When I first heard of Soc 119 everyone raved about the class. My friends that took the course past semesters told me how cool Sam was and the class and discussion. To be honest, going into the class I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it was about race and relations but I didn’t know his teaching style or how the class would be. The first couple weeks were awesome. I loved the set-up. I like to think of soc 119 like the movie Yes Man, with Sam walking up and down the aisles talking to class and asking people to stand up and discuss how they feel. I liked how it polled the class on typical stereotypes then gave us the real stats. I never thought of myself as racist. I used to think being racist was saying rude remarks or insulting someone of another race but its far more then just that. This class gave me a new perspective on my outlook on life. I know its cliché but you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. It’s true. Your only hurting yourself when you’re being ignorant to understand other peoples cultures. I’m glad this class has over 700 students in it because I think everyone in the college career should taker a class like this. People think the world is changing and hatred and racism is going away but there are still things implemented in our society that’s causing limitations to certain people to truly be free. I never thought I would talk about a women’s menstrual cycle in a sociology class, but it really made me think. It never occurred to me the idea of women not being free because they cant talk about their menstrual cycle. I mean personally I don’t think that means women aren’t free but it defiantly made me think about that concept for a bit. The class really opened my eyes to the problems in society and made me a more educated citizen. I hate people that are ignorant to understand the real facts or have no idea what they’re talking about and decided to preach about what they think is right. If you don’t have your facts straight don’t assume things. I think I learned that coming to assumptions about people is the worst thing you can do.
The best thing about Soc 119 was the discussion group. Out of a 700 class the discussion group’s give you chance to meet different people from your class in small group setting. I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and ideas. I felt like I could trust these people even though I didn’t know them that well, but the weird thing is by the end of the course I think I could tell a lot about each person in my group. I like the confidentiality we had in-group discussions. The only thing I would say bad about this course is that I felt like towards the end class was boring. Being white I sometimes felt targeted when certain people stood up to speak their opinions. I almost felt at times that the class was for white people to open their mind to other cultures. But it shouldn’t just be whites it should be all races learning about each other.

During the needy penis lecture, Sam asked the class what percentages of women have orgasms during sex. I was not surprised at all to see that 25% of women have orgasms during sex. I learned about that in my sex education class in high school. Sex does seem to be more male-centered because usually sex is finished when the male is done. It never seems to be when the woman has an orgasm. It’s always about male. I never thought how sex is centered on males. It’s true in most cases unless in a serious relationship. I guess it depends on the person but I do think its more common for males to sleep around than females so sex to them is more about pleasure for themselves not for the women. Men need to realize that sex isn’t just about them it’s about two people. And since men just want sex, they don’t understand the concept of an orgasm. Women are less likely to have an orgasm during sex and it’s the male’s fault. I also think the fact that it may be difficult for women to have an orgasm during sex they will fake one to make their partner happy. I don’t think that women should fake an orgasm because then their partner will think what their doing is pleasuring the female when in reality she’s just lying. I also think women are more likely to fake an orgasm in a one nightstand. It could be uncomfortable to call out your partner during sex and tell them what you want. From my past relationship, I found that after a while, I felt more comfortable with my boyfriend and the sex was definitely better. When you’re with someone for a long time, you learn about what things work and what don’t. I have a bunch of friends who admitted they never had an orgasm. They are all single and haven’t been in long-term relationships. Many women are unlikely to tell the guy their having sex with to go down on them or change positions. That’s why one-night stands may not be the best sex. The first time having sex is most likely not even going to be that good. In my long term relationship the sex wasn’t that great in the beginning at all. But more into our relationship, I felt more comfortable and trusted him. I could even open up to him to tell him what I wanted. I think communication is key. When both partners can communicate with each other then both can be pleased, not just the male. Personally, for me, I enjoyed sex better with my long-term boyfriend because I felt emotionally attached and I feel like its more intimate and enjoyable.

