POWER.

Chapter five is about power. Power is, the ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by others. The chapter touches on power in everyday life, all the forms of power , the way power is enforced, ways in which power is used. I feel I can't relate to this chapter because power is in our everyday life has been since the beginning of time; I also believe I can relate to this chapter because I am looked upon as a leader and I use power in an influential manner, although I try to the best of my ability to be a positive influence I do know that if I were to do some or encourage something negative it would be followed through thee same as if I influenced or encouraged something positive.
The reading talks about the five forms of oppression, oppression is the exercise of tyranny by ruling a group. Oppression is a way of enforcing power and the authors of 'Five Faces of Oppression' discuss the five method of oppression that are used to enforce power, violence exploitation, powerlessness, and cultural imperialism. These five methods are used by government and the higher class to oppress and maintain power over the lower class, the powerless. Another way I ca relate to this is that Black and Brown people are oppressed through violence, such as hate crimes and powerlessness of being the 'have not's' as opposed to those that have power those of us in the Black and Brown communities that complain but don't vote because we feel our vote doesn't make a difference we feel this way because of a form of oppression, I am going out on election day to vote for the man I want to represent the country I live in, and my elder brother told me he doesn't vote because his vote doesn't count my brother has an oppressed mind state and it is best that he realize it now when his vote is necessary to keep change active and not reverting back to the same old song and dance.
I found the video too be interesting that out of 12 people only three of them refused to go to 450 volts even when a woman thought she had killed the man prior to 450 volts she still continued to the end, yes although many of them felt bad about going to the end they still continued with no real concern for the health of the test subject (actor) in the other room. The doctor knows best and because he said the effects will not be long term they continued to the end unconcerned with the short term effects that he me be unconscious in the other room. with the thought that science is providing a system for good and the power of authority they continued with the torture. If it were me I'm not gonna say for sure but I would probably have been one of the three that did not go to 450 volts because I would have felt like it was a fair draw of who was the teacher and who was the learner and I could have been the one to draw leaner and if it were me in the other room I would not have wanted that person to go all the way to 450 volts and I would have stopped.

The chapter and the reading closely relate to one another because the chapter discusses power and the reading describes the methods used to enforce power and the chapter and the reading correlate with the video because they give insight as to why it is that these people didn't stop and what form of power is involved.

Signed; The Outlook Blogger.

Chapter Four; The Meaning of Social Control.

Peter Berger, the author of The Meaning of Social Control; speaks about social controls. He states "Social control is one of the most generally used concepts in in sociology. It refers to the various means used by a society to bring its recalcitrant members back into line," (p. 1). He goes on to mention three methods of social control, politico-legal system, economic pressure, and ostracism. The mechanisms of control keep the balance between the roles and actions of society/groups. Mechanisms of control vary pertaining to the purpose and character of the group in in question. I agree with mostly all of what Berger discussed, about violence being the oldest means of social control, and that it relates to the politico-legal method which is the method that I have been exposed to the most living in America this and; economic pressure, which is connected to how the economy would judge and ridicule you if you were to be disobedient in regards to organizational structure. The last is ostracism, where one is shunned for going against their groups beliefs this conventional (p.93) form of control was explain through given example of the Amish; and how if and Amish person was intimate with someone that was not Amish they would still be a part of society but no one would be aloud to speak to them. In chapter four the organizational structure (p. 93) connects to all three forms of mechanisms of control, because the organizational structure also varies depending on what group is being addressed, and  are the different rules and roles set for people to follow. Their rational actions (p. 99) are what decides if they are subject to any of the three forms of social controls. I find that these methods of control are needed just as organizational structure is needed because the two keep things balanced.


A statement made by Berger that caught my attention was "Society antedates us and it will survive us," (p. 4). After reading this line I thought, "what does this mean?" Society came before us and it will survive us; does this mean that our actions are against what society has organized for us to follow and thus we would be destroying our society, but society will not cease because the generation does not make society, but instead it is society that molds the generation. He continues with "It was there before we were born and it will be there after we are dead. Our lives are but episodes in its majestic march through time. In sum, society is the walls of our imprisonment in history." Leaving me to wonder what is ones actual worth to society?



Signed; The Outlook Blogger.