Sociology tends to be heavily overlooked and not as recognized as a science, though, it is just a different type of science. There is an endless number of theories that describe social and human behavior and allow society to be seen through a different lens. Though research for sociological sciences is done with mostly qualitative studies, that should not take away from it being a science. Four major sociological perspectives have evolved over time: symbolic interactionism, functionalism, conflict theory, and feminist theory. These theoretical framework allows for both individuals in the sociological field and out of to understand all these phenomena.

Throughout the rest of this semester, the focus of my project will be to examine mental health awareness programs on public college campuses in New Jersey. This is something I am very passionate about because an individual’s college years are some of the most stressful, yet so influential as it is a very transitional period from being an adolescent into adulthood.

While the issue I will be researching is fairly clear, it is important to apply a sociological perspective to it as well. The first one that is applicable is the conflict theory. This theory represents human behavior, in the social context, is shaped by conflicts between two competing groups. Generally, conflict theory emphasizes the inequality of a social group. Conflict theorists would argue that those with the fewest resources are those that have the least amount of resources will be usually the ones that are classified with a mental health illness. (1)

The conflict that can be seen in the mental health field is the difficulty of getting mental health help. There are grassroots organizations that fight with bureaucratic groups to help provide better support for people that are in need. This is not always seen as a big issue because this tends to mainly affect those that are from poorer backgrounds and may not necessarily have the resources or funds to get better help and therefore have to go through the state or federal care.

Then, there is the symbolic interactionist perspective. This theory is another way to explain social behavior but rather than conflicts, it is demonstrated by examining how individuals interact with one another through symbols and are socially constructed. In simpler terms, how one feels about themselves is developed by how they act and interact with others. Most individuals that have a mental health disorder experience this perspective because of self-stigma based on all the nasty things that have been said about individuals with mental health disorders, the fear of rejection, and the feeling of needing to hide this aspect of oneself.

Applying these sociological perspectives to my topic helped me see my topic through a deeper lens and helped me see some other routes that I may take through my research. Specifically through the conflict theory, I will also be doing a fair amount of research to see the intersectionality present and see if a trend emerges among minority students having access to sufficient mental health care compared to the majority.

References

1. Crossman, Ashley. “The Sociology of Deviance and Mental Illness.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, August 19, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/deviance-and-mental-illness-3026266.

Social issues, where to start? If there’s one thing any society will never fail to have, it’s social issues. However, that doesn’t mean that these issues should be ignored. The goal of any society should be to eliminate or lessen these issues as much as possible, for that is the true mark of advancement. Here, I’ll discuss some of the less noted, but equally important issues in our modern American society.

Ableism

Ableism is an often well-ignored issue, which is shocking considering that 12.6% of the American population is disabled. That’s almost 40 million Americans. People sometimes think that disability rights and equality are all said and done with. We have the occasional wheelchair ramps, there are elevators in most buildings, and we have lots of braille on many public restroom signs. What those people don’t realize is how hard activists have had to and still have to fight for those little pieces of accommodation. Ableism comes from the concept that disabilities are something to be “fixed” in someone, that anything and everything must be done to make them as close to “abled” as possible. There is also a lot of patronistic behavior that comes with ableism, as there is the assumption that a disability makes someone’s life a tragedy and destroys their independence. While there are struggles in day to day life with disabilities, and some assistance from others may be require, most disabled people would argue their lives are pretty worth living. Leah Smith explains this base definition pretty well.

I consider this to be an important issue considering that while I carry no physical disability, I have friends who are or have been wheelchair users. I, myself, have autism, which is considered a disability itself. There is a long historical background for this issue, from eugenics being carried out against the disabled, the protests disabled Americans have carried out in our nation’s capital, the long history of the freak show, and the fight that continues for proper accommodations, awareness, representation, and equity. I will definitely have to narrow my focus on a topic like this, for there is a lot of smaller issues that fall under the wide umbrella of ableism.

Sex Work

People often believe that sex work is a horrific occupation, full of sad, broken girls who have no other options. There is a belief that criminalizing sex work helps women, and prevents sex trafficking, when often the opposite is true. The criminalization of sex work causes much of the abuse that sex workers experience to come from the hands of law enforcement. Violence against sex workers is taken less seriously than violence committed against the average citizen. More information can be found here. Criminalizing an industry that most people consume some from of product from — because porn is sex work — does nothing but hurt the people involved in the industry. The stigmatization of sex work in general does nothing but hurt the feminist movement, despite the desire of some feminists to separate themselves from sex work. This blog, written by a now retired stripper/activist, is very helpful. Sex work advances sex positivity, which helps women everywhere. The more sex work is demonized, the more sex itself, and the feminine aspects of the sex industry, are demonized as well. Women aren’t the only sex workers as well, there are plenty of men in the industry who face similar issues, although less to do with the added factor of being female in a female-dominated industry. Sex work is real work, and by pretending it isn’t, we invalidate the people who work in it.

