It's Dangerous to be Different

We have talked in this class about how, when you are seen as "the other" your behaviors are more likely to be interpreted as deviant. That can be because your master status is non-white, or non-Christian. It is because you are "the other" that you are suspect.


http://bestmoviesevernews.com/paradise-lost-3-purgatory-movie-review-2905/

This was the case with the West Memphis Three. Maybe you have heard about this case. It has now been the subject of a trilogy of films, called the Paradise Lost series from HBO. These three young men (Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin) were suspected of, and eventually incarcerated for, the brutal murders of three young Cub Scouts in 1993. They did not commit the crime, but that did not seem to matter as the case unfolded. Their only "deviance" was not criminal at all--they were just different. They listened to Metallica, wore black clothing, and did not choose to follow mainstream trends. But they were the primary suspects, and the case became a witch hunt, with the agents of the local criminal justice system determined to find the young men guilty. They blamed the murders on the satanic rituals of the suspects, and got the community into a frenzy of beliefs about them, based on their appearance and musical taste.



When the first documentary was released, a lot of attention from the public and some celebrities followed. Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson and Eddie Vedder gave millions of dollars to help free the men, and a trust fund was set up to help provide financial support to the prisoners.

The three men were recently let out of prison--but with a pretty big hitch. They were forced to plead guilty. So now, the case is closed, and the real killers may never be caught, despite pleas from the parents of the murdered boys, and continued pressure from activists like Johnny Depp to keep searching. The 3rd film in the series chronicles this chapter in the story. The case is fascinating, and I highly recommend learning more about it.



Here is a recent NPR story about the release of the men from prison. It is an interview with the director of the three Paradise Lost films. You can listen or read.

Section 2 :: Theories of Deviance

By now you have had a chance to get to know some of the theories of deviance. These theories hope to explain why some groups are more or less likely to commit crimes, or be involved in deviance, than other groups. While we do not cover all of the theories in this class, we hit some of the big ones, like:

• Strain Theory
• Differential Association Theory (Social Learning Theory)
  
• Control Theory
• Labeling Theory
• Shaming Theory
• Conflict Theory
• Feminist Theories

For January 31, you will be reading about Conflict Theory. You will read the article by Richard Quinney, as well as an article from Jeffrey Reiman called "The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison." If you like that article, consider reading his entire book of the same name--a great read! As you will read, there is a consequence of being poor when it comes to navigating the criminal justice system. As Reiman explains, at every step of the system, being poor is a great disadvantage. The article by Eligan provides an example of this: what it is like for the poor to navigate the bail system.

Required:

• Conflict Theory - Quinney (in your textbook)
  
• The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison - Reiman (available on Angel)
  
• For Poor, Bail System Can Be an Obstacle to Freedom - Eligan

For February 2, you will be reading about Feminist Theory in criminology. Of course there is not just one type of feminism, nor is there just one theory of feminism when it comes to criminology. Feminists have impacted the field of criminology in countless ways by pushing the discipline to look at the different life experiences of women when discussing crime. Before feminism and feminist theory, the field (as most were) was entirely dominated by men, and they primarily studied men, but assumed their theories would apply to women as well. Feminism did not just broaden research to include women, but also led us to a greater understanding how race and class impact offending, and how race, class and gender all interact. Thank you feminism!

For this day, you will be reading one of my absolute favorite, most inspiring articles from all of criminology, which is the one by Mary Gilfus. I can't wait to hear what you think! To accompany this, you will read a relatively recent piece about women that work in the sex industry. You will also have the article in your textbook from one of the important feminist scholars, Kathleen Daly. You will also check out a blog from a woman that has been labeled as a felon; spend some time looking around, and see how this label has impacted her life.

Required:

• Feminist Theory - Daly (in your textbook)
• From Victims to Survivors to Offenders - Gilfus (available on Angel)
  
• What It's Like to be 17 and Having Sex For Money - Sher
• Ex Felon Girl (blog - spend time looking around!)

Some feedback from the first Blog Posts (which will help you with the second one!)

I have spent the week and weekend reading your first Blog Posts, and I love them! I love all of the creativity in your designs, your writing, and in the topics you chose, and I have enjoyed getting to know your voices and perspectives.

As you know, we are in this "learning experience" together, so I tried to look for patterns that can help guide us for future posts. I went pretty easy on you with this first round, when it came to grading, since we were feeling things out. My expectations will be higher, round two.

Here are some things I learned from reading the first round:

1. I need to give more flexibility with the word count.
Some of you went with the bare minimum, barely making 500 words, some forced yourself to stay under 700 (that must have been rough!) and some of you abandoned the word count all together (and that is totally okay). Let's do this. For the rest of the blog posts, the minimum word count will 600 and the maximum will be 1500. For the minimum count, you need to write enough to give more than surface level analysis. For the maximum, here is an opportunity to practice making your arguments succinctly, and editing yourself (prioritizing examples, or whatever).

