“Belonging” in Gangs
This article posted in “The Telegraph” (UK news) describes the phenomenon of youth gang violence and the effects it’s had on the child murder rate. The title of the article “Youth Gangs triple Child murder Rate” is startling to think of, especially since this piece highlights that, children as young as 5 years old are joining gangs! It’s no secret that gangs are still very much alive to this day and are spreading all over the world. Many people are aware of the reoccurring dangers that are associated with youth gangs such as drugs, guns, and deaths. If you go to google news and simply type in “youth gangs” the first words you see are “drugs”, “rape”, and “killings”!
The question to be further investigated is “why”? Why are the numbers of gangs increasing? Why are the numbers of gang murders increasing? And why are youth becoming more and more attracted to being apart of a gang?
For these questions I turn to theories on the negotiation of identities and acts of belonging. Paul Erhahon, a 14-year-old boy featured in this article, was stabbed to death outside his home by a gang so that boys as young as 13 could “earn their spurs” (Wynne-Jones, Leapman: 2008). Theorists Erik H. Erikson (1950) explains that children “are now primarily concerned with what they appear to be in the eyes of others as compared with what they feel they are” (pg.335). Killing to “earn their spurs” has much to do with ego identity, which is also what Erikson describes as an issue with today’s youth. Youth just want to find a place where they belong, and apparently killing to belong to a gang is one of the ways. Not only that, but once a child has entered a gang, they have certain obligations to that gang. If you explore the readers comments posted at the bottom of this news article “Youth of today” explains that “a gang is a group of youngsters that stay LOYAL to their territory”. So not only is becoming a gang an act of belonging, once your in a gang, you have to hold certain obligations and
More specifically, Frederic M. Thraser (1927) describes the personality and status within a gang. With ideas of ego and hierarchy, Thrasher states, “he [a gang member] is formed by the discipline the gang imposes upon himself” (pg.257). Within groups, every person will perform his or her characteristics in relation to others. This again has much to do with the act of belonging. One of the most important explanations, in relation to gangs, that I feel Thrasher makes is:
“Participation in gang activities means everything to the boy. It not only defines for him his position in the only society he is greatly concerned with, but it becomes the basis for his conception of himself” (pg.258).
With that being said, this could possibly answer the question of why youth are becoming more and more attracted to gangs. Societies within the world today are so caught up with belonging that they’ll take unreasonable measures to find a group or “gang” where they belong. I think that working on how to make your differences into strengths is a goal that our societies can work on, instead of settling for acts of violence.
Erik H. Erikson-“Youth and American Identity” (1950)
Frederic M. Thrasher- “Personality and Status Within the Gang” (1927)
Imaginary Friends: Healthy?
Most people associate imaginary friends with issues of socialization. But an article published in February 2010 called “Imaginary Friends: Why pretend playmates are good for children’s development” would agree otherwise. Studies have shown that imaginary friends are beneficial for boosting language and social skills. It’s also helpful in areas of creativity. Kids become abstract thinkers when they have to play both roles, themselves and their friend. “Seen as a way to deal with loneliness, stress, or conflict, imaginary friends had a bad rep for most of the 20th century” (Turgeon 2010).
Jumping into a theoretical analysis, Jean-Francois Lyotard (1979), would describe this as postmodern thinking. Scientist, doctors, etc. are moving away from 20th century thinking of “social problems” and more towards positive aspects of imaginary friends. “Postmodernity arises with the collapse of the grand narrative of the Englihtenment” ( Lyotard pg. 465). Meaning, realities are only socially constructed and are subject to change inherent to time and place. We are moving away from negative connotations of imaginary friends and questioning other aspects of it.
When Turgeon explains that children with imaginary friends are enhancing abstract thinking, she also states that “An elaborate fantasy world is like a test lab for some of the most important childhood skills” (2010). I believe that theorists Jean Baudrillard (983) might try to bring back arguments of fulfillment and say that “to simulate is to feign to have what one hasn’t” (pg. 480), meaning that kids have imaginary friends to fulfill what they don’t have. Baudrillard would say that imaginary friends are part of a play of illusions and phantasms to represent something that is a real, a friendship.
So, with that being said, I would take post-modern perspective on this and question the real meaning of imaginary friends. Is it truly healthy for a child or are they trying to replace something they wish they had like Baudrillard would suggest? Were only children of certain ethnicity, age, etc. examined for this study? Questions can go on and on about this idea of imaginary friends. But like Lyotard says ” nothing is sacred, everything is up for critique”.
Jean Baudrillard- “Simulacra and Simulations: Disneyland” (1983)
Jean-Francois Lyotard- “The Postmodern Condition” (1979)
Break the Norm
Drugs and alcohol is something that’s present in the majority of ever college students life, whether they are using it, around it at a party, or even selling it. In a recent article titled “SVC fights perception that ‘all’ students abuse drugs, alcohol” a social norming campaign was launched for students to explain their own alcohol and drug use in college.
