tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39953587435329915822024-03-06T01:08:26.427-06:00SoUnequalaggregation and commentary on emerging online media relevant to stratification and inequality SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-71770381974195052020-06-16T23:30:00.002-05:002023-05-25T10:01:28.567-05:00SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-27083274934374291692017-01-26T15:26:00.007-06:002023-05-25T09:42:02.501-05:00time as a commodity of exchange <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xjXrl4tDC7U" width="320" youtube-src-id="xjXrl4tDC7U"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #212121; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contributed by Dagoberto Chavez, student in graduate social stratification class.</span></div>
<span face=""roboto" , "robotodraft" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #212121; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span face=""roboto" , "robotodraft" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #212121; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This video summarizes the science fiction movie "In Time". It takes place sometime in the future when nobody ages past 25 and is compelled to continually pay to keep living in the form of time credits. If one fails to maintain a positive balance, then one instantly dies. The movie well illustrates how a stratification order can be built around virtually any commodity as long as it is scarce and necessary to sustain life. </span><span face=""roboto" , "robotodraft" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #212121; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-10074516560830923782016-10-03T23:13:00.000-05:002016-10-03T23:20:55.193-05:00The Negotiation of Status While Dining on The Titanic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hVOx3gHE10g/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hVOx3gHE10g?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This post was contributed by UTSA Political Science graduate
student, Dagoberto Chavez.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The dinner scene from James Cameron’s Titanic well symbolizes
the negotiated nature of prestige in the context of social interaction. Jack
(played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is introduced by Rose (played by Kate Winslet) to
her family, friends, and very well-off acquaintances. Immediately, Cal (the
pompous fiancé of Jack’s love interest, Rose) asserts his superiority by
telling Jack that he “could almost pass for a gentleman,” thus reminding Jack
of his low social status both in life and at dinner. Before sitting to eat,
Rose begins to “educate” Jack about just who is in their presence in terms of
wealth and power. Rose’s embedded culture of the Upper Class is highlighted.
Jack, a carefree wandering peasant, is in the presence of high esteemed Royals
and Ambassadors. This is further reinforced through dialogue at the dinner
table when Cal introduces Jack by stating that he is joining them from the
“third class.” This is not only a reference to Jack’s sleeping quarters on the
ship, but an unsubtle characterization of Jack’s social status--highlighted
again as Jack confusingly looks down at his silverware set and asks whether or
not they are ALL meant for him. The scene concludes with a brief conversation
about Jack’s living conditions and travel opportunities as Jack describes how
he is able to make ends meet while abroad. it is apparent that some at the
table disapprove of his way of life, especially through the symbolic
representation of Rose’s mother sipping a glass of champagne after making a
snarky comment about whether or not Jack finds his “rootless existence
appealing.” Here, we see Jack uphold his honor with modesty and feigned
upper-class swagger.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Social Negotiation</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Jack’s ability to defend himself while surrounded by
upper-class individuals illustrates Cameron’s attempt to frame Jack as the
primary protagonist. Jack’s ease in dealing effectively with a challenging
social situation suggests the hero’s cool under fire. More importantly for our
purposes, Cameron uses this characterization to show that status is not fixed,
but negotiated. Although Jack is objectively poor, he maintains his dignity
through social negotiation. As a proud, card-carrying member of the working
class, Jack never abandons his roots as he admits to his status as third class.
In so doing, he asserts himself as an authentic individual in contrast to the
pretentious others at the table. He establishes this as an exclusive accolade
for those of the lower class.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Dramaturgy & The Titanic</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Dramaturgy, a concept developed by the late sociologist
Erving Goffman, holds that social life is a never-ending play. Individuals
interpret their role on the basis of impression management mechanisms--Social
Setting, Appearance, and Manner of Interaction.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">+Social Setting</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Social settings can determine how one acts and reacts to
stimuli. This can be conveyed by the type of objects present and how they are
set up. Essentially, this will determine role expectations and limitations. For
instance, during the dinner scene with Jack, Rose, and her family, the setting
is in first class during a very fancy dinner. This is expressed by the type of
music playing, draperies and furnishings, and the food being served. Further,
the placement of the silverware and the offering of caviar, a prestigious dish,
reinforces this mechanism.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">+Appearance</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">According to Goffman, clothing, physical stature, race, and
stereotypes are the primary stimulants for appearance. All the men, including
the waiters, are wearing tuxedos, an outfit associated with prestige and power.
An additional layer of appearance used here can be seen through the use of
stereotypes. As Rose introduces Jack to the many prestigious characters around
them, she does so through the use of their titles rather than their names
alone. It is clearly established that they are in the presence of very
important people, indeed Dukes and Senators. Although they only appear in the
background for a moment, the viewer is able to see Jack interpret this
information through his body language and facial expressions. Hence, the stimuli
of stereotypes successfully conveyed to Jack his role and the expectations
associated with said role. Additionally, Jack was blatantly instructed to act
as if he owned a “goldmine because they love money;” Here, the use of
stereotypes is reinforced by the blatant use of admitting how an expectation
needs to be met.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">+Manner of Interacting</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">According to Goffman, individuals interact with one another
in ways to convey how they want to portray themselves. One way of establishing
this is through the use of body language, which is quite apparent in the scene.
