Works Cited

Barger, Ken. (2008, July 1). Ethnocentrism. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. (2006, December 1). Cultural Relativism. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/001/terms/00001.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, April 4). Unintend Pregnancies. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/

Evans, Malcom. (2011). Male-Dominated Culture. [Cartoon]. Retrieved from http://www.evanscartoons.com/gallery.php?id=1

Finer, L.B. & Zolna, M.R. (2011) Unintended Pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006. Contraception, 2011, Vol. 84, no. 5, pp. 478-485. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22018121

Herek, Gregory. (2012, March 6). Sexual Prejudice. [Website]. Retrieved from:       http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/sexual_prejudice.html

Hubbard, Elanor A. & De Welde, Kristine. (2003, January). "I'm Glad I'm Not Gay!": Heterosexual Students' Emotional Experience in the College Classroom with a "Coming out" Assignment. Teaching Sociology, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 73-84. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/3211426.pdf

Kam, Cindy D. & Kinder, Donald R. (2007, May). Terror and Ethnocentrism: Foundations of American Support for the War on Terrorism. The Journal of Politics, Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 320-338. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/4622538.pdf

Kemmelmeier, Markus & Winter, David G. (2008, December). Sowing Patriotism, but Reaping Nationalism? Consequences of Exposure to the American Flag. Political Psychology, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 859-879. Retrieved from: http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/20447171.pdf

Messner, Michael A. (2007, August). The Masculinity of the Governator and Compassion in American Politics. Gender and Society, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 461-480. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/27640987.pdf?acceptTC=true

No To Homophobia - TV Ads (2012, August 27). [video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkTiPfX4b_A

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Website. (2000). Homophobia Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/quiz.html

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Website. (2000). Assault on Gay America. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/

Ryan, Richard M. & Ryan, William S. (2012, April 27). Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/homophobic-maybe-youre-gay.html

Takyi-Boadu, Charles. (2012, November 12). NPP Blasts Mahama Over Tribal Comments. Daily Guide. Retrieved from http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=66867

Wilson, Jacque. (2012, November 21). Physicians: Birth control should be sold without a prescription. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/20/health/birth-control-over-the-counter/

5 x Five - Colbert Report on America - Patriotism. (2012, July 2). [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/416072/july-02-2012/5-x-five---colbert-report-on-america---patriotism?xrs=share_copy

Emerging Issue in Society.

A growing problem in the society today is unintended pregnancy. 

Unintended pregnancies occur when the pregnancy is unplanned or not wanted at the time the baby is conceived. This type of pregnancy is not only limited to teenagers, in the United States 49% of pregnancies were unintended in 2006 (Finer, 2011). The problem with unintended pregnancies is that they can send a family into financial ruin--especially since the majority of unintended pregnancies occur to teens, young women (aged 18-24), the poor and people who are cohabiting (CDC). 

Not only could an unintended pregnancy lead to financial difficulties, but it could lead to miscarriage and other difficulties. This is because the mother-to-be in these circumstances could practice unhealthy living habits, such as: being over or under weight, smoking and drinking. Before becoming pregnant a woman should consult her doctor and adopt healthy behaviors in order to insure the health of herself and the baby. 

In order to confront the problem of unintended pregnancies, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has adopted a recommendation, which could lead to birth control pills being sold without a prescription. They claim that cost and accessibility of oral contraceptives has been a cause in the increase of unintended pregnancies. 

CNN: Physicians: Birth control should be sold without a prescription

It will be interesting to see how effective this movement would be in making an effective step against unintended pregnancies, and the resulting difficulties. 


_________________________________________________________________________________

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, April 4). Unintend Pregnancies. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/unintendedpregnancy/

Finer, L.B. & Zolna, M.R. (2011) Unintended Pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006. Contraception, 2011, Vol. 84, no. 5, pp. 478-485. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22018121

Wilson, Jacque. (2012, November 21). Physicians: Birth control should be sold without a prescription. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/20/health/birth-control-over-the-counter/

Ethnocentrism

(Evans, 2011)

I feel that an increasingly important theme in the world is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief that your group (country, ethnic group) is better than all of the other. People who are ethnocentric are not able to understand the actions of people from other cultures and look negatively upon them. This, I feel, has become more important in the years following the events of September 11th, because of the group-hate that was felt by the majority of Americans for not just a whole country, but for a whole "ethnic-group". These feelings of unease, dislike and hatred have always been present in the culture, as is shown in the popular culture, but with the terrorist attacks on September 11th those feelings escalated to dangerous levels. Levels that allowed America to go to war.

