ofomarthethoughts

Good Afternoon World!!! All is well with me. I am taking a break from my outside readings. At this point I finished DuBois and Baldwin. Now I am reading Malcolm X’s autobiography, Te-Nehisi Coates’ book, and The 48 Laws of Power. I just had the urge to blog about a trend that I see.

The concept of cohabitating is something that I have seen cause great discontent. By that I mean, many people are passionately against and many are passionate for it. Cohabitating is when a couple shares a residence while not being married. As a kid growing up people called it “shacking.” I have even seen instances of people being demoted in church positions because it was found out they were “shacking up.” Then like clock-work a baby would come from this relationship, and all hell would break loose. The floodgates of criticism would burst upon the lives’ of that couple. Even me as a child thought how this relationship was. They were considered to be outside of God’s will. That was a big deal. With these kind of relationships, it is easy to see why marriage would be on the decline. These arrangements are now more accepted in culture. Sometimes it is encouraged. People are now seeing that this works for many couples. They can live together without the legal aspects of a marriage. Heck, they even can share insurance.

Now in closing, I have cohabited before in life. It was fun being out of my parent’s home. The best part was unlimited sex!!! Whereas I am not as hardline about it as I once was, I still will give the side-eye to couple cohabitating and having kids. Some thoughts are hard to evolve from. Just give me some time. PEACE!

Good Morning World!!! HAPPY 60th BLOG! I made it to number sixty. That was a goal of mine. So for that I am proud of myself for sticking to the plan. I just retook a Stats’ test because I wanted a higher score, and I got the “A” this time… Now on to the more important stuff.

In the following, I will answer the questions from the functionalist theoretical perspective. The first set of answers will describe the functionalist perspective as it relates to a declining/thriving economic institution and how that would affect other areas of society. I will start with the decline first. I want the thought of all these institutions being interdependent at the foundation of this write-up.

Affecting Family: The family institution would be severely affected. This is because with a bad economy many families would be struggling. That would threaten the make up of families since it would be so much stress. Many families would possibly dissolve because of the financial stress.

Education: The education system would more than likely suffer, but I do think many people may go back to college and/or trade schools in hopes of bettering themselves. But, in totality the system would suffer. The schools probably would face cuts to their funds from both the government and a declining property tax base.

Religious: The religious institution will suffer because more and more members would stay away. Institutions would suffer from a decline in giving which will limit what those institutions would be able to do.

Government: Government would be overburdened. Many people and companies would be looking for government help. Also, governments would have to cut back services that are vital to communities’ existences. The government would be taking in less, because people would not be paying into a system because many jobs would be lost.

Thriving

Family: With thriving economic climates, families are stronger. There would be happier families. People would in fact be more apt to start families in a thriving environment. That is simply human nature.

Educational: More people would be able to go to college. Kids in lower grades would be able to have more resources at their disposal. More teachers, better books, and overall more money would be infused into school districts. The property tax base would be strong due to the fact people buying more homes, and not losing them. People would be better trained and equipped for the job market.

Religious: These institutions would benefit from higher member participation. People would be more engaged in civic activities. People would give more to their respective religious institutions.

Government: The government would hopefully be in a better place to provide essential services to citizens. The government would invest more into the development of our society.

In closing, like stated earlier, these institutions are interdependent. They need each other. When one system collapses, it is felt by the others. When one is doing well and thriving the other institutions experience it as well. PEACE!

Good Evening World! The Thunder beat the Spurs. I didn’t expect that, but it makes for a good Western Conference Finals. I am feeling awesome. Excited about what lies ahead, while being grateful for Delta College… Maybe I will blog about that in depth before the semester officially closes. Plus, I made a 98 on my last Statistics test (49/50). I am pissed, I wanted the 50/50. My classmate right next to me got the perfect score, F!!!!! But that’s my guy though… Now the “ramble…”

The Stephanie Coontz article was informative, but it was not really my reality. Nor was it the reality of people I was close with. The funny thing is that I have yet to meet a Black person who raves of the “goodness of the American 1950s,” so I approach these topics from a purely educational perspective. Part of the dynamic is that the article describes aspects of life that should be normal. But people I was raised by just wanted to be treated as humans. They just wanted equal human rights. Now, I did have a few relatives who were “The Help” for some of the families described in this article. Maybe I can put my Aunt Pearl and great-grandmother’s stories into this blog. I will touch on just one point that really stuck out while reading this work. That is our outdated model of marriage and family.

