The Rolling Effect!

Take a moment to think about the most valuable things you have in your life. Think about how life would be without your most valuable material possessions. Imagine being trapped in a downward spiral toward complete and destructing impoverishment with a preset snare to engulf you once you have reached the lowest of lows! For many people, this reality persists with no chance of escape. In the Rolling Effect we see that people become overcome by poverty and the enduring effect. This paper is a call to action for officials to rise up and take aggressive action to free these suffering people from the rut they are condemned to remain in except a way is prepared for their escape. I believe that with all problems there is a solution, we only must find the path that leads to success.

I am not suggesting that we establish communism or socialism, but that we rely upon our free market system to find employment and education for those suffering from ignorance and unemployment. I am going to take you on a trip by establishing a picture of these communities and suggesting ideas for leaders on how to take aggressive action.

Lets take a moment and look at what Teacher Unions have done to America

Watch the video about Juan Williams and what he believes about teacher Unions. 

There are also two short adds with interesting information. 

http://teachersunionexposed.com/

Juan believes that many influential people are being paid off to keep the problem on the down low! Unfortunately it is very hard to prove this so we can only speculate and look at the facts. In Mexico a powerful leader of the teachers union was arrested on accusation of embezzlement. They are faced with the are faced with the samp problem we are. Their school system is crumbling because bad teachers who are not teaching continue to plague the classroom with their presence. Theses teacher unions that control large mounts of money pay off some officials and with the leftovers spend them on cosmetics.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/world/americas/leader-of-mexican-teachers-union-arrested.html?_r=0&pagewanted=all

The only fact that I believe is that officials are becoming extremely negligent in addressing the problems. As suggested in the Add, America is dropping in its test scores and students are failing more than ever. Despite these facts I believe there are still good people that have the best interests and are not willing to sell out to fools that are only damaging the economy! I believe that there are two courses of action we can take to dismantle the corruption. First, by dethroning the leaders that are corrupted, those who have the most control have a responsibility to the people they serve. As they are dethroned and people voice their opinion, then problems will begin to be resolved. Unfortunately this can be a very lengthy process that can take years to accomplish, but I believe that if pressure is applied in the right areas, leaders who are not leading will eventually resign.

Second, to make a change to this system, we must change the desires and intents of the leaders heart. This can be done collectively or individualistically. As a group or community, people as a whole have a great ability to change opinions. A recent study found that if a person was placed in a room with five other people and asked an obvious simple question, if all the other respondents answered the question wring then over thirtyfive percent would also respond with the incorrect answer. This shows the power of conformity.  If this is true then we should be able to persuade many leaders to do the right things that would build up the community and the education system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sno1TpCLj6A

In a movie titled Waiting For Superman, Davis Guggenheim follows the lives of several children who suffer from the effects of a poor education system. he shows that many children are waiting for a change because they want the opportunity to learn and prepare for college. He also talks about some of the changes that are being made in cities with many problems and how they are organizing charter school and receiving tax dollars to do it. He feels that this is a possible way to escape from the power of the unions.

In another study we found that Socioeconomic Status has an affect on child development. It took a sample of different children with different economic situations. They found that there is a decreased ability to learn when there is more stress in the home and when there is a reduced ability to have or use learning materials. In short they found that children who lived in homes with limited resources and heightened stress levels, were more likely to fail in school. As this progresses, we will see a rise of those living in poverty. Which adds to the Rolling Effect.

Another Video that I have often thought about is how do leaders involve students in project that will eventually be for them. As a student I would often see changes going on in school that I did not understand. I wondered why they were doing certain things and neglecting others. I found this video from Baltimore and it gave me an idea of how to involve affiliated parties, in this case students.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/10/09/reviving-crumbling-schools-baltimore-students-join-the-planning-phase/

The National Education Administration or NEA has published many documents in the past years calling people to action. they state that out of Americas 80,000 schools one third of them are in need of extensive repair and that at least two thirds of them are unhealthy learning environments that are causing sickness and health problems. They believe that crumbling foundations in schools are giving students a week foundation in return. They call congress to pass a bill that would enable schools to rebuild and renovate where possible..

Looking at this problem we also see that there is a biological aspect. Darwin believed in the Survival of the Fittest. A study was done in Which scientists measured telomere length in children and adolescence. Telomere length is associated with aging and progressively lengthens as we age. In children with low SES they found that their telomere length was significantly longer than than children of the same age who lived in a higher SES. This shows that something is causing them to age faster. In the long term this means living a shorter life and possible having more health problems.
The
As I suggested before, These problems arise first because they lack the education needed to escape from the Rolling Effect. I have often Asked myself how big a problem this really is and how many people have some type of power to try to put an end to the education crisis. I believe there are a great number of politicians, teachers and administrators who have power to bring about change. It would only take one of them to get the courage to start fighting for a change, and I believe that others would follow!

