When the video was giving an example situation at the family picnic, isn't it still a personal problem when choosing to eat the unhealthy food? The voice over was saying that it wasn't because of how your family would react to you not eating. Isn't that still personal because your fear of judgement is why you eat the junk food, and not your family holding you at gun point until you try the potato salad. I can see how 35 percent of the population being obese is a public issue for the nation, but isn't your own obesity your own issue? Another question I have is how big does the issue have to be for it to be considered a social issue? If all of the farmers in Illinois produce bad crops would that count as a social issue, or would it have to be all of the farmers in the northwest, or all of the farmers in the nation? I’m assuming that there’s no limit to how big it can be, but what is the minimum? Also, why imagination? I know that question sounds stupid, but this doesn’t really cover pretend issues. My last question (I’m sorry about all of the questions) is: do personal activities count as social issues if they affect other people? Like Aaron Shock and the tax fraud for example, that would be a social issue because it affects our society, right? Spoopy005
Choosing what to eat at a certain function is a personal choice and if you are overeating or overweight does make this a personal problem. This being a public issue is not by what you decided to eat but how the problem has begun to affect the society you live in. The situation has reached the point where others in our society are noticing the health issues of those with this problem. Perhaps companies in the community are noticing that many of their employees are unable to complete certain tasks due to illness caused by the health issues caused by obesity. When the issue is affecting a percentage of the population of the community, perhaps people we know and care about, isn’t this big enough to begin to be a social issue? Regardless of the size of the problem, it is still a problem that is affecting either oneself or the society in which we live. Just Imagine what the results could and would be if we did not take notice of the problem and try to work on a solution. Seoulman005
In the video, the lady implies that it is not entirely in our control, but she isn’t saying that we are mind controlled into eating unhealthy things at family gatherings. It is more a matter of probability, and the ways in which societal norms and rules that have been established over the years contribute to skewing that probability in favor of or against any given outcome as well as how choosing any given path either negatively or positively reinforces or undermines those norms. Ultimately, it is all connected, and while you may feel like you have complete autonomy and power over your decisions, virtually every aspect of your life suggests otherwise. Your decision to wear clothes to school, style your hair a certain way or not at all, to use the internet, to take this class, to eat what you eat, to say the things you say, to speak the language you speak, there are millions of variables that make up who you are that you either had no say in whatsoever, or you feel as though you had a say in but really you were nudged strongly in that direction by societal pressures. None of us are completely autonomous to the point where it makes sense to ignore societal pressures as a variable in determining one’s actions. You asked “isn’t your own obesity your own issue” and the answer to that is no actually. Assuming you’re a part of society, one’s obesity is significant enough that it affects the people and establishments around you emotionally, financially, and I suppose if you’re big enough, even spatially. Then of course when extrapolated out to an entire population, which is really the only practical and realistic way to look at the issue, it becomes a very serious problem. In regards to your questioning of the use of “imagination”; I think they use this word because it is often extremely difficult to ascertain the underlying causes of certain social issues. I imagine it is a lot like theoretical physics in the sense that we know there are definitely answers out there to the questions we have, but we are unsure what they are and in many cases, even unsure what questions to ask in the first place to even begin unraveling the mystery of X or Y problem. Much like a very strong and efficient imagination is required to succeed in the field of theoretical physics (just research Einstein a little and you’ll find he was extraordinarily imaginative, which is what allowed him to figure out relativity) it is also required to do any serious progressive work in sociology. Poet005
I agree strongly on the overall of your post, if you go to a family function and eat something that you know you wanted to stay away from than you wanted it more than you thought. I can only say you don’t have the choice when something is not offered. If I go to a vegetarian party but I’m not vegetarian no big deal I’ll have a something later. But if you’re a vegetarian and all that is offered is meat in every dish than you must decide. Do I want to seem rude and not try anything, or give in to be more involved with my peers? I agree that social pressures do play a large role on the decisions we make but I do believe that we still have a choice the more educated you are the more you will think about your choices than that of society. Just because its hip and all of media and society is telling me that only the cool kids are wearing it I don’t care I am a guy and I’m not wearing pink. I also agree with your answer to obesity question, look at 2 friends who recipe swap or the same but within a family now a larger portion is on the same diet. This is just a small simple example but the point gets across health habits easily get passed along. BHL005
I agree completely that it is one's personal choice on what to eat and what not to eat, but I believe it goes further into that. Let's say that one is part of an Italian family and they all get together to gather, you're not there to eat, but it is part of the experience, you're going to get hungry. You look around and see all this Italian food and you say to your uncle, "Oh, I quit eating pasta." Wait, why? The whole room looks at you waiting for your answer, and your response is, "I'm trying to lose weight." Now, you just made it seem like who eats this pasta is going to gain some pounds and make them not want to eat that food. When one goes into the movie theatre, you could never ever eat popcorn but once you're there, you smell that buttery popcorn and crave it, why? Everyone else is eating it, it's part of the norm to eat popcorn while watching it. When one rejects that pasta, you're rejecting family norm. Although, it is about acceptance, but it is the social norms that make one act the way they do. Nobody is putting a gun to your head, but peer pressure does exist and is real. If one doesn't eat that pasta, then what do they do while everyone is eating? Watch? That's all the food that was offered, sometimes people do things so they won't feel left out and it is seen everywhere, not just at a family picnic. And I believe that each and everyone of us has been in that situation before. babybray005
I feel that sociology is the way a person see things in their on way. Looking at the video I could see how obesity is a personal problem then I can also see how it turns into a social issue. Again, we as people only do what we know and what we have been taught, so having family time with all the tasty funk foods is the norm. Your choice to choose to eat junk food is your own personal problem, but when it gets out of control and your family and friends people that care about you see that it's a problem that's when it becomes a social problem. In the video they talked about how one person being unemployed is a personal problem, and when many people are unemployed it becomes a social problem that is true because people really don't care about one person not having a job they start seeing the effects when more than a few people are complaining of not having jobs that's just the way society works I feel. We are trained to not see things or care about things unless it's in a big abundance. Cupcake005
I really didn't think about the obesity problem in that aspect. If something like obesity in this situation is caused by family around that individual, then it turns into a social issue since the family couldn't serve any healthy food. I do agree that people don't look at things, when they are small. When the issue becomes big then that's when people get behind each other and support each other. Just society needs to learn how to plan for the the future. TB005
Until problems are on a big public scale no one really cares. Thats where i can agree with you. People have their own choices on what they put in their body and once the family gets involved in can be a social issue. To fix the problem you could always suggest to the host to put in some healthier options or suggest anything to help the issue. A lot of problems are more personal i feel, because everyone has their own choice on the matter. The social aspect can play a role, but you as an individual will have the last call. Mustang005
Being able to differentiate whether your situation is personal or social can be hard to decipher if you don’t understand the relationship between self and society. That was redundant. When your situation revolves solely around you then you are the one suffering this problem, but as the problem begins others in your society it becomes a public problem. When something is causing you to worry what is the first response that comes to mind? Find what is causing the problem and decide what to do to relieve the situation. When the situation affects others in your community, the usual response is that this is now a public issue and must now be resolved for everyone’s benefit. I think that both examples used in the video were trying to help better understand how the relationship between self and society plays out in our everyday lives. Being able to determine if the situation is of the self can help you make the decisions that will, eventually, obtain the results that YOU desire. When it is societal you begin to look at how is this affecting you in general with regards to those around you. Another personal trouble could be being homeless. Without a place to live you are facing a personal problem. However, there are so many people living homeless that this has become a public issue causing nationwide concern. With this in mind, using the sociological imagination we can see how the community rallies to assist those who are unable to alleviate the problem. We begin to see our community work together to resolve the issue without causing other issues to arise. Observing the social structures, as they are called in the video, could be as simple as the neighborhoods in which problem has affected the most people. Determining if the employment rate has caused many to lose their homes or if the neighborhoods are deteriorating with neglect or misuse. Being able to discern whether it is a lone situation or something that affects more of the community will help to resolve the problem. I think that sociological imagination is used to aid in distinguishing personal problems from public problems. Seoulman005
To answer if obesity is in our personal control, I believe it is a mixture of both personal and public control. I feel like during big events like weddings and even birthdays. You don't want to be the person who isn't eating whatever food they have. Some people look at that as being rude towards the host. While other people could give that person weird looks and wonder, "why isn't this person eating?" So in a way it is still your decision to eat whatever food they are serving if you want. But the public aspect of it, if you choose to eat or not could always change their opinions. But getting exercise could also be the same thing, some people might look at you and think you are dealing with obesity and think you should work out. While others think the opposite. That the sizes of individuals doesn't even come to mind. So they wouldn't even pay attention to that person. This is why figuring what is a personal problem and even a public problem can be very confusing and it seems everyone could have their very own opinions. But the world does care about how people look and that includes the size of that person. TB005
I totally agree with this. At the end of the day, it it your decision to eat whatever you want. Whatever you put in your stomach, is completely up to you. Exercise does help. There are people who just eat and eat and eat whatever they want and don't do anything about it. Then there are people who eat and eat whatever they want but they still get a lot of exercise in. What if that person cant lose weight? They may still get judged which is very tragic. It shouldn't be that way. Weight shouldn't define who a person is.