During the needy penis lecture, Sam asked the class what percentages of women have orgasms during sex. I was not surprised at all to see that 25% of women have orgasms during sex. I learned about that in my sex education class in high school. Sex does seem to be more male-centered because usually sex is finished when the male is done. It never seems to be when the woman has an orgasm. It’s always about male. I never thought how sex is centered on males. It’s true in most cases unless in a serious relationship. I guess it depends on the person but I do think its more common for males to sleep around than females so sex to them is more about pleasure for themselves not for the women. Men need to realize that sex isn’t just about them it’s about two people. And since men just want sex, they don’t understand the concept of an orgasm. Women are less likely to have an orgasm during sex and it’s the male’s fault. I also think the fact that it may be difficult for women to have an orgasm during sex they will fake one to make their partner happy. I don’t think that women should fake an orgasm because then their partner will think what their doing is pleasuring the female when in reality she’s just lying. I also think women are more likely to fake an orgasm in a one nightstand. It could be uncomfortable to call out your partner during sex and tell them what you want. From my past relationship, I found that after a while, I felt more comfortable with my boyfriend and the sex was definitely better. When you’re with someone for a long time, you learn about what things work and what don’t. I have a bunch of friends who admitted they never had an orgasm. They are all single and haven’t been in long-term relationships. Many women are unlikely to tell the guy their having sex with to go down on them or change positions. That’s why one-night stands may not be the best sex. The first time having sex is most likely not even going to be that good. In my long term relationship the sex wasn’t that great in the beginning at all. But more into our relationship, I felt more comfortable and trusted him. I could even open up to him to tell him what I wanted. I think communication is key. When both partners can communicate with each other then both can be pleased, not just the male. Personally, for me, I enjoyed sex better with my long-term boyfriend because I felt emotionally attached and I feel like its more intimate and enjoyable.

In class, we looked up the map of the highest porn sites visited by other countries and the United State. I thought this was interesting. I was shocked by some of the results and I’m sure the entire class felt the same way. It’s cool that Sam showed this because it got the class to think why these countries look up certain porn. In countries where being gay is frowned upon some of the top viewed porn was gay. In Chile, mostly all of them are gay pornogphray. I’m not sure what the culture is like in Chile and if they are against homosexuality but that was crazy. Some of the things that showed up were odd and disgusting. In South Korea, shitting and toilet made the top ten. I don’t understand that but I think as far as gay porn there could be a few explanations. If homosexuality is unacceptable in a specific country then it would difficult for gays and lesbians to explore their sexuality. They are either curious because they don’t know what its like or that could be the only form of pleasure for them. This class made me view pornography in a different way. I never thought of it as an educational way for gays to express themselves. It’s sad that they have to hide their feelings and resort to a computer screen to understand their sexual preference. It made me think that is the top sites visited were gay then the population of the people in that country either are homosexuals or just enjoy watching gay porn. I certainly think in countries other then the United States it’s not common to be openly gay. Even in America, people have a problem with it but I think now homosexuals are more open about their sexuality. Seeing the gay lifestyle in public is much more common in America. I think this map shows the population of people that are struggling with their identity. The map didn’t show numbers but I wonder what it would be if it did.
Another thing I found interesting was when Sam showed the map of the United States and the top viewed pornography in each state. In Kentucky, the top site is free gay porn. I would have never thought that. In the southern states like Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, the number one was ebony. I was shocked. I thought racism was worse there then in the north. I know there’s racism everywhere but I thought the south was still racist towards blacks. This just shows how insecure the world is about their sexual preference. People use the Internet to satisfy their needs in some sense. I never thought pornography and sociology could correlate in this way. I’m glad Sam showed this to the class.

If I could use any outlet to send a message to America, I would definitely use social media. Our society is extremely media based and any message in the media would be seen. Now there are tons of issues and messages I would like to send to America but one in particular would be to stop being ignorant and have an open mind. It’s sad how many people are so closed-minded and shun away other people. How are we supposed to get past racism and stereotypes if people won’t accept other peoples differences? An example would be gay marriage or even gays in general. I don’t understand why people are so against it. Everyone has the right to love and marry whom he or she wants or be with whomever. I understand marriage is said to be a man and women but that was in the past. I think a lot of it has to do with the past generations. It wasn’t acceptable back in day and because it wasn’t part of some peoples lifestyles it was seen as against the norm. And religion plays a role in what people think is right or wrong. I’m not very religious so I never let my religion control how I think but I think some people let it. I can see how it can be hard to go against what you were born to believe but whose right is it to say who you can and cannot love. I have a few gays in my family and they are very happy. One of them wants to get married to her girlfriend, I want her to be happy, and I hope that people can accept equality for gay marriage because it shouldn’t be frowned upon or illegal. I grew up to accept anyone. I do think our generation is moving towards a more open society but I think some people need that push. I wish there was a way to place people in a situation where they have to have an open mind. I know it can be hard to be placed in a situation where you feel uncomfortable but that’s how you break out of your comfort zone. People like to stay content with their lives and explore the world around them. America is filled with diverse cultures and ways of life. It may be different but that doesn’t mean its wrong in any sense. I have friends whose cultures are very different then mine and at times I may not understand their culture but I would love to learn about it. I find it cool to learn about other cultures and backgrounds. Once you learn about other cultures, you may feel more accepting of it. I’m not saying to practice other people’s traditions but it’s important to learn these things to stop racism. Racism is based a lot upon stereotypes. And these stereotypes root from a small percentage of the ethnic group.

