Happiness in Marriage Based on Gender Quantitative Research

Preliminary/design

Being happy in a marriage is important, but who tends to be happier in the marriage, a male or female. According to the general social survey (2014) data sets, I will be conducting my research on happiness of marriage to figure out which gender is happier, so my research question is: Does the type of gender one marries affect the happiness of their marriage?

The data sets I’m going to be using for this project is happiness of marriage, the plan is to figure out if gender affects the happiness of their marriage. The type of groups I’ll be using are male and female. Based on the groups being presented, I will figure out the happiness of a male and female. The method of sampling being used is probability sampling, and the method being used is random sampling. The type of data collection I will be doing is quantitative data analysis. The size of my study would be 2 individuals, a male and female

The Independent variable I will be using is gender, the dependent variable is happiness of their marriage. Type of gender would be coded as, 1= Male (nominal) and 2= Female (nominal), and happiness of marriage would be measured as (Scale), 1=Very happy, 2=Pretty happy, 3=Not too happy, and 4=N/A. I will not be recoding any of my variables

Univariate Analysis

Independent Variable: Gender

Frequencies

Statistics
GENDER OF 1ST PERSON
N	Valid	2538
	Missing	0
Mean		1.44
Median		1.00
Mode		1
Std. Deviation		.496
Minimum		1
Maximum		2

GENDER OF 1ST PERSON
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	MALE	1431	56.4	56.4	56.4
	FEMALE	1107	43.6	43.6	100.0
	Total	2538	100.0	100.0

I was able to compute the variable by using frequencies in SPSS, which reports frequency counts (the number of cases with each unique value of a variable) and the percentages for the selected variable. Aside from that, frequencies can help us see the results in a histogram or bar charts. I attained the tables by entering the independent variable, which is ‘gender of 1st person.’ After inputting the variable in SPSS using the frequency function, I attained a mean of 1.44, median 1.00, and mode of 1. The standard deviation of the variable was .496. The maximum was 2 and minimum was 1. The amount of cases in the variable was n=2,538. The amount of missing cases was 0. According to the variable ‘gender of 1st person,’ I noticed the Histogram displayed more males than females, which tells us there is more males than females. The frequency count for male was 1431 and female was 1107. The amount of people in a specific location was articulated at 1.44 in the Histogram. This allows us to conclude that there are more males than females in the variable ‘gender of 1st person.’

Dependent Variable: Happiness of marriage

Frequencies

Statistics
HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE
N	Valid	1155
	Missing	1383
Mean		1.44
Median		1.00
Mode		1
Std. Deviation		.560
Minimum		1
Maximum		3

HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE
		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	VERY HAPPY	691	27.2	59.8	59.8
	PRETTY HAPPY	425	16.7	36.8	96.6
	NOT TOO HAPPY	39	1.5	3.4	100.0
	Total	1155	45.5	100.0
Missing	IAP	1376	54.2
	DK	2	.1
	NA	5	.2
	Total	1383	54.5
Total		2538	100.0

I was able to compute the variable by using frequencies in SPSS, which reports frequency counts (the number of cases with each unique value of a variable) and the percentages for the selected variable. Aside from that, frequencies can help us see the results in a histogram or bar charts. I attained the tables by entering the independent variable, which is ‘happiness of marriage.’ After inputting the variable in SPSS using the frequency function, I attained a mean of 1.44, median 1.00, and mode of 1. The standard deviation of the variable was .560. The maximum was 3 and minimum was 1. The amount of cases in the variable was n= 1,155. The amount of missing cases was 1,383 According to the variable ‘happiness of marriage,’ I noticed the histogram displayed more people being happy than not happy. The amount of people in a specific location was articulated at 1.44 in the Histogram. The frequency count for very happy was 691, pretty happy 425, and not too happy 39. This allows us to conclude that variable ‘happiness of marriage’ has more happy individuals than not too happy.

Bivariate Analysis

T-Test

Group Statistics
	GENDER OF 1ST PERSON	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean
HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE	MALE	817	1.40	.547	.019
HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE	FEMALE	338	1.51	.583	.032

Using T-test, is going to help us determine whether the difference between means of two groups is due to the independent variable, or if the difference is due to chance. Thus, this procedure allows us to reject or retain the null hypothesis.

The first table shows the mean of variable ‘happiness of marriage’ and ‘gender’. The mean for male is 1.40 and female 1.51. The standard deviation for male is .547 and female is .583, but we cannot conclude if there is a significant difference. The second table, which is the Independent sample test, is going to help is determine the significance between ‘gender’ and ‘happiness of marriage’.

The second table has a column labeled Levene’s Test for Equality of Variance, which provides assumptions of the t-test, based on the variables ‘happiness of marriage’ and ‘gender.’ The sig is .003, which is less than .05. Thus, we are going assume the two groups are significantly different, so we are going to use the equal variances not assumed row. To determine the happiness of marriage between male and females is significant, we have to look at the t-test for equality of means. Looking at the equal variance not assumed row, we see a t value of .003. The Sig.(2-tailed) column in the (p=.003) is less than .05, meaning that there is a statistically significant correlation between variables ‘happiness of marriage’ and ‘gender.’ We can conclude that females are happier in a marriage.

Multivariate Analysis

Regression

Variables Entered/Removed^a
Model	Variables Entered	Variables Removed	Method
1	White race household, R WAS LAID OFF MAIN JOB LAST YEAR, GENDER OF 1ST PERSON^b	.	Enter
a. Dependent Variable: HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE
b. All requested variables entered.

