Although we were not able to address them in class, the three social problem topics that were assigned for reading this week—"Population and Global Inequality," "Family Life," and "Education"—are very key and vital issues that include many overlapping issues at the core that result in inequalities and injustices. In the same instance, however, there are also opportunities and initiatives that can actually and potentially promote positive social change in addressing these same issues. 

For this blog assignment, you are expected to answer the three questions below based on your knowledge/research in the field (with APA references included, as appropriate), as well as your understanding of the relevant Macionis chapters. 
  1. What is your personal understanding of what comprises a family? What has shaped your understanding and perception of family life? Do you believe that your personal views may conflict with others? Why or why not? What are the ways in which notions and concepts of family can both cause be problematic issues as well as pose viable solutions to social problems? Please explain and support your responses to the best of your ability. 
  2. Why are you pursuing your education and what do you plan to do with your educational qualifications? Given the significant rates of educational inequality that exist across and between racial/ethnic/linguistic groups, gender-based groups, and income/class levels in the U.S., as well as in other parts of the world, do you think that transforming education is the best solution in addressing the various inequalities that exist?  If so, how so? If not, what's the alternative and why? What can you do at the individual level by your utilizing your own education for promoting social transformation? Please explain and support your responses to the best of your ability. 
  3. Global inequality is a quite broad and generalized statement to make, because it can encompass a number of social problems and issues at much more complex levels. Nevertheless, it also implies that inequalities and injustices not only exist within countries/territories, but between them as well. Choose a sociological perspective and an accompanying theory from the chapter to explain how global inequality is perceived and addressed. Do you agree or disagree with this perspective and theoretical approach? Please explain and support your responses to the best of your ability. 
***Your response (blog post) to this blog above is required by Monday, December 24, 2012  at 11:59 p.m. 
Responses to your classmates will NOT be required for this blog post.***
Eric Fausto Pagdanganan
12/23/2012 09:53:15 am

1. To my personal understanding of what comprises a family, a family consists of both mother and father, children, and family relatives. My perception of family comes from my Catholic religion. I believe that my Catholic religion's view on family would have conflict with others especially views on gay couples and if they should be able to adapt kids. However, my personal view would not conflict with others because I am not very conservative, and I believe if gay couples can be a good parents, then they should be able to adapt children and start a family. I believe that we should openly accept that gays exist.

2. I am pursuing education because having higher educational background specifically college degree, would give me a better chance to get high paying job. I believe that having college degree is the main option to be successful. I heard people saying that bill gates and mark Zuckerberg became billionaire without having college degree; however, they are in college when the opportunity came to them. I believe that cultural differences create the educational differences. I can't say for other culture, but I can say for some asian culture that many asians view education is the best way to be successful. You have to finish college, no matter what. Many asian parents are pushing, and forcing their children to finish college. I do believe that we should improve educational program in public high school schools because we all know that private high school education are well funded and have better educational program in many eyes of societies. I disagree with paying students to study because physical appearance of money is not a solution. Instead, Government should expand welfare programs to help kids. I think we should have motivational programs to keep students motivated to finish school. In the U.S.,I think if you study very hard, you would get scholarships, and Having good grades may help you get scholarships and loans. Compare to the U.S., other nations where student loan is not available, and students are still able to find a way to finish college, and become successful. I believe that If I study hard and utilize what I learn inside the classroom, I would find a way to be successful in the future. Keep positive attitude would help achieving goals.

3. I would use structural- functional perspective to address global inequalities. Structural-functional perspective suggests that Modernization creates global inequality. Traditions also prevent some nations to accelerate the modernization process. Richer gets richer, and poorer get poorer Rich nations prevent poor nations from rising. I agree with the structural-functional perspective because richer nations influence poor nations development. Richer nations would set up trade rules for poor nations to meet. Richer nations dumped toxic waste in poor nations. Richer nations polluted poor nations by bringing some factories that can harm environment, Rich nations simply gain more from trading, while poor nations gain less than rich nations from trading.

