I had a discussion once upon a time about gender and racial representation in our culture. The discussion centered specifically around the amount of Asian-American representation at the Olympics this year, but I think it applies to pretty much everything else as well. I was talking about how important it was for children to see themselves represented in the media that they view. The guy disagreeing with me (a white male) stated that this made absolutely no sense because he couldn't name a single white Olympian besides Shawn White and his heroes growing up were Black and Latino baseball players. We never came to any type of agreement, as those types of discussions typically go, but it had me thinking for months afterward. Then in one of my classes today, we had a discussion about representation and it brought all of these thoughts screaming back into my head (this is my white privileged that I don't have to be faced with the issue of representation on a daily basis).
I feel SO empowered when I see strong, successful women in movies, TV, and real life. It inspires me and encourages me to continue to work toward my goals, because if they can do, then maybe I can too. This does not take away from any amount of inspiration that I may receive from seeing a male succeed as well. I have been plenty inspired in my life by the words and deeds of white males. But it feels different when I see the woman out there doing her thing and succeeding. I can see myself in her and I know how freaking hard she had to work to get where she is. It's just a whole new level of empowerment for me.
In my mind, the issue of representation is focused on children. As a strong, independent adult, I recognize what I'm capable of and how much potential is within me. I think children are much more impressionable. We can tell them how amazing they are all day and they might even believe us, but children are observers. And when a child observes someone that looks like them out there saving the world, or making new discoveries, or being president, then they can so much more easily picture themselves doing the same thing. Sure, a little girl can imagine being president of the United States, but imagine how much MORE she would believe that was possible if she SAW a woman actually being president of the United States.
Now I recognize that I do not have the experience of being a racial minority, and as such, I am in no place to be lecturing about racial representation. But I do believe that this same theory of representation applies. Consistently seeing heroes and winners and successful people of one's own race is inspiring, even if it is subconscious. Every child deserves to see someone who looks like them in a successful role. Seeing such makes it so much easier to picture themselves being successful like that as well. Every child deserves that feeling of empowerment that comes from seeing someone of their own race out there doing their thing and being successful at it!
Sure, there is the exception of the little white boy who's major heroes are Black and Latino baseball players. But I think it's different for that little boy, because he has OPTIONS. He has tons of examples of successful white men in his life, and he has the privileged of being influenced by both those examples AND the examples of these baseball players of other races. This is awesome, and I wish every child had that opportunity! But many children see tons and tons of successful white men, and maybe one or two successful people that look like them. This isn't fair. These children deserve to see people that look like them and be able to inspired and empowered to be themselves! We need to encourage equal representation in the media, and in sports, and in the heads of multi-million dollar corporations, and everywhere!
Showing posts with label sociology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sociology. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Monday, July 4, 2016
Thoughts on America
I realize I have not blogged in ages, and I probably won't start blogging a ton after this either, but I had thoughts running through my head that needed an outlet. And my thoughts today are too long to fit into a 140-character tweet, which is what I usually do, so I have turned to the blog.
Today is the fourth of July. Independence Day for the United States of America. One of my favorite days of the year.
I love celebrating the 4th of July. My family always goes to the parade in the morning and it is a huge, fun, loud ordeal. And then we swim and play and eat to our hearts content. And then we watch fireworks. Fireworks are one of the best parts about the summertime. Overall, this is simply one of the best holidays with the best traditions.
But here's the thing: America is struggling. Maybe in my maturity I'm just more aware of the world than I ever have been in the past, but I feel like this nation, especially lately, is in constant contention with it's self and with the rest of the world. Specifically the contention within ourselves is the part that is overwhelming and disheartening to me. It seems to be eating us up from the inside. People are always arguing; not just having civil disagreements, which I think is a very healthy thing for all societies, but fights and name calling and an unwillingness to even listen to an opinion different than one's own. Sometimes these disagreements even turn to violence and that is unspeakably terrible.
