Sociological Moment Caitlyn Jenner - 916 Words

Sociological Moment #2 Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, who used to be a man, transitioned this spring to become a woman. This October, Caitlyn Jenner was honored as Glamour magazine’s Woman of The Year. She has faced many criticism ever since she has transitioned and got many more after receiving this particular award. Caitlyn transitioned because she felt as if she had lied to herself and the world. She had a big secret and did not want to live her life like this. She is now a happy transgender woman. A transsexual, which is someone who does not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Bruce did not feel as if he fitted in society when he was a male. Now that he is Caitlyn he feels free, although she has to face many criticism. Caitlyn got a lot of backlash after receiving the Woman of the Year Award. People were saying that she has not even been a woman for a year so she does not deserve this award. I agree with these comments. However, I think that Caitlyn does not deserve this award because she has not experienced the real struggles of a woman. Caitlyn said â€Å"The hardest part of being a woman is figuring out what to wear†. Throughout history, women have faced a lot of issues due to their gender. Bruce, who has lived most of his life as a rich white male has had many privileges. White privilege, is a term for societal privileges that benefit white people in Western countries beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people under the same social,

The Massacre At Chios, And Percy Bysshe Shelley s Alastor...

Although various thinkers and artists from the Romantic era utilized unique approaches within the spectrum of their work, historians have grouped many viewpoints as being part of a category called the â€Å"Romantics.† The artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement known as the Romantic era began in 18th century Europe and ended in the mid 19th century (Day, 1996). Romantic art uniquely places a large emphasis on emotional content, the individual, and in celebrating the past and the ways in which one interacts with the nature that surrounds them (Day, 1996). The emotions which were most widely used included terror, horror, and awe; as it was believed that these processes contributed to the overall aesthetic appeal (Day, 1996). This†¦show more content†¦The French were also more aligned to the Greeks in terms of religion, since both held Christian values, while the Turks were largely Muslim, and at the time seen as the outsiders within the conflict (Fraser, 2004). The painting depicts some of the Greek survivors on the island of Chios, as they are in anguish since they’re surrounded by the Ottomans whom are holding weapons, and whom are presumably capturing these individuals for slavery. Some of the figures are wounded, some appear to be dying, but the survivors will presumably be taken away. There are various individual moments of suffering being illustrated, each of which holds a unique conception of the current state, all of whom are emotionally dealing with the circumstances as best as they can. This piece has no hero, and it does not display any relative form of optimism. Instead it illustrates the fact that suffering is prevalent, and each individual copes with such suffering in a unique manner. The point of unification lies in the mere fact that the Greeks are overpowered by the Turks. This is a painting about human suffering, and individualism, and it emphasizes the importance of color, nature in the background, and clas sical figures being painted in an effort to create an

The Connotations Of Life And Culture - 979 Words

The connotation of â€Å"life† and â€Å"culture† as Americans know it The way of life and culture in the Americas is very distinctive from others. Around the world, American life and culture is perceived as something more than ordinary. â€Å"American culture [is] the creation of many groups of immagrants.† (Ravitch) In this discussion we are going to examine some of the aspects and qualities that define what is known as American life and American culture by the rest of the world. A few of those things are Traditions, styles, language, and beliefs. They set each nationality apart from one another. â€Å"[In what is thought of as â€Å"American† culture, which in a since, doesn’t exactly exist. If culture is to be thought of as values that the ancestors of the past prospered. In hopes that the future generations would continue.]† (Marin 82) Although sadly that is the generations of the present time, and we have failed to say the least. Because â€Å"the United States has a common culture that is [known as] Multicultural.