Summary of "Understanding Sexual Orientation."

The article talks about the general misconception that the world is mostly either heterosexual or homosexual with only a few bisexuals as the buffer between them. It also says about how there is a misconception that whatever orientation a person is, is set in stone. Both this and the view that homosexuals are recognizable by certain features whether it be higher voice, a different way of walking(perceived as feminine) or other things that these are indicators of personality and even deeper what sort of partner the person wants. The interesting about this is how widespread it is that even the psychiatrists have the same mistaken opinion as the public.
According to the article what we need to do is to realize this is not a personality trait or something in the physical makeup of the body or brain that makes a person a heterosexual or a homosexual rather it is a persons choice. We see that by cases where people fluctuate back and forth. This shows us that it has more than just the biological makeup because if it was biology a person would just stay one way and not be able to change yet we have seen in the past that there are changes and there are only a few races that are purely one and not the other. Most of them, however, have both mixed in with their history and make them who they are today.

Process of Socialization.

Socialization is the process that makes us who we are. You are socialized everyday, and everyday it is changing you whether you realize it or not. Society influences what we consider normal and what sort of foods we eat and even what sort of entertainment we like. It can tell you what sort of job you are going to have and what sort of life you are going to lead. If you are labeled as being part of the lower part of the social chain you may find yourself having a harder time finding a job, or not being able to fit in easily. Being socialized has consequences both good and bad. If you follow the rules of society and you have a good status you will reap the profits which such a status gives to you. But if you do not have a high status you will suffer the consequences whether they be large and noticeable such as being left out of the group or people thinking that you are strange.
I find that the way I am socialized here in CUNY is alot different then the schools I have grown used to. So while I may have adapted more then I did last semester I still think I am still in the process,and after this reading I now realize this is a constant process going on every second of every day.

Summary of the video of "Tough Guise."

Our culture expects men to put on a front of toughness or else face the consequences of being labeled deviant and being subjected to both verbal and physical abuse. Basically men are confined to the “man box.” Proof of this trend that men have pressure to act tough is the statistics that show that most assaults and murders are committed by men, and while lots of the victims are female there are also a lot of male victims to this violence as well. Another factor brought up is that those who are abused as kids often abuse their kids and thus continues the cycle.

Another trend we have now is that when crimes are mentioned that involve the majority they leave it out and just mention the crime without questioning why men did it,but if the very same crime was to be committed by a woman then it would be all over the news scrutinizing how and why she would do such a thing. Part of our societies reinforcing these values that men have to be strong and in control is the fact we see in action figures that the muscles increased meanwhile females who used to have fuller figures are now being shown as smaller and weaker.

The reason for the violence against gay and lesbians are because the majority feel threatened and it is for this very same feeling that Reagan rode the wave into office, promising to bring back some of the old ways.

Men who feel inferior are often seen displaying “hypertoughness” to compensate for their perceived weakness and sometimes their body size and lack of muscles and try to control with their motions and the way they present themselves to make up for it as well as acting more aggressively in order to maintain their manhood because if they did not then they would be seen as deviant and not keeping to the strict adherence of the “man box”. However our misguided society instead of recognizing that the problem lies with what we hold as the norm for manhood blames it on other things such as video games and movies which almost definitely contributes to it but is not the foundation.

Men are socialized mainly by the media that real men keep things to themselves and to deal with it. The media sends this message out with the likes of the”Marlborough man”who claims that a man should be independent and if not and is not strong it is his fault.

However nowadays people are learning that vulnerability is a good thing and we see it getting a more positive public response such as Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire friendship despite both being alpha males competing with each other and being of separate race. Another example is of Chris Reeves who used to play superman and was a symbol of power, he suffered a accident that left him wheelchair bound but his character shone despite what his body could no longer do and for this he received respect and admiration of many.

In the words of the commentator the way to solve this problem is that “courage is not going with flow of violence but rather breaking the cycle”. If more people have this courage,the real courage we may stand a better chance at making the world a better place to live in.

Summary of "A Different Glass" and "HOw Jews became white folk.".

I am going to summarize in this weeks blog two things that I have read. The first one is called “A Different Glass”. The glass that is being referred to in the title is history and what it means is that history is not just one point of perspective it is shared by many people of many ethnicities and races. The same story experienced by two different groups is often experienced and told over in two very different ways. This article discussed different types of immigrants that came to the United States and each one of these groups has contributed to our culture in one way or another and they all experienced trials and tribulations whether it be racism or a sense that you are not one of “us” but rather you are one of them and that makes you the outsider. Whether it be blacks who were brought here forcibly and turned into slaves that set the stage for many crises that would happen as a result in the future or the Chinese who came here seeking opportunity for a better life only to be turned away by a new law against immigration. The article goes on to list several others including Jews,Irish,and Mexicans who became strangers in their own land as a result of boundary shift due to the war with America.