2. Citations in blogs are difficult.
But, they must be done. It is CRUCIAL, in academic writing, as well as casual writing, to give credit where credit is due. You MUST use citations in your post. After reading all of the blogs, and considering design vs. content, I just don't think full citations are something that should be sacrificed. If you are using a video, that is enough of a citation. Anything else needs to be cited, and linked to if possible.

Going forward, I will give you a choice. You can cite (1) as if you are writing an academic paper, or (2) using a system of footnotes. You must pick one of those choices, and do it correctly--thoroughly, and properly. The idea is that if someone stumbled across your blog, and wanted to know more about where you got your ideas and concepts, they could go to the exact book/article/video you are talking about, and see for themselves. That even includes me--you have to cite my lectures if you are going to talk about the concepts from lecture. When you just mention a concept or idea, and not give credit, you look like you are taking credit for the concept. Keep that in mind as you write, because that is plagiarism.

If you chose (1): For in text citations (the ones that are in the body of your post), you must at a minimum use the last name of the author, and the year that article was published (look for it on google scholar if you must). If you directly quote, also include a page number in that in text citation. At the end of the blog, even if it doesn't look pretty, I need full citations.

If you chose (2): Each time there would be an in text citation, put a number, in order (1) then (2) then (3). At the bottom of your Post, give a full citation with the corresponding numbers. Full citations--not just a last name. Choose a style (ASA, APA, MLA or whatever) and do it properly.

Remember, link when possible. If you talk about a concept you learned from another course, cite it, and consider linking to a web site that gives background information about that concept, so your peers (or anyone else that reads your blog) can learn more.

3. You need to find a balance between having a voice, and still writing academically.
I love the variety of styles and voices I see in your Blogs. I am open to different writing styles and approaches. But this is still a 300-level academic course, and you need to keep that in mind as you write. Do not get too casual, and do not lose site of the purpose of these posts--to further our understanding of the concepts we are discussing and reading.

Here is a blog post from one of your classmates that did this well. He has a narrative of watching the PE classes, but he is still able to maintain a high level of academic writing. He also uses the concepts from the readings very well (check out how he integrates "Path of Least Resistance"), and cites in a way that means anyone who reads his post could go find those readings for themselves. Nice job!

4. Have some fun, but follow instructions.
I will try hard to give you clear instructions on my expectations, but please ask if you do not understand. You were supposed to use and cite THREE sources from the first two weeks of assigned materials; many of you did not do that. Please work on that for the next time. It is not enough to just drop in the concept--you need to fully integrate it, showing how it helps explain a concept, or connects to the thesis of your blog. You do not necessarily need a quote, but you need to give it justice. One way to think about it is writing as if someone may stumble across your blog that has no background in sociology, criminology or social deviance--how can you explain it to them in a way they can understand? Again, it is like citations--give credit where it is due.

Additionally, you were supposed to choose a genre to study (such as TV commercials), and sample four items (e.g. four commercials), and analyze them. Many of you did not follow that plan. While I had fun reading your thoughts, I would still like you to follow the instructions. I was easy on the grading this time, but I have the guidelines for a reason. Please follow the instructions, and ask if you have questions. To be sure, I will REWRITE the instructions for Blog Post 2, to make them more clear. Email me, or bring your questions to class, if you have any.

If you would like to see some examples of my expectation for your posts, here is a great post from one of your peers. In there she weaves in the concepts, she cites well, and she uses images and space to make her post interesting, engaging, and readable.

I can't wait to read your next Blog Posts! Great start, fellow deviants! ;)

Blog Post 2: Why I Am/Not Deviant [UPDATED 1/29]

For this Blog Post, you will be writing 600-1500 words on why you are, or are not, deviant.

This post has two parts.

For the first part: Give us a background look at how deviant you are, or are not, according to society. To do this, use at least two of the theories we have read for this section of the class to explain how they can help to explain your level of deviance. This part will be a lot like the activity we did in class on Thursday 1/26. That day, we looked at the upbringing and life experiences of two offenders (Teal and Williams) to help explain why they broke into the Bookie. We used clues from their lives to correspond to concepts within the theories of deviance, then used those theories to explain why those particular people participated in that crime. Do that same treatment to yourself--what about your experiences and upbringing, according to two theories of deviance, can help explain why you are (or are not) a deviant today?

Keep in mind....for this part of the Blog Post, you do not need to catalog your historical illegal or deviant behaviors (please!). Only divulge what you are comfortable sharing with your peers, and anyone that might stumble across your blog! I am okay if you would like to lie about your past to make your points--the point is to show you understand the theories, not get you arrested, or one up your classmates with your scary stories. ;)

When you decide on your theories, explain them both thoroughly, including all of the components one would need to know to understand the theory. Then, relate each of the theories to yourself. What is it about you, your upbringing, your social status (and so forth) that makes you a potential or unlikely deviant, according to that theory? Remember to cite who developed the theories as part of the three readings or clips you need to use in your post. Be sure to relate your status as a deviant or non-deviant back to your experiment in deviance—how did your various statuses (race, class, gender, ability, age, sexuality, et al.) impact your experience with looking/acting deviant? When explaining any of the concepts, explain as if the person reading the post has NO background in Sociology or Criminology. Explain things at a basic level, and clearly.

