I agree with the fight for $15 act but not just for fast food workers. I think it should be for all minimum wage workers (but in a selfish sense I just want more money) which would be a disadvantage since the framing of their goals are mainly focused on the fast food industry. As of now it’s $12 an hour and is estimated to be up to $15 possibly by 2023 another few reasons I think this might discourage people from unionization is how easily people can be fired and most fast food workers are younger, with perhaps a lack commitment. They are often given a negative stigma by mass media ie in TV shows and memes nowadays. Also; most of my experiences with the majority of young fast food workers have not been pleasant. So,  people under a union -can go on strike or refuse to work if their needs or requests aren’t met by the union. So in conclusion, I think minimum wage for all should be $15; but I also see the stigma for most of them being lazy and seeing a union could cause a lot of problems.

I think the majority of the time I personally was an outcast with my shopping and fashion choices. But the one thing I can compare for this topic is when I got into anime! At a point in my anime obsession, I saw people in Japan who were cosplaying (dressing up as the anime characters I loved so much) and I wanted to do that as well. Being a theater kid and a dancer dressing up and becoming someone different was one of my favorite things to do ever since I was a small child. So I started to research if people do that here in America or anywhere near me would be even better and I found SacAnime and anime convention in Sacramento (that I’ve been going to religiously now twice a year for the past 7 years). My first time going I wore a wig and threw together what I thought at the time was an awesome costume but going to that convention and being surrounded by such nice people who all loved and obsessed over anime like I did, was probably one of the best and most excepting experiences of my life. I have been going to SacAnime now with much better costumes and even sometimes spending upwards of $300+ on one costume, but it really does give me that satisfaction and sense of belonging; and in the past for a while gave me the opportunity of being a professionally cosplayer, being invited to events where people would buy my photographs and ask me for advice on cosplay or wanting to know and talk about my favorite anime and even meeting and interacting with people I never would have, like handicap kids, the full original power rangers cast, voice actors of my favorite anime, and friends now I’ll have for a life time. So, in the end, without making the many purchases of costumes, wigs, and material for my props, I would have never found that beyond amazing sense and desire of belonging.

It was kinda funny reading this chapter especially the end about the “funny feeling” because it was an experiment my dad told me about when I was younger and I always wondered would I be able to shock someone like that if I were asked; also mind you, at the time I was young and a bit of a rebel and thought of course I would! Now as an adult, I understand why we can’t do these experiments. It might cause some individuals who are participating to be traumatized. I also was more confident and had an amazing memory at the time and thought I would get all the answers right. Now though, and how you talked about in class, the school system really imprints this follow-the-leader type behavior into us to do what we’re told. Some of us, more then others, I think if you went to a religious school (hands folded on the desk and raise your hand if you need to speak), I think we as humans are extremely obedient and sometimes even fear the unknown if we don’t do what we’re told or act how we’re supposed to. At the same time, I think all of us have a bit of evil which sometimes can make the world seem like a very scary place.

I think two of my major roles in my life are being a girlfriend of a relationship of 9 years, and being a daughter. It is one of the things early in my life, I learned I really had to manage well because I love my mom more then anything; she’s my best friend- but my boyfriend is now also my best friend. Finding time to balance both of them can be a hard task, my boyfriend still to this day gets a tiny bit jealous if me and my mom are going out to dinner, or on a wine tasting. This is because he loves to do those things with me as well- but recognizes I need my quality time with my mom. Right now I’m not working and I don’t have many friends- my best friend lives 3 hours away but two years ago when I was working balancing my work, my boyfriend, my mom, and taking time to drive the distance to see my friend at times seemed impossible. My mom likes to explain it like your one of those plate twirlers with all these plates up in the air your trying to balance and when work is involved especially you can’t let that plate drop! Or any for that matter but thankfully in a relationship/friendship sense I have people around me who understand my alone time is extremely important to me.