If you take any one of these stories and read it by itself you have a incomplete view of the United States. But take all these stories along with what the uniqueness of each one and how they contributed to society and you get a large diverse nation which despite its various backgrounds and the being plagued by racism has been trying constantly to make the land more equal and to ensure the equality of all men. But as important as it is to recognize that we are all equal it is equally important to recognize our uniqueness in where we come from. Which is why it is very important to pass over stories about our ancestors and our history that makes us all who we are as individuals so at the same time as we are also aware how different we are and how we all contribute something new through being unique to the betterment of mankind.

My summary of “How did Jews become white folks” is that the author says that they take credit for their accomplishments by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and getting education and getting themselves to where they are through their own hard work and perseverance. However the author begs to differ in this opinion saying that while this is indeed a factor the main reason is because of affirmative actions such as the GI bills which provided a opportunity to veterans for a college education and thereby a chance to become professionals. He gives the example of 1 percent of Bostons Jewish population being doctors to 14 percent which is what it shot up to after the bill was passed. So education as well as economic opportunities contributed to Jews being able to more accepted in society and being able to advance despite the previous antisemitism which was illustrated in such articles which call them unclean and uncouth and unrefined and if they had a disease they would spread out and spread it like a sower. And at that time it a widely accepted piece.

So if the reason for the Jews becoming more accepted and being raised in society is because of affirmative action is because of this bill what about women and blacks who served as well and should have had benefits? For women the reason is because many of them were part of the auxiliary and when they were re-mobilized many of them made a mistake in what was happening and went home. The blacks were not able to get it because they were given dishonorable discharges whether deserving or not the latter being the case most of the time. They also faced discrimination at colleges which did not want to accept black students and the black colleges at the time faced overcrowding leaving a staggering 15,000 blacks who tried could not attend their college either.

Summary of "People Like Us".

This week's blog is a summary of the video of “People Like Us”. We are all unique, but we all have some niche that we belong to. What makes up that niche is hundreds of different factors where and to whom you were born, where you were raised and live, if you have both parents and what sort of car you drive, etc.

The drive for people to fit in is so strong that they buy objects which they do not use that will sit on the shelf and collects dust. So, what makes a person who they are? Is it money Is it whom you associate with? Is it your family and what connections you have? The opinions on this are numerous and a lot of them are charged with emotions.

A lot of people want to be a part of the higher class, even if its only a little higher than them. Some people work very hard at trying to fit in with the higher class. Some do a decent job and are able to fit in somewhat, while others stick out like a sore thumb leading the actual well-to-do people to wonder how did they get in?

Supposedly,America is where we all have an opportunity to get higher, it just requires hard work. However, for most people, that is not the way it works. The way it works is that you are likely to stay where you are and the way you were raised and maybe if you are lucky maybe you can raise your class by a little bit. So basically what you are born as is what you are destined to be for the rest of your life and probably for future generations.

The undeserving poor.

This weeks blog is about poverty and the undeserving poor,based on the article we were given to read. According to this article there are 13 positive points that poverty serves society ranging from that it sets a order of norms. Because without the deviant then what is a norm? One of the purposes it serves is that it creates jobs for other people who will try to reach out and help those of the undeserving poor. But the problem with this is,as stated by the article is that since these people have no power they are given very little resources to be helped and the help ends up not doing anything for them.

Another problem as illustrated by the author is that the more fortunate persons view the less fortunate as a threat some times more then others(Like during a economic slump). whether a physical threat like mugging or physical violence or economic threat like taking away jobs and depending on welfare and taxpayers dollars.

These are definitely good points I agree with them. As long as we continue to do what is comfortable instead of what is right things can only get worse and as we continue to not do anything

Deviance

What is a deviant? A deviant is someone who does not follow the norms of society. Now, as we discussed in class, what is considered deviation and who decides what is considered normal? Behavior that makes sense to the majority is usually considered the norm (not necessarily does one have to do with the other). My blog today is to discuss what is possible reasons behind deviance. People want to fit in and have friends. So, what causes someone to act out of the norm and draw (negative) attention to themselves? There are several possibilities. The first one is that they know what the norm is and for whatever reason they feel that it does not apply to them, such as people who park in no parking zones with phony plaques (like the incident in the Post today alleges) or that it does not conform with them when really it should be the other way around. Another possibility is that it can go against the persons values and ethics; just because you see a bunch of people doing things does not necessarily make it right, and in this persons eyes this is not what they view as the correct way (such as an orthodox Jewish man not being able to shake a woman's hand even though he has nothing against her, but this is against the norm since most people would give the handshake without even batting a eyelash). The third way is that the person has something wrong with them and does not want to or is unable to adapt to society's norms. (Possible reasons behind this are to seek attention whether its positive or negative).