For the second part: You get to be deviant, in a small way, and see how people deal with your deviance. For this part of your post, you will actually have to act in deviant ways, and keep track of the way people react to you. Please do not do anything illegal, or too terribly disruptive to your class or work environments, but do act or dress in a way that is considered “deviant” by mainstream society. You can stand the wrong way on an elevator, break other [small] unwritten social rules...the possibilities are endless. You must do a small deviant act at least three times, or sustain the deviant act/appearance for at least one hour, and you must do this deviance in a place where you can be observed by others. For some of us, we are already seen as deviant, so we are used to some amount of formal or informal sanctioning. For you, how did your baseline level of being perceived as "deviant" impact your experience with this experiment?

In your write up, tell us what you did to be deviant, and where you did it. Why is that behavior/appearance considered deviant by mainstream society? What is the potential harm, or reward, of having this behavior or appearance? Tell us how people reacted to you, and how it felt, both to be deviant, and to receive reactions (if any).

As with all of your Blog Posts, you need to use and cite at least THREE of the assigned course materials in your Post. Remember to embed videos, link when you can, and include a word count at the bottom of your post. Also remember this is ACADEMIC ANALYSIS so please maintain a professional, academic tone. Please refer to my Blog Post with feedback from the first round of Posts.

Policing Behavior Through Labels

Today we got to talk about the power of labels. As we discussed, labels are a shortcut. They are a way that we maintain beliefs about race, class, gender, ability, size, sexuality and so forth. We also use them when we want to imply something about the person we are labeling, not just their behavior. Some of you had some really great analysis on your homework handouts.



For example, one of you talked about the label "bitch." As your classmate expressed so well, this label is "used to express scorn for a woman overstepping the bounds of feminine submissiveness. Men (and other women) expect women to be passive and to get along with others, and deviation from this expectation is met with a negative reaction." Great way to say it! This label is a great example of the way we use labels to try to keep people in their expected roles, even if those roles are just based in stereotypes. We punish aggression in women by using this word.

Another way we police gender is using the label "tomboy," as one of you pointed out. As this classmate said: "A tomboy challenges emphasized femininity, or what/who women are supposed to do/spend time with. In our society girls are supposed to have girl friends and only have romantic relations with boys, not platonic ones." If you think about all that is packed into that sentence, we use "tomboy" to monitor a lot of beliefs we have about women and girls. First, women and girls are supposed to care about relationships. But, they are supposed to have friendships with girls, as the assumption is heterosexuality--boys are for dating. Also think about the implications of how it is acceptable for a young girl to be masculine, but it is less acceptable for an adult woman. Also, when the reverse happens, and a young boy is seen as feminine, red flags go up. Everyone thinks he must be gay. There is much less tolerance for this option, and parents will even try to "fix" this. Here is the story of one mom that dared to challenge that, and the backlash she faced.

Labels can be powerful. One of you talked about the label of "welfare mom" which I think is a leftover relic of the "welfare queen" stereotype created by Ronald Reagan during his 1976 campaign that still seems to linger. When you call someone one of those labels, you are diminishing their entire existence into a package of assumptions tied up in race, class, gender and so forth. Labels can be funny (c'mon--eye broccoli?!?)...but they come with assumptions. Some can be harmless, but often they are based in assumptions that just aren't true, and by using them, we are keeping stereotypes alive. No one wants to be boiled down to a few inaccurate assumptions, no matter our race, class, gender, ability level, and so forth. Who says a "meathead" can't also be a smart, hardworking student? Who says redheads have to be misfits?

Guest Post: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Help

Hi, all. It's Matt. I've been reading some of your blog posts, and they've been really interesting. Thanks for all that great reading material!

Meredith invited me to write a guest post for the class blog, so I thought I'd give you a few tips on blog design and the Blogger interface.

Before I go on, I've updated and uploaded my handout to Google Docs in case you need a quick refresher. Check it out here. (These changes reflect some tweaks to the Blogger layout since I first wrote out. It's all written assuming that you are on the old Blogger layout. If you've migrated to the new layout ... good luck, I suppose? Ha!)

Design

I'm glad to see you using Blogger to customize the layout, images, color schemes, and fonts on your blogs. But, much like the Force, all those tools can be used for good or evil. Here are some tips to keep your blog from the Dark Side:

First, think about your audience. If someone's reading your blog, will they wade through your whole post if the page is busy with graphics, contrasting colors, and crazy fonts?

Stick with simple colors that complement each other whenever possible. It doesn't mean you have to go with a black-and-white color scheme, but if you're using a green background, consider something softer than a bright neon shade.

Along those same lines, think about lightening up your background color if it's pretty dark while also darkening your text. White text on a dark background is nice in small doses, but stark contrasts like that get difficult to read after awhile.

