en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2402505 Comments by CDashSmoove http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139173719 There will never be true equality in this nation that we all share and live in. the main reasons why I say that this is so, is because the people who possess the most power are obviously the wealthiest. When we go to school to work hard, is it to say we are working hard in school just to work for a higher power or another boss. People always say that they want to start up their own business and be the CEO of a large corporation. The way this system all breaks down, is that if you come from a family of wealth and you attend an Ivey League college, those people will end up becoming the CEOs of businesses. As twisted as this cycle may seem, it is the truth. People who are not as privileged will attend good colleges, but that will surely only land you a position in a company and work for the more privileged student, who essentially is now that CEO. They say the rich will be rich and the poor will be poor. This to me means that the economy is based around the top tier and percentage of wealthy people. The poor or lower tier of class in this economy have to deal with more taxes and more fees that end up putting money back into the pockets of these greedy top tier players in this game of life that we all are apart. Equality can mean more than just financial stability, it gets deeper than that. Just being able to live free and indulge in the entire God given freedoms is plenty enough for some people to live. But the thought have possessing all material items and of course the root of all evil, money is what really drives people. Equality cannot be achieved in all senses yet due to prejudice and racism. Equality to me can be defined as living in harmony, no social classes, rights and freedom to all, of course within the constitution and justice system. The inequality is brought up through oppression of those who are not as financially secure as others. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 18:53:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139173719 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137620437 The thought that religion could become obsolete in some nations can only be theorized due to numerical evidence. The culture and society today is very controversial and rebellious. Band wagon people who are passive and submit to peer group pressure will be included in the numbers of a name of a growing culture called, “No Religion,” this category is said to become more of a trend in years far to come, but eventually religion as a whole will come to an end because of the non belief and no interest or fear, as the video mentioned. The non-believing community will be the majority instead of the minority. This was all statistical evidence has only two opinions about this matter. I feel that as an individual at that very personal level, your own intellect will carry your faith and religion through. As a population it may be difficult for weak-minded people to maintain their faith. The idea is not very farfetched with the amount of evolutions of past century that have taken place socially. My next opinion stands that if a person lives a civil and gracious life with the thought process of a person who does not believe in religion, is that so wrong? Can they be considered decent and live a life of morality, something along the lines of the 10 commandments. Abstaining from killing, stealing and coveting a neighbor’s possession are all laws, but in divine way the consequences of doing so definitely can result in performing venial or mortal sins. When all perish they will truly understand what all the faith and prayer and understanding of religion really means. As of now, faith is all we can live our lives and base it around in a spiritual sense. The social dominance of the youth today and groups portrays their ideologies of not having a religious based life to the passive individual. The hegemonic powers in Ireland, Finland, and Canada who’s non religious numbers are skiing are the starting point of this revolution. The endemic will stretch to nations all over the world eventually. Religion is arguably not necessary to maintain a moral and hay life. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:41:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137620437 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533708 The negative effects of the winnings could be the people you seemed to not be in contact with for sometime, who run to a winner all of a sudden with open hands to try and collect some of the winnings. Hate and envy could ruin a family along with the purchasing of material items and not managing the money earned wisely. Personally if I won the lottery I would pay off all outstanding bills I may have had at the time, help my immediate family out financially, save, and donate some to charities within this country. I would build my parents a new house and buy them new cars and pay their bills. I feel I would gain much happiness as compensation for all of the sacrifices they ever made for me financially or in any other way. That to me is the true meaning of happiness. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 03:25:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533708 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533649 To me it is simply the perspective at which we look into actually being happy. With the simple life and a job and an average car, but having love and family and people who support you in your life is my definition of happiness. All money does, in my opinion is bring more luxuries that people were previously not embellished with into their personal belongings. It makes you feel a sense of happiness when material items can be purchased. It’s not real happiness; to be happy is to be breathing fresh air in a nation of democracy, living a life with a clean bill of health. The angle at which a person examines happiness before and after the money and the lottery winnings occurred, can show you just how happy you could be without the lottery winnings. Sat, 5 Mar 2011 03:25:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533649 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533613 The psychological and sociological affects that winning the lottery could have on a human being can be positive or negative. The winnings of a lottery as explained in the reading could bring great happiness to a person’s life and their whole family tree, or it could bring grief, hate, envy, and could go as far as death and threats. Winning the lottery is a random occurrence and is an indirect way to make those who duck tax collections pay up. The major question is, “When the money goes, will the honeys stay,” as rapper Jay-z