Open Blog Post 11:Possible Social Reasons for not supporting Homosexuality

Possible Social Reasons for not supporting Homosexuality

 Recently in my SOC course we learn something about social sex violence, and homosexuality problem. So I would love to say several possible social reasons for not supporting homosexuality. At least in China traditional culture and sense of value, over 99%, most of Chinese don't like or even hate homosexuality.

 Reason 1: The traditional, inter-sexual marriage model and children giving birth mode is absolutely normal and correct as it has been admitted, accepted by billions of people, and has successfully lasted for thousands of years. Which these traditional model play a huge role in the development of human being this species. This is probably one of the most important reasons for most people not supporting homosexuality.

 Reason 2: Giving birth the next generation of children is the most important physiology function, and premise for human being this species to survive and develop as a dominant species which dominating the earth now.

 Reason 3: The people of traditional religious belief, and billions of conservative people like from England, America, German, Russia, Japan, Korea, and China. They are the stubborn members who not support the homosexuality.

 Reason 4: Those who received high-level education like Master level, PHd or medical, law training doesn’t support this, too.

Prompted Blog Posts 10: What is my field and my future in this field?

What Is Sociology?

Sociology is:

the study of society
a social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies
the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes
the scientific study of social aggregations, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives'
an overarching unification of all studies of humankind, including history, psychology, and economics

Famous Sociology Majors
Though your parents may not believe it, there are thousands of accomplished people with BA, MA, and PhD degrees in sociology, who are not necessarily Sociologists with a capital “S.” Below is a list of just a few.
Politics:
Wellington Webb, mayor of Denver
Brett Schundler, mayor of Jersey City
Annette Strauss, former mayor of Dallas
Rev. Martin Luther King
Roy Wilkins, former head of NAACP
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Ralph Abernathy
Shirley Chisholm, former Congresswoman from NY
Maxine Waters, Congresswoman from LA
Barbara Mikulski, US Senator from Maryland
Tim Holden, Congressman from Pennsylvania
Cardinal Theordore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, DC
Saul Alinsky, father of community organizing<
Saul Bellow, novelist
Ronald Reagan (double major in sociology and economics)
Emily Balch, 1946 Nobel Peace Prize winner (a social worker and social reformer)
Francis Perkins, social reformer and former Secretary of Labor
Richard Barajas, Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama
Arts:
Saul Bellow, novelist
Regis Philbin, TV host
Dan Aykroyd, actor/Blues Brother
Robin Williams, actor/comedian
Paul Shaffer, bandleader on David Letterman Show (and before that, Saturday Night Live)
Dinah Shore, singer
Ruth Westheimer, the “sex doctor”
Kalpen Suresh Modi, White House Liaison for Arts and Humanities
Sports:
Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
Bryant Stith, Boston Celtics
Brian Jordan, Atlanta Braves
Joe Theisman, NFL quarterback
Eric Bjornson, Dallas Cowboys
Bobby Taylor, Eagles cornerback
Ahmad Rashad, Sportscaster

PayAbout this section

Sociologists

Median annual wages, May 2012

Sociologists

$74,960

Social scientists and related workers

$69,290

Total, all occupations

$34,750

 

 

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics

The median annual wage for sociologists was $74,960 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,280, and the top 10 percent earned more than $129,760. 

Most sociologists work full time during regular business hours.

     


http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/sociologists.htm#tab-1 
(Quite important website for understand this career)

Open Blog Post 10 What is Sociology?

What is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Unifying the study of these diverse subjects of study is sociology’s purpose of understanding how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.

Sociology is an exciting and illuminating field of study that analyzes and explains important matters in our personal lives, our communities, and the world. At the personal level, sociology investigates the social causes and consequences of such things as romantic love, racial and gender identity, family conflict, deviant behavior, aging, and religious faith. At the societal level, sociology examines and explains matters like crime and law, poverty and wealth, prejudice and discrimination, schools and education, business firms, urban community, and social movements. At the global level, sociology studies such phenomena as population growth and migration, war and peace, and economic development.

