Five Faces Of Oppression/Milgram Experiment/Power (Chapter5)

                                                                                                                            Merida Angelina~


       After watching the Milgram experiment I have to say I was disgusted by what I heard/seen.
In 1961 social psychologist Stanley Milgram did an experiment to determine how law abiding people will give a stranger lethal electric shock in the name of science. A total of twelve individuals of different age groups, gender, ascribed status/achieved statuses participated in what they were told was a memory test, when really the test was to determine how they display obedience to authority.
In this test the participants took on the role as teacher, conducting a memory test to the student (which actually is an actor) when the student is wrong, specific orders are given from the professor ( another actor) to carry out negative punishment using voltage shocks that range from 15-250 volts.

       After reading the article "The Five Faces Of Oppression" I was able to identify the social perspective/dynamic within this controversial experiment. During this study, the individuals were actually brought back to see/visualize this setting and how he was being strapped into a chair, they were also exposed to the shock generator. Upon getting their instructions from the professor they are told that once he gets the answer wrong they are to administer negative punishment in which all participants did. Milgram wanted to see in this procedure wether or not the teacher would stop doing electrical shocks knowing they are inflicting pain or continue to carry out orders and listen to the professor. Surprisingly nine out of twelve participants continued to shock regardless of hearing the man in pain, in distress and unwilling to further comply. Though there was actually no harm being done, its prerecorded the participants have no knowledge of this.

     What was the most interesting/quite chilling dynamic within this entire experiment process was the willingness, loyalty, for participants to comply; even more scarier at some point they know, have a sense it is wrong, however remaining obedient to the professor thus enforcing negative excruciating/painful punishment (coercive power) on the individual that partakes in the study also.  As stated in "Five Faces Of Oppression" one type of oppression the students demonstrate  through their actions is powerlessness, they all at one point felt a sense of powerlessness because of their lowered status, not wanting to be insubordinate to the professor (legitimate power); they carried out this unethical act of violence which is also another form of oppression, even when they doubted themselves they went into a state of "Culture of Silence. Participant Philip, Forty one year old pianist was the only one that after shocking a couple of times, when he heard the chilling sound of the man in pure agony, used his better judgement and ejected himself from the experiment even though he know it meant breaking the norms and codes of respect that was a given to be implemented, though it was never verbalized. However Emma a nineteen year old Bio student seemed heartless, or maybe she chuckles as form of nervousness, further making a statement "I may have killed him"in which she still complies with the rules; cranking the voltage to a whooping 250vlt. Stanley Milgram was traumatized, he said " if normal people inflict torture on others, we  convince ourselves that violence is justified.

       In conclusion chapter 4 further analyzes Power (the ability to bring about an intended outcome even when opposed by others. (It is fair to say that was also the case in the Milgram experiment.)
We understand that power has many tactics that are implemented within societies on various levels.  I myself have to use power tactics with my kids, When they do good they are rewarded(power) when they do not following the norms I reienforce with punishment. (Power).
Power is used in so many different forms on all levels, Micro, meso and macro level. Here are some power tactics to influence others in everyday situations.  Page 116.


Table 5.1 (Power Tactics) 
Appeal
Bully
Collaborate
Complain
Criticize
Demand
DIscuss
Disengage
Evade
Inform
Ingratiate
Inspire
Join forces
Joke
Manipulate
Negotiate
Persist
Persuade
Promise
Punish
Put down
Request
Reward
Socialize
Threaten

                                                                                            Merida Angelina~

Chapter 4 Social Sturcture/ The Meaning of Social Control.

                                                                                                                             Merida Angelina~



       Everyday before dinner my kids and myself wash our hands before proceeding to eat, once sitting at the table we enjoy our dinner & talk a little, when dinner is done each of us proceed to scrap any left over food on out plates then put the dish in the sink. This is a daily occuacnce in my home. From a sociological perspective this is known as one of the many social structure settings within a society; within a societies social structure lies social institutions such as schools, government, prisons, and schools to name a few, each of these (socail institutions) model routines and patterns of behavior that take place in (social structure).

