Week 12

As it is reality that all members in society play a role in keeping an inequitable system in place. I believe there is the opportunity to rise out of where the standards have been set and only we the people can make it happen, if we unite and work together. Through the socialization process, individuals are prepared to play roles that have determined many aspects of their lives. We need to improve the surrounding control factors that influence the process of socialization of how society works in order to eliminate the system of dis-equality. It was interesting to see the author say how there was no single person that can be charged with the creation of the oppressive systems that are in place. I believe someone started it a long time ago and it has evolved into this massive worldwide crisis. One of the chapters reminded me of how I wanted to live a complete vegan and green lifestyle for the purpose of wanting to participate towards social change to reduce inequality and bring justice but I still behave in the ways that preserve and perpetuate the system by not being vegan and using gas to drive my car, along with electricity, and other nonrenewable resources that are harmful to the planet, instead of solar power. It is hard. I was vegan for a whole year and told myself that I am obligated to the well-being of animals and the planet. But when I found out I had to move out of my old home where I had lived in for 18 years, I ended up buying fast foods, frozen foods, etc, all while overwhelmed with keeping up with my classes, kids, and finding a home that would accept our beloved pets. I lost my motivation and inspiration to cook vegan, to cook at all. It takes so much time and energy to find out what to cook or make to eat as a vegan because as a mother of three and a student in college, I don’t have the time and energy to look for recipes and plan for vegan grocery lists and meals. Just like how I buy things that I need, pull ups for my youngest child, baby wipes, different things like paying for gas to drive, clothes that were possibly made from slave labor, ect… I just wish that there was more that I could do to follow what I believe in. I have come to the conclusion that I just have to take it one day at a time. One day I will be able to focus on switching to a vegan lifestyle, and one where I can contribute honest labor and to helping keep the planet clean.

Having a liberatory consciousness sounds like something that I have but not totally yet, I am still practicing. I have experienced the symptoms of not seeing things the way that other people see like as in movies, or in public, general conversation, or like on Facebook. I thought that I used to understand everything about how I thought things needed to be done about the injustices that exist but now I don’t know and I feel like that was because nobody else felt the same way that I felt, concern, care, worry, obligated to do something about these issues, and that made me feel like what I cared about didn’t matter or it was irrelevant to what was really going on, like if I didn’t really know what was going on. Everyone may be in a different state of mind and I can understand that, there is only so much that we can do. But there is no excuse for neglect, ideas and actions spread, it is critical to ensure that we spread the right things that help instead of deprive society. I love the ideas of social networks related to goodness, we do need more connections, our society is as close as it is together, yet things are in chaos, and divisions are made everywhere, we need to unite once and for all.

One of the questions that come to my mind is why are there debts and taxes? We all have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and others, in a proper way. New forms of wealth have emerged and taken over society, controlling many different aspects of life, determining the direction of our lives. It would be a sight for sore eyes to see cooperation among society, which takes a lot more effort and knowledge about the issues at stake here. Everyone should be able to access this information in all institutions, not just in the School of Social Work or during their own research.