I'm in agreement with a lot of the comments on here but this one sum it up best yes it's true that what we eat can be viewed as and most likely will be viewed as public and personal our society will look at a obese person and think they just don't care and want to be overweight when all along that individual up bring could play a major part as too why so many bad choices are being made, society interference effects all at one point where told skinny is the only thing accepted, now society has gone to you have to be "thick" (Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian) size and even have their rear end! Which is causing young girls to go under the knife. Makes you wonder will society interference ever stop Leathas005
I am all for what you're saying. Overeating is both a personal problem and a public issue. We decide what goes in our mouth but we don't choose what ideas get put in our heads during points of time. We see models and wish we could be them at times and turn to comfort foods to make ourselves feel better. Even though the saying is "its on the inside is what matters" but that's not always the case with some people. They judge because you're not as skinny or thick as them or they have very low self esteem and need to feed off others to make them fill the void in their own lives. Don't let other peoples opinion stop you from doing what you want. Know your worth. rose005
I agree with every one of your comments. There are some people who can just sit around and eat and be lazy and don't do anything about it. Then later complains that their too overweight. Well that's when you do something about it. Then again if you feel like your fine whether you obese, slim, thick that's totally okay. You are who you are and you shouldn’t care what people most people say about you. There’s nothing no one can do about it but you, The only thing you can do is make things better for yourself and try to meet the standards you have for yourself.Chick005
I agree with your response. Obesity is both a social and personal problem. One may see that he/she is gaining weight and that they need to change. No one else may see it or think that which makes it a personal problem, But once that person is faced with temptation from society it becomes a social problem. When you gather with family for Thanksgiving the table is usually loaded with turkey, ham, pasta and etc. A person that is on a diet may not eat much or even eat at all. It is safe to say that most of the family members will look at the person as if something is wrong or even comment on the fact that they are not eating. Why do they do this? because it is the norm to indulge in that juicy ham at Thanksgiving time. Some host may even find it rude that they are not eating. Since it is the norm to eat that ham and not to watch your weight many people find themselves with big piece of ham on their plate due to the pressure of the family traditions. Also I agree that we choose what to eat and what not to eat, and that we must over come the peer pressure of what other people think in order be comfortable in your own skin. Hawk 005
I strongly agree, people are responsible for themselves. I think that if everyone is so concerned they should get rid of all of the things that are causing obesity though. People only make things a big deal when everyone else is weighing in on that particular issue. I think that when people start to talk about obesity in America, they forget it comes in all shapes and sizes and what a scale says shouldn’t define what obesity is because someone who is tall and bigger, if you’re not a certain BMI your considered obesity even though you might not look or feel obese. MelaninQueen005
I really do like the analogies and comparisons that are made in this video. There are big differences between personal and public issues. The most questionable one to me was obesity. There are times that it can be a personal issue and/or a public issue. It becomes a public issue in schools during their lunches. There aren't very many schools in this country that serve healthy foods for lunches. That can make it a public issue. I guess obesity is an issue among children these days? I don't know for sure. From everything I see and hear it seems like that’s the case. I know Michelle Obama has made strides towards making school lunches healthier. When I was in middle school they made some changes to our lunches because of Michelle Obama (I didn't really like the change because obviously foods got more healthier). Jobs can be a personal and/or a public issue. Are you just a lazy person? That can be a huge factor towards a personal issue. There can be issues with Caterpillar, when they start laying people off. That then becomes a public issue. These issues can be intertwined. One can lead to another. PAWW005
I totally agree with that, I too struggle with finding the thin line between obesity being a personal issue and being a public issue, and I feel that for the children in todays society this is becoming a major issue. You could just be a lazy person and not feel like doing anything, but then again does it help when your going to school with the foods they are feeding you? Or when you go to a grocery store and see that a lot of the healthy foods are a little more expensive then most of the non healthy foods? Annie2016
I agree for the most part. I think it's a hard decision determining between what we can really consider to be a personal, or public issue when they are both so heavily intertwined. I like the reference you made to school lunches and think it's a really sound example. I find that in particular that's the perfect way to relate how easily a public issue becomes a personal issue; when the food our government funded schools are feeding our children aren't by any means healthy. 35G005
Personal issues and Public Issues a a like in many ways in my opinion, I feel that a personal problem can also turn into a public issue causing more problems. I would like to understand self and society, and when personal issues will become a public issue. There are also benefits from sociological imagination for example If I work out all the time and I have kids that see me work out all the time then they will then begin to follow along with what I do. And as I watch the video more I begin to be reminded that healthy foods are more expencive then fast food, I honestly feel that it has a lot to do with the government, why is it that I can go to Wal-Mart and purchase a bunch of junk food for less than 10$ but go to a all organic store and spend a bunch of money? These are just a few of the things that I question in todays society. But I plan on looking more deeper and further into sociological imagination and actually understanding the study of how humans think and not only that but also why we all decided to do the things we do in life. Annie2016
There's a lot of problems going on in America right now. Obesity is one of the major problems facing America right now. That's why most schools are providing healthier food options and finding ways to help the kids exercise more or better. I see obesity being more of a personal problem rather than a social problem. As a person you can choose what your body takes in. The video talked about how weddings, birthdays, and or family gatherings can play a bad role in this. No matter what the gathering is serving as food, you don't have to eat it. You have the choice and a lot of people make the wrong choices. People are not going to ridicule you for trying to be healthier. A lot of things in this world have gone into effect to cut down the numbers on obesity and try to do anything to resolve the issue. Their are smaller problems in the world that could be major except it's not really a social problem yet. No one really finds problem with small things until they go public. Society can play a role in this. Their will always be personal problems you can face and the social aspect will always be there too. Mustang005
Yes it is very true that there are so many problems going on in America right now and obesity just happens to be one of the major problems. I will definitely agree with you that many schools have went to healthier lunches. I feel the same way that as a person you can choose what to put in your body. Absolutely, you don't have to eat what is served at the family gatherings. People will not look down on you or talk about you just because you want to watch what you eat to be healthier. It's so easy to make the wrong choices I feel that's why so many fall short of the right decisions. I will agree that there are smaller problems in the world that should be made a major problem but, like I put in the blog that we as people don't see things unless, it either happens to them or someone close them or it happens to a big abundance people. Cupcake005
I think the idea from the other video that sociology looks at things as though everyone is in a play in which they are both actors and audience members is especially helpful in thinking about social imagination. I suspect that some people may have a hard time accepting that certain issues (such as the aforementioned issue of obesity) are anything other than personal issues. The reason I like the analogy of a grand play, is that much like actors, we don't choose as many lines as we think we do even if we fancy ourselves a bit of improvisation. If you go too far off-script, you're taken out of the game so to speak. I guess what I'm trying to say with that is that there is a very real, and very influential variable of desire for acceptance that is deeply seeded in all of us even down to our biology since we evolved as pack animals. People often discount this, or underestimate the significance of this variable, but it is unrealistic to discount it even on an individual level, and downright negligent to ignore it on a societal level. As such, things that may seem entirely personal such as food choice is really only mostly personal, and partially sociological, and when extrapolated to very large scales such as in analyses of populations, it is just not realistic to consider it as anything other than an inevitable mechanic of societal operation. At the end of the video, three questions are posed: What is another personal trouble that has social factors that contribute, how do social structures contribute to social problems, and how does using the sociological imagination help us examine human behavior? First, lack of or poor quality education is another personal trouble that can easily be extrapolated out into a public issue with social factors contributing. Second, the most obvious way that social structures contribute to social problems that I can think of is in there divisive nature. It is rare for any establishment, physical or otherwise to be highly inclusive, let alone all-inclusive. Therefore the creation of numerous social structures produces segregation in levels of privilege, education, finances, status, security, freedom, health, etc. Third, using our sociological imagination is really the only way to view such problems objectively and realistically. No sociological problems will be solved by viewing the issues on an individual scale such as when people say things like "well x or y group should just work harder", or "x or y group should stop eating so much junk food", etc. Poet005
The video itself states what many people in todays society face on a daily basis it toched on the point if a person can basically control what they eat on a personal or public level, I agree we all have control over what we do which includes for adults the food we eat, however it has become harder due to all the ways the society has become when there’s a gathering food is likely to be present not to mention the numerous food chains and TV ads you see all day everyday. Most of our society is also effected by the fast paced life everyone is always on the go and seem to solve their hunger by simply stopping to get a bite of “fast food” which can also be viewed as personal or public for that matter for the simple fact you can choose to make bad chocies continually or you can opt out and make better choices to eat healthier food which is the best option and will benefit you in the long run, but when its all said in done the world will always debate with it being personal or public and I don’t think either side will win for the simple fact the issue itself goes deeper such as home meals, school meals, etc. but in the grand sceme of things you’ll always have those who choose to eat unhealthy as well as those who choose to eat healthy… So like they say “ The choice is yours” Leathas005
After watching the video and after reading a few of the posts I have noticed that everyone is focusing on the negatives in society. In this cases I would say that the posts are responses to the video in which all are social negatives in that none of the examples were positives. Therefor the posts are becoming a social imagination as the all revolve around unemployment or obesity. Here is a social positive of a social imagination. I feel that I want to start working out to become more fit and feel energized so I start doing easy exercises at home. After a week now I have all my family wanting the same thing and we are now all exercising together. We have become more involved in exercise and doing it at home is not cutting it anymore so we start to go to planet fitness that has more resources to get a full workout. Well planet fitness has let’s say 100 members, is this an example of social imagination. Planet fitness is a very popular gym and this is just 1 branch of many. These are not actual facts but an ideal using numbers for representation. The state of Illinois has 500 branches of Planet Fitness all with 100 members witch totals to 50,000 members in Illinois alone. The U.S consists of 50 states all with 500 gyms all with 100 members to bring the total of Americans going to the gym at 2,500,000. So why is everyone focusing on the negatives versus a positive. We have all heard of positive reinforcement but it seems only negative awareness gets the attention to drive its information to the public. Media is a huge part in social imagination getting large portion of its members to get involved. How many people did the bucket challenge, which is another social positive that only became popular after was a social imagination that than continued to get even more participants. It’s easy to focus on the negatives but by far much harder for a positive to get recognition. BHL005
The video explains how being surrounded by positive influences such as working out in groups can help benefit you. The video also states that the amount you eat is a personal issue which is true. There are other instances that people want to eat what is advertised on the fast food scale and is affecting the intake per day. Instead of a salad you decide a 500-600 calorie sandwich from McDonald's sounds better. People are also per pressured to eat more by others. People would rather stop by to get nuggets then walk into a store or make their own lunch because in today's society we always have somewhere to be. You can also get these behaviors for the people around you. If you see your mom eat a certain food every day or take you out to eat somewhere , you are more likely to choose something you're comfortable with then go out of your comfort zone and try something new or healthier. Eating unhealthy contributes to health problems such as diabetes and in reality will cost you more money and you have to live with the problem for the rest of you're life. Being in today's age where trying new fast food places are "cool" and "hip" but it might end up effecting your life alot more than you think. Its alot harder for people to digest fast food because of all the additives and can lead to health problems in the long run. I agree for the most part on what you put in your body is your responsibility but peer pressures and also come into effect with what you eat and how much of it. rose005
I agree your parents have a big effect on what you choose to eat and they influence your decision making as an adult when you make choices on your own. It is hard now a days to pick the healthy route because fast food is so accessible, hip, and cool. I also believe in today’s age kids aren’t as active as they use to be. You don’t see kids outside playing and being active because of all the video games, television, and other activities you can do inside now. To go along with peer pressure is the portions of food that you get when you go out to eat or at a fast food restaurant. Instead of eating the whole portion that is more than enough you can eat half and take the other half home or you can share with a friend. Cardinals005
Yes, I also agree that parents play a huge role in your diet and exercise. Sometimes they can get lazy and not want to cook any meal for the family so, they will just run over to which ever fast food restaurant is closest to home to get something to eat. They also play a big part in exercise and activity since parents may make their kids not be able to go outside or do anything until their homework is done. Some parents do not really tell their kids what they can and cannot eat, so it makes them more likely to eat junk. -Dance005
It’s so frustrating to know that where we live, fast food is so prominent. Look at the west coast and how much more socially acceptable it is to eat clean and go on runs and wear workout gear everywhere… And actually use it! I’m forever envious of people that are surrounded by such positivity. I mean think about it, Peoria has a McDonald’s on EVERY BLOCK of the city! It’s horrendous and quite honestly ridiculously sad. We are setting ourselves up for failure when it comes to our health because it is our society that we have become complacent with. Puppies005
I believe that obesity is a personal issue not a public issue. Being in shape or obese is your choice. No one is forcing you to eat junk food, fast food, or drink soda all day. The government should not be responsible to tell people how they should diet. If you want to not exercise and not take care of your body it’s your decision. I believe the way you live your life is brought upon you at a young age by your parents or care giver. If you are raised eating healthy and having an active life style you are more likely going to be the same way in your adulthood, if your health allows you too. If you are raised by eating junk food, fast food, and coming home watching television all day/night then you’re more likely to do the same thing in your adulthood. Schools could teach kids at a young age more about healthy living and making healthy food more accessible. It’s hard because you have a fast food restaurant on just about every corner and kids are attached to the advertisement. With more technology I’m sure this problem is going to only to grow into the future. Cardinals005
Yes, it is completely up to you to decide what kind of food you eat. I agree that people should be able to do what they want for the most part. What if someones diet actually poses a threat to their own health? What if that same person has a family to care for? Would you than require that person to change their diet as to not endanger themselves for their family, or is it still their decision? I do agree that schools should teach personal health, and show how important that can be in your life. Obesity is very much a worrisome prospect in regards to our future. I do not see it being curbed anytime soon, unless some drastic changes are made to our countries infrastructure. Acer005
In the clip, they were stating that you control what you put inside your body. So, that’s when obesity steps in to become a problem. In the video when they were around the fire they stated that someone could have a family who like to have gatherings and bring food. well if one of your family members see that you aren't eating that's when they start to question you. That's when the public issue steps in, you'll be worried about what others would think of you. America today has problems with obesity until this day. If you were to flip your television on the first thing that might pop up is a fast food advertisement which is a public issue in a different way. So how can somebody who’s trying to lose weight but every time they turn around there's their craving right in front of them. It’s hard for some people. If we had more advertising commercials and people coming together to help build more gyms and more things for people to do instead of just sitting around, the world today wouldn’t have many of these problems. So when you have personal issue that you can’t control how can you stop it from being a public issue?
