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.

Prompted Blog Posts 6: Many US workers are sacrificing sleep for work hours, long commutes

Many US workers are sacrificing sleep for work hours,long commutes(12/25/2014)

A new study shows that paid work time is the primary waking activity exchanged for sleep and suggests that chronic sleep loss potentially could be prevented by strategies that make work start times more flexible.

Results show that work is the dominant activity exchanged for less sleep across practically all sociodemographic categories. Compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers who reported sleeping 6 hours or less worked 1.55 more hours on weekdays and 1.86 more hours on weekends or holidays, and they started working earlier in the morning and stopped working later at night. The highest odds of being a short sleeper were found among adults working multiple jobs, who were 61 percent more likely than others to report sleeping 6 hours or less on weekdays. Respondents who were unemployed, retired or absent from the labor force also obtained significantly more sleep and were less likely to be short sleepers.

"The evidence that time spent working was the most prominent sleep thief was overwhelming," said lead author Dr. Mathias Basner, assistant professor of sleep and chronobiology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Short sleepers also traveled more, started traveling earlier in the morning, and stopped later in the evening than normal sleepers. The travel pattern, with peaks at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., strongly suggests that the majority of travel time is associated with commuting.

According to Basner, the results point to several possible solutions for workers' lack of sleep.

"Potential intervention strategies to decrease the prevalence of chronic sleep loss in the population include greater flexibility in morning work and class start times, reducing the prevalence of multiple jobs, and shortening morning and evening commute times," he said.

Results show that with every hour that work or educational training started later in the morning, sleep time increased by approximately 20 minutes. Respondents slept an average of only 6 hours when starting work before or at 6 a.m. and 7.29 hours when starting work between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Self-employed respondents with more flexible work times also obtained significantly more sleep than private sector employees and were 17 percent less likely to be a short sleeper.

Study results are published in the December issue of the journal Sleep.

"Getting at least seven hours of nightly sleep is essential to be at your mental, emotional and physical best for whatever you will pour yourself into, either at work or at home," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, who was not involved in the study.

Basner and colleagues Andrea M. Spaeth, PhD, and David F. Dinges, PhD, analyzed responses from 124,517 Americans 15 years and older who completed the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) between 2003 and 2011. The computer-assisted telephone interview, which is sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau, asks participants how they spent their time between 4 a.m. on the previous day and 4 a.m. on the interview day. Responses were combined into 40 distinct activities that captured 99.1 percent of the 24-hour day. Responses combined into the "sleeping" category included napping, waking up and dreaming.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30 percent of employed U.S. adults typically sleep 6 hours or less in a 24-hour period, which represents approximately 40.6 million workers. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults get about 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep for optimal health, productivity and daytime alertness.

For an International student who just studying in MSU right now, these kinds of article made me nervious. First we have to thank the 1880 Chicago Workers' Strike for 8 hours' working daytime, otherwise the result today will be worse. And, the second reason makes me feel nervious is that for a Chinese student who is working hard to wish to join in America this big working environment, the current American workers' situation is still not good enough. Workers work too hard with less and less sleep, and longer and longer traveling. This is not my dream working environment in future.And so, the only way to break out of these is to study harder now, so I could get more money in future, and sleep longer, walk shorter.


http://www.sociologytimes.com/research/Many_US_workers_are_sacrificing_sleep_for_work_hours_long_commutes.asp

Prompted Blog Posts 7: 10 More Controversies Of The Future

OUR WORLD: 10 More Controversies Of The Future

MORRIS M. NOVEMBER 14, 2013

We’ve talked before about how our human penchant for argument is probably gonna screw up the future as much as it has the present. But the full extent of the screaming debates we’re likely to have in the next 50 years is so unimaginably ginormous it deserves another look. Think gun control or gay marriage are controversial topics? Buddy, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

10: The Death Of Privacy

You’ve heard of Google Glass. It’s a wearable computer that looks (surprise!) an awful lot like a pair of glasses. With the wink of an eye it’s capable of taking pictures or video or doing a trillion other absurdly clever things. And it could be about to make society a whole lot nastier.The problem comes from facial recognition technology. Studies have shown that this tech can already pick people out from a crowd and pull up almost anything on them—from Facebook pictures to social security numbers to Linkedin profiles and more. It has huge potential for abuse, but more than that, it could conceivably mean the death of privacy. Imagine a world where everyone who passed you in the street instantly knew everything about you, from the deeply personal to the painfully embarrassing to your address and phone number. Members of the public, work colleagues, potential dates, police officers—all would be privy to stuff you probably wouldn’t want strangers to know. Sound like a nightmare? Well, the moment someone combines facial recognition software with something like Google Glass, it will probably become reality. Google themselves are currently against the idea, but the potential is there and one day . . . who knows? And when that happens, you can prepare yourself for the mother of all ethical debates.

