We're not all about pink and blue

Topic:  Gender

Source:  Looking through my pictures, I realized how much gender roles were enforced in my household, especially since I was the only girl out of two brothers.

Relation: According to Robbins Text in chapter 6, gender is a culture creation rather than a biological construct like most think. It describes the ways in how we categorized certain things for either girls or boys.

Description: I remember my mother once telling me that the moment I was born my father had bought me a pink dress to change in, but the nurses didn’t allow it since  I was just a new born and needed to be in covered clothes. Looking through my old family album, i found pictures of me always wearing dresses and the color pink. my favorite color has never been pink, its blue. But even growing up, when i was younger i use to share my room with my brother. My dad customized our room, by making us our bed frames and room  furniture, there was a clear gender division across our room, my side was invaded completely by pink, my bed was hello kitty theme based, while by brother's was nascar. Most of my clothes, were pink, while most of my brothers were blue. I was always told girls wore pink and guys wore blue, i played with barbie dolls while my brother was taught to play with cars and video games. I was even enrolled in ballet, while my brother was enrolled in a soccer team. Even in school, in kindergarden they provide all these game sets such as playhouses for girls, and car tracks and lego games for boys. Its all these gender norms that our culture and society itself create, expecting for girls to be so classy and a female is always expected to be a the mother, or wife, as a male is always seen as the harder worker able to support his family.  But this isn't always the case.

Analysis: I was never the 'girly-type', but as i grew up i started to realize how much gender really is a cultural creation. The moment a baby is born everyone wants to know if it was a girl or boy, and usually they get covered with a pink or blue sheet. Unfortunately not every one fits into our social ideal gender roles. Although our culture should be able to comprehend that not everyone fits in, therefore they shouldn't be judged or looked down on.

Bro's and Frats..

Topic: Sex

Source: Robbins Chapter 6, page 141.  

Relation: As I read Peggy Reeves Sanday study about college fraternities and sex it reminded me of a situation of some one I know was a victim related to this study case.

Description: Back in first semester, a group of friends and I went out to a party in one of the frat houses, and one of the  girls from the group met this guy, but of course she was intoxicated, and she disappeared for awhile. Turns out she was a victim of rape, we later found out the guy she met is part of a frat, and he’s out of state, in other words he was just a visitor. Through social connections, we later found out that was his mission to do so. Interesting to observe how sex is not really a big deal in college, especially in a fraternity it seems like guys are sex-crazy to prove themselves in their brotherhood in order to build themselves up as a power male status. I guess I would have to agree with Peggy, its all about male identity, and how it is reinforced in American society.

Commentary Analysis: Its not so much that sex is involved in fraternities and sororities but college in general, its something a lot of people do and its something you can be open about, at least in colleges.Although in fraternities i feel like sex is definitely highly more reinforced because guys actually do rape women in some cases, either because its a 'rush thing' or are pressured to do so by guys who are always part of the frat, and its usually because woman are on drugs or intoxicated. A lot of the times woman are pressured into being part of any type of sexual activity or are harassed by men in frat parties. Especially because theres a lot of alcohol involved in frat houses, it tends to increase sexual violence and rape. 

What music do you practice?

TOPIC: Ritual

SOURCE: Robbins chapter four, page 92.

RELATION: Reading through chapter four Robbins explains rituals are important because they comprise one of the ways that people become convinced of the validity of their beliefs. Recently ive been listening to a lot of music, simply because I need to hear it and everywhere I go my ipod is on.

DESCRIPTION: After thinking for a while, I came to a conclusion that music is a ritual that everyone practices. Whether its by listening to it or expressing it, music is very inspiring, and its something I personally practice on a daily basis. It helps me relieve stress when I'm busy with loads of school work. I listen to almost every type of genre, and I feel that depending on what my mood is, is what type of music I decide to listen to. Everyone listens to different music, but its something anyone connects too with the right beat, music is universal. Must often defines what kind of person you are, depending to what you listen too, its not always the case but for the most part it usually is. One of my favorite bands is the xx, and absolutely love them! Theres even such thing as ritual music itself alone, in social events such as parties we all share the same ritual because we dance to it, and its usually like dubstep or party music. Even within cultures, music varies because every culture has their own music that defines them.  Can you imagine the world without music? I know I cant, and its amazing to know how music can bring people together, especially here in Humboldt county. A lot of people here play guitar and I kind of got into the whole acoustic, soul reggae type of music. Theres a lot of talented people in the area and its beautiful to see how they express their talent for music in shows and concerts. Music is extremely significant for many people, just like many live for it.

COMMENTARY ANALYSIS: Whether its expressing music or listening to it music brings a lot of people together everywhere we go, I need music on my daily life, its jst quite astonishing to realize how much music has done if we trace it back in history. I feel that music is a ritual because everyone has different beliefs on it just it can be with tv as well. Everyone beliefs in different things as they listen to different things as well. Music is like a universal language through sound. What music do you practice?