An interesting post from the posts about Ethnocentrism and Patriotism came from Nathaniel Kite:

Patriotism and ethnocentrism could be related but not in a direct way. Patriotism, or a love or devotion to your country can always be taken to far, to the point where our country is “number one” and all others are viewed as less. This attitude can lead to ethnocentrism, or the habit of seeing things only from the point of view of one’s own group, or basically being narrow minded and closed off from other people’s views and ideas. I think patriotism is great, no matter where you live. Being proud of your country, home and yourself is the basis for a great life. With that being said, the ability to remember other people’s cultures, beliefs, religions and so on, is just as important. If we all take pride in what we consider ours, without trying to put down or take away from others, than yes patriotism and ethnocentrism can be related, not equal or deemed partners in any way, just slightly related. (Kite, 2012)

I agree that patriotism and ethnocentrism are related but are not "partners" as Mr. Kite put it. Patriotism is the love and pride in one's country, while ethnocentrism has more to do with nationalism--feelings that your country is the best and the only one who could be the best. These feelings make other out-groups into enemies. 

An article I found about Ethnocentrism examines America after the happenings of September 11th 2001. In Terror and Ethnocentrism: Foundations of American Support for the War on Terrorism Kam examines the strong ethnocentric turn of mind taken by the American population after the terrorist attack of September 11th. Feelings of ethnocentrism are always present amongst the majority of Americans, but it is only when the "right" circumstances come about, that those feelings become strong enough to affect policy. 

Terror and Ethnocentrism

In the article Sowing Patriotism, but Reaping Nationalism? Consequences of Exposure to the American Flag the author examines the effects of the American flag upon Americans. The purpose of the flag is to raise patriotic sentiments, but it is proven that the flag does not increase the "love and commitment to one's country" (Kemmelmeier, 2008), but rather increases ethnocentric and nationalistic feelings. 

Sowing Patriotism, but Reaping Nationalism?

A video that displays patriotism in an extreme form is one from Stephen Colbert

Colbert: Patriotism

This site explains what ethnocentrism is, why it is a problem and how we can change that. It provides many real life examples and ways to stay open about other cultures and their beliefs. 

Ethnocentrism?

This link from the Carnegie Council further explains cultural relativism is and provides further links and information about and related to other topics that are related to ethnocentrism.

Carnegie Council: Cultural Relativism

The article over the Ghanian presidential election this year shows the importance of ethnic groups and how a prospective political leader can use rhetoric to garner support from groups that have a deeper emotional past. By manipulating ones speech one is able to play upon the emotions surrounding a historical prejudice.

Daily Guide: Ghana
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Barger, Ken. (2008, July 1). Ethnocentrism. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. (2006, December 1). Cultural Relativism. [Website]. Retrieved from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/001/terms/00001.html

Evans, Malcom. (2011). Male-Dominated Culture. [Cartoon]. Retrieved from http://www.evanscartoons.com/gallery.php?id=1

Kam, Cindy D. & Kinder, Donald R. (2007, May). Terror and Ethnocentrism: Foundations of American Support for the War on Terrorism. The Journal of Politics, Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 320-338. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/4622538.pdf

Kemmelmeier, Markus & Winter, David G. (2008, December). Sowing Patriotism, but Reaping Nationalism? Consequences of Exposure to the American Flag. Political Psychology, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 859-879. Retrieved from: http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/20447171.pdf

Takyi-Boadu, Charles. (2012, November 12). NPP Blasts Mahama Over Tribal Comments. Daily Guide. Retrieved from http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=66867

5 x Five - Colbert Report on America - Patriotism. (2012, July 2). [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/416072/july-02-2012/5-x-five---colbert-report-on-america---patriotism?xrs=share_copy

Homophobia-Gender Socialization

In the modern world we are forced to confront issues, that used to be kept "in the closet". But, with the changes of the last years ignorance is no longer acceptable. There are people who do not fit into the typical image of a "man" or a "woman". Homosexuals, lesbians, transgender people and bisexuals are the most organized and prominent groups, but there are also the "PrincessBoys" and the "Tom-Girls" that do not conform to the "typical" gender roles of society; a society that hasn't altered it's ideas on gender roles since before the middle ages. 

Homophobia plays a role in gender socialization, because it enforces a very strict definition of the "norm"--this is especially true for boys and men. Boys will be victimized for any actions that seem to deviate from the social norm--which is anything that does not display strength and masculinity. But this form of socialization only spreads the hate and hostility towards homosexuals. 


