research project final

Social Media and Portable Technology

We chose this topic because technology is something that is used and it constantly change who we are linking us together from greater distances. We thought technology was too big of a topic because there is so much that can be done on it so we chose something that most everyone has and everyone has access to and that would be internet and the Smart phones/ laptops we use to access it. We liked this topic because it was narrowed down but it still can cover enough things and it was interesting.  

After agreeing what we were going to do we came up with a plan about how the work would be divided and where we would start. We started from just combining the ideas and seeing where those would take us. We also used our personal experience we linked the communicative aspects with social networking. The Social networking source we used, we used because it looked creditable and they were in a novel.  Socialization Aspects sources ended in a dot org so an organization created it. “Two ways a woman…” text was from an edu so that means it came from a institutionalize school. Two other were from online news paper articles that they brought up their facts; those articles were “Apple is a religion” and "Technology Changing Way We Practice Religion."  Another source came from a dot gov website which was “Power of Technology”. Most of the other articles we tried to find from Google Scholars or from online posting from book excerpts. We thought if the information was giving fits to what we know as well as what we have recently learned. In the end our critical thinking helped us determined whether the information that we just got from the source is a good one or a bad one.

Anthropological Perspective

We studied Anthropology of Technology. During studying we feel that technology is a good thing that is making our society move forward quicker but is also leaving a lot of problem. People would rather be online than hold conversations face to face with people. Cell phones and other devices changes the very way we hang out in person, most of the time we can’t leave our devices alone and have to constantly be on it. The only way people are engaged with someone is if they are already doing something else.

Non-Essentialist Perspective

 Looking at everything in a non-essentialist perspective we noticed that what is stated above is true. Most people around campus or even at malls there is always a cell phone in hand and they are looking at it even if there is someone already talking to them in person. I have notice this even in classrooms when the professor is upfront talking there will be people on their laptop or cell phones either on Facebook or another social media site or even looking up the professor that is teaching the class at the moment. Prior to this people were more engaged with what is being said and look more into what is being said. People now seem to have a harder time saying things in front of others. Technology benefit societies by making us get closer because of the connection we have that most of us carry around in our pockets.

Symbols

Symbols that are in technology are commonly the logo, which are the most used symbols today. On a global scale companies’ logos are the one thing that can be constant from country to country and people follow or buy the product based on the company. On a community scale people normally buy what is the popular product not necessarily the bet one. The other thing is that companies like Facebook also are starting to be in our culture and they created their own culture but it is on a bigger scale.

Religion of technology

Technology can be said to be helping religion, people can get their bible verses on their smart phones for a Christian culture as well as any other religious text from just their smart phones. The religious culture has to adapt with all of the discoveries and distractions of the smart phone.  Globally technology companies are created like religions itself. The people who run the companies are worshiped like they are priest. The tech conventions are almost like what Mecca is for Islam. People travel from all around the globe in order to see the next big thing or the next savior of human kind.

Social class aspects

Culturally people are more likely to have certain phones or laptops depending on what their social class is. The more money that you make the nicer technology that you will have. The other thing is that the lower social class that you are in the less likely you will have much access to the internet leaving you outside the social network loop. Globally countries that are considered first world countries are more likely to produce what would be considered the next big thing.

Socialization

The cultural impact that technology has on us is that we are more likely allowing our kids to get on and use the internet for anything fun. A lot of the online games they are playing with other people around. They can have a positive or a negative aspect on the children people say that children spending so much time online they don’t develop the communication skills. Global aspect of technology is people are able to communicate with each other from greater distances as well.

Communicative

Globally people are more linked to each other than ever before, they are just clicking to contact people. Culturally people are more linked to each other than ever. We are able to communicate where we are by clicking the check in button on social networks like Facebook.

Gender aspects

Our culture is desensitized to the women at sex is overexposed. With the internet advertising they over use women bodies in as an object and they aren't considered person. This isn't just our culture but it is worldwide.

Communal Identities

Culture is more of how you express yourself and making your own identity. People are almost living in two worlds at the same time one is the physical world and another is virtual. Globally there is becoming one big culture of people that are using online media. Also there has been studies that race also determines how likely you have access to the internet.

Political and Power

Culturally political candidates are using technology more and more. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to see how many likes and followers they can get. They are also using it to campaign for elections. Around the world countries monitor and sometimes limit what you can and can’t view online. They feel like it is a threat to their power so they try to regain that power by blocking things.

Social media and portable technology has changed our culture from even ten years ago. People treat it more of religion that religion itself. Socially people interact differently between each other because what it has done. Globally people are using technology more and more almost creating their own culture. Things I would like to ask if we continued is how social technology is affecting our economy and how is it affecting our ability to learn.

