The 99% and Sociological Imagination

"I am 42 years old, with a graduate degree. I am one of the lucky ones. I work three jobs. I am a teacher, an interpretr, and a braille processor. I work as much as I can because I am the sole support of my household, and I am the only one with health insurance. We live paycheck to paycheck. I am lucky, but I too am part of the 99%"

Why desire for economic security is not being met- She works 3 jobs and has a graduate degree, yet still lives paycheck to paycheck.

More fair situation- Improved health care plans and even taxing (between the 99% and the 1%).

Relates to social class- This woman most likely used to think that hard work and degrees would make her successful in the world, but even 3 jobs and a graduate degree is not enough for her to provide for her family.

Chose this image- I chose this image because its scary to think that people as successful as this woman struggle in the world.

"My name is Abby. I am a highschool student, turning 18 in seven months. Never before have I been more ashamed or frightened to be an American. We need to change this before we all crash and burn. Do your part, occupy EVERYWHERE."

Why desire for economic security is not being met- Frightened to be an American adult because the economy is so shaky.

More fair situation- Occupying will help demand economic rights like equal taxing between the rich and the poor.

Relates to social class- Students think that with proper education and hard work, they will do okay in the real world. But, this is hardly the case.

Chose this image- I chose this image because it shows how scared students are to become an adult enter the real world. This girl is ASHAMED to be an American, all because of the economy.

Why desire for economic security is not being met- She cannot pay off her student loans and does not feel like she is providing the best life for her sons.

More fair situation- Improved child support benefits (benefitting the many, not the few), improved student loan systems.

Relates to social class- This mom also thought that hard work and education would make her successful. Now she realizes that one unexpected expense can push her off the edge and force her to live paycheck to paycheck.

Chose this image- I chose this image because I think it shows that the American Dream is not achievable for many people. Even if people try incredibly hard to receive education, it still may not be enough.

Positive Deviance

       Deviant behavior is different than the norm. Positive deviance means violating the norms of society by doing something positive. Random acts of kindness are the most common examples of positive deviance. It's doing something nice when you don't necessarily have to, or it is unexpected. Diaz's response to the mugger was an act of positive deviance because not only was he breaking a social norm, but he was doing it in a positive way. The last thing the mugger probably expected was a random act of kindness from the person he was mugging. Even though the mugger was doing a horrible thing to Diaz, Diaz was so generous in return. He looked past the social norm and looked out for the teen.

      My act of positive deviance was buying Jamba Juice for a cute elderly couple behind me. This qualifies as an act of positive deviance because it is unusual for a person to spend money on people they've never met before. Personally, I have never seen this happen. I expected whoever was behind me would feel awkward, but would appreciate it in the end.

     After paying for my Razzmatazz, I didn't move over to wait for my drink to be ready. I turned around and motioned for the elderly couple to come closer. My friends had no idea what I was doing, and stared at me with a weird look. The couple smiled awkwardly and asked if I needed anything, but I told them to order whatever they wanted and it would be on me. The elderly lady smiled awkwardly and her husband kindly denied my offer. But, I insisted. After 30 seconds of awkwardness the couple finally ordered a small mango-a-go-go and strawberries wild (small size because they probably felt bad for me paying for it). I paid for their drinks and while we were waiting for the drinks to be ready, the couple asked me why I did what I did. I told them that I was feeling generous that day, and a random act of kindness would do me good. After I left Jamba Juice my friends told me that what I did was so random, but nice. This assignment made me feel awkward at first but when the elderly couple smiled back at me it made it all worth while. People in this generation don't expect random acts of kindness, so when they happen it seems like a bigger deal than it should be. Spending about 5 extra dollars on strangers shouldn't be unusual.

Gender

3) I agree with Goffmans statement. I didn't notice anything big about the ad's in the movie until Jhally pointed out the postures and gestures and everything. Nothing seemed strange to me. It's not until I looked closely and started to think about the specifics that I realized how strange gender displays are. Also, I thought it was interesting when we looked at pictures of girls doing feminine poses and then guys doing feminine poses and I immediately thought the men were gay...even though the poses were the exact same. Women's gender displays are so different than mens.

5) Until we watched this movie I never payed attention to the different body positions shown in magazines. Now I realize that women are almost always shown lying down, tilting their heads up, knees bend, or holding up a foot off balance. These positions make it seem like women are defenseless, powerless, submissive, de-centered, and ungrounded. In contrast, men are always photographed with their heads straight or titled town, standing up, eyes piercing like an animal stalking prey. Also with hands, women are not ever holding the object, it's floating in their hand or they are barely touching it. Men grasp the object firmly.

8) Charlie's angels did not break the code. Although they appear confident, empowered, in charge, and controlling the action, they are shown sexily throughout the rest of the movie, and in ads. Specifically, there is the scene where Cameron Diaz is dancing in her room in her underwear. She is supposed to be this tough action fighter, but underneath the surface she is still feminine.