A post that I found particularly enlightening was the post by Jerrica Fasy:

This story is a prime example of gender non-conformity. Why does it matter if a boy wants to where a dress, or if a girl wants to walk around in boys clothing? It's society. When we are young, we are taught to act and be a certain way. As a girl, we need to be proper and pretty, and as a boy they need to be masculine and tough. In my opinion, a person should be able to be whoever they want to be. I'm a girl, but I consider myself more of a tomboy I guess.  One day I will be wearing a cute dress, and the next I will be wearing a band tee, jeans, and a beanie. I see the controversy that the video is addressing, and it starts leading into the huge controversy of same love, or Gay marriage. In my opinion, its ridiculous that the world is still debating this topic. We're basing our beliefs off a book that was written 3500 years ago (Fasy 2012).

How a person develops is a personal process. Naturally outside factors play a role in the development, but there are certain facts that no one can change--and it is ridiculous to alter yourself based upon a "norm" that was formed over 3,500 years ago. 

The article "the Masculinity of the Governator" by Michael A. Messner examines the use of the idea of masculinity by Republican politicians to win votes. Using the example of the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Messner displays how the Republicans garner voters' trust in times of danger and national insecurity and thrusts a feminized image onto more liberal and democratic opponents.

The Masculinity of the Governator: Muscle and Compassion in American Politics

Another article that deals more directly with the idea of gender socialization and understanding and accepting the people who do not live by the traditional man-woman gender roles defined by society is "I'm Glad I'm Not Gay!": Heterosexual Students' Emotional Experience in the College Classroom with a "Coming out" Assignment by Eleanor A. Hubbard and Kristine De Welde. It examines an assignment that is supposed to help foster an understanding, that no heterosexual person can have, of such a personal experience as coming out as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual.

"I'm Glad I'm Not Gay!"

The YouTube video No To Homophobia - TV ads (2012) is an Australian TV-advertisement that challenges all members of the society to stop homo-, trans- and biphobic behavior. It displays various situations in which this behavior is exhibited in daily life. In each situation there is a witness of the crime who feel compelled to take action.

The NY Times Article Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay is an article that examines the situations surrounding the controversies surrounding some of the largest and most vocal haters of homosexuals.  A popular explanation for homophobia is what Freud called "reaction formation", which is negative feelings against others for that which is being suppressed within oneself. 

Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay. Ryans 2012. NYTimes

To go along with the article, I found a Homophobia Questionnaire made by PBS, as well as information about Homophobia and the story of Billy Jack Gaither.

Homophobia Questionnaire (PBS)

Assault on Gay America (PBS)

I also found a site that explains and examines sexual prejudice in America. The site is in connection with the University of California Davis and has many interesting articles from Dr. Herek. 

Sexual Prejudice (UC Davis)

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Herek, Gregory. (2012, March 6). Sexual Prejudice. [Website] Retrieved from:       http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/sexual_prejudice.html

Hubbard, Elanor A. & De Welde, Kristine. (2003, January). "I'm Glad I'm Not Gay!": Heterosexual Students' Emotional Experience in the College Classroom with a "Coming out" Assignment. Teaching Sociology, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 73-84. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/3211426.pdf

Messner, Michael A. (2007, August). The Masculinity of the Governator and Compassion in American Politics. Gender and Society, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 461-480. Retrieved from http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:3860/stable/pdfplus/27640987.pdf?acceptTC=true

No To Homophobia - TV Ads (2012, August 27). [video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkTiPfX4b_A

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Website. (2000). Homophobia Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/quiz.html

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Website. (2000). Assault on Gay America. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/

Ryan, Richard M. & Ryan, William S. (2012, April 27). Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/homophobic-maybe-youre-gay.html

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my sociology blog. 

I am Alex a 21 year-old college kid bumming his way around the world. I am in my third year of studies at the University of Idaho, working on a B.A. in International Studies. I am above all interested in the world and how it ticks. That includes how various groups interact-not just on a political or economic level, but also on a cultural and personal level. 


Sociology is the study of human social behavior. A scientific way of thinking and analyzing society and society's influence on groups of individuals. It reveals aspects of ourselves that we have never known about before and shows the various processes that we, as socialized individuals, have gone through to become what we are today. 

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways: the point, however, is to change it.        |Karl Marx       

It is not the job of sociology to merely examine the world, but rather to help realize and create a better world, in which people can lead happier and more fulfilling lives.