SOC119 was an experience I will never forget. I always heard great things about this class but it has been more than I imagined. I think it is a really great class and it has made me think in ways that I never thought of before. In my previous classes that took place in 100 Thomas no one participated and I was not expecting this to be an interactive class. I loved how there were so many people willing to tell the class their opinions, beliefs, and other personal information that we usually do not get the chance to tell our classmates. I have honestly learned a lot of life lessons in this class and I find myself thinking in such different ways. I do not follow the news too often but Sam has made me interested in what is happening around the world. It is really important for us to know these things because they really do affect us. This is one of the main things I am trying to do after this semester, keep updated with what is happening around us.
Another major thing I took from this class is the fact that there IS still segregation out there. I was blind to it before this class. I always thought, “We are in the 20th century, no one cares about the color of you skin”. But I was very wrong. It is really sad how many people will not hire someone who is black even if they are free of a criminal record. I was so surprised about this. I was even more surprised about the horrible conditions the Native Americans live in. It is so sad to think that there is a group of people living in such terrible poverty and where their healthcare is so poor. This is actually the most surprising things that has made an impact on me.
I enjoyed how the discussion groups were part of the class. It was almost relaxing sitting around with a few people just listening and talking about random things that we see going on in society. It was another great way to hear the opinions of everyone. Everyone believes in different things and everyone comes from a different background. I loved getting to hear all the stories that I otherwise would not.
SOC119 was great. I am so glad I was fortunate enough to be able to take it and I definitely think it has taught me some lessons that will benefit me later in life. Everything about it was practical and there really was not anything that I did not like. I even made a few new friends in the process of all this! I will definitely recommend this class to my friends. Thanks for a great semester!

It would take so much for me to angry enough to kill someone. I do not even like to see people being killed in movies or on TV. I am the type of person who will just walk away from a disagreement instead of getting my way. I have never been in a fight or any type of situation that I wanted to physically hurt another person. I hate conflict!! I do not even know what it would take for me to be desensitized to the idea. Obviously, I have never been in a situation where I had to decide whether or not I wanted to kill someone but if a situation like that were to occur, I believe the only way I would be able to do it would be if they were hurting my family, especially my future children. But Sam asked us to think about killing someone in another situation, one that does not involved our family or friends being threatened.
I thought long and hard about this question and it was really hard for me to think about what would have to be done for me to kill someone. The only reason I could come up with was for my country. It would be really difficult and it would take me a long time to work up the anger and courage, but if I had to kill someone in order to keep my freedom and so other Americans could keep their freedom, I would. I would kill for all the children in America who may not be able to experience the freedom America has for them. I say this would be really hard for me but the more I think about it, the more I realize you just never know until you are in the situation.
We are trained to think about our selves. May the best man win and everyone for themselves. If someone were coming after me, wanting to kill me, would I just let them do it? Would I be too scared or caring to defend myself? I honestly think maybe I would kill someone as a last resort if it saves myself. I know this sounds selfish and it kind of scares me a little bit but we are just programmed to save ourselves and lets face it, almost all of us would do this so that we may live.
I do not like to imagine myself killing someone or the situations I would have to be under in order to go through with it. I truly hope with all of my heart that I never have to be in a situation where I have to kill someone. This is a subject that you just cannot predict.

