After reading this section I understand what sociological imagination is, and how something as simple as jeans could have so much meaning. Normally people will look at jeans and will think nothing of it; they are just plain and boring jeans. But if you use your sociological imagination and apply the three thinking frames, you will think about where jeans come from, why and how we get them, how they make us feel, etc.

A food that I think is a totem in my life is a burrito at the taco truck. When I was a kid it was a treat to get a burrito and it felt like the best thing ever to me. I grew up eating burritos and so did most my cousins or friends so it’s just something that is agreeable and classic. It’s also convenient in ways. Something I don’t think people see is the hard work a families might have put into getting that truck and getting that food to you. Also I think that this has come to be a totem because there are so many taco trucks in Stockton. They are convenient and taste good and I think that there are so many Mexican families in Stockton that can make a living off of it.

The first thing I remember buying with my own money is a pair of Jordan 11s. I had my first job so I decided I should buy something nice and I just wanted shoes that were black. I didn’t think that they were that special but everyone else seemed to like them. After a few months I traded them with my cousin for another pair of Jordans. I think that the popularity and respect that Jordans have buy mostly all my peers are mostly what makes me like Jordans so much. Since I was a kid, Jordans were everyone’s favorite shoe.

During this reading I felt like I could relate because I can see all the time how sympathy is passed around consciously or unconsciously when something bad happens to someone. It’s crazy to learn about how the rules of sympathy are followed even though no one is told to or even notice they exist.

I found this information entertaining to read because I use body language all day and I never noticed. Also I never noticed how people send messages by the distance that they stand from each other. I think it’s impressive how people can interpret things without being told or send messages without talking.

I think that the Nacirema kept their tradition up for so long because they all believe and together they put each other under pressure to act a certain way. To most Americans like me these practices are strange, absurd, and even disgusting; but if we grew in with them we would most likely feel the same way they do and would participate.

I think that Americans take their food for granted and a food that I think is a totem for America is fast food in general but mostly burgers and fries. Americans don’t think about the pain and hard work that goes into the food they have such easy access to. Also there is a lot of ethnocentrism in America because people are always judging other races and cultures but most the time they love to eat their food.

This reading shows how a sociologist would study a problem of an individual and a society. I think that people do expect a lot from men in an American society, so I can see how they would feel trapped. The author states that out of 50 million employees, there 15 million unemployed men. There is a lot of unemployed men who are looked down upon by society an individually they probably feel ashamed or like a failure.

Reading this section made me understand that sociology is best to learn when you think of it as a passion and interest yourself in the subject rather than thinking of it as something that is boring or irrelevant. A sociologist is interested in studying human beings and their interactions. Someone who likes sociology may find the usual things more entertaining to know such as other peoples’ conversations, what they do and why they do it. They like to understand people and study them without judging. That interests me because it reminds me of when me I hear about situations, normally actions or stories of my peers, and hear stories about what happened and why it happened. It makes me think about the factors and events that lead up to that moment, who the people are, and why they act the way that they act.

It is fascinating to explore and learn new things about the world around you. I find sociology interesting because it changes the way you look at everyday things that you do or see others do. I learned that sociology is a type of social science, and a sociologist may study certain factors from other types of social sciences. I also learned that sociology can be divided into different sections or methods such as structural and interactional, qualitive and quantitative.