Sociology is Fun :)

Welcome! My name is Jade Rodgers and I am a student at the University of Idaho. I am a Biology major, just finishing up my second year. Hopefully, I will go to medical school in 3 years, and hopefully it is on the West Coast! I love animals and the outdoors. Horses and dogs are my passion; I grew up around the world of horse racing, and I'm still involved in it! I love traveling and want to explore a variety of different cultures. If I could travel for a year after I graduate from UI, I feel like my life would be complete. My dream is to live in Spain for a time! Maybe it will happen when I'm a doctor... I have travelled around the States frequently, from the Northwest to the Southwest, the Midwest to the South; I loved it all, especially the South. I have been to Mexico, Honduras and Belize on a vacation, and loved seeing how our cultures are different. I've even been to Canada, eh? Hopefully I will be able to add to this list in a few years. I love going to events such as Cruise the World at the UI, where different countries are set up at booths. They bring pieces of their culture and usually food, as well as live demonstrations such as dancing and music. It is so interesting to visit each table and see what each country offers to our complex world. Below, I have posted a video of something like this, but at a different university.

My biggest interest in Sociology is how the interactions and behaviors form different cultures and societies. Not one society in the world has another just like it, and I think that is incredibly interesting. Every society is formed in a different way and has different foundations. It is my goal to look at the differences in the ways societies perceive the same situation, and to find out why there are such differences. I also think it is interesting that society and culture play such a huge role in our lives. From the time we are born, we are shaped by society and the expected human behaviors. It is so interesting to think about how we would be if we did not have those pressures from society shaping our lives.

Physical Attractiveness in Dating (Chapter 5)

I chose Chapter 5: Social Interaction and Structure as my first chapter. It talks about institutions and their roles in society. Roles, statuses and behaviors all play a part in interaction and society. From this chapter and the broad topics discussed, I have decided to focus on attractiveness and its effects on dating. How important is physical attractiveness in dating really? Does it make people choose partners based on attractiveness? Yes, physical attractiveness is the most important factor in choosing partners. It is actually so important, that people will usually only settle down with people who of the same attractiveness level as their own.

In this scholarly article, Webb discusses the importance of physical attractiveness in dating in adolescence and the effects it has. The intro suggests that intelligence, social skills and athletic skills are attributed to attractiveness. Peer preference has a correlation with attractiveness in this study with adolescence. Attractiveness is the first thing we see in a perspective partner and it even has a connection to our self-worth. 

http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1110&context=utk_graddiss&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dscholarly%2520article%2520on%2520physical%2520attractiveness%2520in%2520dating%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D5%26ved%3D0CFkQFjAE%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ftrace.tennessee.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1110%2526context%253Dutk_graddiss%26ei%3DW5t8UaCBD4zBiwKQl4CIBw%26usg%3DAFQjCNGfpmrfWGPcljUmaNzHQPKOEy7R8g%26sig2%3DPOUjJZm60TYuY5cG4v0nSA%26bvm%3Dbv.45645796%2Cd.cGE#search=%22scholarly%20article%20physical%20attractiveness%20dating%22

Figure 1: Comparative Levels of Attractiveness

(Source: Science of Relationships, 2012)

In the YouTube video, Dr. Dar talks about whether or not attractive people have less dating issues on a news broadcast. Physical attractiveness comes into play in dating and in relationships. 