It's really discouraging and heartbreaking to hear about such occurrences within this place that is supposed to be so happy and so free. I hadn't even realized it until today, but recently I've developed a somewhat negative attitude toward this country that I love so much. So often all we hear about is the bad, and I was beginning to believe it to be 100% true. While I do recognize that this country is not perfect and we have some major things we need to work on, today reminded me that this is still America. We are still so blessed to be in a country with all of the freedoms and rights that we have.
The majority of the youth that I work with are extremely underprivileged. They come from poverty situations, broken homes, and very rough neighborhoods. In my work, I focus so often on how unfairly society has treated them and how they were born into a situation where they never had a chance to succeed. I read articles and talk to my fellow professionals about how these youth are so underprivileged and lacking so much by way of materials, experiences, and finances. It's quite discouraging to realize that statistics say that it is incredibly unlikely for most of these kids to overcome the circumstances that they were born into. Most studies say that these youth will follow their parent's histories of violence, crime, lack of education, and poverty.
I could go on and on about the links between poverty, education, and delinquency, however today I realized that this is not the only perspective. This negative, static view of the future of these youths is not the only way of viewing their potential. Today I was reminded of hope and potential for the future of all of the youth of this nation.
We live in a country where it is completely possible for a kid to be born in the worst of circumstances and to eventually become anything they could ever dream of. Yes, this is difficult, and yes, this takes time, perhaps even a lifetime, but the bottom line is that it is possible. The youth of this country have the potential to change their lives and change the world. We live in a country where our destinies are not predetermined and we have control over who we become and how successful we will be. Yes, this country is still struggling and still has hatred, fear, and misunderstanding of so many minority and underprivileged groups. But people are advocating for change and understanding, because that's something we can do in this country! We are allowed to have a voice and we are allowed to try to change the things we don't like. We are not perfect and we have lots to work on, but isn't that exactly how America should be? This is a place of constant change and adaptation, and that is a good thing. And this is a place where our children have very bright, hopeful futures, and that is what America is all about. I'm not giving up on America and the future it holds for our youth, and I hope no one else is either.
Today is the fourth of July. Independence Day for the United States of America. One of my favorite days of the year.
I love celebrating the 4th of July. My family always goes to the parade in the morning and it is a huge, fun, loud ordeal. And then we swim and play and eat to our hearts content. And then we watch fireworks. Fireworks are one of the best parts about the summertime. Overall, this is simply one of the best holidays with the best traditions.
But here's the thing: America is struggling. Maybe in my maturity I'm just more aware of the world than I ever have been in the past, but I feel like this nation, especially lately, is in constant contention with it's self and with the rest of the world. Specifically the contention within ourselves is the part that is overwhelming and disheartening to me. It seems to be eating us up from the inside. People are always arguing; not just having civil disagreements, which I think is a very healthy thing for all societies, but fights and name calling and an unwillingness to even listen to an opinion different than one's own. Sometimes these disagreements even turn to violence and that is unspeakably terrible.
It's really discouraging and heartbreaking to hear about such occurrences within this place that is supposed to be so happy and so free. I hadn't even realized it until today, but recently I've developed a somewhat negative attitude toward this country that I love so much. So often all we hear about is the bad, and I was beginning to believe it to be 100% true. While I do recognize that this country is not perfect and we have some major things we need to work on, today reminded me that this is still America. We are still so blessed to be in a country with all of the freedoms and rights that we have.
The majority of the youth that I work with are extremely underprivileged. They come from poverty situations, broken homes, and very rough neighborhoods. In my work, I focus so often on how unfairly society has treated them and how they were born into a situation where they never had a chance to succeed. I read articles and talk to my fellow professionals about how these youth are so underprivileged and lacking so much by way of materials, experiences, and finances. It's quite discouraging to realize that statistics say that it is incredibly unlikely for most of these kids to overcome the circumstances that they were born into. Most studies say that these youth will follow their parent's histories of violence, crime, lack of education, and poverty.
I could go on and on about the links between poverty, education, and delinquency, however today I realized that this is not the only perspective. This negative, static view of the future of these youths is not the only way of viewing their potential. Today I was reminded of hope and potential for the future of all of the youth of this nation.