 

Unit 8

ethnographic notes A:
       If I was to be put in the audience of a lynching I wouldn't know how to really explain what I was witnessing. The first thing I would notice would be the crowd cheering  at the whole mess, the energy around would be ecstatic and I would be very confused to why everyone was so excited about the ritual. Most of these people cheering I would consider brain washed or influenced from birth. Throughout their lives they have been told that having dark skin is not the normality...Any person told these thing from a young age would believe them; the same goes for religion. When the ritual starts and they are strapping the victim to the cross is where i would probably leave the area. I would include how they are going to kill someone over something that had just been an influence to thing. Showing the power of manipulation and fear, from birth these people had been told that they were not worthy of your status. As I'm watching this cult go from insane to even more bizarre, I would start to question why this had ever came to be an actual ritual. When the cross is finally lit and the crowd is burning with energy, watching all these people go through adrenaline rushes and cheer for the person to suffer. I would not know what to think, by this time i would have been long gone from the event. But i would consider this the climax of the event, everyone cheering and screaming the victim screaming for his life, would all be very intense at one moment. Just to how everyone at a boxing match would be cheering for the person getting hurt. After the lynching when everyone is ready to celebrate i would no join in on the party. A lynching would be a very controversial place to talk about, it would compare to the types of events we have to this day.

ethnographic notes B:







I chose to do some research on the Westboro baptist church. To the top is a picture of the church.

The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent church know for how extreme their beliefs are. The group has been actively involved in picketing gay rights, and funerals. The church is a very extreme group spending a whooping 250k a year on just picketing, in the 1990's the group won a ton of lawsuits against the city of Topeka . The group picketed a funeral in 2005 over a death of a soldier in Iraq, saying that is was the work of god and it is not a bad thing for it to happen. The group does not only pickpocket funerals, in 2009 the members of the church protested at three Jewish sites in D,C., saying that "Jews killed Jesus". The group is a Roman Catholic group. it is runs entirely from its congregations and accepts no outside donations. 

Unit Nine

Notes A- Who Rules America?

From the website “Who Rules America” they brought up many good topics. One point they brought up was the money ties in well with power. The more money a person has the more say they are likely to have in the community. Also most of the people in the higher paying jobs are ones that control the major companies in the country and capitalist countries are ran by companies they have a lot of say. The other problem with the wealth distribution is that the 1% sitting on almost 40% of the wealth and the top 20% has 80% of the wealth.  The things people have to do are trying and help balance the power and wealth of the country.

Class rules society

Not all the power lies in the groups that cover the whole country but some are little communities.  People in power are the ones that everyone believes to be in power like over time when the republicans win the house people believe that they are in power and the same goes for democrats when they win the majority. Historically the people that have the most power are the ones in higher social classes because they had the better educations as well as more money to run for office.

Federal groups

Federal groups whether it is the FCC or the Department of Defense has an impact on our everyday lives. They have power to make rules for the congress to pass to make a law. The people that are on these boards are the ones that were in congress and were just moved around. Like congressmen a lot of the people are from the upper class because of the schooling and people that they know. A lot of these companies are the ones that have created a lot of the laws that are in place today.

Pension Funds and Corporations

Investors in stock have power in the United States because corporations always look for what is needed as well as more money. Without investors investing they don’t have enough funds that can help the companies survive and are other companies take over.  Companies fight for more investors that believe that the company will be going places. Any generation or age people wouldn’t buy or invest into something that is worthless so companies need to adapt and change to win the pockets of the country.

Religion and Race

Religion has an impact on the power in society. Certain races vote certain ways, as well as there are more turning out if you are a certain race. Whites have the most turn out for voting. Religion also plays a big part in it 62% of protestants voted republican, 49% Catholics voted republican compared to 12% of Jewish people. Historically democrats get low incomes voters and republicans seem to get voters based on their religion.

Notes B – State and Embodiment on Campus

Parking spots

 They tell where people can and can’t park. Everyone has the same space and same rules to follow. If you don’t follow the rules they ticket you and give you fines. All of this is set by the school.

Bathroom Signs

These signs distinguish who can use that bathroom. It set up to separate men and women so they get their private places. The government separated men and women and there isn’t a compromise.

Smoking Areas

These signs show where you can and where you can’t smoke. The government changed the law where you can’t smoke inside buildings to help fight against second hand smoke. Bellevue went further and made it only certain places people are allowed to smoke.

No food or Drink Sign

This sign is normally found where computer are found. Labs have these signs so that they won’t get a mess or break the computer. These are lab policy that most people follow and the people in the lab enforce.

Labels on food

These are required by the government so people can learn and know which food is healthy or not. They also warn anyone if there might be something in their food that they are allergic to.

Lines

Lines are one of the things that people follow and are unsaid. People line up in order to know who is next. This is just a rule of an individualistic society that helps with order.