I consider this to be an important issue because the sex industry is very alive and thriving, yet we still choose to try to squash it down and pretend it’s this horrible, evil thing. I don’t think sex positivity can really truly happen until our society’s issue with the sex industry is addressed. There is a major historical background for the discrimination and stigmatization that sex workers face, especially when it’s commonly considered the oldest profession. I will definitely have to narrow my focus, as there are many, many issues this industry faces.

Transphobia

Transphobia is generally known as discrimination or prejudice against transgender people. Considering that the concept of being transgender is rather new to most cisgender people, otherwise known as people who identify with their assigned gender, there is a lot of stigmatization of transgender people. There is a huge risk of violence for people who are openly trans, due to the extreme transphobia in today’s society. The average life expectancy for trans women is between 30 and 35. Transphobia is killing people, whether it be through suicide or an act of violence. We often hear about the debates over bathroom laws and how young a child should be allowed to transition. It is a complex issue depending on what smaller issue you are looking at, but that is any social issue. Trans rights are incredibly important, and deserve to be addressed.

I have and have had friends who are trans, so while I have no personal insight on this issue, it’s something people in my life have struggled with. There is a major historical background for this issue, with many examples of trans people throughout history who are often erased or brushed over due to transphobia. This is not a new issue, although it is new to much of the cisgender population. I will also need to narrow my focus on this issue, as it’s something that impacts nearly every aspect of the lives of trans people.

Racism and discrimination is a social topic that spans across the entire nation. There is not a culture or person, who does not face discrimination. Racism and discrimination is a form of conflict theory. Conflict theory is said to be, “human behavior particularly in a social context is influenced by or results from conflicts between competing groups.” Conflict theory originated from Karl Marx in the 1800’s and he believed, “that conflicts arose between two main classes or groups of people…” Racism and discrimination is a form of conflict theory because these situations happen either between different ethnic groups or people with differing ideas. An example of this are the conflicts that occur between black people and white people. Many of the conflicts stem from the days when black people were enslaved by their white counterparts. The days when a white person could openly say and feel that they are better than a black person. How does this relate, is what someone might and the answer that can be given is this relates because that feeling that a white person is better than a black person is still continued in this day. Black people feel the need to compete with their white counterparts because they feel held back due to their skin color. They feel the chance they can have to be a success is being denied because they are a few shades darker than what society has deemed is the normal color that an individual should be. And it’s not only color that plays a role in this conflict. Differences in how the cultures speak, dress, or even forms of entertainment causes racism and discrimination. 

Which leads to how symbol interactionism can be a form of racism and discrimination. Symbolic interactionism is said to be, “a way to explain social behavior in terms of how people interact with each other through symbols.” As aforementioned above, the way a black person speaks compared to a white person can be used as a symbol of intelligence levels. A white person is believed to speak “proper” English, while a black person is believed to speak in “broken” or improper English. They are believed to know all the latest slang terms and most are looked at as having a reading capability of less than the 12th grade. Which causes them to be looked down upon as not being educated. But racism and discrimination happens within the community as easy as it does outside the community. The black community discriminates against their own culture if they feel a black person is too intelligent. For some reason the black community associates intelligence and manners as a “white” thing, so anyone in the black community who has both are discriminated against and considered to be proper and not black. Which makes no sense because intelligence and manners are for everyone but in certain communities are not teaching their children those values so they associate them as being characteristics of another race and culture. This association leads to racism and discriminination within their own community and outside their community.

“Is There a Difference between Black and White Funerals?” Jacaranda FM, www.jacarandafm.com/shows/breakfast-martin-bester-and-tumi-morake/there-difference-between-black-and-white-funerals/.

Haas. “”@BasketballPics: Handshakes with White People vs Handshakes with Black People (@NBAMemes) Pic.twitter.com/kL5oB8sP3S’ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.” Twitter, Twitter, 17 Nov. 2013, twitter.com/haasspitta/status/402170795956649984.

Economic disparity is the unequal distribution of income and opportunities among different groups of society.  It has changed throughout different time periods of America’s history and is indicative of a prevalent inequality within a given society.  Although it has narrowed and widened, the issue always prevails.