       Chapter 4 address' the elemnts of social structure. In life we all have roles such as ascribed /achieved stautuses, within these roles there are a set of norms that occur, for instance going back to my family and I having dinner; we do this everyday however it would be out of the norm if everytime we had dinner we'd throw the dishes out of the window as oppose to the garbage. Within my home apart from our ascribed status we each have a part that we model within our homes structure, however it is not written in stone, these roles and statuses alter from culture to culture. Sociologist use the Ethnomethodology approcah and breaching experiments on a micro, meso and macro level to study the dynamic of socail intergration within social structures.

      In Peter Berger's article The Meaning of Social Control, Berger addressed how social stucture has an underlying factor called social control. Berger states the oldest means of social control is physical violence, and how many social instituions use this form of reneforcement to create a balance of keeping social structure in an oderly form or there are consequences for adhereing to the desired behavior that is expected within these societies, for example if a criminal resorts to trying to resist arrest even in the slighest form, they will be delt with in a physical manner to maintain and uphold their power and authority within a situation as such. Berger further explains that a part from physical means of social other means do exsist on other levels according to their roles, and statues social control is prevelant within many other social institutions. For examle Berger identifies ridicule and gossip as a form of social control in primary groups, within these groups one is supposed to display a certain kind of behavior following the norns within particular social settings/groups. If one is not to obide by the rules or norms within this society disciplinary actions are taken which can range from opprobrium, ostracsim, and shunning.

       In conclusion I can identify with Berger's article "The Meaning of Social Control" because I see social control on a daily basis; Because I myself follow norms by avoiding  social control by not violating the principles that have been set within the socierty we live in today.

                                                                                            Merida Angelina~
    
 
  

Culture/ Body Ritual Among the Nacirema

                                                                                                                               Merida Angelina~

                         

       Growing up in Astoria, Queens was always an adventure for many reasons, but the most interesting dynamic of growing up in Astoria was/is how culturally diverse it actually is, New York City is a melting pot in general; a dominant culture with many many subcultures and that is what it was like growing up. Greeks, Italians, Germans, Asians from all over Asia, Hispanics, Afro-Americans, Irish to name the least it is no wonder a few years ago on PBS it has been stated that Astoria, Queens is the most culturally place in the entire world. I can actually vouge  for that being I'm a native Astorian. I can say that Chapter 3 "Culture" has been my favorite chapter; because culture is essentially defines who we are on many levels.

       We live in a world with many different nationalities, races, however we are all human beings; the only thing that separates us is our way of living, Our culture. Chapter 3 talks about culture and all it's different variations of culture, and the eight-elements of defining culture which are values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, behaviors, objects and artifacts, symbols, and language. All are intricate details in defining cultures for many different cultures consist of all these key elements but they also vary from culture to culture, though some cultures many have many similarities, some are just unimaginable to to others including myself.

       In the article "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema by Horace Miner" is a prime example of culture and their practices as a culture which consist of shrines within their households and upholding rituals and superstitions. One of their beliefs is that the mouth has a "supernatural influence on all the social relationships"the ritual the private mouth rite, which consist of cultual objects that are used to perform exorcisms on the mouth that extract the client's teeth and this practice though evasive and of torture is to arrest decay and draw friends. It is such a ritual and a part of their norms, that Narcirema men return year after the year to has these rituals performed, it is a part of their tradition, values and their beliefs despite the fact that their teeth continue to rot/decay. The body rituals performed on and by the people of Nacierema are very brutal and torturous acts in this subculture yet its still performed along with their symbols (shrines) and artifacts.

      In conclusion after reading chapter three and Body Ritual Among the Nacirema I feel the study of culture can be very interesting but I can only imagine the ones doing the research the extreme culture shock they must have experienced and also how dangerous it can be also researching to get a Subjective aspect, having to have gone to the source itself and obtain facts. I must say that a lot of people can talk bad about America, Americans themselves can down their own country for we do fall short on many aspects however, I appreciate America's culture, we have a lot of rights and freedoms a lot of many other cultures do not, I'm sure other cultures look at the Americans way of culture as taboo, and vice versa, totally vice versa because I feel the people of Nacirema's rituals are absolutely barbarack and cruel though very informative.

                                                                                      Merida Angelina~