Wednesday, March 24, 2010
looking for a class
IF YOUR IN SEARCH OF A GOOD CLASS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT ART 447H Art of Mesoamerica....PROFESSOR IS GREAT AND IF YOU TAKE IT DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE FIRST DAY !!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
High Status Victims=Higher Sentences for Perpetrator.
http://sciencebloggers.blogspot.com/2010/03/defendants-more-likely-to-be-sentenced.html
An interesting read-especially from a sociological perspective. I see some Dubois and some Marx in there...
An interesting read-especially from a sociological perspective. I see some Dubois and some Marx in there...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Early Wakin', Earthshakin'
Dunno about the rest of you, but I couldn't sleep for a good while after that quake.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Creative Section
I thought I'd understand how to do this section after I saw Tabor's example. But once I started doing it, ohman I'm not even sure I'm doing it right. Any suggestions or thoughts or anything?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
DuBois did important research
We touched on his 3 most compelling concepts - the colortocracy, the veil, and two-ness. He used a combination of statistical analysis and what Weber would call "verstehen" to understand African Americans. Only since 1960s has he gotten his due respect in America. In Europe he met with Weber and other important Sociologists of the time, whereas he was more isolated or "caught" in the "color line" in America. In his case you might wish to read on past the assigned introduction because his writing is fluid and important to read as an American. I have some DuBois notes on line already and by tomorrow I will have more notes.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Self and Reincarnation
A while ago, I posted an issue about the nonexistence of the self from the Buddhism perspective, and how reincarnation is impossible. This issue is very interesting when we study Mead. But unfortunately we do not have enough time to cover Mead in this class. So, here is the brief answer of the issue of the self and reincarnation.
Consider the following situation. It is the lunch time, and you decide to eat a burrito alone. You go into one of empty classrooms and eat a burrito there. Suppose all the doors and windows are closed and the air-conditioning is not working. Obviously, the classroom is eventually filled with the smell of a burrito.
Because all the doors and the windows are closed, the smell of a burrito remains in the classroom even after you finish eating and leave the room. According to Buddhism, this residue of burrito's smell is what people label as the self. When you are alive, you have lots of emotions and desires, and such emotions and desires are something similar to the smell of a burrito. And even if you die (i.e., you move out of the classroom), the smell remains for a while. And if someone enters the room after you leave, this person "shares" the smell of a burrito, and this is what people call reincarnation.
Now, we have to understand that even if the smell of a burrito remains in the classroom, the smell is constantly changing. For instance, as time passes, the smell weakens. Or what if someone enters the room, this time, with a pizza? Then, the smell of a burrito certainly exists, but inevitably is mixed with the smell of a pizza. So, this time, we encounter the smell of the mixture of a burrito and a pizza. In real life, let's say I die "now," and someone who has my memory is born a hundred years later. Is this my reincarnation? Buddhism says no. This "second me" certainly has my memory, but it also has other influences such as the future society's influence, a different path of socialization, the "mixed" emotions like the case of a burrito and a pizza, etc. So even if there is someone who insists that he is a reincarnation of me a hundred years later, that person is not "me."
I think it will be interesting to relate Mead's theory to Buddhism's idea described above when you consider the construction of the self.
Consider the following situation. It is the lunch time, and you decide to eat a burrito alone. You go into one of empty classrooms and eat a burrito there. Suppose all the doors and windows are closed and the air-conditioning is not working. Obviously, the classroom is eventually filled with the smell of a burrito.
Because all the doors and the windows are closed, the smell of a burrito remains in the classroom even after you finish eating and leave the room. According to Buddhism, this residue of burrito's smell is what people label as the self. When you are alive, you have lots of emotions and desires, and such emotions and desires are something similar to the smell of a burrito. And even if you die (i.e., you move out of the classroom), the smell remains for a while. And if someone enters the room after you leave, this person "shares" the smell of a burrito, and this is what people call reincarnation.
