Response Paper 9

Chelsea Billek

November 17, 2011

SOC 1000-15

Response Paper 9

            Secularization is when a society begins to stray away from connection with religious values or places of worship and migrates towards values that lack religious meaning.  This is commonly seen when a society begins to progress to a more modernized lifestyle. In doing so, the focus lies on more rational ideas or the abandonment of religion all together. This can be seen among many different social groups through out the United States due to higher prioritized thoughts that do not include religion. Speaking on behalf of my own social group, I believe this trend is very common.

            Being that I am from a small town, I have known most of the people in my graduating class since preschool or kindergarten. Roselle Park, the town I reside in, is predominantly Christian in religion. I attended CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes with a majority of these kids throughout our childhood and saw most of them at church. As years progressed and we grew older, we had all celebrated the first four of the seven Catholic sacraments. These include Baptism, Eucharist or Communion, Reconciliation, and finally Confirmation. Confirmation is basically the celebration of becoming a mature adult who regularly practices and worships the religion. After this fourth sacrament, I noticed many people begin to stray away from the Christian faith. Most of my friends had stopped attending church and did not seem invested in the religion at all, including myself.

            I believe many factors contribute to this decline in worship and religious practices. Personally, I attribute my loss of faith to three main things.  My family’s lack of worship definitely had a large impact on mine. The fact that they seemed to lose interest in it after my confirmation led me to wonder why I should do differently. Other then fulfilling the requirements for my brother to celebrate the same four sacraments I did, our worship really went no further. The second component that led me away from my faith was the loss of free time I normally had. As I grew older, similar to most other adolescents, I gained many new responsibilities. Being a student, three-sport athlete, and holding a job did not leave much time for me to do anything otherwise. Therefore, any time I had to myself was spent with friends or family doing other activities. Finally, the awareness of other religions definitely put a hinder on my religious affiliation. Once I learned about the numerous different religions in this world, it was hard to determine why Christianity was the proper one for me. It is a free choice as to what religion you would like to practice and until now Christianity had ultimately been forced upon me after birth. Also, the number of religions that exist causes one to think which is actually viable. Religions put reasoning behind many questions asked regularly such as where did the human race come from? Most religions answer this differently, so it is unclear which one is right in their assumptions.

            On the other hand, religion can be considered growing as well. Given there are many people losing faith due to one reason or another, there are also people finding it. In this modernized society, there are just as many downfalls as there are uprisings. Problems such as the economy, crime-rate, and illnesses can all contribute to some people’s discovery of faith. When hard times hit, many will look for inspiration or guidance wherever they can find it. This is easily found in many religions. Being that religion answers many questions pertaining to the past and provides hopefulness for the future, it is common for people in search of optimism to begin finding it through faith. This way, they can prey about their problems and for the strength and patience to overcome them. Not everyone can find an easy remedy to their problems, but religion provides comfort for these few.

Response Paper 8

Chelsea Billek

November 11, 2011

SOC 1000(15)

Response Paper 8

            Though the functionalist and conflict perspectives on gender stratification differ, both have sensible arguments. A dominant example of correlating elements in the two theories is the inevitability of stratification. On one side, functionalists believe that stratification is imperative for a society to operate well. Yet, opposing conflict theorists believe it to cause tension and conflict. From only these basic summaries of both theories’ view, I feel that one could find some sensibility behind each of them.

            When considering the functionalist view, I agree that some sort of gender stratification is important to society. In certain aspects of life, there are times where a man is more qualified for the job as opposed to a woman. That is the undeniable truth, although it does not mean some woman could not do the job just as well. Depending on the job, the same principle could apply for women too.  When hiring a construction worker, it would be more sensible to choose someone physically fit. In general, men are usually stronger than woman so a man might be more suitable for that position. On the other hand, a position for a child sitter might be something geared more towards women. This is because women tend to be better with kids then men because of their motherly instincts.

            With that being said, the conflict theory can also apply as well. When society directs a position towards one sex as opposed to the other, conflict usually follows. There will always be people that believe they are being treated unfairly. Whether this is true or not, someone will always argue decisions as such. They think they are well qualified for the job regardless of what society thinks is best. Given we tends to avoid conflict, it could be beneficial. If someone argues the decision of society, they are not always necessarily wrong. Debate and argument helps us in seeing multiple views of the matter at hand and enables us to address each accordingly. Therefore, everyone’s voice is heard and everybody’s concerns are met.

