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2. Then, click on the link that says Blogging Instructions - PLEASE READ! (Next week, the new blog title will be Week Two -- how creative!). Read any comments posted and then type in your thoughts in the Post a Comment box and click Post Comment. When you want to go back and read others' posts, just click on the same link, and you'll have access to everyone's ideas.
3. To reiterate the expectations, at some time before Sunday of each week, I would like for you to post a 2 paragraph statement which offers your thoughts/reflections about any issues raised in class during the previous week. Then, before class on Tuesday, you need to post a 1-2 paragraph comment to at least two of your classmates about their posts. Any questions -- please contact me. Have fun!
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This is a continuation of some of the thoughts expressed in class on Thursday. I hope I am blogging correctly. Social Problems are problems that affect society as a whole. Many social problems derive from "broken homes." Children who are raised in homes where one or both parents are absent i.e. mentally or physically are more likely to suffer from social problems such as poverty and substance abuse.
ReplyDeleteTo come from a low socioeconomic background leaves one susceptible to many social problems. The problem becomes society's when children are not raised to be responsible citizens. Society has to pay, not just monetarily, for others' inability to survive. Society is affected by all acts of violence. Speaking of teen pregnancy, it costs the government millions of dollars to maintain Assistance programs for unprepared families.
Thanks for being the first to post on the blog (you did it "correctly," as you are free to offer thoughts, opinions, feelings, comments, whatever....). You raise some interesting ideas here. Do you feel that it's the "broken home" (is that really the most appropriate word?) itself, the lower income, the social conditions that might lead to lower rates of marriage, or something else that is to blame? (You don't have to respond -- just food for thought.)
ReplyDeleteCandice please accept this food for thought,ask and try to answer any questions that might be presented in an issue. We often times get caught up in our own thoughts, personal opinions, and personal experiences,our judgement is then a bit cloudy.
ReplyDeleteA thought to your thoughts on socioeconomic backgrounds being part of the problem in our society. Take in consideration, alot of issues and problems that have arisen in our society, are done by people from suburban areas,they had both parents,all the things you acquire with status,they have teen pregnacy, drug issues, and definitly alot of if not as many mental issues as people in urban areas. The media and other skewed information just emphasizes more on urban areas, and this is a personal thought, we(some) as black folks tend to some times play into the spot light,so we are easy targets for critisims. I am not down playing the fact that we have issues that need to be adressed,and challenged,but we also can not take all the blame for every negative incident that occures I look forward to this class and the discussions.Dg, i promise to contain myself as much as possible, "a work in progress",and again i am so happy that there are so many young men in class, and the fact that they were verbal in the discussion. For me this is a rare occurance.
Ms. Gilmore, I don't WANT for you to "contain" yourself in discussions -- just to work on a balance of listening and speaking to ensure that you fully hear others' perspectives and take all information into consideration. We NEED your voice represented!
ReplyDeletewell, honestly i dont really know what a social problem is right now. i am in the class to learn what a social problem is and other things, and because it is a requirment for my major, lol. i am really looking forward to being in dr. greenfield's class cause it is going to be a very interesting experience.
ReplyDeleteTo continue with my above quote, There are many social problems that teenagers go threw. I think the two most recognized problems are Teenage Drinking and Driving, and Teen Suicide. These two social behaviors teenagers go threw are two of the leading causes of teenage deaths. Alcohol, the most widely used and abused drug among youth, causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for the population.
ReplyDeleteBrooks, what do you think it is about drinking that appeals to the youth of today? Is it more a problem now then 20yrs ago? How do we as concerned citizens,parents, teachers,etc solve the problem? Why after all the media exsposure,concerning car accidents among teens today, do teens still drink and drive? Teen suicide,what are some of the problems teens have that cause them to think death is a better solution? What can parents and teachers do to help prevent the number of suicide cases? Just questions that interest me.
ReplyDeleteI gotchu DG, you know i can not, not say something, but taking what you said into consideration,so contain is the word i chose to use,with the way class started off, i think i have a little competition,saw a little of myself in one young lady,and it is very understandable where this could be an issue to some, so it is going to be interesting to see strong willed, and opinionated people having a great debate.
ReplyDeleteI was very excited with the first day of class alot of interesting commments and question raised in class. I feel our class is going to bring alot of excitment being a night class.
ReplyDeleteOur first class discussion in social problems was very interesting. We spoke
ReplyDeleteon several problems that affect us as citizens. I find this class to be very rewarding to those of us,
that would like to expand our minds not only in class, but out in our communities.
Dr. Greenfield seems like a wonderful teacher, that is dedicated to making sure his students,
learn and be the best possible leaders of tommorow's modern world.