I agree with you on this. I believe it is a little bit of both a personal choice and a social problem as well. On one hand yes we control what we eat but we can't control it as much with there being family and friends around almost making the brain want to conform to everyone else eating. In my opinion there are many issues that are hard to tell if they are personal or community problems. The fact that food advertisements are everywhere people go it seems to become more and more of a community issue. It makes it hard for individual people to have self control over food they eat. Gym005
In the clip, they were stating that you control what you put inside your body. So, that’s when obesity steps in to become a problem. In the video when they were around the fire they stated that someone could have a family who like to have gatherings and bring food. well if one of your family members see that you aren't eating that's when they start to question you. That's when the public issue steps in, you'll be worried about what others would think of you. America today has problems with obesity until this day. If you were to flip your television on the first thing that might pop up is a fast food advertisement which is a public issue in a different way. So how can somebody who’s trying to lose weight but every time they turn around there's their craving right in front of them. It’s hard for some people. If we had more advertising commercials and people coming together to help build more gyms and more things for people to do instead of just sitting around, the world today wouldn’t have many of these problems. So when you have personal issue that you can’t control how can you stop it from being a public issue? Chick005
I agree with your statement. There are tons of fast food advertisements all over television. There are some healthy and encouraging ones but rarely. For example, if someone who tends to eat McDonalds a lot and then one day they decide that they’re going to stop eating it because it’s making them become unhealthier each day they eat it and McDonalds advertising this new meal they just came out with and is persuading them to try it, now they’re stuck between should I do it or should I not. I feel as if more healthy items should be advertised on television. Let’s persuade people to eat healthy not unhealthy. Aboogie005
It seems to me, more often than not, the generations of today find themselves in the peculiar position of, “establishing themselves,” in a world where it appears everything - save for the extraordinary, has already been done. As a result it’s no surprise that, more often than not, we as a collective are regulating a healthy majority of our decisions based on the trends of our peer group, and falling into an endless routine of repetition. Now the question in the video is posed and explored - in essence, “Do we do anything that doesn’t affect the whole, or that isn’t a response to the actions of the whole?” I feel like this all ties in with the feeling that nothing we do is ever a solitary action, and though I want to strike out as an individualist and protest that my actions are motivated by none other than myself - I can’t. I think this video does a great job of fleshing out the claim anything is simply a, “personal issue,” and showing that even something as trivial as a friendly cookout can directly affect, and be affected by one’s own weight. I think it’s interesting in its approach to the sort of - forced continual obesity, relating healthy food costs in contrast to less healthy alternatives while mentioning government subsidies directly influencing those costs. It’s not exactly something I’ve thought of before, and I like that tie into how even your personal weight where, save for airplane and bus seats, it usually affects no one but yourself is directly influenced by your surroundings. 35G005
In the video it is noted that there is division between self and society Which may us help us learn about ourselves, hence the sociological imagination. (Hehe this video talks about psychology BTW I am taking psychology.) They mentioned an person having a personal issue (pysch) vs a public (socico). In terms of obesity it may be a personal choice of deciding what a person puts into his or her body but in case of a public issue healthy food may be hard to afford. It's like buying a cheeseburger for $1 or buying a head of lettuce for $3 obviously someone would go for the cheaper priced food item. In all a person's behavior contributes to society, there is relation between the 2. Honeytea005
This video to me was intriguing. I feel as though people tend to do more as their family have done. So I guess that would be considered as a "society". I can agree more with the fact that the community as a whole plays a role in decisions we make. For example in my small town there are a lot of young people my age that go to the gym and workout. In my opinion if some of us original gym goers hadn't starting going there the new people may not have decided to go. In my opinion obesity can be considered both a personal and society related issue with the example they gave it was the person's choice to eat all of that food but without having the friends and family around to cause the food to be there that person might not have ate that much food. I can kind of notice that there can be a thin line between person and community issues such as this. But another reason obesity is a problem is that less healthy foods are cheaper than the expensive foods. This plays a large factor in the foods that people eat causing the obesity to be more on the side of a community problem. Gym005
I personally believe that being obese is a personal and social problem. As for it being a social problem, I feel as if it falls back on what class you are. If you’re in the high class, then being obese is unlikely to occur then it would with someone living in an environment where it is more difficult to live a healthy life. The environment should come together and build a system or strategy to help it become a fair opportunity to everyone to live a healthy life. With it being diseases from being obese, that now brings the society into the picture because now you have doctors that must treat these people. They advertise unhealthy food all the time, such as fast food restaurants. The more of the fast food you consume the more your body depends on it. Caffeine is another unhealthy item. Mostly everyone drinks soda, tea or drinks with caffeine in it. Rather than drinking a healthy juice, milk, or water. Schools play a role in this society matter. School lunches are being unhealthy and the use of PE classes are limited. Although, I believe it’s a personal problem as well because I feel as if you can control what you eat. You know if somethings unhealthy or not. Aboogie005
I agree with this statement. There are environments that are hard to live around and be healthy at the same time. Yes it can be a personal problem but a lot of times it is the surrounding environment that one lives in. Being healthy is a choice, but if someone is surrounded by all fast food places and that is their only option at times, it is easier to go pick up something that is unhealthy versus healthy. bball005
I feel like most situations are hard to decide if they are personal or social issues. Eating unhealthy food can be a personal choice unless your economic status has a huge impact on the food you can and cannot buy which then I feel like it’s more of a social issue. The prices of certain foods does stop people from purchasing whether it’s healthy or not. For example, a salad on the Mcdonald's menu typically cost more than a double cheeseburger. Like the video stated, the amount of money in your pocket, influences the food that you will buy. People definitely want more for they’re buck so if they can get the 4 for $4 at Wendy’s, I’m pretty sure they’ll purchase that instead of one bag of apples for $4. It definitely can be both a personal and a societal issue, considering if your financial situation has an impact on it or not. Prices of healthy foods should be lowered considering that obesity may be a problem in our society. I know it takes a lot more than just saying it should be lowered but if obesity is such a huge problem, why are they just expecting one to exercise to overcome? Exercising is definitely a good way to stop obesity as well but maybe it wouldn’t seem like the only option if the food was in a good price range for those who usually can’t afford it. -Pizza005
I agree with you that it is hard to decide if a situation is a personal or social issue. Yes, a salad does cost more than a cheeseburger at McDonalds i find that so strange to actually think about that. That our foods we buy if they are healthy are significantly more expensive rather than the greasy cheeseburger and fries. It is almost as if America wants the society to be obese. It does take a lot more than just saying the prices should be lowered on the good foods. I agree that obesity could be stopped if it was affordable for everyone. elephants005
I definitely agree with you on the point you made about people tending to choose the cheaper food option over the healthier one. I just started renting a house on the south end and I’ve noticed an abundance of cheap, unhealthy fast food restaurants near my house. I live in a very poor area of the city, so it makes sense that restaurant corporations would target the poor population with their unhealthy food that was cheaper to produce than using wholesome, healthy ingredients. Obviously, someone with a low income is going to choose the unhealthy meal that is $2 rather than the healthy meal that is $10 or more. Economical status seems to affect us more than we realize. lasagna005
Honestly, obesity is a public issue and a personal issue. It is a public issue because they advertise unhealthy foods on TV with commercials’. Then some people want to go and try it, if it turns out they like it, they will keep eating it. Then your body will start to depend on that food. Schools should make their lunches more portioned and healthy. They should also be having longer physical education classes, so you can get in the exercise that you need. Make healthier food not as expensive. Why is fast food cheap? That is why people chose it over healthy foods. It is also a personal problem because you control what you put into your mouth. You also control the amount you consume. You must have the right mindset when it comes to eating. If you see that you are gaining a little bit of weight, it is okay, but if you do not like that then it is all up to you on how you decide to make that change. Who cares what people say if you go out with you family or even friends and order something healthy, that is totally okay. You are making yourself better by making better decisions. -Dance005
Obesity can be a personal or a social issue. If people are surrounded by fast food then that is most likely what they are going to eat. Depending how successfully you are also has an effect on obesity. Heathy food tends to cost more in stores or in food places versus fast food tends to be cheap so people save money when getting fast food. I believe that if people really wanted to make a change then the healthy food prices need to drop. If it was not so expensive to by, then i believe that more people would be willing to purchase healthier foods. Fast food is and easy quick way to get food into your system. Therefore, i feel that this is one of the main reasons why their is obesity. If you are in a hurry and hungry, you know that you can stop by somewhere and get something fast to eat and still make it whereever you need to go on time. bball005
I agree with you, obesity is both a personal and public problem. There are many things that can be reponsible for obesity but when being related to sociology, cultural food preferences, social norms being a couple of causes. When related otherwise, like you said, just what is available to a person being another cause. A family and a recipe passed down for centuries may be 2,000 calories and eaten 3 times a week may be a factor. If younger and you cant cook on your own, of course you are going to eat it because it's what is provided for you. Same thing with for an example, McDonalds. You may be hungry and there could be a vegetarian spot across the street from McDonalds. If you only have $5 on you and at the vegetarian spot, you can have a crepe for $4.97 versus at McDonalds, you can have 2 McChickens, a small fry and a large drink for $4.97, what are you going to chose? It is a problem that hundreds or more people face at anytime of the day everyday. What is more available and preferred is going to be what you choice. PurpleHearts005
In the video, the lady introduces social imagination, a concept made up by C Wright Mills. He states that it is made up of history and biology which makes up the relationships between the two within society. She explains that he felt that to understand ones self, you must have to understand the distinction between ones troubles and a public issue. She starts going into an example of one going to a special occasion and what one eats at that function, debating whether or whether it isn't a personal or public issue. A person who is usually at a family function of some sort, typically eats unhealthily during the time there. Is it a personal or public issue? In my opinion, it is simply a personal issue. I'm sure that you have been to a familial or even a friendly function of some sort before. What do you usually eat? It's the superbowl, you're having a party at your house, what are you going to feed your guests? It doesn't matter what is provided at the party or function. It becomes a personal problem when the individual chooses something unhealthy versus eating what is provided that is healthy. That's when we go into societal norms and cultural food preferences. I'm not going to serve a salad at a superbowl party, societal norm. Everyone coming in my family, grew up eating fried chicken and Rotel dip so that’s what I'm going to provide, cultural and traditional preferences. What one is provided with, doesn't matter, it's what they do with it. It isn't a public issue until everyone is affected. Kind of think of it as being similar in a way to macro and microeconomics. PurpleHearts005
Beginning with the first question at the end of the video “what is another personal trouble that has social factors that contribute?” Anxiety is a personal trouble that has social factors I believe. A person can have anxiety about anything. Women are most likely to suffer an anxiety disorder rather than men. Millions of people are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The second question was “how social structures contribute to social problems?” Social structures can contribute to social problems by someone not being able to work with certain people. With a social anxiety disorder it is hard to work with people and work with others in the community. Even if a person had autism it is very hard for someone as a boss to understand that they can’t help the twitches or speech impediment they have. Some autistic people are very smart just sometimes don’t sound as smart and going into a job interview can make that very hard for them. The third question “how does the sociological imagination help us examine human behavior?” The sociological imagination definition is “think yourself away from the familiar routines of everyday life and look at them from an entirely new perspective.” It helps us examine human behavior because we all should look at everything with a new perspective. Most people have the same routine during the week, get up for work/school, shower, brush your teeth, get ready and go. That is a very broad example but it’s a general idea. If we think about getting up every morning and going surfing because that’s when the waves are the best then going to work or school. That is the normal everyday life for someone who is a surfer or who lives in Hawaii near the ocean. It gives us a different perspective on our average routine. Maybe if everyone thought about a different routines others might have. elephants005
I believe the line between personal issues and public issues are blurred, because the video talks about obesity; obesity is a personal problem due to the fact it is one person’s body and it is affecting them. Society likes to make it there problem by bringing it up and talking about numbers of children that are obesity but in actuality they don’t care because if there so concerned they would lower the prices for healthy foods and raise the price of fatting food thus making it accessible and affordable for people who would like to eat healthy but cannot afford it. Everything starts out as a personal issue, but when it is made interesting is when society labels it as a “public issue”. I’m a strong believe in doing what makes you happy and if being obese is not a problem to the person that is happening to then society should not make it a big deal. You can’t force someone to change their eating habits, they have got to want it for themselves, society can criticize people for eating “junk”, but are they going to stop selling it? The answer is no, because that’s how they money. No one can complain about a problem when they have done nothing to become a part of the solution.MelaninQueen005
You have a good point when you said "Everything starts out as a personal issue, but when its made interesting is when society labels it as a “public issue”." i agree i feel like people just want to start complaining about it because everybody is, just to have something to say about it. What can you really say about somebody if like you said your not helping the solutions stop criticizing people if your not going to try and help them get access to a gym or fresh foods. KYW005
I believe you have made a valid point with the pricing of healthier food. Recently I have realized that the nation have complained of the high obesity rate, but has done little to make healthy obtainable. For example, recently, due to the recent Obama incentive created by our former First Lady Michelle Obama, healthy vending machines replaced our old school’s vending machines. What we thought we be a great convenience turned out to be an inconvenience. This was due to the prices differences, which made it hard for the students to stay active and motivated, because of the old vending machines be deactivated during the school day.