9: The Fate Of Climate Refugees

Even if you think manmade climate change is a load of liberal nonsense, it’s impossible to deny that the planet is getting warmer. Right now, we’re on course for a catastrophic temperature rise which will almost certainly flood entire countries and displace millions of people. So the question is: Where are all these people going to go?This isn’t just an academic issue. Somewhere like Bangladesh faces the very real possibility of largely vanishing in the next 50 years, displacing somewhere around 30 million people. That’s the population of Texas and Oregon combined, suddenly cast adrift with no home to return to. It’s unlikely the beleaguered Bangladeshi government would be able to support them, so where would they go? India? Nice thought, but India is already building a razor-wire fence specifically to keep displaced Bangladeshis out. China? Get real. So where? The answer is: We don’t know. And that’s just in one corner of Asia. Research suggests anywhere from 150 million to one billion could become climate refugees globally. With such a stupendous number of people suddenly made homeless, things could start to get very ugly indeed.

8: Who Owns Outer Space?

7: Old vs. Young

6: Virtual Abuse

5: A Deadly Journey

4: The Global Resources Battle

It almost doesn’t bear thinking about: a world in which water, food, and energy are in short supply and governments have to play dirty to keep their populations sated. I say “almost” because soon we won’t have a choice. According to experts, this nightmare scenario is only a few short years away.Now this is gonna be big—really big. The UK’s former chief scientific adviser recently noted that governments are already participating in land grabs to secure mining rights, a taster of what’s to come. When the battle to secure water and food supplies really kicks off, we’ll have one heck of an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, it might be impossible to remain a major global player without becoming increasingly heartless. Ideas like caring for our poor, upholding democracy, and respecting sovereign nations may have to go out the window if we want to stay at the top of the economic game—a process politicians euphemistically call “being more like China.” On the other, if we decide to retain our compassion, we may very well be regulated to backroom status; the doddering former superpower that can’t accept it now has no place on the world’s stage. If you thought the economic crisis polarized public opinion, wait till this hits. It’ll be a battle for the future and the souls of our respective nations—with the livelihoods of all our countrymen at stake.

3: The Future Of Sex

2: The Future Of Food

The Meat Crisis refers to the way our global love of a good, juicy steak may yet doom the entire planet. From advanced Western nations to their developing counterparts, meat consumption is on the rise; from an average 20kg per person in 1990, to a predicted 50kg by 2030. Since roughly a third of the usable land on our planet is already put aside for raising livestock, that’s a heck of a lot of meat. Unless we want to exacerbate our entire resources battle, we’re gonna have to start looking for alternatives—and that’s where the controversy comes in.A lot of us live in cultures which really, really don’t like the state tampering with our food choices. When NYC attempted to restrict the sale of large sodas last year, the backlash threatened to engulf the entire visible universe. The idea of GM foods and fluoride in water still sends people into a lather of anger. So what do you think will happen when governments start pushing artificial meat on us? Prediction: People will respond in the exact same way they do whenever anyone tries to push anything on them—with plenty of outrage.

1: Mass Poverty

Living in rich nations with burgeoning middle classes, most of us reading this have gotten used to a certain level of comfort. But, in Europe and America, all of that stability is finally starting to fade. In a recent study, the International Red Cross declared that “whilst other continents successfully reduce poverty, Europe adds to it,” before noting that the future for the EU was likely one of mass-exodus and grinding poverty. Across the pond, around half of all Americans now live in or within a couple of paychecks of poverty, and this downward trend shows no sign of reversing. As life slowly gets better for people in the developing world, it’s getting slowly worse for us in the (formerly) rich West—and it seems that’s something we’re gonna have to get used to. It’s now inarguable that most of today’s middle-class children will be worse off than their parents, while those at the bottom will have it worse than ever. In a few short decades all those dreams of prosperity and social climbing will be exactly that: dreams. And that’s going to create a bleak future for a lot of people. Will we see a mass exodus of the young and talented, like Portugal? Or will there be just be anger, wide and diffuse, at the perceived unfairness of life? Right now we don’t know. But the scaling down of expectations and life chances for our middle class is probably going to go down as one of the bleakest and most controversial periods in Western history.