I believe it is true that we as a society have this outdated model regarding marriage and family. For example, Dr. Mersmann has mentioned how our politicians are attempting to fix our economy using the 1950s model. This article really illustrated the same trains of thought. We have extremely outdated senses of the family unit. The women are more active outside of the home. They are not just housewives anymore. They actually are contributing financially to the family. The man/husband is not just some mere figure. He is actually more engaged in the life of his kids these days. Men are more involved in the home-life of family. Lastly, communication is more prominent. The days are gone when families just swept issues under the rug. The elephants in the room are being discussed. People, especially women, are speaking their minds. Things have just changed.

I like the path that we are on as it relates to family structure. I think in the end families will become healthier. I just can’t wait for the day when we tossed this outdated model of family. PEACE!

Good Afternoon World!!! Today has been a pretty busy day. I am excited that the semester is ending. I am doing fairly well in all six of my classes. Let’s just hope all of my professors agree.

I recently read the Barbara Ehrenreich article Nickle and Dimed. I must say I know many of these people. I shared spaces with people who was going through this life cycle. Even I could relate in some cases. There are numerous nuggets in this article but I want to highlight just three areas of interest. I want to highlight the attitudes of management at low-wage jobs, housing-lifestyle options, and the point of it all.

I have worked low-wage jobs and it is exactly like the writer described. There is a “Jack” everywhere in this system They basically disrespect you by their mere actions. These managers tend to be extremely petty and trivial which makes working in those places hell. I would think that since someone is being paid such a low wage, they would at least treat the person with some dignity to make up for. I worked at Captain D’s and Nike before and I experienced this everyday of life. It sucks the life out of you. It makes you do the bare minimum almost. That was evident in how long it took the writer to make up the beds. She could’ve cut the time, but why do that. It was irritating reading the practices of these managers. On the contrary with professional workers. In many cases those workers enjoy healthy relations with their managers. Sometimes it is even a mentor type relationship that is developed. But these low-wage managers make sure want to toss them onto their heads. Then, they have the audacity to make you pay for your own uniforms. Please don’t get me started on that route.

Now the housing options are basically non-existent. At the low-wage pay your options are severely limited. The places that you can afford seem to be inconveniently located. That is another hassle. You will then need a car, gas, and those cost add up. Also, the writer did not really have much time for meaningful leisure activities. Those are non-existent when almost every waking moment must be spent on surviving. Imagine the mental and emotional toil that takes on an individual.

Lastly, the experiment should be done by more people. Maybe if more people truly understood the struggle, our priorities as a society would shift. I must say in most of the described cases the people were in precarious situations because of the decisions of others. That cut deep. I have dependents. That means my decisions affects them, especially bad decisions. People simply should not be “locked” into this kind of living. It is no small wonder the classified for these low-wage workers are always plentiful. I never thought of the true reason. I always thought that these people were really hiring because of a strong market. It is quite the opposite. It is the companies’ “life insurance” to keep a constant flow of workers at their disposal. That is extremely deceptive. It also speaks of the industries themselves.

In closing, I really loved this read. I have been in that life before and even the thought of returning is sickening. I really disdain that Americans have to live such a life. PEACE!

Good Evening World!!! I am still half watching the playoffs. It looks like the Warriors are making a push to win this game. It is getting good… Check out my brief ramble.

Dr. Mersmann asked us to look and see where our clothes were made. I will say this, I looked at twenty items and not one was made here in the United States. Not one. No bull-sugar, I did not have one item out of twenty made here in the United States. A few of the countries were: Indonesia, Bangladesh, South Korea, and a few other Asian/Indian countries. This obviously has an impact on the economy and life.