Our debate on condoms was very interesting, I believe once a child begins to have thoughts, or
become curious about sex. Condoms should be available for them, because if they want to engage in any
sexual activity, they should do it safely. Another point of mine, is that teenage pregancy occurs so much
in the 2000 era, because of media and peer pressure. If we can delay some of these motifications, young adolescense outlook can change.
I really enjoyed the class on Thursday it was fun. I was a member of the city council and i opposed the business. I felt that it was bad for business in down town Raleigh. There are a lot of conferences and big shows down there and it would just turn people away with the strip club there for every one to see. I think that it is disrespectful to women and men to want that so close to Shaw and the family own businesses down town. Would you want some one to put a strip club next door to your house. No i do not think so because i would not but is just what i think. Every one has there own views about this and i respect that. We must think about the young kids that are going to see this and want to do what it is that they are seeing. I really think this is a social problem because it effects every one who have businesses down town and homes and lets not forget the schools that are near by. Remember they never said what the hours would before. the strip club. So that will effect so many people. I feel that we need to think about the bigger picture and what the real out come will be . That is how i feel about the strip club issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree that our first class discussion was very interesting. As always Dr. Greenfield is definetly going to challenge us. On a day to day basis I encounter many individuals that are faced with many of the social problems that we talked about in class. With the type of work I do I see many of our youths that have turned to alcohol and drugs and many of them get caught up in the moment and dont want to be the odd person in the group. Also I was very suprised about the number of teenage pregnancies. I just assumed that the number would be much higher because of the number of teenagers in my neighborhood that I see pregnant.
ReplyDeleteCandice, I feel what you posted about broken homes. It is a very important issue and we need to really deal with this problem. A lot of kids come from broken homes and they need help. Maybe someone will open up a center for those kinds of families. If some one would have been there for me i think i would have turned out better but i am putting my life back together and i am doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday I was one of the business owners of the strip club since I did not get to say what I wanted to say on Thursday I wanted to make a comment now, we all forget that The Mens Club is located not to far from downtown Raleigh. We never hear about anything bad happening there, I believe that we all relate the strip clubs to the movie the Players Club. No, I dont support the idea but its up to the individual who works there and the men or women that want to attend the establishment. Someone made the comment Thursday about Shaw being a religious school and I have seen more x-rated material at the school then I have seen on HBO.
ReplyDeleteBrooks, I really do not know what a social problem is either but i am going to find out through Dr. Greenfield. He makes learning so fun and very interesting believe me i know. Brooks we will learn together so lets do this.
ReplyDeleteTonya... to respond to your statement about the men's strip club; i agree with you that many people often here strip club and immediately want to depict the worse due to movies like "The Players' Club" and (for those that remember) "Strip Tease." While some of the content in these movies may be over overexaggerated, the fact stil remains that strip club content may be detrimental to the mindstate of children in the local neighborhood. Okay sure, you may say that " no one will take their children into a strip club," the fact still remains that adolescent curiosity may kick in and all of a sudden one may have no control over what their child is exposed to, whether they learn via their peers or other adults in the neighborhood. And as for the x-rated content at Shaw, I concur.... HBO is rate G. At times Shaw can be classified as a brothel. lol
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that this is going to be a very fun and interesting. Dr. G has his own unique stlye that involves the whole class but at the same time doesn't make us a students feel uncomfortable. Although Thursday was the first day of class, the excercise was a great way of introducing us to the course because it made us interact as a whole. Brooks i really dont fully understand what a social problem is either but i'm pretty sure we are about to find out in this class.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, funny you should say that, i would like to spear head a community group session for teens and their parents, i talked to Greenfield about it over the holidays,he put somethings in my head on what i should do. I too think if youth had a different outlet, their outcomes would be different. I work with kids in a group home and most would be surprised at the things these kids go through in their short lives. I want to be a stepping stone to their success.For our Major assignment and Major propsal project i am going to use my experience and idea for my assignment. Often times kids don't or can't go to their own parents for information or just to talk so i want to gather the right people and the right atmosphere for them to feel comfortable enough to seek help.I have put my idea out there it is copyrighten so no one bite my idea.LOL!!!!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Crystal's comment, I am not talking about just blacks. I am referring to everyone of all races who come from "broken homes." Broken homes is defined as one or both parents absent from the home where children are raised. Children who come from broken homes are more likely to drop out of school, have a criminal record, and are more likely to abuse drugs. Society is shunning away from the traditional family unit and that in turn has led to the development of more social problems. Research something for me..How many gang members come from broken homes?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Teresa's statement, Thank you for your understanding of my response. Just because you come from a certain background does not mean you are doomed to become anything but what you choose. However, when you are at a disadvantage or at-risk you are more likely to choose the wrong path. There are some success stories, Oprah, Obama, but think about the millions of disadvantaged youth that did not make it out. Keep on keepin on and don't let anyone stop u!!!
