Shift happens

Wow!! After watching the Shift happens video online and listening to the podcast it does certainly prove that shift happens. The fact that we are preparing children for jobs that do not yet exist is quit alarming but at the same time now that we know this we can try to start them early in better schools and better prepare them for the future. It is important to remember that we can not learn less, we can only learn more. The future of America is also very alarming. What will happen if or when all the jobs we as Americans do get shipped to China or other places where they are smarter or charge less money? Our nation will be in a worse state than it is now, can it get any worse? I found it interesting that many of today's college majors didn't even exist ten years ago and that the number of college graduates in 2006 in America was significantly lower than the number in China and India. The video proves that shift does happen but also proves that America and its people need to get on the ball. It will be like playing catch up but will we even be able to?
Its good to know all of these things so that we can analyze and better prepare ourselves and our children for the very competitive world and our hustle and bustle society. The education starts at home and is reiterated at home as well.

Urbanization

The issues with urbanization are very important to understand for the global economy and the the world as a whole. There have been many changes in rural areas within the past few years. I currently live in Woodbridge Virginia and the amount of construction sites and road work seems to have sky rocketed. There are apartment buildings being built just about everywhere in order to get individuals to become tenants and have a place to stay. Many indivuduals would not consider Fredericksburg Virginia an urban area but more of a rural area. The city of Fredericksburg has been trying to become more of an urban area or suburb and shy away from its humble rural beginings by building more houses and stores within its area. Spotsylvania Mall is also being worked on and it seems as though the construction site is quit large. The malls entrance and number of stores has also jumped in number. The mall may eventually become the place to shop instead of the current "places to shop" such as Springfield Mall and Tysons. I believe that individuals moving from rural areas are trying to move to citites and urban areas for more opportunities and better jobs but when they make these moves they dont always have the means to do so therefore an individual who was "making it" in a rural area and doing well may become poor in a more urban society. We all want to make a better life for ourselves and our children and it is important to do so but we also should make sure we are in a place to do such and have the means to as well.

who has the power

The theory that I agree with most is the democratic elite theory. The theory was created by economist and political scientist Joseph Schumpeter. This theory is often described in terms of minorities having power. The truth behind this theory is that democracies and democrates are given the power to make decisions and etc. The problem many individuals have with this theory is that they believe democrats often are too liberal and never really get to the root of the problem, they simply concentrate on the working class and services provided to these individuals. In my eyes this isnt a problem because many Americans need services and the working class deserve a break every now and then just like the upper class do in this nation. The individuals who dont really care for this theory are most likely republicans who are often not interested in services or helping out the working class. I do believe that running a more complex nation or diverse America causes for more expertise than many believe the democratic party has. They often view democrats as liberal free trade individuals who have great ideas but dont have the backing or know how to see these ideas through. This is unfortunate but has become true over the years with John Kerry and Barack Obama seeming to have good ideas but not really being able to get them turned into action. Can we really blame that on the lack of knowledge or expertise or the republicans not voting for these ideas to become a reality?

Walmart

I do believe that walmart is good for America and the American people. I found the video to be very interesting. The fact that alot of individuals are against walmarts opening, such as in the case of the Fredericksburg Virginia land dispute, where individuals in the area don't really care about how good walmart is for the community they simply do not want one built on the battlefield or anywhere near it. They believe that it will take away from the history that is in the city and the battle that ensued there. It is understandable why they may feel this way, especially if they were born in that area and appreciate the history of it more than others from the outside looking in. In such a case as this I don't think that the walmart being built in that exact location is necessary. I cant understand why they just don't find another location to build. Walmart is good for America and will be good for many of the individuals in the city of Fredericksburg Virginia who have recently been laid off by opening up more job opportunities and more money into the area. Walmart has certainly made its mark on America and do advertise the lowest prices of things but I'm not sure if this is truth or not. It seems that they do have lower prices on certain items than other stores but how can we know this for sure? Are the lower prices due to the fact that most of the items at walmart come from china or other countries that charge lower for labor and to make these products? I would have considered walmart to be a monopoly in the past but now with other options such as target and online shopping its difficult to put walmart in the forefront as the leader of such a market. over all I do believe walmart is good for America.

