This is about psychologist Stanley Milgram from Yale University who conducted studies on obedience. It was on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience(Henslin, 2017, Meyer:23). It was due to his curiosity on how Nazi’s could carry out orders from their superiors as justification for their actions. He noticed when the participant was in the University they would not have a problem shocking the other candidate, even if the person expressed agony. However, when they were not in a prestigious setting, there was more defiance with authority to cause another person harm.

This takes me to my first corporate job. I had over fifteen years with non-profit organizations when I decided to go into corporate America. I was in my position for over four years and doing extremely well. I took pride I build my clientele by using the skills I obtained from the non-profit sector-being client-centered! I was received and treated with respect as that is what I demonstrated to my clients, always demonstrating honesty and integrity.

Our company was growing and our team was as well, so the company hired us a new manager. Our team slowly realized our new manager came in to state her claim as the authoritarian. One by one team members who were not submissive or questioned her decisions found themselves being terminated. Threats every time I was in her presence was made by her to me about me losing my job. I was making six-figures, an income I tripled since non-profit. She would degrade me so much in front of my clients they made it clear she was no longer allowed back in their facilities. When these tactics didn’t intimidate me, she wanted me to lie to my clients to gain a sale.

My final straw was when she wanted to go against a directive from a higher authority. Then when I questioned her she denied even given the directive. I did attempt to seek out assistance from my HR department before our next arranged work date. Without avail, I did not receive the support I needed to deal with this authority figure who wanted me to go against my beliefs-lie for the almighty dollar and lose my reputation by lying. Here was my dilemma to worry about losing my income or going against my beliefs. Many would say they would’ve done whatever it took to keep such a lucrative paying job-I couldn’t.

Money can be made anytime especially with the right references. “We learned about honesty and integrity- that the truth matters…that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules…and success doesn’t count you earn it fair and square.”- Michelle Obama

Henslin discusses the importance of and how to conduct research.
Arkansas State University summarizes it as Social researchers explore almost all areas of human behavior to gain a greater understanding of individuals and societies — and how to help them make better choices(https://degree.astate.edu/articles/undergraduate-studies/why-conduct-social-research.aspx).

Henslin’s Research Model: 1) Select a topic, 2) Defining the problem, 3) Reviewing the literature, 4) Formulating a hypothesis, 5) Choosing a research method, and 6)Collecting the data. The research methods are surveys- the most popular way of obtaining information and can be easily done in large volumes. Secondary analysis is using data that has been already collected, however, there could be concern on how the information was obtained, documents a method used in ethnographic research, experiments not used in Sociology since their research is conducted in a non-controlled environment, unobtrusive measures by watching people without them knowing, and participant observation is to join in on a group or activity with them knowing or not knowing your true purpose there.

William E. Thompson discusses how morticians make a living working with the deceased and how they work on eliminating the stigma associated with it. Historically, when death was frequent, our deceased loved ones were prepared by the family. The women would prepare the body by bathing and clothing. The men would make the casket and dig the grave site (Henslin, Thompson: 249). As death became less frequent due to the advancement of medicine, society has become afraid of death and it is no longer a celebration of life. The ones who assist us in dealing with our loss have become associated with this as well.

Morticians have gone through lengths to change their image of someone who deals with dead people. Erving Goffman would say, morticians take a dramaturgical role (Henslin, 2017, Goffman: 135). They have actively changed their terms when addressing death. For instance, instead of saying death they say loss. The term body is never used in front of family and friends instead they use the term, deceased. The term “undertaker” isn’t a term used anymore, preferably mortician. (Henslin, 2017, Thompson:253). One mortician is conscientious of his appearance, avoiding black suits as well as ensuring his hands are never cold to the touch.

Another reason why they are stigmatized is the cost of a funeral. According to Smart Asset, The average funeral costs $7,181. That $7,181 includes viewing and burial, embalming, hearse, transfer of remains, service fee and more (https://smartasset.com/life-insurance/how-much-does-the-average-funeral-cost). Society will complain about the cost but we fail to realize the details involved in preparing our deceased and the licensing that is required to do so. According to the Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, there are several requirements for obtaining a license: two years of apprenticeship, completed a mortuary certification program, successfully passed the national and state board examinations are just a few requirements (https://www.cfb.ca.gov/licensee/embalmer.shtml). The dramaturgy continues as one stated, ” I can live in a nice home, drive a nice car, and wear nice suits because people know that I am a successful businessman-but, I have to be careful not to flaunt it(Henslin, 2017, Thompson:262).”