ReplyDeletewhat up class! i had Dr. Greenfield last semester for sociology and at the start of the class i could not give you a confident definition of it and i feel the same about this class. So i am dont even worry about it know cause i am comfortable in greenfields teaching methods. I also want to piggyback on what brooks said i wholly concur but i want to add a social problem that most likely causes those two problems PEER PRESSURE, thats the fuel to the fire.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling this class so far and the vibe i got from it. I never had a professor that was in to hip hop and can rap so this has to be an intresting to class. Back to the Social Problems discussion.... Social problems are relevent in many different walks of life and i think its very necessary to have a class that explains these problems more in depth. The negative problems that fluctuate from society's inability to cope and solve these problems has a snowball effect creating a greater negative impact on the community.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, I will learn to identify these problems and learn how to counter them to have a lasting positive effect on our community and nation as a whole.
Brooks i have no clue what a social problem is...?? I think one's opinion and morals both tie in to establish what is considered a moral problem. I couldn't give you a definition to save my life.
ReplyDeleteCrystal and Candice, thank you for your comments on what i spoke about and i will keep everything that both of you have said to me. some times i feel alone in this world and then i look at my kids and i have to make a better way for them. So thanks a lot i really am looking forward to this semester with such a great group of students and a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteMr. Holland I would have to agree with you.Your perspective of a social problem was very vivid. I think you established a direct definition, for what a social problem stands for. I also believe that their are a lot of negative commentaries that effect our society. And through this class we will learn all we need to know about a social problem.
ReplyDeleteTo all my fellow classmates I agree with each of your responses. Some of us are sure what a social problem is. And the rest of us are somewhat unclear. But through this class and Dr. Greenfield teaching, we will learn the end and outs of a social problem. I look forward to his teaching method, and us as students how we enjoy his class. I see this class as fun, never having to endure a dull momement. What were about to learn will motivate us in a way, we never imagine. I look forward to every momement, this course has to offer throughout the semester.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, i think that drinking in this day and age is happen more than it did in the past. I think its happening more because the teenagers are seeing it more and they are thinking its the cool thing to do just to fit in with the in crowd. what your people around think of you really matters to teenagers these days... nobody wants to be left out.
ReplyDeleteSnoop, Teresa, and Joe... before the end of the semester, we wall know what a social problem is...
Tonya, i would not say that Shaw is "worse" than HBO. The stuff that usually happens at Shaw is behind close doors, most of the time. but the things you see on HBO is broadcasted all over the USA, which just so happens to have a new PRESIDENT, OBAMA... but i mean i am a fan of the movie' "The Players Club" and i could not compare my experience at Shaw nothing like the movie' even if it was a strip mall right down the street.
I agree with Brooks that teenagers often find themselves drinking just to "keep up with the Jones'." It's a shame how many of them are often influenced by television and even the people in their daily environment. As young adults, i feel that we should be role models and influence positive behavior; I mean face it, the majority of the things that we shun youth for doing is generally influenced by us, the so called "role models." I'm not saying that their is something rong with having a drink every now and then, but doing it in moderation helps set a positive precedent for youth and adolescent children.
ReplyDeleteBrooks, what's good? Well i am going to say what i think a social problem is and correct me if i am wrong okay. Social issues are matters which directly or indirectly affects many or all members of society and are considered to be problems, controversies related to moral values, or both. That is what i think about the social problem thang it is all issues that become problems when they are not dealt with right away. So let me know what you think about that. If i am wrong i stand to be corrected.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone, unfortunately I was under the weather and missed the first class. I am new to "blogging" and hope I have at least read the directions correctly and doing what I am supposed to do. Anyways, I just wanted to get in where I fit in and do my post thang. I was reading previous responses and see I missed a very good discussion. I am anxious to see what the next class this week will bring; that is if weather permits.....I am definitely not hatin on the snow though!
ReplyDeleteDenise,you did miss a good class and i hope that you are feeling better this week. You can say that every class with Dr. Greenfield will be like the first he really gets into his work and i have grown to love his class. Last semester i had my boyfriend to come to class with me and he really enjoyed Dr. Greenfield class so much that he wanted to join school and give up that street way of life and i can say that he is a change man because of one class and i never though it would ever happen but it did. We can learn a lot from Dr. Greenfield and that is what i plan to do in the two classes i have with him this semester. I hope that you can make it to the next class and see for yourself if you have not taken a class with him. It will be fun and you will learn a lot.