Southern Vermont College collaborated with Southshire Partnership for a Healthy Community and displayed the surveys that approximately 185 students took, about drug and alcohol use, all around campus for everyone to see. The director of counseling services of SVC stated that the idea behind this campaign was to address “students perceptions of what they believe is the amount of drinking and stuff that’s going on, and showing them the reality of it”. A social media consultant was also hired to make positive advertisements such as “Sober is Sexy” fluorescent signs, to place around the college. The coordinator of the partnership, Glenn Gross mentioned, “People are much more likely psychologically, to do the positive and to want to be part of the majority”. Here is where I would like to take social theory and use it against this statement. Yes, most people do want to do the positive thing, BUT I believe Gross is forgetting that people will ALSO want to be apart of the majority whether it’s positive or not. Theorist Pierre Bourdieu (1974, 1980) explains the idea of “habitus” and practices and that despite freedom of choice, people’s preferences are still strongly related to society. Habit, as described by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann (1966), is“ any action that is repeated frequently [and] becomes cast into a pattern”. Habitualization is something that is very much apart of every day life. Every one knows that drinking and drugs are highly associated with the many “activities” of college only because they become frequently repeated and cast into a pattern that college students participate in.
Because habitualization and the ideas of practices become so prominent in our society, many people fear the idea of “destabilizing” the norm. But, that is one thing SVC does not fear! They held this campaign to lay it all out on the table and show students the reality of drug and alcohol use, something that not very many people will do (putting their personal lives out for the public to see). Most colleges, Seattle U for example (as far as what I’ve experienced as a student here), will just send e-mails or what not telling students to be safe and to not participate in under-age drinking. But SVC decided to go against that normal habit of just letting students know, and they actually did a whole campaign for this issue. “In all viable systems, there must be an area where the individual is free to make choices so as to manipulate the system to his advantage” (Bourdieu pg.). Before the campaign 50 percent of students surveyed were binge drinking, and this spring that number had dropped by 12 percent! SVC definitely found an area where they were free to make a choice and go against the 445 system and they got positive results out of doing so.
Although this advertisement was not an advertisement for SVC during their campaign, I believe it perfectly depicts ides of habitual practices and going against societies norms. Clearly, drugs and alcohol are big practice during spring break, BUT this free event makes it so people can “Break the Norm” and not participate it was society usual does during spring break. What a great idea these people had ! :)
Pierre Bourdieu- “Structures, Habitus, Practices” (1974, 1980)
Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann- “Society as a Human Product” (1966)
The Self
This post is in reference to the two following articles:
St. Patricks College
Raising awareness through backpacks
The first article is about a former student of St Patricks College, an all girl’s school, Jazmine Oyston who was bullied by the “popular group” for wearing a one piece bathing suit to a swimming carnival instead of a two piece. Every year we hear about students being bullied for various reasons such as sexuality, appearance, and certain disabilities. The reason I choice this article is because of the simplicity behind it and how something so minute can make you the victim of bullying.
First off, let me start by saying that some of the hottest models wear one piece bathing suits and rock them like nobodies business. But, that’s besides the point. Seeing someone being bullied over something so minute in this world ( a bathing suit) is so over the top. It really makes us question the priorities in our world when it comes to our values. This news story is a perfect example of how someone’s self-image can be terribly diminished by anyone and anything
Charles Cooley, in his theory of the Looking-Glass Self explains that the kind of self-feeling one has is determined by the attitude toward them of other people. The physical and mental abuse of her peers has caused Oyston to suffer from serious anxiety and depression. She has also attempted to commit suicide twice and has self-harmed herself by slitting her wrists. Cooley breaks up the Looking-Glass Self into 3 principal elements:
1)imagination of our appearance to others
2)the imagination of his judgement of that appearance
3) some sort of self-feeling
Taking the story of Oyston and the bullying she experienced, her appearance and judgment of herself was greatly influenced by the acts of her peers. Thus creating this self-feeling of worthlessness and at times she felt that she “didn’t want to be alive” (Cummings 2010).
Although Oyston has been saved from the horrors of death, there are still a great amount of college students that commit suicide every year due to mental health issues, many of which are related to bullying in some form. Social theorist William James (1890) explains that a man’s social self “is the recognition which he gets from his mates” and each person carries an image of him in their mind. Any sort of hurt to that image is hurt to the people themselves. Oyston, along with many other students that have been in her position, have been hurt by the images that people put on them as being “outcaste” from society, their own self-image is also being hurt, despite what they thought of themselves before.
Events like the one portrayed in the backpack article can help to bring awareness to college students and the harmful affects that bullying makes.
Seeing yourself as “amazing just the way you are” is an important message that is hard to get across to many, especially if your self-image is constantly being put down by society.
This “Send Silence Packing tour” that was held at MSU displays 1,100 backpacks which represent the number of students who commit suicide each year. Attached to many of the backpacks are stories of students who previously owned them. Seeing that reality is the kind of message that needs to be spread all across the country in efforts to minimize the bullying and suicides each year.
