GOVERNMENT AND RELIGION

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/real-estate-news/2011/08/perry-likely-gop-presidential-candidate-leads-30000-prayer-houston-ra
On Saturday 08/06/2011,the governor of Texas Rick Perry led a huge number of people, almost 30,000 in prayers concerning the nation. Perry was much concerned about the country and as he addressed the congregation, he just talked briefly about the scripture and his main concern of praying for the nation and the president too. Many people showed up for the prayer which is a sign that people are concerned about the crisis in our society and that religion has a big role in our country. What fascinated me the most is how different people responded to Perry`s call for prayer. Some people argue that this is just a way of campaigning because he is believed to bid for the Republican presidential nomination although he has not yet declared the position. Others argue that he was mixing politics with Christianity and he had no right to do that. There was also another group that complained that he was emphasizing on Christianity as a dominant religion which is unfair. The above example shows how our society is filled with many conflicts. I think it was a good idea to gather together to pray for the nation but some people disagree because they have negative views about the call for prayer.

ANTI MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION

It is sad to learn that Muslim children and those from Islamic countries face discrimination in schools. The worst thing about it is that teachers also contribute to this type of injustice . Instead of preventing inequality, teachers contribute to it by making wrong implications about the families of these children. I never imagined that children could call their fellow classmates "terrorists" just because of their religion. Schools should be places where children learn how to interact with others from different religions and backgrounds, but this is not the case. Parents also contribute to discrimination among Muslim children because they may comment negative things about the Islamic religion which will be rooted in the minds of their children and later be manifested in the way that they interact.This type of injustice is in the conflict perspective because it encourages social change among children because the Muslims are discriminated against.
In stead of treating the children unfairly, i agree with the point of incorporating Muslim teachers so that the children may learn that they are normal people like themselves. Children should also be taught how to interact well with others and that not all Muslims are terrorists. The media needs to carefully present its views about Muslims to avoid misunderstandings. Lastly strict measures should be put in place to prevent discrimination in schools so that children like Amir may have peace of mind.

INEQUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY

According to the interactionist perspective, allowing all races to mix together in our society is healthy because it promotes peace among people.  Personally, i experienced racial discrimination a few years back. I had applied for a certain job and my application went through. The lady who interviewed me was white and she congratulated me for the opportunity. The job accepted applications from everyone irrespective of gender and race. We were then scheduled for a week of orientation and i was very happy. On the first day of orientation, the lady in charge seemed to focus on a particular group. At the end of the day she called a few names to be left behind as the others leave.  I was among the last people to leave when i heard her telling them that they were the outstanding group compared to the blacks who had gone and that she did not want to say that when the whole group was together. To me, this was very unfair. I was very shocked and disappointed because i felt like an outcast. I was devastated and that was the end of it. I never went back for the orientation because i would be uncomfortable in such an environment after hearing those words from the lady in charge. People often feel discriminated in our society because of such situations that are unfair.  
At the micro level, these inequalities can have various consequences like people may feel unwanted and lack the courage to interact with different groups and this will lead to low self esteem. The only solution available for this inequality is treating all people with equality .
We are all equal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYT1xOQMbHw

POVERTY

How would sociological imagination be applied in understanding the condition of poverty on the Pine Ridge region?

Using the sociological imagination, poverty is an issue that affects the Pine Ridge society at large. Unemployment is recorded to be above 80% which is a very large number. Families experience so many problems and some children even end up killing themselves because of luck of love from their parents and alcohol abuse. Most of the people also depend on unemployment assistance due to lack of jobs and this has become their source of survival. According to sociological imagination, poverty has led to the division of people in Pine Ridge region to classes. These are the rich and poor. Alcohol is a restricted commodity but the owners of bars and liquor stores make great profits from the poor people who buy from them. This gap between the rich and the poor makes the poor to feel inferior to the rich who are superior to them. The United States is therefore reminded not to forget the Indian tribes and the promises made to them.

Is sociological imagination sufficient?

Sociological imagination is not sufficient. I think beyond imagination, there is a lot more about reality that is not yet being exploited. The facts need to be considered more from my point of view. For example the main causes of poverty and how the government can help to fight the poverty levels in a society

MEDIA CAN REALLY INFLUENCE OUR PERCEPTION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pc2O0v3Z8A&feature=share

A few days ago i read about the above girl called Rose Nasimiyu in Kenya. She was diagnosed with cancer which was very heart breaking to her and her family. At a young age, she admits that she was to miss a lot of things that young people enjoy. Before i read the story i really did not have a lot in my mind apart from being sorry. Watching her video changed my thoughts and perception. This young princess took her sickness positively and used that chance to even encourage others who were also sick not to be discouraged and to have hope in life. At nine years old, i feel like she is a blessing in this world. She went further and composed a song not only to encourage people, but also to help her mother with the hospital bill for her chemo therapy. This little girl touched my heart because her impact was recognized and she was even referred to as "a small young girl with the heart of a warrior." I looked at this in the interactionist  per perspective. This girl had a positive impact to the social environment as she encouraged everyone that cancer is not the end of the world. Thanks to the media we are able to acknowledge such great people in this world. Social groups played a major role in how this media influenced me because this is just a nine year old girl who has made positive changes in the lives of a number of people including me. I think if it was an older person, the impact would not be as greater as such.

WEEK 1

As the conflict theory is demonstrated by Karl Marx, there is a continuous struggle between different groups in our society. Crimes often happen in Silver Spring Md over and over. Most of the time it is considered that blacks / African American are mostly involved in such situations. This makes them to be strictly monitored when they are seen shopping in different places because of the perception that people have about them.
In the positive way it may be right that they are known according to studies of crimes that they are the majority of the people who commit crime but in the negative way it is wrong because people take advantage of that idea and may even use it to exploit those who are innocent just because they are associated with a particular group of people.
I think the only available opportunity is to remember that we are all equal despite our racial or ethnic differences and that all the different groups have equal opportunities to commit crimes therefore they should be treated equally.
Something else that i discovered is that Maryland is number 10 in the most violent states in America according to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMqUvjbEjxw which is quite interesting.