A MAJOR change in thought...

I am considering changing my major from Graphic Arts to Sociology. Sociology fascinates me on so many levels and has given me answers that other things just have not. It allows me to see the reasons behind many things. I have always been hung up on the why. Like, for example, homework in a class that I am very good at. I usually do worse in a class that I am well versed in as opposed to a class that I am not very good in. Why? Simple, I always question the why behind the homework in the class that I am good at. Why should I do the homework when I know everything and it all comes so easily to me? I suppose for me, things have to have purpose for me to do something. That is ironic, however, in the fact that I play role-playing games. They serve no purpose other than to give me entertainment. So many questions.

Back to sociology though, tonight's class answered the question I had in the last post. When can I consider myself a man? Why am I called names when I haven't done anything but care for others? Because it is not the accepted perception that society puts to being a "man". To be a "man", you have to be above everyone. You need to Treat women poorly, gain "respect" by putting others down, and use physical force to show power and control. I have felt these pressures in so many aspects of my life and I ABSOLUTELY disagree with this. Women should be treated with nothing but respect and equality. A true man is caring, honorable, and kind. In trying to be the typical "man" society describes for me, those things will never fit in, thus the frustration. I understand now that I am approaching my problems from the wrong perspective. I am approaching them from the perspective that something is wrong with ME. The real problem is that something is wrong with society's perception of what a "man" is.

I will leave you with this. When violence is reported, do you focus on the story more if a man committed the crime or a woman? If the man committed the crime, it is almost normal. If a woman commits a crime, the whole article/story is focusing on the fact that it was a woman who did it, and then in turn it becomes a bigger deal to you because it is out of the "norm". Remember, it is always the privileged that are not examined.