Sandi Banna

February 20, 2022

Report #1 about Dolphin Tale

Section A

The title of he Movie is Dolphin Tale. I chose this movie because the idea of
sparking inspiration to those who feel broken at heart was very compelling to me.
Winter, the dolphin who has been injured and gone through so much pain, underwent a
tail amputation. Yet, she continued to swim freely, inspiring many amputees to follow her
lead.

I will analyze Sawyer’s socialization, because I believe he underwent the most

change, developing a social self and a sense of self throughout the movie. Sawyer is
the little boy who finds and rescues Winter.

The movie takes place near Clearwater, Florida where the Clearwater Marine
Hospital is located. Winter was first found in Mosquito Lagoon of the Florida coastal
waters.

The story occurs during the 2000’s time period. Winter was found and rescued in
2005.

Section B

I had soft reactions for multiple characters in the movie, who lost someone or
something dear to them. The characters had either lost a family member to either death
or desertion or something they valued as a necessity to their success. For example,
Sawyer, the main character, lost his father, who abandoned him and his mother and
never called or wrote to them, whereas Hazel’s mother died when Hazel was only
seven. Also, Kyle had his leg amputated due to an explosion while in the military which
interrupted his swimming career, and I empathize with him as he felt unable to pursue
his dream.

I empathize with and understood Kyle’s emotional reactions to the situations he

faced. After the explosion he faced in his military service, Kyle was injured and had to
amputate one of his legs. Before his amputation, Kyle was a swimming champion, but
had to take a break from swimming and join the military so he could fund his college
education. After his amputation, however, Kyle feels crushed and “broken” (Dolphin
Tale). He feels unable to pursue his swimming dream due to his confinement in a
prosthetic leg. Later, nonetheless, he is inspired by Winter, the dolphin who continued to
swim even with an amputated, and later prosthetic, tail.

I had some difficulty understanding Sawyer’s emotional cycle at the beginning of

the movie. He was always shy and quiet and was not very interested in meeting new
people or making new friends. He was very close to his cousin Kyle, however, who
acted as his father-figure. Thus, when Kyle leaves for his armed service, Sawyer
experiences a moment where he fears his cousin will be forever gone just like his father.
This leaves Sawyer downhearted and unmotivated to make any new connections until
he meets Winter. I wonder if his father’s implied rejection through his abandonment led
to Sawyer generalizing that very desertion and fearing that same rejection from others
who he might meet, which left him shy and scared of interacting with others?

Verstehen is the German word, translated as understanding, used by Max Weber

to express the necessity of understanding others in a subjective manner. In other words,
researchers in sociology need to understand people from their perspective (Kenton). My
subjective experience of the movie affects my understanding of the characters by
allowing me to make connections with them and relate to them to some extent by
understanding them and putting myself in their shoes. For example, I can better
understand Kyle when I put myself in his shoes and use his point of view. If I were
injured in some way, out of my will and control, causing the interruption of a dream I
forever held, I would also feel downhearted and sorrowful. I will feel pity on myself for
not being able to pursue the “one thing” I always wanted to do (Dolphin Tale).
Section C

Sawyer experienced socialization throughout the movie. He gradually develops a

sense of social self which is evident through the expansion of his social statuses and his
increased interactions with his agents of socialization.

At first, Sawyer’s social status was a son and a cousin. Most of his interactions
took place around his own self whenever he created or fixed toys and around his
significant others – his mother, his aunt and uncle, and his cousin, Kyle. Later, his social
status expands as he becomes a friend of Winter and Hazel.

At first, Sawyer’s agents of socialization were his significant others – his mother
and Kyle. Later, as he undergoes socialization, his agents of socialization include
Winter, whom he profoundly bonds with; Hazel, who he also connects with; Dr Clay, who
becomes another father-figure in his life; and Dr. McCarthy, who helps him improve
Winter’s physical wellbeing.