A personal trouble in this world is technology. I would say I spend about half of my day on my cell phone whether it's sending a text message and email or if it's checking a social media account. When I get on Facebook and Instagram I see fights, I see drugs, riots caused by political views or racism, I see young girls dressed in provocative clothes. Society today is based off of so many negative aspects. Social media makes it super easy for people harass one another. The world today compared to ten years ago has complexity changed. You see that society has a certain criteria that we are suppose to follow. If you listen to a certain music you are expected to act a certain way. If you wear too much makeup, or not enough you are labeled. However technology makes so many things much simpler such as travel, finding jobs, communication (ect) I think obeisity is a personal and social problem. Growing up as a girl, I was always self conscious about my weight. I saw on Facebook and magazines that pretty girls were skinny and I had this idea that I had to be a certain weight to be worth something. Its a personal choice to allow yourself to become overweight, and it is a personal choice to excessive and have a healthy diet. I think personal mindset has the biggest effect on the decisions we make, but society and whapeople tell us is "right" can alter someone's thoughts and total lifestyle chi005
Technology is also a personal issue no one forces people to run straight to technology. It's a choice just like eating to much. However if we teach our kids, family and friends that its okay to do things the old way then they will. Even though it maybe time consuming its logical. We also need to draw ourselves and the people around us away from those things that only give off negative. However you do have valid points. 12mc005
I agree with you that technology is a personal problem, but couldn’t it fall under a public issue? We have a 1001 commercials and radio ads about the best and better phone or gadget that makes you want to get it. Society and the public have completely wiped out the thought of paper as now that everything is digital. I agree but also disagree. Some places like schools have went digital for everything. Examples are “Check your email for this.” or “Go watch this and tell me about it tomorrow” How could be a personal problem if the whole world revolves around it? Dollar005
The video touched on the issue of exercise in society and I completely relate to the things they were saying. Before I found my friend, I hated going to the gym. It was smelly, boring, and uncomfortable. However, my friend and I made a pact over the summer and we both encouraged each other to go to the gym and exercise. This outside motivation helped us both commit to our goals of becoming healthier people and in turn, inspired some of our other friends to get active as well. Our individual actions showed others how easy it was to work on your fitness. This new habit brought weight loss, increased happiness, and more time spent with our friends. My friend and I exercising is a situation in which our individual actions impacted and influenced a community of people. Sociology is a subject that studies how actions influence society, so our situation could be used as an example of how what everyone does affects everyone else as well. Whether it’s exercise, study habits, or what you eat, what you do could give someone else an idea about what they should be doing with their lives. We all impact each other even if we don’t realize it. lasagna005
Of course, its easier to get a 5-dollar meal from McDonalds than to run in the store and get a bag of apples and end up paying more for it. Obesity is a personal and society problem because look how expensive healthy food is. How are people going to criticize obesity people when the prices are way to high. The people that are doing the criticizing should be getting out here and start building some fresh gardens maybe, or what about donating fresh food and veggies to the areas who cant afford it. Obese people don’t have to go the gym to try and get fit there’s walks around the blocks, portion control, fat free foods and lower sodium also lower fat percentage in the foods. As I mentioned earlier of course its cheaper to get a full meal for 5 dollars I don’t see any stores offering deals on the healthier food. I might be wrong but I feel like it’s cheaper to grow the fruits and vegetables then when it comes to selling it they up the prices way past a 5 dollar profit. So tell me how its possible to eat healthy when you’re on a low income or don’t have the resources. So before we criticize from a society view let’s start making programs and coming up with ways to help these people who need it. From an obese person POV there are measures we can take on our own as well before we blame others. KYW005
Is this video saying that all of our personal issues are somehow stimulated by outer issues and vice versa? Do sociologists believe that the two coincide with each other? And if so, why isn’t this knowledge broadcasted so that our societal issues are fixed? It’s very interesting to think about how much our surroundings affect us. I understand exactly what this video is talking about, because I tried to stop eating meat and eat healthier but my family wasn’t jumping on that bandwagon. It lasted about 4 months, and during my clean eating I would have to cook an entirely different dinner than everyone else and while we would eat I would feel almost…out casted. My family would playfully tease me about how I only ate “twigs and leaves” because I was vegetarian and even though I knew they were kidding it made me mildly insecure. Even though I knew I was making the more health-conscious choice, seeing all of the food they were eating made me miss that food too, so I stopped. Now it feels as if it’s even harder to start eating clean and healthy again because I feel mentally defeated because I let temptation get the best of me. Crazy how that works. Puppies005
I agree that it can be a personal and society problem it depend on how people are taught. In most homes parents are quick to buy fast food and unhealthy foods to get the kids out the way. Sometimes it has to do with the income of what the family can afford. So you have a person with three kids living on a minimum wage job they won't be adapt to figure in healthy foods. Their looking solely at getting by. Health conscience people take the time out because they fear what may happen do to poor eating habits. In society they make people feel if you're not skinny or slender then you're automatically out of shape. In reality some people can eat right and exercise and still be considered over weight and I believe that's because of their genes. I think it need to start in homes and schools should also have a healthy lunch for kids. And again some parents are so lazy and would rather not deal with the kids so they allow them to just eat whatever they want. Obesity can be very dangerous and deadly. 12mc-005
I believe the video isn’t hitting on any real personal problems. The obesity subject to me would be a personal problem. Everyone knows what to eat and what not to eat. There isn’t anyone there holding the food in front of them and making them eat it. It is simply by choice. The fact that people call it a public issue is because they’re the people talking about it as if it was a public issue. We praise others across television for being their own size may it be obesity or not and that Is where the public issue comes from. We have shows like “My 600lbs Life “and all these other shows that show obesity. Why put it on show if it is such a public issue? The person and/or people in the show choose to do this to themselves. Like in the video it is not always about your choice. Finance and peers play an important role in the weight of a person. Across America we have fast food places who will charge $1 for a cheeseburger and $5 for a chopped salad. Some people can’t afford the $5 salad so they settle to feed themselves on the $1 cheeseburger. I work at a place that does exactly that. We will charge $8 for a steak meal and $11+ for a salad meal. How Is someone supposed to eat healthy if they are almost forced to buy the cheap meal to satisfy their stomach?
I believe the video isn’t hitting on any real personal problems. The obesity subject to me would be a personal problem. Everyone knows what to eat and what not to eat. There isn’t anyone there holding the food in front of them and making them eat it. It is simply by choice. The fact that people call it a public issue is because they’re the people talking about it as if it was a public issue. We praise others across television for being their own size may it be obesity or not and that Is where the public issue comes from. We have shows like “My 600lbs Life “and all these other shows that show obesity. Why put it on show if it is such a public issue? The person and/or people in the show choose to do this to themselves. Like in the video it is not always about your choice. Finance and peers play an important role in the weight of a person. Across America we have fast food places who will charge $1 for a cheeseburger and $5 for a chopped salad. Some people can’t afford the $5 salad so they settle to feed themselves on the $1 cheeseburger. I work at a place that does exactly that. We will charge $8 for a steak meal and $11+ for a salad meal. How Is someone supposed to eat healthy if they are almost forced to buy the cheap meal to satisfy their stomach? Dollar005
When first observing this video I attempted to create a definition of “sociological imagination”. I originally thought it meant an imagination based upon a sociological perspective that drives its creativity to create sociological theories, but after watching this video I have gain knowledge of the true definition. When watching this video, I noticed that the subject of unemployment had come up, which is something that I believe has taken a toll on society. I say this due the experiences I have encountered. As i have come from a high poverty environment, I have witnessed a lot of individuals who are unemployed, but I have recognized a bigger issue. When not having a job, you have to ask yourself: can this individual not obtain a job, because he or she is seen as a candidate who is not qualified or is it because he or she simply does not want to be employed? I believe what commonly is seen as a general unemployment is very false. “Unemployment” refers to individuals who want to be employed but is not. I find this to be a problem, because it then impacts everyone. Especially when people decide to manipulate federal assistance, such as public aid. This is done by people not working a lot or at all to receive a substantial amount of assistance. This displays how unemployment is a person and societal issue.