For example, as Jack, Rose, and others walk throughout the dining area their
stature is clearly poised and proper. As Goffman would say, they seem as though
they are on a stage acting out a play. Every move is calculated and precise. To
say that their interactions are casual suggests the polar opposite of the mood
and setting.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Face Work /Interaction Ritual & The Titanic</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Virtually in every interaction, a person acts in ways
consistent to that of their Line. According to Goffman, Line is everything
people say or do to express their perspective of a situation, the others, and
themselves via other individuals. Essentially, Line is the judgement of
everything and everyone during a social interaction. Individuals set
expectations for themselves through the use of statements. Their peer’s will
either approve of these statements through praise or deny them through
criticism or silence. Further, this Line is always connected with an
individual’s face. This is the positive social value people claim for
themselves through the use of the Line. Therefore, if one presents a standard
through comments, that standard tends to be associated with that individual’s
face. This theory adds an additional layer of complexity seen during the dinner
scene on the Titanic.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Cal and the other social elites attempt to establish a line
of prestige and superiority. As they develop their line by criticizing Jack’s
status, they attempt to set their stereotype as one above his (the underclass).
They do this by constantly questioning Jack’s “rootless existence” and his
ability to “join” them from the 3rd class. They assert themselves and establish
their own line by labeling Jack as a lesser human being. However, in actuality
they are allowing Jack the opportunity to establish a line critical to theirs.
In response to the criticism, Jack establishes a line superior to that of
theirs by turning negatives into virtues. Jack identifies his lack of stable
living conditions as an opportunity of freedom. Jack’s ability to disassociate
this third class condition as a limitation and associate it with the idea of
opportunity is compelling. He successfully converts a condition exclusive to
the third class and presents it as something unattainable to the upper class.
This ultimately sets his Line above those of presumably greater prestige.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-80526098910499767782016-07-03T11:30:00.000-05:002016-07-03T11:32:34.375-05:00poverty as a function of location<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lYSc70NotfQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lYSc70NotfQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This post was contributed by Dayna Moelleken, a
student in my undergraduate social stratification class</span><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The term
"American Dream" relates to the assumption that every American can achieve success and prosperity through initiative, determination,
and hard work. However, could it be that the American Dream is far
likelier to be realized among those born into the right family in the right zip
code? Like most Americans, I believed that if you worked hard and
wanted it badly enough, it could be yours. Of course I knew that in reality such
factors as sex, race, and class background could influence one’s trajectory,
but I did not fully appreciate the relevance of location. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this PBS Race
Matters </span><span style="color: #2e75b6; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #2E75B6; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent1; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/disadvantaged-neighborhoods-amplify-racial-inequality/"><span style="color: #2e75b6; text-decoration: none;">segment</span></a></span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Harvard economist
Raj Chetty builds a strong case demonstrating that where you grow up profoundly
affects your life chances. Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren studied more than
5 million U.S. children and found that those living in low-poverty
neighborhoods, in comparison with poor children in high-poverty areas, were far
more likely to attend college, less likely to be involved in teen pregnancy,
and also as adults, earned higher incomes and had more stable families (<a href="http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/images/nbhds_exec_summary.pdf"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Chetty and Hendren, 2015</span></a>).
Chetty also cites The <a href="http://www.nber.org/mtopublic/MTO%20Overview%20Summary.pdf"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Moving to Opportunity
Study</span></a> that had similar findings. Vouchers were given to 4,600
families, which allowed them to move into higher income areas. Children under
the age of 8 that were moved into low-poverty neighborhoods were 30 percent more
likely to go to college and had higher incomes than those remaining in poor
locations. Chetty argues that such findings are largely the consequence of far
better schools and exposure to positive role models. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So how do we fix this
problem? Chetty says vouchers and relocation aren’t a permanent
solution to helping the poor because everyone can’t be moved. Rather,
he argues that mobility out of poverty will more extensively be achieved by significant public investment in improving impoverished areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To see how your area influences
social mobility of its youth, employ this <i>New
York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/03/upshot/the-best-and-worst-places-to-grow-up-how-your-area-compares.html"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">interactive graphic</span></a>
based on research by Chetty and Hendren. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-38767391476431329422016-04-19T08:49:00.003-05:002016-04-19T08:57:48.143-05:00inequality and death: increasing disparities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEVJQfiEFw92HIKI99JAy9-6-nb8-_SrwPZlLqE_O0hKHcnHg5n39QEpbQfcM649Kwm5Zd5s8LizeErS8mI2p8864kGpHPkf6WbGV9lI3wBSo75lmos6OVAiF-32lrAjGtQMEiB8Aid0/s1600/longevity+gap+jpeg+rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEVJQfiEFw92HIKI99JAy9-6-nb8-_SrwPZlLqE_O0hKHcnHg5n39QEpbQfcM649Kwm5Zd5s8LizeErS8mI2p8864kGpHPkf6WbGV9lI3wBSo75lmos6OVAiF-32lrAjGtQMEiB8Aid0/s320/longevity+gap+jpeg+rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This post was written by Timothy Haverda, UTSA sociology major.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