Reading this chapter about the stigma of dealing with the dead, I understand what the writer is talking about. However, now-a-days,  I think it’s about who you are and who you know. I have quite a few goth friends who are obsessed with death; but in a positive way. One of my friends even wanted to do mortician makeup for the longest time- until she found out the money wasn’t that great; (now she’s a horror and gore special effects artist). Another one of my mom’s friend’s husband actually manages several cemeteries throughout Northern California. So I think it’s more about your perspective. With goths and emos if your a part of that subculture or are accepting of it; I don’t really think there’s a negative stigma around dealing with the dead. It could even be looked at as very cool and interesting. This same negative stigma and having to socially balance your life to make what your job is not seem so bad could be applied to many careers and occupations. 

The William Shakespeare quote that starts out the chapter really resonated with me and how I feel about myself in life out in the world. I also strongly identified with the first paragraph about how others try to acquire knowledge when someone knew enters their presence. This is why I need to know if I’m going to say a ‘kick-back’ with friends; I need to know who’s going to be there and if there will be any new people that I don’t know are coming. If yes;  then I can mentally prepare myself and also try to figure out their intentions, that is: are they funny?,  are they trust-worthy? I identify myself as an em-path, so I am always turned into anything I may sense that all the others don’t. I wonder if others are as choreographed as Preedy with their presence and how others take that in. I know I am extremely, in certain situations especially.  In my online presence, my life seems flawless and aesthetic partially because I love photography, but also I love choreographing the way others perceive me. Which helps to my advantage when I meet certain people in person (especially people from small towns like where I live in Lodi) and they say “your even prettier than online” or “your life is always so fabulous” I know it’s conceited of me; but I like making that air around my sense of self. Or; at school for example, wearing certain clothes and how I sit giving the impression to seem uninterested or unapproachable. Why I mentioned in my other blog (JBC Chapter 10) that I like how sociology states that just as us having many forms of self. 

 The William Shakespeare quote that starts out the chapter really resonated with me and how I feel about myself in life out in the world. I also strongly identified with the first paragraph about how others try to acquire knowledge when someone knew enters their presence. This is why I need to know if I’m going to say a ‘kick-back’ with friends; I need to know who’s going to be there and if there will be any new people that I don’t know are coming. If yes;  then I can mentally prepare myself and also try to figure out their intentions, that is: are they funny?,  are they trust-worthy? I identify myself as an em-path, so I am always turned into anything I may sense that all the others don’t. I wonder if others are as choreographed as Preedy with their presence and how others take that in. I know I am extremely, in certain situations especially.  In my online presence, my life seems flawless and aesthetic partially because I love photography, but also I love choreographing the way others perceive me. Which helps to my advantage when I meet certain people in person (especially people from small towns like where I live in Lodi) and they say “your even prettier than online” or “your life is always so fabulous” I know it’s conceited of me; but I like making that air around my sense of self. Or; at school for example, wearing certain clothes and how I sit giving the impression to seem uninterested or unapproachable. Why I mentioned in my other blog (JBC Chapter 10) that I like how sociology states that just as us having many forms of self. 

Just reading the first few pages in this chapter made me remember my days when I was an Instagram ‘influencer’ and how branding yourself and promoting yourself was a craft I learned. It was also more about brands wanting to work with you and then those brands would equate to who you were as a person. On the Internet for me it got really tiring when you would get certain brands and want to show a product just to be relevant;but you would not have any interest in the product. I ended up quitting because I hated being so fake and always having to think about my own self-image. I did not like having to pit my self-image against others; just to get those brands’ deals and higher amount of likes and followers… it was just so tiring!  

It’s not written in this book but a great addition would be influencers and how huge of an impact influencers have on other people- literally. An influencer’s  job is to influence other people to buy what they have and wear- to make others want to look like they look and shop where they shop, etc.

