Thanks for a great discussion tonight! If you are unsure about how to blog, you can scroll down to see the Blogging Instructions.
Again, please type a 1-2 paragraph thoughtful statement about the following question by Sunday night and then respond to at least two of your classmates' posts by Tuesday's class.
Topic for the blog: Is social change more about addressing what people think or what people do? (Yes, it involves both... but which is more significant?) Does the answer depend on the type or domain of change (think about tonight's discussion) or the issue being changed? Provide concrete examples.
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To me, I think that social change is mainly about addressing what people do. It's good to think about making a change but then you have to actually do the thing. I say that I want to lose weight all the time, but I have to diet and exercise regularly. Making the necessary steps after you think of something, puts the thought into action. Another example, is the presidential election. We needed people to actually go and vote to make it happen. President Obama would not have won strictly on mere thought. We had to go out and get people to vote. And YES it worked! Also, We think about giving that man at the corner a couple of dollars(that we really will use on something that we do not need) but do we really do it? Or maybe we know someone who needs dinner for their family because their unemployment check won't make ends meet all the way? It's good to think of having a genuine heart but actually making the steps necessary won't get you to that pure heart.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the domain of change does matter. I don't know where I would be without technology. Technology has come from retroactive to progressive. I look at how I obtained resources 10 years ago. I had to go out and search days for some resources. Now I can sit at my computer and goggle it all day. Today, I can pay my bills on-line, shop on-line, get advice on-line from people I don't even know, and hit my friends up on my space or facebook.
Back to the elections, having an African American president would have never happened or would have only been a good hunch about 20 years ago. Look how long it took for us to have one, just about 220 years!
Social change is more about what poeple do. I say this because what in history has happened without something a person has started or done? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr probably thought that it was a problem with how the world was because of all the racism and wrong doing. He decided to act and today he is recognized as one of the prominent leaders in the civil rights movement. I just feel like anything we want to change we actually have do something. Whether its just taking the trash out so the house want smell, or taking a bath so we want smell. With us sitting in class and getting all this knowledge to share with others and helping to extend our education we are making a change. The change to make a better life for ourselves. Look at how we evolved as a society. Schools are no longer segregated, African Americans can vote, and we now have our first African American president. Change may not come as fast as we want but stick in there because its going to happen one way or another.
ReplyDeleteI believe social change is more significantly altered by what people think; thoughts always precede actions. I also believe the answer depends on the issues being changed. The issue of racial discrimination no longer seems to have a binding effect on minorities to some degree. Electing an African American President reflects that racial discrimination, although by no means completely gone; has diminished greatly in today's society.
ReplyDeleteI can easily see both sides of the question and equally agree with both Nazaire's and Ms. Daniels comments. The causes of social change are pretty complex and quite involved. Thoughts are an impetus for action and with action does come challenges, however;I still believe society has to be ready to accept a significant change...as Ms Daniels pointed out it took approximately 220 years to alter the mental perspective of those that seemed determined to keep race as a dividing rod.
ReplyDeleteI think that social change is about addressing what people do. Anyone can think about making a change, but change involves the actual doing of something. Change doesn't happen overnight. Our 44th President, Barack Obama, wanted to change things. Yeah he thought about chamging things, but he put his thoughts into action when he set out on his presidential campaign trail. 1st he changed a lot of people's minds when he was elected as the 1st Black president in American history. By him being elected, he changed people's minds because, now, people feel like it is possible to do absolutely anything in the world. Yes social change is both about addressing what people think and what people do because without the thought of change, things that have been changed wouldn't have been without the thought 1st. Think about sports and how slowly but surely women's sports are catching on. Some women who felt like they weren't being paid attention to did something about it and because they thought about chnging the way women's sports were looked at, the Title IX(9) law was formed which gave women equal opportunities in sports.
ReplyDelete"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."
Maya Angelou
First off your thoughts produce your actions, "we cant change the world unless we change ourselves"-Notorious Big...if you think the same way your actions are going to be the same way....ur feelings influence thoughts and you ur actions are derived from your thoughts...its a connection that cycles itself...nature v n nuture someone growing up in a wealthy neighborhood v someone growing up in the hood would their be a different outcome of their "life style"....
ReplyDeleteI honestly i do believe that your actions are more significantly in this instant because someone can think all day shoulda coulda woulda and never get things done it isnt until those shoulda coulda woulda's be put into action...ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS...people never know what a person is thinking are wanting to do unless the person thinking does it themselves....
I think social change is a little bit of both. It is very important what people are thinking also what they do. I guess what people do would be the more significant one of the two. But that is what i think. I was not in class on Thursday and i know that i missed a great class. I am looking forward to Tuesdays class see you all then.