Model Summary
Model	R	R Square	Adjusted R Square	Std. Error of the Estimate
1	.114^a	.013	.008	.559
a. Predictors: (Constant), White race household, R WAS LAID OFF MAIN JOB LAST YEAR, GENDER OF 1ST PERSON

ANOVA^a
Model		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
1	Regression	2.403	3	.801	2.563	.054^b
	Residual	182.514	584	.313
	Total	184.917	587
a. Dependent Variable: HAPPINESS OF MARRIAGE
b. Predictors: (Constant), White race household, R WAS LAID OFF MAIN JOB LAST YEAR, GENDER OF 1ST PERSON

The model summary table gives us the response of R square=.013, we can say that the model explains 13% of the variation.

The Anova table gives us the results of the independent variables, we are going to be focused on the value located in the “Sig.” column, because this is the exact significance level of the ANOVA. The value for Sig is .054, which means it does not have significant effects. We are going to reject the hypothesis, and we can conclude that the variables are the same and that multiple regression will not be possible in this case.

In the Coefficient table, it gives us a constant of 1.474, gender of 1^st person .103, and R was laid off main job last year -.065, and White race household -.086

Y= 1.474 (constant)+.103 (gender)-.086(White race household) -.065(Laid off)

The coefficient for gender is .103 and it has a positive relationship with happiness of marriage, which means both male and female are happy in a marriage. We can assume that people from a white race household (white or non-white) does not have a significant impact on how happy a person is in a marriage. Moreover, being laid off the main job last year had a coefficient of -.061, and we can assume that being laid off last year does not affect the happiness of marriage.

quantitative-research

Rule Enforcers and Capitalism

Just another shirt on the floor; just another shirt to fold; just another customer to help, the power of capitalism is never going to end, yet, I still have 8 hours of restless work. Industries like Sears, Target, Walmart, etc. set rules and regulations on less powerful groups, such as daily workers, a daily worker can be defined as somebody who works part-time or full-time cleaning, sweeping, folding, picking, and selling products. Because rules and regulations are created by CEO’s, the rules are thus send to store managers. The store managers then implement the rules on daily workers; moreover, categorizing daily workers as productive and unproductive individuals, because retail stores categorize worker’s boundary lines are created for those that deviate from the rules, which allow managers to create more rules and create an atmosphere of inequality in retail stores. Expanding on Emile Durkheim’s theories and the effects of capitalism/markets, I will explain how working at Sears exerted managers to categorize, label, and set boundary lines on me and others.

“The crusader is not only interested in seeing to it that other people do what he thinks right. He believes that if they do what is right it will be good for them” (Becker, 149). As Becker, had described what a moral crusader was, the CEO of sears had just sent an email explaining the rules for this upcoming black Friday event. The emails stated “all employees of sears need to arrive at 5am to set up for black Friday; each department will be assigned tasks, the task include providing customer service, cleaning, re-stocking, and emptying the fitting rooms.” The store manager requested every employee that had arrived at 5am to attend the store circle. Inside the circle a rule enforcer was assigning rules to every department in the store. Nobody was speaking up, yet, I was part of those not speaking up. Becker explained a moral crusader as someone who draws support from people whose motives are less pure than those of the crusader (Becker, 149). The time was 6am, thousands of people were outside waiting to indulge on products that were made by people from other countries, and yet, the capitalist market is going to continue to grow while kids in third world countries are going to continue to suffer. The movements, facial expressions, and shivers from the cold sky was not enough to send them back home. I was ready to endure an 8-hour shift of endless questions on store clothes. Suddenly, I was confronted by the store manager; the store manager wanted me to work as a cashier. This was even worse; a cashier was classified as someone slow in the store. I noticed the store manager categorizing people from each department merely as productive workers and unproductive workers. John Curra explained this act, as a more enduring and important source of power that comes from an individual’s social network and opportunity structures that enable him or her to do things that affect the lives of others (Curra, 81). The power the store manager had was not comparable to my power as a worker; I had to work as cashier for the next 8 hours. The first 3 hours of working as a cashier was horrible, I was getting screamed at and people were fighting over the silliest things on this earth. Yet, I still was not able to get over the fact that I was categorized as an unproductive worker. I spend countless hours helping, cleaning, and folding clothes; I was not sure why my store manager categorized me. It could have been the crusaders experts that were telling him how to categorize people in the store. I would never find out the real reason, but I was confronted by a co-worker that wanted to take my position as a cashier. I took her offer, and I began to walk toward the clothing department; it was filled with people throwing, purchasing, and fighting over materialistic products. If they knew how much money Sears was making and how much money the assemblers of the clothes were making after black Friday sales. Curra mentioned “that great success in business is based mainly on making great deals in which much comes from little in a short period of time and with little or no risk” (Curra, 86). I finally get to my department; there are clothes all over the ground, the people in the store are running around making a mess. Yet, I could not get over the fact that I was categorized, but there is more, the part of being labeled by my store manager.

The store manager was assigning me to finish countless tasks; I felt he was labeling me because of my nationality. I’m a Mexican, which a lot of people refer to as a hard-working race. As I was answering questions about clothes and informing customers of sells, I was noticing how Sears was exploiting me, I was selling their products and making money for them; the exploitation of this capitalist store was going to end soon, I had 5 hours left at work before going home. I had to make these 5 hours’ count, I had to make my commission numbers, it meant extra money in my wallet. Curra describes this as “people who depend on income from their jobs for their daily bread will never be able to accumulate sufficient wealth to keep up with those who already have wealth and can generate increasingly greater returns on it” (Curra, 86). The last 3 hours of my shift were spend folding clothes and answering customer questions, as were some of my co-workers doing. I can see my co-workers from far away cleaning and picking up clothes; each person was doing something different. Durkheim mentions functions, whether political, administrative or judicial, are becoming more and more specialised (Durkheim, 2). Just as I have been noticing my co-workers perform; each person was performing specialized task. Because the manager had placed each person to perform a specific task, we had to follow the rules. We could not deviate from the current rules; if someone was to deviate, the person would suffer reduction of hours to being relinquished from the job. Therefore, Sears put boundary lines on all the employees including myself. If somebody was to cross the boundary lines, the person would undergo a verbal warning, and the store manager would set new rules. Due to these retail, capitalistic stores; workers are not able to perform per their need. There is constant shifts of rules, labels, and categories, which in return boundary lines are implemented for those that deviate from the constant shift of these capitalistic market rules.