Now, we have to understand that even if the smell of a burrito remains in the classroom, the smell is constantly changing. For instance, as time passes, the smell weakens. Or what if someone enters the room, this time, with a pizza? Then, the smell of a burrito certainly exists, but inevitably is mixed with the smell of a pizza. So, this time, we encounter the smell of the mixture of a burrito and a pizza. In real life, let's say I die "now," and someone who has my memory is born a hundred years later. Is this my reincarnation? Buddhism says no. This "second me" certainly has my memory, but it also has other influences such as the future society's influence, a different path of socialization, the "mixed" emotions like the case of a burrito and a pizza, etc. So even if there is someone who insists that he is a reincarnation of me a hundred years later, that person is not "me."
I think it will be interesting to relate Mead's theory to Buddhism's idea described above when you consider the construction of the self.
The Disappearance of Color Line
I wonder what Mr. Du Bois says about this music video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmf1oyo6_WI&feature=related
This may be the indication that the color line is disappearing, or we can argue this from the perspective of globalization.
This may be the indication that the color line is disappearing, or we can argue this from the perspective of globalization.
The Culture Line
Du Bois talks about the Color Line. I have been in this country for a long time, but honestly speaking, I have not encountered discrimination because I am yellow. I think this is because many American people do not think Japanese and other East Asians are intellectually inferior, thanks to the extreme modernization of Japan and other Asian nations. Rather, American people tend to think I am smart once they find out that I am Japanese, and sometimes I am embarrassed when I can not meet their expectation on intellectual matters.
But I did encounter something which should be called the Culture Line. Rather than explaining this concept, I should give you one specific example.
When I finished my B.S. in math, I once tried to be a high school math teacher. So, I went to LAUSD for an interview. This interviewer had a strange look on me, and as soon as I finished introducing myself, he asked, "Are you familiar with American culture?" I was puzzled because I was trying to be a math teacher, and math was a universal subject. But he kept saying that teaching at American high school was really difficult, and he doubted whether I was a good fit to American high school. But the fact was that I went to American high school - Gardena High School which was one of LAUSD's high schools. I told him that, but he kept saying that American high school was quite different from Japanese high school. And he kept talking about cultural difference between the U.S. and Japan. I acknowledged that there was such cultural difference, but at the same time, I kept telling him that I went to Gardena High, graduated from UCLA with Department Honor and had a valid teaching credential. But he kept saying that I was not Americanized enough, so I was not hired while my other classmates whose qualifications were very similar to mine were hired.
This interview was really uncomfortable, and after that, I stopped thinking about teaching math at high school.
It seems many White people think that we (East Asians) are competitive intellectually, but they believe there is a huge cultural difference so that East Asians are "aliens" who are incapable of sharing American ethics and values.
But I did encounter something which should be called the Culture Line. Rather than explaining this concept, I should give you one specific example.
When I finished my B.S. in math, I once tried to be a high school math teacher. So, I went to LAUSD for an interview. This interviewer had a strange look on me, and as soon as I finished introducing myself, he asked, "Are you familiar with American culture?" I was puzzled because I was trying to be a math teacher, and math was a universal subject. But he kept saying that teaching at American high school was really difficult, and he doubted whether I was a good fit to American high school. But the fact was that I went to American high school - Gardena High School which was one of LAUSD's high schools. I told him that, but he kept saying that American high school was quite different from Japanese high school. And he kept talking about cultural difference between the U.S. and Japan. I acknowledged that there was such cultural difference, but at the same time, I kept telling him that I went to Gardena High, graduated from UCLA with Department Honor and had a valid teaching credential. But he kept saying that I was not Americanized enough, so I was not hired while my other classmates whose qualifications were very similar to mine were hired.
This interview was really uncomfortable, and after that, I stopped thinking about teaching math at high school.
It seems many White people think that we (East Asians) are competitive intellectually, but they believe there is a huge cultural difference so that East Asians are "aliens" who are incapable of sharing American ethics and values.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Furlough
remember: Furlough tomorrow. See you Tuesday. I'll bring nametags so we can post our blogger names.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
OH YEAH....SORENKERK
I just always wondered where the inspiration for the name of the website came from. And the symbol..?
I dont know why but I sure would like to know if you don't mind sharing :-)
I dont know why but I sure would like to know if you don't mind sharing :-)
HEALTH CARE REFORM
The health care reform was actually pretty interesting. I thought watching those things would be incredibly difficult since I do not keep up with current events and politics as I maybe should but it was pretty easy to pick up. The language was rather easy to understand.
