Final Blog Post (Period 8): Explain your experience throughout the semester? What difficulties did you have? What are the most valuable things that you've learned from from the experience?
My experience was somewhat disheartening in the sense that the problem of mass incarceration I began with spans into the institution most praised by society as helping those in low income communities. I found that these students were the biggest target of my problem, and found the impacts of the different policies within schools incredibly damaging to these individuals. In addition it reaffirmed my ideas on the lack of substance in the arguments that the cycle of poverty is not the primary reason for the inequality that exists between races.
The most difficult problem I found was finding a way to change the system, without focusing on the student, which felt like I was blaming the student for the problems with the education system. Many of the problems that exist within the education and criminal justice system are so ingrained within the system that it felt nearly impossible to truly make a difference. The discussion on decriminalization and shrinking of the prison population and the focus on the discriminatory practices of the police seemed that the problems are being brought to light, however there are many more steps that need to be taken.
The most valuable thing I learned was mostly just about the size and scope of the problems that exist within the criminal justice system. I had never really thought about the intersection between the education and the criminal justice, and I believe just learning about the problem and informing other were some of the most important things I learned. Also I learned how hard it is to run a 45 minute class, and give props to the teachers who do it everyday.
In the beginning, I had passion for my project, and what I thought was a concrete perspective. I didn't know where to begin researching, as I had a specific purpose but huge ideas. I just found information where I could without forming any opinion on the project. Over time, I had more ideas about what I wanted and didn't want in my project. So, my research focused on those ideas. Visualizing my project as a final product became easier.
Towards the end, I realized I didn't have a concrete perspective anymore. I didn't think it was wise to present one solid viewpoint anymore. Instead, I tried to present the problem, the facets of the problem, and why I think it was created. I provided some solutions based off of my experiences. I tried to leave the solution open to change or discussion because I want people to think about the problem of ableism throughout their lives to combat it in any way.
Throughout this semester I was able to take a topic that I have struggled with for a year and turn it into an actual project. I was able to do legitimate research and refine my own opinion about what it means to be a feminist and I reached a new level of understanding for those who are against the movement. In terms of finding evidence to support my claims, I didn't have any difficulty. The thing that troubled me was coming up with a concrete solution. Once I had an idea, however, things became much easier.
I think the most valuable things I learned were that if there's a problem that you're really passionate about, you need to approach your opponents with compassion. People feel alienated from the movement I am trying to defend, to attack them would just serve to worsen the problem. The other thing I learned was that online media can make a real difference. Payton got #INeedFeminismBecause trending in Chicago on Twitter in a matter of days. This inspired me and led me to really believe in what I am doing with my blog. I learned that social media and websites can be very effective tools.
Overall, I had a good experience with the semester long project. When I began researching homelessness, I was a little overwhelmed because there was so much information and so many different approaches on how to combat it. It was also difficult to determine why homelessness is so stigmatized and why stereotypes form. I did learn a lot about the causes of homelessness, such as lack of housing, job loss, and tax inequality. I found it fascinating to read firsthand accounts of people's experiences being homeless. As I watched short documentaries, I was able to imagine the emotional hardships homeless people face and I was also able to begin to understand why homelessness is so difficult to escape. One difficulty I experienced was narrowing down my topic. Originally, I focused on examining the broad topic of why the homeless are not seen as real people. Later, I targeted the specific stereotypes people have of homeless people, how those stereotypes affect the homeless experience, and why those stereotypes might be formed in the first place. Another area I struggled with was determining a solution. I finally decided to make a documentary to spread awareness of the problem and educate people of the real causes of homelessness. The most valuable thing I learned was that it is possible to find a solution to a large problem. The solutions do not have to be big or change the world. Any difference in a single person's life is significant. You have to count any small change as worthwhile.