Sears implements rules and regulations, the rules and regulations come from the moral crusader, which is the store CEO. The store manager (rule enforcer) presents the information to the employees, if the employees do not speak up and disagree on the categories and labels. The rule enforcer is going to think everyone agrees with him. Therefore, it will become socially constructed because everyone is accepting the rule enforcer’s ultimatum. If an employee was to speak up, the rule enforcer would deflect the situation by speaking privately with the worker. Thus, the worker is confronted with the problem of having his hours reduced or placing him on the schedule to work less days. Because the rule enforcer wants to keep his employees controlled, the enforcer is going to continue to socially implement the rules, which gives him more power over the employees. Thus, the capitalist companies would exploit the employees, because the employees do not have any power over the enforcer. Therefore, the rich and powerful would maintain social inequality because it benefits them in a number of ways (Curra, 87). The workers would have to follow the rules of the store manager, because the employees depend on the income from their jobs. Therefore, as a store continues to increase their profit, the rules and regulations implemented by the moral crusader and assigned by the rule enforcer is going to give word to other companies. Thus, other companies are going to continue the same rules to maintain social inequality and profit.

Deviance and rules are not just based off stories, but are deprived from theories. The critical theory helps us understand concepts of inequality and how power is integral to understanding deviant behavior. A great example is my Sears black Friday event; the rule enforcer determined every person’s task at work. The rule enforcer would enforce the rules and regulations from the moral crusader, which helps us, understand the meaning of the critical theory. The employees at sears were treated unequal, which explains how employees at sears would get angry and deviate. Because nobody was going to deviate from the rules; every person working at sears accustom themselves to the rules. If someone was to deviate from the rules, the labeling theory would explain that deviance exist because people are caught and labeled as deviant. Employees at Sears were not going to deviate during black Friday, because moral entrepreneurs and rule enforcers were going to create and label new categories of deviance. Moreover, Sears could fire and reduce hours from employees that broke rules. As black Friday ends, a new crew of employees is coming to work. As described by the social learning theory, we learn deviance from our friends, relatives, and others around us. Therefore, there is going to be new deviance behavior and rules applied to the deviant behavior. This would conclude that deviance is an ongoing cycle; therefore, new rules are going to continue to arise. Therefore, deviance is never ending because there is always someone breaking the rules.

capitalism2-720x500

A DRUG ADDICT INTERACTION ON INDIVIDUAL

A daily dose of a stimulant can affect your behavior causing it to impact your daily interactions with others. Imagine your brother as a drug addict. Now imagine your personal interactions. The interactions would be less sympathetic; moreover, a drug addict would have a different performance under the influence of the drug. For example, a dope fiend can set a front stage performance of a “non-addict” by explaining the drug is not the issue. By this performance, the addict can change the belief of every person he interacts with. By using Sociologist Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical approach and theory of self, I would explain the front stage performance and back stage performance of the dope fiend. Moreover, I will research the behavioral impact of a drug addict on another person; it would help us investigate their behavior and interaction.

The front stage is situations in which we interact with others in public or professional places, as the drug abuser does every day. A study was done by Varela and Pritchard to investigate the risk behaviors of college students, the study is focused on the usage of drugs; the drugs used in the experiment are alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medicine. They also include whom the drug abuser was interacting with, which includes the self, significant other, friends, and family. I’m going to use the “significant other” category to expand on my research. When an individual meets another person, they seek to acquire information about the person or to bring into play information about him already possessed. The study used 312 students (154 males and 158 females); the students were asked to fill out surveys; the surveys indicated the usage of drugs. The student’s behavior is shown as the front stage in the journal, which demonstrates their behavior of using a drug in front of others. Students were asked several questions about their binge drinking, tobacco use, and prescription drug abuse. If a student present himself as a dope fiend; the person is likely to influence others around him. The research mentioned female participants on the alcohol consumption category were more likely to drink a single drink in the presence of someone else, specifically with their friends.The men are more likely to drink alone than were women. Participants who abused medication were more likely to misuse or abuse of prescription medications in the presence of others, specifically their friends. Lastly, tobacco abusers are more likely to smoke cigarettes in the presence of someone else,, specifically with their friends (Varela & Pritchard 2011:753). The males were more likely to smoke alone or with friends. The findings of the study concluded men are more likely to engage in certain risk-taking behaviors than women. Moreover, students are at more risk on engaging in risky or illegal health behaviors with their peers than they may be with others. Therefore, “if the individual offers the others a product or service, they will often find that during the interactions there will be no time and place immediately available for eating the pudding that the proof can be found in” (Goffman 1959:1-16). Thus, “the person would be forced to accept some events as conventional or natural signs of something not directly available to the sense” (Goffman 1959). Therefore, when the drug addict interacts with an individual, the person the addict is interacting with would be forced to accept the events or natural signs. Moreover, the non-addict is going to accept the influences of the addict, which would convince the non-addict to participate in addictive behavior.