Stay simple with your font choice, too. Would you write your resume or cover letter with the font you're blogging in? If the answer is "no," consider changing it. I get that it's your blog and that you want to customize it to your heart's content, but think about how tough it is to decipher some of the funkier fonts.

Linking

I didn't see a ton of links on your blog posts; did you have a tough time remembering how to link? Or was it just a case of forgetfulness? Either way, a super quick refresher.

First thing's first, copy the URL you want to link to onto your clipboard. Do this by highlighting the URL -- it starts with http:// -- and pressing CRTL+C on a PC or COMMAND+C on a Mac. Head back to your blog post and highlight the text you want to serve as the link text.

From there, click the little chain link/Earth button up above the blog editor window -- it's to the left of where you adjust the text alignment (left/center/right/justified). Then paste the URL (CTRL+V on a PC or COMMAND+C on a Mac) into the box that pops up.

And if those instructions are still throwing you off, I'd point you in the direction of my handout again.

Video

This is the most complicated task and seemed to cause some confusion. Are there any questions I can answer in the comments for you?

I would say, again, check out the handout for the detailed instructions on how to embed a video. If one of the steps is tripping you up, I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments section.

But, overall, your blogs look good and are a joy to read. I hope that these hints and suggestions don't indicate otherwise. Keep up the great work, and have a fantastic semester.

Matt

Academic Writing Demystified (I hope).

Hello all,

As our time was cut short due to various technical errors out of our control when I last visited class, I want to do a somewhat regular guest post (as Meredith as so kindly suggested) on writing to hopefully help you in your academic and blog writing endeavors. Always remember and feel free to contact me personally at brianstribe@vancouver.wsu.edu or at the Writing Center in-person, by e-mail at writingcenter@vancouver.wsu.edu or by phone at 360-546-9650.

Let’s review the structure of academic writing that I was hurriedly going through during the class visit. Here are some key points:

1. Thesis: This should appear in the last 1-2 sentences of the intro paragraph and should clearly state the main idea of the paper.
a. A thesis has two parts:
i. Claim “Dogs are cool because they can be trained to help people.”
ii. Rationale “therefore Washingtonians should fund dog training programs such as service dog training and search and rescue training."
b. Remember that the importance of a thesis is paramount to a paper because it informs the reader of what’s to come as far as a claim, and the rationale (hopefully) grounds that claim outside of the classroom to affect change.
c. It is also important to remember that your academic reader, as soon as the thesis is read, has made an initial stand for, against, or on the fence at this point. It’s therefore important that you think about your audience carefully. Those who are for are part of the cheerleading section. They’re great, but, if you want your work to have an impact, think of your audience as those who are on the fence or disagree. Perhaps more importantly, is that you think of that audience as educated people (this is an academic forum) and they deserve respect. If you don’t give respect to the opposing point of view, you lose a crucial element of rhetorical persuasion: Ethos. (Credibility, etc.)
2. Paragraphing.
a. Look at the thesis whenever you begin a paragraph. I personally print out the thesis and tape it to the top of my monitor to make this easy. In the case of our thesis about dogs, which aspect of dogs being cool do you think the reader expects you to cover first? That’s right, Service Dogs. Why? Because you stated it first in the thesis.
b. Here are the requirements for a complete academic paragraph (and, I would argue, many other forums should be the same):
i. Topic sentence
ii. Introduction and presentation of evidence
iii. Synthesis
iv. Concluding sentence.
c. Let’s look at the jobs each sentence/element needs to fulfill (one important note if you don’t know already: based on the above, you cannot have a complete academic paragraph in under 4 sentences.
i. Topic Sentence
1. State the subject of the supporting/body paragraph clearly.
2. Connect to thesis (how does this subject connect to the main idea (in this case funding)?
3. Carry the second half of the transition from the prior paragraph.
ii. Introduction/presentation of evidence:
1. Introduce evidence within context of paragraph’s subject, establish credentials of evidence, present evidence (this may take longer than one sentence, of course).
iii. Synthesis
1. This is the cream of the crop, and most students miss this entirely or do not understand it’s essential value to a teacher’s recognition of class concepts being applied to existing knowledge and your own, which is, in short, the creation of new knowledge. By the way, if you feel like you don’t bring anything to the table, this can undermine the synthesis heavily. I now deem you academics! (Even though you were when you entered the classroom). The reason why each and every one of you brings something to the table is because you are all unique. Your experience with service dogs is different than the experiences of others; capitalize on it!
2. The key to a good synthesis is to refer back to your evidence, integrating it with your own words. Try to actually use a few keywords from the evidence you presented in combination with your own to explain to your reader exactly how this evidence supports the point you are making in the paragraph, which is, by extension, supporting your thesis if the Topic Sentence is proper.
3. Concluding sentence. This sentence has three jobs too:
a. Sum up paragraph
b. Reconnect to thesis (this is somewhat unavoidable if you have summed up properly).
c. Carry the 1st half of the transition to the following paragraph.
d. Putting it altogether
i. Okay. Now that we have this established, let’s look at some examples and I’ll give you some ways to test the organization of your paper/paragraphs. Here are two paragraphs with the thesis posted above them:

Thesis: “Dogs are cool because they can be trained to help people, therefore Washingtonians should fund dog training programs such as service and search and rescue training for dogs.”

Paragraph:

Dogs are more than just cuddly critters that people snuggle with on the couch. In fact, dogs have been used in many different ways throughout history. As John St. Bernard says: “Dogs have served as guardians and best friends for ages” (St. Bernard 17) (Note* I’m using MLA citation here. Check your discipline’s requirements for proper citation rules.) Many dogs in your neighborhood probably don’t have the slightest idea what their ancestors were like. However, it is clear that dogs have had an essential role in the development of humans.

I had a dog once. The dog’s name was Sophie. She was with me through thick and thin, keeping me warm while I slept in my car when things were hard. Sophie operated on hand commands, much like many service and/or search and rescue dogs do. Riley Retriever comments on the bond between humans and animals: “The bond between humans and dogs can be extremely strong, especially when dogs are trained to pick up on the instinctive nature of a situation involving the human they are bonded to (Retriever 16). Sophie was my best friend when no one else was, and I will never forget her. She was tragically hit by a car after slipping out of her collar and leash on a rainy night. However, I will always remember what Sophie gave to me.

Now, let’s test the paragraphing structure of the paragraphs above:

“Dogs are more than just cuddly critters that people snuggle with on the couch.” The first sentence of a paragraph is the topic sentence (I should say that this is usually the case. IF you don’t know why it should be moved, don’t move it.) Remember the three rules of a Topic sentence above?
1. Introduce Subject: The sentence does this fairly well. The reader knows that the paragraph is going to be about dog and how they are more than just household pets.
2. Connection to thesis: Not so much. There is little connection to the thesis other than a mention of dogs. To be more solidly connected, the sentence needs to connect to dogs being cool, service training, and funding for programs.
3. Carry the 2nd half of the transition: As I hope you see, once the connection to the thesis is made, the transition will take care of itself.
4. Evidence sentences: Evidence is given, which is good, but no mention of why St. Bernard is an authority on the subject is given.
5. Synthesis. Hmmmm. The mention of ancestors is loosely connected to the evidence, but it doesn’t support the main idea of the paragraph, which is currently about dogs being more than cuddle toys.
6. Concluding Sentence: Was the fact that dogs are essential to human development really proven? I don’t think so. This means that that the paragraph is not summed properly. Reconnect to thesis? Roughly. I suppose that service dogs can be considered as contributing to human development, but I think that this needs to be more clearly stated. Transition? If we were to keep the sentence as it is, which we can’t because it doesn’t follow the rules, it seems to give enough “hooks” for the next topic sentence in the following paragraph to “hang on.”

Which brings us to the next paragraph. Let’s just look at the Topic sentence for transition education. I will rely on you to correct the second paragraph properly to fit the Academic Conventions/rules as listed above. Here’s the topic sentence of the second paragraph and the concluding sentence of the prior paragraph juxtaposed::

1. “However, it is clear that dogs have had an essential role in the development of humans.”

2. “I had a dog once.”

Folks, what kind of transition is there here besides the common word of “dogs”? It’s not much of a transition because of the sheer fact that a transition between paragraphs is a transition between ideas that shows the link between the two. Remember the expectations of the reader? The reader is expecting this paragraph to be about search and rescue dogs, or a continuation of a discussion regarding service dogs, not your personal doggie love story. So, when it comes to carrying the 2nd half of the transition, this second topic sentence fails.

Now that we have identified the issues, let’s fix them. I’m going to rewrite the 1st paragraph and the topic sentence of the second. Then, if you would be so kind, drop a comment about why you think the revision is/might be better, worse, suggestions for further improvement or even different ways to accomplish the same thing. Or, I’d love to see a rewrite of both paragraphs by everyone. If you don’t have the time to all of that, I understand. However, at least rewrite the second paragraph for us so that we all can learn from your unique writing contributions, and answer one question: How has the tone changed? Here it goes:

Dogs are more than just cuddly critters; many are can and are trained as service dogs to help people with physical disabilities such as blindness, indicating additional value. In fact, dogs have been used in many different ways throughout history as aids to humans. As Harvard trained Canine Veterinarian John St. Bernard says: “Dogs have served as guardians and best friends [to humankind] for ages, including capacities such as anxiety regulators” (St. Bernard 17). (Note* I’m using MLA citation here. Check your discipline’s requirements for proper citation rules.) As St. Bernard establishes, then, dogs help people in many different practical ways such as “guardians”, all the while remaining a “friend” who provides comfort in times of stress. It is clear that training dogs as service dogs can and do have an essential role in improving the quality of life for many humans facing multiple physical and emotional challenges, which supports the idea that additional funding should be allocated to service dog training programs.
Many people have owned dogs, dog’s with names like Sophie who have helped them through trying times, much like properly trained Search and Rescue dogs do . She was with me through thick and thin, keeping me warm while I slept in my car when things were hard. Sophie operated on hand commands, much like many service and/or search and rescue dogs do. Riley Retriever comments on the bond between humans and animals: “The bond between humans and dogs can be extremely strong, especially when dogs are trained to pick up on the instinctive nature of a situation involving the human they are bonded to (Retriever 16). Sophie was my best friend when no one else was, and I will never forget her. She was tragically hit by a car after slipping out of her collar and leash on a rainy night. However, I will always remember what Sophie gave to me.