Sociologists emphasize the careful gathering and analysis of evidence about social life to develop and enrich our understanding of key social processes. The research methods sociologists use are varied. Sociologists observe the everyday life of groups, conduct large-scale surveys, interpret historical documents, analyze census data, study video-taped interactions, interview participants of groups, and conduct laboratory experiments. The research methods and theories of sociology yield powerful insights into the social processes shaping human lives and social problems and prospects in the contemporary world. By better understanding those social processes, we also come to understand more clearly the forces shaping the personal experiences and outcomes of our own lives. The ability to see and understand this connection between broad social forces and personal experiences — what C. Wright Mills called “the sociological imagination” — is extremely valuable academic preparation for living effective and rewarding personal and professional lives in a changing and complex society.

Students who have been well trained in sociology know how to think critically about human social life, and how to ask important research questions. They know how to design good social research projects, carefully collect and analyze empirical data, and formulate and present their research findings. Students trained in sociology also know how to help others understand the way the social world works and how it might be changed for the better. Most generally, they have learned how to think, evaluate, and communicate clearly, creatively, and effectively. These are all abilities of tremendous value in a wide variety of vocational callings and professions.

Sociology offers a distinctive and enlightening way of seeing and understanding the social world in which we live and which shapes our lives. Sociology looks beyond normal, taken-for-granted views of reality, to provide deeper, more illuminating and challenging understandings of social life. Through its particular analytical perspective, social theories, and research methods, sociology is a discipline that expands our awareness and analysis of the human social relationships, cultures, and institutions that profoundly shape both our lives and human history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology

http://www.asanet.org/about/sociology.cfm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/sociologists.htm

Promopted Blog Posts 9: Recognizing Significance: To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran

   FOR years, experts worried that the Middle East would face an uncontrollable nuclear-arms race if Iran ever acquired weapons capability. Given the region’s political, religious and ethnic conflicts, the logic is straightforward.

   As in other nuclear proliferation cases like India, Pakistan and North Korea, America and the West were guilty of inattention when they should have been vigilant. But failing to act in the past is no excuse for making the same mistakes now. All presidents enter office facing the cumulative effects of their predecessors’ decisions. But each is responsible for what happens on his watch. President Obama’s approach on Iran has brought a bad situation to the brink of catastrophe.

  In theory, comprehensive international sanctions, rigorously enforced and universally adhered to, might have broken the back of Iran’s nuclear program. But the sanctions imposed have not met those criteria. Naturally, Tehran wants to be free of them, but the president’s own director of National Intelligence testified in 2014 that they had not stopped Iran’s progressing its nuclear program. There is now widespread acknowledgment that the rosy 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which judged that Iran’s weapons program was halted in 2003, was an embarrassment, little more than wishful thinking.

   Even absent palpable proof, like a nuclear test, Iran’s steady progress toward nuclear weapons has long been evident. Now the arms race has begun: Neighboring countries are moving forward, driven by fears that Mr. Obama’s diplomacy is fostering a nuclear Iran. Saudi Arabia, keystone of the oil-producing monarchies, has long been expected to move first. No way would the Sunni Saudis allow the Shiite Persians to outpace them in the quest for dominance within Islam and Middle Eastern geopolitical hegemony. Because of reports of early Saudi funding, analysts have long believed that Saudi Arabia has an option to obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan, allowing it to become a nuclear-weapons state overnight. Egypt and Turkey, both with imperial legacies and modern aspirations, and similarly distrustful of Tehran, would be right behind.

   Ironically perhaps, Israel’s nuclear weapons have not triggered an arms race. Other states in the region understood — even if they couldn’t admit it publicly — that Israel’s nukes were intended as a deterrent, not as an offensive measure.

  Iran is a different story. Extensive progress in uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing reveal its ambitions. Saudi, Egyptian and Turkish interests are complex and conflicting, but faced with Iran’s threat, all have concluded that nuclear weapons are essential.