I enjoyed working on this project because it's an issue that I don't feel is often taken into perspective, and also because I got to do something and focus on an issue that was more personally related to me. The most difficult part I found was actually going about contacting the TV channels. The email NBC has to set up to contact them supposedly doesn't even exist, and I didn't even know who I was supposed to be contacting because a CEO was too out of reach but has the most power to actually solve the problem. Getting enough people to sign the petition is also hard, because this issue doesn't relate as personally to other people as it does to me, so anyone who sees it will probably just ignore it. It's a little bit frustrating, but I wasn't expecting for the problem to get solved easily. What I've learned is how bad the problem really is and some of the potential causes as to why it exists. It's a pretty complicated problem and it's likely not gonna be solved by this project, but I still care about getting it fixed eventually so I will still send my letter to the CEO of NBC.
I enjoyed the semester long project very much. I got to explore a topic in depth that I have always been interested in, but never had the means or opprutinity. Challenges we faced included finding out exactly where the money came from for construction workers, as well as finding someone to interview, as people were not very responsive. Another problem we faced was proposing a solution, as minimum wage and poverty are very large scale issues without clear solutions, so we realized that raising awareness was the best we could do. The most valuable thing I learned was the concept of living wage and how while some people may not be below the poverty line, they still may have significant financial issues. I leaned how many people are affected by this issue and how much education affects salary later in life. This issue is a smaller aspect of the cycle of poverty and while it is small, awareness is a solution to any problem in beginning to a create a long term and effective solution.
This semester, I was able to investigate a social issue that I have always been passionate about. I enjoyed the ability to learn an interesting topic on my own and build my own unique argument. Many of the things that I formally learned were assumptions that I'd previously made: that gun ownership causes gun violence, gun ownership perpetuates inequality, and that bad gun laws are at the heart of the problem. Being able to back up these assumptions with actual data and research was very satisfying. Despite these positive aspects, my project was frustrating for a couple of reasons. The lack of research investigating the connection between two of America's biggest social issues, economic inequality and gun violence, is particularly troublesome, especially considering that the both of them can be analyzed from objective, data-oriented standpoints, unlike more controversial social issues. It's also quite frustrating that, given the magnitude of the issue and the clear solution that has been implemented by the majority of developed countries, America has yet to come around on this issue. The biggest surprise and my biggest takeaway from this project is simply the importance of the issue. The amount of deaths and problematic social implications of guns in our society is an issue that needs to dealt with immediately.
This semester was mostly that of a learning experience, about sociology and of the city I live in. I will admit, at times I was a bit confused but I persevered through it all. I worked on my project throughout this half of the year, focusing on the connections between poverty and neighborhood. This gave me a strange feeling as to the purpose of the project. In other words, I knew that the project would lead to enacting a solution but I was still surprised when we need bring about our solutions.
Probably my major set backs came in the form of changing the project. Throughout the semester I kept altering my project, but not completely changing it. The different nuances ensured that my research had to keep changing. One source that could have been used before may have no longer been relevant. Only by the final few weeks was I able to narrow down and condense what was necessary.
The knowledge I got came in two parts. The first one was the material I learned through the class and the genius hour project. It all really changes the way that I can view the world and how I would react. My second piece of knowledge came solely from the genius hour project. I realized, perhaps on a deeper level than before, that a class of students can actually try to change their world. It is one thing to hear about such a task on some news story, but quite another to see the people I work with doing just that.
This semester was generally a new learning experience for me, in the sense that I hear about these topics a lot in the media like the cycle of poverty and social stratification but I wasn't quite sure what they meant. Over the length of the semester I got an increasing bigger grasp on these topics through various activities and videos that we watched in class. Some of the activities that I liked the best was the abandon ship activity, which was one of the first activities we did during the semester. The reason I like it the best was simply for the fact that I wasn't quite sure what sociology was and how it related to our society so this activity really gave me a solid understanding as to what sociology was and how it relates to everyone. One of the most valuable things that I am taking away not just from sociology, but from psychology as well is that I didn't know as much as I thought I knew which was a very humbling experience because I started off the year thinking I already knew almost everything in the class when I didn't.