In the beginning of the movie, Sawyer was shy and timid. He only interacted with
his significant others – his immediate family. Later, however, when he rescues Winter
and forms a profound bond with her, he becomes passionate abouting helping her. He
goes out of his way to help Winter and improve her well-being along with Hazel, Dr.
Clay, and Dr. McCarthy. As he does this, Sawyer experiences a growth in his social self.
He improves a sense of self in which he develops a passion for helping his significant
others, including Winter and Kyle, and the generalized others in his community, all
amputees who have prosthetic limbs.

Section D

The painful experiences of amputees who go through a lot of struggles due to

amputation and prosthetic limbs cause social solidarity in the movie.
 This trend leads to social solidarity as everyone in the movie comes together for
the sake of helping Winter survive, inspiring amputees from around the nation to keep
pushing forward and supporting them through their struggles. It is both a social
movement that encourages all amputees and a change in culture as it becomes a
widely noticed and embraced characteristic.

Healthcare is the main social institution that plays a part in this trend. With the
help of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and marine biologists including Dr. Clay Winter
is rescued and provided with the care and health treatment crucial for her survival. Also,
mass media was a necessary social institution which played a huge role in spreading
Winter’s story inspiring many people, most of which are amputees, to continue pursuing
their dreams no matter what. It is with the help of the media that Sawyer was able to
create a website for Winter’s fans and organize an event in which Winter came to light
and the aquarium was saved from the risk of being sold and rebuilt into another
institution.

Section E

Economy caused conflicts in the movie. At some point, Dr. Clay ran out of money
and was unable to fund the aquarium anymore. Thus, the aquarium was being sold and
the animals were being given away to other marine houses/aquariums. However, no
one was willing to accept Winter as she was a physically “disabled” dolphin (Dolphin
Tale). Thus, with the aquarium shutting down, Sawyer, Hazel, and all those who worked
for Winter’s survival were at conflict and separated.

Dr. Clay was a marine biologist in his forties who was running broke and had no
money to fund his aquarium anymore. Sawyer and Hazel were eleven year olds kids
who were not capable of economically providing for Winter and the rest of the aquarium.

People who had better financial reaches held more power in the conflict. For
example, Mr. Hordern, who bought the aquarium had more power because he had
enough money to buy and fund the aquarium. He was touched by Winter and her
motivation to keep going which is why he chose to keep the aquarium running and
chose to fund it for Dr. Clay, whereas Dr. Clay had to agree as it was his only choice
since the aquarium was beyond his financial reach.

Section F

Symbolic interactionism is the theoretical perspective that makes most sense to

me because it suggests that we discover our social self and develop a sense of self
through our socialization and by the help of our agents of socialization. We learn
through our social interactions with others whether they may be our significant others,
reference groups, or generalized others. By being able to interact with those around us
and better understand the world around us, we are able to better understand ourselves.
We are able to better understand what we truly are passionate about and what we are
capable of doing to be agents of socializations ourselves.

The theoretical perspective most confusing to me is the conflict perspective. It

seems as if the social institutions or the trends that cause conflict are most of the time
out of our control. Our social statuses are sometimes not powerful enough to prevent
the conflict or bring an end to it. Others, however, who hold more power through social
institutions such as education, economy, or technology have the advantage of being
able to either prevent or solve the conflict. To me, this seems like an unfair concept. It
should not be fair for our social statutes to decide our power because a lot of times we
do not have a say in our social statuses to begin with.

Works Cited

Dolphin Tale. Directed by Charles Martin Smith, Performances by Nathan

Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., and Austin Stowell,
Warner Bros. Pictures,. 2005.

Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself. 5th ed., W.W. Norton, 2017.
 Bell, Kenton, ed. Open Education Sociology Dictionary. 2013. Web. 20 Feb.
2022. <https://sociologydictionary.org/>.
Sandi Banna

30 Mar. 2022

Report #2 about The Association Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity…

A. Introduction

The title of the scholarly research article I will be analyzing is “The Association

Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity is Modified by Five Domains of Environmental

Quality in U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study”.

The article’s main point is that obesity is associated with physical inactivity,

which is affected by various factors, especially environmental quality. This article argues

that “emphasis should be placed on physical inactivity” with regards to obesity and that it

“may be impacted by environmental exposure” (Gray et al. 2018, p. 2).