This is a trade which should be given much respect and consideration. We as a society no longer have a desire to deal personally with our own deceased. Death is inevitable and like all things in life, why shouldn’t we plan ahead of time for it? This would ease the emotional stress for family members having to make quick decisions. You have the final say on how your funeral is arranged and ultimately on the cost. “Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” – Haruki Murakami

Erving Goffman believes we each wear daily masks for the many roles we portray in life (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erving_Goffman). As a woman- I am a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, friend, mentor, gardener, chef, disabled worker, and now a student. Without realizing it we are constantly performing a perception of ourselves.

We are constantly performing and changing how we perform based on our audience. Our social settings can set the tone for how we act. Goffman says an individual appears before others his actions will influence the definition of the situation which they come to have. (Henslin, 2017 Goffman: 139). While I am in public my persona is an independent, passionate, confident, and strong woman with a sturdy work ethic. People know when I do anything I put 150% into everything I do. The ongoing joke from family and colleagues is if I’m asked to complete ten tasks in a day I’ll aim and complete twenty. I’m the strong confident one, friends and family can come to because I’ll keep their concerns to myself.

When I am with my husband I can easily let all my guards down. I can express my fears, lean on him, ask him for guidance, and cry knowing he will not judge me. I don’t feel like I have to be “on” when I am with him. I always tell him he is my strength when I am weak. I can be vulnerable with him and not with others. He knows the other side of me. He tells me I portray this tough persona when deep down inside I’m just a big softy.

We are the light that animates every soul in the dance we call life- Alan Cohen. We may not be conscientious of our own performances but Goffman will bring us into a sense of conscience that we are performing on a daily basis. It only validates why I would only show my vulnerabilities to my husband and not others. Our performances are how we are defined by others and ourselves.

How do we measure good teaching? Students in the United States have been exposed to Standardized Testing since 1901 and in the past decade, instructors have found themselves in their student’s shoes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standardized_test). I delayed writing this blog on this topic because I truly wanted to get a teacher’s perspective. Unfortunately, the two instructors, one in elementary school (K-6th grade) and the other who teaches junior high ( 7-8th grade), did not respond on how they would prefer to be assesed on their teaching skills.

According to Scholastic, Since 2011, as many as 40 states have installed systems that try to measure good teaching. Test scores are part of the picture. But which test scores should count and how much? And what about the other measures of a teacher’s worth (http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758000)? How can we measure one variable for every individual instructor to conclude they are a “good” or ” bad” instructor? Many variables can affect the results. For instance, is the instructor male or female? Is the instructor new to teaching versus an instructor who has been teaching for years? Is grading solely based on test results? Does every teacher have the same amount of students per class?

While sociologists may have ideas about how the world could be a better place, the research for sociological knowledge does not begin by labeling things good or bad (JCB 2017: p.403). So what variables and attributes are considered the most valuable? I would consider a qualitative approach to obtaining data. This would include participant observation with administrators and or peers observing an instructor’s approach to teaching. In addition, seeking feedback not only from students but from their guardians on how they feel the instructor is doing throughout the year and randomly. The University of Michigan supports several variables in measuring an instructor’s progress by suggesting the ones I mentioned above, however, they add an instructor themselves can also take steps to measure their own headway (http://www.crlt.umich.edu/resources/evaluation-teaching/methods).

Even with standardized testing agreed upon across the United States for students, many states don’t agree on standardized measures for teachers (http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758000). States will debate there should be several variables ranking their instructor’s effectiveness while others will look solely on test results. Our children deserve the best opportunity in obtaining more than just a standard education and our instructors should meet and exceed the level of mediocre regardless of their location in the U.S.

I rarely sit in a Starbuck’s coffee shop. I am the one who prefers a drive-thru instead of sitting inside. I took my place at the far end of the shop so I could face the door and have a better view of all those entering. It was 8 a.m. and the place had a steady flow of customers.

A young male dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt is sitting at a table nearest the door. He has a notebook and a book stacked next to a laptop he is using. He is resting his face in both of his hands while his elbows are resting on the table, staring intensely into his computer screen. He seems preoccupied with the task at hand which could be his homework or maybe he’s here to do an observation as well.

This location is near a shopping center and a residential area in Lodi. The majority of the patrons here are Middle-aged Caucasians. I was greeted with smiles by both the staff and patrons but I also was making direct eye contact. The business dressed patrons made it clear they were not here to socialize. They would march directly to the back counter, bypassing the line of customers, to retrieve their order they made in advance.