I agree with what you are saying. I also believe that in a lot of cases, people try to find jobs. They apply and apply and apply and do everything they can to get a job, but then when they don’t get one by the time that they expected to, they get discouraged and keep trying but don’t expect much. And eventually that leads to them just giving up and accepting that they aren’t going to get a job. It’s a problem, both personal and for society as a whole. If the economy were better it would solve the personal aspect of it by giving people jobs, and it would solve the problem in society because unemployment rates would drop. lucy005
Obesity stems as a social issue but can turn into a personal issue. If a child is raised living off of a fast-food diet, there is a very good chance that same child will continue eating fast food in their later life. This is also when it turns into a personal problem though. When you are an adult, you have your own freedom to eat healthier and break the bad habit of fast-food. This seems simple at first glance but there are so many factors that play into this. Fast-food is well known to be affordable, easy to acquire food. If all a struggling parent can afford for his/her family is a cheeseburger from McDonalds, what else would that parent pick? Parents just want to provide for their child, and will do so no matter what. If healthy foods were cheaper to get, maybe obesity wouldn't be as large as a problem as it seems to be today. Simply slapping an organic tag on an apple seemingly triples the price. This could be perceived as a social issue and it may well be. In perfect conditions, were one has the ability to choose whatever they eat, then it would become a personal issue of what to eat. An issue of self-control and to fight against the feelings of self indulgence. Acer005
I feel that personal issues aren’t always public issues, but public issues are usually personal issues. If you live in a run down neighborhood where all the houses are rundown and all of the other house’s outsides look like crap, chances are you wouldn’t be concerned about how your house looks. On the other side of that if you lived in a nice neighborhood and your house looked like crap, you would probably give a crap about how your house looked. Humans seem to be in a competition with each other. I remember hearing about the Native American potlucks where the tribe that sacrificed the most stuff wins. So, say one tribe paddles 12 canoes and sinks them and the other paddles 13 out and sinks them they win. I think people need to take a breather and stop getting so worked up of dumb crap. Paddle005
The fact that we spend $147 billion on obesity related health issues really shocked me. I think it’s extremely ridiculous. I feel as though obesity is more of a personal problem, but because the persons involved don’t care or whatever the case may be, it’s became a problem for society. Everyone chooses what they eat and what they don’t. It isn’t society’s fault that someone is obese because they eat McDonald’s three times a day rather than buy groceries and cook at home. When you look at the price tag it may appear to be cheaper to do so, but buying groceries and eating at home is cheaper in the long run. And the more unhealthy choices may be more than the healthier ones and for some people that could be a problem, but there are always alternatives that are both cheap and healthy. lucy005
When the video was giving an example situation at the family picnic, isn't it still a personal problem when choosing to eat the unhealthy food? The voice over was saying that it wasn't because of how your family would react to you not eating. Isn't that still personal because your fear of judgement is why you eat the junk food, and not your family holding you at gun point until you try the potato salad. I can see how 35 percent of the population being obese is a public issue for the nation, but isn't your own obesity your own issue? Another question I have is how big does the issue have to be for it to be considered a social issue? If all of the farmers in Illinois produce bad crops would that count as a social issue, or would it have to be all of the farmers in the northwest, or all of the farmers in the nation? I’m assuming that there’s no limit to how big it can be, but what is the minimum? Also, why imagination? I know that question sounds stupid, but this doesn’t really cover pretend issues. My last question (I’m sorry about all of the questions) is: do personal activities count as social issues if they affect other people? Like Aaron Shock and the tax fraud for example, that would be a social issue because it affects our society, right? Spoopy005
ReplyDeleteChoosing what to eat at a certain function is a personal choice and if you are overeating or overweight does make this a personal problem. This being a public issue is not by what you decided to eat but how the problem has begun to affect the society you live in. The situation has reached the point where others in our society are noticing the health issues of those with this problem. Perhaps companies in the community are noticing that many of their employees are unable to complete certain tasks due to illness caused by the health issues caused by obesity. When the issue is affecting a percentage of the population of the community, perhaps people we know and care about, isn’t this big enough to begin to be a social issue? Regardless of the size of the problem, it is still a problem that is affecting either oneself or the society in which we live. Just Imagine what the results could and would be if we did not take notice of the problem and try to work on a solution. Seoulman005
DeleteIn the video, the lady implies that it is not entirely in our control, but she isn’t saying that we are mind controlled into eating unhealthy things at family gatherings. It is more a matter of probability, and the ways in which societal norms and rules that have been established over the years contribute to skewing that probability in favor of or against any given outcome as well as how choosing any given path either negatively or positively reinforces or undermines those norms. Ultimately, it is all connected, and while you may feel like you have complete autonomy and power over your decisions, virtually every aspect of your life suggests otherwise. Your decision to wear clothes to school, style your hair a certain way or not at all, to use the internet, to take this class, to eat what you eat, to say the things you say, to speak the language you speak, there are millions of variables that make up who you are that you either had no say in whatsoever, or you feel as though you had a say in but really you were nudged strongly in that direction by societal pressures. None of us are completely autonomous to the point where it makes sense to ignore societal pressures as a variable in determining one’s actions. You asked “isn’t your own obesity your own issue” and the answer to that is no actually. Assuming you’re a part of society, one’s obesity is significant enough that it affects the people and establishments around you emotionally, financially, and I suppose if you’re big enough, even spatially. Then of course when extrapolated out to an entire population, which is really the only practical and realistic way to look at the issue, it becomes a very serious problem. In regards to your questioning of the use of “imagination”; I think they use this word because it is often extremely difficult to ascertain the underlying causes of certain social issues. I imagine it is a lot like theoretical physics in the sense that we know there are definitely answers out there to the questions we have, but we are unsure what they are and in many cases, even unsure what questions to ask in the first place to even begin unraveling the mystery of X or Y problem. Much like a very strong and efficient imagination is required to succeed in the field of theoretical physics (just research Einstein a little and you’ll find he was extraordinarily imaginative, which is what allowed him to figure out relativity) it is also required to do any serious progressive work in sociology. Poet005
DeleteI agree strongly on the overall of your post, if you go to a family function and eat something that you know you wanted to stay away from than you wanted it more than you thought. I can only say you don’t have the choice when something is not offered. If I go to a vegetarian party but I’m not vegetarian no big deal I’ll have a something later. But if you’re a vegetarian and all that is offered is meat in every dish than you must decide. Do I want to seem rude and not try anything, or give in to be more involved with my peers? I agree that social pressures do play a large role on the decisions we make but I do believe that we still have a choice the more educated you are the more you will think about your choices than that of society. Just because its hip and all of media and society is telling me that only the cool kids are wearing it I don’t care I am a guy and I’m not wearing pink. I also agree with your answer to obesity question, look at 2 friends who recipe swap or the same but within a family now a larger portion is on the same diet. This is just a small simple example but the point gets across health habits easily get passed along. BHL005
DeleteI agree completely that it is one's personal choice on what to eat and what not to eat, but I believe it goes further into that. Let's say that one is part of an Italian family and they all get together to gather, you're not there to eat, but it is part of the experience, you're going to get hungry. You look around and see all this Italian food and you say to your uncle, "Oh, I quit eating pasta." Wait, why? The whole room looks at you waiting for your answer, and your response is, "I'm trying to lose weight." Now, you just made it seem like who eats this pasta is going to gain some pounds and make them not want to eat that food. When one goes into the movie theatre, you could never ever eat popcorn but once you're there, you smell that buttery popcorn and crave it, why? Everyone else is eating it, it's part of the norm to eat popcorn while watching it. When one rejects that pasta, you're rejecting family norm. Although, it is about acceptance, but it is the social norms that make one act the way they do. Nobody is putting a gun to your head, but peer pressure does exist and is real. If one doesn't eat that pasta, then what do they do while everyone is eating? Watch? That's all the food that was offered, sometimes people do things so they won't feel left out and it is seen everywhere, not just at a family picnic. And I believe that each and everyone of us has been in that situation before. babybray005
DeleteI feel that sociology is the way a person see things in their on way. Looking at the video I could see how obesity is a personal problem then I can also see how it turns into a social issue. Again, we as people only do what we know and what we have been taught, so having family time with all the tasty funk foods is the norm. Your choice to choose to eat junk food is your own personal problem, but when it gets out of control and your family and friends people that care about you see that it's a problem that's when it becomes a social problem. In the video they talked about how one person being unemployed is a personal problem, and when many people are unemployed it becomes a social problem that is true because people really don't care about one person not having a job they start seeing the effects when more than a few people are complaining of not having jobs that's just the way society works I feel. We are trained to not see things or care about things unless it's in a big abundance. Cupcake005
ReplyDeleteI really didn't think about the obesity problem in that aspect. If something like obesity in this situation is caused by family around that individual, then it turns into a social issue since the family couldn't serve any healthy food. I do agree that people don't look at things, when they are small. When the issue becomes big then that's when people get behind each other and support each other. Just society needs to learn how to plan for the the future. TB005
DeleteUntil problems are on a big public scale no one really cares. Thats where i can agree with you. People have their own choices on what they put in their body and once the family gets involved in can be a social issue. To fix the problem you could always suggest to the host to put in some healthier options or suggest anything to help the issue. A lot of problems are more personal i feel, because everyone has their own choice on the matter. The social aspect can play a role, but you as an individual will have the last call. Mustang005
DeleteBeing able to differentiate whether your situation is personal or social can be hard to decipher if you don’t understand the relationship between self and society. That was redundant. When your situation revolves solely around you then you are the one suffering this problem, but as the problem begins others in your society it becomes a public problem. When something is causing you to worry what is the first response that comes to mind? Find what is causing the problem and decide what to do to relieve the situation. When the situation affects others in your community, the usual response is that this is now a public issue and must now be resolved for everyone’s benefit. I think that both examples used in the video were trying to help better understand how the relationship between self and society plays out in our everyday lives. Being able to determine if the situation is of the self can help you make the decisions that will, eventually, obtain the results that YOU desire. When it is societal you begin to look at how is this affecting you in general with regards to those around you. Another personal trouble could be being homeless. Without a place to live you are facing a personal problem. However, there are so many people living homeless that this has become a public issue causing nationwide concern. With this in mind, using the sociological imagination we can see how the community rallies to assist those who are unable to alleviate the problem. We begin to see our community work together to resolve the issue without causing other issues to arise. Observing the social structures, as they are called in the video, could be as simple as the neighborhoods in which problem has affected the most people. Determining if the employment rate has caused many to lose their homes or if the neighborhoods are deteriorating with neglect or misuse. Being able to discern whether it is a lone situation or something that affects more of the community will help to resolve the problem. I think that sociological imagination is used to aid in distinguishing personal problems from public problems. Seoulman005
ReplyDeleteTo answer if obesity is in our personal control, I believe it is a mixture of both personal and public control. I feel like during big events like weddings and even birthdays. You don't want to be the person who isn't eating whatever food they have. Some people look at that as being rude towards the host. While other people could give that person weird looks and wonder, "why isn't this person eating?" So in a way it is still your decision to eat whatever food they are serving if you want. But the public aspect of it, if you choose to eat or not could always change their opinions. But getting exercise could also be the same thing, some people might look at you and think you are dealing with obesity and think you should work out. While others think the opposite. That the sizes of individuals doesn't even come to mind. So they wouldn't even pay attention to that person. This is why figuring what is a personal problem and even a public problem can be very confusing and it seems everyone could have their very own opinions. But the world does care about how people look and that includes the size of that person. TB005
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with this. At the end of the day, it it your decision to eat whatever you want. Whatever you put in your stomach, is completely up to you. Exercise does help. There are people who just eat and eat and eat whatever they want and don't do anything about it. Then there are people who eat and eat whatever they want but they still get a lot of exercise in. What if that person cant lose weight? They may still get judged which is very tragic. It shouldn't be that way. Weight shouldn't define who a person is.
DeleteI'm in agreement with a lot of the comments on here but this one sum it up best yes it's true that what we eat can be viewed as and most likely will be viewed as public and personal our society will look at a obese person and think they just don't care and want to be overweight when all along that individual up bring could play a major part as too why so many bad choices are being made, society interference effects all at one point where told skinny is the only thing accepted, now society has gone to you have to be "thick" (Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian) size and even have their rear end! Which is causing young girls to go under the knife. Makes you wonder will society interference ever stop Leathas005
DeleteI am all for what you're saying. Overeating is both a personal problem and a public issue. We decide what goes in our mouth but we don't choose what ideas get put in our heads during points of time. We see models and wish we could be them at times and turn to comfort foods to make ourselves feel better. Even though the saying is "its on the inside is what matters" but that's not always the case with some people. They judge because you're not as skinny or thick as them or they have very low self esteem and need to feed off others to make them fill the void in their own lives. Don't let other peoples opinion stop you from doing what you want. Know your worth. rose005
DeleteI agree with every one of your comments. There are some people who can just sit around and eat and be lazy and don't do anything about it. Then later complains that their too overweight. Well that's when you do something about it. Then again if you feel like your fine whether you obese, slim, thick that's totally okay. You are who you are and you shouldn’t care what people most people say about you. There’s nothing no one can do about it but you, The only thing you can do is make things better for yourself and try to meet the standards you have for yourself.Chick005
DeleteI agree with your response. Obesity is both a social and personal problem. One may see that he/she is gaining weight and that they need to change. No one else may see it or think that which makes it a personal problem, But once that person is faced with temptation from society it becomes a social problem. When you gather with family for Thanksgiving the table is usually loaded with turkey, ham, pasta and etc. A person that is on a diet may not eat much or even eat at all. It is safe to say that most of the family members will look at the person as if something is wrong or even comment on the fact that they are not eating. Why do they do this? because it is the norm to indulge in that juicy ham at Thanksgiving time. Some host may even find it rude that they are not eating. Since it is the norm to eat that ham and not to watch your weight many people find themselves with big piece of ham on their plate due to the pressure of the family traditions. Also I agree that we choose what to eat and what not to eat, and that we must over come the peer pressure of what other people think in order be comfortable in your own skin. Hawk 005
DeleteI strongly agree, people are responsible for themselves. I think that if everyone is so concerned they should get rid of all of the things that are causing obesity though. People only make things a big deal when everyone else is weighing in on that particular issue. I think that when people start to talk about obesity in America, they forget it comes in all shapes and sizes and what a scale says shouldn’t define what obesity is because someone who is tall and bigger, if you’re not a certain BMI your considered obesity even though you might not look or feel obese. MelaninQueen005
DeleteI really do like the analogies and comparisons that are made in this video. There are big differences between personal and public issues. The most questionable one to me was obesity. There are times that it can be a personal issue and/or a public issue. It becomes a public issue in schools during their lunches. There aren't very many schools in this country that serve healthy foods for lunches. That can make it a public issue. I guess obesity is an issue among children these days? I don't know for sure. From everything I see and hear it seems like that’s the case. I know Michelle Obama has made strides towards making school lunches healthier. When I was in middle school they made some changes to our lunches because of Michelle Obama (I didn't really like the change because obviously foods got more healthier). Jobs can be a personal and/or a public issue. Are you just a lazy person? That can be a huge factor towards a personal issue. There can be issues with Caterpillar, when they start laying people off. That then becomes a public issue. These issues can be intertwined. One can lead to another. PAWW005
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with that, I too struggle with finding the thin line between obesity being a personal issue and being a public issue, and I feel that for the children in todays society this is becoming a major issue. You could just be a lazy person and not feel like doing anything, but then again does it help when your going to school with the foods they are feeding you? Or when you go to a grocery store and see that a lot of the healthy foods are a little more expensive then most of the non healthy foods? Annie2016
DeleteI agree for the most part. I think it's a hard decision determining between what we can really consider to be a personal, or public issue when they are both so heavily intertwined. I like the reference you made to school lunches and think it's a really sound example. I find that in particular that's the perfect way to relate how easily a public issue becomes a personal issue; when the food our government funded schools are feeding our children aren't by any means healthy.