Thursday’s lecture was interesting. It is kind of hard for me to follow videos because I get easily distracted so I wish Sam would had saved this lecture for a day he was in class. I feel like we would have gotten a lot of discussion going on. It seemed to be very powerful and once again, my eyes were opened. In some ways I was upset and in other ways I was more shocked. I was really upset when he showed the video clip of the United States military running civilians off the road while driving and running over their cars for looting wood to survive. After seeing that, I tried to put myself in the shoes of those in the Middle East and I can understand why some people have such negative views of Americans. It really truly surprised me. Not to sound selfish, but I thought people looked at Americans as heroes or as people they wanted to be like. We think we are the greatest country in America but other countries have their stereotypes and negative views towards us just like we do to them. This is probably what I am most shocked about. I cannot believe there are news reports saying how terrible we are. But after seeing the clips of the soldiers, I am really not surprised anymore!
Another thing I found really interesting was the radical Christians they showed. I found it surprising that they speak about Christians they same way our news reporters speak about radical Muslims. It was almost scary to see the way the children were acting, wanting to fight a holy war and the way their leaders were teaching them to act. It looked like some type of Cult! It kind of upset me because that is the way many people, even in America, view Christians. They are the ones that get attention and it gives all Christians a reputation. Obviously, I am a Christian and I do not act like that in any way. I always wish there was a way to show people who look at Christians negatively the other side of the religion.
As I am typing this, I realize Muslims feel the same way. Not all Muslims are radical. They are not all “crazy” like we think. I think this really hits home for me because I always get defensive when people talk so badly about Christians. I am in no way like those shown in the video. I am open-minded and allow people to view things differently than me. I do not shove my religion in people’s faces. This is EXACTLY how the Muslims feel. There are just those few people that ruin things for everyone. This lesson was very interesting and has allowed me to think outside the box. It allows me to break those stereotypes that have been drilled into my head ever since elementary school when the terrorist attacks occurred.

The video we watched in class on Thursday about Jorge was great. I love the selflessness he has and the hard work he puts in everyday to help those who have less than him. The part that touched me the most was when his mother was talking about what they do and she started to tear up and said something along the lines of, “if we do not do this, they will go to bed hungry. And going to bed hungry is one of the worst feelings in the world.” That gave me goose bumps and it allowed us to see how much they truly care and feel the pain of the other immigrants.

The fact that Jorge cares so much about others and is willing to spend all of his money with no benefit of his own other than the feeling of accomplishing a good deed is what Jesus wants his followers to do. Care for those who need your help and do not put your own needs before others. He is demonstrating a characteristic of Jesus but this obviously, does not make him Jesus. I think it makes him a great Christian but there are other components that go into Christianity. We obviously do not know more about his background or home life but from what we saw he is a very selfless Christian. It is really hard to compare a person to Jesus and say they basically are Jesus, in fact, it is impossible. To Christians, Jesus is the ultimate person. He is perfect and unlike anyone else.

Even though I am a Christian, I would find it really hard to put myself into Jorge’s shoes. Charities and helping those less fortunate than me is very important to me. But after years and years of trying to work my way through a new country and a very new lifestyle, it would be such a challenge to spend all my money on others. I am so impressed that Jorge has the faith to carry on with his good deeds. A favorite Bible verse of mine (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) says: “My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.” As Christians we believe that we will be blessed with what we need. We should never worry that we will not make it through. I think Jorge has this in his mind. While he may be a little nervous, he knows God is taking care of him because he is showing his love.

The fact that Asians are considered intellectually superior or smarter can be very harmful for them. When I stopped to think about it, I really do feel bad for them. Going to Penn State, I always here jokes about Asians and a lot of my friends talk negatively about them. Obviously, if they hear these jokes or comments, it is going to offend them. If I was being made fun of in a different country that I am new to and do not call home, I would take it very hard. Here they are, trying to fit in with the American’s and learn their ways and a lot of us will not even give them a chance. It seems like a lot of the reason we are so bitter towards Asians is because a majority of them are so smart. There is no way I could ever compete with and Asian in intelligence. We feel threatened by them. Because they are so smart, there are chances they will get the jobs that we want and dream of. We are a competitive nation; we want what is best for us. So this makes us hold a grudge against the Asians. Obviously, this is going to negatively affect them because they are just trying to succeed like the rest of us and everyone is against them for really no reason that they can help.