This semester I was able to delve into an issue near and dear to me. I felt very motivated to research the topic because i cared about it. The problem i researched, gangs and the correlation to schools, was very saddening. i realized that a lot of the people around me didn't know anything but gangs, were never going to have a socially acceptable life, and always had pent up hate. Finding a solution that could help push this issue in the other direction was what kept me in it. Knowing that all hope was not lost because of physical activities was relieving. This project also helped me reach out to an old family friend who was my boxing coach, and helped inspire me to create a basis for a solution to end gang violence in high schools. A major problem i had all semester was connecting gang violence to high schools. Most of the work correlating the two was based on assumptions and word of mouth. It was very difficult to base an argument on this shaky foundation, so i was stuck doing research for quite sometime. Eventually i found a string of very good research done by local activists, and my troubles were gone. I learned that no one is born bad, and some people don't have a chance. Not everyone has the same backstory so its no good to judge anyone. I also learned that one small research project like this could be what a community needs to begin to end a certain problem.
During work on my semester long project, I would consider my overall experience to be positive, however, after the end I do feel slightly demoralized in the fact that it will be difficult to continue this project outside of school because it will most likely be a time-consuming project in which I mean, the time it takes to complete the paperwork and such dealing with the food pantry will be over the course of several months. I knew from the time of inception of this project that whatever solution that I would find would not be a quick one but since I have done some other research into the time that government buildings usually take to be completed, I feel a little disheartened. I really didn't have any trouble with the project, most of the research was fairly easy to find. The only problem that I would say that I had was just how broad the topic is, and how it could be reduced to fit in one or more of the categories of social stratification. The valuable things that I learned stem from both my own research but also the readings assigned in class. With everything that I learned this past semester I have a more somber outlook on life as is in the present but I do hope that many of the things discussed in class such as race relations have the possibility to become less animosity filled.
Throughout the semester, I’ve really enjoyed my experience in completing my Genius Hour Project. I appreciated the project as a whole in appealing to what intrinsically motivates me to succeed, as I feel that is what matters most in life. Initially, finding a topic that both interested me and was a serious issue was a little difficult. When I finally settled on the misrepresentation of women in horror films, I knew I had made the right choice because horror films have made a big impact on my childhood, while I feel there are a lot of rarely talked about flaws in them that need to be addressed. Narrowing down this topic was another hurdle I had to conquer. The research phase of this project helped me with this, as it was really enriching to me. I enjoyed finding so much information and different points of views on horror films, along with what significance they have on society. When I finally was able to narrow down my topic to the prevalence of masculine sadism in horror films, I became even more invested in my project because I had such a better understanding of an issue that has been with me since childhood. This carried over into my solution phase, as I love movie making and creating awareness through media. The part I enjoyed of this project most was actually creating my PSA to spread awareness of the issue of Masculine Sadism in horror films. I realize that developing a PSA is a long way from actually inspiring movie studios to move away from portraying sadism in horror films. However, I am really satisfied with the way my PSA satirized the portrayal of sadism as insignificant in horror films because I feel, at the bare minimum, it will get people talking about this issue at all.
The most valuable things I’ve learned from this experience include having a deeper appreciation for problems that I’m both familiar and unfamiliar with. Even though I’ve always known horror films have portrayed women in a negative light, the extensive amount of research I’ve done has really educated me on the seriousness and extent to which female portrayals in horror affect their female viewers. I now have a deeper appreciation for the positive socialization of young girls in inspiring them to feel they have real value and significance in their lives. Another thing I’ve taken away from this is the power of awareness and education in attempting to solve a social ill. People can make as many bold efforts as they want, but I’ve learned that the key to attempting to solve any problem is getting people to actually care about the problem. Part of my solution to my problem was creating a Twitter account to alert the public of the issue of sadism in horror. Letting people know of the issue and encouraging them to educate themselves of the problem will create a wider network of citizens to make stronger efforts in getting things done. This is why I plan to continue working on my topic this year. I’m planning on making another anti-sadism themed PSA for Broadcast II during my senior year, as well as creating a horror themed enrichment to further spread awareness of and educate on the negative effects of sadism in horror films.
