your thoughts about all of this?  How has your life been impacted by this?  There are plenty of connections that you can make to Sociology.  What are they? 

This blog assignment will continue through the end of the semester.  It is a a way for all of us to read each other's thoughts and most importantly, DISCUSS what we are thinking and feeling.  It gives us a chance to connect to others and we all will desperately need that contact as we are quarantined.   The blog will still be due every other Friday.  Comments will still need to be made by Mondays at 8:30am.

You are not required to write on this prompt.  You can still write on something of your liking as long as you can connect it to Sociology.  Don't forget to use a hyperlink and incorporate that into what you are writing.   

Post #3: Gender Roles

Imagine you have just moved in to your first house with your new spouse!  Let's think about how your new household will function... Who's responsibility will it be to cook dinner?  Do the laundry?  Clean the house?  Take care of the kids?  In more American families than not, the answer is "the wife". 

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), women spend on average 242 minutes (about 4 hours) per day doing unpaid work; men average about 148 minutes (about two and a half hours) per day.  Now let's compare these numbers to paid work.  Women spend about 241 minutes (about 4 hours again) doing paid work, and men spend about 322 minutes (about 5 and a half hours) per day.

So what is the big deal with all of these numbers?  On average worldwide, women spend twice the amount of time doing unpaid work; while men spend more time on paid work and leisure activities.  And the differences start at an early age.  According to a University of Michigan study, American girls ages 10-17 spend about 2 hours more than boys on chores each week; however, boys are 15% more likely to be paid for doing chores.  Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft's Bill Gates, says, bluntly, "we need to call work what it is--work--whether you do it at home or whether you do it out in the labor force, and then give men and women options to choose what they want to do."  Many agree that it is time to close the time gap, and sociologists, like Diane Elson, believe that "unpaid work must be recognized, reduced, and redistributed". There must be behavioral changes in the household and cultural changes across the US in order to reduce this gap.

What do you think about the unpaid time gap?  Who does the majority of the unpaid work in your family?  How do you envision your future household operating?  Do you think we can change this time gap to give women a more equal standing in the household and the work force? Explain your thoughts.

You can refer to the article, "How Society Pays When Women's Work is Unpaid" from the New York Times if you would like more information.

And for the record, as a teacher who leaves work earlier than his spouse, he often hears "Hey Honey!  What is for dinner?" as it is HIS responsibility to not only cook dinner each evening, but also pick up the kid(s) after school when they were younger.  

Every once in a while on the way home, my youngest daughter would ask me "What is for dinner tonight?" I sometimes would answer "I don't know.  I am tired of cooking so ask your mother when she gets home."  A big smile would brighten up the back seat as she responded to me..."So where are we eating out tonight?"   

Remember to respond in 20 complete sentences and use a video, picture, or article which is hyperlinked in your response.     

Post #2: Immigration Reform

Immigration reform is a controversial topic right now in the United States. The government is presently constructing a wall between the U.S. and Mexico in order to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this country.

Do you think that the language change in Miami, Florida, (as discussed on page 45 in our textbook) is an indicator of the future of the U.S.? Why or why not?  What kind of impact would immigration reform(s) potentially have on American culture (if any)?

Be sure to write 20 complete sentences and include a hyperlink to an article or video that you discussed in your blog post.

Post #1: Who am I?

Write a blog entry that defines who you are.  Explain to the class what makes up the person you are.  What makes you unique? What are the biggest influences in your life?  What are your goals/purposes in life? Remember, you must write a minimum of 20 sentences and this entry is due on Friday, January 24th at 1:30pm. Good luck! And may the force be with you....always!