People are courteous enough to smile but don’t go out of their way to conversate with individuals they do not know. A couple walks into the shop to stand in line. A woman who was ahead of them noticed the woman was wearing a 49er sweatshirt. The first woman made a remark about being a fan too. The woman quickly acknowledged her, smiled briefly and did not take the conversation further. The second woman quickly turned her back to the first woman to discuss with her husband the bakery options in the display case.

There were approximately 50 individuals coming and going the few minutes I sat and viewed. There were only four that appeared to be of minority descent not including myself. Two were young ladies of Hispanic descent who stood in line to place their orders and leave immediately after. A third one came to retrieve her coffee from the back counter and left. A gentleman in his late 50s maybe early 60s who may have been either Persian or Hispanic sat alone at a table drinking his coffee. He didn’t interact with anyone however when we made eye contact he smiled and nodded his head at me. He watched the staff with amusement because I would catch a small grin as he did. As soon as he completed his coffee he walked out without him acknowledging anyone or anyone him.

“Nothing needs reforming as other’s people habits” Mark Twain. It appears that society has become so consumed with the rush of daily life we have simply forgotten to acknowledge one another. I could’ve easily been dismissed if I kept my head down and not make eye contact as the other minorities had. Some groups were so consumed with their conversation they had no time to realize any other situation which surrounded them. How are we expected to improve our own communities if we cannot even recognize one another? Better to be the one who smiled than the who didn’t smile back-Anonymous

This was a chapter I can say was my “awakening” for my interpersonal growth. It uses brand items and consumers to discuss their ideas but I found this chapter insightful on why I have decided to return to school. I struggled for a good year trying to decide whether or not I wanted to return to school. When I decided I would, I couldn’t figure out why I wanted to, until now!

My impulsive self, “I” decided one day that I would return to school after the constant inner “me” battle of my socialized self. As Goffman described in having a stigmatized attribute, I had to manage my “spoiled identity” or discredit social status (JCB 2017: 283). Life was at a much slower pace for nearly five years. However, I could not fight the urge to want to do something for myself. Some believe I am unappreciative as I was given the opportunity to remain home as a housewife and have chosen to seek a way back into the workforce. The problem here is I did not decide to stay home. The decision was made for me, which did not sit well with me.

The root of my work ethic was instilled (cultural) in me by my parents, who always stressed the importance of “work hard for what you want.” Then a stigma when I became a mother of two in my teenage years. I fought to get out of state assistance because I did not want the label of a typical teenage mother who required support from others. I did not want to answer to others on the financial choices I made and be limited. I attended my local community college long enough to find a job that paid me exceedingly more than the State of California would ever allow me. My beliefs and social status in society are what drove me to ensure the stigma of “teenage mother” was not relevant to me.

Anthony Gidden says “the lack of a prescribed future means we must actively work to construct our identities (JCB 2017: 285)”. It makes sense why I now want to make a change. I found it difficult when I was injured and forced to be out of the workforce. I then accepted my position of being a disabled worker and transitioned into the role of wife, mother, and grandmother. One day I was in my garden tending to my plants and I felt a sense of confusion. I could not understand why I felt idle in life. Goffman stressed that stigma, self, and identities are not fixed and stable, but continuously in a process(JCB 2017: 285). My husband now of 27 years is emotionally and financially supportive of any decision I make. No one is criticizing I am a homemaker, on the contrary, many are envious I did not have to rush back to a job. Yet this internal battle consumed me.

Giddens points out, “the concept of lifestyle provides a useful way to describe how our consumer choices contribute to our lives (JCB 2017: 286). Financially we are stable without my income, yet I want to finish so many projects around our home and not fond of having to do one at a time due to our budget. Maybe the unfinished home projects had me concerned how others felt about us? Belk theorizes a three-way relationship between a person, thing, and the social contact that surrounds them (JCB 2017: 288). We may give the perception of wealth to some, but in reality, we are frugal. For instance, the projects we have accomplished were at a fraction of what others thought we paid, especially since we did them ourselves.

It may appear consumerism (material) may have been the driving force for me initially. As I proceeded through the chapter I realized it was the system that infuriated me to return to work. I could not accept the label of being a typical teenage mother so why would I accept some bureaucrats telling me to accept the title-permanent disable? I was back in a government-run system (macro) telling me my standard of living and thinking for me once again!

I followed my practitioner’s guidelines during this entire process without question (agency). I had lost my personal identity to an entity who wants to define me and I’ve never been one to allow others to do so. I have gone nearly five years following their guidelines and my ability to think for myself was taken. Belk confirms when he states, “Having something stolen from you can feel like your very sense of self has been violated (Belk 1988: 142) [JCB 2017: 290).”