This article discusses the social issue of the obesity epidemic in the United States

which may cause various negative outcomes to individuals' health. The article further

examines this issue in correlation to the problem of physical inactivity which may be a

result of poor environmental quality accessible to the people.

This is a scientific research article because it is a positivist research based on

empirical evidence which is gathered and analyzed through the use of surveys and

existing data from credible sources. The U.S. Census, for example, and the Behavioral

Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) are used to gather information about the

sample population for this research and examine the correlation between obesity and
 physical inactivity and whether or not they are modified by the environmental quality.

This study is wholly based on objective analysis and includes no biased opinions but

rather direct empirical evidence collected from the experiments conducted.

B. Analysis

The authors’ hypothesis deals with the correlation between obesity and physical

inactivity which may be caused by environmental quality. The authors’ research question

is, “how [do] variations in county-level environmental quality impact the relationship

between leisure-time physical inactivity and obesity” (Gray et al. 2018, p. 3).

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2009 county-level,

age-adjusted leisure-time physical inactivity is the exposure or the independent variable

in this research question. The BRFSS 2010 county-level, age-adjusted obesity, on the

other hand, was the outcome or the dependent variable in this research question.

The findings of the study conclude that environmental quality (established by the

five domains of air, water, land, built and sociodemographic environments) modified the

association between leisure time physical inactivity (LTPIA) and obesity. The study

results proved that “the obesity prevalence associated with LTPIA in the overall

population is much higher in the worst quality environments (PD: 0.645 (95% CI: 0.599,

0.690) compared to best quality environments (PD = 0.341 (95% CI: 0.287, 0.396))”

(Gray et al. 2018, p. 8). Thus, the prevalence difference in almost every domain was

larger in the worst quality tertile than it was in the middle and best quality tertiles.
 The researchers used more quantitative data to conduct this research: “For the

overall population, the PD increases 14% from the best (PD = 0.341 (95%CI: 0.287,

0.396)) to the middle (PD = 0.388 (95% CI: 0.338, 0.437)) tertile of environmental

quality, and increases another 66% from middle to worst (PD = 0.645 (95% CI: 0.599,

0.690)) tertile of environmental quality” (Gray et al. 2018, p. 8).

The authors examined existing EQI data and used the U.S. Census data to account

for “county race and ethnicity distribution which may reflect social factors that affect

where people live and county-level obesity” (Gray et al. 2018, p. 4). The authors also

used data from the BRFSS which “is a survey routinely conducted by states and reported

to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (Gray et al. 2018, p. 3). A sample of a

cross-section of the population is collected through random digit dialing.

The sample was conducted with a random selection of the overall population and

separately by males and females with respect to the four different rural-urban continuum

codes (metropolitan-urban, non-metropolitan urban, less urban, thinly populated) in three

different groups of EQI tertiles: best, middle, and worst quality.

The research was conducted on the macro level of society because it analyzes the

whole U.S. population. Thus, the authors used the existing data of the U.S. Census to

better analyze the population with respect to county race and ethnicity and other social

factors that may affect people’s demographics.

The results of the research article can be generalizable in a sense that the

hypothesis and the findings can be extended to other societies. The hypothesis that an

association between obesity and physical inactivity which is increased due to worse
 environmental quality may be applied to other societies and environments. However,

differences in population demographics and environmental qualities in other societies

may skew the results.

C. Conclusion

In order to understand this issue more fully, it would be helpful to further examine

how gender affects physical inactivity and obesity with regards to environmental quality.

The study concluded that a larger association exists between obesity and physical

inactivity in females than males, and that a possible explanation may be females’

increasing physical inactivity due to their perception of the negative environmental

quality full of increasing crime rates. The study also notes that women may “experience

some unmeasured element in the environment more acutely than males” (Gray et al.

2018, p. 9), but what exactly leads females to such experiences. Do these factors stem

from biological and/or physiological differences in females contrasted to males?

It would be helpful to examine any possible differences in various regions in the

country on a micro level. Do certain geographic locations in the United States experience

more physical inactivity and obesity? Are those geographic areas characterized by

specific racial or ethnic groups, age groups, or social class groups?