Drinking Fountains

The water that comes from drinking fountains is normally checked by the government that the water is safe for a person to drink. They have certain requirements to not allow the water to be contaminated.

Testing area

Testing areas normally have signs marking them and they require you to be quiet and help you place into classes that are needed. These places are marked out by the school as well as the rules that go along with it.

Computers in class

Teachers decide whether it is ok to use in class or not. They will allow them for note taking or not.

No backpack area

This is found in the bookstore where there is a threat of shoplifting. The school way to stop it is by making people drop off their bags.

Unit 10 Ethnographic Notes

     The definition of globalization is not clear. It refers to globally expanded linkage, social life on global scale, and the growing consciousness of globe. In short, globalization refers to over all world society. In addition, according to Leslie Sklair, “globalization encompasses a distinct set of change,” in terms of global society, global capitalism, and global culture.

     Speaking of global society, globalization affects women, especially from the view of work. In other words, it makes gender inequality much worse. In many countries, men are more likely to work whereas women are more likely stay home and do housework. However, globalization will make our society more patriarchal, which will cause some women to suffer from poverty, because they might not be able to get a job in the society where men are preferred. Thus, they need special attention as globalization proceeds, and more and more organization such as Rutgers University Center for Women’s Global Leadership are starting to support women in the globalized society.

     Another problem researchers have discussed is if globalization cause more poverty in poor countries. This is hard to measure how it influences those countries. Obviously, the gaps between richest and poorest counties and richest and poor rest individuals are more remarkable, but researchers cannot say this is because of globalization for many reasons. First, there is not a single measurement of the effect of globalization. For example, there are some countries that have been historically poor. Also, poverty is measured by the consumption capacity and well-being of people of the countries. Thus, there are many other measurements of poverty, so researchers cannot measure how globalization affects poor countries. Second, while globalization proceeds, those poor countries are more and more developed and richer. For example, China has improved their economy because of globalization. Thus, researchers cannot say if globalization is affecting poor countries or not.

     In terms of global culture, some researchers think globalization might undermine cultural diversity. One of the reasons for this is “cultural imperialism.” It means that western ideals are considers as universal traditions. It causes another reason, which is “Coca-Colization.” It is a consumerist culture where global marketing campaigns make people’s lifestyles very similar. Also, globalization makes their lives more efficient, controllable, and predictable, which is called “McDonalization.” However, some researchers have pointed out some good consequences of globalization, one of which is “pluralization.” Globalization has caused people to mix a culture with another culture in some places. Another good consequence is “glocalization,” in which different people understand the global norms or pactices in different ways based on their own local traditions.

      There are some problems which globalization has caused. One of them is that globalization is irreversible and out of our control. Since it results from integration of many countries, organization, companies and so on. Thus, there is no set of acceptable behaviors in the globalized society, and someone has to control and regulate actions, process, and problems from the global view. Some researchers suggest that there have been some organizations to do that, but other believe that we

do not have any organization which controls or regulates globalization. Thus, we still have to find out a set of acceptable behaviors or ethical codes in the globalized society.

Citation

Lechner, Frank.　Globalization Issues.  The Globalization Website.2001. Web. 16 Mar. 2013. http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/

Unit Seven Ethnographic Notes

Ethnographic Notes A 

Introduction

Gender and sex are different but interrelated. Basically, sex is human’s biological orientation that defines people as male and female. Gender often refers to gender roles that are originally nurtured and influenced by society and culture. Importantly, it’s based on individual’s biological sex. Actually, human beings are born female and male but they are imposed by society to be men and women. In reality, male and female play different determined roles in society and family. Under society’s perspectives, these roles are seemingly suitable for their gender. For instance, female is supposed to be a woman who takes care of her family and child rearing. Meanwhile, male as a man is expected to become a breadwinner or at least keep an important position at work. According to that idea, it becomes responsibilities of women to stay home, do household chores and raise their children because it is totally suited for them. Meanwhile, men have to be the one who work and earn money to put food on the table. As a result, that leads to the world in which men rule everything, and women do nothing but staying at home and waiting for their husbands to come home.

Performing Gender on the Campus

Males commute to campus on a tough-looking car with a masculine color tone.

Meanwhile, females drive small and gentle figure cars.

Males play baseball or football to make use of their strength.

Females are attracted to flexible and feminine sport like cheer-leading. 

Girls wear slip-on and fitted shoes.

Boys wear big and athletic shoes.

Girls are skinny.

Guys are muscular.

Girls hugging each other to greet.

Guys making a high-five or shaking hands to greet.