Throughout my Genius Hour Project, I have been doubtful of how bad the living conditions and working conditions that construction workers live in. While I am certain that the money that construction workers make is relatively little, the issue of construction workers seems less problematic than other things I hear on the media. $35,000/year is definitely better than a job that makes around $19,000/year. Additionally, the project just seemed like a bunch of statistics. I never got to meet up with actual construction workers and observe their working conditions. There's only so much shock value that statistics could provide; the project would have been more interesting if there some more oomph put in it. For example, in sociology class, it feels like there is a lot of depth in the material we cover; we discuss various causes and the sociological questions that lead us to answers that everybody else in society wouldn't expect. For this project, there was none of that counter intuitive tone. I definitely wish I could've seen real construction workers working.
Throughout this semester I have learned so much about the struggle some children experience even though it is not even their fault. At first I wanted to research about delinquent kids and why they behaved so badly but my project changed directions and I began to see that these children don't just automatically become bad people. They don't have the right role models or encouragers to influence them to do better. So I've learned to blame the environment the children are raised in. The only difficulty I had while working toward a solution was backing up my research. I didn't know how to make a good enough argument on why the problem should be fixed or why people should care. The most valuable thing I learned from this experience is that children need help and motivators to help them become better people. It is not their fault what life they are given. So it is only fair to give these unlucky children the extra support they need to be on track the same as everyone else. Also I chose to help young people because they are just beginning and it is easier to catch a problem and prevent it from going any further than to fix it once the major damage is done. So by working with these young kids I learned that they need support and they are eager to be taught.
My experience was somewhat disheartening in the sense that the problem of mass incarceration I began with spans into the institution most praised by society as helping those in low income communities. I found that these students were the biggest target of my problem, and found the impacts of the different policies within schools incredibly damaging to these individuals. In addition it reaffirmed my ideas on the lack of substance in the arguments that the cycle of poverty is not the primary reason for the inequality that exists between races.
ReplyDeleteThe most difficult problem I found was finding a way to change the system, without focusing on the student, which felt like I was blaming the student for the problems with the education system. Many of the problems that exist within the education and criminal justice system are so ingrained within the system that it felt nearly impossible to truly make a difference. The discussion on decriminalization and shrinking of the prison population and the focus on the discriminatory practices of the police seemed that the problems are being brought to light, however there are many more steps that need to be taken.
The most valuable thing I learned was mostly just about the size and scope of the problems that exist within the criminal justice system. I had never really thought about the intersection between the education and the criminal justice, and I believe just learning about the problem and informing other were some of the most important things I learned. Also I learned how hard it is to run a 45 minute class, and give props to the teachers who do it everyday.
In the beginning, I had passion for my project, and what I thought was a concrete perspective. I didn't know where to begin researching, as I had a specific purpose but huge ideas. I just found information where I could without forming any opinion on the project. Over time, I had more ideas about what I wanted and didn't want in my project. So, my research focused on those ideas. Visualizing my project as a final product became easier.
ReplyDeleteTowards the end, I realized I didn't have a concrete perspective anymore. I didn't think it was wise to present one solid viewpoint anymore. Instead, I tried to present the problem, the facets of the problem, and why I think it was created. I provided some solutions based off of my experiences. I tried to leave the solution open to change or discussion because I want people to think about the problem of ableism throughout their lives to combat it in any way.
Throughout this semester I was able to take a topic that I have struggled with for a year and turn it into an actual project. I was able to do legitimate research and refine my own opinion about what it means to be a feminist and I reached a new level of understanding for those who are against the movement. In terms of finding evidence to support my claims, I didn't have any difficulty. The thing that troubled me was coming up with a concrete solution. Once I had an idea, however, things became much easier.