Recently, the <i>New York Times</i> ran an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/11/upshot/for-the-poor-geography-is-life-and-death.html">article</a> by Neil Irwin and Quoctrung Bui, "The Rich Love Longer Everywhere. For the Poor, Geography Matters." In the article, CDC Director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Frieden">Thomas Frieden</a> notes that, "There is a very strong correlation between income and life span. There are things we can do to change the life trajectory of people. What improves health in a community? It includes wide access to social, educational and economic opportunity.” Irwin and Bui point out that ways to increase this "life trajectory," as well as decreasing the longevity gap between between high-income and low-income residents, include higher rates of social spending for the poor, access to preventative health care, and campaigns to promote healthier lifestyles. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
Their findings are consistent with other research also recently reported in a <i>New York Times </i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/13/health/disparity-in-life-spans-of-the-rich-and-the-poor-is-growing.html">article</a>, "Disparity in Life Spans of the Rich and the Poor is Growing" by Sabrina Tavernise. While it is often touted that globalization and neoliberalism have given rise to increasing life expectancies in the U.S. (whether such things are a "net positive" for U.S. workers or workers in developing countries is a separate discussion), Tavernise illustrates the longevity gap between the poorest and richest is becoming increasingly wider. Furthermore, while life expectancies overall are increasing for men, poor women's life expectancies have actually been decreasing (see above graph).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/people/elizabeth_bradley.profile">Elizabeth Bradley</a>, professor of public health at Yale University notes that these disparities are a result of economic and social inequality, "things that high-tech medicine cannot fix." <a href="http://www.healthdata.org/about/christopher-jl-murray">Christoper Murray</a>, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, likewise agrees, "There are large swaths of the population that are not enjoying the pretty impressive gains the rest of us are having in life spans. Not everybody is sharing in the same prosperity and progress." </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
Of course, "sharing" is that dirty synonym of "socialism," and if we aren't punishing people for being poor, what kind of country are we? One with life expectancies similar to developing countries, apparently. </div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-4965566699582544322016-02-14T09:25:00.000-06:002016-02-18T10:24:06.864-06:00economy rigged: say most Americans regardless of political affiliation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wgNxWiAD3451zQr0rw2gWx1C4US970nQ8TNpMxXg5UJlZbutTeI-QastcF5HAHiLBU2C5B9pLLum2MmfQU01jeem26i4Xt_-Mh1emjhzxj5pmnBpm207iX9rq2dXn0zH_VXftzRGUqw/s1600/economy+unfair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wgNxWiAD3451zQr0rw2gWx1C4US970nQ8TNpMxXg5UJlZbutTeI-QastcF5HAHiLBU2C5B9pLLum2MmfQU01jeem26i4Xt_-Mh1emjhzxj5pmnBpm207iX9rq2dXn0zH_VXftzRGUqw/s320/economy+unfair.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
About 2 of 3 Americans report that the economic system of the U.S. is biased in favor of the rich and powerful. A recent <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/10/most-americans-say-u-s-economic-system-is-unfair-but-high-income-republicans-disagree/">PEW poll</a> found that 65% of respondents in a national survey "unfairly favors powerful interests." Those least apt to agree, indeed the only category to disagree with this statement, are Republicans making in excess of $100,000. All Democratic income categories, and all Republican income groups save the richest, agree that the economy is rigged. Interestingly, the least likely category of Democrats to agree are those making less than $30,000.<br />
<br />SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-87145107618881412382015-12-06T22:48:00.001-06:002015-12-07T08:01:27.781-06:00"You can't handle the truth!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9FnO3igOkOk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9FnO3igOkOk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">Benito Almaguer is a student in this semester's introduction to sociology course. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;"><span style="line-height: 14.56px;">"A Few Good Men"</span><span style="line-height: 14.56px;"> well illustrates </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">the completely authoritarian hierarchy embodied in </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">the U,S, Marine Corps. In particular, s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">ociological concepts relevant to military socialization and culture abound in the movie's courtroom scene, "You can</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">'t handle the truth!". In this finale, Col. Nathan R. Jessup, played spot on by Jack Nicholson, is being cross-examined by defense lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, during the c</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">ourt martial of two U.S. Marines who inadvertently killed Private William Santiago. Prior to the case going to trial, Lt. Kaffee negotiates a plea bargain on behalf of the two, but they refuse to take it, insisting they were only following the order of a superior, one Col. Jessup. In this case, the order is a "Code Red," the Marine term for hazing, which in sociological terms involves a degradation ceremony that incorporates identity assault and mortification, and reduces the victim to complete humiliation. The specific order was to shave Santiago's head, but during its execution, the rag shoved into his mouth to prevent him from screaming, chokes and kills him.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.56px;">The scene effectively dramatizes how successful the Marine Corps is in resocializing its members, officers and non-coms alike, to ensure total obedience. To "Disobey a Direct Order" carries grave consequences. The Corps redefines morality to suit the "Needs of The Corps," meaning that full compliance is obligatory, regardless of the fact that doing so may seriously deviate from precepts of conventional morality and civilian law. On the witness stand, Jessup contemptuously declares to Kaffee that "You want me on that wall! You need me on that wall!" reflecting the boastful pride that comes from the <i>esprit de corps</i> engrained in every Marine. He embodies the complete transformation that occurs with Corps resocialization. Indeed, in the climactic end, his arrogance trumps self-preservation, as he proudly screams out his response to the question of ordering the Code Red: "YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT I DID!”</span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-10784569152278460082015-11-03T07:38:00.000-06:002015-11-03T07:52:40.208-06:00Target goes gender-neutral and customers respond<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QXZidq_WRos/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QXZidq_WRos?