Functionalist Perspective

When it comes to economic disparity, the Functionalist Theory poses that all aspects of society – the wealthy, the working class, and the individuals stricken with poverty – are imperative in maintaining stability within a large working system.  This theory argues that it is beneficial to have extremely wealthy individuals as well as extremely impoverished individuals within the same society because they both maintain those worthy at the top and those unworthy at the bottom. This theory sees the economic disparity issue to be an incentive to work harder for those who wish to be at the very top and encourages those already at the top to keep working hard to remain there.  This theory sees every part to be integral within a functioning society, whether the reasonings are positive or negative. Those located at the top of the economic ladder are necessary to keep society thriving, so they have the most prestigious and best-paying careers. Contrarily, the lower classes are significant in society because they occupy the jobs that the wealthy and educated are overqualified for, such as janitors and garbage collectors. In this theory, social inequality leads to a meritocracy.^1  Although not everyone wishes to have those jobs, they are necessary in a functioning society because someone has to do them. Overall, the functionalist theory sees that within the larger picture, each small detail is necessary to have an efficient-working society.

Conflict Theory

Conflict theory poses that economic inequality is detrimental to society because it creates a system of winners and losers.  This theory sees the disparity as being a powerful group dominating over a weaker group of society. In order to maintain the status quo, “those in power repress the powerless.”^2  domination is most usually achieved as a result of cultural hegemony, such as thoughts, values, beliefs, worldviews, norms, and expectations.^3  For example, today’s billionaires such as Jeff Bezos exercise power at the expense of the poor people. The poor individuals do not get fair opportunities to compete alongside Bezos.  The competitive nature of this social issue creates social stratification. Additionally, the elite of society are often advantaged and given breaks (i.e. tax breaks) with hopes that they will invest that money so it will go back into the economy.  Ultimately, however, it is at their own discretion.  The wealthy possess power and use it as leverage so that they maintain control over sectors of society.  This creates conflict and hostility between the groups of society.  The lower group of society is unable to rise above because they are kept below by those exercising power and wealth.  Conflict theorists would argue that economic disparity is a system in which people are meant to be kept down by the elite of society who dominate over everyone else.

Bibliography

(^1, ^2, and ^3) Crossman, Ashley. “The Sociology of Social Inequality.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, January 28, 2020.

(Image 2) Crossman, Ashley. “What Is Conflict Theory?” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, July 3, 2019.

(Image 1) Deluce, Alex. “The U.S. Income Inequality Crisis: The American Dream Vanishing?” Gold Telegraph, March 8, 2018.

Child abuse can be defined as physical, mental, or sexual abuse or harm, neglect, and/or abandonment of a child by their parent or guardian and has occurred since the beginning of time. While it has been around forever, the topic of child abuse has recently been hidden from society as its actions are deemed unacceptable; the topic is easier to hide than it is to deal with the response from the community. Through different sociological theories, different perspectives give different explanations and opinions on the topic of child abuse. The functionalist perspective and the feminist perspective give two opposing views on the topic of child abuse.

Functionalist Perspective

The functionalist perspective sees all parts of society put together to form a larger picture. The good and bad aspects of society are all important to a functionalist perspective as society cannot function properly without them. While child abuse is an important social issue that most view needs to be resolved, functionalist theorists try to see the give and take aspect of it; with having cases of child abuse, more jobs opportunities are available. Across the world, organizations and businesses have been constructed to help prevent child abuse, educate on the topic of child abuse, and help victims of child abuse cope and recover. Child Protective Services is perhaps one of the largest businesses in this field that helps children and victims who may be at risk with their given guardian. Without the social issue of child abuse, Child Protective Services may not be needed and thousands of workers would lose their jobs. The functionalist perspective sees the issue in the bigger picture as it analyzes how society would function without the issue; in this case, unemployment rates would grow.

Feminist Perspective

The feminist theory often analyzes a social issue in relation to gender and power. The topic of child abuse occurs in victims of both genders and child abusers have been reported of both genders, however, feminist perspectives place blame predominantly on the male gender because they fall under the patriarchal family system where men make the family decisions and have the ultimate power. In past times, children were often viewed as property of their fathers, as were women and wives; this gave power to the male gender. When children were seen as property rather than people, men often took more advantage of their children. Research has additionally found that most child abusers are of the male gender.  While times and gender roles are changing, the feminist theory still accounts men for the issue of child abuse. Men are deemed to be more physical and have more agression; men are typically in control of the family. In addition, men also get blamed for the abandonment of their children after leaving the family dynamic more than women do. Feminist theorists often fight for the end and prevention of child abuse as their focus tends to defend smaller groups, in this case children and female children in particular as sexual abuse has been a prevailing topic. Feminist theorists fight for the end of child abuse and view the topic through a gender power dispute.

