Soc 119 is by far the most interesting and eye opening class at Penn State. A new world of thoughts opens up to you after you go through each lecture. The topics that Sam covered during the semester ranged from sex to the inequality gap in the United States. Every single lecture was unpredictable and creative to the extent that I would be excited to come to lecture to hear Sam talk. That said, I found every single lecture to be absolutely amazing and each time I learned something new and unexpected. I wish that Penn State had more classes like Soc 119 that would challenge students to think creatively and inform people about current issues in the world.
Honestly, I cannot pin point a single lecture as a best one because I found almost all of them worth while my time. I enjoyed most of the lectures and I challenged myself with a new prospective, to see the world from a different angle. I feel so much more educated about our society after take this class and I am sure that I am not the only one.
That said, I found every single lecture to be absolutely amazing and each time I learned something new and unexpected. Soc 119 is by far the most interesting and eye opening class at Penn State. A new world of thoughts opens up to you after you go through each lecture. The topics that Sam covered during the semester ranged from sex to the inequality gap in the United States. Every single lecture was unpredictable and creative to the extent that I would be excited to come to lecture to hear Sam talk. That said, I found every single lecture to be absolutely amazing and each time I learned something new and unexpected. I wish that Penn State had more classes like Soc 119 that would challenge students to think creatively and inform people about current issues in the world. Honestly, I cannot pin point a single lecture as a best one because I found almost all of them worth while my time. I enjoyed most of the lectures and I challenged myself with a new prospective, to see the world from a different angle. I feel so much more educated about our society after take this class and I am sure that I am not the only one. This class is a must take for every student at Penn State because it will teach a whole lot about our culture and the views that we hold. Furthermore, it will open up a new prospective and you will start seeing the world in a different way whether it be positively or negatively. Take this class you will enjoy it!

The other day, Sam presented a very powerful and thought provoking prospective on the current issues in the Middle East. He used an amazing strategy to present his argument. He wanted the class to take the prospective of an average Muslim student in Iraq. Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protectthe oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of. The multi-trillion industry is not going to leave the Middle East until they take away everything that’s left there.
The Jews people have been in war with the Palestinians for thousands of years and more so in the last century when the Jews received an independent country. He used an amazing strategy to present his argument. He wanted the class to take the prospective of an average Muslim student in Iraq. Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protect the oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of.
Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protect the oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of. The multi-trillion industry is not going to leave the Middle East until they take away everything that’s left there.
At the end of the lecture Sam proposed an interesting question; would you stand up and fight against the foreign army that’s occupying your land? I personally would in a heartbeat! I would want to protect my family, my loved ones, and my country from scumbags that want to still my country’s resources while destroying the economy.

The other day, Sam presented a very powerful and thought provoking prospective on the current issues in the Middle East. He used an amazing strategy to present his argument. He wanted the class to take the prospective of an average Muslim student in Iraq. Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protect the oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of. The multi-trillion industry is not going to leave the Middle East until they take away everything that’s left there.
He used an amazing strategy to present his argument. He wanted the class to take the prospective of an average Muslim student in Iraq. Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protect the oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of. The multi-trillion industry is not going to leave the Middle East until they take away everything that’s left there.
Sam wanted the class to understand how Muslims feel about American soldiers being in the Middle East and why there are terrorist attacks on American soldiers if supposedly they are there to help them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and as we know today the American government continues to deploy American soldiers to the Middle East to protect the oil resources which are vital to their economy. The sole reason that the United States is still in the Middle East is because there is still oil reservoirs left to take care of. The multi-trillion industry is not going to leave the Middle East until they take away everything that’s left there.
At the end of the lecture Sam proposed an interesting question; would you stand up and fight against the foreign army that’s occupying your land? I personally would in a heartbeat! I would want to protect my family, my loved ones, and my country from scumbags that want to still my country’s resources while destroying the economy.