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;">This post was written by Sanah Jivani, introductory sociology student, and recently appeared in <a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/target-goes-gender-neutral-and-customers-respond">The Sociological </a></span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/target-goes-gender-neutral-and-customers-respond" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;">Cinema</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;">. An earlier version appeared in SoUnequal under the title <a href="http://sounequal.blogspot.com/2015/09/target-hopes-to-change-norms.html">Target hopes to change the norms</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 10.2857px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 10.2857px;">This local newscast covers a recent Target store's removal of the "boys" and "girls" </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 10.2857px;">sections </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">to go gender-neutral. They note the store is changing the symbolic pink and blue </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">background colors to neutral colors. While in the past, girls played with Barbies and boys </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">played with action figures, Target is transcending these distinctions to enable different toys,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">electronics, and bedding goods to appeal across gender boundaries. They note their </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">decision to go gender-neutral is based on "customer feedback" and that separate girls and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">boys sections are "not necessary." Some customers reacted negatively to the switch,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">stating </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">"Can you say publicity stunt?", "RIDICULOUS!!!", and "No longer a fan or opper of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">Target." In effect, these customers are policing the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_binary" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;" target="_blank">gender binary</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">. One of the news shows' </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">interns praises Target for the move toward "gender equality" and enabling children to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">"create their own person and not have to choose one thing because that's what they're </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">supposed to choose" For related videos, viewers may want to check out similar debates </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">about a </span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/policing-the-parenting-of-boys" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">J. Crew advertisement</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">, a </span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/my-princess-boy-and-the-un-policing-of-gender" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">5-year old boy</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;"> who loves to wear dresses, efforts to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">make </span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/challenging-legos-use-of-gender-in-advertising" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">gender-neutral Legos</a><span id="selectionBoundary_1444941051086_061353669754922846" style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">, </span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/policing-the-gender-binary-with-fox-friends" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">Fox news analysts</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;"> that mock gender-neutral bathrooms, and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">a </span><a href="http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/gender-binary-gender-baggage" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;">peer sex educator</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 10.2857px;"> that breaks down the gender binary. </span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-80831672203036430482015-10-18T07:59:00.000-05:002015-10-18T08:02:45.095-05:00why the hell am I watching Below Deck?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xd8IxjNJ8Cs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xd8IxjNJ8Cs?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
Written by Todd Schoepflin and originally appearing in <a href="http://creativesociology.blogspot.com/2015/10/why-hell-am-i-watching-below-deck.html">Creative Sociology</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #f3ffee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.bravotv.com/below-deck"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Below Deck</i> is a show on Bravo</span></a><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;">that my wife and I watch together. I've been </span><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;">asking myself why I watch this show. I think I have answers. For one, it's about money and social class. Rich people chart a yacht for leisure and luxury. It's a variation on the theme of</span><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;"> </span><i style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;">Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous</i><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4;">. For whatever reason, it's interesting to watch rich people hang out on a boat and be served upscale food. Maybe I'm jealous. Maybe I picture myself having the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to vacation like this in my next lifetime. I do like when the crew makes fun of the guests behind their backs.</span></h3>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4223671163625767364" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: #f3ffee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 520px;">
<br />
Another factor is sexual intrigue. There is sexual tension on the yacht and sexual tension makes for good television. The most recent episode I watched included a liaison in the laundry room between two crew members. One of the participants, named Rocky, is a feisty and funny woman who in earlier episodes seemed close to a sexual encounter with Emile, a young man who seemed all too eager for sexual shenanigans. Rocky seems like a breakout star in the making. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets her own reality show after this season or at least is cast in a more high-profile show.<br />
<br />
It's not all about sex. There's general fighting and bickering that occurs between crew members. Kate, the serious and always on her game crew member, is constantly busting the chops of chef Leon and accusing him of not trying hard enough to please the guests. Leon defends his culinary skills and tells Kate he doesn't like her, and usually does just enough in the kitchen to make the guests happy. I guess it's fun to watch people fight at work.<br />
<br />