Delete35G005
Personal issues and Public Issues a a like in many ways in my opinion, I feel that a personal problem can also turn into a public issue causing more problems. I would like to understand self and society, and when personal issues will become a public issue. There are also benefits from sociological imagination for example If I work out all the time and I have kids that see me work out all the time then they will then begin to follow along with what I do. And as I watch the video more I begin to be reminded that healthy foods are more expencive then fast food, I honestly feel that it has a lot to do with the government, why is it that I can go to Wal-Mart and purchase a bunch of junk food for less than 10$ but go to a all organic store and spend a bunch of money? These are just a few of the things that I question in todays society. But I plan on looking more deeper and further into sociological imagination and actually understanding the study of how humans think and not only that but also why we all decided to do the things we do in life. Annie2016
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of problems going on in America right now. Obesity is one of the major problems facing America right now. That's why most schools are providing healthier food options and finding ways to help the kids exercise more or better. I see obesity being more of a personal problem rather than a social problem. As a person you can choose what your body takes in. The video talked about how weddings, birthdays, and or family gatherings can play a bad role in this. No matter what the gathering is serving as food, you don't have to eat it. You have the choice and a lot of people make the wrong choices. People are not going to ridicule you for trying to be healthier. A lot of things in this world have gone into effect to cut down the numbers on obesity and try to do anything to resolve the issue. Their are smaller problems in the world that could be major except it's not really a social problem yet. No one really finds problem with small things until they go public. Society can play a role in this. Their will always be personal problems you can face and the social aspect will always be there too. Mustang005
ReplyDeleteYes it is very true that there are so many problems going on in America right now and obesity just happens to be one of the major problems. I will definitely agree with you that many schools have went to healthier lunches. I feel the same way that as a person you can choose what to put in your body. Absolutely, you don't have to eat what is served at the family gatherings. People will not look down on you or talk about you just because you want to watch what you eat to be healthier. It's so easy to make the wrong choices I feel that's why so many fall short of the right decisions. I will agree that there are smaller problems in the world that should be made a major problem but, like I put in the blog that we as people don't see things unless, it either happens to them or someone close them or it happens to a big abundance people. Cupcake005
DeleteI think the idea from the other video that sociology looks at things as though everyone is in a play in which they are both actors and audience members is especially helpful in thinking about social imagination. I suspect that some people may have a hard time accepting that certain issues (such as the aforementioned issue of obesity) are anything other than personal issues. The reason I like the analogy of a grand play, is that much like actors, we don't choose as many lines as we think we do even if we fancy ourselves a bit of improvisation. If you go too far off-script, you're taken out of the game so to speak. I guess what I'm trying to say with that is that there is a very real, and very influential variable of desire for acceptance that is deeply seeded in all of us even down to our biology since we evolved as pack animals. People often discount this, or underestimate the significance of this variable, but it is unrealistic to discount it even on an individual level, and downright negligent to ignore it on a societal level. As such, things that may seem entirely personal such as food choice is really only mostly personal, and partially sociological, and when extrapolated to very large scales such as in analyses of populations, it is just not realistic to consider it as anything other than an inevitable mechanic of societal operation. At the end of the video, three questions are posed: What is another personal trouble that has social factors that contribute, how do social structures contribute to social problems, and how does using the sociological imagination help us examine human behavior? First, lack of or poor quality education is another personal trouble that can easily be extrapolated out into a public issue with social factors contributing. Second, the most obvious way that social structures contribute to social problems that I can think of is in there divisive nature. It is rare for any establishment, physical or otherwise to be highly inclusive, let alone all-inclusive. Therefore the creation of numerous social structures produces segregation in levels of privilege, education, finances, status, security, freedom, health, etc. Third, using our sociological imagination is really the only way to view such problems objectively and realistically. No sociological problems will be solved by viewing the issues on an individual scale such as when people say things like "well x or y group should just work harder", or "x or y group should stop eating so much junk food", etc. Poet005
ReplyDeleteThe video itself states what many people in todays society face on a daily basis it toched on the point if a person can basically control what they eat on a personal or public level, I agree we all have control over what we do which includes for adults the food we eat, however it has become harder due to all the ways the society has become when there’s a gathering food is likely to be present not to mention the numerous food chains and TV ads you see all day everyday. Most of our society is also effected by the fast paced life everyone is always on the go and seem to solve their hunger by simply stopping to get a bite of “fast food” which can also be viewed as personal or public for that matter for the simple fact you can choose to make bad chocies continually or you can opt out and make better choices to eat healthier food which is the best option and will benefit you in the long run, but when its all said in done the world will always debate with it being personal or public and I don’t think either side will win for the simple fact the issue itself goes deeper such as home meals, school meals, etc. but in the grand sceme of things you’ll always have those who choose to eat unhealthy as well as those who choose to eat healthy… So like they say “ The choice is yours” Leathas005
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video and after reading a few of the posts I have noticed that everyone is focusing on the negatives in society. In this cases I would say that the posts are responses to the video in which all are social negatives in that none of the examples were positives. Therefor the posts are becoming a social imagination as the all revolve around unemployment or obesity. Here is a social positive of a social imagination. I feel that I want to start working out to become more fit and feel energized so I start doing easy exercises at home. After a week now I have all my family wanting the same thing and we are now all exercising together. We have become more involved in exercise and doing it at home is not cutting it anymore so we start to go to planet fitness that has more resources to get a full workout. Well planet fitness has let’s say 100 members, is this an example of social imagination. Planet fitness is a very popular gym and this is just 1 branch of many. These are not actual facts but an ideal using numbers for representation. The state of Illinois has 500 branches of Planet Fitness all with 100 members witch totals to 50,000 members in Illinois alone. The U.S consists of 50 states all with 500 gyms all with 100 members to bring the total of Americans going to the gym at 2,500,000. So why is everyone focusing on the negatives versus a positive. We have all heard of positive reinforcement but it seems only negative awareness gets the attention to drive its information to the public. Media is a huge part in social imagination getting large portion of its members to get involved. How many people did the bucket challenge, which is another social positive that only became popular after was a social imagination that than continued to get even more participants. It’s easy to focus on the negatives but by far much harder for a positive to get recognition.
ReplyDeleteBHL005
The video explains how being surrounded by positive influences such as working out in groups can help benefit you. The video also states that the amount you eat is a personal issue which is true. There are other instances that people want to eat what is advertised on the fast food scale and is affecting the intake per day. Instead of a salad you decide a 500-600 calorie sandwich from McDonald's sounds better. People are also per pressured to eat more by others. People would rather stop by to get nuggets then walk into a store or make their own lunch because in today's society we always have somewhere to be. You can also get these behaviors for the people around you. If you see your mom eat a certain food every day or take you out to eat somewhere , you are more likely to choose something you're comfortable with then go out of your comfort zone and try something new or healthier. Eating unhealthy contributes to health problems such as diabetes and in reality will cost you more money and you have to live with the problem for the rest of you're life. Being in today's age where trying new fast food places are "cool" and "hip" but it might end up effecting your life alot more than you think. Its alot harder for people to digest fast food because of all the additives and can lead to health problems in the long run. I agree for the most part on what you put in your body is your responsibility but peer pressures and also come into effect with what you eat and how much of it. rose005
ReplyDeleteI agree your parents have a big effect on what you choose to eat and they influence your decision making as an adult when you make choices on your own. It is hard now a days to pick the healthy route because fast food is so accessible, hip, and cool. I also believe in today’s age kids aren’t as active as they use to be. You don’t see kids outside playing and being active because of all the video games, television, and other activities you can do inside now. To go along with peer pressure is the portions of food that you get when you go out to eat or at a fast food restaurant. Instead of eating the whole portion that is more than enough you can eat half and take the other half home or you can share with a friend. Cardinals005
DeleteYes, I also agree that parents play a huge role in your diet and exercise. Sometimes they can get lazy and not want to cook any meal for the family so, they will just run over to which ever fast food restaurant is closest to home to get something to eat. They also play a big part in exercise and activity since parents may make their kids not be able to go outside or do anything until their homework is done. Some parents do not really tell their kids what they can and cannot eat, so it makes them more likely to eat junk. -Dance005
DeleteIt’s so frustrating to know that where we live, fast food is so prominent. Look at the west coast and how much more socially acceptable it is to eat clean and go on runs and wear workout gear everywhere… And actually use it! I’m forever envious of people that are surrounded by such positivity. I mean think about it, Peoria has a McDonald’s on EVERY BLOCK of the city! It’s horrendous and quite honestly ridiculously sad. We are setting ourselves up for failure when it comes to our health because it is our society that we have become complacent with. Puppies005
DeleteI believe that obesity is a personal issue not a public issue. Being in shape or obese is your choice. No one is forcing you to eat junk food, fast food, or drink soda all day. The government should not be responsible to tell people how they should diet. If you want to not exercise and not take care of your body it’s your decision. I believe the way you live your life is brought upon you at a young age by your parents or care giver. If you are raised eating healthy and having an active life style you are more likely going to be the same way in your adulthood, if your health allows you too. If you are raised by eating junk food, fast food, and coming home watching television all day/night then you’re more likely to do the same thing in your adulthood. Schools could teach kids at a young age more about healthy living and making healthy food more accessible. It’s hard because you have a fast food restaurant on just about every corner and kids are attached to the advertisement. With more technology I’m sure this problem is going to only to grow into the future. Cardinals005
ReplyDeleteYes, it is completely up to you to decide what kind of food you eat. I agree that people should be able to do what they want for the most part. What if someones diet actually poses a threat to their own health? What if that same person has a family to care for? Would you than require that person to change their diet as to not endanger themselves for their family, or is it still their decision? I do agree that schools should teach personal health, and show how important that can be in your life. Obesity is very much a worrisome prospect in regards to our future. I do not see it being curbed anytime soon, unless some drastic changes are made to our countries infrastructure. Acer005
DeleteIn the clip, they were stating that you control what you put inside your body. So, that’s when obesity steps in to become a problem. In the video when they were around the fire they stated that someone could have a family who like to have gatherings and bring food. well if one of your family members see that you aren't eating that's when they start to question you. That's when the public issue steps in, you'll be worried about what others would think of you. America today has problems with obesity until this day. If you were to flip your television on the first thing that might pop up is a fast food advertisement which is a public issue in a different way. So how can somebody who’s trying to lose weight but every time they turn around there's their craving right in front of them. It’s hard for some people. If we had more advertising commercials and people coming together to help build more gyms and more things for people to do instead of just sitting around, the world today wouldn’t have many of these problems. So when you have personal issue that you can’t control how can you stop it from being a public issue?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on this. I believe it is a little bit of both a personal choice and a social problem as well. On one hand yes we control what we eat but we can't control it as much with there being family and friends around almost making the brain want to conform to everyone else eating. In my opinion there are many issues that are hard to tell if they are personal or community problems. The fact that food advertisements are everywhere people go it seems to become more and more of a community issue. It makes it hard for individual people to have self control over food they eat. Gym005
DeleteIn the clip, they were stating that you control what you put inside your body. So, that’s when obesity steps in to become a problem. In the video when they were around the fire they stated that someone could have a family who like to have gatherings and bring food. well if one of your family members see that you aren't eating that's when they start to question you. That's when the public issue steps in, you'll be worried about what others would think of you. America today has problems with obesity until this day. If you were to flip your television on the first thing that might pop up is a fast food advertisement which is a public issue in a different way. So how can somebody who’s trying to lose weight but every time they turn around there's their craving right in front of them. It’s hard for some people. If we had more advertising commercials and people coming together to help build more gyms and more things for people to do instead of just sitting around, the world today wouldn’t have many of these problems. So when you have personal issue that you can’t control how can you stop it from being a public issue? Chick005
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement. There are tons of fast food advertisements all over television. There are some healthy and encouraging ones but rarely. For example, if someone who tends to eat McDonalds a lot and then one day they decide that they’re going to stop eating it because it’s making them become unhealthier each day they eat it and McDonalds advertising this new meal they just came out with and is persuading them to try it, now they’re stuck between should I do it or should I not. I feel as if more healthy items should be advertised on television. Let’s persuade people to eat healthy not unhealthy. Aboogie005
DeleteIt seems to me, more often than not, the generations of today find themselves in the peculiar position of, “establishing themselves,” in a world where it appears everything - save for the extraordinary, has already been done. As a result it’s no surprise that, more often than not, we as a collective are regulating a healthy majority of our decisions based on the trends of our peer group, and falling into an endless routine of repetition. Now the question in the video is posed and explored - in essence, “Do we do anything that doesn’t affect the whole, or that isn’t a response to the actions of the whole?” I feel like this all ties in with the feeling that nothing we do is ever a solitary action, and though I want to strike out as an individualist and protest that my actions are motivated by none other than myself - I can’t. I think this video does a great job of fleshing out the claim anything is simply a, “personal issue,” and showing that even something as trivial as a friendly cookout can directly affect, and be affected by one’s own weight. I think it’s interesting in its approach to the sort of - forced continual obesity, relating healthy food costs in contrast to less healthy alternatives while mentioning government subsidies directly influencing those costs. It’s not exactly something I’ve thought of before, and I like that tie into how even your personal weight where, save for airplane and bus seats, it usually affects no one but yourself is directly influenced by your surroundings.