This country was built by immigrants. Immigrants stole this land from the indigenous people and now we are trying to propose a solution to keep more immigrants from coming to this country, how ironic! In moderate amounts Immigrants are great for the economy because they do the job that no educated citizen would do. The majority of illegal immigrants that come to the United States are uneducated and their only method to make money is to work on low paying jobs. At the time when the economy was stable immigrants were the key to a successful economy. However, now that the economy is at the point of utter collapse immigrants should be restricted from entering the country. Nowadays, the United States border with Mexico is restricted due to the current hardship with our economy.
Looking at the bright side of the foreign aid system, the United States provides thousands of job opportunities for their citizens, the artificial money is put in circulation, and the multi-billion dollars corporations expand their resources and profit. In the end, the people that benefit the most from the foreign aid policies is the corporations themselves who in the first place lobbied the politicians to enact their policies. The corporations with the most money benefit the most. In other words, the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”
Another major problem that should be addressed is the fact that the United States government subsidizes some of our crop production. What this means is that our tax money is being used to pay farmers who are overproducing a single crop, such as rice, so that the government could sell it to third world countries, like Haiti at a lower than market price. This system keeps our farmers happy because they receive a steady source of income from the government for overproducing a single crop and at the same time keeps that United States government happy because it takes control of the resources and economy of the nation that is being supplied. This form of aid possesses a huge problem to the development of the country that’s being supplied very chip source of food. That country becomes dependent and their inner economy is governed by the supplier. Citizens in the third world country don’t find the need to farm because it becomes more expensive than attaining the food provided by the United States government. This way the country becomes completely dependent and dominated by the United States. As the saying goes, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This saying describes of what the United States is doing with Haiti in an effort to supposedly help them.

The foreign aid system that the United States government has developed is a masterpiece to our economy. Eighty percent of the total monetary aid we supply to foreign countries comes back and reinforces our economy. Furthermore, only 0.07% of our GDP goes towards foreign aid. These statistics are purely mind blowing. The foreign aid that we provide is so minimal and insignificant that it should not be considered as donations, rather referred to as a system that fosters our economy. It is sad that most people in the United States don’t know where and how the money gets to its final destination once they have donated a sum of money. Most people presumed that the entire sum of money they have donated goes towards helping people in less fortunate places around the world. But in reality a very small amount of that money reaches the hands of those people who are really in need of it.

Looking at the bright side of the foreign aid system, the United States provides thousands of job opportunities for their citizens, the artificial money is put in circulation, and the multi-billion dollars corporations expand their resources and profit. In the end, the people that benefit the most from the foreign aid policies is the corporations themselves who in the first place lobbied the politicians to enact their policies. The corporations with the most money benefit the most. In other words, the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”

Another major problem that should be addressed is the fact that the United States government subsidizes some of our crop production. What this means is that our tax money is being used to pay farmers who are overproducing a single crop, such as rice, so that the government could sell it to third world countries, like Haiti at a lower than market price. This system keeps our farmers happy because they receive a steady source of income from the government for overproducing a single crop and at the same time keeps that United States government happy because it takes control of the resources and economy of the nation that is being supplied. This form of aid possesses a huge problem to the development of the country that’s being supplied very chip source of food. That country becomes dependent and their inner economy is governed by the supplier. Citizens in the third world country don’t find the need to farm because it becomes more expensive than attaining the food provided by the United States government. This way the country becomes completely dependent and dominated by the United States. As the saying goes, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This saying describes of what the United States is doing with Haiti in an effort to supposedly help them.