One more thing. There is drinking. Lots of drinking. The guests party. The crew parties. A deck hand named Dane showed up for a few episodes but was kicked off the yacht for excessive drinking. He was let go by Captain Lee, the cranky leader who demands high-level performance from his crew. The steady Captain displays a soft side in providing compliments and positive reinforcement at just the right times. He also distributes tip money to the crew that guests leave when they depart, usually in the $15,000 range. 15 large, baby!<br />
<br />
So there you have it. Money. Rich people. Good-looking crew. Sex. Drinking. Arguing. Some of your basic ingredients in a 21st century reality show. Get your popcorn ready! And then get back to your normal life, buddy!</div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-68886627103830300992015-10-04T08:22:00.000-05:002015-10-04T08:24:06.544-05:00a man in the park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nUI7OiTk8t0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nUI7OiTk8t0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
Kim Aronson, a Bay Area videographer, has a special talent for telling simple, yet poignant stories drawn from peoples' biographies. Here he interviews a stranger on a park bench who talks about his experience with the police and the legal system that has contributed to his present homeless situation. See this video and other examples of his work at his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/podshowdk">YouTube</a> site.SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-48913365432443726062015-09-30T17:00:00.000-05:002020-04-26T05:53:37.949-05:00Target hopes to change norms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QXZidq_WRos/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QXZidq_WRos?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post was contributed by </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">introductory sociology student, S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">anah Jivani. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Target store managers have been ordered to remove the "boys" and "girls" signs in the bedroom and toy sections. They will also change the symbolic pink and blue background colors to enhance gender neutrality. While in the past, girls played with Barbies and boys played with action figures, Target is hoping to remove these labels and defeat such stereotypes.</span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Certainly in the not-too-distant past, boys who played with dolls were commonly assumed to be either sexually confused at best, or outright homosexual at worst. Homosexuality constituted a moral violation entailing severe social and legal sanctions, and often psychiatric intervention. According to a BBC News article, "...in the 1950s and 1960s, behavioral therapy was used to try to "cure" gays. Men convicted of homosexual acts were routinely given electric shock treatment, hallucinogenic drugs, and subjected to brainwashing techniques." (</span><a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" dir="ltr" href="http://goo.gl/EjYTRL" jslog="10929; track:click" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #427fed; cursor: pointer; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.218s;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/EjYTRL</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">) H</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">omosexuality constituted a cultural taboo, and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">the simple act of boys playing with dolls was repulsive to many. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">However, normative definitions can be dynamic. They may change, but usually not without serious social conflict. Certainly, American attitudes towards all kinds of sexual expression have become more liberal in recent decades (see, e.g., </span><a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" dir="ltr" href="http://goo.gl/6SnhdE" jslog="10929; track:click" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #427fed; cursor: pointer; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.218s;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/6SnhdE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">). Despite continuing controversy about the legal status of gay marriage, the fact of appearing effeminate, much less being homosexual, no longer suggests a serious moral breach to many Americans, particularly millennials (</span><a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" dir="ltr" href="http://goo.gl/FoSAZ7" jslog="10929; track:click" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #427fed; cursor: pointer; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.218s;" target="_blank">http://goo.gl/FoSAZ7</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">).</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Will Target's decision to change how toys are displayed influence normative behavior? Perhaps--but it may be a case of "too little, too late." While parents who allowed sons to bend gender in the past may have been negatively sanctioned, today it's become another matter: parents who do NOT allow their boys to play with girl toys are out-of-line. Increasingly, the evolving culture suggests that upholding traditional gender definitions is indicative of sexism, perhaps now justifying moral crusades against it.</span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-26783482032574562582015-09-29T23:39:00.000-05:002015-09-29T23:48:25.846-05:00Latoya Ruby Frazier/ the notion of family<script id="mediastorm-player-e560b66cf42af6673404" src="https://player.mediastorm.com/players/embed?id=e560b66cf42af6673404&w=640&h=460&lang=none"></script><p>LaToya Ruby Frazier ’s body of work “The Notion of Family” examines the impact of the steel industry and health care system on the community of Braddock, PA. See the project at <a href="http://mediastorm.com/clients/2015-icp-infinity-awards-publication-latoya-ruby-frazier">http://mediastorm.com/clients/2015-icp-infinity-awards-publication-latoya-ruby-frazier</a></p>
Latoya was named a <a href="https://www.macfound.org/fellows/937/">MacArthur Fellow</a> recently.
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-69125206803396415922015-09-12T07:29:00.004-05:002023-05-25T10:04:56.203-05:00does it pay to go to law school?<script height="245px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e&ec=Zud3Z3cjrL4xIxGc7J4p9TwY2JH3SuX2" width="435px"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RXRiOsvptww" width="320" youtube-src-id="RXRiOsvptww"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;">Business Insider</i><span style="text-align: left;"> published this video describing how meaningful employment, as well as income returns, vary greatly among recent law school graduates. The chances of actually working as a lawyer soon after graduation are directly related to the ranking of the law school attended, e.g., while virtually all graduates from the highest rated schools are working as lawyers, only 50 percent of those from non-rated schools are doing so. High incomes also appear to be largely limited to only those graduating from a handful of elite schools. Mean income for lawyers is around $80,000 per year, but most lawyers actually make far less than that, clustering in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. Those making big money--$150,000 and up--generally are limited to those employed in prestigious law firms and corporations. However, as this earlier </span><i style="text-align: left;">BI</i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/is-law-school-worth-the-money-2013-12" style="text-align: left;">article</a><span style="text-align: left;"> by Erin Fuchs suggests, graduating from an elite school doesn't necessarily ensure a decent job.</span></div>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-41843705495580202142015-09-07T10:38:00.000-05:002015-09-07T13:35:00.810-05:00happy labor day! where did it come from? where has it gone? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YqmPE2HtkyU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YqmPE2HtkyU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