Sociological theories each provide a distinct perspective on social issues. Functionalists view an issues place in society and how society would be affected from it. In this case, unemployment rates would grow as organizations and business would go out of business. On the opposite end, the feminist perspective views how child abuse should end and focuses on how the male gender can be attributed to child abuse cases. While both make valid points, they touch on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of opinion. Sociological theories allow society to view topics from different perspectives.

My topic, political perspectives on immigration, can be looked at through two sociological lenses: an interactionist perspective as well as a functionalist perspective.

Looking at immigration through an interactionist perspective is evidently appropriate since immigration is all about interacting with others. The main interaction that occurs is between foreigners and natives throughout the immigration process. Foreigners must interact with natives in order to assimilate into the new culture and way of life of the country they move to. Foreigners also must interact with other foreigners in order preserve one’s culture and carry on traditions in the new location as well as to learn about other cultures; one learns to become well-rounded and cosmopolitan. Natives also interact amongst each other, debating over whether they feel invaded or they feel that immigration is a positive. Interactionism looks at how people interact using symbols, aiming to explain social behavior and what takes place in these relations. According to interactionists, the way one views oneself is shaped by the relationships made with other people which result from the interpretation of symbols.[1] The act of migrating is a symbol in itself since, for the migrants, this act of moving symbolizes moving toward a hopefully better future. The way that people interpret this topic as a symbol differs though which is why this topic is a heavily controversial one. In regards to conversations between natives, some people embrace immigration while others view it as a threat to one’s home country. Associations to issues such as terrorism are symbolic and frame a native’s mindset into thinking that they are superior to immigrants. However, those who see immigration in a positive light do not view themselves this way but rather as human beings looking to make oneself more diverse and to help in whatever way they can. Immigrants are solely looking for a new home that would provide them a better livelihood; they hope for positive encounters with other people that would help them get accustomed to how this unfamiliar system works.

As for functionalists, who believe that every part of society serves a purpose to help it function properly and in a fine and organized fashion, they see immigration as a structure that greatly impacts society. Functionalists believe that these functions explain social behaviors and the vital structures that make up society. They additionally believe that these structures serve a beneficial purpose and that society will always move toward stability; thus, all structures in society, including immigration, try to do so in the best way possible.[2] Functionalists, conclusively, see immigration as a way to help society progress, not regress. It has served a purpose since the beginning of time. There has always been movement occurring in our world; presently, the rate of people moving has been skyrocketing which causes concern to arise. Immigration is part of American history and has made it the country and the strong national society it has become, enriched with culture and individuality. Functionalists see this as an asset to our nation, finding the positives in immigration as a societal structure.

Bibliography:

[1] Chegg Tutors, “Symbolic Interactionism”. February 10, 2016. YouTube video, 4:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=crZOxoAZGa4&feature=emb_logo

[2] Chegg Tutors, “Functionalism”. March 22, 2016. YouTube video, 3:43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=JSmaNnU3uAI&feature=emb_logo

There were many waves of LGBTQ movements that started in the 1920s. The 1950s was a generally negative time for LGTBQ. This includes the lavender scare in which Eisenhower fired federal employees if they were homosexual. This was due to the belief that they were connected to communism and were a threat to national security. By the 60s though, there were increasing advancements.

Since then the Stonewall riot happened in 1969, Harvey Milk, was the first openly gay man who was elected in California, homosexual marriage was legalized, and it was no longer deemed a mental disease.

In the military specifically, before the “don’t ask, don’t tell legislation in 1993 under Clinton, homosexuality was completely illegal in the military due to medical reasons. Eisenhower in the 50s put forth an executive order firing homosexuals from federal offices. Department of Defense claimed that Homosexuality was incompatible with the military and thousands were discharged. Don’t ask don’t tell policy allowed LGBTQ in the military, as long as they did not claim they were homosexual. In 2011, the Don’t ask Don’t Tell policy, or Amry regulation 600-20, was repealed. By 2015 there were an increase in pro-LGBTQ legislation, representation, and attitudes.  In 2015, transgender were allowed in the military, but by 2018, Trump reversed this because “‘accommodating gender transition could impair unit readiness,’ ‘undermine unit cohesion’ and ‘lead to disproportionate costs.’ 1

Sociology has a few lenses in which sociologists can view the world. Two of these theories are the functionalism and the symbolic interactionist theory.