I have mixed feelings about this question. To start I think it depends on the type of job being offered. If the job entails an entry level person then I don’t think it really matters who is more qualified or not. If the skills and can learned who’s to say that the person being hired wouldn’t be a good employee. From the example in class when the male student stood in front of the class and said his dad got him a painting job, I don’t think that’s really a problem. Now on the other hand if his dad got him a job with the government or doctors position and he wasn’t qualified then problems will occur. From past experiences I have gotten my friends jobs at places I worked because I was a good employee and my boss trusted me. I worked at Rita’s water ice and the job is very simple. The job can be taught to anyone but my boss trusted my word when I said my friend would be a valuable employee to have. My friend was a good and loyal employee and my boss has thanked me for that. I think with those types of jobs it doesn’t matter. On the other hand, more serious jobs like being a Doctor, I don’t think it’s appropriate to use nepotism. The person most qualified should receive the job. If I was an employer and my friend wanted a job, I would offer them a position if they had the skills I was looking for. I understand it may seem unfair but I just think that’s just how our society works. I also think the people that are against nepotism probably haven’t had the opportunity offered to them. I think if someone was offered a job through a friend, parent, or relative they would take it. I think it depends on the type of person and their morals if they would accept the job or not. For me personally I would rather deserve the job. I do think it’s nice to have a foot in the door when trying to find a job but actually getting it, I want to earn it. For example, this summer I wanted an internship in Los Angeles. My uncle lives there and knows a lot of people. He got me the contact information for a person in an advertising agency. He just got me the number and recommended me for the job. I did everything else myself. Obviously because my uncle referred me for the job the employer was interested in offering me an interview but I believe because of my skills and qualifications I got the job. I work hard in school and outside school so I know I well deserved the position.

To me I think menstruation is a personal issue. We all learn about it at a young age and even then, it was awkward to discuss. At the young age when we learn about this, we were spilt up from male and female. I think that separation to learn about the male and female reproduction process set up how was spilt to discuss it now. I don’t think it would have been better to share this information in the same room because I think it would be harder to pay attention. When I was in high school, I took a sexual education class senior year with males in the class. We all learn about the same information and to be honest some lessons were just awkward. A lot of my guy friends wouldn’t want me to talk about the details of my period, I would just be disgusting to them. Just because I wouldn’t talk about my period in front of them doesn’t mean I’m not free. I choose to not talk about it because I don’t want to. I don’t feel the need to share that. I think most females would agree because it really is something personal. Not many females will feel comfortable shouting out they have their period. There are the select few who would shout out they are on their period but to me that’s strange. I think it shouldn’t be used in common conversations.
The whole “not being free” to me doesn’t make sense. If you put males and females in a room and ask them to listen to a female talk about her period, they would be disgusted and have no interest in the conversation. It’s just how females wouldn’t want to hear males talk about masturbation. When Sam asked the class who masturbates only a few guys raised their hands. It just shows how much it really is personal. I’m not saying males aren’t free to talk about whatever they want but it’s just not, what should be talked about in public conversations. I also think it has to do with the fact the class is gender mixed. In a class of all females, I’m sure the topic of menstruation would be okay to talk about. I would feel more comfortable sharing that with other females. I think a lot has to do with the connection of sharing the same experience. And the same goes for males. I’m sure it would be easier for males to discuss their personal issues with other males. It’s just how society is. The bottom line is there are just some things we don’t like to talk about with others. And also sharing personal things shouldn’t be a problem either, I just think its more acceptable to not share certain things.