ReplyDeleteI think the most valuable things I learned were that if there's a problem that you're really passionate about, you need to approach your opponents with compassion. People feel alienated from the movement I am trying to defend, to attack them would just serve to worsen the problem. The other thing I learned was that online media can make a real difference. Payton got #INeedFeminismBecause trending in Chicago on Twitter in a matter of days. This inspired me and led me to really believe in what I am doing with my blog. I learned that social media and websites can be very effective tools.
Overall, I had a good experience with the semester long project. When I began researching homelessness, I was a little overwhelmed because there was so much information and so many different approaches on how to combat it. It was also difficult to determine why homelessness is so stigmatized and why stereotypes form. I did learn a lot about the causes of homelessness, such as lack of housing, job loss, and tax inequality. I found it fascinating to read firsthand accounts of people's experiences being homeless. As I watched short documentaries, I was able to imagine the emotional hardships homeless people face and I was also able to begin to understand why homelessness is so difficult to escape.
ReplyDeleteOne difficulty I experienced was narrowing down my topic. Originally, I focused on examining the broad topic of why the homeless are not seen as real people. Later, I targeted the specific stereotypes people have of homeless people, how those stereotypes affect the homeless experience, and why those stereotypes might be formed in the first place. Another area I struggled with was determining a solution. I finally decided to make a documentary to spread awareness of the problem and educate people of the real causes of homelessness.
The most valuable thing I learned was that it is possible to find a solution to a large problem. The solutions do not have to be big or change the world. Any difference in a single person's life is significant. You have to count any small change as worthwhile.
I enjoyed working on this project because it's an issue that I don't feel is often taken into perspective, and also because I got to do something and focus on an issue that was more personally related to me. The most difficult part I found was actually going about contacting the TV channels. The email NBC has to set up to contact them supposedly doesn't even exist, and I didn't even know who I was supposed to be contacting because a CEO was too out of reach but has the most power to actually solve the problem. Getting enough people to sign the petition is also hard, because this issue doesn't relate as personally to other people as it does to me, so anyone who sees it will probably just ignore it. It's a little bit frustrating, but I wasn't expecting for the problem to get solved easily. What I've learned is how bad the problem really is and some of the potential causes as to why it exists. It's a pretty complicated problem and it's likely not gonna be solved by this project, but I still care about getting it fixed eventually so I will still send my letter to the CEO of NBC.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the semester long project very much. I got to explore a topic in depth that I have always been interested in, but never had the means or opprutinity. Challenges we faced included finding out exactly where the money came from for construction workers, as well as finding someone to interview, as people were not very responsive. Another problem we faced was proposing a solution, as minimum wage and poverty are very large scale issues without clear solutions, so we realized that raising awareness was the best we could do. The most valuable thing I learned was the concept of living wage and how while some people may not be below the poverty line, they still may have significant financial issues. I leaned how many people are affected by this issue and how much education affects salary later in life. This issue is a smaller aspect of the cycle of poverty and while it is small, awareness is a solution to any problem in beginning to a create a long term and effective solution.
ReplyDeleteThis semester, I was able to investigate a social issue that I have always been passionate about. I enjoyed the ability to learn an interesting topic on my own and build my own unique argument. Many of the things that I formally learned were assumptions that I'd previously made: that gun ownership causes gun violence, gun ownership perpetuates inequality, and that bad gun laws are at the heart of the problem. Being able to back up these assumptions with actual data and research was very satisfying.
ReplyDeleteDespite these positive aspects, my project was frustrating for a couple of reasons. The lack of research investigating the connection between two of America's biggest social issues, economic inequality and gun violence, is particularly troublesome, especially considering that the both of them can be analyzed from objective, data-oriented standpoints, unlike more controversial social issues. It's also quite frustrating that, given the magnitude of the issue and the clear solution that has been implemented by the majority of developed countries, America has yet to come around on this issue.
