Prezi Assignment

This assignment was so much fun. I am definitely going to use this at work. I hope you all in enjoy more information about Labor Unions. I really enjoy reading about them and learning just how much they have done for our country. The video in this assignment was based in Australia; however, the impact of their unions mirrored the American impact. Please feel free to leave comments and/or questions.

Labor Unions: What Have They Done for Me Lately?

Assignment 13: Creating an Xtranormal Cartoon

In this assignment, I decided I would continue with labor issues. Hope you enjoy, this is my first time to do anything like this.

Robots Join a Union

Assignment 12: Infographic

How often do we think about the evolution of the labor movement in America? Day in and day out we go to work perhaps not even knowing how our labor forced has changed the way in which employees are treated. Whether you agree with strikes or unions, taking a look into the historical context of labor sheds light on how groups of people can make change. From a Marxian perspective, strikes exist as a way for the working class to challenge the government. The underlying agenda with strikes is economic motivations. This assignment led me to think about creating an infographic on labor movement and changes over the decades.

 

Key Events in Labor History

American workers have long endured many challenges and successes as they strive to reach the American Dream. However, for some workers it is easier to obtain than others. Throughout labor history, American workers have struggled between the structures within white collar and blue collar jobs. The struggles within jobs often create conflict in the system which drive the workers to speak out about the problems occurring. Today, unions have become a safe place where workers can openly discuss and resist conflict. Many people do not understand how the labor history has evolved and how important the events in history help challenge the labor force. The link below offers a deeper look into the American Labor History.
Key Events in Labor History

Assignment 10: Digital Story Outline

Assignment 9: Video with Voiceover

Sorry for the delay.  All this technology is pretty new to me, but I think I've figured it out. It could probably still use a little more work.  I hope you enjoy and it makes you think about conflict within organizations and how change is made. I also want you to think about if walk-outs, strikes, and unions are beneficial for society.

 

I wanted to share this with my fellow sociologists. What do you think about how males are represented in the media? Is male sexism growing?  Listen to the Podology Podcast on Misandry.

Protopage Assignment

In this assignment, we each created our own personal protopage. I had fun creating mine and adding RSS feeds and Podcasts that I follow. I hope you enjoy, An Extension of Me.

Understanding Max Weber

Thought I would share this article that I came across on the internet - titled, "The Rationalization of Everything".

7. Screen Structure Images

In assignment 7, we were tasked with going out into the community and taking pictures that were related to our conceptual focus. My current focus is resistance, rationalization, and culture. The images capture the four types of screen structure which include: narrative, documentary, aesthetic, and emotional.

 

1. Documentary - I used the Local Teamster 657 as my inspiration. This group has had a strike out against their employer since April 2011.
2. Narrative - I used my trip to the Pumpkin Patch to demonstrate culture.
3. Aesthetic - I used a collection of art pieces to demonstrate culture.
4. Emotional - I used my daughter as inspiration with her many toddler emotions!
    

If you want to see my entire presentation, please click here.

8: Video Submission

This video is about the Local Teamster 657 strike out at Pioneer Flour Mills also known as C.H. Guenther & Son. The strike out began in April 2011 and is still going on. The Local Teamster 657 union is speaking out about the rising costs of health care and cost for employees to maintain healthcare, and they are also speaking out about safety concerns at the plant.

6. Video Clip re Key Concept

Can you resist rationalization? Rationalization is a process in which one loses their own self autonomy. You are no longer able to make your own decisions and you get caught up in the iron cage of bureacratization. The most recent example that I can use can be found with Monsanto, who on the surface seems like an everyday business.  However, what most people do not know is that Monsanto has rationalized the way in which farmers produce their crop.  The clip below will demonstrate rationalization of our food production.

 

5. Defining and Visualizing Concepts

Assignment 5: Defining and Visualizing Concepts
The first concept that is relevant to my studies is: Rationalization.  The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology defines rationalization as a process that “rather than increasing freedom and autonomy, makes ends of means, and imprisons the individual within the ‘iron cage’ of rationalized institutions, organizations, and organizations (Marshall and Scott 2010). This rationalization tends to relinquish a person’s human freedom.  I will use the concept of rationalization in my thesis work as I research community arts centers in San Antonio, Texas.  Examples of rationalization in works include studies in the following: Religion, Arts, Music, Economy (McDonaldization), etc.  To read more about rationalization in religion, see The Rationalization of Action in Max Weber’s Sociology of Religion by Stephen Kalberg (1990).

The second concept that is relevant to my studies is: Culture (also subculture).  Culture is a concept that is ingrained in all of our human society. It is much more than what the average person thinks is culture.  The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology defines culture as “all that is in human society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted”.  

For both of my concepts, I would see the process visualization working best to portray the complexity of each.  I would employ concept visualization and use the soft system modeling to show each concept.

Further in running each concept through Wordnik, Visuwords, Lexipedia, and Ngram Viewer. I found that the concept of rationalization isn’t defined through a sociological lens. It’s a very literal definition of rationalization. Culture had a closer definition to what I’ve defined it above.

References:

Halley, Jeffrey A., "Cultural Resistance to Rationalization: A Study of an Art Avant-Garde, "H.       Etzkowitz and R. Glassman, eds., The Renascence of Sociological Theory: Traditional Perspectives and New Directions (Itasca, Ill.: Peacock Publishers, 227 244, 1991).

 Kalberg, Stephen. “The Rationalization of Action in Max Weber’s Sociology of Religion.” Sociological Theory. Vol. 8, No. 1. Spring, 1990. pp. 58-84.

Marshall, Gordon and John Scott. (2010). The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology. Retrieved from             http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sociology-oxford-dictionary/id314858252?mt=8

Wolff, Janet. “Cultural Studies and the Sociology of Culture.” Invisible Culture, An Electronic Journal for Visual Studies. 1999. Retrieved from            http://www.rochester.edu/in_visible_culture/issue1/wolff/wolff.html 

Assignment 1: Who am I

Part 1 of Who I am

Part 2 of Who I am