Throughout our lives, we grow up thinking that we know about some things, but up reading and doing research; we either confirm our notions or find out that they are misplaced. John Henslin, in his book ‘Sociology; A Down to Earth Sociology’ shares the social realities that shape the world around us. Our interactions with people enhance our knowledge and get different perspectives into issues that affect us each day. In this paper, I will discuss some notions I knew about culture, social class as well as bureaucracy. I will also discuss the things I never knew.
Culture
I have always known that there are different cultures around the world. However, I had the notion that the food we eat does not define culture, but now I think differently about how the food we eat relates to culture. After some in-depth research on how food defines our culture, I do recognize that each culture has particular types of foods that the people eat. It is a fact that some people do tour the world to taste foods from different cultures and experience a culture other than theirs. According to Henslin (2010), food sets one culture apart from the other. Moreover, Henslin suggests that food preferences are a critical part of any culture, and this varies around the world. I never thought that people can eat animal such as snakes, but how I think about snakes as food has changed due to research. I have found out that in Asia people from countries such as Japan and China, snakes make an essential part of their culture regarding food. Furthermore, I have been raised in a society where people do not eat dogs, cats as well as monkeys, but I do realize that other cultures around the world eat these animals. With this information about culture and particularly food, I do believe that the way I think about food has changed.
There several significances that relate to the discussion above about food and culture. The first importance is that although I do not take any foods, I realize that I should appreciate what people of another culture eat because this food is one of the critical components of culture. Moreover, food represents the cultural diversity that is around the world, and we should live harmoniously with other cultures and avoid dismissing what they eat. Henslin (2010) argues that we are what we eat, and I think that this statement bears a lot of significance when it comes to food and culture. For example, if a person was born and the people of his or her culture eat snakes, then they will also eat the snakes; this is because eating of the snake will help one create a cultural identification which is important.
Furthermore, the other significance of the example discussed is that eating of some foods is acceptable in some cultures while others consider it a taboo. According to Henslin (2010) people of America will find it okay to eat frog legs, but they will not eat dogs because this is seen as disgusting. It is important that we should not find what others eat to be disgusting because of their culture. The American people need to appreciate the fact that while they eat frogs, people from Asia eat snakes, dogs and monkeys. Food should be used to define a culture, but not disrespect or isolate people from a given culture because of what they eat.
Social Class
Growing up, I always thought that our social class determines our social interactions. However, after doing research, I think differently on the subject of social class and how this relates to social interactions. Although there are different social classes in the society, I do realize that this does not in any way influence our social interactions. I have witnessed people grow up in communities that consist of people from different social classes, but they interact freely in a way that does not represent their social class. I always thought that we should confine our friendships with friends from the same social class, but now I realize that this is a misplaced notion, and I believe differently about social class now.
Several significances can we can pick from the above example about social class. To begin with, it is important that we do not let our social class determine or define who we are or what we want to become in life. Moreover, we should make friends with people from various social classes as this will enable us to get different perspectives into social issues. The other importance is that we should use the social class to explain the differences that exist among people of different social classes. For example, wealthy people will tend to go to particular social places, but this does not mean that they will not interact with the middle class while at the social places because the middle class also visit these places. Furthermore, the other importance of the example above is that social class should not be used to create stereotypes about people. For example, people in the lower class will often see those above them as snobbish and exploitative but this is not the case. Before anyone creates a stereotype about people of a given social class, it is important that they first interact with them.
Bureaucracies
I never knew that bureaucracies can be frustrating as well as impersonal at the same time; while on one hand bureaucracies frustrate us since we have to follow procedures, on the other hand, we rely on bureaucracies to meet our daily needs. This is something that I have learned after doing research on the aspect of bureaucracy. My thinking on this aspect has changed because I realize that a bureaucracy enables an organization to meet its goals. I always thought that bureaucracies exploit the employees as a way of generating profit and achieving organizational goals, but this notion has changed after research. I now know that bureaucracies have characteristics that define them, and this avoids the exploitation of employees.
Conclusively, culture, social class, and bureaucracies are just some of the aspects of sociology that I have changed my notion about after doing research and interacting with other people. I have learned that food is a critical component of culture and the food that we eat partly defines who we are. Moreover, regarding social class, I have learned that social class does not limit our social interactions with people from other social classes. Furthermore, I have changed the notion I had about bureaucracies since I have realized that they play a significant role in the society.
Connecting Major Concepts to Maya Angelou’s Text
In the book “I know why the caged bird sings”, Maya Angelou recalls her anguish when growing up due to abandonment and the prejudice she faces for being black. Maya captures her life and that of people around in thirty-six chapters where the concepts of social interactions, social systems, groups, norms, as well as rules, are also captured.