Latent prejudice is ubiquitous around the world and that has a wide range of social, political, and economical implications to all of us. It was interesting seeing that half of the class claimed that they were not prejudice but in reality the majority if not all people are prejudice in one form or another, Lolz. I don’t believe that there are people who love their neighbor as they love themselves. Just look around you, the world that is in front of your eyes. What do you see? Maybe peace, love, equality, prosperity of human beings! If you think you do then you are officially a blind slave! The world around us is based on greediness, inequality, demoralization, and war! The smartest and most powerful people (more money equals more power & more influence in the world) control the rest of us and our decisions. Why do you think we have a general gap in socioeconomic status? It is because people a hundred years ago were prejudice, people nowadays are prejudice, and people in the future will be prejudice. People in power decide who they going to help based on how greatly they will benefit from them. Take for instance a University such as Penn State or any other; they try to screw you in any way possible with tuition, textbooks, regulations, and so on. Why? Cause they want more money! To climb up the ladder of socioeconomic status you have to want it and also be given the opportunity. However, the people on top of the ladder will never allow this to happen unless they benefit from it because what drive’s our world is not moral deeds, but MONEY.
It was interesting seeing that half of the class claimed that they were not prejudice but in reality the majority if not all people are prejudice in one form or another, Lolz. I don’t believe that there are people who love their neighbor as they love themselves. Just look around you, the world that is in front of your eyes. What do you see? Maybe peace, love, equality, prosperity of human beings! If you think you do then you are officially a blind slave! The world around us is based on greediness, inequality, demoralization, and war! The smartest and most powerful people (more money equals more power & more influence in the world) control the rest of us and our decisions. Why do you think we have a general gap in socioeconomic status? It is because people a hundred years ago were prejudice, people nowadays are prejudice, and people in the future will be prejudice. People in power decide who they going to help based on how greatly they will benefit from them.

There is no equality in this world and there never will be one. That said, the general gap between races and their average income earnings per year did not surprise me at all. In fact, I anticipated for Asians and White people to be on the top of the pyramid and Hispanics along with Blacks to be at the bottom. At first, I was staggered that the statistical data showed that Asians had a higher average income per household than Whites did. This notion did not fit my schema of the world. However, Sam’s explanation in class on how was that possible made complete sense. He explained that the poor Asian families tend to live together under the same roof which leads to a higher average household income for those families. And, for the rest of the Asian population living in the United States, they are already well off because no poor and uneducated Asian comes to the United States. The majority of Asians that come to the United States are wealthy and well educated individuals that can afford to do this.

I will propose a plausible and coherent explanation that underlines the discrepancies between races and their average income in the United States. I strongly believe that it is truly impossible for Hispanics and African Americans as a whole to level up in their socioeconomic status because of the system that we have created and perfected it for them. It is a system that benefits only the wealthiest people in this country. Their trillion of dollars invested in multi-billion corporations is what gives them tremendous power over this country. Guess what? These people are white and they are the ones that set the rules in society. They are the ones that make the decisions, dictate the government, and run this country. If you can’t understand that, try this. The more money one has the more power they have. These banking families influence all the decisions by our healthcare system, education, food supply, engineering, and so on by controlling the world of finance. They will protect their interest at whatever cost and will lock the doors for the rest of us. “He who controls the money controls the world.”

Another factor that limits Hispanics and African Americans as a culture to rise up in socioeconomic status is their predetermined level at birth. African Americans have the disadvantage to be born at the bottom of the pyramid. This condition brings numerous obstacles into their lives which diminishes their chance to be successful. The majority of Africans Americans are born into poor families which puts them at the bottom of the pyramid. Consequently, the chance that they will rise in the socioeconomic ladder is very small because the conditions that they are born into are restricted by the current system.

My perspective on the role that free will and determinism play in our lives is that you cannot separate these two forces. That said I still believe that free will has a greater role in our lives because in the end you make the last call. I cannot dispute the fact that there are hundreds of other invisible factors such as your sexual orientation, skin color, socioeconomic status, religion, and many others that influence our final decisions. Many people don’t realize that the decisions they make during their lives are not truly free and in one way or another are shaped by many other elements that drive the direction of their decisions. During class, Sam provided some great examples to demonstrate how our lives are shaped by these invisible strings that drive our actions and which are out of our control. Imagine that someone points a gun at you and says not to blink or he will shoot you. In this case, do you really have a choice? Most of you would agree that of course not because it’s a matter of life and death. In this situation you can physically see the external factor that drive’s your decision. But, in most cases you cannot see the external factors that shape your decisions and you believe that you actually made a free choice.