An individual that has tiny pupils, sleepy eyes, and flushed skin is in many instances, or most likely, under the influence of a drug; being under the influence of a drug allows an individual to present his “personal front.” The personal front consists of a person’s appearance, age, ethnicity, hair style, clothing, etc. Goffman states, “it will be a convenient to label as “front” that part of the individual’s performance which regularly functions in a general and fixed fashion to define the situation for those who observe the performance. The front, then, is the expressive equipment of a standard kind intentionally or unwittingly employed by the individual during his performance (Goffman 1959:49).” Therefore, a drug abuser can have 2 types of personal fronts. The personal front of being well dressed to signify his healthy state, and the personal front of being underdress when the person is doing drugs. When the drug abuser is under the influence; he presents himself with the personal front of being underdressed, which happens on the back stage. For a drug abuser, the backstage, it can be at home, parks, cemeteries, bathroom, parking garage, etc. A study by Neisewander, Peartree, and Pentkowski explained how social factors are important determinants of drug dependence and relapse. One study portrays the backstage of a drug abuser, which is the social context of interactions and performances. Which is “social influences that occur outside of the drug context proximal to the time of drug experience, followed by social influences occurring within the drug context at the time of drug experience (J.L Neisewander et al. 2012:34).” The study reviewed neonatal care, isolation, social defeat, chronic subordination, and prosocial interactions. In addition, the models include results, which include effects on self-administration and conditioned place preference established with alcohol, psychostimulants, and opiates. Drug intake in the home cage of isolate-versus social housed animals resulted on alcohol consumption increases in rats when they were transitioned from being isolated to a social housing unit. When a drug user is inside a social housing unit, the drug user can engage others on drug use. The study indicates “positive social encounters within the drug context likely depends, in part, on motivation for such encounters, with higher motivation related to higher vulnerability. This enhanced vulnerability may be related to a sense of safety or test (J.L Neisewander et al. 2012:48).” Therefore, when the individual is doing drugs in his backstage environment, the drug abuser is comfortable because he is in his social context of interactions and performances , which enhance his trust with other peers; “the trust may then enhance the influence of peers to engage each other in drug use (J.L Neisewander et al. 2012:34).”

The impact of one individual on another individual can be associated with the environment, the environment can cause both individuals to crave drugs. The front stage and back stage describe an individual impacting another individual, but the setting affects whom the individual interacts with, and the type of drugs the person is taking. Erving Goffman described the setting as performances in scenery, props, and locations in which interactions take place. A study done by Linas (2012) explained how AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is linked to intravenous experience, which studies people with a history of injecting drugs in Baltimore. The researchers used a hand-held device to record the yes/no answers. The participants where asked social environment questions (who the participant was with during an event: friend, acquaintance, family member, a stranger, etc.), Activity environment questions (what activity was the participant engaged in when they reported an event: socializing, sleeping, eating, etc.), Physical environment questions (the participant’s physical location when reporting an event: home, another’s home, car, and etc.), Psychosocial environment questions (the participant mood or motivation when reporting an event). The results reported an increase of drug use when someone else was using drugs, the environments associated with drug use was abandoned space and being at home. The research indicated “less structured social and physical environments, including reports of walking and wandering or being in an abandoned space at the time of an event, were highly associated with drug use rather than drug craving (Linas et al. 2012:321).” Therefore, if a drug abuser is in his drug environment, the drug abuser can influence other individuals to use drugs. Thus, the setting plays a key factor on the impact of one individual on another individual.

Individuals that consume drugs are prone to interact with other individuals, because the person can set his front stage performance as a non-addict, this would allow the drug addict to make another person an addict. The drug addict can become less visible by his personal front; the addict can change his appearance to look like a non-addict. Therefore, attaining his drug and performing backstage under the influence of the drug. As the drug abuser gets comfortable; the addict would invite his front stage non-addict friends, which would enhance the influence of drug use. Because the front stage and back stage affects individuals, the setting can also cause both persons to use drugs.

Based on my findings, an individual is more likely to engage in drug behaviors if alone or in front of peers as opposed to engaging with strangers. Because every individual has a different body, the interactions of a drug addict can be relative. Therefore, one addict may not behave the same way another addict does. Therefore, my findings were only limited to the behavior of one person on another. This made the research difficult, because every journal focused on groups.

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A Negative and Positive Double Consciousness Life

The excitement of being born in your country and slowly being deprived of it can enact a different identity. Take, for example, a person who was born in Mexico; the person must adjust to the language, culture, and gestures from their country. When the person emigrates into a different country, for example, the United States, the person must re-adjust to the language, culture, and gestures. Therefore, the person is living a double consciousness; the consciousness of being part of the United States with the enactment of a Mexican identity in different settings. Thus, the Mexican person would act American outside the house, but when the person is inside the house, the person would act Mexican. In America, immigrant parents bring their children to the United States for a better future; however, the child ends up living a double consciousness life. Expanding on W. E. B. Du Bois’s double consciousness theory, I will explain the positive and negative attributes of living a double consciousness life in America as an immigrant.

“He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the door of Opportunity closed roughly in his face” (Du Bois, 3). When an immigrant moves to the United States to realize their dream, a struggle awaits on the other side of the country. The struggle to teach their children Spanish and the Mexican culture while residing in the United States. As Veronica Destro states in The challenges of belonging to two cultures, “I know from studies that people are judged by both the receiving country culture and also the home country culture, and people expect them to assimilate into both cultures, Rugh said,” (Destro, 2014). The kids are going to face a struggle of being different, just as Du Bois did in the white world. Du Bois mentions “I was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vas veil,” (Du Bois, 2). Because the children are faced with a stigma of being from a different country, the kids will begin to enact a new culture in their life. The new culture is going to introduce music, food, and a different language. For example, if an immigrant family does do not speak English their children must take care of phone calls and people who come to the door, and other tasks requiring an English speaker (Destro, 2014). Therefore, experiencing the consciousness of the white world, this causes the child to perform white behaviors. In return, the child “stops wearing Mexican clothes and stops listening to Mexican songs,” (Destro, 2014). Thus, the child has a difficult time choosing between the Mexican identity and the American identity. This causes the child to suffer from a double consciousness life in America.

