My Social Location in This World Taking Sociology my sophomore year of college has helped me to open my mind and to learn many things that I never knew. Let’s start by talking a little about what Sociology really means, the true definition of Sociology is that it’s the systematic study of human society, culture, and relationships on a group level (Andersen et al., 4). With that being said, think about the major questions that we tend to ask about our social world, like, why do we have problems such as racism, what motivates people to have social status and respect, and are men and women really that different from each other. These questions listed about are exceedingly important to life as a human, and they are studied on a broader level in …show more content…
One of the major issues between social classes in the United States is that the distances between the upper and lower class our massive. However, people in each social class level tend to have different associated health levels. Individuals in the lowest social class are at a greater risk of dying and are sicker throughout their lives, individuals in the middle class are healthy, but they are not as healthy as the upper class (Andersen et al., 353). These social class positions affect health in a variety of different ways. It affects health due to some people not having access to healthy foods or recreational opportunities that ones in other classes may have. Also, it negatively affects health by increasing ones risk to exposure of environmental toxins, work related hazards, and dangerous neighborhoods. All of these factors increase the risks of catching illnesses or even …show more content…
Ability is defined as a general word for power which enables one to do things well. This topic is a huge advantage for me and also an exceedingly huge disadvantage for me. I’d like to talk first about the advantages it has had for me, like my ability to play nearly any sport I try and compete in. I can play any sport I put my mind to and have been called a natural athlete in my past by my athletic friends, but I regret it every day by not using my natural talent towards becoming a college athlete. My biggest disadvantage would have to be my ability to not be able to take constructive criticism or the ability to hold down a relationship. These are what I would consider my biggest flaws and are the main reason why I spiraled into major depression. I can’t take constructive criticism without my body shutting down and me becoming more depressed even if the person is just trying to give me helpful advice. This flaw has resulted in me quitting jobs and not showing up to classes because I merely shut down and can’t focus on anything for the reminder of the
People in lower classes are more likely to get sicker more often and to die quicker. People in metro Louisville reveal 5- and 10-year gaps in life expectancy between the city’s rich, middle- and working-class neighborhoods. Those who live in the working class neighborhood face more stressors like unpaid bills, jobs that pay little to nothing, unsafe living conditions, and the fewest resources available to help them, all of these contribute to the health issues.
...an, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011). The social determinants of health: coming
There are many factors that have influenced my view of society, these factors are intrinsically linked with the social and political location that I hold within society. My social location is defined by my age, race, religion, gender, familial experiences, and income. All of these factors have influenced my social location, which in turn has had an impact on how I identify myself, as well as my view and understanding of society.
Significant health inequalities exist between different social classes. Moreover, lower social classes consistently describe their health as poorer in comparison to higher social classes [1]. Marmot’s central theory is that “the relationship between social circumstances and health is a graded one: the higher a person’s social position, the better his or her health” [2].
The intersection of dominant ideologies of race, class, and gender are important in shaping my social location and experiences. By exercising my sociological imagination (Mills, 1959), I will argue how my social location as an Asian American woman with a working class background has worked separately and together to influence how I behave, how others treat and view me, and how I understand the world. The sociological imagination has allowed me to understand my own “biography”, or life experiences by understanding the “history”, or larger social structures in which I grew up in (Mills, 1959). First, I will describe my family’s demographic characteristics in relation to California and the United States to put my analysis into context. I will then talk about how my perceptions of life opportunities have been shaped by the Asian-American model minority myth. Then, I will argue how my working class location has impacted my interactions in institutional settings and my middle/upper class peers. Third, I will discuss how gender inequalities in the workplace and the ideological intersection of my race and gender as an Asian-American woman have shaped my experiences with men. I will use Takaki’s (1999) concepts of model minority myth and American identity, Race; The Power of an Illusion (2003), Espiritu’s (2001) ideological racism, People Like Us: Social Class in America (1999) and Langston’s (2001) definition of class to support my argument.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Marmot, M. G. (2003). Social determinants of health: The solid facts.
Several studies support and show that ‘working class’ people from western societies have higher morbidity and mortality rates in contrast to people from other classes. According to Halleröd and Gustafsson (2011), the concept of ‘class’ is defined as “an individual’s position on the labour market… which determine their ability to consume goods and services such as health care”. In order from the highest class to the lowest, the common four classes within western societies include the upper class, middle class, working class and the lower class. According to Lantz et al. (2010), an individual’s socioeconomic class is described as “social and economic factors that influence the positions/roles individuals hold within the structure of society, and as measured by education, income, occupational status, and/or wealth”. Underlying factors that influence occupational status such as income and educational attainment make it possible to distinguish people between socioeconomic classes within contemporary western societies.
In learning today it is important to look deeper into things, and see why they happen. Sociology is an important way in finding out how things affect people and make them who they are today. Even though sociology is a fairly new study there are many aspects that form together to create it. Some important aspects of sociology are the sociological imagination and social location. These are important in studying the relationships between societies, groups of people, and individuals.
Cockerham (p.94) explains how racial inequalities in the United States can effect a person 's health. Some ethnicities such as Asians, are known for having great health and life expectancies, where as African Americans may experience many health issues and have shorter life spans. White Americans and Black Americans life span are different because African Americans are known for having disadvantages with health issues such as AIDS, cancer, and heart disease.
In conclusion, none of my weaknesses are unchangeable and I can always work on and change these habits to become a better individual. Just like everybody else I make mistakes and through my mistakes and I have learned great lessons and wisdom to live by.
the ability to adapt to change and flexibility. My strengths has gotten me through many life challenges, I am a determined person, my curiosity keeps me seeking and my flexibility allows me to blend in when needed and keeps the stress low. Bethel University. (2014) pg. 2,3
Sociology subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies.
When I first began this course, I had many questions about what to expect. I was wondering how sociology was different from and similar to other disciplines. I started learning how to define sociology almost immediately and I developed a better understanding of how sociological concepts can be observed easily within our society. I learned that sociological concepts and theories are readily on display in almost every setting. Upon opening the textbook, I learned that sociology is the study of human behavior and relationships. Sociological theories are ever present and if you can observe people with a degree of understanding, you are likely to see these concepts at work. Human beings are social by nature and there is much to be learned about the interactions between them.
One of the most critically important things in life is to remain healthy. Whether if it's mentally, emotionally or physically. There are few elements we can do to maintain or live a healthy lifestyles. Exercising for an hour, consuming nutritious food with three or four cups of vegetables per day, drinking eight cups of water, and living a stress free life. These factors can expand life expectancy if followed strictly. In today's society, health is definitely something we take for granted. Access to fast food places, having a sedentary lifestyle, the use of tobacco products can result to poor health. Also, it is evident to say that having a low socioeconomic class can be detrimental to a person's health. Low socioeconomic class are less likely to have access to nutritious food, cleaner neighborhoods and are less likely to seek preventative care which can lead to chronic diseases and even death. When our health is impaired, most of us
I believe that at this stage in life, mental health is reaching the peak of development. As we go through life, we constantly change our state of mental health, but I believe that adolescents are at a point where they form who they are and who they will be as an adult. We try to learn to filter the person who other people think we are in order to truly discover what type of person we are. A strength of mine is that I am generally a responsible person and know how to make good decisions, which I think is mainly from my parents and how I was raised. A weakness that I have is that I don’t like trying new things very often if at all, but this behavior restricts me from learning what my interests are. Once, I was invited to go rafting with some friends and I was quick to reject the invitation and because of this, I will never know if I enjoy rafting or not.