The link below shows a news website with an article about the research that Elaine Walster did about attractiveness. I posted the scholarly journal above. But this article goes more in depth about how personality is a minor part on the first date. Physical attractiveness overcomes all over characteristics.

http://www.chicagonow.com/male-perspective/2012/04/if-looks-could-kill-the-importance-of-physical-attractiveness-in-dating-behavior/

The link below shows an academic paper on a blog. It explains a lot about physical attractiveness and its effects on dating. It mentions equilibrium in the relationship; if people are not equals in looks, they need to compensate with something else. One might need to bring financial security to the table (usually the man), while the other brings looks (the woman).

https://sites.google.com/site/msbrittanyhardy/research-and-interests/the-importance-of-physical-attraction-in-dating-behavior

"Love is often nothing but a favorable exchange between two people who get the most of what they can expect, considering their value on the personality market."- Erich Fromm

(Source: The Sane Society, 1955) 

Role Strain (Chapter 4)

This entry is concerned with role strain for women. Women can work full-time jobs and then come home to take their "second shift" as a mother, which is also a full-time job. I find this topic very interesting, because as a woman, I am obviously looking to have children in the future and I concerned about this role strain. I expect to go to medical school, be a wife and in time, have children. I am worried about how I will do all of the tasks expected of me, especially because they are all so radically different.

This scholarly article about role strain is very interesting. The studies done have found that working mothers experience "role overload" and "role spillover". This fits very well with the thought that mothers who are full-time employed experience a significant amount of role strain and stress. Role overload addresses the stress part of this and states that too many tasks and too many things to do and to be puts a lot of strain on the woman. Role spillover occurs when there is a role overload and the woman might let the stress of the strain affect her tasks at work or at home. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12156/m1/1/high_res_d/thesis.pdf

 Figure 1: Professional Mom (Source: The Thriving Mama, 2013)

This YouTube video from Fora TV discusses how women might view working a full-time job and caring for her children. The speaker emphasizes the importance of continuing to work even with the strain, because the long term benefits will typically be greater than being a stay at home mom.

This blog about motherhood addressed solutions to role strain and stress. These might be to take a break  or to reduce the pressure or responsibility a woman has. Motherhood has a high potential to be stressful without the addition of a full-time job, so these solutions are crucial. http://www.smartmomz.com/moms-and-the-role-strain/

This research article is concerned with a lot of issues surrounding role strain. I think the most interesting issue is whether or not dual-earning families have less role strain and conflict. The research done for this article found that dual-earning families, that is where both parents supply income, there can be a major increase in role strain and conflict. It might be more expensive for child care and household services than if one parent had just stayed home.http://www.kon.org/urc/v5/humphrey.html

"(24/7) once you sign on to be a mother, that's the only shift they offer"- Jodi Piccoult

(Source: My Sister's Keeper, 2003)

Current Event: Attitudes Toward President Obama

It is difficult to get everyone in the United States to agree on one thing, especially the presidency. Some people like President Obama and some people do not like him or his policies. Assassination is a serious issue and the most recent attempt to President Obama involved ricin-tainted letters. This is not the first time there has been a threat to Obama's life. This is a sociological issue due to people's perspectives and behaviors towards the presidency and race.

This scholarly article is an interview with John Dovodio from Yale University. He discusses the view of race in regards to the new president, Barack Obama. He states that the power has not shifted, but that African Americans are more accepted, hence the election of our first African American president. I think the most interesting point of this article is that people do not lose prejudice overnight. It takes time to lose the prejudice that a number of people in America have. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/04/race-relations.aspx

Figure 1: Congressional Black Caucus (Source: The Last Refuge, 2012)

In this YouTube video, a speech that President Obama had recently made is being dissected. He made a comment concerning how his white grandmother regarded African Americans, and said that that view is typical of white people. They hold prejudice and racism for years. This is why Obama might be seen negatively as a President, through the eyes of the white American.

This article from the University of Michigan states that anti-racial sentiments have become more common since Obama took the presidency. This could be because a large number of Americans still disagree with the election of Obama, due to his skin color. America has come a long ways in terms of racism and prejudice, but some people still might not think we were ready for an African American president. http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/20943-attitudes-toward-african-americans-have-worsened-since-2008

Another article from the Boston Globe states that the racial divide between blacks and whites is likely to persist for years to come. Even though President Obama was thought to "bridge the gap" between whites and blacks, anti-black sentiments have increased. It is true that we have come a long ways regarding segregation and racism compared to 50 years ago, but we still have a ways to go. http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/11/20/despite-obama-presidency-racial-divide-expected-persist-united-states/ONPO9LRIasUfGrLYWM3m7H/story.html

The following quote relates the African-Americans of America to the children of Israel, because even though we have abolished segregation and outlawed racism, we still have quite a ways to go to have racial equality.