That’s it for now, folks. I will be back next week or so with a post about blog writing and its essentials. In the meantime, make sure you’re barking up the right writing tree. Geez that was lame.
Peace,
Brian

Master Status

We did not get a lot of time to talk about Master Status in class, but it is a concept we will be revisiting throughout the semester.

When something becomes your Master Status, it is then the first thing about you that people notice. If you are the default--white, male, heterosexual, able-bodied, cisgender, etc.--those are your master statuses, and because of those, positive or neutral assumptions are made about you. You are given the benefit of the doubt; people get to know you a little better before they label you. When you have something about you that is different--you are a person of color, female, queer, disabled, fat, gender non-conforming, etc.--that/those become your Master Status(es). Everything you do and say gets filtered through our associations we have for those labels. Think about the "My Gay Lifestyle" article, and how he pokes fun of this.

If you are a woman, everything you do and say gets filtered through expectations for how a woman is "supposed to" look and act. Are you saying that because you are a woman? When you act like that, does it fit in with my beliefs about women? Or are you acting against my expectations for you? If you are a woman, and pretty, and blonde...what do people assume about you? That you are dumb. Is that fair?

If you are not white, your race or ethnicity is probably your Master Status, or what people notice about you first. As soon as people notice you are not white, everything you do and say is filtered through the associations we have been socialized to have for your race: you do not just eat breakfast, you eat breakfast as an Asian-American. Or you cross the street as a Latina--in that case you are not white, and you are female, with those interacting assumptions.

As you read in the BBC article, the Master Status can even confer meaning to the people you are around. In that article, they talked about a study in which women were asked to look at a photograph of a man and woman standing together, then rate the man using 50 available words. As you remember, when the man was pictured with an obese woman, they were more likely to rate the man as "miserable, self-indulgent, passive, shapeless, likes food, depressed, weak, unattractive, insignificant and insecure."

When you are interacting with people, you are making associations, positive and negative, with each other and your varying Master Statuses. When people act in ways that conform with our beliefs, and expectations, based on those Master Statuses, that feels comfortable to us. We know how to relate to each other because we know how we fit in with them, and rank compared to them. We still know our place in the world. But when we get evidence to the contrary, that people do not meet our expectations, it is uncomfortable. You don’t know what to expect from that person, and you don't know how you relate to them, or how you rank compared to them.

If you think about the War Prayer story, what happened there? The congregation did not want to have to change the way they thought about themselves, so they demonized the messenger. They discredited him so they would not have to look inward to see they were wrong. Can you see that is how we hold on to some of our socially constructed beliefs? It is hard for us to see past those labels, that Master Status, so we hold on to them. We rely on Confirmation Bias to provide evidence for our beliefs, and we ignore evidence to the contrary.

Some people actively ask us to see past the Master Status they have been given, like Ben Mattlin asks us to see he is not defined by Spinal Muscular Atrophy. In November 2011, ABC's 20/20 aired a program called "Children of the Plains" in which they showed the Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They showed how the reservation is struggling with issues of crime, unemployment, alcoholism and crumbling schools. The students of one of those schools got together and made a video response saying they were more than just those images--they were more than just poverty and struggles. This was a conscious effort on their part to say they did not want to be boiled down to a negative Master Status based on those associations. Below is the video they made. What do you think?

More Details for Blog Post 1

Just to make sure everything is clear for your first Blog Post....

I am not asking you to look at one particular marginalized group. For example, I do not want you to listen or look for all the ways we talk about people with disabilities. Think of it in the reverse direction--listen and look at how we talk about everyone, and glean from that who is considered deviant.

Think about it like this. You are from another planet, and have been dropped off in Vancouver, WA in January 2012. You are trying to figure out how to get by in this society. You want to learn our ways so you can take over our planet. You look to the most obvious sources of information--TV, movies, the Internet, and the people around you--to try to determine how to "blend in." What are those sources telling you about what is "normal" and what is "deviant" in our society? How are they giving you those messages?

Some examples:

Let's say you are really into country music. Who is deviant in country music songs? And how do you know that? Listen to some songs and pick out some patterns in the lyrics. Do they talk bad about people with money? Do they act like it is shameful to drive a hybrid car? What is an ideal man/woman in country music? What is the ideal size/class/ability level, according to country music? If you lived in the world of country lyrics, who would be "normal" and who would be "deviant" in that universe? Explore who seems to be deviant, how you can tell based on your research, and what you think that means--what are they saying about our social constructions of race, class, gender, ability, and so forth? For example, I recently learned about a song called "Rocking the Beer Gut" by Trailer Choir. See video below. What are they saying in this song? What are the underlying messages about what is normal and deviant, for and by gender, race, class, ability, size, so forth?