explained in a hit song he had. Can money really bring a person personal happiness? Sat, 5 Mar 2011 03:24:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/the-lottery-as-a-blessing-or-a-curse/#IDComment132533613 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130758394 Stranger kidnapping is an activity that happens daily and routinely in this country. Pedophilia and people who seek the thrill of the moment, opportunists, relish the moment of child abduction. Typically these people who look to kidnap children attack when a child is separated or a guardian is not closely watching the child. In an instant, just like the attempted kid napping from the video, your child could be lost forever. The nanny fighting back in defense for her child is an instinctual action. The man tried to proceed down the street as if nothing at all had occurred. Parents and guardians now have the question of how to protect their young from kidnapping. What is the best approach to take? When the lives of our children are at stake, you have to keep your child in your eyesight, and have your children’s hands closely wrapped inside f tour. Is simply saying to your child, “Do not talk to strangers!” stay close to me, do not walk off, and hold my hand. Then take into account where you live and what surroundings your child can come into contact with daily. A large big urban city like the borough of Manhattan in New York is a perfect place for an abduction to occur. The opportunists see the Manhattan Island as a playground for scooping children. I believe that advising our children to watch out for strangers and not to talk to random people is good idea. We need to protect our children with the precautions that could save lives and heartbreak. Sometimes strangers are too friendly and go out of their way to be very intuitive and introduce themselves. It is in the sociology of human beings to be cordial and curious and friendly at times to people that we do not know personally. Is giving the advice and knowledge to children that there are bad people who exist to do bad things enough. Or do we let life take its course and not educate. People are personable and are always looking to observe something including children. It’s a sad world. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 03:58:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130758394 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment128622783 This video brings the reality of other cultures directly to us. Polygamy sounds very farfetched in today’s western ideology, but in far lands across the world, it is perfectly accepted. In this instant I am not talking about the marriage comprised of a man with multiple husbands who is customary in some countries in Africa, but multiple husbands and one wife. As the video and text noted to us, the marriage ratio of women to men is simply in place to have indirect control over the population of people in Asia. Since it was only considered one baby per household, and preferably male, there are ideologues that I just cannot understand. Killing the unborn 2nd child, whether it being a boy or girl is horrific, mostly girls are aborted or killed to keep numbers from rising. This to me is deplorable; a nation that needs to control the number of citizens that may inhabit it, for reasons that are not substantial is not only immoral but ridiculous. Large family trees are not prohibited in our nation today. Children are not cheap as some parents today would agree, the more kids you have, the more financial burden is placed on a family. So people usually have children in accordance to the numbers that can be within their means financially. I know women in my culture would not be able to accept sharing their spouse with other women. Marriage is between one man and one woman, nothing else. Children can come as many as the human body can manage, with no restrictions on the number. Men on the other hand still would not like to see their mate being shared with two other men. We are not selfish in the sense, but we have not been naturalized to accept such an idea. One man and one women share the right of matrimony in a ceremony and paperwork. Our partners are not pre-determined at birth; we have the freedom and free will to select any partner that we want to share our lives in love with. We have the right to one mother of our children to share the gift of bringing new life into the world. I have no negative outlook on different cultures; it is just not the way I would choose to live my life. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:28:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment128622783 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127032006 In society humans are empathetic for each other, but how far does this empathy go? To me people are empathetic towards their own people, meaning ethnicity, or religious based family. When children’s minds progress and they can start to understand that they are part of an ongoing circle of life, which is filled with all types of experiences then we have won half of the battle of life. We live to learn and interact with others and then we all eventually will die, like Sam always stresses in each of his classes. Global empathy is an idea that is too far gone, due to the industrial and economic mindset that people in the world have today. People who are empathetic towards the biosphere and the planet we live on are also empathetic to the animals and species that we share this world with. The “IBMers,” and scientists who believe in this vision of unity among all creatures on Earth, are the bright minds who have come up with the idea of solar energy instead of burning out our precious natural resources of oil etc. Hybrid cars today help maintain out atmosphere and ozone layer. The pointed out depiction with the monkey trying to open up a nut and the mirror neurons in our brains, brought the idea to my mind of, “MONEY SEE, MONKEY DO.” I show empathy towards other’s situations that I understand. If I can’t relate obviously to a person like OSAMA BIN LADEN for example, it’s for a good reason. His extremist ideas and suicide bombing plans of attack on other nations are not fathomable to me, but other people can be empathetic towards him and his culture. All views I’ve heard on the future were all not very positive. This video showed how we can have the option to change the course of humanity and live together in harmony. This video definitely opened my eyes up to the vision of and sociological ideology that a lot of people should grasp. Hegemony could be a part of the discourse whereas all the high powers of the world could instill this idea of empathy for each other and planet. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:16:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/06/empathy-might-be-our-natural-drive/#IDComment127032006 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125748826 What is social norm and conforming? People in this day in age have ideas engraved in their minds based on what society portrays to us, as the right way to do things and handle situations. The elevator skit to me was absolutely hilarious. The one individual in the scene conformed to an idea that he knew was not necessarily the right one. This can relate to ideas today in fashion, politics, even the way people speak. Slang and the way people wear their clothing and walk can all be ways of conforming. Let’s think about etiquette and chivalry for instance, who said it is truly proper to hold doors open for women when a man enters a building, or who said a watch is supposed to be worn on your left wrist? I truly believe in my heart and mind that if I was a man on the elevator when the other people stepped on, I would have remained facing the direction that I would normally assume, facing front. Taking your hat off inside indoor places of business for instance is an underlined idea set by whom? People conform to listen to different music, read different types of literature, and even convert religions depending on what people around them are doing. Should these people be considered weak minded for changing up their ways of living? The last class discussion was based on homosexuality and how people usually hide their feelings and emotions about being in or out the closet. In today’s age, people can openly come out with their feelings and ideas, and some may be influenced to try out homosexuality. This does not necessarily mean that they are conforming to becoming gay or lesbian, just because everyone in the village, in New York City is gay. Conforming is changing everything, like becoming a vegan because all your friends and classmates are vegetarians. Conforming to please others is also evident in society; individuals can feel a sense of relief that they would not be swindled into taking their hats off in the elevator, or facing a specific direction. I am confident that I wouldn’t change up. Thu, 3 Feb 2011 19:53:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment125748826 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124240391 The word freedom can stretch a very long way. Like the passage said, mental freedom versus physical freedom to wake up and watch television is totally different. Being an active member of society in a place like the United States of America for example allows you to walk, live, voice opinions, and make valid free decisions based around the basic laws of society. To lose the freedom of being able to wake up and any allotted hour and walking around in your house in pajamas all day long is heart-breaking. To not be able to start your car, and drive to the store and get groceries for your mother just seems uncommon. That is a freedom that is taken away while in jail. But the freedom to explore your mind and understand who you are as an individual cannot be taken away through your surroundings, like in prison. The mind has mental capabilities to enhance its own knowledge. The mind has the power to realize one’s self worth. As a 22 year old senior in college I know all these freedoms I have, were not necessarily free. People sweat blood, tears, and lives for our freedom. There are nations in the world where people cannot even wear a certain color shirt, without being persecuted. I am fortunate enough to be attending Penn State University with the freedom of studying any course I desire. I have the freedom to get married to whatever women I choose. I also realize I have the freedom to say no to any situation and have free will, which is part of our mental capacities. Freedom should never been taken for granted because in a heartbeat it could be taken away, if placed behind bars. I respect the fact that I live in a democratic nation and not a communist and fascist environment with dictatorship. As long as I can walk down a street and hop a cab and take it uptown to whatever block, ride with any woman of any color or creed, and can spend my own money at my own will, then I consider that true freedom. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:48:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124240391 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122567466 As a sociologist I feel inclined to tell you that, suicide is a decision that one person individually, subconsciously can make. The next question, what draws a human being to drive themselves to the point of taking their own lives? Suicide as described in the video can be strung out through serious emotional and sometimes physical despair. If a person loses their job, a job which essentially is the source and root of daily life functions. Income, bills, stress, family, all these are variables that become affected through the loss of a job. In the video the unidentifiable man expressed that losing his job was a loss of his lifestyle and well-being. He was embarrassed at the fact that his income was gone. That one thought is sometimes too much for one person to endure. People found the forest of suicide was a safe haven to commit suicide. Another point to be made is religion. I as a Roman Catholic do not believe in suicide. The commandment, “Thou shall not kill,” essentially means do not take your life or the life of any other person. I would never find myself in such a bind, where killing myself is the only option out of a situation. People feeling worthless and not having any support could lead to a person actually considering the thought that life was not worth living anymore. People resort to cutting themselves, hanging, and ingesting harmful drugs and a way to commit suicide. The next best advice to a person trying to commit suicide is to think about all the values and morals they may have set for themselves, then to think about how much of life we have not nearly experienced. We as humans have nearly touched the surface. I would ask the person to think of all the mourning and grief that their family would feel as a result of the selfish decision of suicide. To suppress yourself from a feeling of nothing inside, could only add to a negative emotion to someone else close to you. Suicide could be characterized as an epidemic to me, almost like monkey see, monkey do. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:01:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/suicide-in-japan/#IDComment122567466 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cl%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120938280 SOC 001 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:41:23 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cl%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120938280