The Lure Of The Unknown Oneonta is a relatively small town. For those of us who have lived in the City of the Hills for the majority of our lives, Oneonta represents a place of welcoming familiarity. It is common for many citizens to know the name and location of every street, store, and restaurant situated our town. Understandably, each new addition to the makeup of Oneonta draws a h

The Media The Media America has become the most violent nation in the industrialized world with nearly 11,000 murders. The many violent images seen in movies and on television on a daily basis, though not the only cause, are a strong contributing factor. There are those that feel the point-of-view from which the audience views the violence varies directly with the way the scene

Origins Of Race I responded to Part I: Sorting By Color: Why We Attach Meaning To Race. The first reading is discussing how racism developed, the second discusses the racial formations created as a result and the third discusses how the theoretical perspectives view race and ethnic relations. Racism is everywhere. You can’t go anywhere in today’s society without bumping into some form

Communication And Race Communication and Race The most critical aspects of media performance with regards to race and ethnicity are issues that relate to the quality of its representation of the lives of people of color. Accuracy and diversity are aspects of media performance that will allow for a careful evaluation of how it represents people of color. Evaluating media performance is

Television Or Radio' Long before television, there was radio. People depended on the radio not only for news, but also for entertainment. Families would gather around this contraption listening to their favorite programs or waiting to see who was going to be elected president that year. About 20 years later another similar invention came along; it was called the television. Although the

The Power Of Surveillance Today’s world is a world of total surveillance. Video cameras, secret shoppers, and thumb print scanners are only the beginning of a long list of devises that are used today to keep society “in check”. In Staples essay, he argues that surveillance has engulfed our cultures and has infiltrated every aspect of society, raising the question, “Who holds ultimate p

Death Penalty Enlightened Views of the Death Penalty I can say without reservation that the work of Sister Helen Prejean has changed my views unlike any other intervention encountered in my brief life thus far. As a farm-boy raised in northwest Michigan, I was brought up to work hard, never do anything you cannot take back, and always know that for every action, there is an equal and

The Sociological Imagination The sociological imagination is the notion that allows a person to understand the greater picture of oneself and one’s role in society. C. Wright Mills writes, “The sociological imagination enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals.” (Mills 1

The Sociological Imagination Our textbook states that the sociological imagination is the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society. Michael Moore’s recent documentary, Bowling for Columbine, of which I will make repeated reference to, demonstrates how gun violence affects the U.S. from a sociological perspective. From an individual perspect

The Social World We Live In Humans are, by nature, social creatures. We interact, make friends, and form bonds with other humans on a daily basis. Our background, upbringing, values, and the bonds we form assist in subtly sorting us into groups. The word sociology is defined as the study of these social groups and the interactions that occur within and between them. There are two mai

The State Of The World’s Natural Environment The State of the World’s Natural Environment Science and technology will not be able to ensure a better future for the human race. The future of the planet is a big concern now since there are so many people. One of the issues is global warming. Each of the international governments need to keep track of their own carbon emissions so sci

The Sexual Animal This film was very interesting. It covered a wide variety of topics, introducing many concepts of human sexuality. One of these that I found particularly interesting was the art of attraction. It showed several aspects of what men and women find attractive. In general, women are sought out to have slender waists, perky breasts, and a youthful glow. Men stereotypica

Forrest Gump “Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get.” This quote was frequently heard during the summer of 1994 when Robert Zemeckis directed Forrest Gump. A film of two hours and twelve minutes, one would think the movie would lose interest, but it’s the complete opposite. Forrest Gump, a low-intelligent man, tells his life story to people waiting at a s

The Role Of Biology Vs. Social Construction In Gendered Behavior In his article “Biological Limits of Gender Construction”. J. Richard Udry attempts to apply the theory of sex-dismorphic behavior predispositions and the hypothetical normative structure of our society to a study of women that took place over the course of 30 years. In this study, scientists collected data about the women

The Song Of Solomon The Song of Solomon - What\'s in a Name' Toni Morrison’s award-winning novel Song of Solomon is full of very interesting, deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed “Milkman,” is a very symbolic character throughout the novel. His character is not only symbolic, for so is his name. Also, Milkman’s paternal aunt, Pilate, has an extremely significant and symbolic role i

Conformity and Group Decisions Social groups vary in size, purpose, and goals. While some groups form spontaneously, such as a group of friends, others form for a specific purpose. A common group function is that of making decisions to which the group is bound. This paper will examine the group decision-making process and the role of personal conformity leading to the decisions made. It