ReplyDeleteTo everyone.. if you could impact a younger persons life would you? and how would you? realizing teens tend to think us old folks have never been through or seen anything "parents just don't understand" your voice could save someone from making bad decisions or even save their lives.Tell me some concerns you all had as teenagers growing up,peer pressures etc, there is a means to my madness and my questioning. I have a personal project i want to do, and your answers and suggestions would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, I am feeling better thanks. I can see that this class will be very interesting. I am not real big on speaking out in class but I can do this blog thang all day :). Any time every student has positive things to say about an instructor/class that says a lot. I was impressed with the story about your boyfriend. You made the impact that I would like to make on others. That is what I believe Sociology is all about making a difference. May you both continue to be each others support system and I wish you both well in your education.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, I would love to impact a younger person's life. How?, now that is the question. If I did, I may not even know unless they told me. Sometimes, the life they lead would speak for itself. And, to me those are the greatest rewards. Personally, I have always had an interest in the prevention of/coping with teenage pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that wasn't my issue as a teen. I had problems with peer pressure and trying to belong. Even though my friends and I had a drink from time to time, they also smoked weed and I didn't have an interest in it. They made it seem like I was missing out on something. I felt like the odd ball. Yet, I also wanted to be accepted and liked in school which I know is real big in high school to this day with males as well as females. I have kids myself and I know they will face their own issues so others responses will benefit me as well.
HEY EVERYONE!! JUST WANTED TO GIVE A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF THAT OBAMA IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE PRESIDENT W/OUT ANY ACTS OF VIOLENCE..
ReplyDeleteArt suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to do. The less control you will have. The more bullshit you will have to swallow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accordingly.
ReplyDeleteHugh Macleod, How To Be Creative: 15, 08-22-04
keep ya heads up and bring yall behinds to class on time.
I dont think that just changing the behavior of people alone will solve social problems. Even if people do change their will still be people who think their behavior is not good enough or the person wit the new behavior is trying to be better than others.
ReplyDeleteWe can't solve a problem without first changing the behavior that is causing the problem. We need to have evidence as to "why" we should change certain behaviors, because most people need proof that their behavior is part of a problem. they need proof that our way is going to improve society or the situation being addressed at the time, if a person is doing something they don't realize it is part of the problem, or they wouldn't consciously being doing it, unless they are just deviant.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that changing a person's personality and behavior will solve social problems. Once a person makes the adjustment to a different life style a whole new set of social problems can be born. Even though the new problems may not be as intense due to the change, but there is still a problem so it still should b addressed. In today's society many people are stuck in their ways and tend to believe that their behavior and personality may not be the cause of the social problems that are being faced.
ReplyDeleteYea i agree with you on that issue UHALL, we the being the adults should set a positive image for the youth to follow.We fail to remember that a youth's mind is still young and can be easily influenced by a person that they feel has everything that they inspire.
ReplyDeleteI believe we can change people in order to solve a social problem. The people must however be open to change and be willing to commit themselves to the cause. If the people are unwilling to change the process won't happen. Also, we as human beings may not know that we may be engaging in behavior that is causing or adding to the social problem. If the knowledge is not put out there for the people to obtain the people in turn stay clueless to the problems they are causing.
ReplyDeleteWell said snoop and Uhaul. It is our job to be positive role models and set the standards for the youth because believe it or not young people look up to us and we don't even realize it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm still upset about how our country tries to cover up our tracks when we're wrong. It paints a vivid image of how we have problems admitting when we're wrong. It has been a trend not only by the common everyday people, but the hiearchy and leaders of our nation. We need to stop sweeping things under the carpet of a rug thats already filthy and can't take anymore grim, but openly discuss our problems so we can move forward and progress as a nation.
ReplyDeletei wasn't in class Thursday but relating to what crystal was talking about on homelessness, last semester i got a chance to meet some of these homeless people, a lot of them are silenced, meaning society looks at homelessness as a disease is wrong. some of these homeless people had very complicated problems in the past that put them there. they didn't just fall out of the sky, or just woke up one day and said when i grow up I'm going to be a homeless person. they do have a story that needs to heard. for example i met this one girl, cant say her name but she was in a homeless shelter, do to a fire in her apartment, she wind up losing all kids, was diagnosed with skitsophranic, tries to keep her anger down by communicating with other, mother died when she was 12, and through all of that she is still fighting to get her children back, wants to go back to school after situated with kids, and never used drugs before. To me, that is the definition of a super woman because she could of easily been broken by our structured society. My point is, we should not look at homeless people as the scum of the earth or a disease to society because just like everybody else they are human and we do not know their stories. also be greatful for what you have because becoming homeless could happen to any of us at any giving time.
ReplyDeleteAn addiction can be cured. Whether or not someone chooses to be cured is the task. Normally an addict does not comprehend the concept of addiction; meaning that to them, their so called addiciton is nothing more than a much-liked hobby. Enable for someone to be cured of a problem, they must first identify first, that they indeed do have a problem.
ReplyDelete