A simple example that I will use to demonstrate the connection between free will and determinism is the fact that I am sitting in my room typing this response. You can argue that I chose to do this assignment. Even more specifically argue that I chose to answer this question proposed by the TA and not any other. On the contrary, I can argue that I had no choice and do this assignment to receive those three points that in the end will matter for my final grade in the class. My grades are tide to my future acceptance into medical school, and then my future career, and so on. I make decisions based on what is important to me and how that will affect my future. I consciously prioritize the importance of the external factors that might effects the outcome of my decisions. I have a choice to not give a shit and not go to class and don’t mind about my grades. However, is it really a choice I have? I believe that our society has set up these rules that we have to follow in order to become successful. We do have a choice, but our choice comes with consequences. To climb up the ladder of socioeconomic status you have to want it and also be given the opportunity. However, the people on top of the ladder will never allow this to happen unless they benefit from it. Because what drives our world is not moral deeds, but MONEY.

The general gap between races and their average income earnings per year did not surprise me at all. In fact, I anticipated for Asians and White people to be on the top of the pyramid and Hispanics along with Blacks to be at the bottom. At first, I was staggered that the statistical data showed that Asians had a higher average income per household than Whites did. This notion did not fit my schema of the world. However, Sam’s explanation in class on how was that possible made complete sense. He explained that the poor Asian families tend to live together under the same roof which leads to a higher average household income for those families. And, for the rest of the Asian population living in the United States, they are already well off because no poor and uneducated Asian comes to the United States. The majority of Asians that come to the United States are wealthy and well educated individuals that can afford to do this.

I will propose a plausible and coherent explanation that underlines the discrepancies between races and their average income in the United States. I strongly believe that it is truly impossible for Hispanics and African Americans as a whole to level up in their socioeconomic status because of the system that we have created and perfected it for them. It is a system that benefits only the wealthiest people in this country. Their trillion of dollars invested in multi-billion corporations is what gives them tremendous power over this country. Guess what? These people are white and they are the ones that set the rules in society. They are the ones that make the decisions, dictate the government, and run this country. If you can’t understand that, try this. The more money one has the more power they have. These banking families influence all the decisions by our healthcare system, education, food supply, engineering, and so on by controlling the world of finance. They will protect their interest at whatever cost and will lock the doors for the rest of us. “He who controls the money controls the world.”

Another factor that limits Hispanics and African Americans as a culture to rise up in socioeconomic status is their predetermined level at birth. African Americans have the disadvantage to be born at the bottom of the pyramid. This condition brings numerous obstacles into their lives which diminishes their chance to be successful. The majority of Africans Americans are born into poor families which puts them at the bottom of the pyramid. Consequently, the chance that they will rise in the socioeconomic ladder is very minimum because the conditions that they are born into are restricted by the current system.

In class, we had an interesting discussing about the role that society plays in dictating to whether women should shave their legs, armpits, and face or just let it grow. An example was brought up in class, of a female student from Ohio University who had grown facial hair. She chooses not to shave off her hair because it is part of her religious belief that she should not alter any part of her body and take care of it the way God intended for it to be. Someone with rude intention took a picture of her and posted it on a website to make fun of her appearance. I find it very disrespectful and rude that someone actually did this. It is not their business to what and why she chooses to have facial hair. She just went against the norm and now people criticize her. That said, to many of us her appearance might seem abnormal because our society has conditioned an image of beautiful women as one that has smooth-shaven skin. Partially, men are responsible for this image because it is what men find sexy. Men have an image of beautiful women as one that has smooth-shaven skin. This image is embedded in western society and there is no right or wrong having this image. We are all different and we all have different preferences on the characteristics that make women beautiful.

Speaking from a man’s perspective, I find women attractive that have smooth-shaven skin because I associate bodily hair with male characteristics and that turns me away. Additionally, I don’t believe that society tells me that that’s the right thing for women to do, but because it’s an image that I associate with attractiveness. I respect and understand women that don’t want or find the need to shave for whatever reason it might be. It is not my concern or my problem to whether women chose to shave or not to shave. Women might choose to shave their body parts for multiple reasons. The majority of women choose to shave because most guys find it attractive and thus women have a higher chance finding a man who will be with her. We chose our own actions and that’s what makes us different from each other, asides from the physical characteristics. I personally, associate beauty with physical appearance and to me it is the number one indicator in the initial stage of a relationship. Physical attractiveness is the initial driving force that brings two people together. Men in western cultures believe that arm, leg, and facial hair should not show and women should shave it because having hair is a characteristic of men. This is an image perpetrated by western cultures over many generations.