SHS

I think that we can definitely look at our high school as a subculture. A subculture is something that is part of a larger culture, and it has it's own unique cultural traits. It's weird to think that our school could be considered a subculture, but then that would help explain why so many people visit it every year. Whenever I see the random people being guided through the school taking tours I always think, "Why would people ever go out of their way to visit this school? What's so great about it?". But now looking at our school as a subculture definitely helpes answer those questions. There are different aspects that make up a subculture, such as material culture, mores, and languages. There are definitely examples of all of those at SHS that help us identify with our school and the people that go there. For example, our material culture is made up of things such as shs sportswear and parking stickers on the backs of cars. When I see people outside of school who have those items, I know that they go to SHS. There are also a lot of mores. At SHS, people know that they have to walk on the right side of the hallway or else other people will not be happy with them. They also know that only seniors can park on campus. All students know these mores and they are a part of what makes our school. The "language" used at SHS is very unique I think. We have different clubs like B.O.S.S, FMP, FEA and we also have names for different parts of the building like The Link and The Point. Only students from our school would know what we're talking about if we said any of these names, so they are definitely part of our school culture. I can see the effect that school "languages" have because I have friends that go to another school, and when they tell me things about they're school they use different names and phrases too so I always have to stop them in a middle of a story and say, "Wait, where did you go?" Using the names from my friend's school didn't seem weird for her because she is so used to it. SHS has many different aspects that define it as a subculture, and I can't really picture it without them.

CuLtUrE sHoCk!

The card activity that we did in class is a great example of how we react to different cultures. Each table represented a different culture because every table had a different deck of cards and a different set of rules. I thought it was cool to see how our lack of talking affected how we reacted to playing with people from different "cultures". It was hard for us to communicate because we were so shocked about how the other cultures were playing. When someone thought their 2 of hearts trumped someone else's 4 of clubs, it created some tension because both people thought they won. This activity we did can be compared to the real, bigger picture in life. When people go to different countries and experience different cultures, often times they experience culture shock. Culture shock is when you are introduced to a culture and become confused with its different customs, traditions, and ways of life. It is common and almost expected to think that what is culturally and socially accepted in your society is the right way of doing things. But the truth is that there is no wrong or right way of doing anything. Different places hold different standards and cultures, but just because they're different it doesn't mean they're wrong. When I was on vacation in Santiago, Chile back in 8th grade, I thought it was so weird how EVERYONE kissed when they greeted eachother. I would see men kiss eachother and think, wow that is so weird, why would they do that? But then I realized that it  maybe be weird for me because I was experiencing culture shock. I wasn't used to being kissed by strangers or even seeing strangers kiss eachother, so that's why it was all so weird to me. But the people that are native to Chile don't think that it's wrong because that's the way they live. That's part of their culture. I think the most important thing we can do is be open-minded about other cultures. We may look at other cultures and think, wow they are crazy, but I'm sure many cultures good look at Americans and say the same thing.

Sonny had five fingers, but he only used 'tree'

The main character in the movie, "C", belongs to many different groups, even if they are not all easy to see. I think that he wants to believe that he belongs to only Sonny's group but some of the groups he can't control. C is in a group with his friends, a group with Sonny, a group with his family, and finally a group with Jane. I think that it's very difficult for C to be a part of all of the groups because they are all so different. C's friends are very racist towards the black kids in the other neighborhood, and they don't approve of C hanging around with Jane. Also, C's father has never approved of C hanging around with Sonny, so that relationship causes some conflict. Just like anybody else in society, C has a hard time being a part of each group. I think that his "membership" in some of the groups is involuntary. He was born into his family, so in that sense he will always be a part of that group and he will always have some loyalty to his mother and father. Likewise, he has been friends with his group of friends since he was a little boy and even though he does not agree with most of the things his buddies do, he knows that he can't just ditch them. I think C's biggest status among all of the different groups is that of a "son". He is a son to his father, and Sonny also considers C to be his son. Both Sonny and C's father are figures that C looks up to. He looks to them for guidance and approval and I think that was apparent throughout the whole movie. I can see how it is difficult for C to be a part of all of the different groups because I experience that same dilemma in my own life. It is especially hard to be a part of different friend groups at school. If I'm friends with someone but my other friend isn't, that definitely causes some tension and it is uncomfortable to me. It's not quite the same problem that C faces with his father and Sonny, but I think they are similar.

What's my status?

Usually people tend to share bonds with other people that are similar to them. Sharing common interests makes it easier to communicate and connect on different levels. But even though people may seem every similar, they can be very different at the same time. During the activity we did in class it was cool to see what groups made up people's lives and what was important to them. Religion was very important to some people while it was not even listed as a group for someone else. People are shaped by their experiences, and they're also shaped by how they've been brought up. It was interesting to see the different roles that the class picked as the most important ones. Often times a status or role is given to you by the people in your life. It's weird to think that we are so influenced by the people that are important to us. For example, in my group of friends I am typically labeled as "the leader". I'm the one that is always making plans and making sure everyone knows what they're doing. I also think that I carry that role or status with me when I'm with other people. I have many groups that make up my life , such as friends and work, and sometimes they conflict eachother. It's difficult to maintain my role as a hostess for work and at the same time have a social life with my friends. Having to play multiple roles is a part of my life but it is not always easy. I think it's important not to judge other people on what we see on the outside or even on what we think we know about them. It's easy to see someone and judge, it's not a very good habit but we all know it's natural. We may think we know the whole story, but the truth is there is so much about people that we really don't know. I think by doing that group activity in class we were able to learn things about eachother that we would be able to take to heart and really appreciate.

Spit Is Gross

   In reality, a majority of our thoughts and opinions toward certain things are that way because of how society constructs them. Does that make sense? With the idea of Social Construction, society has turned saliva into more than something that just sits in your mouth to help you dissolve food. When it's outside of your mouth, it is then considered spit. I think that's so weird! It is interesting to think about how and why society shapes the way we think about things; we're raised with certain ideas and morals that our parents teach us. There are certain things that are acceptable for some people to do, while they can be totally inappropriate for someone else. Once again, it's just the way society has formed opinions. For example, it's acceptable for a pro baseball player to spit all he wants during a major league game, but if I see a boy walking down the street and I see him spit, I always think it's gross! But then why do I think it's gross? In fact, people could look at saliva and think that it's way more gross to actually swallow the stuff. But swallowing saliva is fine because it's socially acceptable. People expect you to swallow your saliva, it's "normal".
     This one time I was at the beach with my family in Massachusetts, and we saw this women that was naked! We were all really grossed out by it and we were wondering why she would come to the beach with no clothes on. But thinking back on that now, maybe she came from a country where nude beaches were the only beaches she knew. If she was raised with the idea that going to a beach without clothes on is perfectly fine then of course she would be so open about it. I"m sure that if I were to go to a nude beach with all my clothes on I would be stared at by people wondering what I was thinking! It all depends on where you live and what you know. What is socially acceptable where you live is what you will ultimately deem acceptable also. Anything else just seems weird.