ReplyDeleteKeisha, I agree with you on addressing what people do is important. You are so right change do not happen over night. Just like this social change with our new president it is going to take time for him to put into action the things he want to do while in office and it is all about what is he going to do next. But what people think about what he is going to do is important to. I guess that both is very significant to the other. That is what i feel about it. Keisha change is good and it takes time.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I think social change is more about addressing what people do. I believe you can change the things people do by changing the way people think. If you show a person that there are other ways and means of doing things, I believe they will eventually begin to see and do things in other perspectives. For many years our society has been divided by race, class, and educational status. Take Shaw University for instance, the student here took action to better our University. Dorms have been improved, student life, faculty/student relations have changed also. It only took a couple of people to come together in order to make change. Now that that has happened you can see micro level changes, which can be a starting point which could later change other major policy's and procedures in the future. So what I got out of class is as long as you have a group of people whiling to change, and know things should be changed then change will come.
ReplyDeleteMs. Daniel's I agree completely with what you are saying. Without the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., our visions of a equal society where everyone has the right and ability to be what they want to be in life. His dreams showed others that they have dreams also, by empowering a person allowing them to see that there is really hope in this word. Although it took many years later for that hope trickled down to our society. It opened up doors for our new President, which has ultimately been a major accomplishment of change for those who doubted it, and didn't believe in change.
ReplyDeleteI believe that social change is based on what people do. Yes, you have to think about it before you do it but not everyone do something just because they have thought about it. For example, fashion...In social change, fashion has changed alot because of what people have done. I am sure are plenty of people who just "think" about changing there fashion but it never gets done until someone makes the first step by doing it. I do believe that the answer also depends on the type of change that goes on. When it comes to the first black president, there had to be a big thought process going on before that change occured.
ReplyDeletei" think social change should address what people do,but most people react on what they feel,and their own ideas and perceptions of what is and what is not. The only way we can have a social change is by "doing" are actions determine the outcome. We can feel all we want but doing is going to be more productive. They are both "actions" but our feelings won't change anything if we don't react on our feelings. That sounds confusing to me as i type it but i hope you all understand
ReplyDeleteJanuary 25, 2009 9:19 AM
To all, according to our comments it seems as though we all think that change has to occur with actions. Yes, the thought comes first but thought alone do not give women rights in sports or elect the 1st African American president. I mean we can think to have a 4.0 GPA but we have to actually take the necessary steps to produce that GPA. I like the old neighborhood phrase from Ms. Donchelle, "Actions Speak Louder than Words". That's how we get things happening....through our actions!
ReplyDeleteThat last comment was from me, Nazeidre. I forgot to sign-in....MY BAD!!
ReplyDeleteYes, everyone seems to be in agreement that change is about what people do. Anyone can possess a thought about doing something, but the difference is can and will the person put in the work to make that change. Just like Nazeidre said about the GPA thing. I definitely want to get better grades, but am I willing to put in the work to make that change. Only I will know how much work I put in at the end of the semester when my final grades come out.
ReplyDeleteI think that social change is addressing what people do. IN order to change something you first have to do something.For example i would like to pull my grades up but i have to change my habits o do that.You can think something all the time but what good is a thought if you dont put it into action. Prime example President Obama thought about running for president but where would we be if he had not begin taking action so all in all eventhough social change involes both a action has more weight to it. As my mommy use to say if "if was a fifth we'd all be drunk". so to think what if is pointless without a action.
ReplyDeleteNazeidre i agree with u everyone does think that our actions are derived from our thoughts....alot of time people say man i was going to say that or i was thinking about saying that but wasnt sure if that was correct...alot of time no one knows what ur thinking about unless you do it dont just asume someone knows what your talking about or want to say or want you meant...just get off ur butt and do whatever it is that you want to do...no sit backs no hold backs...----Donchelle Florence
ReplyDeleteI agree with ms. mason, I beleieve that social change is a culmonation of both thoughts and actions, but like she said it is the act itself that allows people the ability to shoot for a possiblility. Using fashion as an example ms. mason has exeplified the belief thats social changes and trends began and end with the people who think to themselves and say "I can do it to".
ReplyDeleteI also believe that keisha had a very interesting post. Speaking about change and peoples new found possibilitie mindset led me to explore my feelingS about american W.A.S.P. who for the most part have always had the power to change, influence, and enrich there american experience by reaching for the highest figure head position in the world.(lol) this amzing sense of power was given to them at birth and developed throughout there history on this earth. I simply wondered.. Whats changed??
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that social change begins w/an idea. One my seek change and begin to outline how to make this change happen. You see, change has to be "born" in someone's mind, it doesn't just appear out of nowhere!
ReplyDeleteI was not in your class yet. but social change to me is both. it the way people change and who they change.their alot of probla=em that need to be adddress.,
ReplyDelete