We live in a country where it is completely possible for a kid to be born in the worst of circumstances and to eventually become anything they could ever dream of. Yes, this is difficult, and yes, this takes time, perhaps even a lifetime, but the bottom line is that it is possible. The youth of this country have the potential to change their lives and change the world. We live in a country where our destinies are not predetermined and we have control over who we become and how successful we will be. Yes, this country is still struggling and still has hatred, fear, and misunderstanding of so many minority and underprivileged groups. But people are advocating for change and understanding, because that's something we can do in this country! We are allowed to have a voice and we are allowed to try to change the things we don't like. We are not perfect and we have lots to work on, but isn't that exactly how America should be? This is a place of constant change and adaptation, and that is a good thing. And this is a place where our children have very bright, hopeful futures, and that is what America is all about. I'm not giving up on America and the future it holds for our youth, and I hope no one else is either.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
a bit on mental illness
I'm pretty sure this is about to be a soapbox post. Sorry in advance. But not that sorry.
For nearly a year and a half, I worked at a treatment center for teenage girls with emotional, mental, and behavioral issues. I interacted with so many amazing yet troubled girls who just wanted to be understood and loved. I learned so much about mental illness, more than I ever did while reading about it in textbooks in college classes.
Today I was reflecting on this experience and thinking about how mental illness is still so misunderstood in our society. While I personally have not suffered from a mental illness, I have worked very closely and had some very hard conversations with some people who do struggle with mental illnesses. While reflecting, I ended up thinking about one girl specifically that I have worked with. She has severe depression and borderline personality disorder. I started thinking about all the conversations we had where she would be fighting with her own mind, struggling to regain control. I wanted to try to put into words what I observed in these conversations with her, as well as conversations I had with other girls with similar issues. I do not claim to know what it is like to have either of these disorders, but I wanted to put into words what I have observed in conversations with clients and what I perceive is going through their mind on a daily basis.
This is my attempt to both understand and explain what may be going through the mind of a person with depression and borderline personality disorder. As with any mental illness, there are good days and there are bad days, but this pattern of thinking in circles and unconnected thoughts seems to be something that happens to a lot of the girls I've worked with. I can't even imagine how difficult it is to try to control those thoughts and that is why I am in this line of work - I want to do everything in my power to help people figure out how to help themselves.
It is so difficult to live with a mental illness, and I have so much love and compassion for every person I have worked with that struggles with one. I just want all people to understand a little bit more, so they can be a little bit more accepting. Mental illness is a real issue that so many people struggle with, live with, and succeed with. I think it is so important for everyone to look at themselves and see if they can be more understanding and compassionate in regards to mental illness.
For nearly a year and a half, I worked at a treatment center for teenage girls with emotional, mental, and behavioral issues. I interacted with so many amazing yet troubled girls who just wanted to be understood and loved. I learned so much about mental illness, more than I ever did while reading about it in textbooks in college classes.
Today I was reflecting on this experience and thinking about how mental illness is still so misunderstood in our society. While I personally have not suffered from a mental illness, I have worked very closely and had some very hard conversations with some people who do struggle with mental illnesses. While reflecting, I ended up thinking about one girl specifically that I have worked with. She has severe depression and borderline personality disorder. I started thinking about all the conversations we had where she would be fighting with her own mind, struggling to regain control. I wanted to try to put into words what I observed in these conversations with her, as well as conversations I had with other girls with similar issues. I do not claim to know what it is like to have either of these disorders, but I wanted to put into words what I have observed in conversations with clients and what I perceive is going through their mind on a daily basis.
This is my attempt to both understand and explain what may be going through the mind of a person with depression and borderline personality disorder. As with any mental illness, there are good days and there are bad days, but this pattern of thinking in circles and unconnected thoughts seems to be something that happens to a lot of the girls I've worked with. I can't even imagine how difficult it is to try to control those thoughts and that is why I am in this line of work - I want to do everything in my power to help people figure out how to help themselves.
It is so difficult to live with a mental illness, and I have so much love and compassion for every person I have worked with that struggles with one. I just want all people to understand a little bit more, so they can be a little bit more accepting. Mental illness is a real issue that so many people struggle with, live with, and succeed with. I think it is so important for everyone to look at themselves and see if they can be more understanding and compassionate in regards to mental illness.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
What do I know?