Another thing that can negatively affect them is the pressure that is put on them. There is a stereotype that Asian parents put a lot of pressure on their children to succeed. I am sure there are a handful of Asian students here that do not truly want to be here. Doing something that you really do not want to do will take a toll on your emotions, which is very negative. I know how it feels to be put under a lot of pressure and your parents just do not care how you feel. They simply make you do things that are better for THEM in the long run. When this happened to me, I was very anxious and depressed. I cannot even imagine spending four years or more in a different country that you do not even want to be in. Living up to everyone’s expectations can negatively affect Asians as well. I am sure professors have higher expectations towards these students as well as our whole student body. I cannot imagine having everyone expecting me to be someone I really am not. I definitely would not be able to handle the pressure.

I am glad we talked about this in class. I do find myself getting frustrated with Asians some times. Deep down I think I really am jealous of those that schoolwork comes so easily to. School is so hard for me, it has always been a struggle to get by. So it some times makes me angry that I am working so hard and there is a high chance that someone who is not even from my country will get the job I want. But this exercise made me look at it from the other way around. They came to America to get a good education, which I now commend them for. They want to succeed just like us. It really opened my eyes.

When Sam brought up the statistics in class, I was not too surprised about some of them but there were a few that really caught me off guard. The one that shocked me the most was about who employers were more likely to hire: a black person with a clean criminal record or a white person with a criminal record. When the answer was a white person with a criminal record, it almost made me sick to my stomach. After seeing the statistics, we took a poll in the classroom to see what we would do if we were in the employers shoes. When the results were posted, I was again surprised that there were a few people in the class who would do the same thing, hire a white person with a criminal record rather than a black person with a clean record.

I have never known about the terrible conditions of Native Americans until watching the videos for Quiz one and talking about it in class. It is mind boggling to me that they live this way! Growing up, when I heard about Native Americans living in reservations, I pictured them in rural grasslands where they would hunt and take care of animals. Now, when I think about those thoughts, it’s the farthest thing from the truth. Learning that Native Americans are among the poorest in America is such a reality check.
I am almost disappointed in America because of this. There is so much going on in the U.S and we usually hear about it over and over again until everyone is aware. Sadly, barely any of us know about the poor conditions of the Native Americans. It is very upsetting that they were knocked off their land that they were promised so long ago. They were never a threat to us or dangerous in any way, Americans just took advantage of them. It was so easy for them to be forgotten and put in the predicament they now face. Who says it will not happen to us someday? The thought of that is terrifying. Another group could come along one day and take over our land, jobs, and everything we take pride in.
If this happened to us I would feel betrayed and like I have been robbed of everything my ancestors and I had worked for. I would feel hopeless and obviously angry. Which I’m sure is how the Native Americans feel. It’s hard for me to say exactly how I would feel because it is a situation that is just so unimaginable. I would feel hopeless. The fact that I would live in America and my own country barely recognizes me, cares about me, and unwilling to help whatsoever would just be the most terrible, lonely feeling. It seems like greed and power take over the souls of potentially good people. They do not care if it hurts anyone in the process, just as long as they get to the top, where they think they belong. America is becoming more and more diverse and I guess potentially someday, the same thing could happen to us. This is hard for me to imagine because I am an idealist and I simply cannot imagine something so horrible occurring. I do think there will be a lot of culture changes within the upcoming years, but I truly hope nothing would happen.
I think it is really important for us to reach out to the Native Americans in someway. It is really sad that the dropout rate is so high in the Native American communities and the life expectancy of men is extremely low. It is really important that they somehow get resources to improve their education and way of life. I wish more of America would be aware of what was happening and the poor lifestyles Native Americans have. It would open the eyes of so many.

