Sociology 2311 Reflection Essay

As I reflect on Sociology 2311 I realize that this is truly a course that opens up one’s mind. I admire the fact that this course was as much about learning as it was about unlearning. Coming from a western civilized country such as Canada it is easy to become consumed and blinded by the simplified and “idealistic” lifestyle our society fosters, without looking at the rest of the world and how closely it affects our own circumstances. Many issues plaguing the world today are made entirely unaware because they are “out of sight, out of mind”. This course helped to take a look outside the box and push away the obvious. The obvious is a concept I have really taken into consideration on reflection of this course because I have learned that the obvious is what allows for ignorance and misunderstanding of others cultures or beliefs. The obvious is what can mask the truth when looking at society and can create binaries such as right and wrong, true and false, acceptable and unacceptable. I have learned from this class that there is no “right or wrong” when looking at society because society is such a subjective, fluid and transformable body that is constantly rebelling despite the rules that are created and are said to be “obvious”.

                The obvious negatively effects our perceptions and paves the way for stereotypes, ethnocentrism and social injustice. For example our preconceived “truths” about identity often get influenced by what is believed to be obvious. These obvious truths include stigmas such as “all Asians are obviously smart, all men must love women, all women must have babies, and all blacks are criminals” etc. It is unfortunate that these kinds of invalidation myths have become commonsense in the Western world because they are seen as obvious.  From this class I have learned that identity transcends these types of labels. My most valuable lesson has been that gender and race are socially constructed. I can understand now that male and female characteristics go no further than biology, and that racial characteristics go no further that physical appearances. The unfortunate truth is that these two identifiers are the root cause of stratification and domination in society, allowing for social injustice.

It is bittersweet because I know it will take a lot before the whole world is able to open their eyes and see all differences with relativism, curiosity and acceptance rather than fear. But, this course has also taught me that knowledge is the most powerful tool in bettering the world and making a difference. With what I have learned from this class I am able to share my knowledge with others, and develop my own knowledge into further improving my community. As I have learned, we are all brothers and sisters, and are all so amazingly connected that even our smallest efforts can make a huge difference. I will now reject the obvious, become more tolerant, curious, and opened minded in my classroom, my community and the rest of the world.

Guest Speaker: Under the Same Sun

Our guest speakers from the Under the Same Sun organization, spoke about the awareness of Albinism in Africa and around the world. What I found so interesting was the shocking number of people living with Albinism in Africa and also the shocking mistreatment of these people afflicted with the diesease. I was unaware that Africans with albinism were murdered or brutally disfigured due to the buying and selling of their body parts. I believe that as a North American, it is hard to believe that people still believe in witchcraft and magic as a means to heal common ailments, and that Africans will use the body parts of albinos for medication. One can imagine such a practice hundreds of years ago, but not today in our so called “progressive” society.

This presentation really made me wish that more people were aware of this injustice. I personally told many of my friends and family about this lecture and everyone was very surprised and found it very interesting. This lecture also really confirmed the idea of race as an illusion. Even though these Africans with albinism are Black or Negro, their skin colour is still white. They are misunderstood and mistreated in their own cultural group which I think is very hard to understand. This is especially shocking in the context of the family unit, where Black parents give birth to a White child and consequently are rejected from their own society or forced to abandoned or kill the child in order to save their reputation.

What’s also upsetting is the fact that Albinos are already at a physical disadvantage. They are hindered by poor eyesight and other medical conditions that lessen their opportunitys at school and in the workplace. This leaves albinos very little chance at success in any society.

All in all this was my favourite presentation of the semester. The idea of a black person living with white skin is certainly fascinating, and the brutal misteatment and genocide of these people in Africa makes me extremely sympathetic and eager to learn more and share this knowledge with others.