The biggest surprise and my biggest takeaway from this project is simply the importance of the issue. The amount of deaths and problematic social implications of guns in our society is an issue that needs to dealt with immediately.
This semester was mostly that of a learning experience, about sociology and of the city I live in. I will admit, at times I was a bit confused but I persevered through it all. I worked on my project throughout this half of the year, focusing on the connections between poverty and neighborhood. This gave me a strange feeling as to the purpose of the project. In other words, I knew that the project would lead to enacting a solution but I was still surprised when we need bring about our solutions.
ReplyDeleteProbably my major set backs came in the form of changing the project. Throughout the semester I kept altering my project, but not completely changing it. The different nuances ensured that my research had to keep changing. One source that could have been used before may have no longer been relevant. Only by the final few weeks was I able to narrow down and condense what was necessary.
The knowledge I got came in two parts. The first one was the material I learned through the class and the genius hour project. It all really changes the way that I can view the world and how I would react. My second piece of knowledge came solely from the genius hour project. I realized, perhaps on a deeper level than before, that a class of students can actually try to change their world. It is one thing to hear about such a task on some news story, but quite another to see the people I work with doing just that.
This semester was generally a new learning experience for me, in the sense that I hear about these topics a lot in the media like the cycle of poverty and social stratification but I wasn't quite sure what they meant. Over the length of the semester I got an increasing bigger grasp on these topics through various activities and videos that we watched in class. Some of the activities that I liked the best was the abandon ship activity, which was one of the first activities we did during the semester. The reason I like it the best was simply for the fact that I wasn't quite sure what sociology was and how it related to our society so this activity really gave me a solid understanding as to what sociology was and how it relates to everyone. One of the most valuable things that I am taking away not just from sociology, but from psychology as well is that I didn't know as much as I thought I knew which was a very humbling experience because I started off the year thinking I already knew almost everything in the class when I didn't.
ReplyDeleteThis semester I was able to delve into an issue near and dear to me. I felt very motivated to research the topic because i cared about it. The problem i researched, gangs and the correlation to schools, was very saddening. i realized that a lot of the people around me didn't know anything but gangs, were never going to have a socially acceptable life, and always had pent up hate. Finding a solution that could help push this issue in the other direction was what kept me in it. Knowing that all hope was not lost because of physical activities was relieving. This project also helped me reach out to an old family friend who was my boxing coach, and helped inspire me to create a basis for a solution to end gang violence in high schools.
ReplyDeleteA major problem i had all semester was connecting gang violence to high schools. Most of the work correlating the two was based on assumptions and word of mouth. It was very difficult to base an argument on this shaky foundation, so i was stuck doing research for quite sometime. Eventually i found a string of very good research done by local activists, and my troubles were gone.
I learned that no one is born bad, and some people don't have a chance. Not everyone has the same backstory so its no good to judge anyone. I also learned that one small research project like this could be what a community needs to begin to end a certain problem.
During work on my semester long project, I would consider my overall experience to be positive, however, after the end I do feel slightly demoralized in the fact that it will be difficult to continue this project outside of school because it will most likely be a time-consuming project in which I mean, the time it takes to complete the paperwork and such dealing with the food pantry will be over the course of several months. I knew from the time of inception of this project that whatever solution that I would find would not be a quick one but since I have done some other research into the time that government buildings usually take to be completed, I feel a little disheartened.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't have any trouble with the project, most of the research was fairly easy to find. The only problem that I would say that I had was just how broad the topic is, and how it could be reduced to fit in one or more of the categories of social stratification. The valuable things that I learned stem from both my own research but also the readings assigned in class. With everything that I learned this past semester I have a more somber outlook on life as is in the present but I do hope that many of the things discussed in class such as race relations have the possibility to become less animosity filled.
