Suicide (Free Writing)

Suicide

Suicide fully prevent suicide, people need to have a better understanding of it and know why it happens. (Key Research Findings, 2015)
One of the leading causes of suicide is depression along with other mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, and schizophrenia. A recent study has shown that people who commit suicide had a mental disorder at the time of their death. Because people who commit suicide don’t usually tell people about their actions, it is important for people to be able to recognize the symptoms.
Because depression is a main factor for suicide, it is important for care provides to be able to appropriately diagnose and treat someone with depression. Having depression does increase the likeliness of someone committing suicide. There are about 20% of the people who have died because of suicide that also had previous attempts at committing suicide. (Key Research Findings, 2015)
There have been studies that suicide may be inherited from family. It’s not so much the suicide that gets inherited, it is the depression that gets passed down. People who have family members who have attempted or committed suicide have a higher risk of doing it themselves. This is because they look to that person as a “social model.” But it can also lead to the awareness of suicide. (Key Research Findings, 2015)
People who have had cancer, HIV, lupus, and traumatic brain injuries are often at a higher risk of suicide. These people feel hopeless. (Key Research Findings, 2015)
In 2013, there were over 40,000 deaths caused by suicide in just the United States. It is the 10th leading cause of death. It is more common for males to commit suicide rather than females. But females are more likely to think about suicide than males. Females actually attempt suicide 3 times more than males. (Save, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education)

Suicide has played a big role in my life, as crazy as this sounds. My 5th grade year, my uncle committed suicide. A year later, on the exact day, my other uncle committed suicide as well. The next year my grandma had died of cancer. It was not suicide but it did have a big impact on my dad. Who then a few years later committed suicide. My dad did have depression and he was bipolar. He never gave any hints that he would do that. So when it happened, it was completely unexpected for us.
But since suicide had happened twice before in the family, you can see that it does have a way of spreading to other people.
Suicide is something I personally take very seriously. I do not tolerate it when people joke about it. It is a serious problem here in the United States and there is so much everyone can do to prevent it. There have been movements on social media where people draw semicolons on their wrists. They do this to show that your story isn’t over. You could’ve ended it but instead kept going.

"Save. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education." SAVE. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. 

http://www.save.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=705D5DF4-055B-F1EC-3F66462866FCB4E6

"Key Research Findings." American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. 

https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/key-research-findings 

Social Institution of Economy

Social Institution of Economy

An Economy can be defined as “the institution that provides for the production and distribution of goods and services, which people in every society need.” We rely on people to supply goods and services. But some of us also may provide some of those goods and services. But how do we go about getting those goods and services? We have to have some sort of exchange or currency. Here in the United States we have money, we have dollar bills and we also have coins, because we are a more industrialized society. But other countries may use a form of currency in an exchange for another gift or service. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)
There are two economic systems that are most dominant. They are capitalism and socialism. A majority of societies use a mixture of they two. When you use a mixture is is often called welfare capitalism and state capitalism. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)
Capitalism can be defined as “a system under which resources and means of production are privately owned, citizens are encourage to seek profit for themselves, and success or failure of an enterprise is determined by free market competition.” To put it into perspective, we can use the United States for an example. We do have privately owned businesses but the government does regulate these businesses. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)
Socialism can be defined as “a system under which resources and means of production are owned by the society as a whole, rights to private property are limited, the good of the whole society is stressed more than individual profit, and the government maintains control of the economy.” An example of a socialism society would be China. The natural resources is owned and controlled by the government. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)
You can use a mixture of the two, such as welfare capitalism. It can be defined as “a system that features a market-based economy coupled with an extensive social welfare system that included free health care and education for all citizens.” To look at this we can look at Sweden. They do allow the people to own their businesses privately, but the government is still allowed to control part of the economy. They do have high taxes to support all of that free education and free health care. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)State capitalism is also another one that blend socialism and capitalism. It can be defined as “a system under which resources and means of production are privately owned but closely monitored and regulated by the government. South Korea is a good example of this. The government works very closely with the major companies in South Korea so that they can ensure their success. (Social Institutions: Economy, SparkNotes)
We have our wants and needs. We will always be consuming products, sometimes faster then they can make them. But we need to have a way to regulate these sales. 