Or, let's say you are really into tech blogs. Who is deviant, according to tech bloggers? And how do you know that? Read some of the blogs, and pick out patterns. Do they talk bad about people who buy Macs? Do they make fun of people that haven't read the latest and greatest book about that one thing? Who is normal, and who is deviant, in the world of geek bloggers? How do you know that? What is their version of race, class, gender, ability, size, and so on?

Think about the commercial we watched in class (watch here, so you can hear the sound). What messages are they giving you in this quick 30 seconds? What are the messages about masculinity and height? What are the messages about femininity? What are the messages about same-sex attraction? How do you know that? How did Hooters get their messages across? Be specific--they had the actor do a particular facial expression, the language they use, and so forth.



Don't just point out the obvious. Really dig in there and think about it. Do some critical analysis. What are the songs, commercials, blogs, and everything else around us telling us? Who is normal? What is deviant? HOW are they delivering those messages to us?

Office Hours Change

Starting today, January 11th, my office hours have changed. Instead of being on Wednesdays, they will be from 10:30 to 11:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is right after we get out of class. Sorry for any inconvenience, and please update your syllabus!

Ideal Women and Men

Today we talked about the mainstream U.S. ideals for women and men. What do you think of what your classmates came up with? What is missing, if anything?





We will come back to these ideals throughout the semester. We will discuss how we judge others and ourselves based on these "ideals" whether they are achievable, realistic, healthy, good for society, or not. When you do not match with the ideal, you are considered deviant in our society.

We will also discuss how people who identify with the attributes you listed are "the default." One way to think about this is a quick exercise. When you read the word "gender" what comes to mind? For most people in our society, we think "women" or "female." Men have a gender as well, but they are the default. We think of them as neutral, and women as gendered. When you read the word "race" what comes to mind? For most people, we think "African American" or "Asian American" or "Native American" and so forth. Caucasians have a racial categorization as well, but that is not what we think about when we think race. Same with sexual orientation--isn't heterosexual an orientation? When you meet up with the ideals on these lists (white, male, heterosexual, Christian, and so forth) you are seen as neutral; the "default". Everyone else is "the other."

Homework 1 :: Set Up Your Blog

Your first Homework Assignment of the semester is to set up your own blog, and email me the URL (web address) so I can add it to the course blog. We will be having a hands-on class session on how to set up your blog Thursday, January 12th, so please wait until then.

Homework Assignment 1 is due by 9:00 on Sunday, January 15th.

Section 1 :: Blog Post

Blog Post 1: How Do You Spot a Deviant?

For this Blog Post, you will be writing 500-700 words on how you can tell, within U.S. culture, who is considered deviant. Can you tell who is deviant because they are the butt of jokes on TV? Can you tell who is deviant, based on whose rights (and wrongs!) they are discussing in all of those GOP debates? Can you tell who is deviant by the body language of your friends when certain people walk into the room? Can you tell who is deviant by the types of jokes people tell, when “those people” aren’t around to hear? Turn on the “Deviance Radar” part of your Sociological Imagination for a few days, and see what emerges.

You will be conducting a very small experiment for this post. You will choose a population, take a sample, and conduct a content analysis. Don’t be intimidated! Here are the steps:

First, choose a population to study. In an experiment, a population is every possible member of a category. Tell us a little bit about that population, as if we have never heard of it before.

• Are you a TV watcher? Choose a particular type of TV programming, like reality shows, scripted programs, medical dramas, cable shows, news programs or another interesting category.
• Spend more time online? Chose a category of the Internet, like news sites, blogs (it could be a type of blog, like tech geek blogs, mom blogs, or sports blogs), or social media sites.
• Too busy to watch TV or hang out online? Look at the people around you, and choose a group. Look at your family, your coworkers, your classmates, your instructors, or strangers you encounter throughout your day.
• Music fan? Pick a genre (e.g., country, indie or hip hop) or category (e.g., top hits from all genres) of music. Almost any song you hear has the lyrics online somewhere, if you search.

Second, choose a sample from that population to analyze. A sample is a small subsection of the whole population. For example, if there were 200 sports blogs actively operating on the Internet (population), and you choose to analyze 20 of those, you have taken a sample. For whatever your population is, you will need to choose a sample of FOUR. In academic studies, researchers go to great lengths to use special methods to sample. In your case, you can just select the ones you want to study; you do not need to randomly sample. If you are working with television, the Internet or music, look for deviance in at least 4 shows, blogs or songs. If you are observing people, remember you are not interviewing your friends, just watching and listening to at least four substantial interactions—try to do so without letting on.