Today is the first Monday in September, which is celebrated as Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada. Watch this <a href="https://youtu.be/YqmPE2HtkyU">video</a> (part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation">TED-Ed</a> series) and read this brief <a href="http://blog.oup.com/2015/09/origins-labor-day-marches-1880s-chicago/">article</a> by Carter for an overview of its origins. While the holiday arose over a century ago at a time of rising union militancy in reaction to labor exploitation and government repression, Carter's closing remarks seem most appropriate:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: liberation-sans, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">These snapshots from Chicago’s first Labor Day suggest a crucial difference between the Gilded Age of the late-nineteenth century and the one we find ourselves in today. Even as contemporary disparities between rich and poor approach historic proportions, Americans today are not nearly as engaged in the kinds of freewheeling debates over the morality of capitalism that consumed many of those who lived through industrialization’s peak decades. In their world, devastating recessions elicited fundamental questions about the shape of the nation’s economic life. In their world, concerns about the experiences of the workers and the fate of the working classes saturated public conversation. It is a world removed from our own and yet one that – on Labor Day, no less – is well worth revisiting. </span></span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-34897558162165458902015-08-29T08:29:00.003-05:002015-09-02T08:16:42.028-05:00the language of classism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sudznVtmPxU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sudznVtmPxU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
As used in everyday language, have you ever cringed upon hearing the word "classy" or its derivatives (such as "He's a class act!)? Sociologist/activist, Betsy Leondar-Wright, definitely has, and in fact, argues that such terms attribute favorable traits to the wealthy and powerful, and thus, users employ a class-biased language that ultimately serves the interests of the haves. Similarly, those in poverty or near-poverty are similarly cast in a negative light through such a phrase as "lower class." In all, Leondar-Wright argues for the use of a more sensitive vocabulary that would remove implicit bias from discussions of class by using terms that more precisely portray the actual circumstances of people within the class strructure--such as exchanging "the owning class" for the upper class, or "the chronically poor" for those commonly termed "the underclass." See more of her work at <a href="http://www.classmatters.org/">Class Matters</a>, <a href="http://www.classism.org/">Class Action</a>, and in such videos as this one at the YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ClassismExposed">Classism Exposed</a>, SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-63995334068544846932015-08-25T09:34:00.001-05:002015-08-29T10:01:57.310-05:00meritocracy: latest video from TSL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bTDGdKaMDhQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bTDGdKaMDhQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">This <a href="https://youtu.be/bTDGdKaMDhQ">video</a> providing a critical take on the underside of societies that are presumably based on "merit" has just been released by <a href="http://www.theschooloflife.com/london/">"The School of Life,"</a> a website created to promote emotional intelligence and other important things that are typically not taught in the formal process of education (see <a href="http://www.theschooloflife.com/london/about-us/about-us#&panel1-4">"about us"</a>).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">"Meritocracy," the latest among the rapidly growing video collection on the website (and on its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel">YouTube mirror site</a>), argues that the notion that people rise to the top of the class structure based primarily on their individual effort and productivity is fundamentally flawed. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">if it is widely believed that only people themselves are accountable for their success, then that invariably leads to the conclusion that in those in the lower reaches of the class structure are in poverty due to their own individual failings. As the video states, meritocracy ignores the role of luck and happenstance in people's lives, but it might also note that class systems by their very nature invariably advantage some more than others, if nothing more than by the cultural and social capital accrued by virtue of family origins. One might also add of course that a recognition of the inevitable bias of class should not discourage attempts to extend greater opportunities to achieve, regardless of class background, race, sex, etc,. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">Note: there are many other stratification-relevant videos at this site, including those on various theorists (Marx, Weber, Foucault, etc.) and problems of capitalism (e.g., </span><a href="https://youtu.be/Iipn6yM43sM" style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">status anxiety</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.2222232818604px;">)..</span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-726791523225458752015-08-04T06:01:00.002-05:002015-08-04T06:03:12.639-05:00Greek democracy resurrected <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2kvzQIkI3z8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2kvzQIkI3z8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
This post was contributed by Rohit Chandan, student in this summer's SOC 3013, Social Stratification.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