Ethnographic Notes B

In today’s life, through the high-speed spreading and the influential power of mass media, people in modern society are getting familiar with the image of women are shown in advertisement as a sexual object while men are depicted as a representation for domination. The overuse of women bodies, the violence and the inconsiderately extravagant power of men in commercial advertisements are literally a reason for the normal feeling of society towards sexual violence and brutality in that a woman is plainly a victim. In fact, the target of making advertisements is simply to connect a commercial product to customers’ needs and make it appealing to them but actually when sex and violence are exploited in the advertisements, it comes to a disconnection and distance. Indeed, in advertisements, men are seen as a dominant class and it becomes the ordinary when they use violence and abuse with women, as it is indispensable that creates an outrageous distance between the two sexes. It becomes a danger when women are depicted as sex objects because the dehumanization and value deprivation could make women become easier to be victimized, at least under men’s view. That is when the violence, brutality, and aggression towards women are extremely skyrocketing when women are not seen as equal. People would be unlikely to hurt someone that they have respect for or see as equal as them. Dangerously, the advertisements tend to convince men that dominance is a key to score with a woman and that means they have to treat woman badly. In that case, men are likely victims as well when they are imbued with a wrong masculinity ideal. In general, the advertisements obviously use sex to attract the viewers and sex-related factors are something that makes a product more appealing to buy. It also portrays women as something that can be gained and easy to have a sexually exchanged just by using company’s products. Obviously, women’s sexualities are often over-exploited in advertisements in order to sell a product. From that, the messages with sexual appeal in the ads are completely out of control and spreading harmfully to many generations. Advertising do have enough influence to create a trend or popular culture as well as mentally develop an ideal in consumers’ minds that could become a drastically serious problem when it is misused.

Unit Five

UNIT FIVE

HIGHER EDUCATION And SOCIETY

 

 

Higher education in the United States helps to reproduce the  dominant social relation and cultural patterns and ideologies of the society, and, yet at the same time it reforms and changes them. The education in the United States is different from other countries and they offer great education for a better career. In the past decade, many immigrants have come in the United States not only to earn lots of money, but to have an education. Many colleges, including Bellevue College offers variety of programs for a better career. Most of the students in Bellevue College takes, Nursing, Information Technology and Business.

 

In the Unites States, being diverse is not a big deal when it talks about economy. In this era, every job fields are diverse, but it does not matter to them. Even though our society has a High Education , it still creates unity and disagreements between race, religion, gender and culture.

 

CLASSROOMS as RITUAL - LIKE EVENTS

 

 

 

Classrooms are designed with chairs, and tables and a one special table facing the class. Classrooms looks like church in many ways. First, students are seated facing the teacher and it shows that students gives attention to the speaker. Next to that, students raises their hand to respond or ask questions to the teacher. In the Church, Priests has all the power and he tells a story that we can learn from and reflect. Like teachers, they stand in front of the class and talks about a lesson that students didn't know before. In the same way, both sides respect the leader or the speaker to learn something they did not know before. Also, audience are not supposed to interrupt, instead they wait and raise their hands to respond.

 

 

Holistically speaking, Leaders on both sides stands up when speaking and it gives them power and responsibility. Classes are ritual like because when you compare them with different events like church, sport events, meeting, announcements, concerts and more, the party is divided with a follower and a leader.

 

DIGITAL NATION

 

 

Technology in the United States has taken over in every field including in Education. Technology is evolving rapidly, but it make our life easier. Kids, back then uses library, and books to look for what they need in their homework, but on this era, a computer, tablet or a smartphone has it all. Each device can connect to the internet and answer every students question. Also, it has applications like dictionaries, calculator, notebooks, and digital books. Chalkboards are replaced with a projectors or a Smart board. Smart Boards are touch screen and connected to the computer. Students or teachers, can write, draw and solve math problems using a digital pen "Smart Pen" that interacts with the smart board. After watching the video "Digital Nation" it shows how students uses technology in schools and its impact in our society. College students multitask a lot to get things done faster. Students uses technological devices including Laptops, Tablets and Smartphone to multitask, they can access email, mailbox, social websites, homeworks, websites and more. Students who Multitask has been on a test, and multitasking does not have an impact on brain communication. Students were ask to do a task, and they were slower on working with one task. Although technologies does not give impact to human brain, it still make students and teachers life easier, even the world.

 

 

Changing Education Paradigms

 

 

The Short film Changing Educational Paradigms talked about student leaning and its process. It focused on educational system, like how students are taught and why. Every students are born with their own intelligence and skills. These are not given, but earned. One's knowledge should be judge by a person's academic ability and history. Students goes to school for about 22 years and they start gaining knowledge and acquiring skills while on this process. In my perspective, their are no smart people. Smart people are the one's who work hard and a great achiever. everyone could be smart by just doing this two things. "Public education is generally refer to primary or secondary schools mandated for or offered to all children by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by public funding from taxation", and even though public education is free, some parents say that it is not worth it and it makes them stay at home and do a home school program. some homeschool aren't effective either. Home school students are not disciplined because they are at home and some of them would rather play video games or skate outside if parents were not around. every student learns differently. Some public education or home school turns out really well for students. Also, not every students can learn with a large or small group, or visual or listening or reading. Teachers does not have time to teach the best way for each students.