Just might tune in more often.
Just might tune in more often.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
True love
"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection." -Buddha
Monday, February 22, 2010
Settle Down Age v Sex
All input is valuable especially MEN please don't leave me hanging :) http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JZ67CL7
Simmel and economics
Simmel argues that value arises from exchange. In fact, Marx, too, argued the origin of value. This is the famous labor theory of value (This theory was later discredited). In today's economics, value arises from marginal utility (Explanation is here). Do you think Simmel's argument on value is with flaw? Or can we make new economic theory based on Simmel's argument?
Simmel and Buddhism
I think Simmel's sociology is in contrast with Durkheimian sociology. For instance, Durkheim argues the existence of "social facts" which are solid existence independent from each individual. However, Simmel places emphasis on interactions of each individual. In Buddhism, there is no solid existence in the world. Therefore, Buddhism argues against Durkheimian idea of solid social facts. According to Buddhism, even "self" does not exist: Everything in the world is "emptiness." This concept is called "sunyata." You should read this article from wikipedia here . As this article says, "sunyata" is not perfectly equal to the Western concept of "emptiness." Rather, this is the perspective that everything in the world (even self) consists of interactions and/or simultaneous causality. Thus, according to Buddhism, society of Durkheimian perspective does not exist. Rather, Buddhism sees that society is the interactions of each individual. I think this perspective is parallel to Simmel's perspective.
One of the students writes in his or her Simmel's paper that "A room is only as dark as how much light is present or absent, and conversely, the room is only as bright as how little or a lot of darkness is available." I think this is the essence of sunyata - the simultaneous causality.
Some people may think that sunyata is Occult Eastern philosophy, so it is nothing to do with modern social sciences. But I know a Japanese sociologist who explains Weber's Protestant ethics and the spirit of capitalism from this Buddhism perspective. Moreover, the premise of Keynesian economics can be easily understood from sunyata's perspective. In Keynesian economics, the GDP is determined from the national consumption. But various economic data suggest that the national consumption is dependent on the GDP. So, this is more like the egg or chicken argument: Which comes first? But the reality is that GDP and national consumption act each other simultaneously and create the national economy. So, there is simultaneous interaction between the GDP and national consumption, and this is at the essence of sunyata.
Lastly, as I write above, Buddhism does not believe the existence of self. But Buddhism believes in reincarnation. It seems Buddhism is contradicting: If self does not exist, there should be no reincarnation. But actually, there is no contradiction. Self does not reincarnate because it does not exist. Then what does reincarnate? It may be interesting for you to think about it.
One of the students writes in his or her Simmel's paper that "A room is only as dark as how much light is present or absent, and conversely, the room is only as bright as how little or a lot of darkness is available." I think this is the essence of sunyata - the simultaneous causality.
Some people may think that sunyata is Occult Eastern philosophy, so it is nothing to do with modern social sciences. But I know a Japanese sociologist who explains Weber's Protestant ethics and the spirit of capitalism from this Buddhism perspective. Moreover, the premise of Keynesian economics can be easily understood from sunyata's perspective. In Keynesian economics, the GDP is determined from the national consumption. But various economic data suggest that the national consumption is dependent on the GDP. So, this is more like the egg or chicken argument: Which comes first? But the reality is that GDP and national consumption act each other simultaneously and create the national economy. So, there is simultaneous interaction between the GDP and national consumption, and this is at the essence of sunyata.
Lastly, as I write above, Buddhism does not believe the existence of self. But Buddhism believes in reincarnation. It seems Buddhism is contradicting: If self does not exist, there should be no reincarnation. But actually, there is no contradiction. Self does not reincarnate because it does not exist. Then what does reincarnate? It may be interesting for you to think about it.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Curve reality
here is the whole curve link - beware if you are at the bottom of it - that curve was a gift. Also beware of if you are the bottom of any section, e.g., an A- might better be considered an A-/B+ and a B at the bottom is veering to a B/B- etc.
I was generous with the curve - even the As got many wrong - so we will go over all the questions before the final and you will be prepared for the kind of final it will be.