This kind of economic system is not good for the United States economy. Now, I have heard business people say, “If these companies produced here, goods would be ten times as expensive.” The other one is, “The how cost of producing in the United States would bankrupt businesses.” I believe both of those statements are lies. These are just scare tactics. I believe that producing goods here would not make these products more expensive. Hell, they are making most of these products for relatively small amounts, but we are still paying premium prices. Just go to your nearest shoe store or Best Buy, you will be introduced to extremely high prices immediately. These companies will not be reasonable with their pricing either way. I think more Americans producing and working would actually add to the economy in a positive way. People would naturally spend. It is hard to get involved in the economy when your job is sent overseas.

I truly believe that life in general would be more pleasurable if we employed and produced more here nationally. We basically have every single thing we need, but we send jobs overseas. It is a shame that I live in American and can pick up twenty garments without one being made in America. I would even be more inclined to buy American if it meant people keeping jobs and being participants in the economy. Let common sense prevail. PEACE!!!

Good Evening World!!! The semester is winding down… I’m sitting here watching the Portland and Golden State game. I really don’t care who wins, but The Warriors make for better TV. Let me delve into this Ikea mess. I really cannot blame them completely, so check out my answers to these five questions.

The information in this article relates to chapter in that inequalities at a beloved company is exposed. The happenings at Ikea is a reason that the income gap is steady getting larger. These people are making way less money than they should. They are basically being exploited. This system is almost like a paid slave system. Globalization through capitalism is the main culprit of this system. I place majority of the blame on the United States. Our country has become so beholding to big business that we are basically throwing our citizens to them to do as they please. This leads to another point. The importance of organizing on jobs. Left up to the corporations, workers would probably work until death. It is sad that most of these employees still have to rely on government assistance. If they are not receiving assistance, they definitely qualify based off of their pay. To think that starting pay was dropped so significantly, from $9.75 to $8.00, just to give bonuses to the top earners is reprehensible. This is classic capitalism, take money and benefits from the poor to pay the rich. What is even more problematic is the fact that the United States government allows this behavior. It is no wonder the inequalities are as they are.

When I read of these practices my blood boils. It is not entirely Ikea’s fault. That is a by-product of capitalism in the global market. Companies look for ways in which to cut the cost of production, even at the expense of the workers who make the company tick. I place more of the blame on the United States government for allowing our citizens to be exploited in that way. Sweden knows how to treat their citizens. This is the environment in which the pro-business America has created. In a sense, you really cannot fault Ikea. The problem lies within our laws and culture. It is just ironic that the United States is viewed as other nations view Mexico.

These inequalities must be addressed. This is not the way the world was intended. These inequalities are not good for mankind. It does not promote harmony at all. This is a problem that the United States should take the lead in solving. Our country should be the example. If we treat our workers as they should, then other countries would have to do business with those standards. The people have spoken many times regarding inequalities. It is now time our government listen to us.

We as Americans must first hold our companies to those same standards. We cannot exploit other countries and cry wolf when we feel exploited. Honestly speaking, American companies are the top exploiters of workers. American companies jump at opportunities to exploit workers through cheap labor.

As I conclude, I must say that my eyes were opened in a sense. I feel challenged to hold American companies to the same standards as I am suggesting we do to others. As I am wearing my $200 Nike Air Jordans, it is time I really stand up and do the proper thing. That is to speak out about these inequalities. PEACE!

Good Morning World!!! It is Monday again… Mother’s Day is always hard for me since I lost both of my parents. I was raised by my mom and grandmother, so that is my definition of parents. But that is neither here nor there. Allow me to briefly ramble about work.

I must say that I always thought of the Industrial Revolution as starting the inequalities between people. Since it was a time when societies changed so drastically, I seriously thought that it was all harmony before machines. Come to find out, in the horticultural/pastoral societies inequalities were experienced then. That kind of shattered my long held thinking on the matter. When people learned to grow food themselves and domesticate animals things changed. This was the time that people could have extras. I will add this as well, I was enlightened regarding the increase of cultural diversity. It makes sense because with having more, you begin to possibly trade with others. That is a thought I really would like to explore more.

Back to the inequalities. I must say that it must be in human nature to divide ourselves based on the wealth or more we accumulate. Since now people began to separate themselves by classes. Or, the chiefs and the workers. That is a funny thought to me. I use to label that as being “so American,” but I may have to change my condescension to “people just being people.”