As education begins to improve the quality of life will begin to improve because people will be better prepared to pursue better jobs in the workforce. This leads me to my second solutions to eliminating the Rolling effect. Looking at the workforce I believe that in a perfect system, everyone would be able to find productive and effective work that could sustain a decent lifestyle. However, they are in need of education. I propose that city officials who are fighting this battle such as Chicago, spend more money on educating and making jobs than spending millions on housing project. I feel that giving a man a house is like giving him a fish when you could be teaching him to fish or pursue an education and career.

Looking around the world we see that we are not the only people facing this same problem. Tanzania, a developing country, is also facing many of theses same problems in education and business. However, they are also dealing with high rates of deaths caused by HIV, Malaria and Schistosomiasis. I believe that by implementing a plan to educate and train, officials and volunteers could help make a change in these organizations. Imagine a team of teachers and qualified students who travel to Tanzania every summer and educate. First, I would send education students to enter classrooms and impart of some of the techniques we have developed in America. I would also send health care students along with pre-med students who understand about the diseases that they are plagued with. They would be able to educate about these diseases and give treatment for them if needed. Finally, I would send business students who could help small business owners develop a business plan. This would enable them a better chance to succeed and employ more people.

I believe that as we face new problems, such as the problems in Tanzania, we are preparing our students for success. We are teaching them to think out of the box by exploring for new solutions to problems.

I believe that our future rests in education. Take a stand and fight for higher standards, better schools and teachers and for justice to be brought to those who are neglecting the youth.
 
References

Bradley, R. F. (2002). SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. Annual Review Of Psychology, 53(1), 371

Black, J., & Macinko, J. (2008). Neighborhoods and obesity. Nutrition Reviews, 66(1), 2-20.

Needham, B. L., Fernandez, J. R., Lin, J., Epel, E. S., & Blackburn, E. H. (2012). Socioeconomic status and cell aging in children. Social Science & Medicine, 74(12), 1948-1951. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.019

Perkins, D., Fuller, J., Kelly, B. J., Lewin, T. J., Fitzgerald, M., Coleman, C., & ... Buss, R. (2013). Factors associated with reported service use for mental health problems by residents of rural and remote communities: cross-sectional findings from a baseline survey. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1), 1-13.

Tanzania Facts: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html

Havenaar, J. M., Geerlings, M. I., Vivian, L., Collinson, M., & Robertson, B. (2008). Common mental health problems in historically disadvantaged urban and rural communities in South Africa: prevalence and risk factors. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(3), 209-215.

All other sources are included as URL's in the post. 

The Final Countdown

Since the beginning of Robert Sampson's study, we have identified, evaluated and found correlations in the communities. by looking at these many trends, we have gained valuable insight to trends in social altruism, collective efficacy and crime. over time we have also seen changes that were unexpected but in some senses predictable. Communities are always changing, by being proactive, leaders with responsibility will be able to combine and work together to make the change positive. If people are not proactive there will not be any positive change in the community. Communities are tied to the past so long as they remember the past. Many communities remember the past because of tragedy. The reasons communities forget abou the past could be for a plethora of reasons, they are ashamed of it, they think it to be insignificant, they think that have become better than they were in the past and let pride own their ego or the simply do not feel it is part of their past. what ever the reason be, those who do not remember their past are doomed to repeat it. I feel this is the difference between the twenty first century community and a twenty second century community. for those who have advanced they have remember what struggles they overcame to progress, while those who do not progress fall victim of repeating the past.

Lets take a look at the communities that are thriving. They have good sound citizens that have stable jobs and low crime rate. They also have a relatively stable level of collective efficacy and social altruism. While looking at this I think of the community where I was raised. I knew my neighbors and their children, when something happened, the whole community knew about it and in the future took measures to prevent it. But the question is what can be done to help improve those communities that are stuck in a rut in the past, of as I say in the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Effect. Sampson proposes the idea of community level intervention. At the beginning of the semester we identified the a few way people were trying to escape the Rolling Effect. Some were dong fundraisers, other participated in awareness campaigns while some took matters into their own hands and fixed up homes for people to move into. I feel this is all good, but can be improved.