 

Education system around the United States are different. Government are not focusing on these children and money is  missing when we talk about education. Home Schooling is maybe helpful for students to focus, but would it help them with their social skills? they need people out there to give them feedback and reviews. Teaching these children creatively and differently can make an impact for them to learn the best way as possible.

 

 









Research Project

Symbols

Technology companies have their own symbols to display it commercially and to promote its public recognition. Companies like Apple and Microsoft are two of the most popular companies and its symbol. Their symbols have been developed over the past few years and now, audience can easily recognize both companies. Both companies have battled over the past few years on which one has the best device and inventions. Overall, both companies are recognized all over the world and its symbol help them to sell their products.

Coyle, C. L. and Vaughn, H. (2008), Social networking: Communication revolution or evolution?. 

Bell Labs Tech. J., 13: 13–17. doi: 10.1002/bltj.20298

Religion of Technology

Technology is becoming more and more like a religion than it was in the past because of our culture is becoming more centered and driven on material things.  Like religion technology promises a better future down the road with the promise of life being easier when they make what they do public. Apple Company for an example will put their logo which acts like what the cross is for Christians. Also with these companies people follow whatever they do, study them, and basically worship them by buying their stuff. The things they buy might not be so much different than what they got just a year ago but getting the newer version of what they just bought makes them happier with themselves. This system is a cycle that repeats itself every year. Then the people that run the companies are almost like priest and prophets they are telling you about how wonderful their technology is, how bad the other companies technology (they don’t go out and say it face to face but they make it sound like others companies can’t keep up), and promise that they have the best way to live your life.  The older religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are affected by technology now. People living on the go are more likely to update Facebook, Twitter, or even Text during service than people in the pass. Religion now has to fight with phones for people’s attention. Also companies have made Apps that tell you the bible verse of the day so that you can do it anywhere. Technology is becoming more of a religion than religion working with technology because the two are in a competition.

 Matyszczyk, Chris. "Anthropologist: Apple Is a Religion." CNET News. CBS Interactive, 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2013

Social Class aspects 

The concept of “class” has been discussed in some countries like the United. States, but it is still in dispute. There are usually many classes, such as upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle, class, lower class and under class. However, the class distinctions are not obvious. A lot of factors determine people’s class. Thus, American people, even those who are actually in lower class, are more likely to say they are in middle class, even though most people are in working class. How do they define themselves in terms of their social class? There are many factors that determine social class. One factor is income level. This factor is subjective, and it depends on how satisfied they are economically. It evokes around their lifestyles or occupations. This is another reason why American people keep saying they are in middle class. They strongly believe in “American Dreams,” in which everyone has equal chance to be rewarded economically. Thus, we cannot classify ourselves into class only by economics. Another big factor is education level. This is associated with money. Parents who have studied in a university can let their children get high education, because they have enough money. On the other hand, parents who have studied only in college cannot, because they cannot make enough money from their jobs. There are some working children. They are really important for poor families, because they bring income to home and they can help their family with their housework. If those working children go to college, their family loses income and help from them. Also, they have to spend more money on tuition. Even if they go to college, there is a difference between professors between them and children who go to a high private university. They would not learn some things children who go to a good private university would. However, they might be able to get a scholarship so that they could also go to a great private high school. However, scholarship is based on academic merit, not real financial needs. Thus, they cannot actually get a scholarship. These problems make the gap between rich family and poor family much greater. Another big factor is occupation. For example, doctors are well paid. However, how many children from poor family can be a doctor in the future? This is related to education level. As I mentioned, children who go to a great private university can take higher education than children who go to a college in a rural area. Thus, they are more likely to be a doctor in the future; on the other hand, children who go only to a college are more like to get a job where they are not well paid.

     This research project shows how social class affects people in terms of income level, education level, and occupation. What I realized is that people in high class are more likely to have children who will be in high class and people in middle or lower class are more likely to have children who will be in middle or lower class. In other others, social class strongly affects their next generations. There are some helps for middle or lower class people to be more successful such as scholarship, but those helps are actually not available for those who really need them. Thus, I strongly believe that people should take ethical actions to make “American Dreams” come true.

Citation

WKSU Public Radio. Class America: Unspoken Divide. WKSU – news, classical, other smart stuff. 2013. Web. 16 Mar.2013.

Wright, Erik Olin. Social Class. Department of Sociology. University of Wisconsin. 2003. Print. 