“With other black boys the strife was not so fiercely sunny: their youth shrunk into tasteless sycophancy, or into silent hatred of the pale itself in a bitter cry, why did God make me an outcast and stranger in mine own house?” (Du Bois, 2). Miguel Paulo Flores went to a school where it was very diverse in terms of student population. However, he mentioned instances of being stereotyped. He states “sometimes I would cry at night thinking what did I do wrong, or do I deserve to be treated like this? Once, I broke down in front of my teacher after a classroom presentation,” (Flores, 2015). Because immigrant children are living a double consciousness life, they are faced with criticism in the white world. Besides the racism, Flores had to struggle to attain a free lunch and waivers for school exams or tests. Because Flores was struggling in the white world, it caused him to remind himself where he came from. Flores mentions “his teachers comforting him and told him to keep his head up high because in the end no matter how terrible are the people around you, you always have yourself-don’t be afraid to stand out,” (Flores, 2015). Because Flores was able to overcome stereotypes and challenges, he was able to graduate high school and be accepted by 30 universities. As Du Bois states, “the worker must work for the glory of his fame. And all this is gained only by human strife and longing; by ceaseless training and education; by founding Right on righteousness and Truth on the unhampered search for Truth; by founding the common school on the university, and the industrial school on the common school; and weaving thus a system, not a distortion, and bringing a birth, not an abortion,” (Du Bois, 54). Because Flores was able to overcome his immigrant status, his double consciousness helped to motivate him to finish school. Therefore, his double consciousness helped strengthen and motivate him in America.

Double-consciousness is looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, as an immigrant experiences in America. An immigrant that struggles with a negative stigma of double-consciousness experiences two different identities. For example, an immigrant that comes from Mexico to the United States is faced with a challenge, the challenge of portraying himself in different settings as an American and Mexican. Therefore, this double consciousness results in a struggle to choose an identity, or invoke the person to leave his primary identity for a new one. A positive attribute of double-consciousness is using the stigma people place on you, but once the person overcomes the stigma, the double-consciousness strengthens, motivates, and reminds the individual of where he came from.

References

B., D. B. (1961). The souls of black folk: Essays and sketches. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications.

Destro, V. (2014). Mexican and American: The challenges of belonging to two cultures. Retrieved November 25, 2016, from http://universe.byu.edu/2014/08/06/mexican-and-american-the-challenges-of-belonging-to-two-cultures1/

Flores, M. (2016, January 21). My Family’s American Dream Didn’t Go Quite as Planned — But Here’s How I Succeeded Anyway. Retrieved November 25, 2016.

double-consciouness

Undocumented Mexican Labourers

“The serf belongs to the land and turns over to the owner of the land the fruit thereof. The free labourer, on the other hand, sells himself. He sells at auction eight, ten, twelve, fifteen hours of his life, day after day, to the highest bidder, to the owner of the raw materials, instruments of labour and means of subsistence, that is, to the capitalist (Marx, 205).” Undocumented workers travel to the United States to find a job. Without proper identification, undocumented workers are left with one option; they have to choose jobs that others do not want. Thus, capitalists hire them at low wages. For example, the agriculture industry hires an extensive number of undocumented workers to work on their farm. By far, the greatest number of people working for agribusiness come from Mexico. Undocumented Mexicans in the U.S. come with skills and knowledge of farming, allowing capitalists to buy their labor power. Expanding on Karl Marx’s perspectives on wage labour and capital theory, I will demonstrate how farm owners exploit Mexican peasants’ labour power to increase production and capital.

Mexican farmers arrive in the United States with agricultural skills. Their expertise on agriculture is complemented by a strong work ethic. “The capitalist, it seems, therefore, buy their labour with money. They sell him their labour for money (Marx, 204).” The capitalist pays a Mexican labourer an income of $7,500 a year (Gonzalez, 2015). The amount of income a picker attains is determined by the amount of work he does. If he is not picking a certain amount of fruits, the worker is left without a job. Therefore, the capitalist discharges him as soon as he no longer gets any profit out of him, or not the anticipated profit (Marx, 205). Take, for example, a strawberry picker; they have to bend, pick, and follow a machine that stores strawberries. The amount of strawberries they pick determines their wage. Hector Becerra mentioned that the best picker could in five hours of work make upwards of $150 or nearly twice as much in half the time (Becerra, 2013). Wages will rise and fall according to the relation of supply and demand, according to the turn taken by the competition between the buyers of labour power, the capitalist, and the seller of labour power, the worker (Marx, 206). Therefore, strawberries have to be carefully sorted; moreover, the strawberries on the top cannot show much stem, just their redness. This attracts consumers, and allows the capitalist to set a high price on the commodity. Marx states “these fluctuations, however, the price of labour will be determined by the cost of production, by the labour time necessary to produce this commodity—labour power (206).” Many peasants are not able to live a lavish life. They have to work over 10 hours a day to survive. Gonzalez interviewed a boy picking in the field; the boy said “my dad was working six days a week, often more than 12 hours a day. Most of his musing involved bills paid and unexpected expenses from the family. When his car batter went dead or was stolen that was a calamity. It meant hours of work and money lost (Gonzalez, 2015). Marx mentions individual workers, millions of workers, do not get enough to be able to exist and reproduce themselves (Marx, 206). This portrays how agribusiness owners use undocumented Mexicans for labour power, and in return attain their commodity production to further their capital.

Thousands of immigrants travel to the United States for work. They attain jobs that we name in America blue-collar jobs. However, immigrants that travel illegally are left to work on agriculture farms. Some undocumented immigrants travel to the United States with knowledge of farming. This allows the capitalist to use their skills to obtain capital. Those that do not have any training, therefore, require a smaller cost of production of the worker and the lower is the price of his labour, his wage (Marx,206). Therefore, Mexicans that come to the United States illegally are used for their knowledge, agricultural skills, and work ethic. In return, the capitalist pays them cheap wages. The use of undocumented Mexicans allows for more consumption and capital for the capitalist. The continued use of undocumented immigrants allows capitalists to continue to get rich. Without proper laws, the rich would continue to get rich and the poor would become poorer.

References

Becerra, H. (2013, March 3). A day in the strawberry fields seems like forever. Los Angeles Times Write. Retrieved October 7, 2016.

Gonzalez, E., JR. (2015, October 05). Migrant Farm Workers: Our Nation’s Invisible Population. State Diversity Specialist, Cornell University Cooperative Extension Farm Workers in United States. Retrieved October 07, 2016.

Tucker, R. C., Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1978). The Marx-Engels reader. New York: Norton.

Stop The Homework Teachers And Enjoy A Cup Of Tea

Just one more question just one more answer before I finish this assignment. Ugh… it is almost 1 am my class is going to start soon. Shit, I’m only getting 6 hours of sleep. I can do it, I just need to get this last answer on this dam piece of paper. What is the square root of forty-nine. Yes, it is 7, I finally finished on time before lacking another hour of sleep. Have you ever had a teacher assign too many assignments to take home? Well, the burnout rate of students is rising. Students do not want to attend school because of the countless assignments they are getting. Teachers are not noticing the side effects of homework assignments. Therefore, the school district and educators need to figure out a plan to stop the burn out rate. A plan that would engage, motivate, and encourage students to pay attention in class.

You might be wondering what is too many homework assignments, right? Well, I do not mean 1 piece of paper front and back filled with questions to answer. However, I was referring to three or more assignments per class. Can you imagine three assignments for each high school subject you are attending? I did research on the positive attributes of homework. On a website named memphisparent.com it stated “your child is gaining several simple skills each time she or he sits down to do work at home.” the website lists the positive homework-sucks attributes of homework: responsibility(when students assume responsibility for their homework and complete an assignment it only then that they learn to be accountable for their actions),time management(students complete their assignments or projects on time when they are organized), perseverance(homework teaches kids how to deal with adversity), and self-esteem(completing homework in a timely manner will help your child develop trust and self-confidence. As I stated before, the amount of homework that is consider too much is 2 or more pieces of homework. That could mean a student is spending more than an hour on a single piece of paper. If educators can lessen the homework, the students would be able to have time with family, friends, and extracurricular activities. Therefore, it creates a healthy and stress free environment.

What does it feel like to remember when to eat when you are concentrated on a piece of homework; what does it feel like to remember the countless times you had fun with friends and family during your school semester; what does it feel like to remember a stress free environment. Well, kids in Finland are living the life you desire. A principal at Finland states “academics isn’t all the kids need. Kids need to do much more. School should be where we teach the meaning of life; where kids learn they are needed; where they can learn community skills.” Every Finland school has courses in economics, art, technology, and so forth. The teachers are saying “it is important for students to have different activities to do during the day.” Therefore, the school incorporates handcrafts, cooking, creative pursuits, and sports. Did I forget to mention their is no homework assign for each class you attend. Finland graduation rates are increasing. They are engaging students in different courses besides math and language arts, the school is creating a positive reinforcement by motivating students to learn different activities. Thus, the student is eager to attend school because of his favorite class. Lastly, the school is encouraging students to expand their knowledge on the class they enjoyed. This was accomplished outside of school; students were to engage with parents, and inform them of the positive activities they are learning at school. Also, students are able to read more about interest outside of school. Nevertheless, you are motivating the child to read beyond what is taught in class this motivates the child without having you put a piece of paper on their desk before they leave home.

The solution is simple. Ill let you digest the title of my paper before giving you the solution to the problem. So, you might have found the solution to your problem on my title. That is right, I think you should stop giving out too much homework. A study done by Stanford researchers found “students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience a lack of balance and even alienation from society. More than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive, according to the study.” Teachers save the red ink pen for the quizzes and exams. Drink a cup of tea without stressing to grade the next piece of paper on your desk.

How Environment Affects US

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Have you ever lived in a beat down apartment or garages that were renovated to live in? If not, I can tell you it’s the worst feeling ever. Low-income families are struggling to send their children to school. They have to pay for books, school supplies, and clothes and can not afford most of what the school is asking. Nevertheless, they are not able to afford the private schools nearby. However, high income families are able to provide their child with books, school supplies, and clothes. They are able to afford private schools and private tutors for their kids. Growing up in either of these two environments can shape a person’s self and behavior. The subject of human behavior has made me apply on Erving Goffman and Herbert Blummer theory of human interaction. Using both concepts of the reading; I would look at how neighborhoods influence a poor and rich kid’s behavior in school and how their daily interactions in school reflect their meaning of life.

The Symbolic Interactionism believe that the meanings that things have for humans being are central in their own right. Blummer described meaning as, “a physical accretion brought to the thing by the person for whom the thing has meaning” (Blummer, 168). Parents send their kids to school for an education. Many parents hold a strong meaning toward higher education. However, minorities such as black students and Hispanics are having higher dropout rates. They are living in ghetto neighborhoods being surrounded by gangs and violence, nevertheless, they are encountering negative human interaction. Sociologist Geoffrey Wodtke and David Harding state, “Our results indicate that sustained exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods has a much greater negative impact on the chance a child will graduate from high school than earlier research has suggested.” Blummer explains “human groups are seen as consisting of human being who are engaging in action. The action consists of the multitudinous activities that the individuals perform in their life as they encounter one another and as they deal with the succession of the situation confronting them” (Blummer, 169).” Kids that come from low income families are seeing violence every day in the streets. Therefore, the child reacts the same way in school. The situations encounter in the neighborhood are performed at school. For example, in the YouTube video “One of the Most Dangerous Schools in America | ABC World News Tonight| ABC News, it portrays a young student named Rezack. He is attending a school that constantly has violence. He has to use his front stage performance to stray away from the violence. Goffman states, “It will be convenient to label as “front” that part of the individual’s performance which regularly functions in a general and fixed fashion to define the situation for those who observe the performance” (Goffman, 216). Rezack said in the video, “I use my words, I do not try to act big and I try not to be anything, I just try to be myself.” This type of performance has been shown to work at this school. Thus, it allows him to stay out of trouble. The off stage performance is shown at home. Goffman explains the off stage as “To be outside the stage involves the inability to gain access to the performance of the team, described as an “audience segregation” in which specific performances are given to specific audiences, allowing the team to contrive the proper front for the demands of each audience” (Goffman, 137). Therefore, Rezack allows the camera crew into his room, nevertheless, he explains his interests in school. In which, he was not able to perform in the school environment. Rezack’s clothes are in plastic bags, and he is cooking potatoes near his bed. Blummer said, “human beings in interacting with one another have to take account of what each other is doing or is about do; they are forced to direct their own conduct or handle their situations in terms of what they take into account” (Blummer, 170). This kid has to understand his situation and use positive factors from the activities of others to direct his own conduct of behavior. Therefore, if poor kids attain positive behavior in their environment, the child would have a great chance of graduating and moving away from the violence and gangs in their environment. Their meaning of life would be to seek further their education.

“The current findings demonstrate the importance of neighborhoods throughout childhood, and resonate with evidence from several other studies suggesting that residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods may have a negative effect on the cognitive development of children many years or even generations later,” Harding said. Kids living in a non-disadvantaged neighborhood have a positive affect toward school. In the article, “ NYC students more likely to graduate high school on time if they live in wealthier neighborhoods” by Ben Chapman, it talks about how wealthier Big Apple neighborhoods are more likely to graduate high school on time. Ben stated, “The study found that more than 95% of public school students from Manhattan Community Boards 1 and 2, which includes wealthy neighborhoods Battery Park City, SoHo and Greenwich Village, graduated high school on time in 2015, no matter where they went to school.” Blummer explained “the meaning of a thing for a person grows out of the ways in which the other person’s act toward the person with the regard” (Blummer, 168). If rich kids are going to school with other students of the same wealth, they are more likely to produce positive behavior. They are going to learn and want the next big thing on the market. Therefore, parents are going to motivate them to finish school. For example, in the YouTube video “Take a tour of the American University School of Kuwait” it shows kids engaging in their school environment. Compared to the kids who are not wealthy and attending public schools. In the American School of Kuwait video, the teacher Jessica Berry said “no day is the same and no child is the same, but every day brings a child a chance to be successful.” The teachers in the video portray a positive environment for the kids. They set their front stage as positive role models. Teachers help, engage, and provide a positive role to the kids. Compared to the kids attending public schools, the children are not receiving the same treatment. Therefore, kids attending private schools have a higher chance of graduating from school. A child surrounded by a nice neighborhood and private school is going produce a positive mindset of life. They are going to graduate with their peers and continue their education because of the positive behaviors their friends and family members are conducting at school and back home.

Living in a poor environment is really difficult, for example, you struggle with violence, peer pressure, and bad influences. Whereas, in a rich environment you are surrounded by a positive role models. By being in a positive environment; the behaviors you are going to present are good. A negative environment is not going to present a positive behavior. Therefore, the type of neighborhood a child resides in important. Nevertheless, the neighborhood is going to determine the type of kids that are going to be at the school. Because of the neighborhood and school environment, the kid is going to conduct his own behaviors. When they conduct their behaviors, the child may want to drop out of school or continue their education. Which is going to reflect their meaning of life down the road.

The Symbolic Interaction Of A Party

Who would have known being sober at a party brought so much interaction. Sociologist Blummer once stated “Human society is to be seen as consisting of acting people, and the life of the society is to be seen as consisting of their actions.” Therefore, I began my journey of interacting and writing June 25, 2016. The start of my interaction began with an invitation by a good friend name Nick.

My Symbolic Interaction with Nick Munoz

Walking toward the party, I was confronted by four individuals. They easily greeted me with a similar handshake as the “soul brother hand shake.” This is the begging of my interaction journey. My crew walked inside the party, Nick greeted us. He made us feel like family. Nick said, ” hey guys there’s the food, if you want to warm it up the microwave is inside the house. Oh Jose, I know you are on your diet so hopefully I’m not interfering in your diet haha.” My interaction with Nick began with a handshake. I swiftly made my second interaction by speaking with Nick. Blummer phrased this type of interaction as “human interaction is mediated by the use of symbols, by interpretation, or by ascertaining the meaning of one another’s actions.” Nick was aware of the statement “I’m hungry” and easily directed us to the food. His actions and humble personality tell me so much about this individual. Having known Nick for a year has brought me to define the person he is. Let me describe quality traits for you ladies out there looking for a gentleman. Nick is a smart guy, he reads a ton of books. Nick likes to have fun; he enjoys his days off sears to find an adventure in San Jose. Nick portrays himself as an altruistic individual; he goes out his way to make others happy. Nick is a great writer, he has an account with Tinyletters.com; ladies f subscribe to his profile. I hope every individual reading my blog knows who NICK MUNOZ IS.

My Symbolic Interaction with the Intoxicated/High individuals

Who has been to a party and you have that one individual who starts a fight because he can’t handle the liquor? Well, if you attend one of Nick’s parties you won’t be seeing that. The party was “cracking” individuals playing beer pong. Other people are having a good time talking and eating. Others are smoking cigarettes, and others are seen from far away smoking weed. I’m all about legalizing weed; I see nothing but happy people on the “Mary J.” I found myself sitting down next to a white individual. I began the interaction (I’m the leader in this conversation since I began it) I asked if he was stoked about nicks departure to Santa Cruz. He immediately responded with details about Santa Cruz. Shit, I only wanted to know about his thoughts on nicks decision. This guy talked to me about a good restaurant in Santa Cruz. He told me to drive down Santa Cruz and eat a plate of spaghetti in a restaurant he knew (I forgot the name of it) lol. What made my interaction even better was his “high talk.” This guy was so high that he could not stay on track when he was given a topic. This guy was on the front stage in control of his audience. Speaking highly of a nice place and triggering everyone to listen. When he was done talking he left backstage to grab a beer. He began to attract other individuals in a different setting. This setting was now outside. He then began a new front stage. Sociologist Goffman once said “the person becomes a kind of construct, built up not from inner psychic propensities but from moral rules that are impressed upon him from without. These rules, when followed, determine the evaluation he will make of himself and his fellow-participants in the encounter, the distribution of his feelings, and the kinds of practices he will employ to maintain a specified and obligatory kind of ritual equilibrium.” Ill let you marinate on Goffman quote, but I suggest you talk to the next intoxicated or high individual at a party. You’ll be intrigue by the type of conversation you would have with the person.

My Conclusion

I have never been to a party where everyone is friendly. I did not see people judge my constant crave of the chicken that was placed on the table for everyone to eat. Instead, I was given a plate with a welcoming smile from an individual I did not know. The young kids at the party were constantly given me the brother hand shakes. These kids bring me back to the days I did not party during my high school years. I have learned new things about myself in the party. For once, I do not have to drink to fulfill my happiness. Secondly, I was able to eat constantly without given a fuck of what people thought of me. Lastly, I went to this party open minded. I knew people were going to be smoking; I knew there was going to be liquor in the party; I knew people were going to be intoxicated; lastly, I knew people were going to ask me to try all the things I mention. You know what? I fucken lived my life for once; I tried all the food in the party; I smoked a cigarette; I drank enough to enjoy myself. At the end of the day, I will not forget this party. I was filled with all types of interactions. Remember to enjoy every moment and interaction each interaction is deeply ingested in your brain. Make your interaction worth a while.

I did not edit my writing. So enjoy my fucked up grammar and foul language. tumblr_m5bwx6nbhr1r6jwrxo1_500

Drake – Doing It Wrong

Have you had an ex-girlfriend that you loved but you were not able to be side by side with? Well Drake, an actor and song writer produced the album “Take Care”, the album was sold nationwide. A song on the album caught my attention. The song “Doing It Wrong” portrays a heart broken individual. An individual that cannot be with a girl he loves. He found somebody that was giving him something different. Doing it wrong was based on and inspired by Don McLean’s 1977 song “The Wrong Thing To Do.” Here goes my interpretation of a well produced song.

[Verse 1]
When a good thing goes bad it’s not the end of the world
It’s just the end of a world that you had with one girl
And she’s the reason it happened, but she’s overreacting
And it’s all because she don’t want things to change

The first verse portrays his emotions toward the relationship he had. Drake states “It is not the end of the world it is just the end of a world that you had with girl.” The phrase “It is not the end of the world “signified the end of the relationship. He cannot stop living his life because of “one girl”. However, the girl wants drake to love her back, but drake informs the listeners she is overreacting and she does not want the status of change.

[The Emotional Verse]

So cry if you need to, but I can’t stay to watch you
That’s the wrong thing to do
Touch if you need to, but I can’t stay to hold you
That’s the wrong thing to do
Talk if you need to, but I can’t stay to hear you
That’s the wrong thing to do
Cause you’ll say you love me, and I’ll end up lying
And say I love you, too

Drake pours his emotions on this verse. He explains what he can no longer produce in the relationship. The reason he cannot hear, hold, and watch her is because he would end up lying to her. Drake no longer wants to say “I Love You” because it signified his love to a girl that is no longer part of his heart and mind. He just wants to end the relationship without hurting her.

[Drakes True Intentions]

But I need someone different
You know it, oh ho, you know it
Oh ho, you know it, we both know it
I need someone different
You know it, oh ho, you know it
Oh ho, you know it, we both know it
Something’s been missing
You know it, oh ho, she knows it
Oh ho, I know it, we all know it
I need someone different

Drake needs a change in his life. Drake says, “I need someone different you know it, oh ho, you know it oh no, you know it, we both know it I need someone different.” He knows it is time to start over with a new girl. His girlfriend knows his intentions. This verse has a key phrase “something been missing”, the phrase reveals his reason to leave the relationship.

[Drakes Fears]

We live in a generation of not being in love, and not being together
But we sure make it feel like we’re together
Because we’re scared to see each other with somebody else

The last verse tells the listeners why he is scared to leave the relationship. Drake says, “We are scared to see each other with somebody else.” It is hard to leave someone you love. The past events hold a special meaning in your heart and mind. We are all scared of being left alone… 14fc7b60

The Right Side Of My Brain