During my second year at college, I took a Sociology class on relationships. It was very interesting and I learned how society is shaped by groups of people. I remember doing a major project for this class called "Signs of Power." The professor had given her lesson to explain what power is and how it's used every single day by EVERYONE! Up to that day, I found the word "power" to mean something negative, only what dictators use to control their people. I was clueless on the different forms of power.
The project called for us to observe and look for signs of power in couples or groups of people in a public setting. She gave us ideas of where to go to "people watch" and she gave us a week to do our observations and to turn in our findings to her.
This is where I started paying more attention to people around me and my love for people watching was born. Even to this day, I sit and look for these signs of power. This project made me more aware of my surroundings and what society calls acceptable in people's behavior.
So, how is power displayed in every day living?
They are things that we do all the time without even thinking about it. When a couple walks side by side and hold hands, it means that power is equally divided. But if the man places his arm around his woman's shoulders or walks with their arm around her waist, this is a clear indicator that he has power. But I also saw it in women doing similar things with their children: holding them by the hand and guiding them through a crowded mall. I did see an instance where a family was together: mom, dad, and two kids. Mom was leading the way with her two small kids, one on each hand while the dad was right behind them carrying all the shopping bags. What grabbed my attention was that the woman was walking with determination and confidence and looking up and ahead the whole time. Which made me think that she has the power in that household.
Even in the classroom setting. Boys and men are taught that it's okay for them to spread out by placing their objects all over the place (claiming their territory), while girls and women are expected to make themselves feel small by not taking too much space in the room. Just observe the way male students sit (mostly with their legs wide open, they are louder, and often get attention with their off-topic remarks) compared to how female students sit in a classroom (reserved, they are quieter, and they try not to call too much attention to themselves because they don't want to be embarrassed in front of the boys for giving a wrong answer).
I often wonder if it's the same in different countries or just in the United States.
If you ever get a chance to take a Sociology class in college, you won't regret it. It's quite fascinating and will be very helpful with how you will see things in your world.
The easiest thing you can do is start learning Sociology by observing people in public areas but not a in creepy way by making it too obvious. Coffee places are a great place to start! If you observe something interesting, share it with us down below.
Happy watching,
Mayra :)
The project called for us to observe and look for signs of power in couples or groups of people in a public setting. She gave us ideas of where to go to "people watch" and she gave us a week to do our observations and to turn in our findings to her.
This is where I started paying more attention to people around me and my love for people watching was born. Even to this day, I sit and look for these signs of power. This project made me more aware of my surroundings and what society calls acceptable in people's behavior.
So, how is power displayed in every day living?
They are things that we do all the time without even thinking about it. When a couple walks side by side and hold hands, it means that power is equally divided. But if the man places his arm around his woman's shoulders or walks with their arm around her waist, this is a clear indicator that he has power. But I also saw it in women doing similar things with their children: holding them by the hand and guiding them through a crowded mall. I did see an instance where a family was together: mom, dad, and two kids. Mom was leading the way with her two small kids, one on each hand while the dad was right behind them carrying all the shopping bags. What grabbed my attention was that the woman was walking with determination and confidence and looking up and ahead the whole time. Which made me think that she has the power in that household.
Even in the classroom setting. Boys and men are taught that it's okay for them to spread out by placing their objects all over the place (claiming their territory), while girls and women are expected to make themselves feel small by not taking too much space in the room. Just observe the way male students sit (mostly with their legs wide open, they are louder, and often get attention with their off-topic remarks) compared to how female students sit in a classroom (reserved, they are quieter, and they try not to call too much attention to themselves because they don't want to be embarrassed in front of the boys for giving a wrong answer). I often wonder if it's the same in different countries or just in the United States.
If you ever get a chance to take a Sociology class in college, you won't regret it. It's quite fascinating and will be very helpful with how you will see things in your world.
The easiest thing you can do is start learning Sociology by observing people in public areas but not a in creepy way by making it too obvious. Coffee places are a great place to start! If you observe something interesting, share it with us down below.
Happy watching,
Mayra :)
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