Change is a very intricate operation that has to be managed in a professional and proactive manner. First, a leader needs to be established. This leader needs to be cool and collected and have the ability to be a wise, observant decision maker taking all parties into consideration. Next, a spokesperson needs to be chosen. this spokesperson could be the leader, but the leader needs a sidekick and this is who it should be. He is not only responsible for taking care of the press, but he also needs to be completely in accordance with the leader and have the ability to motivate and inspire greatness in the followers. Finally, the third person or persons are the followers. for change to happen, there needs to be a group of common people that share the dream of the leader. The leader and the spokesperson should be two community elites that have influence among their fellow elites.

Lets now take a foreign developing country like Tanzania, a country that I am studying, and put these people into a situation where change is needed. In Tanzania there is a huge need for schooling about schistosomiasis and malaria. If two people would get together and present a plan for an individual community and be able to sell it to that community, we would see people preparing for the future instead of responding to the present. Education I feel is the key to having success in undeveloped countries. As people become more educated, we see that they make the final countdown from the impoverished state that they are in, to a state of stability and coordinated efforts to improve living situations.

The Vision

Looking at communities I agree with Sampson that each is different and reacts differently to different situations and experiences. No community will be identical to another in its response to any insignificant or spectacular event. I believe time molds communities into who they are, what they stand for and for whom they fight. Lets take for example the tragedy that took place in the neighborhood of Thomas Wortham. Thomas was an outstanding citizen that had served his country and city. He wanted to make a change because he genuinely cared about the people he served. The reason he cared for them I believe is because he served them with all his heart, might, mind and strength. His dream was to rid the community of any unlawful, corrupt, evil and hateful deed or crime. He had "Vision". The tragedy that beset him caused the community to arise and form a magnificent union that could only be formed by the loss of a hero. I believe that because they lost one who cared for them and had vision, they were united. I believe that in many communities they do not have a hero to look up to and adopt their vision. This causes a loss of collective efficacy and social cohesion in the community. Death to a hero is almost always sudden and dramatic. This combination is very effective in raising moral and enabling groups to gather and protest or look for a way to change their situation. However I believe that it is self-control and character that keep the group united and organized. those who do not exert self-control, fail to reach their goals!

As Far as my research goes, I am trying to refine my question. As I expressed in my last two posts I would like to look at some aspect of obesity, education and self-control and find a connection to how it plays a role in what I term the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Effect (the entrapment of citizens into poverty). I am still looking for research that shows a strong correlation between the three ideas. I Have also started to look into the developing country of Tanzania where a majority of the citizens are literate but they still are the fourth country in the world to experience death by HIV. If there is a correlation between literacy and education on overall health, this country would not support the theory that the more educated the people the less they are affected by an illness that many developed countries have overcome.

Rolling Along

In earlier blogs I introduced the idea of the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Effect. In my future research I wish to describe two aspects that I believe add to this effect; which I believe is the main cause of people remaining in poverty. In This attempt I realize that many theories and phenomena will be able to shed valuable light on the topic; however, I will have to limit it to the ideas that only apply directly to the two phenomena that I will be looking at, which are obesity and a poor education system.

To commence our journey I would like to state that in 2008 about 30 percent of Americans were Obese. According to to American Heart Association it has now raised to almost 34 percent. According to my math, at this rate by 2020 America will have over 50 percent of it's residents living in obesity.

Obesity Stats in America 

Obesity has also been studied in other countries. In Canada researchers found that adolescents were 28% more likely to make poorer food choices when they came from lower education communities. Also in Australia and England researchers found that children from more privileged areas made better choices to eat healthier foods (Black 2008).

As Psychologists look at obesity they have identified that poverty rates, high school graduation rates, uninsured residents, single parent households, per capita healthcare spending, per capita income, number of doctors, number of hospitals, infant mortality rates, and teenage pregnancy rates were factors that had a positive correlation to obesity (Menifield 2008). Looking at these factors, I feel we can get a better idea of the underlying problem. I believe that the problem comes from a lack of diligence to the highest standards of education. Studies have also shown that the two biggest factors of obesity are diet and exercise. As children, in school and in home, we either learn to be diligent in our responsibilities or to be disobedient to them. I believe that this also relates to self-control. When we practice diligence of self-control, we strengthen our resolve to complete tasks and/or abstain from behavior that will be our demise.

Two interesting study's shed light on child development. The first looks at a biological aspect, and the second a more psychological approach. In a study done by Belinda Needham (2012) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she found that the length of a Leukocyte Telomere, a segment of DNA that grows with age, is consistently longer in children in low SES communities. Specifically she found that children with parents that had low education levels (high school grad or lower) had Leukocyte Telomere length that resembled those of children about 6 years older (Needham 2012). furthermore, this problem, of having older cells indicated by the lengthened Teolmeres, has been shown to increase further problems in life such as heart disease and diabetes. Also, make note that that Obesity is the number one cause of heart disease and diabetes.

