Consumers for life

There are many different agents of socialization that shape us in our lives and we don't even realize. In sociology this week we talked about all the different groups like family, school, day care, religion, sports, and the media. I was most surprised at how big of an impact the media has on everyone even when we're just little kids, especially advertisements. Advertisements are specifically targeting kids because kids have so much impact on what a family spends their money on, and also to make the kids consumers for life. Thinking back in my own childhood I agree with this. The TV brain washes you into thinking you absolutely need this, and it could be from a commercial or more indirectly and sneaky through product placement in shows and movies. When I was little I also wanted something else, the next doll, the newer Barbie, or the bigger play castle. But, now with technology like computers and cell phones kids are targeted in even more ways than just the TV. I was babysitting my neighbors and the little girl, Emma, wanted to show me her Club Penguin animal or something. I had never heard of it. She explained it was a stuffed animal you get and then you can have some kind of internet account. Both her siblings had one too. The media's impact on everyone is inevitable. We live in a consumer culture, but knowing  what kind of an impact the media and advertising has on our lives can help us be less brainwashed and help us make more informed choices about things.

Community Service-Habitat for Humanity

The beam we nailed being put up.

The linen closet framing

I volunteered at Habitat for Humanity this week for one day for a total of 10 hours. I went with a friend who also needed community service hours for another class and we went to help out at a historical renovation house at 110 S. Channing in Elgin. I contacted Madi Franck, and her number is 6309408137. The house is being built for a family of seven people. There is two parents and they have five kids. We got to the build site at 8:30 and it was intimidating at first because all the other helpers looked like experienced construction workers and my friend and I are no where near  experienced construction workers. Before this experience I didn't even know how to hammer a nail. But, all the workers were really nice and patient with my friend and I. One of the crew leaders, Travis, worked with us and taught us things. The whole day everyone was working on framing the house, and we first started working on nailing together one of the main beams that go across the ceiling. At first, it was frustrating trying to nail these huge nails in the wood and I kept hitting myself in the thumb but eventually I got the hang of it. The other construction guys made fun of us because it took us so many hits to nail a nail in and they could hammer a nail in 5 hits. When we finished the beam it was lunch time and after lunch we worked on framing a wall for the linen closet. We nailed two sides of the linen closet and then nailed them in place. So, technically we framed a whole room, even though it's just a small linen closet. It was interesting and inspiring to meet all the volunteers, some who took off work, or some who were retired construction workers who took their whole day to come and help. Most of them were regular volunteers, and they had no requirement to volunteer 10 hours for a class, and no other obligations. They just wanted to help and volunteer on their own. The whole day was really hard work, by the end of the day I was covered in dust, I couldn't feel my thumb, I had a blister from hammering all day, I cut my pinky finger, I was sore all the next day, and I smelled like construction worker but it was really rewarding and surprisingly fun. It was good to step out of my comfort zone. I hope my construction work and hammering didn't cause more damage than it helped. :)

happiness in america

For class we had to read a chapter out of the book Thrive. The book is about happiness in America and also about happiness in other countries. In America we tend to believe that money buys happiness, but that isn't the case at all. Happiness comes from lots of other things like the community you live in, giving, family, friends, and your job. In the chapter we read it may not be realistic to do all the things to make you happy, because we cant just pick up and move our families to a happier neighborhood, but its good to keep these things in mind for the future. I've also learned a lot about how to be happy from my family. In the summer I stayed with my sister who lives in LA for a month. Living with her and her boyfriend showed me you don't need a ton of money to be happy. They just bought a house and it's a small old house compared to the houses in the Chicago suburbs, but they are happy with it because the neighborhood is nice and friendly. The backyard is nice and they started a garden, and they have two doggies that they walk and meet the neighbors. You can learn a lot about how to be happy from the people around you.

Being An American

We read an article this week about 13 values Americans live by, and it made me realize how American I am because I believe in all of those values. Those values were further illustrated in Bemused in America, which is a German writing about the differences her notices in American values and German values seen in everyday life like jogging or going to the grocery store. When I was little I was always kind of confused and I didn't know how to identify myself since I'm mixed race. Some kids would think of me as Asian, some would see me as white, and I was always so confused. My dad was born in Japan, and I'm a quarter Japanese, and my mom is Polish and was born in Chicago. When I grew older though, I began to see myself as just an American, and being Japanese and Polish, and whatever else I am is only my heritage. I'm like a melting pot. I was born in America, and raised in America, and that makes me American, with American values. Our values reflect the culture and society we grow up in.

Subcultures!

Today in class we talked about how SHS has its own subculture, and the different aspects we looked at were the material culture, mores, folkways, taboos, language, symbols, and values. These are all the things that makes SHS a unique place, and the things that separate us from other high schools. A new student might not understand all of these aspects. Even when I talk to someone about high school and I use language like "I travel after 2nd period" people ask me what does travelling mean? Even when I go over to my friends' house for dinner, each family has a subculture they have and I want to be sure and follow the mores, and not talk about a taboo. Some families are casual at the dinner table, others are more formal. At my one friend's house it's considered really rude to be on your phone and texting during dinner. Another kind of rule is at some houses everyone should wait for everyone to have their food to eat. Subcultures are common sense when you are apart of one, but looking from the outside, sometimes it is hard to pick up on different subcultures.