I've been applying to endless jobs recently which has made me think about my education and what I learned while getting my degree. I wasn't in one of those majors that teach you specific skills like accounting or engineering or teaching. I was a Sociology major. I loved my major and 100% would not change it, but I've been asking myself all day, "What really did I learn from my major in college?" Each individual class I feel like I learned a lot about that specific topic that was covered, but overall, when it comes right down to it: "What did I learn from my major?"
I learned how to think. I learned how to look at a situation and think through it's causes, consequences, and solutions. I learned to really look at and appreciate people where they are. I learned that there are more forces at play in every situation than you could possibly imagine. I learned to care. I learned to look outside myself and find something that I can do to make the world around me better. I learned that there is injustice in this world and I have the ability to do something about it. I learned how to look at the facts and form my own unique opinion of a situation without having to rely on anyone else.
I learned how to think. I learned how to look at a situation and think through it's causes, consequences, and solutions. I learned to really look at and appreciate people where they are. I learned that there are more forces at play in every situation than you could possibly imagine. I learned to care. I learned to look outside myself and find something that I can do to make the world around me better. I learned that there is injustice in this world and I have the ability to do something about it. I learned how to look at the facts and form my own unique opinion of a situation without having to rely on anyone else.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
I'm Jennie and I'm the intern.
I am doing an internship this summer. It is seriously the greatest thing I could have decided to do with my summer.
I am working with the DCFS (Division of Child and Family Services) Drug Court team. I get to meet so many humans who are trying to make their life better. And the caseworkers who honestly truly care about them and want them to get better so they can take care of their children.
Yes, it is hard. There are days that I come home and I am so sad and just can't believe some people. I don't think life is fair to a lot of children in the world. All kids deserve happy, safe, functioning homes with people who love them, and there are too many kids that don't have that opportunity and don't even know what it's like. I see parents doing drugs and neglecting their children. It's all quite sad.
But you know what else I've seen? Parents working harder than they've ever worked in their lives to get clean so they can get their gets back. I've seen goals reached successfully. I've seen children who are finally in safe environments and are being cared for.
I love working with people. I have realized even more strongly that I want to be a social worker. I want to help people when they are at their lowest and give them the encouragement and inspiration that they need to take steps forward. I want to care for people because they are human beings and they deserve the best in the world. I want to be able to look past a person's flaws and see them for who they can become and help them to get there. I just really think that everyone deserves multiple chances to succeed and access to all the resources possible to help them do so.
That's what an internship is supposed to be, isn't it? Giving me direction in my life and showing me what I do and do not want to do with my career. I'm a big fan.
I am working with the DCFS (Division of Child and Family Services) Drug Court team. I get to meet so many humans who are trying to make their life better. And the caseworkers who honestly truly care about them and want them to get better so they can take care of their children.
Yes, it is hard. There are days that I come home and I am so sad and just can't believe some people. I don't think life is fair to a lot of children in the world. All kids deserve happy, safe, functioning homes with people who love them, and there are too many kids that don't have that opportunity and don't even know what it's like. I see parents doing drugs and neglecting their children. It's all quite sad.
But you know what else I've seen? Parents working harder than they've ever worked in their lives to get clean so they can get their gets back. I've seen goals reached successfully. I've seen children who are finally in safe environments and are being cared for.
I love working with people. I have realized even more strongly that I want to be a social worker. I want to help people when they are at their lowest and give them the encouragement and inspiration that they need to take steps forward. I want to care for people because they are human beings and they deserve the best in the world. I want to be able to look past a person's flaws and see them for who they can become and help them to get there. I just really think that everyone deserves multiple chances to succeed and access to all the resources possible to help them do so.
That's what an internship is supposed to be, isn't it? Giving me direction in my life and showing me what I do and do not want to do with my career. I'm a big fan.
