This week, we talked mainly on social classes in the US. As a class, we decided that social class is defined through education, income, family of origin, social connections, presentation, and luxuries. We also discussed the functions of family: provide support, provide means, teach (socialize), establish values, and provide a sense of security and love. Some other interesting facts I picked up:
- Having more than 1 food and form of transportation and having refrigeration puts most Americans in the top 5% of the world in terms of the standard of living.
- The biggest predictor of poverty is not having a father.
- Working brings families together more than vacationing does.
- Immigration causes strain on undocumented Mexican families.
The final thing we discussed was quantitative vs. qualitative research. Quantitative research has a large sample size, uses observations as a research method, and its strengths include lots of feedback, it's less embarrassed personal for the people surveyed, and it's easier to do. Qualitative research has a smaller sample size, uses questions as a research method, and its strengths are that it's more personal (1 on 1 interviews), allows for more communication, and can gather more information.
Sorry I couldn't provide a little more detail about the issues presented this week, such as same-sex marriage, but honestly I didn't take as careful notes as usual and I can't remember exactly what was discussed. I guarantee it was interesting, I just was too tired to remember it. But, I will say that there is definitely some evidence to show that same-sex marriages do have affects on children.
That's all I have for now and I hope I can say a little more next week!
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