† (Ravitch 70) Nothing in today’s America other than materialistic things matter. Those things, which hold no ties to the values and meaningful traditions of what shaped Americans classifications for lives of different individuals. In most other cultures, the people are exceptionally the same in a sense. They have the same heritage background so to speak. The same morals. They even have styles that are all significantly similar to one another. That is where America differs. America isShow MoreRelatedIdeological Analysis Of Old Spice Advertising Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesRoland Barthes. In this theory, one can identify three primary tenets in which meaning is thought to be transmitted by mass media (Barthes Lavers, 1993). In this theory of analyzation, the three basic ways to evaluate meaning are detonation, connotation, and myth analysis(Barthes Lavers, 1993). Denotation Denotation is the first step, or basic avenue meaning is transmitted by mass media (Barthes Lavers, 1993). The term denotation refers to imagery, which when seen by an audience, the viewerRead MoreRoland Barthes developed a range of semiotic tools to analyse the cultural meanings1729 Words   |  7 Pagesauthority on the meaning of the image. Although we are all quite similar in what we get from an image, different people will get different meanings. This is due to the experiences we have had throughout life. Barthes says â€Å"no object has a natural meaning.† (Barthes, 1967 p.25) Meanings are defined by culture, so for example, if in the UK someone does the ‘thumbs up’, we take this to mean that everything is okay, but if someone does it whilst standing at the side of the road, it means they want a lift,Read MoreObjectification Is A Word That Has Many Negative Connotations1029 Words   |  5 PagesObjectification is a word that has many negative connotations . Nussbaum identifies objectification â€Å"as a pejorative term, connoting a way of speaking, thinking, and acting that the speaker finds morally or socially objectionable, usually, though not always, in the sexual realm.† Nussbaum’s definition is vague, like many of her other works, and places the connotation of the word itself into the â€Å"speaker’s† own hands. While it is good to allow wiggle room for concepts, an act which allows them to beRead MoreSociology At Bowling Green State University867 Words   |  4 Pagesone grows up actions seem to obtain a connotation, weather it be positive or negative. The symbols or meaning people attach to the actions are influenced by one’s socialization. Edward Alsworth Ross, a progressive American sociologist, eugenicist, and major figure of early criminology, suggested socialization is the development of one’s feelings and the will to act based on an influence by a variety of different circumstan ces and conditions (652). The connotation of an action can differ based on theRead MoreUniformity Vs Conformity751 Words   |  4 Pages Conformity in the land of the free Uniformity. Conformity. These words have negative connotations in the minds of many Americans. However, many believe that the United States is keeping the standard in society of uniformity and conformity. America’s society is based on the model of uniformity and conformity because of minorities not fully being accepted and other citizens not being accepting of other culture. First, minorities are often pushed to the side by the majority of American because of someRead MoreEssay on Alleen Pace Nilsens View of Sexism in English762 Words   |  4 Pagesseemed to tell something about male and female. She soon discovered that language and society go hand and hand. Furthermore, that the language a culture uses is evident in its values and beliefs. Amore careful look at the English language revealed three main points that Alleen Nilsen elaborates more on. The first point Nilsen makes is that American culture values woman for their sexiness and men for their success. She finds supporting evidence for that statement with eponyms. In her research sheRead MoreLight And Dark, New And Old1302 Words   |  6 PagesThis man-made seam immediately makes itself known in Tarfia Faizullah’s book, Seam. The seam that she manages to create in her book is one that separates culture, specifically European culture from the rest of the world, and in particular Bangladeshi. The reason for this seam in the cultures is eurocentrism and the seam has prevented white culture from understanding or caring about what had happened in Bangladesh. Tarfia created the seam by subtly framing eurocentrism, going into detail about an eventRead MoreFormal Learning And Informal Learning Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pagesthe world. The teaching of the culture and norms that any society holds dear are indeed made possible through informal learning. Here, there is n o need for a classroom which would mean that they can be done any place either a house, under a tree or as people interact in the societal setting. This paper looks into the impacts that the societal and institution constraints have on learning processes of various individuals. It gives much attention to the factual connotations of how these two sets of learningRead MoreSemiotic Study of Vampires and Vampires Lore1678 Words   |  7 Pagesbecause of the realization that society has a desire to create and produce signs because it serves as an important aspect and purpose to life. We are capable of performing semiosis and representation to demonstrate the knowledge in which we come to understand the world, and conversely, it is through the same process that the world becomes familiar with the culture in which we inhabit. 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Adoption in Sociology Research paper free essay sample