The "Pill"

The PBS documentary about the birth control pill and its history was very interesting. The pill seems to have many side effects, many of which should be reason enough to simply stop taking them and practice safe sex or even abstinence. I was amazed at how the pill could effect women so much but at the same time make them feel as if they had all the power in the world. The pill gave women the right to ensure that their body's were taken care of or that the future that they would like will most likely become a reality. The wide range of stories from individuals who had experiences with birth control and the pill was interesting as well. The story that stuck out in my mind the most was the story about the gentleman who wanted to be a doctor. He got married, had one child with his wife, then she got fitted for a diaphragm but had to go to a different state in order to have that freedom. During those times women didn't have much freedom/choice when it came to their bodies and futures. Many of them had to give up their lives and be mother and wife. The fact that the doctors wife had to go to a different state for the diaphragm was probably the most intriguing situation because the number of women I know on the pill or other forms of birth control now is like 9 out of 10. Boy have times changed. I think is great that women can choose but the side effects don't seem worth the process in my eyes.

The second shift

Many of the chores on the list seem to be directed towards the female or mother in the household. Packing lunches, holiday cards, laundry, etc all are things that many of us see our mothers doing or females that we may come into contact with. Other chores such as walking the dog or mowing the lawn can go towards the children if there was a young man in the household. Taking out the trash is also another chore that can be done by the young man in the house. Young women in the home can also assist in walking the dog, laundry, packing lunches, and so on and so forth. Many of the chores on the list were not really chores that I remember my parents doing while growing up but then again maybe I was not paying attention. The comparison shopping and coaching seems to be a little uncalled for or simply adding chores to the to do list. If the household can split these chores up so that all is even and fair and they still have room for extra things such as coaching and volunteering (which is great) even better. I can understand why many women get overwhelmed and feel like they don't have much times for themselves just based off of this list of chores and the fact that many of them are going to most likely become her tasks. In order for the family structure to be a good one and grow even stronger they all have to pitch in and do their parts and remember that one person may seem to have more to do than the other or less to do but they are all trying to reach one common goal.

Society, secular or not?

Our society has very different religious view from other society's throughout the world. The way each person throughout the world looks at religion differs. I believe that our society has become very secular. Religions doesn't seem to be what it used to be. In the past religion was something that was cherished and actually taken seriously. The worldview and religious view of each individual is different therefore the way I feel about the situation is going to be different than that of another person. I do believe that our society has turned from religion being a focal point to people to simply not so serious thing. There have been many situations that have caused this belief. The music and things our children have become accustomed to are things that our parents would have never allowed. The use of cellphones for everything now days and "sexting" and other situations that many people aren't even aware that their children are participating in have become very main stream and are perfect examples of the secular situation. Parents have become so busy that they rarely have much time to spend time with their children therefore they rarely are aware of the types of activities children are participating in. Unfortunately I don't believe our society will ever be willing to take the steps to become non secular and get back to being more focused on religion.

tale of two families

The tale of two families story was very interesting. I found the difference between the gentlemen were basically differences in family issues and background. How each individual was raised made the outcome of the their lives and situations very clear. The gentleman from the white family had more of a family backing. His father used his resources and past endeavors to make a good life for himself and his family. He made sure to set his family up for the future and made sure they went to good colleges to ensure that he will also have a good life. We also have to consider the times when these situations happened. At the time black families didn't have the same opportunity's as white families and had to take the jobs they were given. The black gentleman(Byron) had tougher time getting ahead in his life. He bought a house alot later than the white gentleman(Max) and it was a condo unlike the other mans actual house. Byron's father didn't have the same background or upbringing as Max, his father couldn't afford the same things that Max's father could afford or even do. This tale of two families was the perfect example of how children raised in the same neighborhood can have very different outcomes in life. I hope the story is an eyeopener to many individuals and parents. It shows how important the ways we raise our children are and how important it is to try and make good lives for our children while they are young, setting them up for the future is a key to their success.

gender inequality

I found it interesting that women tend to take secretarial positions or receptionist jobs rather than managerial positions. The reasoning behind this could be that the employer will only offer these positions. I was surprised to learn that many countries look at women as temporary employees and not as long term assets as they do males. They take this stance because they believe that most women will eventually have children and leave the position anyway. I was surprised as well as pleased to know that some European countries have government funded childcare that assists working mothers, both single and married. I believe our government should certainly look into having this sort of program for women in order to ensure that women in our society will become more of a long term asset to a company rather than just a temporary quick fix or hire. I found that women moving up in society and throughout the business world have a hard time moving up in this environment. Many women in Asian countries have come together and raised enough money to move to the city and get employment. they help each other out and eventually raise enough money to move back to the country side and live a modest life from there. I believe that gender inequality is horrible and unjust. I think that women should be offered better positions and help each other out like the women in Asian countries in order to ensure that more women will get offered these higher positions but in the United States even many women have grown to be selfish and not look out for one another. It seems that everyone is out for themselves in America.