ReplyDelete35G005
In the video it is noted that there is division between self and society Which may us help us learn about ourselves, hence the sociological imagination. (Hehe this video talks about psychology BTW I am taking psychology.) They mentioned an person having a personal issue (pysch) vs a public (socico). In terms of obesity it may be a personal choice of deciding what a person puts into his or her body but in case of a public issue healthy food may be hard to afford. It's like buying a cheeseburger for $1 or buying a head of lettuce for $3 obviously someone would go for the cheaper priced food item. In all a person's behavior contributes to society, there is relation between the 2. Honeytea005
ReplyDeleteThis video to me was intriguing. I feel as though people tend to do more as their family have done. So I guess that would be considered as a "society". I can agree more with the fact that the community as a whole plays a role in decisions we make. For example in my small town there are a lot of young people my age that go to the gym and workout. In my opinion if some of us original gym goers hadn't starting going there the new people may not have decided to go. In my opinion obesity can be considered both a personal and society related issue with the example they gave it was the person's choice to eat all of that food but without having the friends and family around to cause the food to be there that person might not have ate that much food. I can kind of notice that there can be a thin line between person and community issues such as this. But another reason obesity is a problem is that less healthy foods are cheaper than the expensive foods. This plays a large factor in the foods that people eat causing the obesity to be more on the side of a community problem. Gym005
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that being obese is a personal and social problem. As for it being a social problem, I feel as if it falls back on what class you are. If you’re in the high class, then being obese is unlikely to occur then it would with someone living in an environment where it is more difficult to live a healthy life. The environment should come together and build a system or strategy to help it become a fair opportunity to everyone to live a healthy life. With it being diseases from being obese, that now brings the society into the picture because now you have doctors that must treat these people. They advertise unhealthy food all the time, such as fast food restaurants. The more of the fast food you consume the more your body depends on it. Caffeine is another unhealthy item. Mostly everyone drinks soda, tea or drinks with caffeine in it. Rather than drinking a healthy juice, milk, or water. Schools play a role in this society matter. School lunches are being unhealthy and the use of PE classes are limited. Although, I believe it’s a personal problem as well because I feel as if you can control what you eat. You know if somethings unhealthy or not. Aboogie005
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. There are environments that are hard to live around and be healthy at the same time. Yes it can be a personal problem but a lot of times it is the surrounding environment that one lives in. Being healthy is a choice, but if someone is surrounded by all fast food places and that is their only option at times, it is easier to go pick up something that is unhealthy versus healthy. bball005
DeleteI feel like most situations are hard to decide if they are personal or social issues. Eating unhealthy food can be a personal choice unless your economic status has a huge impact on the food you can and cannot buy which then I feel like it’s more of a social issue. The prices of certain foods does stop people from purchasing whether it’s healthy or not. For example, a salad on the Mcdonald's menu typically cost more than a double cheeseburger. Like the video stated, the amount of money in your pocket, influences the food that you will buy. People definitely want more for they’re buck so if they can get the 4 for $4 at Wendy’s, I’m pretty sure they’ll purchase that instead of one bag of apples for $4. It definitely can be both a personal and a societal issue, considering if your financial situation has an impact on it or not. Prices of healthy foods should be lowered considering that obesity may be a problem in our society. I know it takes a lot more than just saying it should be lowered but if obesity is such a huge problem, why are they just expecting one to exercise to overcome? Exercising is definitely a good way to stop obesity as well but maybe it wouldn’t seem like the only option if the food was in a good price range for those who usually can’t afford it. -Pizza005
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it is hard to decide if a situation is a personal or social issue. Yes, a salad does cost more than a cheeseburger at McDonalds i find that so strange to actually think about that. That our foods we buy if they are healthy are significantly more expensive rather than the greasy cheeseburger and fries. It is almost as if America wants the society to be obese. It does take a lot more than just saying the prices should be lowered on the good foods. I agree that obesity could be stopped if it was affordable for everyone. elephants005
DeleteI definitely agree with you on the point you made about people tending to choose the cheaper food option over the healthier one. I just started renting a house on the south end and I’ve noticed an abundance of cheap, unhealthy fast food restaurants near my house. I live in a very poor area of the city, so it makes sense that restaurant corporations would target the poor population with their unhealthy food that was cheaper to produce than using wholesome, healthy ingredients. Obviously, someone with a low income is going to choose the unhealthy meal that is $2 rather than the healthy meal that is $10 or more. Economical status seems to affect us more than we realize. lasagna005
DeleteHonestly, obesity is a public issue and a personal issue. It is a public issue because they advertise unhealthy foods on TV with commercials’. Then some people want to go and try it, if it turns out they like it, they will keep eating it. Then your body will start to depend on that food. Schools should make their lunches more portioned and healthy. They should also be having longer physical education classes, so you can get in the exercise that you need. Make healthier food not as expensive. Why is fast food cheap? That is why people chose it over healthy foods. It is also a personal problem because you control what you put into your mouth. You also control the amount you consume. You must have the right mindset when it comes to eating. If you see that you are gaining a little bit of weight, it is okay, but if you do not like that then it is all up to you on how you decide to make that change. Who cares what people say if you go out with you family or even friends and order something healthy, that is totally okay. You are making yourself better by making better decisions. -Dance005
ReplyDeleteObesity can be a personal or a social issue. If people are surrounded by fast food then that is most likely what they are going to eat. Depending how successfully you are also has an effect on obesity. Heathy food tends to cost more in stores or in food places versus fast food tends to be cheap so people save money when getting fast food. I believe that if people really wanted to make a change then the healthy food prices need to drop. If it was not so expensive to by, then i believe that more people would be willing to purchase healthier foods. Fast food is and easy quick way to get food into your system. Therefore, i feel that this is one of the main reasons why their is obesity. If you are in a hurry and hungry, you know that you can stop by somewhere and get something fast to eat and still make it whereever you need to go on time. bball005
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, obesity is both a personal and public problem. There are many things that can be reponsible for obesity but when being related to sociology, cultural food preferences, social norms being a couple of causes. When related otherwise, like you said, just what is available to a person being another cause. A family and a recipe passed down for centuries may be 2,000 calories and eaten 3 times a week may be a factor. If younger and you cant cook on your own, of course you are going to eat it because it's what is provided for you. Same thing with for an example, McDonalds. You may be hungry and there could be a vegetarian spot across the street from McDonalds. If you only have $5 on you and at the vegetarian spot, you can have a crepe for $4.97 versus at McDonalds, you can have 2 McChickens, a small fry and a large drink for $4.97, what are you going to chose? It is a problem that hundreds or more people face at anytime of the day everyday. What is more available and preferred is going to be what you choice. PurpleHearts005
DeleteIn the video, the lady introduces social imagination, a concept made up by C Wright Mills. He states that it is made up of history and biology which makes up the relationships between the two within society. She explains that he felt that to understand ones self, you must have to understand the distinction between ones troubles and a public issue. She starts going into an example of one going to a special occasion and what one eats at that function, debating whether or whether it isn't a personal or public issue. A person who is usually at a family function of some sort, typically eats unhealthily during the time there. Is it a personal or public issue? In my opinion, it is simply a personal issue. I'm sure that you have been to a familial or even a friendly function of some sort before. What do you usually eat? It's the superbowl, you're having a party at your house, what are you going to feed your guests? It doesn't matter what is provided at the party or function. It becomes a personal problem when the individual chooses something unhealthy versus eating what is provided that is healthy. That's when we go into societal norms and cultural food preferences. I'm not going to serve a salad at a superbowl party, societal norm. Everyone coming in my family, grew up eating fried chicken and Rotel dip so that’s what I'm going to provide, cultural and traditional preferences. What one is provided with, doesn't matter, it's what they do with it. It isn't a public issue until everyone is affected. Kind of think of it as being similar in a way to macro and microeconomics. PurpleHearts005
ReplyDeleteBeginning with the first question at the end of the video “what is another personal trouble that has social factors that contribute?” Anxiety is a personal trouble that has social factors I believe. A person can have anxiety about anything. Women are most likely to suffer an anxiety disorder rather than men. Millions of people are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The second question was “how social structures contribute to social problems?” Social structures can contribute to social problems by someone not being able to work with certain people. With a social anxiety disorder it is hard to work with people and work with others in the community. Even if a person had autism it is very hard for someone as a boss to understand that they can’t help the twitches or speech impediment they have. Some autistic people are very smart just sometimes don’t sound as smart and going into a job interview can make that very hard for them. The third question “how does the sociological imagination help us examine human behavior?” The sociological imagination definition is “think yourself away from the familiar routines of everyday life and look at them from an entirely new perspective.” It helps us examine human behavior because we all should look at everything with a new perspective. Most people have the same routine during the week, get up for work/school, shower, brush your teeth, get ready and go. That is a very broad example but it’s a general idea. If we think about getting up every morning and going surfing because that’s when the waves are the best then going to work or school. That is the normal everyday life for someone who is a surfer or who lives in Hawaii near the ocean. It gives us a different perspective on our average routine. Maybe if everyone thought about a different routines others might have. elephants005
ReplyDeleteI believe the line between personal issues and public issues are blurred, because the video talks about obesity; obesity is a personal problem due to the fact it is one person’s body and it is affecting them. Society likes to make it there problem by bringing it up and talking about numbers of children that are obesity but in actuality they don’t care because if there so concerned they would lower the prices for healthy foods and raise the price of fatting food thus making it accessible and affordable for people who would like to eat healthy but cannot afford it. Everything starts out as a personal issue, but when it is made interesting is when society labels it as a “public issue”. I’m a strong believe in doing what makes you happy and if being obese is not a problem to the person that is happening to then society should not make it a big deal. You can’t force someone to change their eating habits, they have got to want it for themselves, society can criticize people for eating “junk”, but are they going to stop selling it? The answer is no, because that’s how they money. No one can complain about a problem when they have done nothing to become a part of the solution.MelaninQueen005
ReplyDeleteYou have a good point when you said "Everything starts out as a personal issue, but when its made interesting is when society labels it as a “public issue”." i agree i feel like people just want to start complaining about it because everybody is, just to have something to say about it. What can you really say about somebody if like you said your not helping the solutions stop criticizing people if your not going to try and help them get access to a gym or fresh foods.
