Symbols

This is the logo for Apple, the very common technology brand. This symbol represents America's advances in technology. Plus, I'm sure almost half the population owns an iPod!

Clearly, this is a traffic light. In America driving is a big part of everyday life. Even when we are little, Americans are taught green means go, red means stop, etc.

The way this man has his hands placed on his head and his eyes closed is a common facial expression. This symbolizes that the man is stressed. I chose this to represent America because a lot of Americans' schedules are overpacked and so it's easy to get stressed out!

This is the logo for the popular Barbie Doll. Almost every little girl in America would recognize this symbol. As Americans, we are very image-obsessed and are taught from a very young age to strive to be beautiful, like Barbie.

      This sign represents peace. I chose this symbol because it is very commonly used in America and it goes along with the idea that everyone wants peace.

Thinking Sociologically..

   Today, in Walgreen's, I was looking at the magazines in the check-out line and thought of them from a sociological perspective. I realized that much of American culture has to do with the media and overexposed famous people. There were tons of magazines on sale with the same people that are seen on TV every day on the covers. A lot of these people did not do something admirable to become famous (i.e. the cast of Jersey Shore). This says a lot about Americans.
    So many of these famous people on the covers of magazines are the people children group up idolizing and mimicking. Personally, I think that as Americans, our values are somewhat out of place. Actors and singers get more attention than politicians or surgeons. The continual overexposure of these famous people in magazines, gossip TV, and movies is corrupting young minds into thinking that these people are people to admire and look up to.

Response to Article Written by Stefan Schirmer

   Stefan found several aspects of  American culture strange; mainly our strict laws and regulations. He notes that underage drinking is not a large issue in Germany, that many do not even know or care what the legal drinking age is. However, in America, he notices that we are very strict when it comes to underage drinking and demand an I.D. whenever someone wants to buy alcohol. Also, Schirmer explains that in America, he felt like he was being "mothered". For example, a car in America will beep consistently if your seat belt isn't on or if the headlights are on. Also, he found that there are a lot of signs stating the obvious, telling him what and what not to do. From the way he describes our regulations and warning signs, I can infer that in Germany, their safety laws are not as heavily enforced as ours.
    In one part of this article, Schirmer talks about "super-sizable" burger menus. This made me think of one of the biggest aspects of American culture: our want to "do things big". This idea is seen through our large food portions, our cars, homes, malls, even our people.. I thought it was interesting that he described this as one of our outstanding achievements rather than a flaw. Also, this article makes me think of how much Americans value safety. Schirmer explains how he notices our speed limits, warnings, and signs, making them seem uncommon in Germany. Now that I think about it, in America we do have a lot of laws and warnings created to maintain our safety. Living in America, I have never really thought about these aspects of our culture that much, but from listening to a German's perspective I have noticed a couple different things I might never have thought of before.

Thinking sociologically

   I found myself thinking sociologically a couple times this week. When I was reviewing my data over how people react during a theft, I was reminded of Emile Durkheime who collected a lot of data when studying sociology. I think that gaining information about the way people act during varying situations is an important part of sociology.
   Another time I found myself thinking sociologically was during lunch in the cafeteria. I realized that everyone plays different roles that are important to keeping things running. Someone needs to serve the food, collect the money, clean up, etc. Lunch period couldn't work without everyone playing their roles. This can be applied to larger ideas like our economy, government, and many other things. One person can not control it all, so everyone plays their part in social environments, which is the reason for the study of sociology.