The Techniques Of Neutralization Theory: A Case Of Revenge The Techniques of Neutralization Theory: A Case of Revenge On the night of January 17, 2000, Sckeena Marbury, sister Lakeisha Wilson-Bey, and six other women killed Tomika Blackwell. Based on the facts as presented in the trial, it can be concluded that the motive for this murder was revenge. Although it has it’s limitatio

The Uses and Problems Of Squatter Houses Table of Contents I. Defining Squatter Settlements II. Introduction: III. Definition of a Squatter Settlement: IV. Historical Development of the term, "Squatter Settlement": V. The Squatter VI. Squatter Settlement - Alternative Names: VII. The Development Process of a Squatter Settlement VIII. Approaches towards a Squatter Settlemen

Friendship There are many kinds of people, that have many different backgrounds. Everyone is unique and special in their own way but one thing that everyone has in common is friends. There isn’t one person who doesn’t have at least one friend. It is human nature to want to interact with other people. There are many kinds of friendships but all friendships must have love,

Careers Collide Many People have different opinions concerning couples that have colliding careers. The couple is then faced with an unpleasant conflict. Eventually, one or both people in the relationship have to make a decision. The couple can either work it out or result in getting a divorce. When both people in the relationship are faced with giving up their profession for the other p

The Things We Choose Not To See The Things We Choose Not To See The topic of violence is a recurrent theme in the media today. We all see it on the nightly news where we find out about the latest homicide or act of violence among the people who live in the lower class areas of Philadelphia. However, as many of us are middle and upper class white Americans the news reports are just

The Sociology Of Pornography Pornography in the American Social Strata The debate over pornography and its place in society has grown immensely in the last few years, becoming one of the hottest issues in America. The reasons as to why people use porn is a complicated question that can be assessed in many ways and before one can answer this question, one needs to ask what porn is an

The Traditional Family “The Traditional Family” In todays rapidly changing society, the definition of many things that used to be considered normal are now seen to be obsolete. This is evident in all walks of life but more recently is apparent right in our very homes. The so-called “traditional family” of the past consists of a husband, a wife, 1-2 children, and in most cases a pet. T

Conservatism and Liberalism in the French Revolution ‘“As modern political doctrines, both conservatism and liberalism were born in the French Revolution.” Discuss.’ Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor was the legacy left behind by Robin Hood, it can also be said that it is the legacy o the French Revolution also. From 1789-1799 France underwent her largest change. Under the

Theory Exchange Theory 2 Application of: The Social Exchange Theory In everyday interactions people are always looking to have a positive experience among those with whom they interact. According to the Social Exchange theory, with each interaction an individual has with another, that individual attempts to maximize the positive outcomes and minimize the negative. The purpose

Theory Howard Zinn is a remarkable man. His diligence and ambition towards social change is very admirable. His book, You Can’t Be Neutral on an Moving Train, is an autobiography about his experiences in several social movements and his intricate part in fighting for his beliefs. He chronicles his experiences beginning with his working class background from his tour of duty in World War

There Are No Children Here The subject matter of the book shows the conditions of poor people in the subsidized housing projects of Chicago, Illinois. The Riverses are members of a poor family. The family lives in Henry Horner Homes, a subsidized housing project in Chicago. The family relies on welfare and federal assistance for support. They cannot afford most luxuries and many necessit

Gender Socialization Gender Socialization A baby is born and the doctor looks at the proud parents or parent and says three simple words: Its a boy, or Its a girl! Before a newborn child even takes his or her first breath of life outside the mothers womb, he or she is distinguishable and characterized by gender. The baby is brought home and dressed in clothes that help friends, family

Consumerism The Myth of Consumerism Every society has mythology. In some societies, it's religion. Our religion is consumerism. Ellen Weis, San Francisco's Museum of Modern Mythology Consumerism fuels the capitalist fire. In a capitalist society, the goal is to make money, by whatever means possible, exploiting whichever potential weakness that might exist. The human race is one wi

Death Penalty Who Needs the Death Penalty Anyway There is no way any person could tell me that the death penalty is a form of justice. There are to many flaws with the death penalty, such as racism and innocence to call it justifiable. I also feel as humans we have no right to take a human life. In my eyes the death penalty does absolutely nothing for society, and it never will. All