The July 2015 referendum rejection of bailout conditions set by the European Commission and major lenders should be placed into the larger context of recent developments in Greek politics. The 2014 election led to a populist victory that surprised many observers (see this <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/03/syriza-future-greece-europe-radical-left">Guardian article</a>). The leftist party, Syriza, won, which made Alexis Tsipras the new Prime Minister. Greece in the past few years has been experiencing severe economic problems which led to some rather severe austerity measures, as well as the inability to pay its debt to international creditors and countries. Generally, when a nation is facing massive debt, the typical response is that the government will raise taxes and reduce public spending, but many people in Greece are against this formula. A slash in public spending usually hits the elderly, working class, and the young most directly. Pensions are reduced, college tuition skyrockets, and small businesses often fold, while the rich and powerful are rarely affected. Therefore, Syriza's election victory signifies that the Greek masses are no longer willing to accept corruption and austerity as normal states of affairs. The leftist political party has promised to reject existing austerity measures, and instead promote greater unionization, higher wages, and the expansion of government services. Syriza's success clearly has diminished the power of traditional elites, and signifies the ascendance of the popular will in national politics. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-56334980429572857892015-06-15T07:17:00.000-05:002015-06-17T07:10:15.362-05:00best and worst places to grow up: atlas of upward mobility<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUsmRcLuAwfW3TyF78qOdorEcWbbUix-LGzHEq3Bq5R4yA5R4shW8pjhxTZ7-Xx2w9rmhPqmJLusK2FVXRgMCWgs2_S95IY6JXNrigbCSLjmGVB8Bv31iMlbDqs4SH_Z_Fcf4JLSiF0w/s1600/bexar+county.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUsmRcLuAwfW3TyF78qOdorEcWbbUix-LGzHEq3Bq5R4yA5R4shW8pjhxTZ7-Xx2w9rmhPqmJLusK2FVXRgMCWgs2_S95IY6JXNrigbCSLjmGVB8Bv31iMlbDqs4SH_Z_Fcf4JLSiF0w/s320/bexar+county.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/03/upshot/the-best-and-worst-places-to-grow-up-how-your-area-compares.html">How Your Area Compares</a><br />
<br />
Click on the above link to see how one's county of residence compares to other nearby areas in contributing to the social mobility of children. This interactive along with the <i>New York Times</i> article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/upshot/an-atlas-of-upward-mobility-shows-paths-out-of-poverty.html">An Atlas of Upward Mobility Shows Paths Out of Poverty</a>, describes how much growing up in the nation's largest cities affects future earnings based on a recent <a href="http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/">study</a> by Chetty and Hendren. A somewhat similar <a href="http://web.stanford.edu/group/scspi/income-segregation-maps/national.html">interactive</a>, showing the changing geographical distribution of income concenration (1970-2007) over the nation's 24 largest cities is available through The Stanford Center for the Study of Wealth and Poverty.SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-47187634671979376422015-04-29T10:19:00.004-05:002015-04-30T08:14:30.949-05:00why rich people think (or at least say) they're middle class<div style="text-align: center;">
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="270" id="flashObj" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=4186822567001&playerID=2444116362001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMILBk~,Vn8u6tPOf8WjzOVjbqXcA1qURLTMd8vZ&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=4186822567001&playerID=2444116362001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAPLMILBk~,Vn8u6tPOf8WjzOVjbqXcA1qURLTMd8vZ&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="480" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object> </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian Donahue followed Chris Christie recently around on the campaign trail and discovered what he sees as a "baffling" disconnect in Christie's public persona: his strong ability to relate to average people as a "regular guy" despite the fact that he is among the top 1% of wealthiest Americans.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Donahue writes in <a href="http://www.nj.com/ledgerlive/index.ssf/2015/04/watch_chris_christies_baffling_rich_guycommon_man_paradox.html">NJ.com</a>: <span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When a man standing in front of you looks you in the eye and says, "I don't consider myself wealthy," you have to take him at his word that, well, he's probably not wealthy. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">But when that man has publicly released his tax returns that show his family's income falls within the top 1 percent of all Americans? Well, you have to start to wonder if something fairly bizarre is going on inside his head. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Such was the case with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last week, who twice told reporters during a swing through New Hampshire that despite earning ten times the median New Jersey income,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> </span><a href="http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/christie_says_hes_not_wealthy.html" style="background-color: white; color: #305cb6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">he does not consider himself rich.</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">In the video above I examine that detachment in the context of a series of events that make them all the more remarkable: Christie's amazing ability to connect personally with voters and sway them to his side with his common touch. It's a knack he's got, and, should he actually run, one he's counting on</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> </span><a href="http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/did_christie_reveal_his_2016_new_hampshire_strateg.html" style="background-color: white; color: #305cb6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">to vault him back into contention </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">for the nation's first presidential primary. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Rich guy? Common man? How to square it all? Watch the video and let me know what you think in the comments below.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">In a follow-up <a href="http://montclairsoci.blogspot.com/2015/04/chris-christie-and-subjective-very.html">piece</a> in<i> </i>the<i> Montclair SocioBlog</i>, Jay Livingston provides an excellent answer to Donahue's paradox by way of using the sociological concepts of "self-perception" and "reference group." </span>SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-53573050345015216902015-04-01T09:02:00.002-05:002015-04-29T08:35:23.204-05:00Japan's disposable workers <div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/121705174" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://aeon.co/magazine/">Aeon</a> has posted a <a href="http://aeon.co/video/society/japans-disposable-workers-net-cafe-refugees/">short documentary</a> on those in Japan unable to find or keep full-time jobs. Estimated to comprise more than a third of the nation's labor force, temporary workers earn a fraction of their former pay, and therefore many have sought housing in low-rent cubicles available in Internet cafes. This video made by Shiho Fukada tells the compelling story of two net-cafe refugees--how they got there, how they manage to endure, and what they hope to become.<br />