https://economicsociologydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/consumption-aggregate-demand-economics-oleg-komlik.jpg?w=640

"Social Institutions: Economy." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. 
http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-institutions/section1.rhtml

Religion as a Social Institution

Religion as a Social Institution

Religion can answer some of our questions and explain things that are unexplainable. It gives some people reasons for life and death. Why we are on this earth. And why we die. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

Religion is very important for families. It may determine which holidays you decorate and celebrate. Parents and elders, teach their children to also continue with these religion traditions, and so on and so forth. It can be considered part of their culture. I am a Christian so I celebrate Christmas for Jesus's birth. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

There are several different religions throughout the world. Several is not the world to use, but there are A LOT of religions. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

Christians have the belief that Jesus was our savior and is the son of God. There are several different forms of christianity. Islams also have the same God. But they believe that word of God was revealed to Muhammad in 570 A.D. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

Sociologists have 3 religious organizations. Churches, sects, and cults. A church is a religious group that has integrated with society. A sect is s religious group that sets itself apart from society. A cult is a religious group that is not considered normal to the rest of society. Cults usually have a leader that it all is centered around. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

Religion plays a role on the class system in the United States as well. It also can depend on race or ethnicity. Some of the wealthiest people in America are protestant. Jews also have a high standard of living. Roman Catholic descendent families, don’t tend to be as wealthy. African-American churches have taken the traditions of Christianity but also keep the beliefs of the slaves that were brought to America. (Social Institutions, SparkNotes)

I went to a Catholic school. So every Tuesday and Friday we went to church. Our programs consisted of Christian music. We studied the bible and what God did. I also was baptized, I had a confirmation, and a First Communion. I did all this because I am Catholic. But another family with a different religion, would not do this. 

My confirmation class at St. Gregory’s Catholic School

"Social Institutions." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-institutions/section4.rhtml

Alcohol Use of Adolescents (Free Writing)

Alcohol Use of Adolescents 

There are many questions as to why adolescents drink alcohol. Who taught them that it was okay? Does drinking run in the family and that's why they're drinking? Who influences them? Does the media suggest that it is okay to drink at a young age? 

There are many programs that do not promote under age drinking, they try to convince adolescents to stray away from alcohol. But still under age drinking is still a major problem here in the United States. Under age drinking is in it's prime from age 18-21. They are in college and it the students peers may be drinking, so other students may drink due to peer pressure. Because the development of the brain can still continue into early adulthood, alcohol could be affecting the growth of the adolescent. Which is a major problem. When youths drink, they are more likely to binge drink.
Children who use alcohol at an early age are more likely to abuse alcohol as adults. It can also lead to unemployment problems, aggression, and are more likely to abuse other substances. Adolescents who use alcohol are more likely to have problems getting their obligations done at work, school, or home. Having problems with alcohol can be viewed as causing problems or damage to yourself or relationships with others.
A recent study shows that teens are more likely to drink alcohol than to do drugs or use tobacco. "The 2009 survey of more than 46000 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students in more than 380 schools nationwide revealed that the prevalence of alcohol use in the previous 30 days had declined by more than one-third since most recently peaking in 1996 but that less of a decline was found for older students." 
Teens in the United States who misuse alcohol are often times involved in dangerous situations that can lead to injuries or even death. A leading cause of teen deaths are caused by alcohol related accidents such as car crashes, homicide, and suicide.

I have friends who have drank under the age. I also have family who drank as teens and either ended up in car crashes or committed suicide. I have seen alcohol take people down bad roads. I have seen what it can do to people first hand. People get dependent on the alcohol, it can change people.
Since I am in college, I have been to many parties and see college students with alcohol. It may seem like nothing now, but later down the road it could turn into more than just a thing to do at parties.