William James- “The Self and Its Sleves” (1890)
Charles Horton Cooley-“The Looking-Glass Self” (1902)
Power and Domination in the Lives of Children
In world news, this story published in BBC news in May of 2008 tells a horrifying story of children in post-conflict areas that were being sexually abused by peacekeepers and aid-workers. The Save the Children charity, which has researched in areas like the Ivory Coast, southern Sudan and Haiti, say that they have a policy of zero-tolerance to child sexual abuse, but it was clearly not taken seriously. Girls as young as six years old were being forced to partake in sexual acts with men that they thought were suppose to help them.
Theorists Max Weber discusses theories of power and domination and the idea of being forced to do things that maybe otherwise we don’t want to. Domination and power are shown in this news event as being greatly misused. First off, these children we’re expecting these men to help them, not hurt them. So, it says a great deal about the authority that the children saw in these men even before this incident. They probably trusted these men to protect them. There are many news stories everyday about the abuse that children receive from people who seem to be the most trusted in their lives. These stories show how power and domination can often be a bad thing if it is used in the wrong sense. Second, many of the little girls involved in this incident perhaps haven’t even learned about the brutal acts forced upon them. These men used their power against these girls and forced them to give up the free will they didn’t even know they had. Elizabeth (13), who was gang raped in a field near Ivory Coast, states, “I tried to escape but there were ten of them and I could do nothing”. Although she was one who did know that the acts were wrong, I’m sure that the little 6-year-old girls had no idea about the pain they were about to endure.
Theorist Talcott Parsons discusses how society has a strong tendency to define women as dependent on a man. For many years, America has created sex roles in the kinship system, placing certain roles on a man and woman. I relate this theory to this news event because many times people perceive dependency as powerless (you depend on someone thus that person holds some sort of power over you). This situation with the little girls are once again showing how there is a tendency to define women as dependent on a man, giving men the idea that they have overall control. When often times, that is not true. Those little girls also become seen as “others” to the men in a sense that the men treat them as sexual objects without looking at them as human beings.
After much research, the charity agreed that better reporting mechanisms needed to be implemented and a greater effort should be made to strengthen the worldwide child protective systems. As much as I agree with the efforts to strengthen protective systems, I think that much of the issues around child abuse have a lot to do with society and the way that people are placed in terms of power and domination. A well-grown man should be aware that they have a lot of power over a child in some ways, but that does not mean he needs to abuse that power. I’m sure that people have various reasons of why they abuse a child, but overall, it just isn’t right and no reason is a valid reason.
Talcott Parsons- “Action Systems and Social Systems” (1961-1971)
Max Weber- “The Types of Legitimate Domination” (1909-1920)
Class and Status in Education
Obviously budget cuts, no matter where they are being cut from, can affect the lives of many people. Specifically, this news article focuses on the New Jersey educational budget cuts made by Governor Chris Christie last year. As of March 22, 2011, a Superior court judge found out that these cuts made my Christie left New Jersey schools unable to provide “thorough and efficient” education for nearly 1.4 million students. Judge Peter Doyne, also realized that the cuts fell most heavily upon the high-risk districts.
The following video discusses a situation at PJ Hill elementary school, a school in New Jersey with a higher number of at risk kids.
“How much is too much for education cuts”
The school is suppose to receive a larger share of state funding than schools in wealthier neighborhoods, but Superintendent Raymond Broach expresses that he received no extra money last school year.
He talks about the “race” for learners and that assuming that every student starts at the starting line together is “not- American”. He states that “ [making a large sum of budget cuts] makes that race for some learners, almost next to impossible”. Governor Christie’s response to this call for help is that sometimes “Tough times call for tough choices”.
Breaking this story down in sociological terms, I’d like to refer to theorists Max Weber and his ideas of class and status. Class status has a lot to do with your “life chances”(opportunities), and it is shown here that these students in high-risk areas are being neglected the opportunity to achieve the education that they are capable of because of their life chances. The people of New Jersey are aware that those students in high-risk areas are in need for more funding because of the less-fortunate life they are enduring. Watching the video, a majority of the students shown were of African American decent. This speaks a lot about white privilege and the rejection of help that these students of PJ Hill are being faced with. It makes you wonder, if the roles were reversed and it was the white students that needed the help, if the same budget cuts would be made. America has been faced with the challenge of white privilege for many years, and although this news story does not directly state that those in the “privileged” area are of white decent, I feel as if the video makes this statement by showing a large sum of black students at this school.
The budget cuts forced Raymond Broach to keeps literacy coaches and instead cut nurses, social workers, substance abuse counselors, custodians and others from the district. His reasoning: “to know you can’t read, often turns students attention to being discipline problems, those are the students we fear we need to put a web of support around so that they don’t drop out of school and for that matter so they don’t drop out of society”. He makes a good point and also proves just how important education has become in today’s society. But it’s also sad to know that this “tough time” puts a damper on future students, especially those students who already have a setback due to their personal life of being in a high-risk area. It also clearly affects the jobs of many people in the area.
Max Weber- “Class, Status, and Party” (1909-1920)