Whenever I saw people less fortunate than me, I would of course have sympathy towards them and feel bad for them. But I always had the mind set that if they would just work harder, stop being lazy, or find a better job they would be well off. Growing up in a very conservative area, I knew a lot of people that had the same views as me. Obviously, when I was younger I did not think of this as free will versus determinism. To be honest, I never really thought about it in such context until our class in SOC119.
Moving away from my hometown, meeting a diverse group of people, and seeing what the real world is like was the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought the past two and a half years have taught me more than I could learn in any class, until I signed up for SOC119. Coming to SOC119 has opened my mind even more. I have not really thought about the whole free will verses determination issue during my college career until Sam brought it up in class. At that time, I still voted that free will played a greater role in a person’s life. But as soon as we started discussing the issue and after we watched the video about Tammy and her sons, I realized what I thought was somewhat ridiculous. Now, I believe it is a mixture between determinism and free will. There is the smallest possibility that someone who grew up practically homeless would end up in upper class. No matter how hard they work, there will always be someone who grew up in the upper class that will have more opportunities than them. I feel like Tammy is a perfect example of that because she stated she grew up in a poor family and looking at her family now, it is the same as when she was a child. She demonstrates free will because she is trying to pay for her family by working as a janitor at Burger King. She is not just sitting at home collecting welfare. But determinism comes in because no matter how hard she works at Burger King, they will always be a family that struggles due to her job and their neighborhood.
Free will and determinism will always be linked together. The fact that one can be without the other just does not make sense. My views have changed so much. When I look back to myself in middle school and high school, I feel almost ashamed of myself. I cannot believe I would look at people less fortunate than me and be almost mad at them. Once again, I’m so happy this was brought up in class and in my discussion group. I’m thankful I go to a school where I can experience so many new things.

When Sam asked the class who was rich, not just well off but truly rich, and no one raised their hand, in some ways it was surprising to me and in some ways it was not. I know a family who is very wealthy and they love to make sure people are aware of it by buying new cars and all the latest technologies, even if they do not need it. There will always be those who love to look better than others no matter what. It surprised me that there was no one in the class with that type of personality. Saying that, it actually made me respect my peers a lot more. It really impressed me that not one person wanted to show off what they had.
And then there are those people that are wealthy and you would never know it. I have a great respect for those people. The few that I know are some of the most caring, selfless people I have ever met. They are always looking for ways to donate their money and surprisingly have an average size house and reasonable cars. I think the reason that a lot of people are hesitant to admit that they are wealthy is because those who are not as fortunate look at the wealthy as selfish and not helping anyone who is in need. I think some of the upper class even feel almost embarrassed some times when they are talking to someone less fortunate than them. For example, when I am thinking about those in Haiti or learning about them in class, I look at my iPhone that I am holding in my hand and just feel terrible that I am using the money I have on a phone bill and to buy apps that are completely useless in the grand scheme of things. If I were to talk to someone in Haiti or even an American who was very poor, I would feel so embarrassed and selfish even though I’m not. That is a feeling a lot of people have when they are with someone less fortunate than them.
I think a lot of us who are middle class or lower class need to realize that there are those who are wealthy that truly worked their way from the bottom to the top. And instead of looking at them in a jealous or negative way, we need to look at them as an inspiration. That anything can happen if you work to your potential. There will always be those who do not deserve to have money or live the way they do, but that’s the way it is. I am glad Sam brought this topic up in class because it really made me think about wealth and the way some people get to the top in a completely different way.

I think Dr. Jones made some very interesting points during his lecture. When he began the class with us bidding on a dollar, I had no idea where he was going with that or how this could lead to anything that we needed to learn. Little did I know that it would actually capture the entire class’s attention and the class would be one of the most thought provoking classes.
Throughout this class and especially during this lecture I am realizing more and more that I really cannot trust anyone except for the one who is the main source. It is almost impossible to hear something without it being twisted or exaggerated in some way. Dr. Jones made that point very clear with his story demonstration. It is amazing how many small, important details can be left out and those details are the ones that are the most important. It was very interesting how there were some words describing the characters in the story that obviously could come across as offensive. As the story progressed the words were not used or used in a different way.
To me, the most important lesson I learned from that class and from SOC119 in general is that we need to realize that the news is usually not accurate and neither are the stories that people tell us. This also links to stereotypes. Because of the stories we hear on the news we assume things. For example, Muslims are violent. We all know that is not at all true but yet we seem to go along with it. I’m so glad I am realizing this more and more every class period.