“I liken it to the biblical exodus. After Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, they still had to wander the wilderness for 40 years until they could truly reach the promised land."- Charles Stith

(Source: The Boston Globe, 2012)

That's a Wrap!

Figure 1: Online Learning (Source: Forbes.com, 2013)

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this blog. At first, I wasn't sure about the whole blog thing, because I have never done one and I am not much of an internet type of person. But I really liked learning about how to do this. I might start a personal blog just to express feelings and day to day occurrences. I had a little trouble connecting my blog to my personal Blogger account, but other than that, I think the experience went smoothly.

My first topic I chose was about physical attractiveness in dating. I know that this is very important to young people of this day and age. Attractiveness is one of the first things a person looks for in a potential partner. I found some interesting studies done involving comparative levels of attractiveness. People typically pair with people that are of their same level of attractiveness subconsciously, so as to avoid conflicts and inequality.

My second topic was about role strain on women of today's culture. Women hold many jobs today, including employee, mom, wife, friend, etc. All of these different roles and tasks can stress a woman and decrease her ability to do all of them. I focused on being a mother and having a full-time job, because I want to be a doctor, but I also want to have a family. I am worried about the role strain I will experience, and that is why I wanted to look into this further. I found some disheartening but also encouraging views on women working full-time and having children.

Figure 2: Flag a Day (Source: Word Press, 2013)

My current event was about racism and the presidency. I think every single person in America has been affected by the election of President Obama; it is definitely a historic event. As the first non-white president of the United States, he faces danger and hostility from the people who do not support or agree with his election. I found a lot of evidence suggesting that America is not as racially equal and racially cohesive as we thought. This is discouraging because I think Obama should not experience such conflict due to his race. Ideas and policy are all that matter to me, personally; that, unfortunately, is not how a number of Americans feel however.

References

Dovodio, J. (2009, 04). Interview by K.I. Mills []. Race relations in a new age., Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/04/race-relations.aspx

Hardy, B. (n.d.). The importance of physical attractiveness in dating. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/msbrittanyhardy/research-and-interests/the-importance-of-physical-attraction-in-dating-behavior

Hawks, D. (2011, October 01). Pretty people have less dating issues. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHFdCCaUNso

Humphrey, A. K., Brown, S., Bell, J., Lee, D., & Worthy, S. L. (2005). Investigating role strain and stress in dual-earner and single-earner families. Informally published manuscript, Mississippi State University.

LoCascio, S. (2009). Maternal employment: Factors related to role strain. (Master's thesis, University of North Texas).

MacQuarrie, B. (2012, 11 20). Racial divide expected to persist in u.s. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/11/20/despite-obama-presidency-racial-divide-expected-persist-united-states/ONPO9LRIasUfGrLYWM3m7H/story.html

P, T. (2012, April 10). If looks could kill: The importance of physical attractiveness in dating. Retrieved from http://www.chicagonow.com/male-perspective/2012/04/if-looks-could-kill-the-importance-of-physical-attractiveness-in-dating-behavior/

Science of relationships. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.scienceofrelationships.com/home/2012/1/13/do-internet-daters-lie-in-their-personal-profiles-and-does-i.html

Wadley, J. (2012, 10 29). Attitudes toward african-americans have worsened since 2008. University of Michigan News Service. Retrieved from http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/20943-attitudes-toward-african-americans-have-worsened-since-2008

Webb, R. F. (2009). The role of physical attractiveness in adolescent romantic relationships. (Doctoral dissertation).

[Web log message]. (2011, 11 6). Retrieved from http://www.smartmomz.com/moms-and-the-role-strain/