   The former Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal, said recently, “whatever comes out of these talks, we will want the same.” He added, “if Iran has the ability to enrich uranium to whatever level, it’s not just Saudi Arabia that’s going to ask for that.” Obviously, the Saudis, Turkey and Egypt will not be issuing news releases trumpeting their intentions. But the evidence is accumulating that they have quickened their pace toward developing weapons.

   Saudi Arabia has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with South Korea, China, France and Argentina, aiming to build a total of 16 reactors by 2030. The Saudis also just hosted meetings with the leaders of Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey; nuclear matters were almost certainly on the agenda. Pakistan could quickly supply nuclear weapons or technology to Egypt, Turkey and others. Or, for the right price, North Korea might sell behind the backs of its Iranian friends.

   The Obama administration’s increasingly frantic efforts to reach agreement with Iran have spurred demands for ever-greater concessions from Washington. Successive administrations, Democratic and Republican, worked hard, with varying success, to forestall or terminate efforts to acquire nuclear weapons by states as diverse as South Korea, Taiwan, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa. Even where civilian nuclear reactors were tolerated, access to the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle was typically avoided. Everyone involved understood why.

   This gold standard is now everywhere in jeopardy because the president’s policy is empowering Iran. Whether diplomacy and sanctions would ever have worked against the hard-liners running Iran is unlikely. But abandoning the red line on weapons-grade fuel drawn originally by the Europeans in 2003, and by the United Nations Security Council in several resolutions, has alarmed the Middle East and effectively handed a permit to Iran’s nuclear weapons establishment.

   The inescapable conclusion is that Iran will not negotiate away its nuclear program. Nor will sanctions block its building a broad and deep weapons infrastructure. The inconvenient truth is that only military action likeIsrael’s 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in Iraq or its 2007 destruction of a Syrian reactor, designed and built by North Korea, can accomplish what is required. Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed.

   Rendering inoperable the Natanz and Fordow uranium-enrichment installations and the Arak heavy-water production facility and reactor would be priorities. So, too, would be the little-noticed but critical uranium-conversion facility at Isfahan. An attack need not destroy all of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but by breaking key links in the nuclear-fuel cycle, it could set back its program by three to five years. The United States could do a thorough job of destruction, but Israel alone can do what’s necessary. Such action should be combined with vigorous American support for Iran’s opposition, aimed at regime change in Tehran.

   Mr. Obama’s fascination with an Iranian nuclear deal always had an air of unreality. But by ignoring the strategic implications of such diplomacy, these talks have triggered a potential wave of nuclear programs. The president’s biggest legacy could be a thoroughly nuclear-weaponized Middle East.

John R. Bolton, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, was the United States ambassador to the United Nations from August 2005 to December 2006

Open Blog Post 9: Iran ’s Political Institutions

Iran ’s Political Institutions

  Based on the Iranian Constitution, Iran is running under the specific institutions which there is unification, integration of religion and politics, and religious authority is higher than everything. The supreme leader now Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has almost absolute power which every word carries weight. His authority is beyond administration, legislation, even judiciary. And on the face of it, president is just the second hand in command which also has to listen every word supreme leader says. And the reason I say “on the face of it”, is because of the special combine of Iran’s complicated internal religious system and republic political institution.

   After the Islamic Revolution succeed in Iran after 1979, its main religious party Shiite built up a special “Islamic Republic Institution”, under the leader Ayatollah Khomeini. This is a special model which is different from most eastern and western political institution. And I would love to specify some key words for this article:

   Supreme Leader is the first hand in command in Iran, and also the symbol of integration of religion and politics. He is the chief command of military force, and has the power of declaring war and armistice. He could appoint and dismiss any religious member of Guardian Council of the Constitution, Head of Judiciary officer, Chairman of Mass Media groups, Chief of Staff of military, and Command of Revolutionary Guards, military and any other security forces. He has responsibility to coordinate the relationship between three authority agencies and their leaders. Supreme leader could even dismiss the president if he has some jobbery, dishonesty and corruption, or under such circumstances which the Parliament(Islamic Consultative Assembly) finds out president being political paralysis.

