Blog #8 & Extra Credit

     There are countless sources in which we learn about what is going on in our neighborhoods, towns, cities, state, country and even the world. Some of these sources are newspapers, magazines and of course the media. The media is arguably the most influential. One problem with the media, however, is that it does not cover everything fairly. It sometimes covers irrelevant topics such as celebrities and their marriages or pregnancies or even what they decided to wear. Another problem with the media is that it does not directly address an issue. For example, It would cover the topic of substance abuse but it would just mention how horrible the users are instead of discussing what leads them to start using in the first place.
     The United States is one of the richest countries, if not the richest, in the world. So how is it that there are so many homeless and poor people? In 2010 46.2 million people were in poverty. The poor are usually said to be in that situation because they choose to and they do not want to look for jobs. The media never mentions that society actually needs some poverty as discussed in an article by Herbert J. Gans titled "Positive Funvtions of the Undeserving Poor: Uses of the Underclass in America".
     When people hear "poor" they tend to think of people on the streets. Little do they know that poor can mean Making only a certain amount or having a low income per person in a household. In America, many people are stuggling to barely stay above the poverty line. They are usually addressed as The Working Class (people who are employed for wages especially for manual or industrial work). The working class practically takes up the unwanted jobs because they cannot find work elsewhere.
     The Middle Class (those who are between upper and working class) is a little more well off. They can afford somethings in order to live more comfortably than working class people. Their social ranking is also higher compared to the working class and the homeless along with the poor people.
     Those who fall under Upper Class (people of the highest status) are seen as holders of desirable positions in society. They have a major impact on where people fall regarding the social classes. They are said to be powerful enough to stop people from achieving a higher status. They can even make people fall down the social ladder.
     In a country where equality is so important, not much is being done to help those of lower status or poor/homeless people. In the video People Like Us: Social Class In America, people talk about how they do not want to mention what class they belong to because they do not want to acknowledge that such classes exist. In the Ted Talk Conference on Education, entrepreneuers give young people advice. A shocking statistic shows that 1 in 5 kids drop out of school. This also contributes to the overwhelming amount of people in poverty.

Deviance

     Deviance is any behavior that does not conform to basic cultural norms and expectations, and its relationship to these questions of self and identity (Experience Sociology 191).  Now, who decides what is deviant? The norms that have been set. That goes to say that what is deviant in one society is not necessarily deviant in another. Another factor in determining what is deviant is reaction. If no one reacts to a violation, is it really deviant behavior?
     One example of deviance is public urination. Why is it considered deviant? It is considered deviant because it is not seen as a norm or "normal". You don't see people walking just urinating without people having a negative reaction. A reaction to this deviant behavior would be either getting a ticket by an officer or even being arrested.
     Another example is teenage parents. Teenage parents are highly looked down upon. The reactions people usually have are negative judgments, isolation from the teenager, and in some cases, even abandonment. They are seen as irresponsible, foolish, and even "loose". In the times of today, the age in which someone should be a parent is mid to late twenties. Anything other than that and the violator would be harshly judged. If younger, they are said to not educated enough to know the responsibilities of having a child. If older, they are seen as desperate and willing to have relations with anyone just to have a child.
     A third example is suicide. The first thing people assume is that the person was "crazy" or insane. They say things like that because it is against the norms and no one in their right mind would commit such an act.
     Those labeled as deviant have to deal with the stigma as well, or shame. In the case of suicide, the family has to deal with the stigma. The people violating the norms are treated as outsiders or outcasts.
     Another deviant act is prostitution. It is seen as a deviant act because society sees it in a dangerous and illegal light. The people who participate in prostitution are associated with drug users and pimps and so on. However, what if the context was that of Amsterdam? Prostitution has a different outlook. There is an organized setting that runs like any other business. They have front desks and receipts.
     A fifth example is abortion. Abortion has been extremely controversial for quite some time. It is the killing of an unborn baby, or the termination of a fetus. The arguments of both sides to this problem are recognizable. On one side you have people saying it is against the norm because it is the killing of a human being and people should face the consequences for such an act. On the other side, people say that it's a woman's choice since it is her body and the way she was impregnated could have been extremely traumatic.
     The last example is gang affiliation. People in gangs are seen as "trash". They are said to be uneducated, untalented, unworthy of a place in society, and they are seen as being lower than others.
     Labeling people as deviant can lead to secondary deviance. "Secondary deviance is behavior that is a response to the negative consequences of labeling" (Lemert 1951).
     Although deviance may be seen as a negative thing, it has its roles. The roles of deviance are: 1) It helps define group boundaries, 2) It helps create social solidarity and 3) It is a source of innovation. The first role helps identify those who are deviant and those who abide by the norms. The second role unites people in opposition to, or disapproval of, a shared enemy. The third role provides a source of creativity and innovation in social life.