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Reflective Blog 4

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 A Semester in Review Image: Vox Over the past 15 weeks, I've learned more about myself and the way society shapes our daily social interactions and identities through sociology. As our book mentions, the self is a social process, meaning you develop an identity through a process known as the "looking-glass self."  Where you take on a role, react to feedback, and imagine how others see you. Our identities also shift depending on the context of the situation, as well as who the audience is. In my own life, I've noticed a slight shift in my personality when interacting with different people. With my friends, it's always more playful and fun dialogue, whereas when I'm talking to my managers at work, it's more respectful and appropriate. Social interactions are typically strategic and meaningful; people adjust their behavior to maintain a desired impression. For example, in interviews, you want to give good responses and have strong, positive body language to ...

Reflective Blog 3

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 Prompt:   Using Goffmanian terminology, discuss the components of impression management that you might utilize on an important job interview. Image: Flexjobs In Goffman's perspective, social interactions work like a "performance" in which people try to "project" certain images of themselves to one another. In interactions like a job interview, first impressions are extremely important. You want to put up a good "front", meaning having a positive and enthusiastic tone, as well as an appropriate appearance and mannerism. A very common piece of advice for job interviews is to maintain good eye contact and a firm handshake when introducing yourself to come across  as confident.  During interviews you want to highlight important characteristics you can contribute to the company, this is called idealization. Most interviewers are looking for problem solvers and leaders to help represent their company. In a job interview you use your appearance, manner, and...

Reflective Blog 2

Reflective Blog 1

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 Prompt Chosen:   Using examples from the readings, discuss the case of the false gender binary. Image: Images by the HRC Foundation and Bretman Rock      When reading Manuela L. Picq and Josi Tikuna's Indigenous Sexualities: Lost in Colonial Translation, I was intrigued to learn about the diverse ways in which Indigenous societies view gender. Instead of believing a false gender binary, they see gender as a social construct. Growing up in the U.S., I was taught that there were only two genders: male and female. That there is a false gender binary. However, as I've grown and learned more, I now recognize that is not the case. Gender can be fluid and is something that is influenced by your culture/society; it differs all around the world.       In Juchi tán, Mexico,  "muxes" are neither man nor woman but are considered a third gender called Zapotec. Elders even say that in ancient precolonial Zapotec language, there was no difference when...