"Alcohol Use by Youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concert." Pediatrics. AAP Gateway, May 2010. Web. Nov. 2015.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/5/1078 

The Impact the Internet Has On Society (Free Writing)

The Impact the Internet Has On Society

As we know, internet plays a great roll in our lives. We are always using the internet for various reasons, whether it is research for a school project, twitter, facebook, looking at maps, there are always a reason that we can be on the internet. Our generation is very into our smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Many places also offer wifi so that we don't have to use our own data. Because of the internet, you can say that the whole world is connected in some way.
Because we can say that people "hide behind their phones" means that they are less sociable. But actually it turns out that using the internet can actually increase the amount of how social a person is, civic engagement, and the relationship between family members and friends.
Not only is technology being used for social relations but also for businesses. You can now arrange business meetings with someone around the world with web chats. You can also send emails.
Because it seems like people are mostly on their phones theses days, that there might be little help in the community. But actually there seems to be more because you can spread awareness of the event over social media.
People are also making a living on the internet. They sell products and other internet users buy them.
I can definitely see how the internet can keep everyone connected. I talk to my family members who are states away, or even across the ocean, to see what is going on with them and to plan times to meet up. 
I can also see what is happening in the world. The recent Paris attacks were noted all over Twitter and Facebook. I would not have known about the Paris attacks without that social media. Someone tweeted "#PrayersForParis." I was curious so I just went to google and typed "Paris", instantly it brought up searches such as "paris attacks, paris terrorist attacks, paris attacks 2015." So obviously I knew that something had happened. 
After the Paris attacks, many people had posted pictures of the  Eiffel tower with the hashtag Pray for Paris. This somehow brought countries together. Showing their sympathy for one another.
The logo used for #PrayForParis

With the rise in social media and internet use, I have also noticed that 12 year olds have smart phones. When I was 12 I had a track phone. Now they have their smart phones and iPhones and tablets. They are way farther into the knowledge of technology than we were at that age.

"The Impact of the Internet on Society: A Global Perspective | MIT Technology Review." MIT Technology Review. N.p., 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/530566/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-society-a-global-perspective/

"Eiffel Tower as Peace Symbol Goes Viral, as Thousands Send Prayers to Paris following Deadly Attacks." RT English. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
https://www.rt.com/news/322007-eiffel-prayers-paris-attacks/ 

Functionalism

Functionalism

Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer are the founders of this theory. The idea of functionalism, is that society works together as one whole unit, but has inter-related parts. Functionalism was highly recognized by sociologists in the 1940s and the 1950s. This theory describes how society meets their needs for individuals and the social needs. (About.com, 2015)
Comte and Spencer looked at functionalism as if it were a living organism. Without one part of the organism, the whole system would collapse. If everyone does their part well then there will be stability in our society. (About.com, 2015) The different tasks that people do are often called divisions of labor. There are different parts but all are related. When one part of the society does not do their parts, it doesn't just impact them, but it impacts the whole society. If one falls, they all start to fall. (Boundless, 2015)
For an example, the state provides education for children, and then in return the children's family pays taxes that the state needs to function. The children also are expected to go to school and eventually get a good job so that they can also support their family. In the end, the children grow up to be tax-paying adults who support the government. (About.com, 2015)

 (PSYCHNOV, 2015)

"Everything You Need to Know About Functionalist Theory." About.com Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.
http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Functionalist-Theory.htm

"The Functionalist Perspective - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.
https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/sociology-1/theoretical-perspectives-in-sociology-24/the-functionalist-perspective-155-3284/

"PSYCHNOV." PSYCHNOV. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2015. 

http://jmccrackenworld.com/SOCNOV.html

Symbolic Interactionism

Symbolic Interactionism

When you think of symbolic interactionism you can kind of get an idea of what it is just by the name. Symbolic goes to symbol and we think of symbols as representing something. This theory takes a look at how people relate certain meanings to objects, events, and behaviors. The men behind this theory are George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) and Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929.) A way that they use to describe this theory is attaching a meaning to things. 

We have so many symbols that we can relate to. Mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, brother, sister. These are just a few of many. These are just some way to describe people. But what about objects?  A ring symbolizes marriage when worn on the left ring finger. But there are many others. When a baby is being born, the parents represent having a boy in blue and having a girl in the color pink. We recognize these things and assume their meaning. We see wet floor signs and know that it means the floor is wet and you should not walk there. Snow flakes represent cold and fire represents hot. They can be little things like that or big things.
What do you think about when you think about America? Well I think about our flag, the Fourth of July, and Fireworks. This is how I symbolize America. If I were to symbolize Egypt, I would think of pyramids, egyptians, and cats. 