Additionally, reading this chapter made me realize when I was younger, how big of a deal it was for people to copy me. In a negative way it really would piss me off because it is in our self that we think  is our identity. But in a sociology terms,  I’m just doing my part and helping others find themselves in things that they might not have noticed or been aware of before or even liked before. I saw that what I did or wore; made them closer (maybe) to their sense of self or this everlasting journey of finding the self. 

I really like how it says in the reading that sociologists say that we have “multiple selves”, because I’ve always thought of myself as a Chameleon because I do tend to change the way I look or how I act drastically in certain situations or around certain people whether that means going from wearing plain clothes at school; to blend in or wearing a leotard and being on stage as a ballerina; or even from ballerina to hip hop dancer right after that performance or even working in Target- wearing my red and khaki, being quiet and just trying to get my job done to going to an anime convention and being in full cosplay and doing photos shoots and being loud and making lots of friends. The “I am a..” statement I feel like for me would go on forever. 

I also feel a lot of my attributes until a couple years ago were stigmas, ie; being from a western country and watching anime and even dressing up as those characters(cosplay) or being a girl who plays video games, to in the end, being classified negatively as a nerd or a ‘weeb’. But- oh how times have changed! now cosplay and girls who game is considered sexy and a lot of women are using that to their advantage and make successful careers. Even though I would say they damaged the fun in the process by making it over-sexualized. Turning the page and seeing the picture of American Apparel really brought me back- probably was my first brand that I knew I needed to identify with to help my sense of self.  American Apparel actually for m, lasted through many stages in my life even to this day. I found it because of the YouTuber in 2008 would wear only American Apparel and I wanted to be like that YouTuber I even cut my hair like him but then I also stuck with the brand because of my love for basics and when I started becoming an influencer.  The fact that I wore American Apparel was a huge part of my sense of self and online presence almost every single clothing item I would ever wear was American Apparel and at the time people thought that was ‘aesthetic’. Also terms like ‘pale grunge’ came about. To be popular on the internet around 2015-2017 and even now, all you needed was really pale skin, an American Apparel tennis skirt, and one of their plain crop tops all either black or white of course– no colored clothing! Maybe throw in some ‘Nike’ socks and that was all over Instagram. 

