I Saw Sociology When…

I’m also taking psychology COD along with sociology. There are not a lot of us in that class, so it’s easy to notice each other. The other day, I noticed a boy who I suppose people could describe as a skater, stoner, whatever, wearing black nail polish. My first thought was, “that’s weird,” but then I was like, “why do I think that?” I’m assuming I think boys wearing nail polish is weird because by gender roles, it’s defined that only girls wear nail polish. It reminds me of when I was younger and putting clear nail polish on with a lot of my boy cousins around. They all wanted to try it and see what it felt like (cause it’s CRAZY different from not wearing nail polish), but only decided to do it when it was clear that all of them would do it, so none of them would be singled out. Worked out for me cause I got to practice giving manicures.

I Hate Gender Roles

More specifically, I hate women’s gender roles because it makes us the stereotypically weaker, gentler, slower, less ambitious, more stupid sex. Those stereotypes were proven by that trait list we did in class. The sad thing is that that list was made in the 50-60’s, but many of those stereotypes still exist today, when statically, they shouldn’t exist at all.

According to the New York Times, the “Department of Education statistics show that men, whatever their race or socioeconomic group, are less likely than women to get bachelor's degrees — and among those who do, fewer complete their degrees in four or five years. Men also get worse grades than women. Men now make up only 42 percent of the nation's college students.” The New York Times also says, “From the time they are young, boys are far more likely than girls to be suspended or expelled, or have a learning disability or emotional problem diagnosed. As teenagers, they are more likely to drop out of high school, commit suicide or be incarcerated.” http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/education/09college.html?pagewanted=5

With facts like these, it just pissed me off that the stereotypes for women are that they’re the lesser of the 2 sexes, when really they should be equal or dare I say it, better.

Chinese Mother

I actually agree with Amy Chua on her extreme type of parenting. In the end, her daughter Lulu was able to play the piece she was trying to learn and enjoyed playing it once she got it. I played almost every sport possible and quit every one when I was a kid. I wished my parents had forced me to stay in swimming. My uncle was visiting from California when he and my mom took me to my first official swim lesson. He says that the swim coach came up to my mom after the lesson and said, “I normally don’t do this, but can we put her in a meet this weekend?” My mom agreed and my uncle proudly says I won the race they put me in. I did swimming for about a year before I quit. I just got bored with it, every day doing the same strokes in the same lanes, so I threw an tantrum and got my way. But I wish my mom had been a “Chinese mother” and forced me to stay in it.    

I think she could be doing the right thing. I’m friends with a lot of oriental people who also have a “Chinese father” as well as a “Chinese mother.” Not to be stereotypical, but every single one of them fall into the smart Asian category. They are all academically smart and are good behaving kids. I don’t know yet if they’re screwed up for the rest of their lives, but maybe I’ll see at our high school reunion. I don’t think they would be because I think what they took from their upbringing was to be hard working people.

I know Freud believed in the stages of development, but I don’t see how a “Chinese mother” is interfering in those phases. If there is any interference, it may be trying to push their kid to fast, like having them learn to read too early.

Culture Shock

One of the biggest culture shocks of my life was I went downtown with an organization called Chicago’s Beloved to hand out sandwiches to the homeless and to pray with them.

I know homeless people are in everyone’s culture, but I feel like they’re almost another culture to themselves because we Americans sure as hell make sure they don’t mingle with us. I don’t know how they live, I don’t know their social rules. I don’t know them just like I don’t know people in Taiwan.

On Jackson boulevard right before you cross the bridge, there is a homeless man named Larry. If you take this way often, you know him by his district voice when he calls out for change. He was one of the first ever homeless people I met.

I hung back when my group of three others went to greet him because I had no idea what to expect. He shook everyone’s hands and gave Josh, one of the founders of CB, a hug. I moved forward and also shook his hands. We talked to him about the weather, his health and other things. Josh asked if he wanted us to pray for him and he said yes, so we all joined hands and bowed our heads. Larry started the prayer, and prayed for us. He was praying for us. Young kids (to him) that had warm clothes on their backs, money in our pockets, warm homes to go back to, and basically anything we need available to us. I was so… shocked. And so humbled. Here was a man standing before me, who literally is the definition of fallen on hard times, and he was praying for me, a kid who has more than I’ll ever need. And he was praying for my life.

I had never felt so lucky in my life. I have also never been so disappointed in myself. As a kid going downtown to see the museums or a show, your parents instinctively pull you away from anyone homeless. You’re either taught to just ignore the homeless, or are just too shy and too unsure of what to do when you pass them. I had passed countless homeless people all my life, and I have never had a complete conversation with one. I had passed up the chance countless times to maybe brighten someone’s days by just acknowledging that they exist and treating them like a human being and not a fixture on the concrete sidewalk.

Culture shock? More like a culture wake up.