1. Social Interaction
Social interaction refers to the way people communicate, act and react to other people; it is structured around norms, roles, and statuses. In Maya Angelou’s book “I Know why the Caged Bird sings”, social interaction can be connected to the text through status. Maya recognized her social status as a young black woman when she was traveling with her brother. “Negro passengers, who always traveled with loaded lunch boxes felt poor for the little motherless darlings and plied us with cold fried chicken”(Angelou, 1969 p.5). This statement brings out the aspect of status in social interactions. Maya brings out the sense of community that was among African Americans and was achieved through social interactions. It is through the social interaction of Maya and her brother Bailey that Bailey answers various questions that Maya asks. For example, on page ninety, Maya is inquisitive about various aspects about the white folks. “Ever ride in elevators? Were you scared? White folks any different, like they say’’ (Angelou, 1969 p.90). Bailey answered all these questions asked by Maya, which reveals that Maya did not have many interactions with the white people and wanted to know more about them.
2. Social Systems
The unjust social system during Maya’s time is also revealed when she mentions Jesse and Joe Louis in chapter ten of her book. The social system was so unjust that it recognized the achievements that white people had made, but limited the recognition of black people to Owens and Louise. She questions what gave the white people the freedom to recognize only two men and black heroes while there were many others. Black people had no control over their lives and the speaker during Maya’s graduation made this clear. African Americans were meant to be servants, farmers as well as washerwomen. The social system had trained Maya and other black ladies to sit quietly and not complain about what was done to them (Angelou, 1969).
The social systems in Maya’s text also come out in chapter thirty-four when Maya goes to seek a job as a streetcar conductor. In this instance, Maya is faced with a social system that reserves the job of a streetcar conductor to white people only. However, Angelou does not give in on getting the job and confront the receptionist through the resources she knows and eventually given a form to complete as well as a job (Angelou, 1969). Maya grew up at a time when black people were confined to work on the farms of white people through the existing social system. The social system made it acceptable to treat black people as second class citizens, but the system was finally broken, and Maya can get a job. Moreover, when Mr. Freeman rapes Maya, the social system makes her believe that she helped the accused, and Mr. Freeman is released without serving a jail. These events are described on pages 84 and 85 of the text (Angelou, 1969).
3. Groups
Groups in sociology refer to two or more people that not only have a common identity but also interact regularly. Groups are present in Maya Angelou’s text through the various chapters. The first instance of a group comes out in the first chapter of the book when Maya describes her relationship with her brother; this kind of group can be referred to as a primary group. Maya and Bailey are a family, and although they are young, they depend on each other as a source of strength. The Negro passengers that who travel with Maya and her brother can also be referred to as a group because they concern to her and the brother.
The other group that comes out in Maya’s text is a secondary group, and this is first revealed through the cotton pickers. Although the cotton pickers are not related, they have the same purpose which is to pick as much cotton as possible by the end of the day. Moreover, during Maya’s graduation which she describes in chapter ten of her book the element of the groups also comes out. Maya notes that even those that were not graduating were anxious to help with the preparations, and this brings out the aspect of groups (Angelou, 1969).
4. Norms
The first instance of Angelou’s brings out the concept of norms in her book is from pages six to nine of her books, Angelou shares her experience when living with her grandmother and how they could go out and pick cotton. Picking cotton was a norm for African Americans from the South, and hence, this brings out the concept of social interactions. Children and adults all picked the cotton with each promising to return as champion at the end of the day (Angelou, 1969). Moreover, norms are also present in the in Maya Angelou’s text in chapter five where she talks about how cleanliness was emphasized in their home. It was a norm that no one could sleep before washing their feet because they had spent all the day in the dust. “We could go to the well wash momma was famous for pulling the quilts off after we had fallen asleep to examine our feet” (Angelou, 1969 p.27). This aspect brings out the norm in Maya’s home; she and her brother were aware if they did not clean their feet before sleeping, then their grandmother could punish them. The other norm that is brought out in Maya’s text is how people such as farmers and children had made it a habit to visit the station to see visitors who arrived.
5. Roles
When a person occupies a given role in the society, they are expected to perform a task that relates to their social status. Being an elder brother, Bailey uses his social status to protect his sister Maya against any harassment. Moreover, Bailey also plays the role of acting as his sister's confident when their parents’ divorce. Maya’s grandmother momma plays the role of a guardian when Maya and her brother live with her. She raised them in a Christian manner and ensured that they are well fed and healthy. Her social status as a guardian is best captured by Maya in chapter six of her book. In the church, the Reverend and the sisters also play the role of encouraging the members to seek Christ because this is what is expected of them by the society (Angelou, 1969). The social roles in the Maya book portray a society where roles were allocated depending on gender. Furthermore, the roles were at times allocated to people depending their race; black people were expected to work on the farms while white people supervised them.
Angelou, M. (1969). I know why the caged bird sings. New York: Random House.
Henslin, J. (2010). Sociology (10th Ed.). Boston, Mass.: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