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of the sociological studies on how adopted children are prejudged and how they can fit into society. It also discusses the difference within the family dynamic. It presents facts and statistics or our current adoption system and suggests ways on which to fix it. Adoption I decided on adoption as my topic because it’s a topic that’s very close to me. Being adopted, this research paper gave me the perfect opportunity to learn about the sociological effects adoption has on children and their adoptive/birth parents. The problem is, there is not enough adoptive parents for the parentless children. This is because regulations for adoption have gotten to strict for in country and out. This is a significant topic due to the amount of children in foster care. This is not only bad for our economy but our society as a whole. Adoption is an ancient arrangement. It has been around forever. Not only is it spoken of in the Bible, but Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Babylonians all had adoption systems. The concept of adoption was not legally recognized in the United States of America until the 1850’s For my paper, I dove into five main types of adoption. The first being foster care adoption. Foster care adoption is where the state cares for them when reunification with their birth parents is not feasible for safety or other reasons. The second is private adoption. Private adoption is through an agency/independent network where there is no contact between the child and birth parents. The third is open adoption. Open adoption is also through an agency/independent network but the birth parents can plan visits, receive pictures, write letters, and send gifts to their child. The fourth is inter-country adoption. Inter country adoption is the adoption of children from other countries by U. S. citizens. The final type of adoption I decided to study is transracial adoption. This is the adoption of a child of a different race from the adopting parents. The Sociological Studies In the United States, the traditional family co-exists with alternate family forms such as the adoptive family where kinship is completely based on a legal relationship as opposed to a biological one. Many studies have been done on the psychological, legal, and ethical issues surrounding adoption. The first study on adoption was done in 1924 in New York and was called How Foster Children Turn Out; Social Adaption. This study questioned how many subjects (adopted children) were capable or incapable of social adaption. The distribution of subjects whose capability was known was six hundred and fifteen or 77. 2% of the 797 subjects whose general ability was known as â€Å"capable† persons. They proved themselves able to manage their own affairs with average common sense, to keep pace economically with their neighbors, and to earn the respect and good will of their communities. In other words, these subjects have â€Å"made good. † One hundred and eighty-two or 22. 8%, are rated â€Å"incapable†. For one reason or another they did not get on. Some of them have mental or physical handicaps which interfered with their ability to get along without help and protection. Others have qualities of resourcefulness, energy and foresight to so slight a degree that they could not keep their footing if thrown on their own. Still others have demonstrated their inability or their unwillingness to conform to accepted standards of morality or order. The next major study on how adopted kids adapt was done in 1964. This was Kirks path breaking study of adoption which was called Shared Fate: A Theory of Adoption and Mental Health. His study demonstrated the existence of disparaging community attitudes and stigmas toward adopted children. In 1997, the first large scale study of community attitudes toward adoption as a social institution in the U. S was conducted and it showed many stigmas which were attached to adopted kids. A total of 30% of those asked questioned the mental state of the adopted children and only 32% of the respondents expressed support for adoption. Overall, adoption has been considered to be the second best family. Uncommon to popular belief, a study done in 1994 showed that adopted kids have the same, if not better, attachment to their parents as biological kids do. Adopted children scored higher on identity measures, such as self esteem, than there non-adopted peers. A study done in 2008 called The Power of Adoption: BIRTHright or birthright says, â€Å"Adoption involves symbols, not biology. Symboled adoption cant extensively, directly influence biological factors but can have a significant impact upon the meaning of biology. Symboled factors can have a significant indirect influence. The impact of meaning is illustrated in birthright patterns in which the consequences stem for the rights not directly from the birth. † Community attitudes toward adoption have been shaped by the social stigmatism of children born out of wed lock, their biological parents, and derogative attitudes towards infertility. Fortunately, the social acceptance of out of wed lock