<br />
Note that the video is part of <a href="http://disposableworkers.com/">Japan's Disposable Workers</a>, a larger project sponsored by <a href="http://mediastorm.com/">MediaStorm</a> that is documenting the changing nature of employment and hardship in that nation. In addition to addressing net refugees, this excellent collection includes films and stories about such subjects as workplace stress, depression, and karoshi (death by overwork) and <a href="http://disposableworkers.com/?page_id=33">karojishi</a> (work-induced suicide). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For more information in this blog about net-cafe residents, see <a href="http://sounequal.blogspot.com/2014/07/poverty-in-japan.html">Poverty in Japan</a> by Carol Walden and Earl Venne. </div>
SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-23852446393171054412015-03-28T09:00:00.002-05:002015-03-31T14:55:33.392-05:00one crisis away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Va8sCAFCt08/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Va8sCAFCt08?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
PBS/NPR affiliate KERA has started, <a href="http://keranews.org/term/one-crisis-away">One Crisis Away</a>, a rich-media collection of stories examining various aspects of economic struggle in the Dallas area. The first of the series, <a href="http://stories.kera.org/onecrisisaway/">Walking on a Financial Tightrope</a>, follows several local families as they try to deal with crises brought by job loss, medical emergencies, death of family provider, and the like. The second collection recently released, <a href="http://stories.kera.org/inside-neighborhood/">A Place Called Jubilee</a>, explores within the context of a particular inner-city neighborhood such issues as survival on the minimum wage, dealing with debt and payday loans, and trying to eat right when affordable groceries are not near.SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-22679074075029526932015-02-28T09:36:00.000-06:002015-07-02T07:51:51.824-05:00status anxiety and other animations at The School of Life <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/Iipn6yM43sM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Iipn6yM43sM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<a href="http://www.theschooloflife.com/london/">The School of Life</a> website was recently created to ostensibly address important things that are typically not taught in the formal process of schooling (see <a href="http://www.theschooloflife.com/london/about-us/about-us#&panel1-5">"about us"</a>). The above <a href="http://youtu.be/Iipn6yM43sM">video</a> is among the rapidly growing TSL <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel">collection</a> on YouTube. It defines what <i>status anxiety</i> is, why it's so common in modern societies, and concludes with suggestions about insulating oneself from its negative effects. An in-depth treatment of status anxiety is available in Alain de Botton's <a href="http://alaindebotton.com/status/">book</a> of the same name, and his <a href="http://alaindebotton.com/status/watch/">documentary film</a> also available at the TSL site. Note: there are additional stratification-relevant videos at this site, including those on the works of <a href="http://youtu.be/fSQgCy_iIcc">Marx</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/ICppFQ6Tabw">Weber</a>, and several on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwxNMb28XmpehnfQOa4c0E7j3GIj4qFEj">capitalism</a>.SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-81490425934758364272015-02-01T09:13:00.000-06:002015-02-02T07:26:18.081-06:00Linda Tirado and Hand to Mouth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/PhwCv_bbg7s/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PhwCv_bbg7s?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
For some first-hand insights about the stark dilemmas of living in poverty, view Linda Tirado's <a href="http://youtu.be/PhwCv_bbg7s">interview</a> with Bill Maher. Linda's observations, available in full in her recent book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Mouth-Living-Bootstrap-America/dp/0399171983"><i>Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America</i></a>, are based at least in part on her own experiences--struggling to not just survive, but to achieve the American dream in a society indifferent to the poor. Although she speaks to the trap of poverty in her work, Linda ironically moved out of poverty overnight when her <a href="http://killermartinis.kinja.com/why-i-make-terrible-decisions-or-poverty-thoughts-1450123558">musings</a> made on a online forum went viral and Random House offered her a book contract (see this Telegraph <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11143949/The-truth-about-being-poor-Linda-Tirado-interview.html">article</a> for details re her upward mobility). SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-4020488723859723312015-01-27T22:39:00.000-06:002015-01-27T22:39:15.038-06:00The Unequal States of America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHokYPlU0vSinTbJpU8fKd2kHgg3VhTT_RKJUHLA4qYbGc2LGJTOKski9BVKGZJYufQW0yv1Myl0Oqi7xXawzvBPSU03lJw5Xqwc21bBm-oI7cibBCz8EvPNwTq1mNAL0bOEMpVpVi7Q/s1600/unequal+states+rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHokYPlU0vSinTbJpU8fKd2kHgg3VhTT_RKJUHLA4qYbGc2LGJTOKski9BVKGZJYufQW0yv1Myl0Oqi7xXawzvBPSU03lJw5Xqwc21bBm-oI7cibBCz8EvPNwTq1mNAL0bOEMpVpVi7Q/s1600/unequal+states+rev.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Economic Policy Institute just released a <a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/income-inequality-by-state-1917-to-2012/">report</a> describing growth in income inequality since the early 20th century across American states. In describing such changes, it provides an <a href="http://www.epi.org/multimedia/unequal-states-interactive/">interactive</a> showing relative gains/losses for income groups (1% versus 99%) by state.SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995358743532991582.post-52132296587391163372015-01-26T09:40:00.000-06:002015-04-01T22:41:57.748-05:00BBC's "a history of ideas" video series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZ4VzhIuKCQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Under its <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04bwydw">A History of Ideas</a> series, BBC Radio 4 is distributing short, but instructive videos that address key ideas in philosophy and sciences. Above is a recent clip outlining <a href="http://youtu.be/PZ4VzhIuKCQ">Marx on alienation</a>. (See YouTube for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLiykcLllCgPE0q9BiMexLFj-1rq9GUwX">collection</a>.) SoUnequalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11492385805846419817noreply@blogger.com0