If I were to wake up and see on every possible newspaper or other types of media that god doesn’t exist I don’t think it would affect me at all. I’m not an atheist; I just don’t have strong beliefs about God. I grew up with a mix of two religions in my family. My mother was raided Greek orthodox and my father was raised Jewish. They are both completely two different religions and their belief system differs as well. My mother was forced into her religion and that sort of pushed her away. She’s now just catholic. My mother does believe in God and prays to a higher power but she has never told me how to think about God. My father’s side of the family is a bit different. My grandparents always wanted me to attend Hebrew school and have a bat mitzvah, which I never did. My parents never pressured me into anything I didn’t want to do. So they agreed to teach my sister and I about their religions but we had a choice of what to believe in. The way I was raised, I learned about my culture and why we celebrate the holidays we do but I was never taught to think about God. To me I think everyone has their own belief system and I don’t think there is a certain way to think about God. I have no problem with atheists or people that strongly worship God. We live in a world where everyone thinks differently. I think for people that fully worship God and to hear he doesn’t exist would be completely devastating. I could just imagine how difficult it would be to learn that everything you believed in was false. I know a lot of people who pray to god to help them through their struggles and believe because of God they have made it through. I can also see it being eye opening because if all that you believe in was never there then you would think of why certain things happen. Maybe people would turn to atheists to learn more about what they believe. Now from an atheist’s perspective I could see them feeling proud and have a sense of “I told you so.” I don’t think it would affect an atheist at all. It would certainly cause mayhem among the people who do believe in God. I don’t really have more input on how I would feel or how it affect me other then I don’t think it would change much. I would still celebrate the holidays I do and I think I would just get over the fact there is no God. I would just be more curious in why all of a sudden someone discovered that God doesn’t exist. I think it’s crazy to me that would ever happen.

To be honest I had a misconception about Iran. Whenever I think about Iran, I usually think war, terror, and an unsafe place for Americans. Iran would certainly not be a place I would want to visit, but after speaking to our Iranian friend in class, I changed my mind. I thought it was amazing to be able to Skype an international person during class. It was a cool way to open my eyes to a different perspective. I think I was biased against Iran because of what I see in the news. In the news I don’t see the nice, fun cities of Iran, I just the tension between Iran and the U.S. It’s hard to think differently about something when your already presented with information in the media that controls how you think about certain places or people. The media does no good by sending out negative images of Iran in our society. I think that’s why people would be skeptical to go there. I even thought Iranians didn’t like Americans until we spoke with
Today was a great class because we got to speak to an Iranian friend of Sam, who was more then happy to answer any questions we had. Prior to the chat, Sam showed us video-called Persian nights, which showed clips from a typical life of an Iranian young adult. It was so interesting to see a type of city life. It didn’t really look like how I would expect it. The people there seemed the same as any other city in Europe or even New York. I felt a bit embarrassed I had this completely different image of how they live in my mind. I thought it was more desert like, and the people dressed differently then what I saw in the video. Most of the adults in the video dress the same as we do. This made me think of how many people would be surprised of what they saw. I think most Americans have a sort of negative connotation with Iran. After speaking to our Iranian friend, my mind changed drastically. I felt like I was talking to any other person. He was nothing but friendly and nice to our class. I loved that he listened to American music artists, and watched similar television series, as I do like Friends and Greys Anatomy. I loved talking to Maziar. He was a great sport in answering all our questions.
I hate that I have these misconceptions about people but I like to learn about different cultures so I can understand the truth. When Sam asked Maziar about how Iranians feel about Americans, I was shocked. Iranians just want to avoid war; they don’t actually hate Americans. I think people just want to believe what they see in TV.

To begin to answer this question I would definitely keep my child if I knew beforehand that he or she was going to be homosexual. I believe to accept everyone because that’s how I was raised. I have a gay uncle and two lesbian cousins and to think I wouldn’t have them in my life is unmanageable. Family is everything to me and I would never shun away a family member.
And as far as telling my child if he or she were a homosexual, I wouldn’t tell them. I wouldn’t tell them because I think he or she should be able to figure out him or herself. The journey people grow through in life is a self-discovery and I don’t think someone should determine your path for you. Because of all the prejudgments and stereotypes types in our society I think telling my child they were gay It would create a certain image in their minds. I wouldn’t even no how to tell my child. Would I sit them down and say, “you’re gay?” I don’t even think a child could even comprehend what it means to be homosexual. Because how can you tell your child, how he or she should feel if you know nothing of their true feelings. Everyone should be able to go through the stages of life and find out on their own if they are gay. Once they have come to realization that they are gay, I would certainly support them 100% and help them with anything. I don’t know what its like to be gay I think that’s hard for a heterosexual parent to do. Learning about you is an important part of growing up.
I also think because of certain types of ridicule there is to gays in our society if my child knew they were gay, they would hide their true selves. A lot of people are embarrassed of their sexuality and they shouldn’t be at all. No one should be ashamed of who they are. I want my child to be proud of who they are and not let anyone tell them otherwise. I would also make sure my household is a place where my child would feel comfortable coming out. I want my child to be raised right and accept people for who they are and not who they love. I want to support them in this decision and every decision they make in their life. They are born that way, and you can’t change that. The best thing to do is be happy and support them. No matter what I will be supportive. Their sexual orientation shouldn’t matter it should be their personality and great characteristics that will guide them through life.