The functionalist perspective claims that, whether positive or negative, the social issue exists because it has a function within society. For example, the don’t ask don’t tell policy and the recent anti-transgender law can be explained through this theory because it has a purpose. Many service members argue for anti-LGBTQ laws because “ (a) homosexuality is immoral; (b) homosexuality would have adverse effects of cohesion, morale, and good discipline; and (c) the fear of intimate situations with someone of the same gender who may be attracted to them.” 2 Under the functionalist perspective, this social issue exists because military would not function as well with LGBTQ members. One can also look at the opposite side of this claiming that this social issue exists since pro-LGBTQ legislation’s purpose is to get more service members. As for the symbolic interactionist perspective, society is explained by how people interact with each other through symbols. One can say that the constant use of the word faggot between younger men is an example of this. Even if the term is used and is not in reference to homosexuals, by calling each other fags, the theory is fulfilled. Fag is now associated with not only homophobia but also masculinity and identity. If you are a fag, you aren’t a man. The term itself is completely negative and within boys, it is used as a checking system to prevent one from going outside gender norms. The novel, “Dude, you’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School” by C. J. Pascoe goes in-depth about this topic and studies how the term Faggot affects the identity of adolescent boys. 

   Work Cited and Footnotes

 1 Moreau, Julie. “Trump’s Transgender Military Ban ‘Worse than Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Advocates  Say.” NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, March 26, 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trump-s-transgender-military-ban-worse-don-t-ask-don-n860181.

2 PhdLCSW, G. Dean Sinclair. “Homosexuality and the Military: A Review of the Literature.” Taylor & Francis, May 10, 2007. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918360903054137.

Though I have heard of sweatshops before I visited the Tenement Museum, my understanding of them after the visit was so much more in-depth. I was amazed to hear how families of eight would live in the small apartments, with kids still sleeping on the floor of what would be their work area or garment sweatshop.

The difference between sweatshops now compared to the 1800s is the size and location. As briefly mentioned earlier, they were usually just one room with a few workers. Their wives would occasionally bring them food, and as discussed at the museum, they were at least able to see their kids since they were working from home. However, nowadays, sweatshops are in cafeteria-like large rooms with as many workers packed in as possible. Very rarely will workers get a lunch break, and they do not see their families during the day. Conditions have changed mainly because as prominent retailers and department stores have emerged, they all want one thing: the most profit. And unfortunately, that means their factory workers, get the short end of the stick. However, in American sweatshop factories, conditions are not as bad as they are in international ones. Internationally, child labor is still happening at extremely young ages, and women that are pregnant must continue working as well. The website, “The World Counts” posted the statistic that “250 million children between 5 and 14 are forced to work in sweatshops in developing countries. The pay? Sometimes less than 20 cents per day or about one cent per hour.”

What is most disturbing is that these major companies know what they are doing. According to an article on WWD, in 2016, “more than $65,000 in civil penalties were levied against repeat or willful violators. The factories that violated laws regulating minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping made clothes for retailers including Ross Stores, T.J. Maxx, Forever 21, Bealls, Charlotte Russe, Burlington, Windsor, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Dillard’s.” (1) The keyword in this quote being repeat and willful.

The link between sweatshop work and immigration is that when immigrants come to the United States, they are not necessarily aware of all the rules and regulations, therefore, they are seen as easy targets. More specifically, they are not necessarily aware of wage requirements, “mandatory” working conditions, and other important factors that should be normally enforced by employers. Therefore, when they hear of a job opportunity in the U.S., they would rather take it than being left unemployed.

Though sweatshops, for the most part, have horrendous conditions and pay their workers unfairly, there are minor benefits for immigrants and other workers. First, as mentioned earlier, they provide more jobs and do not necessarily require any identification or paperwork to be hired. Second, as we saw in the Tenement Museum, immigrants were able to connect with others from their culture and help each other from getting homesick and not feel as lonely. Additionally, “The World Counts” did report that if workers’ rights are being properly followed, then it may benefit poor countries. They mention Honduras, where the average sweatshop “worker earns 13 US dollars per day, which is a decent wage considering that 44 percent of the country’s population lives on less than 2 dollars per day.” (2) While this wage would not really work to the United States’ federal standards, news sites have reported that it is somewhat beneficial to poorer countries. Overall, this comes down to ensuring that all people are treated like people and are given a fair chance for a good quality of life.

References:

1. “Sweatshops Persist in U.S. Garment Industry.” WWD. WWD, December 5, 2016. https://wwd.com/business-news/government-trade/sweatshops-persist-in-u-s-garment-industry-10716742/.
2. The World Counts. Accessed February 17, 2020. https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/people-and-poverty/slavery-and-sweatshops/sweatshop-workers-conditions.