What is that person doing?!

All this past week, we've been talking about gestures and different cultural norms. It was clear to see who was more open-minded than others in class, based on their reactions to what other countries did. Many people said things along the lines of, "that's weird!" and some even dismissed it as dumb. This really got me thinking about the people in our class and their reactions. I will admit, some things that other countries do are strange to me, but when I stop to think about it, I see where they're coming from and why it makes sense to them. Such as Indians eating only with their right hand. To Americans, eating with your hands is barbaric enough, but Indians use them as resouces. It's not dumb, it's just different, and I can understand that. I like learning about different cultures and what they do and why - it's why I took sociology in the first place. I suppose I expected other students to be less critical of different cultures also. The Japanese way of using the bathroom, while immediately baffling, makes perfect sense. It is very hygiene-conscious and clean, which is how their culture is and why they have people living to very old ages. So it is nice to learn about what they do and how it benefits them, because maybe the United States would be better off if we took after some other cultures.

The Real Juno

Teenage pregnancy has always been one of the most controversial topics around. For the most part, it is looked down upon - mainly because the parents are (usually) not married. The parents are viewed as irresponsible teens who made bad decisions. However, the amount that they're scorned definitely depends on their situation. For instance, Sarah Palin's daughter has been raising eyebrows all across the country and people's view of her actions reflect their opinion of Sarah herself. Many people's opinion is that because Sarah is in the public eye and is a politician, her children should be perfect, because they're a reflection on her. This is totally unfair to me - and I'm saying this as a huge Obama supporter. What Bristol is going through has happened to thousands of American teenagers. A huge disadvantage to Bristol is that, at the moment, the entire country seems to be watching her every move. Getting an abortion is out of the question because her mother needs the support of the conservatives in the country.
Being rich would certainly be an advantage to teen pregnancy. In order to take care of children, money is needed; babies require food, diapers, and clothing to be purchased. For families that are already struggling to make ends meet, an extra mouth to feed can be devastating. But, for a family with excess change, adding a member to the family can be no problem at all.
It all depends on the situation a person is in. Here in the suburbs, teen pregnancy is something to gossip about, but in the inner city projects, it is much more normal to have several children by age 20. However, for Bristol Palin, it must be worse than anything; she has the eyes of the entire country focused on her. And worst of all, many people's opinions about her mother are influenced by her actions. I'm sure she never thought that her actions with her boyfriend could affect who is elected for President of the United States.

Aspects of Me

There are many different groups in my life that help define who I am: family, friends, the Catholic Church, Greeks and Germans. The most important is family. I am a middle child, a daughter and a sister. My family is very close - we try to eat dinner together as much as possible and are always talking to each other. My older sister is my best friend, and I am a role-model for my younger brother. Within my friends, I am the advice-giver and the shoulder to cry on. I really am there for my friends and they all know that they can call me whenever they need to and I will be there for them. In the Catholic Church, I am a worshipper, a disciple. Being catholic plays a huge role in my life; I rarely go a few hours without thinking of my religion. When I have decisions to make, I think about my religion. It is a constant presence in my life. Lastly, my heritage-groups. Being half Greek, half German has shaped my life greatly. Both sides of my family are very heritage-oriented and have made sure that I know where I come from. I can understand some of both languages, and I eat ethnic food all the time. Even my name is from my heritages: Kassandra is Greek and Hauptmann is (very obviously) German.
Needless to say, all of these groups that I am a part of have helped make me into who I am today in their own unique ways. And I wouldn't have it anyway else.

simply without a home

The definition of homeless is 'without a home'. I think that people confuse this greatly with other things. Being homeless does not mean that a person is dirt-poor, or that there is substance abuse, it simply means they don't have a home. Lake County is a fairly wealthy county, therefore, people forget that there are those without homes or assume there are none. There are close to 500 homeless people in Lake County. No one likes to think of this because being homeless is closely associated with having many other problems. This is simply not true; many homeless people have jobs and families, they just cannot afford the expense or they fell upon hard times, maybe they had a tough divorce. No one knows each person's specific case and therefore should not be so quick to judge a homeless person as a bum, or a criminal. It could happen to anyone and we'd do best to remember that.

Unreachable? Not so much...

There's no doubt that our generation is the generation of technology. People are attached to their technological devices; parents can't seem to attend their kids' soccer games without having their cell phone and pager on their belts. Teenagers are constantly seen texting away or chatting on their cell phones. It seems to have become a part of our culture. Is this a good thing? Is it harmful? I think it is a bit of a shame. If it's not a cell phone, it's the computer; most people check their myspace and facebook daily, if not multiple times a day. Are we so preoccupied with socializing through technology?
The term "unreachable" is very appealing to me. Who wants to have their phone ringing all day? What's wrong with going outside with your family on a hot summer day? On the weekends, I'll sometimes go an entire day with my cell phone in my room, my computer off while I play baseball or soccer with my family. I don't understand why young people today are like this, but I don't think it's very good. Especially with the obesity rates constantly climbing, these internet activities are harmful because they have people sitting at their computer all day.
This technology definitely makes people less personable and less sociable face-to-face. Texting and facebook means no discussions in person and people are worse at conversing than ever. It makes me think of the recent movie Wall-E which showed a possible, very negative, outcome of all the technology in the world. No one talks to each other at all face-to-face, everything is electronic. No one even has to walk - there are moving chairs. Everyone is so lazy and has gotten so fat that their bones are almost non-existent. Now, I don't believe that this will actually happen, but I do believe that if things are abused and we keep becoming more and more dependent on technology, it is a slight possibility. Kind of a scary thought. Perhaps a little scare is all some people need to put down their cell phones and pagers and get off the computer and actually spend a little time with their families.