births has increased since the 1960’s and the attitudes toward unwed mothers have become more lenient. Statistics and Micro/Macro Analysis Sadly, the number of adoptions has declined since 1970. About 100,000 children go unadopted each year. The number of foreign children adopted by Americans has also dropped for the third year in a row. Figures for the 2007 fiscal year, provided by the State Department, showed that adoptions from abroad have fallen to 19,411, down about 15 percent in just two years. Individual adoptions are micro in nature. They only affect the families involved. However, the general process (legalization, laws, etc) of adoption is macro because it allows mothers an option for their children and allows childless couples the opportunity to have children if they are unable. These things can affect laws, economics, and religious institutions. On a micro level, there are 280 children available for adoption in Colorado, whereas on a macro level, in the U. S. , there are 423,000 children living without permanent families. On an even bigger scale, there is an estimated 163 million orphans in the world. Most of the children in public child welfare systems range in age from 2 to 18. With abuse, neglect, or other family issues prevent them from living with their birth parents. Some of these children may be referred to as having special needs because they are 5 years of age or older, part of sibling group who must be placed together, are African American or Hispanic, have developmental disabilities, or have other physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Nearly 40% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted. Each year, over 29,000 youth â€Å"age out† of foster care. This means they turn 18 and leave the system and have to support themselves. Sadly, most don’t have the emotional or financial support necessary to succed. Nearly 25% of youth aging out did not have a high school diploma or GED, and a mere 6% had finished a two- or four-year degree after aging out of foster care. One study shows 70% of all youth in foster care have the desire to attend college. But without the help of a parent, they never get the opportunity. Sociological Perspectives From a structural-functionalism perspective, the function of adoption is necessary to provide kids who don’t have a good home life and parents who are unable to have children the chance to have a family, although, adoption would be viewed as part of a dysfunctional family structure. They believe that when there is a disparity in the social institution, it’s considered a deviation and therefore to be dysfunctional. The label of dysfunctional has little to do with psychological harm to individuals and instead it refers to a failure of families to meet the functional needs of society as a whole. According to the structural functional theory, parents with adopted children, regardless of their parenting skills, are by definition dysfunctional. While the conflict theory mostly focuses on how parents are more likely to adopt children of the same race as them. This is true. The amount of transracial adoptions are neary 1 in 5 compared to same race adoption. The symbolic interactionist perspective helps us understand what happens in the process of family creation. In order to function as a family, all family members have to be adopted. In marriage, a male and a female typically adopt each other as family, or spouse, so that from the two persons, one family can be created. The adoption process is reciprocal in that each is both an adopter and adoptee at the same time. We jointly create family entity. The meaning is shared by both spouses. Each individual must also label themselves as a family member or as a spouse. Global Perspective In some parts of the world, adopted children are still frowned upon. For example, in Nigeria, adoptees most times are engulfed with shame because of the feelings of rejection and abandonment that exist in their minds. They feel that they dont belong to the existing class when their real parents are not there for them and they have been given up for adoption. Additionally, most times segregation takes place between an adoptee and other children and this can lead to the adoptee being bullied. In Nigeria, they also have very different laws regarding adoption. Instead of government organizations, they have non-governmental organizations and other capable groups that are responsible for providing a good life for adoptees. They make sure the children are taken care of and make sure they are given to trusted, matured, and kind hearted adoptive parents. The policy for adoption in that country says, the adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age and 21 years older than the child. Conclusion While adoption is still a pressing topic, the government seems not to care. While the amount of kids entering foster care and the amount of kids being adopted, you’d think they’d get a clue to lessen the requirements and hardships of adoption. Until they do, I doubt the number of adoptions will increase. On the bright side, the social stigmas attatched to adopted children in the U. S. are slowly disappearing and have gone from taboo to acceptable.