There is a very fine line between what I consider cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation tends to happen quite a bit within the music industry. A great chunk of music history can be traced back to Africa where music is said to have been invented. When researching music history, we can trace the …
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Chapter 6: High School Heroes
Competitive sports played an important role at Lodi High school, where the only thing to do on a Friday night was either go to a game or get drunk in the vineyards. Of the many sports offered at the school, football and basketball were the most significant. The difference in these sports wasn’t so much …
The U.S. Upper Class
The amount of information concerning the poor is endless as they provide us with the most accessible research on social inequality. However, rarely do we ever see documentaries dealing with the wealthy and rarely are we ever given a glimpse into their lives. In this article by Stephen Higley, we look into the lives of …
Wealth Inequality in America
I’ve been well aware for a while now the wealth distribution in the United States isn’t exactly equitable. The wealthiest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, has a net worth of approximately 112 billion dollars, a net worth that would take the average American multiple lifetimes to earn. There is this idea in the United …
Moving Up
According to multiple sources, the middle class makes up about 68%of the U.S. population. These days, it’s getting more and more difficult to move up from poverty due to many circumstances that are beyond one’s control. The lack of cultural, social, and economic capital makes it difficult for people to escape poverty. However, there are …
The Uses of Poverty
It feels unusual to look at poverty as a functional, necessary part of society. Often, when people are asked what they would change about the world, most of them will tell you things like “I would end racism” or “I would find a cure for cancer.” For me, and for many others, my answer to …
Coffee/Class
These days, obtaining commodities like chocolate or coffee is fairly easy to do. With nearly 27,000 Starbucks worldwide and more chocolate brands than we can imagine, the average American has no difficulty indulging in these delicacies. The average American, however, often fails to consider the labor that went into the production of such goods. The …
Fast Food/Work and Economy
When I first started applying for jobs, I remember turning in applications to places like Hollister, Forever 21, and Victoria’s Secret. These were jobs that I deemed attractive and desirable, even if the pay was only minimum wage. When I didn’t get any callbacks, my mother suggested that I try applying at fast-food restaurants, I …
Caught Between the Ages
According to William Van Dusen Wishard, we are living between two dramatically different ages, the next 30 years will perhaps be the most crucial for human life. The two ages can be divided as such, the first including things like the dominance of print communication and immigration coming primarily from Europe. The second age consisting …
Fight for $15
Fast-food workers are often taken advantage of by the corporations they work for, many of them having to work long hours with little pay. The work itself can be exhausting especially for those who are employed by chains that promise 24-hour service to its customers, including holidays. The demand for a $15-hour minimum wage is …
A Sociology Blog 