The study done by Bradley (2002) showed that stressful situations were more prevalent in low SES families. This supports the data given by Telomere length study because it showed that stressful circumstance, either by the parents or children, caused the aging of the cell which caused the lengthening of Leukocyte Telomeres.

Finally, We see that there are a variety of factors that affect the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Effect. Not a one will be able to give a complete response to this effect. However, by taking a multidisciplinary perspective, Light will be able to be shed on the topic and new Ideas of how to better the community and help people escape the trap of poverty, we will be able to some problems that disciplinarians could only dream of solving!  



Black, J., & Macinko, J. (2008). Neighborhoods and obesity. Nutrition Reviews, 66(1), 2-20.

Bradley, R. F. (2002). SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. Annual Review Of Psychology, 53(1), 371

Menifield, C., Doty, N., & Fletcher, A. (2008). Obesity in America. ABNF Journal, 19(3), 83-88

Needham, B. L., Fernandez, J. R., Lin, J., Epel, E. S., & Blackburn, E. H. (2012). Socioeconomic status and cell aging in children. Social Science & Medicine, 74(12), 1948-1951

Leadership = Responsibility

Sampson outlines six domains of key leaders or informants that are involved in the higher order structure of the community. As I look at those six components I find one troubling correlation between religion and politics. As I reflect upon what the Catholic, Jewish, Protestant and Islamic religions teach, I think about doing good to those around you by serving them. Never have I ever encountered anyone from any of these good religions that taught hatred and revenge are good or wholesome, but what do we see in the community of politics too often? we see that people lie and deceive to get gain, many times at the expense of the people they represent. I am certain that if politicians would think about the people they serve and forget their selfish desires, many of the problems would be resolved.

I have found that when problems do get solved it is because of a joint effort between multiple parties that have different expertise. I have personally seen problems at Dixie State College be resolved because those in power were able to collaborate with others and reach a solution. This Problem solving method I think you be beneficial to any problem that any community would face. Pay close attention to the second step because it asks to identify people that could help solve the problem.

The other idea that I would like to look at is the Idea of how differing views affect decision making choices. As most of us understand people with the same likes, ideas and social standing tend to congregate with others of their same ideals. Looking at this, we can understand why neighborhoods are the way they are. As people gather and make friends their cliche becomes more powerful because they increase the input received to solve problems. Where I am going with this is that people in influence tend to work with those in influence and unfortunately many of the the poverty stricken people do not have the means or money to become influential. So we see different views are caused by the social clique and the clique is determined by influence and monetary power one posses. 

I Agree with Sampson that this chapter deserves a whole book. I feel that the idea of leadership and elite connections is a concept that many people use, but fail to utilize it to the fullest effect, and that there are so many aspects to explore that it will never be used to it's fullest potential. I would like to look at one final aspect that could potentially change the spectrum of elite leaders. Education I feel is always an underlying factor when it come to success of future generation. I feel that out of all the strongest ties between the six key domains, education should be the strongest. What I found is that it had some of the weakest ties to the other five domains. Because of this phenomenon, many education systems will continue to fail and not meet the standards of society. So often we find that only real world experience prepares us for the future! I Believe this is true; however, the education system, if combined with all of the other five domains, would prepare students for the real world. I feel that selfishness is to blame because people do not feel comfortable to go out and make the ties in the communities, leaving the students at mercy of teachers that teach from a text book rather than the book of life experience. 

Look at this last video and you will see that at first many ideas we presented to solve the problem, but because of a common goal they were able to overcome their differences and reach a solution. Also notice a line where the leader states "We do not care what it was designed to do, we only care what it can do." Many time people look at the limitations rather than see the possibilities. If leaders will look at the possibilities rather than the limitations to a system, many of today's problems would be solved and the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling effect would begin to diminish!    

 

ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING!!!!

Sampson is a Social Psychologist that studies the factors of human motility. He finds that several different factors attribute to motility in Chicago. I agree with all he states, but  I would also like to discuss a few factors he mentioned but failed to elaborate on. First, for many underprivileged and low income families the idea of escaping the ghetto is a dream that they realize they may never achieve; However, for their children they may believe that by proper schooling and more opportunities their children may be able to escape the deathly hold of impoverishment and despair. For many people the idea of a better education for their children is enough to move.