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Golnaz Athari
12/24/2012 08:54:55 am

I believe family is comprised of a group people, at least 2, with tight bonds of emotional connection and support. They could or could not be connected by blood. They tend to live together. They feel responsible for one another’s well-being; usually older members do it and act it out more consciously and effectively. Without following a pre-determined social contract, partly followed by instinct, they form a system of mutual rules of conduct which eases their life together. The older members tend to financially support the youngster.
The reason why I pursue higher education is that I believe it not only allows me to concentrate and expand my knowledge on my specific field of interest, but it also allows me to broaden my perspective both through the actual human interaction with other students and the instructors and also through developing a more in-depth understanding of other subjects; The subjects which I normally wouldn't be able to investigate on my own, for instance General Education courses. In addition, we’re living in a world, in which the most significant criteria for qualification are educational credentials.
I think inequality is due to the monetary basis of our educational system. That is, people from working class and some minorities mostly cannot afford higher education, thus it is not the matter of their ignorance about its benefits. Worst is that the better and more prestigious schools are not only unaffordable but they on their part seek those students whose previous academic background would show superlative achievements, which is clearly out of the perspective of those students who support themselves and work for afford their education and living.

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taiwoayantunji
12/24/2012 12:12:05 pm

family comprises two or more peope with blood or without blood connection. My relationship with God has shaped my understanding and perception of family life. For example, i believe that marrage should be between a man and a woman as scripture teaches and not the other way round. However, my perception may conflict with others because we have different thought and opinions on social issue. For example, i believe that gay and lesbians couple should not be given the same rights with traditional couple( a union between a man and a woman) while some people disagree with that line of thinking.Nevertheless, i believe that an educated person is a liberated person. I also believe that education is a key to success in life. Am pursuing my education inorder to be a medical doctor, i want to help the poor having access to quality health care service delivery and make outstanding contribution to the emergence of a new descovery in science . To cap it all, structural- functional perspective is the sociological perspective to address global inequality because it closes the wide gab between the upper class and the lower class.

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Daritza Lahoz
12/24/2012 12:26:17 pm

To my understanding, I would believe that a family is comprised of members in a group who are supportive of one another. My understanding of family was not only shaped by my mother, but it was also shaped by learning about other cultures/ traditions that are not similar to mine. With that being said, I would also consider a family to have similar ideologies and ambitions, simply because families can also include a group of friends, coworkers, etc. Because of this, I believe that personal views may conflict with others if the members of a group do not agree about certain issues/ topics. In my opinion, an example that relates to this would be that of a family being broken apart if they are not a part of the same religion as the rest of the family. Being a part of a different religion as the rest of the family would ultimately create several disputes such that they wouldn’t be able to enjoy/ celebrate birthdays, holidays, etc together.
Although I am pursuing my education for the betterment of myself, I also believe that it is considered to be an obligation. Because my parents and many other members in my extended family didn’t get the opportunity to receive a higher education, it is therefore an obligation on my part to obtain a degree so that I will not only be able to support my own family, but also my extended family members as well. I believe that transforming education is the best solution in addressing the various inequalities that exist in order for people to gain a broader understanding of the world outside of their own. An example of this would be how an all female/ male school prevents students from understanding why/ how certain gender roles affect the opposite sex. In addition, making schools more diverse would also be a great tool in addressing various inequalities that exists as students would be given the opportunity to learn about the different people in the world, instead of “learning” about them through a textbook. With a more diverse educational setting, certain stereotypes/ discrimination would therefore be eliminated. At the individual level, I would be able to take advantage of such opportunities that weren’t offered to my parents. I will then be able to use my experience as an influential method of teaching people about how such inequalities are only detrimental if we allow them to be.
According to Macionis (2010), “the social conflict approach to global inequality centers on world system theory, a model of economic development that explains global inequality in terms of the historical exploration of poor societies by rich ones.” With that said, I also agree in the notion that capitalism has had a great impact on said inequalities simply because some nations lack resources needed to reach economic stability. Also, many countries that are considered to be developing also lack political stability which has allowed such inequalities to be more prevalent within the gap that separates the rich and the poor. I believe that if a country establishes a more stabilized political and economic system, the gap between the rich and the poor would therefore decrease and such inequalities would be minimized/ irrelevant.

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