You can think of a symbol for almost anything! It's just they way we look at stuff!

"Symbolic Interactionism." Youtube. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
http://www.youtube.com

"What Is Symbolic Interaction Theory?" About.com Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm

Education as a Social Institution

Education as a Social Institution

Education is very important as a social institution. Sociologist find it a very interesting thing to look at and study. Education includes teaching formerly earned knowledge to others, such as reading and writing. But it also teaches many important things like morals, ethics, and values. This all prepare students for the real world. Showing them where they belong, socialization. 

There are two different ways we can begin to look at education in a social institution, micro-level and macro-level. At the micro-level, sociologists are looking at how being in school impacts the student on an individual level. At the macro-level, sociologists look how politics, economics, and culture impacts the variations of the students. 

Each of the three theories we have been discussing all have their different views on education in a social institution. 

The Functionalist view of it says that education is way that children first socialize and prepare for the outside world. This isn't only done by teaching the "basic knowledge" for school but also for teaching about morals, ethics, culture, and more. They also believe that education teaches an occupational training. The functionalist theory believes that education provides social order. By requiring that children must attend school by law, it keeps them off the streets and keep them out of stuff they aren't supposed to be doing.

The symbolic theory focuses on the schooling and how the outcomes of those interactions turn out to be. Teachers and students can have interactions and expectations of each other. The teacher expects the student to show up for class, do homework, be respectful. The teacher thinks a black student is less likely to do well on a test and white student to do better. This can cause the teacher to actually "encourage" the black student to not do well on a test. This is called the teacher expectancy effect. 

Conflict theory thinks that education is not equally fair. They don't think everyone is getting the same education because of race, gender, or class. They believe that education produces the inequalities between people in our society. It is also believed that education can lead to discrimination. An employer requires certain educational status credentials that apply to the job. It discriminates certain people within our society. 

How Education Has Impacted Me

I see people in their "groups." The people they normally hang out with. I've seen those people succeed and I've seen some people not take the right path and do some things that they shouldn't. I've seen this happening by them picking who they want to sit by in the lunch room on the first day of school.
I used to be with the "wrong people" but eventually i separated myself from that and hung around a better crowd. I heard others in school talk about my friends in a bad way, And I didn't want that to happen to me so I changed. I conformed to fit in with every one else

"What Is the Sociology of Education?" About.com Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Education.htm 

Conflict Theory as a Song

Conflict Theory

Conflict Theory can be defined as "A theory propounded for Karl Marx that claims society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources. Conflict theory holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity." So I would describe it as society competing and changing to get scarce resources. Conflict theory can be viewed as a "bad" thing. Or possibly even dangerous. Because people do what they can to be labeled in the upper class.
The richer people benefit from the poor. The poor work in the factories, doing all the hard labor. While the rich sit in the office as a CEO or something. They may have stress and other things to do that seem difficult but it isn't manual labor.

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

I see this song as describing the conflict theory rather well. He meets people that are just trying to get by in our society by any means. He pretty much asks them "Why are you doing what you're doing right now?" And they give him a pretty solid answer.
In the first set of lyrics that I labeled as "1.", our "narrator" is talking about how he was just walking down the street and what we would assume to be a prostitute came up to him and offered him her services. We can go down to section 2. and she continues. She said that if he pays her that she will give him a good night. Then after all is said and done, she will go. But he stops and asks her, "You seem like such a sweet lady so why do you do this?" Her response is goes into part 3. which is the chorus for the song. Which we will refer back to. She is just trying to get by. She says there ain't no rest for the wicked. She has to pay bills and she has mouths to feed. She would go about another job if she could but she can't. And she is going to keep doing this until she she closes her eyes for good. So until she dies.
In part 4. and 5. we deal with another person. This man is a robber. The robber just wants the money. Not to harm anyone. But if the narrator tries anything or tries to cause a scene, he will shoot him. So he could give him the money and be completely fine or he could get killed. It's the narrators choice basically. So he asks the robber, "What made you want to live this kind of life?" The robber is then brought back to the chorus. 