Another reason people leave the ghetto ix because of the promise of a better future. As we talked about in previous chapters, people of a community contribute to collective efficacy. As people contribute to this collective efficacy, they become more and more knowledgeable about their surroundings. This knowledge effectively shapes the attitudes and opinions of people in that community. As these opinions degenerate into fear and anxiety about the safety and security of the community, this will make people look for an escape. This escape may also be triggered by a single traumatic experience. Included in the escape is not only leaving that neighborhood but also leaving any association or bad experience behind. As they move into the new neighborhood, they forget many of the past experiences. As people forget about the past they are condemned to repeat it causing a even greater degeneration in the new community. I believe that failure to look at past problems is one of the reasons collective efficacy is diminishing and gap between the poor in the ghetto and the wealthier in the suburbs.  

Looking at this problem from a biological stand point one phrase comes to mind,"Survival of the Fittest." as neighborhoods collapse into a crime infested swamp, only the hardened will be able to withstand the changes. Sampson showed that inner-city mobility caused a decrease in household income. I believe that this is due to lower collective efficacy and tolerance. I have already addressed collective efficacy in the previous paragraph however, tolerance for crime is increasing because the people are becoming hardened and crime is the norm rather than the exception. Thus we see that people that endure hardships become hardened to crime so that makes them more likely to be able to find mates and reproduce.

I would like to make one final remark about a very select few that escape the ghetto and make it big in what ever occupation they pursue. Some people do become very successful movie stars, sports players, politicians or businessmen and women. As people realize their talents they take advantage of them and this enables them to move up in their field of occupation.    

looking at these three situations that could be present I feel we could narrow down the answer, to the question why people move, to two responses. First, people move because of the promise of a better future or second, in response to a negative situation. One may look at the second and say if one is in a negative situation leaving it would be the promise of a better future. I argue that they are different because many people plan on living in the ghetto their entire life and realize that they will probably never leave. In this case they are not moving into a better community they are only escaping that traumatic experience. 

As people fall into the rut of poverty and cannot escape I call it the Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Effect. 

Community Health

As I read and evaluated articles that related to my two emphases, biology and psychology, I discovered that there are a wide range of issues that can relate to community. I have already displayed the role of genetic disposition in determining social altruism. I have also talked about different heuristics that psychologists use in showing trends in collective efficacy. Another fact is that Sampson himself is a social psychologist and is using his work in Chicago to better understand social order and how to fix social problems. I believe that almost any aspect of community could fit into either the field of psychology or biology in a round about way. Thus the challenge is to discover what phenomenon of community life are best described by which emphasis area, keeping in mind that different theories in multiple disciplines will shed light onto the subject.

While studying biology I have noticed the growing epidemic of obesity. As I look around I see millions of Americans attending the millions of Burger Doodles (the sum total of all fast food burger joints) all across the world. As Obesity rises, all the negative consequences such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type two diabetes rise with it. Problems that were once very rare are now more common than ever before. Two articles I found are addressing the problem of obesity. First, as the government is trying to gain awareness of the potential harm  obtained at Burger Doodle, they have established the idea of making on Online Health-Promoting Community or OHPC. With the establishment of these OHPC's, we have found that almost all the needs of the users can be met by opening forums where people can ask questions and answers will be given by following guidelines. Another study found that many people are open to testing to discover problems that have been caused by Burger Doodle with the top disorders being hypertension, diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart problems. If people are willing to engage in such studies, then we should have data recorder to show trends in these communities.

On the other spectrum of psychology, we find that many of the same biological trends that are happening in communities are co-existing with many psychological problems. People that live in remote places tend to avoid getting help with the problem.. A study done in Australia found that the more serious the problem and  the further one might have to travel to obtain help, the less likely to receive help. On the other hand the closer the person to a major metropolitan area, the more likely he or she would seek attention. Another study showed that substance abuse and mental health problems put disadvantaged communities at a greater risk for being infected by disease in South Africa. Even though this study was done in south Africa, the results have been shown to be valid in America.

As we look at these different problems in the communities I believe that we will find shocking trends. In some cultures certain practices have become normal such as the American tradition of eating at Burger Doodle because we have become lazy and wan to take the easy way around things. As we become more complacent with our habits, we will find not only health problems in our communities but mental health problems. It has been proven that physical exercises stimulates the brain, so as Burger Doodle becomes more popular, exercise will become less popular resulting in the decline of overall community health!