            I have experienced gender stratification at my place of employment. I work at a jewelry store as a sales associate. Although I sell merchandise, I also take care of many other things including the store’s website and the photography of the jewelry. I have held this position for a little over a year and consider myself a very hard worker. Recently, my manager informed me that for the holidays, our busiest time of year, he would like me to revert to selling silver. Usually, new associates work with the silver being that it is the most inexpensive section of our store. This took me back because there are two new employees, both of which are male, who have started working there since. According to the store’s policy, they should be the ones designated to the silver pieces. My manager noticed I looked rightfully concerned by his decision, and consoled me by explaining why this was so. He said that people in my age group would be buying the most silver, and males my age would be willing to spend more money if I was waiting on them.

            Even though I understand my manager’s motives in designating me to the silver, I do not agree with the way he is going about it. I do not think he should limit me to only selling silver. I have much more experience with all of the jewelry then either of the new people. If anything, he should designate them to only silver and ask me to focus more on silver than other items. This way, I will still be allowed to sell other things, but will mainly be by the silver as he wants me to be. I feel this is gender stratification because if either of the new employees were female, my boss would have asked them to sell silver. But since I was the most recent employee hired who was female, I was asked to do it. I know my concern is supposed to lie in the business’ best interest, but not at the expense of my own justice.

Response Paper 7

Chelsea Billek

November 3, 2011

SOC 1000-15

Response Paper 7

My first recollection of race was probably around the age of three or four when my grandmother would baby-sit me.  I would go over her house and while doing so, met a young boy who lived next door that was African American.  I remember one day after playing with him, I asked my grandmother how come the boy next door had darker skin then I did.  She explained to me that he was from a different race, but the same inside and ultimately no different from me.  I do not remember thinking much of it and as I grew up in a mostly white dominate community; I did not have much interaction with other races.  Around 5^th grade was when I started noticing other ethnicities: Hispanic, African American and Asian.  Although the large number of new people moving to my town had a lot to do with this, that alone was not the only factor. This was also around the same time I started watching television that often times showcased different stereotypes of different races.  One show I remember seeing as a child flipping through channels was “The Dave Chapelle Show.” The sitcom had several characters that would often times exaggerate different stereotypes for different races.  This along with other social media outlets was where I started to learn and develop my own opinions about race and ethnicity. 

            Society today seems to use race and or ethnicity in almost every facet that is possible.  Unfortunately race is often times used as a crutch to explain how someone is treated unfairly.  Although this may or may not be true, many people are often too quick to pull the race card as a reason they did not get something they thought they deserved. These vary among things such as a raise, a job opportunity, or a certain way they are treated. Whether society wants to acknowledge race or not, it is still a huge issue in modern America.  I feel this is often times based off of perception, which is something we cannot help.  As a whole, the country has made great strides in becoming a nation of equality.  However, the ignorance of a few can spoil it for all.  To this day, college applications and job applications still ask for your race.  There are special grants and funding for certain races and most colleges are still trying to keep the ethnic playing field even when they admit students. 

            My perception of race has changed a great deal since my first recollection, or better yet in my early childhood.  As a child I did not have or understand prejudice, I only noticed that the boy I was playing with was darker then me. It was not until I entered elementary school that I began to view people by their race. Again this was based on perception, something that is hard to change.  After the weeks I have spent in this class and the new friendships I have made here at Kean I have changed my views of race and ethnicity.  I realize that although some of the stereotypes may be true it does not define the person nor does their gender, race, or religion.  The person and the values they have been raised on and how they treat people are the only attributes that should matter.   So in a sense, I have become more understanding and welcoming of friendships with people of other races. Not that I was against them prior to this experience, I just had very limited exposure growing up in a predominantly Caucasian town.  Now I am proud to say that the darker-skinned boy who led me to my first question of race, has been one of my best friends up until this day. I believe people’s opinions on different races and ethnicities is largely based on the perceptions instilled in them at an early age. Although some people come to develop their own understanding through time, some cannot get past these prior notions. Everyone should be able to see past someone’s ethnic background, and appreciate individuals for who they really are.

Response Paper 6

Chelsea Billek

October 27, 2011

SOC 1000-15

Response Paper 6

            One’s social class position is vital information to know in order to be a productive member of society. One’s social class position can be relevant to a number of things in everyday life, such as politics and religion. Some things said to effect one’s social class position are income, occupation, education, and lifestyle. In my opinion, I, myself belong to the lower-middle class. My family as a whole, on the other hand, would probably belong to the upper-middle class. Though I was not always aware of or educated on the social classes, now is a time where it is becoming very relevant to me.