What are the causes for declining environmental quality and how can we solve

this issue? Knowing the source of the issue of environmental quality will better help the

people find a solution to the problem.

 In order to ameliorate the issue, researchers should find the cause for the issue.

Then, they should analyze how that very cause directly and indirectly affects peoples’

lives causing their declining motivation for physical activity and increasing their risk for

obesity. How can we motivate people to care for the environmental quality around us and

strive to make it better. This will not only ameliorate the environment and ecology around

us but make us more active and healthy members of society.

 Works Cited

Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself. 5th ed., W.W. Norton, 2012

Gray CL, Messer LC, Rappazzo KM, Jagai JS, Grabich SC, Lobdell DT. “The Association

Between Physical Inactivity and Obesity is Modified by Five Domains of Environmental Quality

in U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.” PLoS ONE, 2018. 13(8): e0203301.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203301. Accessed 30 Mar. 2022.

Sandi Banna

06 April 2022

Report #3 Racism

A. Introduction

I studied the social issue of race and racism because it is and has always been a very

common social issue in our communities. It is also a social issue that I personally relate to and

have to face frequently as I continue to socialize.

Stratification and inequality are the sociological studies most closely related to this issue.

Race is one of the many categories that people fall into. The act of grouping people into one

category encourages the spread of stereotypes and prejudice thus discrimination among many.

This discrimination then evolves into inequality in treatment, education, opportunity, etc.

Minor races, specifically Blacks and Latinos, and ethnicities of people from all over

Africa and South America, are the categories of people that are most affected by racism and

discrimination.

The stereotypes that are formed about them encourage racism and discrimination which

act as barriers to their education, jobs, financial stabilities, or mental health creating inequality

among our community. They lack the opportunities and privileges given to the majority -

wealthy white people - just because of their difference in skin color, although they are capable of

the same skills and understandings.

Many social institutions are involved in racism and discrimination. In fact, almost all of

them can either encourage or discourage racism. Economy is a major factor because it is a cycle
of poverty and opportunity. For example, the Black and Latio population face discriminatin

based on the stereotype that they are less intelligent thus hindering their chances at choosing high

level education and continuing, which in return affects their financial stability in the long run.

Thus, the minor races tend to lie on the lower ends of the social classes and economic stability.

B. Micro Level

At three various schools in southern California with varying demographics, a researcher

found that teachers had different interactions with students of different races treating them with

different approaches. Teachers at a predominantly wealthy White school encouraged students to

use “digital play” as a learning tool and engaged it in their curriculum. They “tended to see

pupils as “‘future innovators”’ (Rafalow 2021). In a predominantly Asian American school,

however, teachers would punish students who would play video games because they viewed

them as a potential threat. This was because students were very intelligent and they would hack

the school system (Rafalow 2021). On the other hand, teachers at a predominantly Latino school

did not believe that the students were “‘naturally gifted so those skills playing video games don't

translate to school”’. The discrimination and racism in among the teachers who approach

students with different skin colors differently stems from their prejudice about the students. The

teachers are active bigots according to Merton's Theory. They are both prejudiced and active

discriminators. There is a stereotype among educators that White students are naturally

intelligent, while Asian-Americans are troublemakers and hackers and Latinos are not naturally

capable of studying and using technology but instead are only suited for “hands on jobs”

(Rafalow 2021). Similarly, Dominique, a black electrical engineer who attended a conference not

only as a guest but also a speaker, was asked to clean the table by a white colleague who thought

she was there for housekeeping services. Instead of apologizing for his stereotype, the man
cracked a racist joke to lighten up the awkward situation (McGee 2021). This is another situation

in which a single person individual actions display discrimination stemming from prejudice that

black women are suitable for housekeeping jobs rather than intellectual and STEM careers.

In order to ameliorate this issue, “higher education must pay more attention to how these

students actually experience college, their overall well-being, and how their professors and peers

view and treat them” rather than simply portraying and welcoming them through the media

(McGee 2021). We should also consider why many of minor races choose their “academic

pursuits, rather than looking only at the reasons so many leave” (McGee 2021).