Global Inequality

When researching inequality on the global scale it is important to see how the effects of each country actually effects our home country. Each country has something to distribute and share with the world and countries around them. Whether that something is a good or bad thing depends on the country and stratification. I'm interested in the countries that may not have much to contribute to the rest of the world and the reasoning behind such. I believe that each country that doesn't have much to contribute to society may not because of corruption in regards to who ever is running that country. Politicians in those country's may be stealing money from that countries export/import business. Most poor country's economy's are one sided and the leaders of such country didn't take the time throughout history to actually change the colony to a more economical state. Each country started off as a colony in many ways. Many country's such as America took the time to change from that colony a more agricultural/economical and technological state. Other country's such as Somalia for example throughout time never changed from the colonial state that they were in from the start and are still trying to transition into a more economical country. Global stratification being an uneven distribution of privileges, material rewards, opportunities, power, prestige and influence among individuals and groups shows the difference between richer countries such as America and poorer country's like Somalia.

social class in America

Social class throughout the world is very much in existence and in the United States plays a very prominent role in our society. In the United States there are four social classes. The upper class, middle class, working class, and lower class. 5% of the the U.S. population earn at least 614,000 annually and may earn ten times that amount or even more. Upper class individuals are very privileged. The drive the best vehicles, own the top businesses, and children attend the best schools/university's which in turn basically assures the families assets and businesses are going to continue to grow and stay within the family.
The middle class are made up of 40 to 45 percent of the U.S. population. The middle class society are more diverse in regards to race and ethnicity in the United States than the upper class. Many middle class individuals who are withing the upper middle class society are individuals who have pursued careers where they make on average 80,000 to 160,000 a year. The average middle class society make around 40,000 to 80,000 a year and most likely work less prestigious white collar jobs.
The working class in the United States are about one third of the population. The income within these households are around 25,000 to 40,000 a year and many of these individuals work blue collar jobs. These individuals are more vulnerable to financial problems caused by illness or unemployment. The lower class in the United States are a society that are considered to be poor. Our society seems to isolate the lower class especially when these individuals are ethnically and racially the minority. About 60 percent of lower class families rent homes in the most undesirable places throughout the U.S and usually live within rural southern areas and inner city's.
I believe social class in the U.S. is a very relevant situation. I also do not believe individuals should be judged because of how the look from the outside and where they come from in regards to social class. Never the less social class determines many individuals futures. A student from a working class or lower class society may not have the same opportunity's as a student from the upper class or upper middle class society. They most likely will not be able to afford the best university's to attend or educations. They may not even be interested in attending college because no one in their family did or they simply don't think they can do better than how they were raises. A child grows up and learns what they live and may not think that they can get out of poverty or the lower class situation.
Individuals from the upper class can also afford better health care when sick and the best medications/surgery's money can buy. They can afford the best representation when facing time in prison while individuals from the lower class receive representation from public defenders. Two individuals facing the same charges who come from different social classes will most likely have very different results in regards to the case. It may not be fair but this is simply how America and many other nations throughout the world operate and thrive. Social class matters so much in the United States, perhaps too much.

Technology and America

I do believe that we as Americans have become isolated because of technological advances. As stated in the book individuals throughout our country don't have to leave the house in order to network or even date. I do believe we also should be concerned now and in the future especially in regards to our children. We see children as young as 9 years old with cell phones and mp3 players not paying attention to their surroundings or interacting with others. I believe that Americans may also be overweight because lazy because of technology as well. Instead of going outside to play and meet new friends our children would rather play video games or Internet surf. The way individuals catchup with old friends and communicate with them is through Internet sites such as facebook and myspace. The effort just simply does not seem to be there anymore when it comes to friendships and relationships because we depend on out Internet and technology to do the job for us. Simple things such as a hug can be sent in a message or on the Internet to a friend who may be in need or just feeling low, I hope the Internet hugs really do the trick and make them feel better.

Although individuals still go to malls to shop and interact, if they don't want to go out they really don't have to because the same thing they want in the mall at certain stores can be found online at the stores website, the only thing that individual will have to pay in addition to the products are the shipping and handling fees but I guess they don't mind since they didn't even have to get out of bed to go out and shop. Technology, possibly shouldn't live with it but we can't seem to live without it.