            My knowledge of the social classes began in high school. Through out the numerous history, psychology, and sociology classes I took, social class was a reoccurring theme. In high school I held a summer job and began working part time at another my senior year. I was working on obtaining my high school diploma at the time. Therefore, my class was not severely relevant to me. Once I graduated from high school and was looking into colleges, it started becoming imperative. One thing that I first encountered regarding my social class was pertaining to college tuition. The amount of tuition I would be responsible for and the amount of financial aid granted to me relied mostly on my family’s social class. Now that I am a sophomore in college, this topic has come up in work, class, and a majority of other places I find myself.

The logic behind social classes, specifically one’s own social class, is an important thing to be aware of for numerous reasons. Questions referring to your income and social status will appear on many documents one will inevitably be faced with. Not only did it appear on my college documents, but my tax documents as well. Also, if you are considering voting, it is important to know about the politician’s standings on social class. Are they in favor of doing beneficial things for your social class, or another? For these reasons, it is easy to see why this information is not taught to children at an early age. Once kids have become adolescents and become more involved in society, then they should become aware of these matters. At this time they are interacting with an older crowd and most have acquired jobs or other higher positioned places in society.

With that being said, the only time I really felt unsure of my social position was probably when I was younger. Up until my third year of high school, social class was not something imperative for me to know. My junior year of high school was the first time I became introduced to social class. At this time I experienced false consciousness because I was going through such a dramatic change in my life. I was seeing myself in relation to the rest of the world in a whole new way. I was also not very educated on the ideology behind the social classes. But, once I became better educated I made my assumption as to which class I belong in.

Response Paper 5

Chelsea Billek

October 6, 2011

SOC 1000 (15)

Response Paper 5

            In today’s world, there are many different forms of formal and informal social control. These types of controls can vary by state, town, community, etc. Formal social control is widespread and effects more people than most informal control. Although, at Kean University, I feel that formal social control is not as evident. Being a renowned university with students attending there to better themselves, it is not very common to see formal laws being imposed. Not because no one administers them, but because there is seldom a need for enforcement to step in. Most students and faculty attending Kean University see it as a privilege, and would not do something as unheard of as to disobey a law on campus. Though there are times where this does occur, they are luckily few and far between. At my place of business, the same ideology applies. I would never do something to risk losing my place there. I earn a good amount of money and again, see it as a privilege to be working there. If someone was to break the law while employed here, I strongly believe it would be grounds for automatic termination. Likewise at Kean, doing so would probably result in expulsion or another drastic form of punishment.

            Informal laws on the other hand, are much more prevalent. This is especially true in the two settings mentioned. Although informal social control can vary by person, there are many common ones shared by society. I believe both formal and informal social controls are somewhat effective, but formal control would have to be the most powerful. I feel this way because formal laws do not discriminate against race or religion. Everyone is expected to oblige to the same code, despite their personal beliefs or feelings. This is not true in informal control. That being said, society takes much bigger measures to ensure that formal laws are obeyed.

            Someone who goes against this formal social control would be considered a “deviant”. Most people see deviance as a characteristic of the person. But in reality, a deviant is someone deemed that by society. In one’s own mind, they might see nothing wrong with their reasoning or logic for breaking the formal code. They might have even had a somewhat excusable reason for doing so. Yet society, who might not know their story behind it, automatically views them as a menace to society. Also, there are groups of people that think certain laws are unjust and should be repealed. One such example that can be heard or seen today is the legalization of marijuana. A large number of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized. Therefore, someone charged with a marijuana related crime may be viewed as a deviant to some, but just the opposite to others.

Response Paper 4 - Out of Class Meet Up!

If you didn't recognize it our group met up at the STEM building! It was where we all first met and the most convenient place for us to meet up. Despite a broken camera and students staring - we had a successful photo op! Thank you to the nice construction worker who captured the last amazing photo. (:

Response Paper 4

Chelsea Billek

September 29, 2011

SOC 1000 (15)

Response Paper 4

Considering the vast diversity of the United State’s culture, it is extremely difficult to capture all of the numerous cultural groups. I have grown up in what is believed to be the boom of social media. I started with Myspace, and progressed to Face-book and Twitter. With every change in the social media, I have grown to adapt as well. There are many aspects of a person’s life that is put on display on most social media sites. Therefore, stereotypes and misnomers about different races and cultures is also very prevalent.