Social Justice in Local and Global Contexts: Chapter 4

What questions did the text raise?	How did the text answer this?	How does the answer match my own ideas and experiences?
What is socialization?	Defined as the process by which we learn to be human. This is learned from the moment we are born and includes the ability to differentiate good and evil, morality, ethics and learning the norms of society.	This concept is clear to understand because I know that humans are social animals and rely on one another for acceptance, guidance and the development of knowledge.
Why does socialization sometimes not work?	People break societal norms or rules because they are not properly socialized or are exposed to exclusionary racial relationships, exploitive class relationships, demeaning gender or age relationships, are oppressed by bureaucratic authority or national chauvinism. People can also lead to crime when they find a discrepancy between the relationship between the “means and the ends”.	I feel that socialization is most crucial at a young developing age, and therefore when a child is exposed to unhealthy relationships and a poor environment growing up, this will lead to improper socialization.
What is the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights?	This declaration was proclaimed by the UNO in 1948 and includes the right to nationality and culture, freedom of religion, the right to vote, the right to seek asylum in other countries and prohibits arbitrary interference with personal property and entitles mothers and children to special care and assistance.	I am surprised that these rights were not officially recognized until 1948.
What are human rights?	Universal moral rights and every person are entitled to despite their race, age, class, gender, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation etc. They are intrinsic and irreducible and serve to protect all human beings and allow every person to be able to reach their full potential. Two different types are recognized: civic and political human rights (right to life, liberty, freedom of expression) and social/cultural human rights (right to culture, food, work and education)	I feel that it is important to recognize human rights as belonging to ALL people born onto this earth. I feel that ethnocentrism causes some people to only recognize human potential in persons belonging to their shared ethnicity or nationality.
What is social justice?	Social Justice aims to protect human rights and address the political and economic needs of all members of society at the local and global level. This concept is based on the idea that all societies suffer from some forms of oppression, and it is every individual’s responsibility to take action towards eliminating the inequities and inequalities inherent to diverse social groups.
What are the different types of social justice?	Commutative justice: fundamental fairness in all agreements and exchanges between individuals or private groups Distributive justice: fair distribution of resources amongst members of society based on their need and societal contribution. Contributive justice: obedience by all members of society of laws devised to protect peace and social order. Substantive justice: insurance of the basic needs of all member of society. Retributive justice: punishment of wrongdoers committing criminal acts. Individuals getting what they rightly deserve according to their behaviour. Corrective Justice: opportunity for those directly affected by acts of injustice to seek reparations, usually together with the community through mediation. Compensary justice: compensation of persons for wrongs done to them in voluntary relations such as contract breaches.	I understand that social justice takes into account fairness needed at the individual level, the community level and the systemic level. The maintenance of rights at all levels of society is needed to attain social justice.

Social Justice in Local and Global Contexts: Chapter 3

Paraphrastic Reading
This chapter discusses the social creation of “race” and how we assign meaning to this characteristic. Race is not a genetic or biological trait; it is used to categorize people according to their physical appearance, and creates vast inequalities in society. Privilege is granted to those who belong to the dominant group in society, forcing other groups to naturally be oppressed. People become members of these dominant or oppressed group based on the “matrix of domination”, which accounts for a person’s combination of interacting social factors such as gender, race, class etc. The differences between people are socially created, and usually imposed by the dominant group that has power. This leads to oppression, and the creation of “the other”, where minorities are marginalized in society and seen as irrelevant. This process of “othering” can best been achieved through stigmatization, where a person is attached a negative label, based on assumptions about their physical appearance. Once groups of people are seen as “invalidated”, they are denied human rights and opportunities, ridiculed by members of society and become victims of self-fulfilling prophecy. Examples of invalidation include the myths that men are superior to women, homosexuals are inferior or dangerous, Jewish people are sub-human etc. These ideas of course are created stereotypes that become widely accepted by society when presented as mainstream ideologies.

Social Justice in Local and Global Contexts: Chapter 2

Affective Reading
After reading this chapter, I feel like I have a better understanding of social constuructionism as a process by where people create reality based on their own experiences. I also feel a greater understanding of the critical constructionist approach, and feel that many of societies accepted “norms” are actually hegemonic ideals that the power elite impose on us, and thus create our realities. I also feel that with a better understand of what social justice is, I can see that global social justice and local social justice are correlated, and that one affects the other.
I think that this chapter provided relevant examples to underline its concepts, such as using the assassination of Osama Bin Laden to illustrate how social contrusctionism allows for many different feelings towards this act. I also think this chapter makes a strong argument about the consequences of war and opposition amongst nations, while showing the positive effects of global partnership in our expanding world markets.
I believe that people are too bombarded with hegemonic ideas that promote nationalism and ethnocentrism. When we view our world instead as one “global village” we can see that our resources should be shared as we can all benefit from one another. I think in order for there to be global social justice, nations need to become more accountable for their actions and realize the rights of all human beings, regardless of their nationality.
I feel that although global social justice is possible, it is far from being realized. People are inherently competitive and will always try to take sides rather that work cohesively. Society has always created an “us vs them” idea. I also feel that people rarely stop and realize how helpless and pathetic their country would be without the resources attained from other countries. It is unfortunate that some countries must take from others without any recognition or appreciation, and at an unfair cost.