Communal Identities

When thinking about the communal identities such as race, nationalism and ethnicity in terms of technology people tend to not think about how you have this physical and virtual image of yourself. When thinking about identity and who you are as a person and who you wants to be as a person, technology can be a great way of expression. A lot of people love to use social sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Using these sites is a great way to express yourself, when thinking about identity you really get to make your own identity on social sites. You have to power to give people the image of yourself that you would want them to see, technology has really transformed how we leave our footprint. The things you search, the places you go carrying a GPS and through our social media you can really give a person an identity using all of these. Technology is slowly transforming this physical world into a virtual world.
                After doing some research on race and ethnicity in digital technology, I had found out that PEW Hispanic research center did a survey on the technology used by race and ethnicity. In conclusion Caucasian people are likely to have access to the internet and a broadband connection or own a cell phone then Hispanic or African races. But the use of internet and cell phones is very similar between races. There is a lot of variable to this study, after looking at Hispanics and Caucasians that have lower levels of education the difference disappears. Hispanics and whites who have similar socioeconomic characteristics tend to have similar patterns for these technologies. Another study that they did was how and what they had used their cell phone for. The studies showed that Hispanics are less likely then Caucasians to use non-verbal applications, but were more likely to use instant messaging. 6% of Hispanics said that they access internet from the cell phone, but don’t have an internet connection at home.

                When thinking about technology from a global standpoint, people really don’t tend to think about the large percent of people who don’t know what the internet is. The new technologies have really influenced the way people perceive the world. People have this impression that the internet has the ability to solve all political and social problems. When thinking about the news on the TV or internet sites, they people making and telling the story can really manipulate the meaning and plot to what the story has to offer. People think that technology does have this big advantage over knowing and finding out what is happening around the world but how much can you really believe?

Works Cited

"Ethnicity and the Internet in a Global Society." Ethnicity and the Internet in a Global Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.

"Race and Ethnicity in Digital Technology." Times of Texas. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. 

Socialization Aspect

This research show how a relationship between parents and children are affected by the use of Internet. People discuss how the technology revolution affects and changes the family relationships and people’s consuming behaviors. It highlights the connection between parents’ warmth and receptivity to the influence on their kids through Internet use. Specifically, a study shows how warmth in a relationship between parents and children could positively affect the decisions to purchase technology items of parents.

There are uncountable numbers of children who have access to Internet at home. As in the research, most US family has a long-term online subscription with the Internet providers. The parents believe that using Internet and interacting with a computer directly can help to develop their kids’ investigative skills, critical abilities, and academic potential. The research also points out that the Internet access increases both parents’ and children’s technology knowledge and it affects their activities, behaviors, and relationships as well.

This study also extends research on children perceptions and reactions in teaching their parents to use the Internet. Do these kids teach their parents spontaneously? Does that make these kids feel satisfied about their technology skills and knowledge? And do children realize about the motivations of their parents when they try to engage in these activities?

Grossbart, Sanford; Hughes, Stephanie McConnell; Pryor, Susie; Yost, Amber. "Socialization Aspects of Parents, Children, and the Internet." Advances in Consumer Research. 29.1 (2002): 66. Web. 16 Mar. 2013. <http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=8559>. 

Communicative Aspect

Social Networking has boomed over the past few decades. It makes it easier to socialize and communicate with your family, friends, and acquaintances. Facebook is a very popular social networking site that was launched on 2004 and as of 2012; over one billion active users are using the program. Facebook gains you access through peoples account to view their status and social life. You can view conversations, pictures, and videos. It made it easier to communicate by a simple click. Now, Facebook has a  lot of applications that can even track where your friends are. Twitter and instagram are alike Social networking program. You follow people to access their status time to time. On the other hand, instagram can only post pictures. Unlike twitter, it posts status and pictures from instagram. Both programs are link together for a better communication. Communication now is way easier than the past. You can access everything from a person’s life with a single tap. In the past, we use letters and telephones to keep in touch with people.