Although these stereotypes produced still exist, I believe through the different social media sites one can prove these theories to be either true or false. Sites such as Face-book and twitter allow individuals to voice their views and opinions on anything they wish. It also gives them the opportunity to share their knowledge with others. In doing so, they are able to show the world what they are all about. Instead of being grouped into an image that might not suit them.

Another form of social media that I follow would be through television. Even though I do not follow many news programs that depict many aspects of society, I do watch MTV regularly. MTV has gotten many negative reviews in the past, yet it has turned into somewhat of an educational and informative channel for teens and young adults. Instead of airing music videos as it has been known for, it know broadcasts series about regular adolescence going through common adversities. It teaches viewers the consequences of the decisions they make and how people cope with them. Shows such as “Teen Mom” and “True Life” do just this.

“Teen Mom” is a show that’s name basically explains it’s nature. It follows several young adults who have been faced with a child at a very young age. Each episode  follows these individuals through the struggles they face trying to deal with a new baby. In doing so, it teaches those of us who can not relate, the consequences of unprotected sex. Those who might be going through the same issue see how others cope with it and possibly learn how to get through their tough times as well. The show can instill hope and knowledge to other young moms and even those who do not have children and are interested in the process these kids are going through.

“True Life” is a very dynamic and diverse show. Each show deals with a few individuals who face different dilemmas. There have been episodes on drug abuse, financial issues, sexual topics, and various social behaviors. All things someone in my age group may face throughout life. Similar to “Teen Mom,” it brings light to the consequences and adversities these teens face. It helps us to realize that we are not alone in facing these hardships and educates us on different ways to deal with the problem at hand.

In conclusion, my awareness of the vast number of different types of social media may be small. But, the types I am aware of do capture the diversity of the United State’s culture. Through the variety of social broadcasting that I observe, stereotypes are both challenged and constructed. I believe most stereotypes have some truth behind them, but it is up to the individual to either follow or stray from them. 

Response Paper 3

Chelsea Billek

September 22, 2011

SOC 1000 (06)

Response Paper 3

            Considering my busy lifestyle, I do not consider myself someone who regularly follows the media. I am lucky if I can watch my shows on television for about an hour, and usually log on to face-book once or twice through out a normal day. Although this is not much compared to others who observe several types of media daily, the social impact of these forms of broadcasting can still be very similar.

I am not a big fan of the media for many reasons. I believe most types of media, although said to be informational, are persuading you to do something that might not always be best for you. Whether it’s to buy their product or join their club, it is like an unnecessary pressure on one’s self. The only time I will look into media ads such as the ones I described is if I am genuinely interested in what they are offering. Otherwise, it is of no use to me. I watch a few select shows on television solely for entertainment purposes. Even some of the commercials that appear throughout the show seem to either be coaxing viewers or advertising things that usually are of no interest to me.

A lot of ads broadcasted on television seem to be constantly suggesting viewers to compare themselves to the actors portrayed. It’s almost a given to see a skin cream commercial promising to make you look like the model portrayed. Another example would be an energy drink ad pledging to help you to do any daily activities with ease. I find this comparable to the peer pressure one might suffer from in a social setting. I don’t think I would have such a negative outlook on these types of media if they were sincere in their word, but they are not a majority of the time.

Face-book is another form of social media. When first created, it was meant to be a social networking site to connect with friends, family, or acquaintances. In turn, from its growing popularity, it has turned into almost a virtual altar ego for some. Recently, face-book has changed the lay out of their website and that alone has become a news worthy story. The fact that a mere website has such a big impact on people’s life is unsound. Society places too much emphasis on social media and in turn, it is ruining people’s ability to interact face to face. It is also altering their perception of what is important, and what is unnecessary.

With that being said, I feel that social media goes against my norms and values. The first example that contradicts my beliefs is the tendency of the media to pressure or intimidate viewers. Whether it’s through bribes or ultimatums, I do not believe this is the right way to go about advertising anything. An advertiser should want their possible consumers to feel comfortable working with them and confident in their products abilities. Besides making viewers feel uncomfortable, I believe the media tends to lie a lot. Lying definitely goes against my norms and values and probably many other people as well. Social media has way too much of an impact on people’s life and it is taking a lot of negative tolls on society.

