The Sounds of Silence

Summary: This article compares the nonverbal communication between many cultures around the world. For example men in Europe tend to really focus in on a woman's attributes, from her eyes, hair, nose, lips, breasts, hips to her feet. If a European woman was to come to America she may feel like she isn't looked at as much. Different cultures possess different norms with in their culture. Also, certain nonverbal communications differ from country to country. For instance in Italy the people are more personal and in your face where as in New England a man was brought up by reserved parents who enjoyed their privacy.

Relation to Sociology: Over all I found this article very intriguing because I had no idea that certain actions with your hands and such differed from country to country. A connection that I made from the article referred to the "fourth zone." Which stands for public distance typically used by teachers or public speakers. If I were to go to a concert I would recognize the same thing. The band would be about twenty-five feet at least from the fans.
*As we learned in class there are four main distances: intimate, personal, social, and public. An intimate distance might be me with my boyfriend. Its a distance that we both feel comfortable with because of our attraction towards each other.

Relation to My Life: This article relates to my life because I know what its like to be shocked by a foreign culture. I spent six weeks in France when I was fourteen years old and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow these people are really 'touchy feely'." Its our wide range of cultural norms that give our country diversity.

Eating Your Friends Is The Hardest: The Survivors of the F-227

 Summary:   This article poses one main question. Is it morally wrong to consume another human being during desperate times. On October 12, 1972 a propeller-driven Fairchild F-227 fled Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. The plane was headed for Santiago, Chile. Forty people were on the plane. The pilots expressed concern because of the turbulence over the Andes Mountains. That day the plane landed, but soon after they took off again, and the plane crashed into a snow covered valley within the mountains. The people on the plane were at 12,000 feet with out food and only had the limited shelter of what was left of the airplane. Many didn't survive the cold or the crash, but the few that did survive did so in a very grotesque way. They ripped open the bodies of the dead and ate their flesh to survive. One man that consumed the bodies said that the soul was gone and the body was simply meat and essential for their survival. Soon after others followed.

Relation to Sociology: Human flesh was not created for consumption, but when the circumstances change so does the meaning we hold for it. Just like the example Mrs. Castelli used in class. Kissing ones boyfriend or girlfriend is not considered gross. Although if I told the male to drink the saliva that his girlfriend spit on a spoon that would get a different reaction. Things change according to context and circumstances.

Relation to my life: This article relates to my life because I can think of a similar situation where I attached meaning to something. Both Kyle and I have a leather wound bracelet that we wear on our left wrist. This bracelet is meaningful to me because it represents our friendship. To anyone else it would "look like" a scrawny piece of string.

The Promise Reflection

This article poses three major questions. 1.) Why do things in society go together? I  view society as a willow tree. There is the trunk which represents the major building blocks of society, government, corporations, military, and people. Off of that trunk we have branches and they represent small businesses, jobs, and family life. All of those things are minor components to society as a whole, or the bigger picture. Without the trunk of the tree those branches wouldn't be there.
2.) Where does this society stand in history? Each and every day I feel as if our society changes as a whole. We excel in certain areas and struggle in others. After all "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."- Winston Churchill This relates to the article because in time we've realized that relaxation is just as important as our work.
3.) How do men and women prevail in today's society? Both men and women in today's world are supposedly given equal opportunity. I must say though that us women have been given a false start due to the cruel men of this world. All people were created equally therefore both women and men should be given the same job opportunities. In today's society we have more women enrolled in medical school than men. This just goes to show that we are not only as intelligent, but that we are diligent workers.

This compares to my life because I know what it's like to be treated differently. In 2nd grade I chose to play on an all boys baseball team. Not only was I made fun of for playing with the boys, but I was told I'd never be good enough. I proved all those boys wrong the second I walked onto that team. Not only did I look good while I played, but I showed up to practice every day with a smile on my face. My coaches were willing to work with me and soon enough I was just as good as all those silly boys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIxScJ5rlY&ob=av3e

Who am I?

Hello, my name is Daisy Schuster. I'm a senior this year and can't wait to graduate! I enjoy playing both Lacrosse and Tennis.  I am very active in U.N.I.C.E.F. which is a club that helps impoverished children all around the world. I wish that all children could have a home and I feel very blessed that I am able to live the way I do. My friends influence the choices that I make and are a big part of my life. In case any of you haven't noticed already Kyle Fitzpatrick is my best friend and sits right next to me in class :) My hectic family means a lot to me even if we don't get to spend much time together. My goal is to have some sort of an impact for the people on this earth before I die, especially children. My dream would be to go to Africa  and do any sort of volunteer project. Hope you enjoyed reading my first post!