Third, conduct a type of content analysis. While a formal content analysis would have an official “code sheet” by which to analyze, I just want you to pay attention. Study your sample for signs of who is considered “normal” and who is “deviant.” Also study how it is you know who is deviant. Are the messages overt (obvious) or covert (more subtle)? Who tends to be considered deviant? Why is that person or behavior seen as deviant? Are the non-deviant people invested in that person or behavior being seen as deviant (for example, do they stand to gain anything by separating themselves from the deviant person or behavior?)? What are the consequences of being deviant, in that population? Within the sample you are examining, how is behavior policed, or monitored, to determine who is “normal” and who is “deviant”?

If you are not sure who is considered deviant, or want to get some ideas brewing, take a look through the whole syllabus, or flip through your textbook and/or course packet for ideas.

In your write up, tell us the population you studied, and describe the sample you selected. Then, tell us who you found to be considered “normal” and who was considered “deviant” and answer the questions throughout this handout. Tell us how you could tell who was each of those categories, in details. Remember to use the concepts, readings and clips from the class (at least three!) as support for your ideas, and cite thoroughly and properly.

Section 1 :: Who/What is Deviant?

For the first two weeks of class (January 10 - January 19), we will be discussing who and what is considered deviant in society. While we will discuss how definitions of what is "normal" and "deviant" varies widely by geographic area, for this course, we will primarily be focused on the United States.

Remember, you are expected to have read, watched and digested all of the assigned items, and be ready to discuss them in class on the date listed. There will be times when we do not discuss those concepts on the exact date, but we will eventually, and you are expected to keep up, and contribute mindfully.

For January 12 you will be exploring the topic of privilege. This is a difficult topic for many, and puts a lot of people on the defensive. Right out of the gate, you are going to find out you need to have an open mind to enjoy this class. The concept of privilege refers to the "unearned advantages" some people get, and some people do not, just because of their race, class, gender, ability, size and so forth. This concept will be fundamental to our future explorations in this class, so make sure you have a good grasp, and come to class with questions.

These articles will also begin to touch on the concept of master status. Our master status is the first thing people notice about us, and use to determine who we are. When you are 18-22 and walking around campus with a backpack, people think "student" and from there, they assume attributes that go along with the role of "student" such as busy, tired, or party animal (well, hopefully not). When you are something that is considered "deviant" by society, that often becomes your master status, or your defining attribute. When you are in a wheelchair, that is the first thing people see about you, and they will make a host of assumptions based on your status as a person with disability. Maybe they will feel sorry for you. Maybe they will think you must be SO brave. When you say something, they will filter your words through "well, he or she is saying that as a person in a wheelchair." We will talk about this much more in class. You will see that these concepts are connected. When you are labeled "deviant" in our society, you are seen in terms of your master status. When you are seen as "normal" you are not--and that is a privilege. In your assigned items, you will see two "privilege checklists." These were inspired by this article: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh.

Required

• Read "Privilege, Power, Difference and Us" by Dr. Allan Johnson. It is available on Angel.
• Read "My Gay Lifestyle" by Domenick Scudera.
• Read the "Thin Privilege Checklist" on the blog hey, fat chick!
• Read the "Cisgender Privilege Checklist" on the blog queers united.

What is cisgender? It is someone who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth. Learn more here.

Optional:

• White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
• The Male Privilege Checklist

On January 17 we will start discussing how what we consider "deviant" is really just a social construction. For example, what we consider to be "deviant" changes greatly over time. It used to be considered deviant for women to wear pants. Now it is "normal." Cocaine used to be a popular medical remedy, now it is illegal. We will discuss many more examples in class, and I would also love for you to think of your own to share with us. We will talk about social constructions in general, how "deviance" is one, and what the consequences are of being labeled deviant. We will also be discussing who gets to decide who and/or what is considered deviant.

Required:

• Read "Images of Deviance" by Stephen Pfohl in your textbook.
• Read "Defining Deviance Down" by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in your textbook.
• Read "Outsiders: Defining Deviance" by Howard Becker, available on Angel.
• Read "Stigma of Having Obese Friends" on BBC News.

On January 19 we will complete this section, talking about WHO we consider deviant in our culture and HOW we know they are. Come prepared to talk about the following items:

Required:

• Read "The Saints and the Roughnecks" by Williams Chambliss, available on Angel.
• Peruse the blog Microagressions. The posts change frequently, so consider looking back a few times. Come to class prepared to talk about the ones you found most interesting, disturbing and/or confusing.
  
• Listen to the clip "Spinal Muscular Atrophy 'Doesn't Define Me'" on NPR (transcript available on the same page).
• Read the article "Media Binge" from the sociological journal Contexts.
• Watch both of the following clips from ABC's "What Would You Do?"

Part 1:

Part 2:

Welcome to SOC 360 :: Social Deviance :: Spring 2012

Welcome to your favorite class! This semester might be a little different from the other courses you have taken in your college career, but that is a good thing. If you can approach this semester ready to learn, willing to work hard, and with an open mind, you will find this class to be challenging, but tremendously enjoyable.

Most of what you will need to know about this course is in your syllabus, which was given on the first day of class, but is also available on Angel.