African American males are less likely to get hired than Caucasians. According to the NAACP, in 2014, African Americans constituted 2.3 million, or 34%, of the total 6.8 million correctional population. A criminal record can reduce the likelihood of a callback or job offer by nearly 50 percent. The negative impact of a criminal record is twice as large for African American applicants (https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/). They are also five times more likely to be incarcerated than a Caucasian.

There are positive features in hiring an ex-offender. For the employer, there are two tax credits an employer can obtain by hiring them. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Federal Bonding Program (https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/exoffenders/find-job/benefits-ex-offenders.html). According to the State of California, Employment Development Department promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as members of target groups, by providing a federal tax credit incentive of up to $9,600 for employers who hire them (https://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/Work_Opportunity_Tax_Credit.htm). The Federal Bonding Program limits an employer’s risk, liability, and insurance costs for the first six months of employment (http://bonds4jobs.com/).

An African-American friend of mine was convicted of embezzlement (stealing money from his job). He expressed his fears in seeking and obtaining a new job due to his criminal history. He went on to describe the emotional stress he had in seeking employment and having to admit he committed a felony. He said he would not apply for a position that dealt with money, such as cashier or bank teller because he wouldn’t get it. He knew he would seek anything which did not have direct handling of money. He said he found a job that hired him in construction which was a trade he learned while incarcerated (https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/CTE.html).

There are additional benefits to hiring a person with a criminal past. He admits while incarcerated it allowed him plenty of time to reprioritize his goals in life and given a second chance he would not take it for granted. He rarely misses work stating he is aware his employer has given him an opportunity which many are not allowed. He added, since this employer was willing to employ him he will remain loyal to this employer until retirement age. This factor would have a significant and positive impact on an employee retention rate.

There are several opportunities for them in finding employment. A job listing of companies hiring a person with a criminal past is posted by Believe Publications to assist individuals in seeking employment (http://www.jailtojob.com/companies-hire-felons.html list of employers who will hire ex-convicts). This eliminates the guesswork of figuring out which employer would even consider an offender for a job. California Reentry Programs and Assistance provides resources for individuals seeking additional assistance in obtaining employment (https://exoffenders.net/reentry-programs-assistance/california/).

More emphasis should be placed on the African-American offenders to increase the employment rate amongst this population. In turn, it may assist in lowering the recidivism rate. A recent report on Employment Screening Resources does state higher numbers of unemployment amongst the African-American population. It is also a clear illustration of the need for additional awareness and a need to continue to obtain data and act on the results with appropriate support and programs (http://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/2018/07/16/report-finds-one-four-formerly-incarcerated-ex-offenders-unemployed/).

My family enjoys home cooked meals that bring us together. We cook a variety of foods and our menu changes as the seasons do. One thing we can all agree on as a family is a love for beef.

Our family will grill carne asada or NY steaks when we are together. Three generations will come together to celebrate family. It allows us to share the events of our past week and plans for the upcoming week. A support system for one another as well as a way to celebrate our victories. Grandchildren have an opportunity to see each other and get some playtime in because being at the grandparent’s house is the only chance they can. Durkheim would find an appreciation for this ritual as it demonstrates a cohesiveness within our family (JCB., p. 37). The beef in his opinion would be, it was the cow’s purpose; to not only to nourish our bodies but to also create and strengthen bonds.

When we purchase our beef we do have our preferences. For instance, if we decided to make carne asada, we typically go to a Mexican meat market as they’ll have the flank style we prefer to grill. The flank steaks are cut thicker with less fat at those locations. For the New York steaks, we go to a larger chain store to buy them. They have those meat selections there. The smaller meat markets offer more of the traditional butcher style meat. It can be said, we spread the wealth between the privately owned, and the corporate stores. Something Marx would frown upon is his preference for us to go to the smaller and privately-owned shop only. He would not support capitalist which the larger chain would be considered.

Marx would oppose beef as a whole since there are additional concerns about the beef industry: environmental issues to the poor being ignored to feed the rich who are the only ones who could afford beef (http://theconversation.com/five-ways-the-meat-on-your-plate-is-killing-the-planet-76128). Durkheim would celebrate our need to unite as a family while we shared a meal together. This not only supports family values it also supports the need to support capitalism that allows us choices. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines capitalism: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitalism).

Both have a place in today’s society’s consumer market. We need to ensure we care for our environment, poor and animals (JCB,p.36). There is also a need to secure family values (JCB, p.37) and allow for free markets to guard against a superpower who would change the system to simply suit their own needs.