    Then, the Iran President is the second in command after supreme leader. He is not only the head of state, but also the chief of government. President is responsible for implementing the constitution, coordinating the relationship between three authorities, and leading any other administrative affairs which is not directly under supreme leader’s command. President is a directly-elected officer with maximum two terms, and each term of office is 4 years, which is like America and many other western countries.

   Third, the Assembly of Experts. It is the top authority organization which responsible for electing and removing Supreme leader and supervising his activities. The assembly has totally 86 members and only the top Shiite clerics could be one of them. And, whenever supreme leader becomes incapable of fulfilling his constitutional duties, or loses one of the qualifications mentioned in the Constitution, or it becomes known that he did not possess some of the qualifications initially, the Assembly has authority to dismiss him. Otherwise, in the event of supreme leader’s death, resignation and dismissal like what I said in front, the Assembly should take as the shortest as possible to appoint a new leader. What the noteworthy is, most of its members are Ayatollah. “Ayatollah” is the high-ranking title given to Shiite clerics, which are the experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy, and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The Shiite clerics who own this title has great power and reputation. In many aspects, the Ayatollah has even more influence power to citizens then president, and more widely spread reputation. The Chairman now is Mohammad Yazdi which was selected on 10th, March, 2015.

    Fourth, the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council of the System. Currently, this committee already have supremacy over the administration and legislation authority. Usually, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also called the Iranian Parliament or Majlis, is the top legislative agency. But for making sure any parliament’s resolution doesn’t violate Islam doctrine and constitutional principle, constitution stipulated the establishment of Guardian Council. Any resolution passed by Majlis must also be approved by Guardian Council to become the law. And the Expediency Discernment Council was set up to arbitrate and resolve differences or conflicts between the Majlis and the Guardian Council, but the arbitration result must be approved by supreme leader. In another words, the supreme leader delegates some of his own authority to this council, and grants it supervisory powers over all branches of government. The members are chosen by supreme leader every fives years and the current chairman is still the Ayatollah and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani since 1989.

    Thus it can be seen, the Iranian political institution was mainly divided into two big systems: the religious leading system, and the government, state system. The religious leading system is in fact the monitoring system which was internally appointed by religious ruling groups. This system has absolute authority and stay beyond the government, state system.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expediency_Discernment_Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Consultative_Assembly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_of_Experts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_Hashemi_Rafsanjani

Prompted Blog Posts 8 :Identify and attempt a hands-on experience: How to Become a Diplomat?

How to Become a Diplomat: Education and Career Roadmap

Learn how to become a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. Research the job duties and the education requirements and find out how to start a career in U.S. diplomacy.

Do I Want to Be a Diplomat?

Diplomats, officially known as U.S. Foreign Service Officers, advance American interests at more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world. Some assignments might be in developing countries and considered hardship assignments. Working in an environment where individuals may not be competent in the language and might not have familiar amenities could be challenging. However, diplomats may have the opportunity to experience many different types of lifestyles and cultures.

Job Requirements

The U.S. Department of State offers five different career tracks for diplomats. An individual interested in becoming a diplomat must be a U.S. citizen and between the ages of 20 and 59. A college degree is not necessary, but both it and the ability to speak a foreign language improve chances of being hired. The following table outlines the common requirements to become a diplomat, according to the U.S. Department of State.