In closing, I was not surprised about the inequalities and diversity created during the Industrial Revolution. In some aspects, that could be expected. I was just blown away at how people thousands of years ago were able to divide themselves into classes. Also, the ingenuity of these people in the horticultural/pastoral society cannot be overlooked. The planting of seeds, the domesticating of animals, and trade was revolutionary. How did they think to do that? What made them do it in the first place? I know the Industrial Revolution is the “big dog” in history. But let us not forget about the foresight and ingenuity of the society before it. PEACE!!!

Good Morning World!!! I am feeling great this morning. I got admitted to a relatively good school and I am taking a brief moment to be thankful. I feel as though this journey is taking even more shape. But allow me to give my brief ramble…

After reading the article, I must say that I agree with the Court’s ruling. I do believe that there should be some separation between the church and public places. Religion, regardless of the exact one is a personal thing. It has no place in public life as it pertains to praying at school football games. In actuality I feel that it is wrong.

The structural functionalist make a great argument considering so many Americans identify with religion. They maintain that religion is a way to unite. They also believe that religion properly socializes people. The problem seems to be that only one religion is considered the right one here in America. Therein lies a problem. On the contrary, the conflict theorist maintain that religion only distracts citizens that are oppressed. They feel that it takes the focus away from the inequalities. There could be some truth to that argument.

In closing, I tend to be on the side of the conflict theorists. Religion in most cases blind the masses to the real problems faced in our culture. That is part of the reason I have moved away from organized religion. PEACE!

Good Morning World. It is exactly 2:03 AM and I could not sleep. So I figured, why not blog.

Earlier today I read the article by Marvin Harris about India’s sacred cow. Since I have evolved as a person, I will not waste time bashing this system. I remember their was a time I would do that. I studied World Religions in seminary years ago, but this short essay provided another analysis for me. The Harris article allowed me to see the issue in two new lights which I will briefly discuss.

The first point I want to highlight is the fact that the cow or oxen plays a huge role in the industry society. By that I mean, the cows/oxen are so vital to the farm industry there. These animals are simply workhorses. They plough the fields, transport families and provide cooking fuels. Now that was the eyebrow-raiser for me. Your food cooking over manure did not sound so appetizing, but death by food was not implied. So I guess that works. That leads me to my second point.

This system is a way to conserve energy, or make full use of natural resources. If India was to modernize their system, it would cost untold billions of dollars. The cost would devastate their economy. I must admit that the United States could learn a ton from the Indians as it relates to conservation. So much of land and resources are put into livestock feeds. It is almost ridiculous, but we are such a consuming nation. Doing anything else would probably devastate our country. But I would love for us to learn more efficient ways of using cow.

In closing, I really do not knock the Indian system. I just wish that there was a bit more balanced. It is hard to see people starving, while the cows walk around untouched. That is just the hard pill for me to swallow. PEACE.

Good Morning World!!! The semester is coming to an end very soon. This has been an extremely rough go. I can say that I am fortunate to be doing quite well. My love for Sociology has blossomed and for that I am excited as well. I briefly want to discuss the Harry L. Gracey article regarding kindergarten.

I honestly have never looked at school in light of being a socializing agent. All these years I looked school as a place were kids were being groomed and prepared to lead society. But boy was I wrong. I am sure that some of that takes place, but school is more like a boot camp. Schools for the most part are large bureaucracies that mold children to be a part of society. The children were “drilled in tasks and activities created by the teachers for their own purposes…” These kids are basically taught routines. It seems that many teachers are focused on making students conform which is a travesty.

These kids are taught unquestioned obedience. They are taught how to conform without asking questions. A place that is for creativity is a place for conforming. There were examples of teachers ignoring students. Thus it is natural that these kids create their own worlds. They learn how to create their own spaces. This is one way that they can be them. They create “holes” were they can exercise their independence. It is a place they can socialize with each other. These are their informal groups that they create. It is sad, because they are ignored by teachers who feel that their interest are “childish.” They are overlooked. Most times, nothing of interest to the students are ever discussed. Their creativity is one that must be quelled. It still must conform. So, is that really creativity?

In closing, I have just one question: When will schools be schools? PEACE!!!