Next we go to part 6. So our narrator is home and his day is coming to an end. He turns to the news on the TV and sees a preacher getting arrest. He was taking money from the church. The preacher put the money in his own private account. Our narrator was very confused and shocked. But then he says "We all seek out to satisfy those thrills." So he is shocked but then he thinks about it and says that 'Well we are all just trying to get by and get ahold of the money. Because we all want to be on top of the social ladder. We are all trying for that.' He says we are all the same. All wanting to be higher in the social class system.
So our narrator goes back to the chorus. All of those people are going against what the law says and do what they want. They are all trying to get money. They are doing the things that they do to get them out of that lower class system. In this song you don't really see the rich people benefiting from poor people. But you see what poor people will do in order to get by.

Lyrics: 

1. I was walkin' down the street
When out the corner of my eye
I saw a pretty little thing approaching me
She said, "I never seen a man
Who looked so all alone
Oh could you use a little company?

2. And if you pay the right price
Your evening will be nice
And you can go and send me on my way."
I said, "You're such a sweet young thing
Why you do this to yourself?"
She looked at me and this is what she said

THE CHORUS
3. Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked
Money don't grow on trees
I got bills to pay
I got mouths to feed
And ain't nothing in this world for free
No I can't slow down
I can't hold back
Though you know I wish I could
No there ain't no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good

4. Not even 15 minutes later
I'm still walkin' down the street
When I saw the shadow of a man creep out of sight
And then he swept up from behind
He put a gun up to my head
He made it clear he wasn't lookin' for a fight

5. He said give me all you got
I want your money not your life
But if you try to make a move I won't think twice
I told him you can have my cash
But first you know I gotta ask
What made you wanna live this kind of life?
He said

Go back to 3. THE CHORUS 

6. Well now a couple hours passed
And I was sitting in my house
The day was winding down and coming to an end
So I turned to the TV
And flipped it over to the news
And what I saw I almost couldn't comprehend

7. I saw a preacher man in cuffs
He'd taken money from the church
He'd stuff his bank account with righteous dollar bills
But even still I can't say much
Because I know we're all the same
Oh yes we all seek out to satisfy those thrills

8. You know there ain't no rest for the wicked
Money don't grow on trees
We got bills to pay
We got mouths to feed
And ain't nothing in this world for free
No we can't slow down
We can't hold back
Though you know we wish we could
No there ain't no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp?adtest=term_page_v14_v2
"Conflict Theory Definition | Investopedia." Investopedia. Investopedia, 10 July 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2015

Movies Through a Sociological Lens

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner has may ways that it can be looked at and ways that we can apply sociology aspects to it. I am kinda just going off our first blog. Tying it into a family in a way. Just looking at them as a society.  First, we need a little background information on the the book and movie. The movie is based off the book, but I have read the book and watched the movie so my view on it may be a mixture of both. 

The book starts out with Thomas, the main character, he comes up from this box into what they called the Glade. The Glade is just a big open area with grass and now their community. Around the Glade is this giant wall that surrounds the entire Glade. The people of the Glade, the Gladers, are used to 1 new person coming up from the box once a month, every month. So Thomas does not seem any different yet.  Outside the Glade is the maze. Where they think they can figure out how to escape. But they've been looking in this maze for over 2 years, they know the pattern of the maze but don't know how to use the sequence of the maze to get out. Inside the maze are Grievers. Grievers are nasty creatures that live in the maze and only come out at night. If you get stung by one of these Grievers you will experience an agonizingly painful sickness that the Gladers call the Changing. When you experience the Changing, nothing is the same after. You remember little bits of the outside world but not it all. Thomas knows nothing about himself or the outside world so he is very confused. 

While in this community, Thomas learns that there are only boys. They have weird slang terms for each other, they have jobs, they have a kitchen and cafeteria, they have animals, a farm, a set cycle of they way they do things, order, a council called the Keepers, a leader, a rebel that wants to overthrow the leader, and many more things that we can look at for their society. 

The Gladers use weird slang terms such as klunk, shank, greebie or greenbean, and good that. These are just a few of their terms that they all learn to use. Klunk is a slang for poop or crap. A shank is like a friend or fellow person. Greenie or greenbean is a slang for the person who is the newest from the box. They are called this until a new person comes up from the box. And good that is used when they agree with another person. 