MORRIS M.
Morris is a freelance writer and newly-qualified teacher, still naively hoping to make a difference in his students' lives. You can send your helpful and less-than-helpful comments to his email, or visit some of the other websites that inexplicably hire him.

http://listverse.com/2013/11/14/10-more-controversies-of-the-future/

Prompted Blog Posts 4: UNKIND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGNING AGAINST THE HOMELESS

UNKIND ARCHITECTURE: DESIGNING AGAINST THE HOMELESS

by Lisa Wade, PhD

I encourage everyone to go read this very smart and very sad essay from Alex Andreuo atThe Guardian. It’s a condemnation of defensive architecture, a euphemism for strategies that make the urban landscape inhospitable to the homeless.

They include benches with dividers that make it impossible to lie down, spikes and protrusions on window ledges and in front of store windows, forests of pointed cement structures under bridges and freeways, emissions of high pitched sounds, and sprinklersthat intermittently go off on sidewalks to prevent camping overnight. There is also perpetually sticky anti-climb paint and corner urination guards, plus “viewing gardens” that take up space that might be attractive to homeless people:

Here are some examples from a collection at Dismal Garden:

Here’s a picture of anti-encampment spikes featured at The Guardian:

Andreuo writes of the psychological effect of these structures. They tell homeless people quite clearly that they are not wanted and that others not only don’t care, but are actively antagonistic to their comfort and well being. He says:

Defensive architecture is revealing on a number of levels, because it is not the product of accident or thoughtlessness, but a thought process. It is a sort of unkindness that is considered, designed, approved, funded and made real with the explicit motive to exclude and harass. It reveals how corporate hygiene has overridden human considerations…

If the corporations have turned to aggressive tactics, governments seem to simply be in denial. They offer few resources to homeless people and the ones they do offer are insufficient to serve everyone. Andreuo continues:

We curse the destitute for urinating in public spaces with no thought about how far the nearest free public toilet might be. We blame them for their poor hygiene without questioning the lack of public facilities for washing… Free shelters, unless one belongs to a particularly vulnerable group, are actually extremely rare.

He then connects the dots. “Fundamental misunderstanding of destitution,” he argues, “is designed to exonerate the rest from responsibility and insulate them from perceiving risk.” If homeless people are just failing to do right by themselves or take the help available to them, then only they are to blame for their situation. And, if only they are to blame, we don’t have to worry that, given just the right turn of events, it could happen to us.

Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College and the co-author of Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2015/03/12/unkind-architecture-designing-against-the-homeless/

Open Blog Posts 8 Language in sociological career

 Each field has its own specific language, for example the medical nursing and doctors use lots of short terms and specific biological, chemical, medical proper noun. Computer technicians use english programming coding and mathematic language, people in business have specific abbreviations like MBA and EQ(emotion management),and so on. Sociology also has it's own language.And in order to be an successful historian or sociologist, it is important to know the language and vocabularies that has connection with it, which is an important skills needed for this particular career and other fields related like psychology, history and political science.

 In sociology learning process,there are also thousands of specific vocabularies in professor's articles, textbooks and speeches. Each single word usually represent a long principle which is a difficult work for us International students to learn. Because translating them are just not enough as their content and meaning are usually specific in specific context, the result we get after translation are usually the surface meaning, while we need to check Wikipedia or sociological dictionary to check its real content. And not mention costing so much time from us to translate. The only difference between my field with others like Biology or Business is that we don't have so much abbreviations. That's a good news for us because other vocabularies'content we could use a whole article to explain them. For example, I have no idea what Sociological Imagination means when I first read it and translate it. Also, I have totally no idea what's the definition and differences between Functionalist, Conflict and Symbolic Interaction these three principles if I just translate them, until I check Wikipedia I understand that they are three basic sociological perspectives, which is like observating a social problem from three different directions.