Crime and Deviance (Domestic violence)

There is no typical domestic violence victim. There are no characteristics or criteria that exist to help individuals notice these victims and their cry for help. Victims of such abuse don’t look a certain way or love in certain areas of town. These individuals live upon us and look no different than any other man in this world. Male domestic violence victims could be older men who have been in the same violent relationship for years, they could be young men in high school or even younger who are being battered by young women they are currently in a relationship with. When domestic violence against male victims is being examined we must also include men in homosexual relationships, although this isn’t the basis of the research in this paper; the same rules apply for these victims as well. No matter what the victim’s characteristics or personality traits are no one should be mistreated by another person, especially a loved one or partner. In order to examine or understand intimate partner abuse against men we must first look at the statistics and information of such violent cases not only for research purposes but to also raise awareness which will eventually help lead to prevention. As stated on about.com in a section concentrating on men’s health and intimate partner abuse, in 2002 twenty four percent of the United States homicides that were results of domestic violence were male victims. Although this may seem small compared to the seventy six percent of intimate partner abuse female victims, the problem still exist and should be prevented before it becomes and even greater epidemic. A study in 1980 was conducted to show the rate of severe violence by men and women. In 1985 the rate for men was 3.0 down from 3.8, and the rate of women was 4.4 down from the original 4.6. In 2003 the National Crime Victimization Survey reported that twenty two percent of men experienced physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during some point in their life and that children sadly become injured during the domestic disputes. Statistics also show that men of different ethnicities than their partners are at greater risk of being a victim of domestic abuse from their partners than males who are the same ethnicity of their partners. The statistics found about domestic violence against men were not very in depth and were not easy to find. There may be many reasons why women choose to abuse their male partners. The batterers may give excuses and try explain the reasoning behind their abusive ways, some women may even try theories such as learning theories which states that the behavior has been learned and is hard to stop. There are ways for such violent behaivor to stop and gain control. I do not believe that there are enough laws and awareness about intimate partner abuse and while this is very alarming there are ways to begin the process of raising awarness and getting individuals who need help the help they need. Our society needs to change the way we deal with this matter and many others. The following are ways to raise awareness which will eventually lead to stopping this violence all together.

There are many ways to prevent domestic violent or intimate partner abuse. The most affective way to prevent and hopefully stop this vicious cycle is to raise awareness. Other ways to raise awareness would be to find out the root of the problem or become aware of the abusive situation began. Ways to raise awareness and prevention of domestic violence against men range from volunteering at a local safe house for battered men to simply speaking out about the deviant behavior and the pain it causes too many individuals throughout the world. Another way to raise awareness is to campaign about the situation. An individual can begin the fight against domestic violence by influencing government to pass more laws and enact higher penalties for domestic violence batterers. The national coalition against domestic violence is also a great way to raise awareness and aid in the prevention of domestic violence. Raising money or even donating an old vehicle or phone can help the coalition and the victims it tries to assist.
There are many resources about domestic violence against men. Websites such as The National Coalition against domestic violence website has various options for individuals interested in the fight against domestic violence to participate in. The information on this site is helpful for victims of domestic violence and batterers. Spreading the word and getting others involved in the fight against domestic violence is also another great way to help raise awareness which will in turn hopefully prevent further domestic violence cases. Local libraries can also assist in the fight against this growing epidemic by helping individuals find books about domestic violence against men. Anybody experiencing domestic violence, including men, should speak with their health care provider or contact 1-800-799-SAFE, a national domestic violence hotline.

Nature vs. Nurture

My views on the nature vs. nurture debate may be similar to many of societies views on the subject. Nurture is basically our environment and surroundings, an example of this would be if an individual born in and growing up in a ghetto in New York. It would be in this individuals "nurture" to do things in order to survive such as dealing drugs for money, stealing vehicles for neighborhood fame, or become part of a gang for protection. Individuals from a different environment will not have a similar understanding of nurture. An individual from an environment such as a suburb in northern Virginia would not have to participate in the same types of activities that the person from New York did. An individual from a suburb in Northern Virginia would probably be more involved in extra curricular programs and sports to keep busy and off the streets. The nature and this individuals surroundings allows for such as opposed to the person from New York.
Nature on the other hand is focused on who an individual is brought up or raised by, and their personality traits/genes. For example the same individuals from the scenarios used in the nurture explanation could have very similar experiences. The reasoning for this would be who that individual is raised by and heredity. Yes, the Northern Virginian is from the suburbs and has the world at his/her feet but what happens when this person is not raised by individuals who have good morals or integrity? What happens when this persons parents live in the suburbs and can afford to send them to decent schools because they are the neighborhood drug lords? This is where nature comes into play. Although this individuals environment(nurture) seems wonderful behind closed doors the way the individual they are being raised by(nature) is not as wonderful. This child will grow up thinking that being a drug lord is an actual good job choice and may try to follow in his/her parents footsteps. It is possible that the parents in this suburban household have hereditary traits that cause them to participate in such activities. Maybe their parents were abused by an uncle who is now registered as a sex offender and in turn they abused their children and made them feel small, to the point where they felt that they we rent worth much and would never amount to anything. In turn they believe that they may not be smart enough for college because they are used to hearing such things, so they opt for the only job they feel will make them lots of money without having to go to college, drugs. This just goes to show that the old saying "children learn what they live" contains many truths but an individuals traits come from their genes which comes from their ancestors and this could be the cause for many positives and negatives that a person possesses.
I believe that a persons nature his more realistic in regards to their outcome and choices rather than whats in their nature. There is never an excuse to become involved in deviant behavior but if a person is nurtured to think they have to kill or steal to survive then this is most likely the type of activity they will participate in.