Throughout the semester, I’ve really enjoyed my experience in completing my Genius Hour Project. I appreciated the project as a whole in appealing to what intrinsically motivates me to succeed, as I feel that is what matters most in life. Initially, finding a topic that both interested me and was a serious issue was a little difficult. When I finally settled on the misrepresentation of women in horror films, I knew I had made the right choice because horror films have made a big impact on my childhood, while I feel there are a lot of rarely talked about flaws in them that need to be addressed. Narrowing down this topic was another hurdle I had to conquer. The research phase of this project helped me with this, as it was really enriching to me. I enjoyed finding so much information and different points of views on horror films, along with what significance they have on society. When I finally was able to narrow down my topic to the prevalence of masculine sadism in horror films, I became even more invested in my project because I had such a better understanding of an issue that has been with me since childhood. This carried over into my solution phase, as I love movie making and creating awareness through media. The part I enjoyed of this project most was actually creating my PSA to spread awareness of the issue of Masculine Sadism in horror films. I realize that developing a PSA is a long way from actually inspiring movie studios to move away from portraying sadism in horror films. However, I am really satisfied with the way my PSA satirized the portrayal of sadism as insignificant in horror films because I feel, at the bare minimum, it will get people talking about this issue at all.
ReplyDeleteThe most valuable things I’ve learned from this experience include having a deeper appreciation for problems that I’m both familiar and unfamiliar with. Even though I’ve always known horror films have portrayed women in a negative light, the extensive amount of research I’ve done has really educated me on the seriousness and extent to which female portrayals in horror affect their female viewers. I now have a deeper appreciation for the positive socialization of young girls in inspiring them to feel they have real value and significance in their lives. Another thing I’ve taken away from this is the power of awareness and education in attempting to solve a social ill. People can make as many bold efforts as they want, but I’ve learned that the key to attempting to solve any problem is getting people to actually care about the problem. Part of my solution to my problem was creating a Twitter account to alert the public of the issue of sadism in horror. Letting people know of the issue and encouraging them to educate themselves of the problem will create a wider network of citizens to make stronger efforts in getting things done. This is why I plan to continue working on my topic this year. I’m planning on making another anti-sadism themed PSA for Broadcast II during my senior year, as well as creating a horror themed enrichment to further spread awareness of and educate on the negative effects of sadism in horror films.
Throughout my Genius Hour Project, I have been doubtful of how bad the living conditions and working conditions that construction workers live in. While I am certain that the money that construction workers make is relatively little, the issue of construction workers seems less problematic than other things I hear on the media. $35,000/year is definitely better than a job that makes around $19,000/year. Additionally, the project just seemed like a bunch of statistics. I never got to meet up with actual construction workers and observe their working conditions. There's only so much shock value that statistics could provide; the project would have been more interesting if there some more oomph put in it. For example, in sociology class, it feels like there is a lot of depth in the material we cover; we discuss various causes and the sociological questions that lead us to answers that everybody else in society wouldn't expect. For this project, there was none of that counter intuitive tone. I definitely wish I could've seen real construction workers working.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this semester I have learned so much about the struggle some children experience even though it is not even their fault. At first I wanted to research about delinquent kids and why they behaved so badly but my project changed directions and I began to see that these children don't just automatically become bad people. They don't have the right role models or encouragers to influence them to do better. So I've learned to blame the environment the children are raised in.
ReplyDeleteThe only difficulty I had while working toward a solution was backing up my research. I didn't know how to make a good enough argument on why the problem should be fixed or why people should care.
The most valuable thing I learned from this experience is that children need help and motivators to help them become better people. It is not their fault what life they are given. So it is only fair to give these unlucky children the extra support they need to be on track the same as everyone else.
Also I chose to help young people because they are just beginning and it is easier to catch a problem and prevent it from going any further than to fix it once the major damage is done. So by working with these young kids I learned that they need support and they are eager to be taught.