They have different types of jobs around the Glade. Such as the builders, the sloppers who are the lowest job rank and have all the dirty work, the baggers who are guards, the cook, track-hoes who are doctors, med-jacks who are the doctors, the slicers who work in the slaughter house, and the runners who map and study the maze. They all have their job. Once they come out of the box they start looking for where they will fit in the community.
In the kitchen and cafeteria, they get fed pretty well and regularly. Each week the box sends up new supplies, such as food, weapons, and other things for them to survive.
The Gladers know what to expect and when to expect it. They have all been taught the same things from the people who have been there longer. Like Alby, he was the first one in the maze. So he started everything in this society and it grew. They have their set rules and laws. The Gladers have to do their part, never hurt another Glader because they have to trust each other, and never go in the maze unless you're a runner.
They live with what they have and they somehow made a functioning society. But when something goes wrong they have to try and adapt to those situations.

This is a picture from the map room. It is where they made a model from the actual maze in order to help get them out. The runners leave every day in the morning and come back before sunset before the doors close. Because if you're still in the maze and the doors close then you are very likely to get killed by a Griever. This is why they have the rule, never go out into the maze.









"The Glade." The Maze Runner Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. http://mazerunner.wikia.com/wiki/The_Glade 

State in a Social Institution

State in a Social Institution

State can be defined as one community under the control and watch of a independent government that also has a defined territory. The state serves the whole communities interests.
There are main elements and topics of the state such as population, territory, government, sovereignty, and international recognition.
There is no rule of how big the population must be, but in order to be a state, it must have population.  There is no ideal population size either. No minimum or maximum. But some writers on populations have tried to set the ideal amount. A state must have territory. Once a state has territory, then everything inside those boundaries now belong to the state. The state not only has territory on land but also has water territory, which goes 3 miles offshore. This is called "the territorial waters." Yes, you must have population and territory to be a state but you can not truly be called a state until it has a government. There must be a government set up to maintain and regulate laws and rules. The government must be there to command the population who obeys. A state must have sovereignty. The government must be the only being who controls the state. So no outside "rulers" can be involved. International recognition is not just being known by others. But it is being aware that that territory can actually be defined as a state.
A state supplies many things to it's population. Kind of like supply and demand. The state provides education, social security, roads, healthcare, drinking water, and just a basic infrastructure for their community.

The State as a Theory

I look at the state as the Functional theory. It all starts with the government and the government controls and regulates. Then it goes down to big businesses, smaller businesses, city jobs, and so on and so forth. They all work together to keep our "state" or country running. We are all part of this "living organism." Without one part of the system, it may all break down and cease to exist. Or cause major problems with this "organism." But if all the parts are there and are working how they are supposed to then our "state" is being functioning properly.

Lets say we got rid of all the city people. There would be no one to clean the streets, manage the street lights, fix the city pool on a hot day, and many other things. It could be anything to get the system off balance. But without one you lose them all.

Is Kansas really a "state"??

Of course Kansas is a state. But is it really. I mean, we have a population. That much is obvious because you and I are here. We do have a defined territory. We have Nebraska above, Oklahoma below, Missouri to the East, and Colorado to the West. We can clearly see that in the map pictured below and to the right. Kansas does have a government. Our capital is located in Topeka, KS. We have senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts. So far we seem like a typical state. But are we really sovereign? The answer to that is no. Because we do not only have the Kansas government but we have the United States Government. We are not independently a state. We are not self ruled. So we can not be internationally recognized. Yes we are a "state" but the United States of America is actually the state. 

It's kind of weird to think about, we aren't actually a state. We have been told this since we are little, "Kansas is a state." It's kind of like the child rearing factor from 'family as a social institution,' we have been told this since we were little and we never thought to question it or to think anything different. I thought Kansas was a state up until my senior year of high school in government class. But now I see the U.S. as the actual definition of the state and I see Kansas as a lower version of a state.  

