Session 9

I want to write a bit about the Selk´nam culture because I find it interesting.

The Selk'nam were indigenous people that inhabited in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, they were nomadic, hunters and gatherers. The basis of organization them was the family (father, mother, children and other relatives who occupied the same territory). They were "clans" of 40 to 120 members, were patriarchal and outbred. The men of clans were engaged in hunting and make weapons, were excellent hunters and their principal tool was the bow and arrow. Women were engaged in housework, childcare, transporting and installing housing.

The Selk'nam celebrated a male initiation rite called hain, in which young men or klóeketen had to perform hard physical endurance tests to become men. In this celebration they used painted bodies, masks and the wise and shamans revealed the secrets of the tribe about ancient female domination in Hoowin (age of myths).

the arrival of the settlers to the area produced the extermination of the Selk'nam because owners of cattle ranches offered big rewards for each person killed Selk'nam. European foreign groups were formed called Indian hunters who performed extermination expeditions. Others Selk´man people were taken human zoos or died from diseases transmitted by settlers. In twenty years was destroyed a culture that lived for more than ten thousand years.

In April this year I read the news that a group of historians asked the government to recognize the genocide Selk'nam.

Favorite Subject

My favorite subject in this semester is an elective subject. It name is “Variaciones sobre cuerpo, poder y sociedad: Merleau-Ponty, Goffman, Foucault, Bourdieu”.

This subject consist in expository classes about the body from four authors, philosophers and sociologist. The body is address like the center of the existence and how this is expressed in the society and power.

Firstly, is made a reflection about the concept of body and perception for Merleau-Ponty from his phenomenological perspective and the confrontation with occidental thinking that considered a dualism between spirit and body where the soul is transcendental. Secondly, review Goffman because for this author the body is the center of social interactions and this always represent and express something in the social space. Thirdly, we only reached to review the hegemony in the historical discourses of occident from Foucault and we cannot finish the subject and learn to rest of Foucault and Bourdieu.  But we should learn Bourdieu his proposal on the body as a producer of meanings and implications of this.

I like this subject because is possible deepen in some authors that we saw and we can learn to new authors that were not linked directly with sociology but are really important.

Max Weber

Max Weber was a German sociologist considered one of the sociology´s founder. Weber wrote about Economy and his studies about capitalism; Politics with domination and legitimacy theories; Religion with its conservative Routinization and the its capacity of broke with the order.

His first important work is an investigation about the capitalism transformation of the Prussian’s agrarian structure (Junkers). In 1894 published his studies about this topic depart from the changes of employment situation for the farming workers. The problem is decrease of permanent worker and replacement of them for a seasonal labor who`s come from Polonia, produced a state policy problem about immigration.

In 1904 he published “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”. In this text Weber made an analysis about the relation between a religion way and a capitalist rationality.

Max Weber made important contributions in Social Science and is necessary to learn about his work for understand subsequent theories of the social action, that is to say, the motivational and causes of this. Also his studies are current yet

I learn Max Weber in “Teoría I” and  “Sociología de la Música”.

Blog Session 4

A while ago I heard about the cynicism and it caught my attention. I'll write a bit about the topic with information that I found on the web.

The Cynicism is a philosophical current, but it is not only a mode of thinking is also a life style. This has its origins in ancient Greece and was founded by Antisthenes and Diogenes. The name to come from the Greek’s word kynos that means dog, by behavior them.

They thought that happiness comes to for a simple and natural life, that the people can be free and autonomous without material things. To achieve this requires hard physical and mental training to enable endure hunger and cold.

Cynicism intended to give answers in a period of cultural crisis, expressing discomfort. It was characteristic of the Cynics continual transgression of traditional values ​​and social norms. They used sarcasm to mock the problems of their cities.

Why Sociology?

Is a difficult question, because was a difficult decision.  I always wanted study History and be teacher, but some people told me that being teacher is bad work because is very hard and little money is earned. I began to doubt about election, so I went to careers fair.

Until the last moment I didn`t know to choose, but finally I decided sociology because I thought was the best option and I didn`t hear more tips. However, I want to be a teacher yet.

My experience has been good, but sometimes I lose interest and I think is because I dislike my career and I cannot imagine myself working in this profession in the future. Despite this, I have learned a lot and I would like to continue learning.