REFERENCES

Cottler, L. B., McCloskey, D., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Bennett, N. M., Strelnick, H., Dwyer-White, M., & ... Evanoff, B. (2013). Community Needs, Concerns, and Perceptions About Health Research: Findings From the Clinical and Translational Science Award Sentinel Network. American Journal Of Public Health, 103(4), 717-726.

Ekberg, J., Timpka, T., Angbratt, M., Frank, L., Norn, A., Hedin, L., & ... Gre, B. (2013). Design of an online health-promoting community: negotiating user community needs with public health goals and service capabilities. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1), 258-263

Havenaar, J. M., Geerlings, M. I., Vivian, L., Collinson, M., & Robertson, B. (2008). Common mental health problems in historically disadvantaged urban and rural communities in South Africa: prevalence and risk factors. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(3), 209-215

Perkins, D., Fuller, J., Kelly, B. J., Lewin, T. J., Fitzgerald, M., Coleman, C., & ... Buss, R. (2013). Factors associated with reported service use for mental health problems by residents of rural and remote communities: cross-sectional findings from a baseline survey. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1), 1-13.
 

Good Communities

According to Sampson, community well-being is attributed to high collective efficacy and altruistic character but low personal cynicism. In another article by Sampson published in 2013 he states that when disaster strikes, the sociable people with ties to their community are the survivors of the calamity.

In another study done by J Andre and O. Morin (2011) They explore the idea that Altruistic Character is an evolutionary trait and we altruism is shown to a non-kin it is a male-adaptive byproduct of imitation. I understand their reasoning because they believe that altruism is a defense utilized to protect the family and defend any unwanted violations of family pride. However, as I stated in the previous paragraph, studies have shown that social altruism is highly correlated to survival through devastating events.

However scientists may try to study the phenomenon of Social Altruism I believe that there is a genetic predisposition to do good. I believe that all men are created equally good and through agency they choose to live a selfish, self-centered, altruistic life. I believe there may be genes that can influence Social Altruism and in turn that will also affect social efficacy, but people are free to choose to be acted upon or to act on.

Finally In another study done by Steele et al. (2008), they found that people with higher altruistic behavior were more likely to donate blood because of a sense of  duty to help others. As we see, Sampson's work is highly supported by evidence that good communities have a higher lever of social altruism.



REFERENCES

ANDRÉ, J. B., & MORIN, O. O. (2011). Questioning the cultural evolution of altruism. Journal Of Evolutionary Biology, 24(12), 2531-2542

Sampson, R. (2013). Survival of the sociable. New Scientist, 218(2916), 28-29.

Steele, W., Schreiber, G. B., Guiltinan, A., Nass, C., Glynn, S. A., Wright, D. J., & ... Garratty, G. (2008). The role of altruistic behavior, empathetic concern, and social responsibility motivation in blood donation behavior. Transfusion, 48(1), 43-54

How Well do you Agree with your Neighbors?

Collective Efficacy, A complex term used to describe the willingness one possesses to help protect the well-being of others. I feel this principle boils down to one idea. The golden rule, do unto other as you would have them do unto you. If people would live by this one rule, the majority of societies problems would vanish overnight! Because of greed, selfishness, pride and hostility, core values that we teach our children, collective efficacy dissipates and society downgrades into the horrendous situation we find ourselves today.

Sampson Hypothesis that collective efficacy is defined as the social cohesion among neighbors combined with their willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good. Through extremely detailed and precise research he shows strong correlation to a strong collective efficacy and reduced homicide per capita in the 77 districts of Chicago. One distinction that Sampson makes clear is the difference between collective efficacy and "dense social networks" I agree with him that people have their social networks and the bigger picture is collective efficacy. I also believe that people have an innate desire to trust others but because to situations they lack the motivation to make their neighbors part of their social network. People need to understand why collective efficacy will benefit them and as discussed in later chapters, meetings need to be held in order to build this collective efficacy.

In my community I know that if I see shady activity I publish it to everyone that may be affected. Having been a part of a military community, I understand what it means to know every neighbor on the block by name and occupation. If anything would have happened in that community news would have traveled like a brush fire and a plan to stop it from happening again would be implemented almost immediately! If communities would respond to crime in the manner that a military community would have, domestic violence, the most common crime in low-income neighborhoods, would be eliminated.

Studying the article Collective Efficacy Beliefs:Theoretical Developments, Empirical Evidence, and Future Directions, I found that collective efficacy is essential to the cohesion of schools. In the classroom evidence suggests that higher social efficacy leads to higher grades and healthier students. While looking at the success of students we can follow a logical path of thought. If social efficacy is high then self-esteem will be healthy and bullying in the classroom will be lessened leading to a healthier learning environment. Finally, if we have a productive learning environment, students will realize the importance of education, continue on to college and crime rates will be reduced.