Response Paper 2

Chelsea Billek

September 15, 2011

SOC 1000 (15)

Response Paper 2

Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. One’s culture makes up a lot of who they are as a person and is therefore very important. From birth we are taught to adjust to this culture we are thrust into and eventually become very comfortable within it. But, there are times when we experience a new, different culture that is not familiar to us. The feeling one gets when this occurs is called culture shock. Culture shock is anyone who feels disoriented, uncertain, out of place, or even fearful when immersed in an unfamiliar culture.

I myself have experienced culture shock when I first went to college. Most people might expect one to be subjected to culture shock when they visit a new country or something of that nature, but I have never left the United States. There are many different cultures other than the obvious different civilizations around the world. Going from a high school atmosphere to a college atmosphere can definitely be viewed as a change in lifestyle. Many things changed including the length of my classes, the people I encountered, and the subjects being studied. In high school, we were in class from 8 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon. We studied the normal fundamental classes such as math and english, and were allowed to pick a few elective classes such as technical drawing or wood shop. Being from a small town, I was surrounded by a majority of the same people I had known since kindergarten.

Once I began college, things changed drastically. Given my college is only 5 minutes from my house, it is surprising that I barely knew anyone in my new classes. This alone was very intimidating and some-what worrisome. The classes were also dramatically different. Instead of studying things forced upon me by the curriculum, I was able to pick a major and took classes pertaining to my field of interest. Not only was the subject matter different, but these classes ranged in length and days taught. Some classes were once a week, while others might be three times a week. This was not as unsettling as all the strangers surrounding me. Instead, it was a lot more manageable of a schedule than being in class from 9-3 everyday.

I do not believe ethnocentrism played a large part in this experience. Although in my high school years they tried to fully prepare us for the college life, it was in fact very different than high school. I never saw high school as the normal way of education or superior to that of other forms of education. I believe education can take many forms depending on the subject matter taught and the group of subjects being taught as well. Therefore, no culture of learning can be above another in my opinion. I did learn though, that the college life style is one that offers more responsibility and flexibility for the student. There is not a strict curriculum like that in grade school and students are able to make their own decisions pertaining to classes and scheduling. Although college seems a little overwhelming at first and caused me to go through some minor culture shock, it is a culture that is easy to get accustomed to after a few weeks.

Response Paper 1

Chelsea Billek

September 8, 2011

SOC-1000(15)

Response Paper 1

The study of sociology would benefit myself and a majority of others in their education and career goals. Sociology is the study of social behavior and various human groups. One who studies it will focus on social relationships and how societies change and develop. With that understanding, it is rather easy to see how its study could service nearly anyone. No matter what your situation, it is almost inevitable that you will be dealing with different people on a day to day basis. By learning about sociology, one can learn to cope with the different personalities they may encounter in a more compelling and advantageous way. 

My circumstances are no different. I am an industrial design major at Kean University and work at a store called Walter Bauman’s Jewelry. I’ve met many new people along the way and plan on doing so even more as I continue on my path to a career. Although Kean University might be small in comparison to other schools, it is in fact one of the most diverse schools in the country and educates nearly 16,000 students. The jewelry store i work in is also small, but is one of four stores in their chain.  It is also located near the heart of union making it a sought-after location for residents in the surrounding towns. In addition, it has also been voted best jewelry store in New Jersey for a couple years running. I could come across customers that range in age from 18 to 80. Being that I come across so many different people everyday, sociology can teach me how to relate to them in a different, more in depth way than I usually would. Therefore, benefitting not only my social skills, but whomever I come across as well.

As a student at Kean, I am part of a student body and a university. As a sales person, I am part of a sales team and a chain of jewelry stores. These are only some of the various social groups I belong to. Studying sociology will help me recognize these groups and the way they work in a new way. I will be able to take a step back and look at the groups I belong to and how they work instead of just my own personal role in them. But, in terms of my career, I believe sociology will aid me even more.

It is important as an industrial designer to be aware of your clientele, their desires and requests, and the people your product could possibly be used by. In order to understand them, sociology is key. The scientific method used by sociologists and other scientists is something that could be, if not already is, used by industrial designers as well. When designing a product, a designer must go through a lot of, or possibly even all of the same steps. Being that an industrial designer thrives on their creations, and the scientific method, or something similar to it, is commonly used it is a crucial tool. In reality, a sociologist uses a lot of the same methods to formulate research as a designer might to produce a product. Some of these procedures include the scientific method, research design, quantitative research and qualitative research. My career choice as an industrial designer would not be as effective or lucrative without sociology’s methods and research.