Social Justice in Local and Global Contexts: Chapter 1

Dialectical Reading

What Questions did the text raise?	How did the text answer this?	How did the answer match my own ideas?
What is social justice?	Social Justice is described as the social conditions that allow for fairness and equity in distribution of resources and treatment to all members of society. It promotes every persons realization of their true potential and removal of all barriers that hinder a person’s ability to do so. The opposite is social injustice, where inequality amongst members of society is promoted.	I agree with the textbooks definition. My own ideas of social justice are that everyone in society regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, age, class etc. is treated equally.
What are some key concepts used when studying social justice?	Ethnocentrism: viewing ones group as superior to another. Cultural Relativism: judging the “other” from the standpoint of their group rather than from your own biased perspective. Binaries: opposites, creating stereotypes of the “norm” vs. the other” Dialectics: Struggle and unity of opposite ideas. New ideas are created from old ideas (thesis creates antithesis, with in turn creates a new idea or synthesis) Logic: A method by which knowing takes place. 2 types= Formal and Dialectical. Intersectionality: A multiple lens approach to understanding ones position in society. Takes into account gender, race, ability, sexual orientation etc. People may benefit or be hindered by one or a combination of these traits. Positionality:  Our decisions and actions are all influenced by our race, gender, culture, class etc. No one can ever be objective. Standpoint theory: Our knowledge is always influenced by someone else standpoint.	I feel that after reading this chapter’s explanations of key themes I am able to understand them better and utilize these definitions when studying sociology. I feel that all these concepts are relatable to everyday life.
What are the different types of ideologies?	Dominant ideology: domination by power elite, usually conservative in nature and resistant of change. Reformist ideology: Are not adverse to change, but must be gradual and evolutionary. Tend to leave structural bases intact but will promote cosmetic changes. Radical ideology: want fundamental restructuring of society.	I understand the standpoints of these three ideologies. I feel that no matter what there will always result in a dominant ideology, and opposition will always follow.
What is the Global Sociological Imagination?	The global sociological imagination proposes that we are all as human beings linked to one another, no matter where we are in the world. Our decisions, actions and inactions will inevitably impact the world, and this concept allows us to be conscious of our globalizing world. While we act locally we must think globally.	I think having a global sociological imagination is such a simple idea and yet many people in modern society neglect to do so. We rarely stop and think about where our daily used materials come from, and to whose expense they were produced.

 

Issues in Social Justice, Chapter 4: Driving Discontinuance

Paraphrastic Reading

This chapter’s topic is based around the elderly and how aging can affect their attitude and their lifestyle. Society demands that once a person has reached a debilitating age, they are unfit to drive. This denial of freedom of mobility can be very harmful to a person’s self-esteem and make them feel segregated from society and dependant on others. In order to age successfully one must be physically apt but also must be able to continue to be active in society mentally, and be present with societies many changes. Older adults that are able to partake in daily activities, such as driving, have a more positive outlook on aging because they are still actively engaged in society. A negative outlook of aging is seen by older adults when they feel incompetent. This idea is often created through symbolic interactionism, where older adults view themselves the way society views seniors as a group.
Studies were conducted to interpret the effects of driving retirement on older individuals. Qualitative research methods were used in order to interpret the many different views presented by research subjects who came from many different social backgrounds. Sample groups were comprised of men and women of varying ages, of different classes, races and physical health. The data collected from their interview questions were used to understand the meanings of driving and driving retirement. In the data, researchers found that most of these people felt that driving was a rite of passage, and a very important milestone in a person’s life. Driving was seen as the ultimate form of mobility and independence. The study also found that men valued driving more than women, and were less likely to voluntarily give up their car keys due to disability than women.