I recently read an article that hypothesized that mean girls come from mean moms. If the golden rule is followed, nice will be the new cool and the places like Chicago And St. George will blossom into a community where all citizens share a collective efficacy!

Access to Sage Journals is required for access
Collective Efficacy Beliefs:Theoretical Developments, Empirical Evidence, and Future Directions
http://edr.sagepub.com.libproxy.dixie.edu/content/33/3/3.full.pdf+html

Social Order

As stated by Sampson "Shared perceptions of disorder rather that systematically observed disorder appear to be a mechanism of durable inequality." Evaluating this statement I come to the idea that misconceptions and false belief lead communities to have beliefs and biases that are in many cases not true.

The opposite of disorder is order. As we look at the effects of Social disorder, it would be wise to also evaluate the causes of social order. In the article Symbols of Incivility - Social Disorder and Fear of Crime in Urban Neighborhoods, Albert Hunter explains that wholesome public interaction is the key to maintaining social order. He shows that as hostility, insensitivity and aggression brings social disorder. He also explains that many situations are interpreted incorrectly. For example, a group of boys standing on the corner could be interpreted as being mischievous or as preparing for a friendly game of street basket ball. If people were looking to find problems it would be easy to justify the first interpretation, however; is the citizen know the boys, he or she may realize that these boys mean to break no windows in the community.

Recently I visited a small community in the San Pete county. Because the election for mayor is relatively close I asked some of the citizens how they felt about the state of the city and the potential for building a better community. I felt that many of the citizens only wanted answers to their questions. They stated that many of their questions went without the slightest acknowledgement to the mayor and the city council. While investigating further I found that only one person on the city council stood up to the mayor and asked why? The biggest question that went unanswered was why a certain part of the city was better maintained that other parts of the city. A psychologist would look at this situation and try to determine why people are asking questions and what their internal motives are for those who are withholding proper explanation. The

looking at this situation, I envision how communities begin to be segregated. As questions go unanswered, citizens look to find fault with those around them, this leads to hostility and aggression which causes Social disorder. The vicious cycle of finding fault with each other has just begun and who is to blame? I blame the leaders that denied the citizens answers to their questions.

Abraham Lincoln stated "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." I believe that these leaders will be held responsible and will be punished according to the crime.



Feel free to read the report by Albert Hunter at
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/82421.pdf

The Entrapment of Self-Pity

After showing a tremendous trend between black and white communities and their rates of poverty, crime and receiving welfare, Sampson poses the question of how do we break the gap? Analyzing the shocking correlations that certain communities have between poverty and crime, We come the realization that some communities have dug themselves into a rut. I believe that this rut is caused by what I call "wallowing in self pity." Citizens of these neighborhoods have been going through a cycle of slow growth that is then destroyed by a rapid freak event that causes them to plummet back into a state of poverty and distress. However, as discussed in chapter 5, some communities have managed to retreat from poverty and find financial stability. These communities have defied the odds and escaped from the rut of self pity.

In contrast, J,R. Flemming shows that activists do not sit around and research to find solutions. The researcher that only searches for solutions but never implements a plan to arouse action is a worthless scumbag that does not deserve his or her education! I would also say the same applies to leaders such as mayors. In fact, Rahm Emanuel, the current mayor of Chicago states that the suggestion of a gulf between downtown and the South and West Sides is a “false dichotomy." Sampson and Flemming would both agree that an gulf would be an understatement. what actually exists is an almost unbreakable barrier comparable to the Berlin wall! Only through putting boots on the street and prying with all of ones might would one be able to escape the rut, climb over the wall and establish a new life.

While studying these two articles I discovered three types of people. The ignorant who ignores the truth, the researcher that wants to help but is too skeptical of the method and the go-getter that actually helps by going to the few, and in this case reconstructing the homes and putting people in them. I want to be the go-getter!

If I were a leader I would make a plant to obtain the general opinion of the public regarding different steps I would take to rebuild the city. After learning the attitude of communities, I would make a personalized plan for each of the 77 communities in Chicago. After the plan had been established, I would inform the citizens of the plan I had in store for them. Even it it took months of going to schools, public events and social gathering, I would instill a vision of what was about to happen to the city or that specific community and how that vision would benefit each individual. As the plan was implemented, I would hire public officials with the purpose to keep morale and enthusiasm high among the communities. Photos of progress would be made public, Students would come home to tell their families of the miracles that were happening and families would begin to follow the leader's vision and pull themselves out of the mire of self pity.