"Social Work." : THE STATE AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION: ITS ROLE AND IMPACT ON OTHER INSTITUTIONS. N.p., 21 June 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.http://socialworkbhu.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-state-as-social-institution-its.html

Family in a Sociological Aspect

How is family a social institution?

Family has 3 main functions that make it a social institution. The first one, is for the parents to raise the children. Next, is that the parents show the children who they are and how they fit into today's society. And lastly, is showing the children their demographic background with their culture.
Often times, when children grow up, they tend to move away from there homes. They go far away from their original "villages" and find a new part in society. When they leave, they are leaving their older family members behind and doing stuff that they may not have ever been introduced to had they stayed.
There are several different things in a family that we can classify. Marriage, divorce and remarriage, child-rearing, and alternative families.
Marriage can be described as "a foundation of family life." There are different types of marriages. One that is most known to us is monogamy, which is the marriage between one man and one woman. But it can go farther then that. There is endogamy, which is the marriage of the same class members or group, and there is exogamy, which is the marriage of different class members of groups.
There are also marriages that aren't so typical to us. Polygamy, which is they marriage of one man and multiple women, or polyandry which is the marriage of one woman and multiple men. These marriages may not be the "norm" for our society but they still  play a role in our society. They may be normal for other people and look at our marriages between one man and one woman differently. It all just depends how you were raised and what you were taught.
Divorce and remarriage used to not be normal. But since women have become more independent they are able to leave a man if they are unhappy. This can lead to blended families which are becoming more common.
Child-rearing is super important to any individual. Why do you do that a certain way? Where did you learn to do that? Are just 2 of many questions that can be asked to help describe this. Parents help teach their children how to do stuff, their religion, show their children the norm, and help form their children into who they are supposed to be. When parents teach their children about their heritage, then it is almost guaranteed that their culture will live on and continue to be passed down.
We look at families as a married couple with children, but they are not all like that. There are alternative families such as single parents, unmarried couples, gay and lesbian couples and single adults. They may not be the norm but they are still considered families and can still do the same thing. They can pass down information and cultural information down to each person.
In a family you learn the norms of life, who you are, how to do stuff, your past, your present, and your future. It helps shape who you are and who you will be.

Sociological Lens

I've grown up to be independent and funny because my family is a big group of hard headed, stubborn, and sarcastic people. But that is how we accept each other. I grew up Catholic and i choose to stay as a Catholic. A majority of my family are swimmers and I've swam with all of them since I was little and now I love swimming. I tend to stick with what my family teaches me because I grew up and it is the norm for me.
My mom, Ricci Beikman, and dad, Monte Cook, were not married when they had me and my brother, Zach. Before my dad met my mom, he had my older brother, Monte. My mom and dad actually never got married because they decided to split up when I was almost 2.  They never had to go through a divorce but very well could have if they would've gotten married.
When I was around the age of 5 my mom married my step dad, Keith. Keith had previously been married to Sandy, the mother of their children, and eventually had a divorce. My step dad had 3 children, Jacob, Jeremy, and Jordanna. So after my mom and Keith decided to get married I had one full brother, one half brother, 2 step brothers, and a step sister. I've had a blended family since the moment that I was born. So in a way, I've grown up thinking that blended families are normal. My friends have families that are not blended, and I don't see them as weird. I guess I wouldn't know if people thought my family is not "normal" because I've been part of a blended family for so long and I wouldn't know any different.
A short while after my mom and Keith got married they decided to have another kid. Which led to my next half sister, Jaclyn. I would look at us as a pretty big family. We may not see each other all the time but we still mostly have the same views and beliefs. We were also raised by different parents, so we all don't have the same "child-rearing." Monte was raised by his mom in Iowa. Zach and I were raised by our mom, dad, and Keith. Jacob, Jeremy, and Jordanna were all raised by their mom, Keith, and eventually my mom. But Jaclyn is still being raised by the same two people, my mom and Keith.
My mom and Keith are still married today, so they have not broke out of their sociological lens into the divorced category. They are still in the married category and I hope that they continue to stay there.
My family fits into the sociological lens in the marriage aspect, divorce, child rearing, blended families, and I am sure a few others. We may have different views on things but we are still a close family and that is what is important to me.


"Social Institutions." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-institutions/section3.rhtml