  

  Your career Language is the part for people in any field must understand and pick up on to succeed. It comes with knowledge and experience from practice in history and normal life. So, besides being familiar with specific career practicing skills, your fields' languages will also impact how good a person can do his job.

Open Blog Posts 7: Heroism in American Culture

The most famous and important component in American culture and ideology is individual heroism. Heroes are usually the incarnation of freedom and justice in society, who are able to challenge, even defeat the dark side themselves. They save people or solve problems after brave and tough fights. In American traditional culture, heroes could get out from huge pressure, overthrow multiple challenges, and usually don’t get limited by groups, communities, even country, which represent the bravely advancing, salvation spirit. Heroism and its origin, spirit have deep connection with American history and ideology, which the early phenomenon of immigration requires America and people have courage to open up new world, to fight for freedom. So, the American culture has not fully affected by other immigration, but keep looking forward to the individual heroism.

As heroism is a historical creation from the development of American culture, it is a core component of American ideology. Individual heroism is the American’ s original need to freedom and liberty, which comes from the appearance of liberalization and liberation in each field and career during early waves of immigration. I believe American’s value of absolute support to freedom and liberty is coming from immigrants’ sense of self-defense, as they can’t adapt the huge differences causing from new living environment and value system. So basically, American’ s trust to heroism is mainly because of people’s crisis awareness as early immigrants were facing an unfamiliar living space. So naturally, American expect society could give them a perfect freedom, a respected and absolutely private freedom.

American culture gifts individual heroism the right to use force, even violence if necessary. Heroes don’t have to follow, or limited by specific social institution and law. They can act when they think they are needed, and even able to fix or create a new law or order if they think fit. And the concept and ideology of individual heroism could be mainly separated into two parts, which is first the ideally seeking to freedom and liberty, and second the insistence and confidence to own ability.

Open Blog Posts 5: What and what’s the State of Science Communication

What and what’s the State of Science Communication

Science communication is a subject which the target investigated is any propagation behavior related to scientific methods, tools, and relationship between human and society, while science and technology propagation is proceeding. Science communication link up the field between human society and science, technology, and the main fundamental theory includes are System theory, Information theory, Control theory and so on. As the basic condition of development of science and technology, science communication has supported scientific workers’ discovery and technical invention. In another speaking, science communication is like the “Blood Circulation System” of science, technology and society, and it is the ladder of progress of human society development. 

As science communication is the key to achieve fast development of science and technology, which is a national primary productive force, it was first, separately stated and analyzed as an important social function of science and technology around 1930, in a monograph named “The Social Function of Science” by J.D.Bernal who is famous on Physics and Scienology. Also, the famous philosopher Francis Bacon said, “The power of science and technology is not only depend on its value itself, but also depend on whether it was spread, and breadth and depth of its communication.” So, whether a science and technology has been spread, and the result or influence of it, will not only affect a science or technology’s natural value directly, but also its social value. 

As an International student from China, the Science Communication has been written into China’ s Constitution and National Policy, like the famous Scientific Development Concept and every Five-Year Plan. Science Communication is the important method to improve Chinese masses quality about science and technology, which benefits enhancing national competition ability around the world. Second, Science Communication is the important method to enrich consciousness of science and technology, which benefits the formation of great masses atmosphere. Third, Science Communication is the important avenue to foster science and technology character, which benefits the correct Social Values System. Fourth, Science Communication is the demand of self-development of science and technology, which will benefit the further development of human society and history.

 Anyway, Science Communication has deeply influenced our material life and intellectual life. The popular television and computer has made it happen that without going outdoors, scholars know all wide world’s affairs. Computer benefits information sharing, and masses rapid transit increases human activity radius. Development of the space technology like communication satellite and space station, disclose a new human “Space Tourism” age. Science communication has been entering every aspect of our life and production activity with impressive power, and pushing the development of human society. In modern age, the speed and quality of communication will be a basic segment for a nation to hold and manipulate science and technology. So, strengthen the efforts of Science Communication will always be an important component of my home China like the Strategy of Invigoration through Science, Technology and Education.