Eventually Chicago would be a thriving metropolitan of industry, education, medical research and self supporting!!!

As stated in my previous blog, I have seen this happen in Italy. after a devastating earthquake, many were homeless and foodless. their community lay in rubble. However, they pulled together to establish a haven among themselves where they took what little they had to rebuild. it took time and much energy, but the mission was accomplished and they greatly improved their circumstances.

In conclusion. who will you chose to be? Only determination and hard work will do the job.

The Ultimate Community

Imagine yourself in a place as phantasmagoric as Disney Land but make it your own neighborhood. Everyone around you radiating with happiness as they live life to the fullest. However, once you pass the Enchanted Castle, everything turns gray and dingy, filth and offal line the street leaving an impermeable stench embedded into every fiber of your clothing.

Believably enough this image is in similitude of cities across America! At one moment one may find him or herself in an advanced, thriving metropolitan area, but further ahead the street, decay, crime and feculence impress upon the mind an everlasting effigy they wish to repress and never revisit. 

How do you define yourself as a person? Do you wish to help improve the impoverished community or do you hold your head high and ignore the suffering that will ultimately be the demise of those residents? Where do your values lie? 

Despite the constant suffering of many people in this situation, ordinary people can make extraordinary efforts to bring about a change. I have been fortunate enough to see and understand what it takes to make these changes. While living in Italy I saw a community come together, reform their school, beautify the park and develop a friendship that could only come from trial and tribulation. This happened after a devastating earthquake that put many buildings in ruin and killed several people. We have seen time after time, that when tragedy strikes, people unite to build a better community!   

Tragedy is all around. When children go without food, proper schooling and parenting society is crumbling. Why do these tragedies go so unattended too? 

I belong to a community that is trying to give everyone a fair chance. My community is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Our goal is to help every child of god reach his or her full potential. We do not discriminate against anyone that is sincere and willing to do his or her best! I belong to this community because I genuinely care about the wellbeing of all that are around me. I desire every community that has needs and concerns to work together to resolve problems and find solutions that have never been discovered. 

I know that real communities fight to overcome problems. When was the last time you helped someone in need? Do not walk away from a challenge, but rather face it with all you strength and might until you stand the victor! 

What Makes Us Thrive?

Over the years I have had the opportunity to experience different types of communities. From low income to high income neighborhoods, I have seen the pros and cons of each. As we embark on this journey, an understanding of our society will emerge and new knowledge will be gained.

To begin our journey I will elaborate on my childhood. I was born in St. George Utah in 1989. I realize that this may make you skeptical about my experience. Let me reassure you that my lack of years is not a hindrance to my experience and not one experience has failed to teach me valuable lessons about out society. In many cases my experience has allowed me to understand the experiences of the older generations.

As I grew up in the home of a Army Colonel I experienced the military community at its finest. In this community people were sincere and formal. I learned respect for all those around me and how to comport myself with dignity and honor. As I grew into late adolescence, my father retired and we purchased a small farm in Hurricane Utah. In this community I made many good friends, including my best friend to this day. I learned that  hard work and discipline get the job done. In this community, I can say that my family, including my three younger siblings, had really found a home. In this community we lived and felt like a big extended family. On Sunday afternoon as I spent time with my friends I could have as much as 3 extra dinners because of invitations to stay to eat.
   
As a junior in Hurricane High School, I received my first taste of a different type of community. I was hired on as a counter-top fabricator. The people that I worked with were a little rough around the edges. many were heavy smokers and drinkers. When Monday morning rolled around, the hot topic of discussion was who got the most wasted at the biggest parties. Coming from a military back ground, I was force to practice tolerance and patience in order work with these men who had different standards than I did.

After High school graduation I lived in Italy and traveled a great deal around Europe. Countries like Spain, France and Italy left me with an appreciation for architecture, while Germany left me with a better understanding of how citizens should respect their assets.

Looking again at the United States I have come to understand the role that schools play in the community. From middle income communities where sports are well funded and encouraged to low income communities where parents are fighting to get their children into the best school possible, I have learned that education makes communities what they are. Take for example the community of St. George, we have good public school system and a University. Because of the good teachers that are around us, our communities tend to be strong and the economy quite stable. If we look at communities that are lower on the social economical status, they tend to have more apathetic teachers who are indifferent about student success.

As we evaluate our communities, I believe we can find ways to improve our soundings. If citizens will work together for a common purpose, unity will commence to revolutionize the modern community and we will radiate into a thriving people!