Gender Aspect

In today’s life, through the high-speed spreading and the influential power of mass media built upon technology, people in modern society are getting familiar with the image of women are shown in online and television advertisement as a sexual object while men are depicted as a representation for domination. In “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence”, Jean Kilbourne shows that the overuse of women bodies, the violence and the inconsiderately extravagant power of men in commercial advertisements are literally a reason for the normal feeling of society towards sexual violence and brutality in that a woman is plainly a victim. In the technology era, it’s easy for the messages in an advertisement to reach any audience. When the messages get wrong, people’s mind get messed up as well. As in advertisements today, men are seen as a dominant class and it becomes ordinary when they act violently and abusively towards women as it is inevitable that creates an outrageous distance between the two sexes. Additionally, when sex is overexposed to fetishize a product and degrade women like using an image of a woman get rewarded for her sexuality by the man’s wealth “as in an ad for Cigarette boats in which the woman says, while lying in a man’s embrace clearly after sex, “Does this mean I get a ride in your Cigarette?”, we can recognize that “products never can fulfill our sexual desires or meet our emotional needs”. In Kilbourne’s essay, she disputes that it becomes a danger when women are depicted as sex objects because the dehumanization and value deprivation could make women become easier to be victimized, at least under men’s view. That is when the violence, brutality, and aggression towards women are extremely skyrocketing when women are not seen as equal. People would be unlikely to hurt someone that they have respect for or see as equal as them. Dangerously, the advertisements tend to convince men that dominance is a key to score with a woman and that means they have to treat woman badly. In that case, men are likely victims as well when they are imbued with a wrong masculinity ideal. In general, the advertisements obviously use sex to attract the viewers and sex-related factors are something that makes a product more appealing to buy. It also portrays women as something that can be gained and easy to have a sexually exchanged just by using company’s products. The statement “The poses and postures of advertising are often borrowed from pornography” said by Kilbourne, supports her idea that women’s sexualities are often overexploited in advertisements in order to sell a product and technology is a useful tool to fulfill that purpose. Kilbourne also got a point when she gives out examples of the advertisements for the alcohol brands containing tremendously belittling ideas about females. It is said in an advertisement that you can take advantage of women by getting them drunk. Dangerously, those sorts of advertisements could give out an erroneous idea that some people would absolutely be willing to try. From that, the messages with sexual appeal in ads are completely out of control and getting easier to spread to many generations by using technology. Thus, when technology is misused, it could cause negative effects as well.

 Kilbourne, Jean. ‘‘Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2007. 417-442. 

Political and Power Aspect

No matter what technology it was, power always went with the people who had more technology. The advancement means the more accessible something is. If we look back at the 2012 election there was a lot of technology that was used. A lot of it was social networking and seeing which candidate had more likes as well as polls on Facebook to see which one of them was favored in your area. The other thing that it did was it was a new way to campaign, it was looked at to get the younger generation. If you look back at even the 2008 election there wasn’t as much online campaigning as there was today and if we look back even further it was almost unheard of. People in power know and realize how powerful technology is and are trying to use its power. Technology has the power to change the world. People are more linked in with the world around you and they are more informed. Technology sets trends that can change in an instant. Technology also helps challenge what is known. With the internet being easily accessible people have the ability of challenging what is said by looking up what the internet says it is. Also the government is trying to take control of what is on and off of the internet. The internet and technology creates a power struggle over them as well as a power struggle with them.

Cite

http://election2012.tmcnet.com/Default.aspx

"Politics and Technology." Politics and Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/20/power-technology-power-equality-0

"The Power of Technology, The Power of Equality." The White House. N.p., 20 July 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.

  

Unit Four Ethnographic Notes B & D

Ethnographic Notes B

Socio-economic class is a form of hierarchic status in that a person or a group is classified based upon their economic success or wealthiness. Especially in the US, the gaps amongst social classes are apparent that negatively segregate people and categorize them into particular levels. In reality, most Americans are dependent on credit cards and work constantly to pay for their debts. Some people are not really the owners of their houses, their cars because they use money from the bank loan to afford it. Also in American society, if you are in lower social class, you also have fewer chances to approach successes because social relationships and life backgrounds are crucial factors to determine your opportunity to successes. In fact, people could acquire a great amount of opportunities brought from family’s supports and social relationships that highly guarantees and enhances a chance of being successful.

On BC campus, socio-economic class is diverse with students from different social backgrounds integrated in one class.

 Students in middle class driving used cars to school.

Some students riding bikes to school to save some gas and maintenance fees.

Some students taking bus to school...

while the upper class' students driving super cars and living in premium housings.

Ethnographic Notes D – Discussion Topics
 
2c) Critically review and discuss the contents of the following site on class in America Class in America: The Unspoken Divide http://www.wksu.org/news/features/classinamerica/class-meaning/index.html

  

In modern American society, the gap amongst social classes is clear more than ever. “Class” is the segregation based upon economic statuses and educational levels. In compare to educational levels, classes divided by economic statuses seems more obvious and popular in capitalist society. In that, people in lower social class are mostly seen as lazy, deceitful, self-contempt, greedy and willing to do whatever it takes to meet their material needs. In reality, when talking about the lower social class, instead of using the “poor” word, the intellectuals and most people use “underclass” or “economically disenfranchised” to imply the poverty. That is definitely a problem when poverty is avoided to be mentioned directly as it becomes an ambiguous implication by society. Also, it is understandable that not anyone who is hard working could make enough money to serve their basic needs and putting food on the table for their family. In addition, in people’s belief, there is no way for the economically disadvantage people to have a rich and meaningful life. It means that poor people have nothing and have to wallow in a painful, valueless and lack of happiness life. To most people, living a value life is synonymous with having successes and material achievements. Nonetheless, the poverty is a culture in that the dignity and integrity not money define a person’s value. According to the society, the poor class is a lazy class, the reason they are poor because they are not hardworking enough. In fact, it is not the laziness made poor people not to work, it is because of the lack of humanity towards them in the jobs offered. 