Week 3

I found the BBC video to be very interesting not only from the American perspective but from the outside looking in. While I do believe it is very important to be proud of where you are from I have never taken the time to actually see how others from the outside looking in feel about other cultures, i.e. America's. As the singer in the video began to play the piano and sing he seemed to really be feeling every word of his song and that he was very proud to be American. The British audience seemed very amused about this sketch and it seems that they view the American culture as redundant and basically idiotic.

While they may view us as idiotic individuals who are always repetitive and overly excited about being American they do not take the time to realize how we or other countries view the British culture. There have been commercials in regards to the British culture that were made for the American Audience. Many of which have exhibited individuals with bad, stained teeth. An example of such commercials are the orbit gum commercials.

The video portrayed the American culture as a proud group of individuals who feel very strongly about our history and background and proud to be American.

Stanford Prison Project

The study conducted in 1971 at Stanford University was originally created by Dr. Zimbardo. The experiment was supposed to be a two week experiment but ended up becoming only a 6 day experiment. The individuals chosen to do the study were all tested prior to being chosen to make sure none of them had any issues both mentally and physically. The individuals chosen were split into 2 groups, guards and inmates. The inmates were picked up from their homes as if they were really going to prison. They were taken to the local police station and held there while they were being processed then were transferred to the Stanford University psychology department for the study. Dr. Zimbardo and his colleagues set up the psychology department as a prison. The guards were given batons and wore sunglasses so that the inmates could not see their eyes. The inmates were stripped naked upon arrival and given gowns to wear. The first day of the study was not as bad as the days following. The guards began to treat the inmates with disrespect and like animals, this type of treatment began directly after day one. The guards put inmates who they believed were going to be threats or trouble makers in solitary confinement and made inmates clean toilets with their bare hands. There were a few inmates who were rowdy and tried to become troublesome but the guards made them do push ups and did not give them bathroom breaks as punishments. At night they didn't allow the inmates to use the toilets, they were given buckets to use when needed. The guards did not change or clean the buckets daily, at times they would just let the "prison" smell like urine and feces. All the while this was a simple experiment and not a real prison, it seemed as though the "guards" and "inmates" forgot this fact. The attitudes and characteristics of each individual involved in the study were altered, many for the worst. All this happened within 6 days. Parents were allowed to come visit and began to cry upon departure, many asked that their sons be released. The inmates began to refer to themselves as numbers and not names which is an example of how easy it is for one to lose their identity. The effect of the Stanford Prison Experiment showed how easy an organization such as a prison can make individuals feel disenfranchised and out of character. The experiment started off as a good study to show the changes in individuals when their environments changed and peer pressures were apparent. After the experiment was conducted Dr. Zimbardo came to realize what is now known as the "Lucifer Effect" which examines how good people turn evil. The study and the Lucifer effect created by Zimbardo also explains how individuals in Abu Ghraib may have been good people who simply turned evil. When an individuals environment changes and peer pressures became too much to overcome they begin to do things that they would not ordinarily participate in.
While the experiment was a great one and gave way to Dr. Zimbardos Lucifer Effect it still was unethical, without the experiment we would not have been able to show how a persons actions and characteristics may become altered when they are given a title or when their environment changes. The Stanford Prison Project was poorly planned because the "guards" were not trained as an ordinary guard is trained. The "inmates" have to actually commit an offense to be put in prison, therefore the experiment was not planned to the best of its ability. It was unethical because the individuals conducting the experiment did not make proper accommodations for the test subjects.

Introduction

Hello my name is Jairo Castillo. I am currenly residing in Woodbridge, Va. I am taking this course in order to become a sonograph tech. I am 24 years old and am open to study groups if any one is interested who also lives in the Woodbridge area. I work in Washington D.C. I have a beautiful 5 year old daughter and enjoy spending time with her. I also enjoy watching the history channel and reading CNN.