Also, keep up your presence and participation, your alertness and interest: it counts to keep you as an A- if you are at the low end of the As, a B if you are at the low end of the Bs, etc.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Question!
For the Gilman section on Madness, do I quote from the "The Yellow Wallpaper" text itself or do I quote from Gilman's theory?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woooooooooooo hoooooooooo!!! Man I can not believe my grade, friggin sweeeeeeet :)
Man I was hoping for atleast a "D"!!! I was not confident at all!! That totally made my week
GOD IS GOOD!!!
Man I was hoping for atleast a "D"!!! I was not confident at all!! That totally made my week
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Just Plain Confused
The only way to describe it. I want the take home portion of the Midterm because I have a strong feeling I will do horrible tomorrow.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Simmel - exchange
If you have the Exchange section of Simmel, read the last page first. It summarizes and makes the remainder, which is somewhat long and redundant, more clear.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Gilman - section assignments
If you have Yellow Wallpaper assigned, consider renting a movie called "The Hours". It is based on Virginia Woolf, and pertinent to Yellow Wallpaper. Also, you are to read section V of "Economic Conditions," pp 264-266. For people assigned Gilman on Economics, see website for specific section.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sequence of next papers
The book puts Gilman first, but I wish to put Simmel first. Hence, as stated in class, Simmel papers are due on Thursday, Feb 18. The Gilman papers, then, are due on Tues the 23rd. CLICK here, Gilman people, to see your section
money and religion
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/millionaires-generosity-frowned-upon-by-clergyman/ a case.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Weber - religion
I have only read one so far - and it was very good! We'll talk about Weber and religion on Tuesday. Come prepared - remember everyone is to read the intro sections by our contemporary editors.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sara Kruzan: Sentenced to Life Without Parole at Age 16
After briefly discussing Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Susan Kruzan crossed my mind. Not an individual who committed a crime instead a victim of society Susan is incarcerated with a sentence of Life without parole for killing her pimp at the age of 16. I am a firm believer in second chances especially for Juveniles. For many reasons 1. They are just children and cannot possess the ability to make the right choices 2. They are still developing mentally and physically and that within itself is opportunity for growth. Those are two reasons of many for which I feel that Juveniles do not deserve to be sentenced as adults in our justice system. In this video you can clearly see that she is truly remorseful for her actions and she was just a child. She had no idea what was being expressed to her with the term "moral scruples" and she had to do the research and teach herself. This within itself shows the growth from a child into an adult. Anywho enough of my jibber jabber check out this clip and tell me what you think.
Sacred and Profane
OK - to help you understand what Durkheim meant by the sacred and the profane: everyone knows that The Bloods' color is red and The Crips' color is blue. How do we understand what is sacred and what is profane for both the Crips and for the Bloods? When you think of your answer, what, then, is, say, green?
Well-known suicides today
Altruistic Egoic Fatalistic Anomic: what type of suicide is the Columbine type (who kill and know they will be killed) or the VA Tech type? - what type of suicide are they?
Next question: are those student type suicides the same type of the Texas Fort Hood guy who didn't actually end up getting himself killed, but sure was likely to. Is he the same or different from the students as a suicide type?
Next question: are those student type suicides the same type of the Texas Fort Hood guy who didn't actually end up getting himself killed, but sure was likely to. Is he the same or different from the students as a suicide type?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Durkheim assignment and a suggested video clip
Hi. I am the TA. I just finished reading all the Durkheim papers, and I appreciate your effort. However, I need to point out something. When you write paragraphs, please make sure that you understand what you are writing about; i.e., please make sure that your grammar is correct and the logical reasoning is appropriate. Generally, it is not a good idea to rely on the grader to figure out what you are writing about. To write clear paragraphs, I recommend that you write paragraphs well before the deadline. Then, you read it again before you turn in your assignment. Or, for the proof-read, you should visit the writing center on campus and ask them to check your paragraphs. Don't try to do the assignment the day before the due date and turn them in without reading them again.
By the way, the following video clip may be useful for understanding Durkheim's Suicide: Click here.
Go to the "English" section click "Video Full Version." This is the confession of a former :Kamikaze" pilot. You get an idea of what a suicide bomber was thinking about.