My summary of "Calling of men" and "Killing us softly"

My summary of Ted's speech in the “Calling of men” is that he is basically illustrating how men are taught that they are superior and that women are inferior and therefore just objects there for men. And that in order to be a man there is a set of codes, be it spoken or unspoken, that holds men to a “higher” standard that they can not show emotion whether fear or sadness - only anger are they allowed to display. What happens when a man fails to live up to his expectations like the example given in the video of the boy who was playing baseball? He would be told that he played like a girl. And what is his reaction to that? His reaction is that he would be destroyed. You see from this illustration that women are seen as sub par to men, which is incorrect. And that this is something which we have started changing and must continue changing in the future.

My summary for “Killing Us Softly” is in reference to the objectification of women in today’s society whether it be by ads or peer pressure, whether by other girls or by guys (which is the usual case). There are several ways which women are objectified. One way is by their bodies; that women do not matter for anything other than the way they look, and that some men only value them for this, completely disregarding their personality their charm and anything other then superficial looks. This mentality is reinforced by the media which make ads with scantily dressed women even for the most mundane things, and this is the selling point. You see from this that to the media women are no more then a means to boost sales and advertise their product. But by doing this they are also making women look non human and thereby causing a increase in violence and other crimes against women,and that their opinion does not matter. Take it either way, they both come back to the same negative outcome, which is the result of objectification.

The connection which I see most strongly between this and chapter 5 is nature and nurture. The reason I say this is because they both influence who we are. For instance, both the fact that men are genetically more aggressive and the fact they are physically stronger (and sometimes emotionally as well) more is expected of them and what they see going around them. From what they are taught and have ingrained in them pretty much from birth is that they have to be strong show no emotion and be the dominant one and sometimes (depending on culture) the breadwinner. Women, on the other hand, both by nature and by culture are influenced to be the submissive one, and to be there mainly to support their husband and listen and cook and clean. This is what they saw go on around them and this is what their parents and teachers ingrained in them - that if you aren’t submissive and don't do everything that your husband tells you and expects of you,then you will not be able to fit in and be a good wife who is there just to cook and clean and listen to the husband and take care of the kids. Nowadays, however, this is no longer the case. Women are taught to be strong and their ceiling is not only the kitchen but they can do whatever they want, and men are being taught that they better get used to this and adapt to it and accept and embrace it.

Genovese Syndrome/The Bystander Effect

This past Sunday I was walking and observed a incident occur in which a elderly man fell over and hurt himself on smashed glass. Adding to the situation was that he fell onto a part of the street that was not the middle but a part where cars go and is not easily visible to traffic. I was the first one to show up and begin helping him. I was very pleasantly surprised when within 40 seconds I had 6 people who had stopped to help including a gentleman driving a van who parked his vehicle in a way which sealed off traffic. We called EMS and flagged them when they showed up. This incident was handled well and had a happy ending. However there is a problem that seems to be pervasive everywhere which is that people are either scared to, do not care or do not see or notice something happen and will walk away without even calling for help. This phenomenon is called Genovese Syndrome or the Bystander Effect (Wikipedia). I have personally witnessed this on several occasions but the one that sticks out in my mind is when I was driving to a friends wedding and I saw a gentleman facedown on the ground with about 20 people standing around him and watching but no one trying to approach him or attempting to help at all. I pulled over and helped and got the ball rolling. Turned out he was down for 5 minutes before I got there.

The reason why I am writing about this is because we all potentially have a stake in this. We never know if we may be in this guys shoes or needing someone's help. And it is not so uncommon for this to have fatal results. We have the Good Samaritan laws to protect well meaning people who acted in good faith from lawsuits when they acted within their bounds. It shows to a extent a lack of caring which is not necessarily the majority but it is a very big problem to the point where people have done projects on it with startling results. I am concerned about the turn which humanity seems to be taking. What happens when we are so busy in our own little virtual (Iphones,internet,Facebook) worlds that we can not or choose not to help. How can we hope to help other countries when we can not even take the time of day to help our own?

Introduce myself

Hello my name is Eli. I am currently enrolled at Cuny. I am for the most part a nice guy. I enjoy being able to help people and that is why I have chosen the field of emergency medicine, because for me it is the perfect combo of not being predictable,being exciting and mostly being able to help people in their times of need.

I was always taught to be nice to people. If we had more of that in the world where people cared about how others felt and not only tolerated each other but to embrace the difference and to learn from what each individual has to offer the world might be a better place. I prefer to stay quiet until I get a feel for a person. I observe first and then decide how to behave around different people since we are all unique and have our own likes and dislike. It may take a longer time for some then for others to see my softer side.

The biggest influences in my life are my friends,family and colleagues. All 3 of these are there when I need them and they know likewise I will always be there for them to help them with their needs. Through the good times and the bad.

My goal in life is to become a Physicians Assistant and by that be able to save those who can be saved,comfort the dying,develop a good bedside manner and be able to reassure the anxious. I also hope to be able to accomplish this while being able to keep my head on straight and be approachable and not get corrupted by the title or the power or feel the need to show off. And also more importantly I want to be a good family man and friend because without that as your base you do not really have anything.

And with that note I end my first blog.