Monday, June 10, 2013
A quick observation
Being the social scientist I am, I have absolutely loved looking at the ways my roommates' relationships fit into stereotypical categories and the ways they are completely different from the usual. I've also learned to appreciate even more the differences between my roommates. We are all best friends and get along amazingly well, but at the same time, we are each so different. We've always recognized this and commented on it, however it has been magnified since bringing their boys into the picture. They all handle situations differently, and no particular way is better than the others, they are just different. It is absolutely fascinating to me. Yes, I am kind of crazy and I sit and analyze the dynamics between the people in my life. Okay, I won't go into anymore detail about the observations I've made regarding roommates, relationships, and love. But suffice it to say that I really appreciate the way that my major in college taught me to think about the world.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
People watching
I love people watching. I always have.
Being a sociology major has enhanced this even more.
In high school I always loved just hopping on the train, putting in my headphones, and heading down town - I would just watch all of the fascinating people on the train and marvel about how cool humans are. I love looking at a person and trying to decide what their story is. Every person has a story and they are all so unique. Making up background stories for people and creating an idea in my head about how they ended up in that exact spot at that exact moment in their life - it seriously doesn't get much better than that.
And now that I'm a crazy social scientist, I think it's become even worse.
Not only do I love to observe people and try to figure out there lives, but now I try to figure out how they fit into a specific generalizable population. It's so interesting to see what aspects of a person fit perfectly with the description of a population and what aspects are completely different, because no one fits 100% into a defined social group, which is why social policy and research is so incredibly difficult. -- educational rant. my bad.
This kind of reminds me of the movie He's Just Not That Into You. Ever seen it? It's not one of my faves, but it was decently good. Anyway, in the movie it talks about how there are rules for dating (and for life) that are very generalizable and people try to say that they are the exception, but they are not the exception. But at some point in life, everyone is the exception. Their life doesn't fit perfectly into a little mold of how things are supposed work, and that's what makes life exciting. If everything always worked exactly like we expect it to, then life would be boring and there would be zero problems because life is predictable.
But alas... life is never predictable and people are all a little bit crazy and that is okay. This is why I study people and social groups. This is why I want to work with unstable populations and try to help them establish at least a sense of stability. This is why I am fascinated by people and will never stop people watching.
Speaking of fascinating: It has come to my attention that I am attracted to men that I find fascinating. When there is a person that I am interested in, it seems that I always end up describing him as fascinating. I love getting to know people that have different views of the world and have had different experiences and up-bringings because they widen my paradigm and give me a new way to look at the world. So... if you ever hear me say that I find someone fascinating, then you know that is the one of the best things I can possibly say about someone.
Being a sociology major has enhanced this even more.
In high school I always loved just hopping on the train, putting in my headphones, and heading down town - I would just watch all of the fascinating people on the train and marvel about how cool humans are. I love looking at a person and trying to decide what their story is. Every person has a story and they are all so unique. Making up background stories for people and creating an idea in my head about how they ended up in that exact spot at that exact moment in their life - it seriously doesn't get much better than that.
And now that I'm a crazy social scientist, I think it's become even worse.
Not only do I love to observe people and try to figure out there lives, but now I try to figure out how they fit into a specific generalizable population. It's so interesting to see what aspects of a person fit perfectly with the description of a population and what aspects are completely different, because no one fits 100% into a defined social group, which is why social policy and research is so incredibly difficult. -- educational rant. my bad.
This kind of reminds me of the movie He's Just Not That Into You. Ever seen it? It's not one of my faves, but it was decently good. Anyway, in the movie it talks about how there are rules for dating (and for life) that are very generalizable and people try to say that they are the exception, but they are not the exception. But at some point in life, everyone is the exception. Their life doesn't fit perfectly into a little mold of how things are supposed work, and that's what makes life exciting. If everything always worked exactly like we expect it to, then life would be boring and there would be zero problems because life is predictable.
But alas... life is never predictable and people are all a little bit crazy and that is okay. This is why I study people and social groups. This is why I want to work with unstable populations and try to help them establish at least a sense of stability. This is why I am fascinated by people and will never stop people watching.