DeleteKYW005
I believe you have made a valid point with the pricing of healthier food. Recently I have realized that the nation have complained of the high obesity rate, but has done little to make healthy obtainable. For example, recently, due to the recent Obama incentive created by our former First Lady Michelle Obama, healthy vending machines replaced our old school’s vending machines. What we thought we be a great convenience turned out to be an inconvenience. This was due to the prices differences, which made it hard for the students to stay active and motivated, because of the old vending machines be deactivated during the school day.
DeleteS&D005
A personal trouble in this world is technology. I would say I spend about half of my day on my cell phone whether it's sending a text message and email or if it's checking a social media account. When I get on Facebook and Instagram I see fights, I see drugs, riots caused by political views or racism, I see young girls dressed in provocative clothes. Society today is based off of so many negative aspects. Social media makes it super easy for people harass one another. The world today compared to ten years ago has complexity changed. You see that society has a certain criteria that we are suppose to follow. If you listen to a certain music you are expected to act a certain way. If you wear too much makeup, or not enough you are labeled. However technology makes so many things much simpler such as travel, finding jobs, communication (ect)
ReplyDeleteI think obeisity is a personal and social problem. Growing up as a girl, I was always self conscious about my weight. I saw on Facebook and magazines that pretty girls were skinny and I had this idea that I had to be a certain weight to be worth something. Its a personal choice to allow yourself to become overweight, and it is a personal choice to excessive and have a healthy diet. I think personal mindset has the biggest effect on the decisions we make, but society and whapeople tell us is "right" can alter someone's thoughts and total lifestyle chi005
Technology is also a personal issue no one forces people to run straight to technology. It's a choice just like eating to much. However if we teach our kids, family and friends that its okay to do things the old way then they will. Even though it maybe time consuming its logical. We also need to draw ourselves and the people around us away from those things that only give off negative. However you do have valid points. 12mc005
DeleteI agree with you that technology is a personal problem, but couldn’t it fall under a public issue? We have a 1001 commercials and radio ads about the best and better phone or gadget that makes you want to get it. Society and the public have completely wiped out the thought of paper as now that everything is digital. I agree but also disagree. Some places like schools have went digital for everything. Examples are “Check your email for this.” or “Go watch this and tell me about it tomorrow” How could be a personal problem if the whole world revolves around it? Dollar005
DeleteThe video touched on the issue of exercise in society and I completely relate to the things they were saying. Before I found my friend, I hated going to the gym. It was smelly, boring, and uncomfortable. However, my friend and I made a pact over the summer and we both encouraged each other to go to the gym and exercise. This outside motivation helped us both commit to our goals of becoming healthier people and in turn, inspired some of our other friends to get active as well. Our individual actions showed others how easy it was to work on your fitness. This new habit brought weight loss, increased happiness, and more time spent with our friends. My friend and I exercising is a situation in which our individual actions impacted and influenced a community of people. Sociology is a subject that studies how actions influence society, so our situation could be used as an example of how what everyone does affects everyone else as well. Whether it’s exercise, study habits, or what you eat, what you do could give someone else an idea about what they should be doing with their lives. We all impact each other even if we don’t realize it. lasagna005
ReplyDeleteOf course, its easier to get a 5-dollar meal from McDonalds than to run in the store and get a bag of apples and end up paying more for it. Obesity is a personal and society problem because look how expensive healthy food is. How are people going to criticize obesity people when the prices are way to high. The people that are doing the criticizing should be getting out here and start building some fresh gardens maybe, or what about donating fresh food and veggies to the areas who cant afford it. Obese people don’t have to go the gym to try and get fit there’s walks around the blocks, portion control, fat free foods and lower sodium also lower fat percentage in the foods. As I mentioned earlier of course its cheaper to get a full meal for 5 dollars I don’t see any stores offering deals on the healthier food. I might be wrong but I feel like it’s cheaper to grow the fruits and vegetables then when it comes to selling it they up the prices way past a 5 dollar profit. So tell me how its possible to eat healthy when you’re on a low income or don’t have the resources. So before we criticize from a society view let’s start making programs and coming up with ways to help these people who need it. From an obese person POV there are measures we can take on our own as well before we blame others. KYW005
ReplyDeleteIs this video saying that all of our personal issues are somehow stimulated by outer issues and vice versa? Do sociologists believe that the two coincide with each other? And if so, why isn’t this knowledge broadcasted so that our societal issues are fixed? It’s very interesting to think about how much our surroundings affect us. I understand exactly what this video is talking about, because I tried to stop eating meat and eat healthier but my family wasn’t jumping on that bandwagon. It lasted about 4 months, and during my clean eating I would have to cook an entirely different dinner than everyone else and while we would eat I would feel almost…out casted. My family would playfully tease me about how I only ate “twigs and leaves” because I was vegetarian and even though I knew they were kidding it made me mildly insecure. Even though I knew I was making the more health-conscious choice, seeing all of the food they were eating made me miss that food too, so I stopped. Now it feels as if it’s even harder to start eating clean and healthy again because I feel mentally defeated because I let temptation get the best of me. Crazy how that works. Puppies005
ReplyDeleteI agree that it can be a personal and society problem it depend on how people are taught. In most homes parents are quick to buy fast food and unhealthy foods to get the kids out the way. Sometimes it has to do with the income of what the family can afford. So you have a person with three kids living on a minimum wage job they won't be adapt to figure in healthy foods. Their looking solely at getting by. Health conscience people take the time out because they fear what may happen do to poor eating habits. In society they make people feel if you're not skinny or slender then you're automatically out of shape. In reality some people can eat right and exercise and still be considered over weight and I believe that's because of their genes. I think it need to start in homes and schools should also have a healthy lunch for kids. And again some parents are so lazy and would rather not deal with the kids so they allow them to just eat whatever they want. Obesity can be very dangerous and deadly. 12mc-005
ReplyDeleteI believe the video isn’t hitting on any real personal problems. The obesity subject to me would be a personal problem. Everyone knows what to eat and what not to eat. There isn’t anyone there holding the food in front of them and making them eat it. It is simply by choice. The fact that people call it a public issue is because they’re the people talking about it as if it was a public issue. We praise others across television for being their own size may it be obesity or not and that Is where the public issue comes from. We have shows like “My 600lbs Life “and all these other shows that show obesity. Why put it on show if it is such a public issue? The person and/or people in the show choose to do this to themselves. Like in the video it is not always about your choice. Finance and peers play an important role in the weight of a person. Across America we have fast food places who will charge $1 for a cheeseburger and $5 for a chopped salad. Some people can’t afford the $5 salad so they settle to feed themselves on the $1 cheeseburger. I work at a place that does exactly that. We will charge $8 for a steak meal and $11+ for a salad meal. How Is someone supposed to eat healthy if they are almost forced to buy the cheap meal to satisfy their stomach?
ReplyDeleteI believe the video isn’t hitting on any real personal problems. The obesity subject to me would be a personal problem. Everyone knows what to eat and what not to eat. There isn’t anyone there holding the food in front of them and making them eat it. It is simply by choice. The fact that people call it a public issue is because they’re the people talking about it as if it was a public issue. We praise others across television for being their own size may it be obesity or not and that Is where the public issue comes from. We have shows like “My 600lbs Life “and all these other shows that show obesity. Why put it on show if it is such a public issue? The person and/or people in the show choose to do this to themselves. Like in the video it is not always about your choice. Finance and peers play an important role in the weight of a person. Across America we have fast food places who will charge $1 for a cheeseburger and $5 for a chopped salad. Some people can’t afford the $5 salad so they settle to feed themselves on the $1 cheeseburger. I work at a place that does exactly that. We will charge $8 for a steak meal and $11+ for a salad meal. How Is someone supposed to eat healthy if they are almost forced to buy the cheap meal to satisfy their stomach?
ReplyDeleteDollar005
When first observing this video I attempted to create a definition of “sociological imagination”. I originally thought it meant an imagination based upon a sociological perspective that drives its creativity to create sociological theories, but after watching this video I have gain knowledge of the true definition. When watching this video, I noticed that the subject of unemployment had come up, which is something that I believe has taken a toll on society. I say this due the experiences I have encountered. As i have come from a high poverty environment, I have witnessed a lot of individuals who are unemployed, but I have recognized a bigger issue. When not having a job, you have to ask yourself: can this individual not obtain a job, because he or she is seen as a candidate who is not qualified or is it because he or she simply does not want to be employed? I believe what commonly is seen as a general unemployment is very false. “Unemployment” refers to individuals who want to be employed but is not. I find this to be a problem, because it then impacts everyone. Especially when people decide to manipulate federal assistance, such as public aid. This is done by people not working a lot or at all to receive a substantial amount of assistance. This displays how unemployment is a person and societal issue.
ReplyDeleteS&D005
I agree with what you are saying. I also believe that in a lot of cases, people try to find jobs. They apply and apply and apply and do everything they can to get a job, but then when they don’t get one by the time that they expected to, they get discouraged and keep trying but don’t expect much. And eventually that leads to them just giving up and accepting that they aren’t going to get a job. It’s a problem, both personal and for society as a whole. If the economy were better it would solve the personal aspect of it by giving people jobs, and it would solve the problem in society because unemployment rates would drop. lucy005
DeleteObesity stems as a social issue but can turn into a personal issue. If a child is raised living off of a fast-food diet, there is a very good chance that same child will continue eating fast food in their later life. This is also when it turns into a personal problem though. When you are an adult, you have your own freedom to eat healthier and break the bad habit of fast-food. This seems simple at first glance but there are so many factors that play into this. Fast-food is well known to be affordable, easy to acquire food. If all a struggling parent can afford for his/her family is a cheeseburger from McDonalds, what else would that parent pick? Parents just want to provide for their child, and will do so no matter what. If healthy foods were cheaper to get, maybe obesity wouldn't be as large as a problem as it seems to be today. Simply slapping an organic tag on an apple seemingly triples the price. This could be perceived as a social issue and it may well be. In perfect conditions, were one has the ability to choose whatever they eat, then it would become a personal issue of what to eat. An issue of self-control and to fight against the feelings of self indulgence. Acer005
ReplyDeleteI feel that personal issues aren’t always public issues, but public issues are usually personal issues. If you live in a run down neighborhood where all the houses are rundown and all of the other house’s outsides look like crap, chances are you wouldn’t be concerned about how your house looks. On the other side of that if you lived in a nice neighborhood and your house looked like crap, you would probably give a crap about how your house looked. Humans seem to be in a competition with each other. I remember hearing about the Native American potlucks where the tribe that sacrificed the most stuff wins. So, say one tribe paddles 12 canoes and sinks them and the other paddles 13 out and sinks them they win. I think people need to take a breather and stop getting so worked up of dumb crap. Paddle005
ReplyDeleteThe fact that we spend $147 billion on obesity related health issues really shocked me. I think it’s extremely ridiculous. I feel as though obesity is more of a personal problem, but because the persons involved don’t care or whatever the case may be, it’s became a problem for society. Everyone chooses what they eat and what they don’t. It isn’t society’s fault that someone is obese because they eat McDonald’s three times a day rather than buy groceries and cook at home. When you look at the price tag it may appear to be cheaper to do so, but buying groceries and eating at home is cheaper in the long run. And the more unhealthy choices may be more than the healthier ones and for some people that could be a problem, but there are always alternatives that are both cheap and healthy. lucy005
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