By the way, the following video clip may be useful for understanding Durkheim's Suicide: Click here.
Go to the "English" section click "Video Full Version." This is the confession of a former :Kamikaze" pilot. You get an idea of what a suicide bomber was thinking about.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
HOWARD ZINN
Leftist icon Howard Zinn has passed away at the age of 87. Zinn, a noted scholar and activist, was most well-known for his million-selling A People's History of the United States. http://bit.ly/W4OHZ
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
State of the Union
Watch tonight 6PM. Read the requisite pages for Durkheim: 94, 97, 99-102
Do you see Marx or Durkheim in the State of the Union address? Comments here.
Do you see Marx or Durkheim in the State of the Union address? Comments here.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Furlough Assignment?
Can anyone tell me what was the furlough assignment that was given. I was not in class today and I looked at todays overview and saw that it was mentioned.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
W.E.B. Du Bois Quote
As I find myself overwhelmed with school this quarter I tend to forget the importance of organization. Taking 16 units seemed like a great idea In the fall but I'm beating myself up every day realizing that I am neglecting one course that is slipping through my fingers each day. I cant seem to focus and make sense of all the material. Having a 6 month old isn't helping either. As I read through the textbook hes ripping the pages out of another. I'm pulling my hair trying to stay positive. I guess its time to step up to the plate and understand the material. So I googled some famous quotes from one of our thinkers to sort of get an idea of what in the world I'm getting myself into and this particular quote stood out to me.
"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” by W.E.B. Du Bois
And I think today this quote is still accurate.
"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” by W.E.B. Du Bois
And I think today this quote is still accurate.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
furlough assignment post 2
im not too sure about what this clip was about, but from what i got, this gentleman is searching for something that is unknown but is supposed to be this great extraordinary thing that will fill in this emptyness he is supposedly experiencing. it seems he wants to escape from reality in search of this thing that will fill the emptyness in him. he doesn't even know what he is looking for!! in the end, he realizes that he had what he was searching for all along and did not know it and couldn't see it. i think he is just searching for the truths in life.
Life "As It Is"
I believe the philosophy reflected here is Love. At one point or another what we seek for in our lives is love. Seeking to find the truth about love and life which one day came to life and one day will die. What Marx said fits in because only when love is found life makes sense just like religion when faith is found everything is complete.
office hours Wednesday
office hours Wednesday ONLY at classroom, 15 min pre-class. NOT at King Hall. HEY! Where are all the Marx papers being emailed to Robert and me? I have a few but not all.
Simply wonderful!
Im not sure what philosophy this is. All i know is that "It's wonderful." Smiling faces everywhere. Just what the world needs today. :)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
furlough day assignment for 412
Watch this --> video. 5 people start a post on it; if you are the first to watch, start a post. If you can comment on that post, comment.If you have a different point of view, start a new post.
So ... 5 people post; everyone else comments.
Question: what kind of philosophy is this? Marx says "religion is the opiate of the masses." How does this fit in?
So ... 5 people post; everyone else comments.
Question: what kind of philosophy is this? Marx says "religion is the opiate of the masses." How does this fit in?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Symbolism
I found this site worthy of sharing-It looks at popular culture, and the symbolism found within. Specifically within the music industry. Here is the link to an article looking at the meaning of Lady Gaga's song and video, "Bad Romance": http://vigilantcitizen.com/?p=2737
Regardless of the validity of the article, I find it interesting and mysterious. Hope you like it!
Regardless of the validity of the article, I find it interesting and mysterious. Hope you like it!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Thinker assignments
Marx for a week from Thursday - email by Tuesday 19th
email to mtabor [@] calstatela.edu and to himamada [@] hotmail.com
Durkheim for 2 weeks from Thursday - due hard copy Tues prior
Weber for 3 weeks from Thursday - due hard copy Tues prior
see YOUR section you should be on there twice ... papers always due on the session prior
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Oh no, I'm in the wrong class.
Ahhhh! I thought I was taking Classical Theory because I wanted to understand Marx, Durkheim, Weber and Simmel, Dubois, and Mead - and make them pertinent to my 2010 LA life!
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