In Conclusion

In the End We're All 99.9% the Same...

I started this blog with the view that all things are relative.  I still strongly believe that is the truth but working on this blog has helped me understand why people act the way they do.  You may have noticed that I hit on some pretty strong issues; slavery, eating disorders, homelessness, and gender roles.  Now looking back, I see that I chose topics where there is a lot of hatred involved, whether it is inflicted by others or one's self.  One of the biggest lessons for me was that society is centered around the creation of social norms and that we become uncomfortable with anything that does not fit into that clean little package.  Sociology helps us to recognize what this box is for a society and study what the effects are of breaking it.  I read somewhere that all humans are 99.9% genetically similar, yet there is so much hatred and intolerance in this world.  I think a huge part of creating tolerance is understanding why intolerance exists in the first place, this is why I have enjoyed this class. 

I enjoyed researching these topics and finding out that many topics that I find to be troubling are actually matters that a sociologist might study.  I enjoyed it so much in fact that I think I accidently did an extra post.  Blogger is a simple site to get your thoughts out there and I would recommend it to any first time blogger.

Lessons from a Preschooler...

A viral photograph of a boy who opted to wear pink shoes on his first day of school took over the internet world a few months back.  His sister posted the photograph above on the internet noting that when her mother had posted the picture on her Facebook wall, a number of relatives had come forward to warn that the shoes were "wrong," would "affect him socially" and might "turn him gay." The post went on to explain that the boy liked the shoes because they were made out of zebras, his favorite animal.  

Gender non- conforming youth have been a buzz in the media for months now.  Willow Smith and Miley Cyrus both cut off all of their hair, Shiloh Jolie- Pitt wears "boys clothes"- does how we present ourselves really show who we are? Society created these gender stereotypes and gets uncomfortable when they are broken, but how does it effect the children?  The story of the pink zebra shoes is in this author's opinion a lesson that our society desperately needs to take to heart; a lesson taught by a preschooler.


Childhood Gender Nonconformity, Bullying Victimization, and Depressive Symptoms Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood: An 11-Year Longitudinal Study.
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This article discusses the effects of childhood gender nonconformity in terms of how children are treated by their caregivers and other children.  Special attention is paid to the depressive symptoms in children who veer from gender norms before the age of 11.  According to the study, childhood gender nonconformity resulted in increased risk for depression during adolescence and adulthood.

Transgender and Gender Variant Children and Youth:  Resources for Parents/Guardians, Family Members, Educators and Allies
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Safe Schools Coalition is an international public- private partnership in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, that is working to help schools become safe places for every individual regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.  This link will bring you to their resource page for frequently asked questions, support training, summer camps and much more that can help people learn about gender nonconformity.  

Gender Spectrum
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The Gender Spectrum provides information, education, training and support to create an gender sensitive and inclusive environment for children and teens.  This site provides a number of resources including information to help schools create inclusive environments.  Many times people are rude about gender nonconformity because they are afraid of something that they do not understand.  This site, just like the last provides many resources for education.  


"Our internal sense of gender relates to our feelings of being a man or a woman.  Traditionally it was believed that if you felt masculine you would not feel feminine, and vice versa.  But some people feel differing degrees of masculinity and differing degrees of femininity."

A homeless child

According to a new report, one in every 50 American children experiences homelessness and most states have inadequate plans to address the worsening and often- overlooked problem. The final chapter I have chosen to explore is Chapter Eight, Social Class and Social Stratification.  The topic of childhood homelessness is of particular interest to me because of my time spent as a volunteer for the Union Gospel Mission's women and children's shelter called Hope Place.  Through my work with the Mission, I learned about the different struggles that these children go through and how their experience with homelessness is very different from that of adults. 

Lessons learned from children who have experienced homelessness: what services need to know
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This article describes the experiences of children who lived through extended periods of homelessness with their families.  Its primary focus in on what children and young people say they want from the services they come in contact with.  Key concepts that emerged from the article’s study were the need for services to view children as individuals in their own right, to listen to and acknowledge their stories, to have services that meet their needs, and to act and respond when children feel unsafe.  The children also wanted workers to know that they felt their parents were doing the best they could to keep them safe. 

Through the Eyes of Homeless Children
The idea of being homeless is terrifying to many, but the thought of being a homeless child is paralyzing.  This video was made to help people understand what children think, feel, and experience when they become homeless. 
  

National Coalition for the Homeless
(Click title to view site) 

There is a common misconception that homelessness is an issue that only effects single men and women, but the reality is that thousands of families a year will experience homelessness.  In fact, 41% of the homeless population is comprised of families.  National Coalition for the Homeless is an excellent source of information for those who would like to learn more about homeless children and families.  

Campaign to End Homelessness
(Click title to view site) 

"America's Youngest Outcasts 2010 documents the numbers of homeless children in every state, their well-being, their risk for child homelessness, and state level planning and policy activities."  This site offers pdf copies of some of the material found in the book.


"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless.  The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty.  We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty."