CountercultureChapter2

ThisphotowastakenonthepathheadingtoTrestles,awellknownsurfspotinSan
Clemente.
IchosethissceneasLowersatTrestlesisknowntohavelocalism(AformofCounterculture).

EventhoughsurfinghasbeenidentifiedasasubcultureinthetextbookWiththeir
specializedlanguageandactivities,surfersarehighlyrecognizedasmembersofa
subculture.(Henslin,Pg.54)Thereisunfortunatelyamoresinistersidethathasbeenrising
sincethelate70s.ItsrootshavebeenknowntostartinNorthShoreHawaiiwithagroup
calledDaHui(alsoknownasBlackShorts).Traditionallythisgroupstartedasapeaceful
protestgroup,wantingsomerespectandtheirfairshareofwaves.Withtheintroductionof
largecompetitionsandmoneyintosurfing,localsweretoldtogetoutofthewaterwhilethe
competitionswereon.Feelingdisrespectedathomeinasporttheirancestorsinvented,Da
HuithreatenedandthrashedabunchofpredominantlySouthAfricanandAustraliansurfers
(Indosurflifeweb).Thistomedisplaysacounterculturemorethanasubculture.Some
subcultures,however,conflictwiththemainstreamculture.Sociologistsgivethename
counterculturestosubcultureswhosevalues(suchasthoseofoutlawmotorcyclists)or

activitiesandgoals(suchasthoseofterrorists)areopposedtothemainstreamculture.
(Henslin,Pg.52)ThisbehaviourwascarriedonbyamoreaggressivegroupnamedWolfpak
whorepresenttribalismandlocalism,ofteninaganglikemanner.Theintroductionof
Counterculturalismintosurfinghasbeenidentifiedinvariouscornersoftheworldwhereitis
havinganegativeimpactonthesurfingworld.Thesegangsareviolatingthemoresofthe
surfingworldbyusingmostlyviolenceasawayofkeepingpeoplewhoarenotlocals,offthe
waves.

SymbolicInteractionChapters1and4

ThisphotowastakeninSantaTeresa,RiodeJaneiro.Thestreetcartisoneoftheonlyways
togetuptotheneighborhoodthatispopularamongstthelocalsandtourists.

Symbolicinteractionismseekstounderstandsocietyandsocialstructurebyexaminingday
todayeitherthroughreligion,posture,facialexpressions,personalspaceand/orbody
language.
IselectedthisphotoasitdemonstrateshowpersonalspaceasIknewithadacomplete
differentsetofnormsinBrazil.Symbolicinteractionasdescribedinchapter4discusses
thedifferencesbetweenwhatpeoplearoundtheworldviewasasuitabledistanceto
maintain.Weallsurroundourselveswithapersonalbubblethatwegotogreatlengthsto
protect.Weopenthebubbletointimatestoourfriends,children,andparentsbutwere
carefultokeepmostpeopleoutofthisspace(HenslinPg.112)
GrowingupinanIrishculture,Iwasnotusedtopeoplebeingoverlyaffectionateand
certainlynotinvadingmyspace.Peopletendtokeeptheirdistanceandaffectionissolelyfor
yourintimatepartner.Publicdisplaysofaffectionarenotcommon.AftermovingtoBrazilIhad
toadjustmyviewsquicklyandexperiencedsomecultureshock.Thereisnosuchthingas
queuingforthebusasthisphotoclearlydemonstrates.Assoonasthebusarrives,itsevery
man,womanandchildforthemselves.Everyonestandsveryclose(almostontop)toone
another.Iwasusedtonormswhereyouspreadoutandalsowhereyouwouldallowelders
firstandassistanyonewithsmallchildren.ThisisonenormIcouldntgiveupbutIdidhave
tolearntonotgetupsetwhenIsawothersnotrespectingit.ManyBrazilianswouldalways
classmycultureasbeingcoldIcanunderstandwhattheymeanbythat,aswedotendto
keepourdistancemore.Ithinksymbolicinteractionismisafascinatingaspectofsociology.
Youcanlearnsomuchfromwatchingotherculturesinteractandoftenmakesyouquestion
whywearehowweare!

PovertyChapter8

ThisphotowastakeninVeniceBeach,California.Inastatewheremarijuanaislegal,Istill
foundthisreallyinterestingthatsomeonewouldopenlytellpeoplethattheywantmoneyfor
drugsalbeitlegaldrugs.

Ichosethisphotoasitrelateswelltopoverty.Povertyisnotsomethingthatisdefinedinthe
book,butformeIwoulddefineitasnotbeingabletoaffordtheessentialsinlifesuchasfood,
aroofoveryourheadandinthecaseoftheUnitedStatesandothercountrieswithoutfree
healthcare,healthinsurance.Ispoketothismanandhetoldmehehasbeenhomelessfor
twoyears.Hedoesntfeelhehasanyoptionotherthantoaskformoneytosurvive.Hesaid
usingthissign,especiallyinanareawithmanytouristshelpedhissituation.Povertyisone
aspectofsociologyIamconflictedabout,asIdontseeitgettinganybetterandasthe
statisticsprove,thatgapbetweenrichandpooriswidening.Icanseetheneedfor
lowincomelivingbutnotforpoverty.WithpeoplelikeLawrenceEllison,CEOofOracle
earning$95millionayear.(HenslinPg.224)Thatis7.9millionamonthyetwatchingpeople
likeMaryinthedocumentaryWagingaLivingstrugglingtomakeendsmeeton$2.18and
hourplustipsasawaitress,Icantseehowthislargescaledivisioncouldpossiblybe
narrowed.AsEconomistPaulSamulsonsaidHowisincomedistributedintheUnitedStates?

EconomistPaulSamuelson(SamuelsonandNordhaus2005)putitthisway:Ifwemadean
incomepyramidoutofachildsblocks,witheachlayerportraying$500ofincome,thepeak
wouldbefarhigherthanMountEverest,butmostpeoplewouldbewithinafewfeetofthe
ground.(Henslinpg.223)Bluecollarjobstendtobemorelaborintensiveyetusuallypay
minimumwage.Thereasonforthisisthatthesejobsusuallydontrequireahighereducation
andthepeopleinvestingtimeandmoneyineducationshouldreapthebenefitsbyearninga
highersalary.IcanagreewithtoacertainextentbutnottoasmuchastheexampleIgave
aboveandIalsothinkitcreatesquiteanondiverseworkplace.Iamthrilledthatcompanies
likeGooglearesearchingmorefortherightpeopleratherthantherightqualifications.As
discussedinchapter7Functionalistsarguethatsomepositionsaremoreimportantto
societythanothers.Offeringhigherrewardsforthesepositionsmotivatesmoretalented
peopletotakethem.Forexample,togethighlytalentedpeopletobecomesurgeonsto
undergoyearsofrigoroustrainingandthencopewithlifeanddeathsituations,aswellas
malpracticesuitsthatpositionmustprovideahighpayoff.(HenslinPg.201)Ithinkmy
opinionsidesslightlymorewiththeconflicttheoristwhenitisexplainedlikethis.Froma
conflicttheoristsviewThisviewisanideologythatmembersoftheeliteusetojustifytheir
beingatthetopandtoseducetheoppressedintobelievingthattheirwelfaredependson
keepingquietandfollowingauthorities.Whatishumanhistory,Marxasked,exceptthe
chronicleofclassstruggle?Allofhumanhistoryisanaccountofsmallgroupsofpeoplein
powerusingsocietysresourcestobenefitthemselvesandtooppressthosebeneath
themandofoppressedgroupstryingtoovercomethatdomination.(HenslinPg.202).
WhileIagreethatthepowerElitehavemajorcontrol,Istillhaveslighthopethatthosewho
reallywanttodosomethingwiththeirlives,willsucceed.

EthnicWorkChapter9

ThisphotowastakenatSambodromo,RiodeJaneiro.
IchosethisphotoasitwastakenatCarnival,whichisagiantEthnicgroupfestivalthatgoes
onforalmostamonthalthoughtheplanninggoesonallyearlong.
Wecanusethetermethnicworktorefertothewayweconstructourethnicity.Forpeople
whohaveastrongethnicidentity,thistermreferstohowtheyenhanceandmaintaintheir
groupsdistinctionsfromclothing,food,andlanguagetoreligiouspracticesandholidays.
Forpeoplewhoseethnicidentityisnotasfirm,itreferstoattemptstorecovertheirethnic
heritage,suchastryingtotracefamilylinesorvisitingthecountryorregionoftheirfamilys
origin.(Henslin,Pg.258)
WhencarnivalfeverhitsBrazil,manyBraziliansdontheircostumesandyouseeflags
everywhere.CarnivalgivesBraziliansasenseofidentitybyusingtraditionaldressanddance.
Brazilhasalargenumberofethnicgroupsduetocolonization.Dependingonwhichpartof
BrazilyouliveinorvisityouwillencounterBrazilianswithacompletedifferentcultureand
appearance.TheSouthismorefromGermanicdescentandtheNorthismoreAfricanyet
everyonecomestogetherinameltingpottocreatesuchastrongethnicity.

MarriageChapter12

Thisisaphotoofmyyoungersister(right)gettingmarriedinScotlandwheresamesex
marriagewaslegalisedonlythisyear.

Ichosethisphotoasitrelateswelltoclashingvaluesfromthetraditionalistspointofview
inChapter2andalsotochapter12whereittalksabout,Whatisamarriage?Andgayand
lesbianfamilies.

Ifyouaskmanypeoplearoundtheworldtodaywhatamarriageis,theirfirstresponsewillstill
probablybewhenamanandwomanmakeacommitmenttooneanothereventhoughthere
hasbeenmentionsofsamesexmarriagessinceancienttimes.Traditionalistswouldliketo
preservemarriagelikethisasitgoesagainsttheircorevaluestheygrewupwith.
Samesexmarriagessoundsonew,butwhenColumbuslandedintheAmericas,some
NativeAmericantribesalreadyhadsamesexmarriages.Throughaceremonycalledthe
berdache,amanorwomanwhowantedtobeamemberoftheoppositesexwasofficially
declaredtohavehisorhersexchanged.Thenewmanorwomanputontheclothingand
performedthetasksassociatedwithhisorhernewsex,andwasallowedtomarry.(Henslin,
pg.368).InmyopinionthisisadrasticmaneuverbutIamgladtoseethatinawayatleast
samesexmarriagewasatleastlegal.
Marriagehaschangedinsomanywaysfromthereasonspeoplemarrytotherateofdivorce.
Theworldcannotandwillnotremainconstant,itisforeverchangingandIfeelthepeople
needtochangewithitinordertosuiteveryonesneeds.
Exceptforthesexoftheindividuals,samesexandheterosexualrelationshipsarequite
similar.Thereisnoexoticdifferencethatsomepeopleexpecttoexist.Majordifferences
centeronsocialacceptanceanddiscrimination.(Henslin,Pg.387)Peoplemarrybecause
theywanttomarry(withtheexceptionofinsomecasesofarrangedmarriage).Ithinkfinding
therightpartnerwhetheritbemaleorfemalewillleadtoamorebalancedrelationship.

Henslin,JamesM.EssentialsofSociology:ADowntoearthApproach.11thed.Boston:
CharlyceJonesOwen,2014.Print.

"TheWorld'sNotoriousSurfGangs."IndoSurfLife.com.1July2012.Web.
http://indosurflife.com/2012/07/theworldsnotorioussurfgangs/