Speaking of fascinating: It has come to my attention that I am attracted to men that I find fascinating. When there is a person that I am interested in, it seems that I always end up describing him as fascinating. I love getting to know people that have different views of the world and have had different experiences and up-bringings because they widen my paradigm and give me a new way to look at the world. So... if you ever hear me say that I find someone fascinating, then you know that is the one of the best things I can possibly say about someone.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Thoughts on Injustice
There is so much injustice in the world.
A lot of the times I say that I don't think about things. And by things I mean everything in the world; every serious concern, every problem, every action. I just am not a thinker, and I just kind of go with whatever happens and don't worry about it. But I've come to a realization recently. I have trained myself to not think about things, because when I do buckle down and think about problems, I get really worked up. I get entirely consumed in the injustice of the world. I can be very opinionated about problems in the world and I want everyone to just be kind and act fairly. I just get so frustrated. And thus, I end up rambling, and just beating the same idea into the ground many times over... which I'm about to do right now.
An injustice that I am currently frustrated with (and have been for years): the way most facilities handle juvenile delinquents.
I recognize that most facilities do not have the resources to hire exceptional counselors and to utilize the best of the best in rehabilitation, but honestly, I am immensely saddened by the way that delinquency is handled in our country. Most of these delinquent youths have not been given the opportunities to better their lives. They were raised in difficult home situations, often with relatives who struggle themselves and are living lives that will lead them to being locked up as well. It's a never ending, vicious cycle of crime, lack of education, lack of resources, and lack of discipline. These kids are not given the chance to become better and they often don't even realize that they are stuck in a terrible world that has condemned them. Now don't get me wrong, obviously it's not completely due to environment that kids become delinquent, it's very much a consequence of their individual thoughts and actions as well, but I think the grand majority of the blame ought to be placed on the environment. If we can improve their environment, then we are improving their chances of succeeding in a productive, law-abiding life. And these detention centers, rehabilitation centers, and other facilities for delinquents often do not give these kids the opportunities they deserve. They need caring, patient counselors who are willing to spend as much time as it will take to help these kids in whatever they need. Those who will go above and beyond their job; who realize that though this is their job, it's much more important than that - they are influencing these kids and potentially changing their lives. They need to be the best influence possible and show their concern.
Soapbox end. This is what being a sociology major does to you.
A lot of the times I say that I don't think about things. And by things I mean everything in the world; every serious concern, every problem, every action. I just am not a thinker, and I just kind of go with whatever happens and don't worry about it. But I've come to a realization recently. I have trained myself to not think about things, because when I do buckle down and think about problems, I get really worked up. I get entirely consumed in the injustice of the world. I can be very opinionated about problems in the world and I want everyone to just be kind and act fairly. I just get so frustrated. And thus, I end up rambling, and just beating the same idea into the ground many times over... which I'm about to do right now.
An injustice that I am currently frustrated with (and have been for years): the way most facilities handle juvenile delinquents.
I recognize that most facilities do not have the resources to hire exceptional counselors and to utilize the best of the best in rehabilitation, but honestly, I am immensely saddened by the way that delinquency is handled in our country. Most of these delinquent youths have not been given the opportunities to better their lives. They were raised in difficult home situations, often with relatives who struggle themselves and are living lives that will lead them to being locked up as well. It's a never ending, vicious cycle of crime, lack of education, lack of resources, and lack of discipline. These kids are not given the chance to become better and they often don't even realize that they are stuck in a terrible world that has condemned them. Now don't get me wrong, obviously it's not completely due to environment that kids become delinquent, it's very much a consequence of their individual thoughts and actions as well, but I think the grand majority of the blame ought to be placed on the environment. If we can improve their environment, then we are improving their chances of succeeding in a productive, law-abiding life. And these detention centers, rehabilitation centers, and other facilities for delinquents often do not give these kids the opportunities they deserve. They need caring, patient counselors who are willing to spend as much time as it will take to help these kids in whatever they need. Those who will go above and beyond their job; who realize that though this is their job, it's much more important than that - they are influencing these kids and potentially changing their lives. They need to be the best influence possible and show their concern.
Soapbox end. This is what being a sociology major does to you.
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