	Common Requirements
Degree Level	Not required but may improve hiring opportunities
Degree Field	Any
Experience	Experience and interest in living abroad are helpful
Key Skills	Leadership, interpersonal and communication skills; strong  analytical and information gathering ability; substantive knowledge of U.S. government,history and culture
Additional Requirements	Be a U.S. citizen between the ages of 20 and 59, pass  Foreign Service Officer test and an oral assessment, obtain medical clearance to work overseas and a top security clearance that includes a background investigation, pass a final review panel

Step 1: Review the Qualities of a U.S. Diplomat

The U.S. Department of State seeks diplomat applicants who possess 13 certain skills, personal qualities and abilities. Applicants must demonstrate composure, cultural adaptability, motivation, initiative, leadership and strong written and oral communication skills. They must have the ability to analyze situations and absorb complex information from a variety of sources. Foreign Service Officers must also prioritize tasks, be fair andhonest and work well with others.

Individuals interested in becoming diplomats may want to contact a U.S. Diplomat in Residence in their region of the U.S. These career diplomats provide guidance to students and professionals about jobs within the U.S. Department of State.

Step 2: Select a Foreign Service Officer Career Track

Individuals interested in becoming diplomats must choose a career track: consular officer, economic officer, management officer, political officer or public diplomacy officer. Each position focuses on a different aspect of U.S. diplomacy. For example, consular officers facilitate adoptions and help evacuate Americans, while economic officers work with foreign governments on trade, energy, environment, science and technology policies.

Management officers are responsible for U.S. Embassy operations, while public diplomacy officers promote understanding and support for American policy through engagement and influence among a country's political, academic and other local groups.

Step 3: Pass Hiring Requirements

After selecting a career track, applicants must pass the Foreign Service Officer test. This multi-choice exam is administered online at designated test centers and takes about three hours to complete. It measures your abilities, skills and knowledge in three sections: English expression, job knowledge and biographical information. Applicants must also write a 30-minute essay on an assigned topic.

Other hiring requirements include submitting a personal narrative, undergoing an oral assessment, obtaining medical and top security clearances and passing a final review panel.

Step 4: Await Selection and Complete Training

After passing your final review and obtaining all clearances, applicants' names are placed on a register that ranks successful candidates sorted by career tracks. Candidates are hired based on the needs of the department. Names stay on the register for 18 months. Applicants may decline their first appointment, but if they decline the second offer, their names will be removed from the list.

Applicants who are selected for appointment must complete a 5-week orientation program that introduces them to the function and organization of the U.S. Department of State. The program includes trips to Capitol Hill and a series of case studies and practical exercises. After orientation, individuals are assigned to specialized training based on their career track. New hires can expect to spend from three months to a year in training before their first overseas assignment. All diplomats must complete at least one assignment to a region that is considered a hardship or even dangerous because living conditions are more difficult than in the U.S.; diplomats in hardship regions receive a 5%-35% pay differential.

http://diplomacy.state.gov/discoverdiplomacy/diplomacy101/people/170366.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Diplomat

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/04/25/so-you-want-my-job-foreign-service-officerdiplomat/

http://www.salary.com/dream-job-diplomat/

http://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-service/officer

Prompted Blog Posts 5: School Official Sociology Club

One month ago, my college director Ms. Trish Caldwell send me e-mial about an student sociological club, and depend on its website and Ms Caldwell's description, it's not just a student club, it's running and operation is supported by my major Sociology and my "Social Science" college. Seems it is like an official major club.
I joint in their meeting tomorrow after I receive Ms Caldwell's e-mail, and it's in the 4th floor of MSU Berkey Hall, in a small meeting room. On that night, there are around 20 students come which is like the size of a small class. On that night, we watch a short movie about Black and white people, which is the case about that Little Rock City case 40 years ago. Obviously it is talking about the racial inequality and racial discrimination. After that, we joint in little group for little discussion about these kinds of social topic. To be honest, it remind me the Skulls and Bones of Yale University, and the only differences are that, the members doesn't have to be rich or invited. We are all connected by our major and interest. Except that, the content we discuss in meeting time are similar.
 I joint in that club's activity twice after that night, one topic is very interesting, and the other two are boring. Obviously students need patience to truly integrate into this club activity. But it is also a good chance to make friends, and solve the study problems from other classmates like sociological writing. It 's a useful resources, although not as good as help room. In the future, I might come more depend their activity topic.