Rich Vs. Poor

The lower class Americans

The upper class Americans

Also, an element that contributes to the segregation of human beings in society is education. Indeed, a well-educated person is always perceived as the one who could obtain a sustainable life, amend society and even sometime change the world with their devotion and ambition. Certainly, in social perceptions, a person with a good outcome of schooling becomes an educated person and vice versa, you would be called under-educated if you do not have a good life after completing school. In the United States where an education is on top of the world, it is clear to conceive that education is not equal due to the differences of public and private schools. Even though an entrance exam does not exist here when you get into college or university like most other countries, there is still a large number of Americans are high school graduates. In reality, adult education is not free and the most common choice is public school. Nonetheless, government supplies money for public school then it leads to an unequal quality in facilities, instructors between poor areas and rich areas. It does reflect the gap amongst social classes’ differences in America’s society. 

Public school students

Private school students

Unit Six

Ethnographic Note A

          Saint valentines day (AKA) Valentines day is celebrated around the world on February 14th. Valentines day is the day of "love", people tend to make surprises and romantic plans for their significant other, or will ask someone to be their "valentine". The reason we have valentines day is because one early christian saint named Valentinus was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. Today we really don't learn the reason behind valentines day. On the stereotypical valentines day the male person in the relationship plans a dinner, and takes out their partner to a nice a romantic dinner, and buys them flowers (usually roses) and chocolate, the week on valentines day I heard a someone on campus say "I really hope I get spoiled on valentines day."

         In elementary school, kids would make valentines day cards for everyone in the class and attach a piece of candy to it, they would then go around and set a valentine in each kids valentines day basket. After we would finish everyone would sit down and open their valentines day cards. They would usually have someone cheesy on them and no one at that age really cared about the significance of the card, we just wanted to candy. The colors associated with valentines day are red and pink, the colors of "love." Our culture looks at love as having strong feelings for another person, and on valentines day we are suppose to express it. Love in our culture; I believe is interpreted very badly, people mistake a close relationship and sex for love. Love is emotion everyone has can experience, a warm personal attachment of deep affection.

 The Roman god of love and the son of Venus. He is a small, winged boy, blindfolded, carrying bow and arrows. The arrows, once struck the heart, makes the victim fall in love. He is also portrayed as a young man with his beloved Psyche, with Venus or with a small group of winged infants (the Amoretti or Amorini). Some traditions say that he was born from a silver egg.

 Ethnographic Note B

Do you Speak American?

      The Power of Slang

        In 1892, slang was defined as "the start of fancy, imagination and humor, breathing into its nostrils the breathe of life." Slang is produce most likely from youth, sport, vice, and oppressed. mostly, slang has been used by youth because they have not understand the proper use of English Language. Slang is more clever and humorous than the standard English. Mostly African - Americans adapt this language and brought the language to maturity. But, after their teenage years for Americans, slang is being erased on their vocabulary and uses a proper English Language. Overall, slang is adapted on a younger age that changes the American Language and develop it better.

      Americans are Ruining English

       In the early days, British who originated English language was amazed how English was spoken in the new world (America). But not until the American ruined it on 1776. The Americans were using the English Language and they have invented words that the Dutch and British don’t recognize. And when this happened, they felt that the Americans are ruining the English Language. Americans ruined it by changing it in a unique way. It is the same for the British before, both British and Americans evolved the English language in different ways but the American are more conservative and they have invented more words to add in English Language.

     Hip - Hop Nation 

      Hip – hop is a popular culture that is being adopted by youth and it originated from African - Americans. Hip hop is adapted all over the world including USA, Mexico, Cuba, France, Bulgaria, Ghana, Pakistan, Japan, Australia and many more. Hip Hop was started during the 70’s. Hip hop is defined as creative and entertaining. All youth who have adopted the culture was called “street linguist” and “word Warriors”. These people create and invent new words that have developed English Language.

  

      Like, Quote Me

      Like as a quotative? Using like has been scattered throughout the world and it changed the English Language big time. Like is mostly used after a verb or before a noun. Like has been used often on a conversation nearly every sentence. The use of like in quoted speech was reported to originate in California and its neighboring States. Now, like is still used across the English world but it was assumed to change or disappear in the future and it will not be a part of English forever.

      

       Slayer Slang

        Watching televisions can gain you knowledge and things that you did not know before. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an academic publication relating to the fictional Buffyverse established by TV series, Slayer slang is one of the languages that changed the English Language and it has introduced new slang terms and phrases on its every episodes.  Slayer slang is now a part of standard American English because of the new words it created.

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