In class we talked about race and how people think it is completely biological but after our discussion we realized that it isn't. As a society, we create the image that we think about when we think of a certain race. When we think of a race we think of categories that come along with that race such as the way those people are supposed to dress and act. I think it's really cool that race is something we as people have created and it is not something we are born with. Most people think that once your born you are the race of your parents, but it goes past that. Our blood is the same as the person with a completely different race as us so in reality there is no difference at all. Throughout the years we have continued to judge other races and come up with what we believe is the way they act, dress, etc. In my favorite tv show, Keeping up the Kardashians, Khloe Kardashian recently married Lamar Odom. When Khloe's step dad first met Lamar Odom he had a previous idea that he was just like any other "thug" guy. After Khloe's step dad looked past Lamar and started to get to know him and learn about his background he realized that he lived a hard life and has overcome a lot of struggles in his life and he began to respect him more. I think in general people need to not judge other races and get rid of the previous stereotypes that they might have.

Social Class

This week we talked about social class and how in society today once you are born into a poor family, it is hard to break that cycle to become wealthy. We watched a video that discussed a family who was dirt poor and then compared it to a family in the Hamptons. I was able to relate to the video of the family who was dirt poor because their life was similar to one of my family members. On my dad's side of the family no one in his family went to college except my dad. When my dad finsished college and got his degree, a few years ago he decided to go back to school and become a lawyer. My dad is almost 40 years old, so for someone his age going back to school to recieve another degree is a big deal, especially in his family. During the time when my dad was in school, he quit his job so my family was only living off my mom's salary as a teacher which isn't a ton. It didn't really seem like a big deal, but it had a drastic change in the way my family dealt with money and what we did and didn't spend our money on. My dad's sister, my Aunt Mary has no college education and is the manager of Wawa in a little town in New Jersey. She has four kids, 2 who don't have a college degree, one who is my age and doesn't plan on going to college, ever, doesn't plan/want to take the ACT, and one who is a year younger than me, who also doesn't plan on going to college. We learned that part of this is because once you become used to how your family lives it is hard to break that cycle. My mom and I always talk about this and how my dad was the person in his family to break his cycle of children not attending college, but my Aunt Mary hasn't broken her own cycle and either will her kids so they will all grow up living like her because from her they have gotten the attitude of "my mom is fine living her life the way she does so I will be able to also." Both my Uncle Anthony and Uncle Michael both chose to enter the Army and not attend college. Back then, it wasn't hard to find a job, but now that they both have young children they have realized how important college really is and they will also break the cycle for their children in order for them to have the opportunity for a better life filled with more opportunities. Social class follows us everywhere and I know when I go to college there are going to be people less fortunate and more fortunate than I am so I am going to have to keep an open mind and realize that not everyone is as fortunate as I am and to be able to get used to the differences in people.

Social Class

This week we talked about social class and how it affects our lives. I have realized that social class really does affect who we are, who we hang out with, and how we act. In the movie that we watched today, we heard the most ignorant person alive talk about his life and his high-end social class. I think this guy is a complete joke. He thought that because he lived in his million dollar house, actually he would probably tell you billion or trillion, and did all these extravagent things that he was better than you because of it. Eventhough he was born and raised to think that he is better than everyone else and that everyone is almost less important than him, because they didn't have as much money as he did. I remember when I went to my friend Brennen's house in Georgia whose family owns Orkin( the bug killing company) so they are extremely wealthy. The way that her entire family presents themselves is in a completely respectful manner and even her 13 year old sister is the most polite person I have ever met. In Brennen's community everyone there is in the WASP group. They are some of the richest people I have ever met, but in Brennen's case she doesn't nearly act like them partially because she has seen the world and experienced other things besides this WASP group. Her parents on the other hand, are a completely different story. Her parents want EVERYONE to know who they are, what they own, how much money they have, and basically how unfortunate you are to not be like them, basically I think her parents are crazy. If you bring something up that you own, they will be sure to tell you that they have the nicest one, or the newest one and how they can not believe you would ever own such an "old, outdated" item. I think that everyone lives their lives differently, but it has definetly showed me that social class does play a big role in our society and how we interact with others.