C. Macro Level

Technology in businesses which has impacted the developing world, has also played a

major role in racism. The use of artificial intelligence has been widely accepted everywhere. A

recent study shows that “pulse oximeters [...] are less accurate on people with darker skin than

lighter skin [..] resulting in a sweeping racial bias review now underway, in an attempt to create

international standards for testing medical devices” (Chu et al. 2022). The reason AI is in fact

biased rather than objective is because “AI algorithms make decisions based on human-annotated

data, which can be biased and exclusionary” (Chu et al. 2022).

Technology here is the social institution used to promote discrimination rather than

eliminate it. It is a combination of both economy and state. According to Chu (2022), “the first

step is for researchers and developers to acknowledge the existence of digital [racism] alongside

other forms of algorithmic biases [...] They need to direct efforts towards identifying and

measuring it. The next step is to develop safeguards for AI systems to mitigate [racist]

outcomes”. According to West (2001), to eliminate discrimination in our society we have to first
understand ourselves and our history then “focus our attention on the public sphere–the common

good” for our nation and society. When we focus on the good of our nation and use our economy

striving to better them both through bettering our neighborhoods and cities, especially poor

neighborhoods, this will allow for a more financially stable and healthier community. West

(2001) also suggest that we need new leaders who can “help Americans determine whether a

genuine multiracial democracy can be created and sustained in an era of global economy and a

moment of xenophobic frenzy”.

D. Conclusion

Racism and discrimination is one of the inevitable things I have to face as an immigrant

here in the United States. At first, I did not always realize how common discrimination is and

thought I faced more of it because I was an immigrant. This report, however, made me realize

that discrimination based on percieved race is more common than I thought and something even

Americans go through. This assignment enhanced my sociological imagination because it

allowed me to see and understand that prejudice is the driving force for discrimination which is

encouraged by those around us. Not only do the people around us promote discrimination

whether consciously or subconsciously but they also promote discrimination through technoloy.

The education system is also a big game changer. It can either strongly encourage discrimination

or discourage it. Ironically, technology is meant to develop our communities, but unfortunately it

continues our shortcomings of racism and discrimination because it is enhanced through our

biased codes. Similarly, education is meant to open our minds to loving and connecting with our

nature and to understand our differences, but through informally segregated schools and

neighborhoods, stereotypes continue to rise with no force continuously bringing them to an end.
This assignment also allowed me to understand that we need to first understand ourselves and

communities and admit our flaws in order to take action and improve.
 Works Cited

Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself. 5th ed., W.W. Norton, 2012

Chu, C., Leslie, K., Nyrup, R., & Khan, S. (2022). Artificial Intelligence Can Discriminate on

the Basis of Race and Gender, and Also Age. In Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection.

Gale. (Reprinted from Artificial intelligence can discriminate on the basis of race and gender,

and also age, The Conversation, 2022, January 18)

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/NRAPMV243510487/OVIC?u=tel_s_tsla&sid=bookmark-OVIC

&xid=5cb19119

McGee, E. O. (2022). Racial stereotypes drive students of color away from STEM, but many still
persist. In Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Gale. (Reprinted from Racial
stereotypes drive students of color away from STEM, but many still persist, The Conversation,
2020, December 15)
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/RXXCQF449118841/OVIC?u=tel_s_tsla&sid=bookmark-OVIC&
xid=b6ff39e4

Rafalow, M. (2022). Race and class can color teachers' digital expectations for their students –
with white students getting more encouragement. In Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online
Collection. Gale. (Reprinted from Race and class can color teachers' digital expectations for their
students – with white students getting more encouragement, The Conversation, 2020, September
1)
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/UJKROM808604962/OVIC?u=tel_s_tsla&sid=bookmark-OVIC
&xid=5e1f0b73

West, C. (2008). Race Matters. In U. Kukathas (Ed.), Contemporary Issues Companion. Race
and Ethnicity. Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Race Matters, n.d.)
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010080205/OVIC?u=tel_s_tsla&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=3
c34b879