Starbucks, Sunday at 9:30 am
3 girls are waiting for their order, all wearing black-2 have checkered suspenders on -they get their drinks and leave-I believe their uniforms are that of Black Bear Diner-
I am waiting for my coffee now, got a nice table by the door.
An old man-white ruffled hair and a wind-breaker kind of jacket was very disgruntled when he was getting his order at the counter-he asked loudly where his decaffibated drink was. He got three drinks altogether-the girl that helped me was helping him-she was making the decaffinated drink, and her hands were shaking when she gave to him. There was a hiker-type walking girl-snazzy tight leggings and had her own empty Starbucks cup-she order iced coffee. As I sat down, I noticed an older man also waiting for his drink-black and pepper beard and baseball hat turned backwards.
There are three older ladies sitting at a high-top table. They all have grey hair. One is wearing a vest jacket exactly like one my mom has-but this ladies is beige; the other two ladies are wearing zip-up sweat jackets in pastel colors, (pink and purple). They are having focused conversation.
There is an older man sitting alone drinking coffee and deep in his newspaper.
There is a family-one mom and three kids. Two girls and a boy-they look to be 11, 8, and maybe the boy is 5 or 6. They seem to be happy-the oldest girl talks a lot to the mom.
There is a man to my right who-I think is from Indian decent or perhaps actually from India. He is drinking coffee and very focused on his lap-top.
There is an older couple-having an on-going, seems to be pleasant conversation; they are getting up and leaving now-still talking to each other as they do.
There is a young man in black, hunched over his phone, he has a book-but is not reading it.
A young guy comes in and orders, his baseball hat is turned backwards, he seems ‘dressed up’, he gets two drinks and spends time at the sugar, cream bar, and then leaves-maybe going on a date?
The three ladies are in deep conversation-one lady just put her hands to her cheeks and said, “Oh no!”-loud enough for me to hear-but I cannot hear their conversation.
There are 6 people behind the counter-they are all busy. Two are working the drive up window. At first I thought they were all females-but I have noticed , now, that one is a male; he has turned around, he has a huge bun piled on top of his head.
An old hippy-type of guy is ordering-wearing a loose Hawaiian shirt , baggy jeans and clean, but disheveled hair. He is very casual as he walks around waiting for his drink-no phone.
The older newspaper man, and the lap-top guy are still very focused. The newspaper man has not looked up or around once.
Another young man came in to order take away. He is wearing a grey beanie hat, and a soft beige plaid zip up sweat shirt, his tan pants are covered in white paint. Because of all of his keys and something else hanging from his belt-I think he paints buildings or sturtures-verse an artist.
The mom family are all getting up to order more food and drinks. I am not sure now if it’s really the mom-she seems really, really young-and maybe way too fun to be the mom-maybe an aunt?
Another family unit have just walked in. Mom seems casual and tired. Dad is very upright-maybe uptight? Mom is wearing sweats and looks like she barely put herself together-dad’s short sleeve shirt is tucked neatly into his waist high suit pants, with belt and buttoned to the neck. His hair and beard ae well trimmed and groomed. Their teenage son looks like a young Justin Bieber, bangs and black hoody perfectly hanging onto his head-he seems pissed off about something. Mom waits for order as dad and son sit down and take apart the paper. Mom gets drinks, sits down and also starts with part of the paper-no one at the table talks-only the newspaper. The dad is looking at the ads! (I think that’s funny).
Newspaper older man is leaving. He stands and takes off his glasses and cleans them and then puts them back on.
Lap-top guy is also leaving.
A young, bald guy, with his ear-buds ordered to go and sat beside me to wait-for a moment I am self conscious as I am writing constantly my observations.
All of the people besides the Indian man are Caucasian and since Im in Lodi on the nicer side of town that makes sense.

The car game at lights that the writer plays is quite interesting and something so simple, yet so relatable to all- it made me wonder why do I inch up in traffic during those long lights? One of my thoughts,is I am just cattle doing what everyone around me is and also doing since I started driving. Another was everyone’s need now-a-days for speed to lessen the time between your start and destination (but in a safe manor) .

In my own opinion, I wouldn’t hire an ex convict but it would depend on their crime. If it were they were arrested for possession of weed that’d be ok with me; but armed robbery or murder then definitely no; no matter what race they are. 

When I read about how a lot of employers would look at criminal record questions during interview and immediately turn that person away; I can see this might not be just because of the person’s own criminal record, but the stigma around it. Maybe they hired someone with a criminal record before and they stole or did something bad while working; so they just don’t want to have to deal with that again. Or, have someone break the trust they gave out. But I do agree about how some employers want ex-criminals because they are more motivated to stay out of jail and some want to change their life for the better. 

About the racial difference I feel if these studies were conducted in a broader populated area, with a more diverse population; like LA or SF, I feel the difference would still exist, but I think it would be slightly less then how they tested in Milwaukee. 

The argument that ‘direct racial discrimination is no longer a major barrier to opportunity’ is completely false; my mom works in education and we’re still in 2020 having to have meetings about the huge gap in academic growth between whites and Brown and Black students.

It’s interesting how we as humans, can factor in how we will appear to our peers, to determine how this will  affect those around us before we make decisions and sometimes without even knowing we’re doing so. 

I think symbolic and conflict theory are what I identify most with, because our lives are full of symbols that will never change. In our society in which the best succeed because out society is not a smooth running machine as functionalists would say.

Reading about how sociologists to research; the unobtrusive measures are extremely interesting to me. I think would be so cool to work with retailers and consumer products. 

After reading this chapter, I feel the same as James Henslin; that participant observation (field work) is the most exciting and most interesting!