IHSS Blog 2019-2020

  Ariela Kluk Mr. Roddy  IHSS 01/20/21 More than 500 thousand Houstonians live in food deserts with a small variety of food. This problem has worsened due to Covid-19. Most people go to the store weekly to get the food that they want and need, but some people do not have access to healthy foods. These people who live in food deserts do not have stores with healthy and nutritional options because the food at the stores is limited. Baker Ripley house supports residents who live in the east of Houston and ever since the pandemic they have hosted food distributions and drive-thrus and usually see between 300- 1000 people daily. Usually, people who are food insecure cause food deserts.  People who are food insecure are also being affected more by the pandemic. A study from Rice University found that around 724,750 people who are food insecure live in larger areas. USDA designated specific areas to be food deserts and more than 500,000 Houston residents live in these designated...

  Ariela kluk Mr. roddy  IHSS November 12 202 Analysis between  Females usually think that there is more gender discrimination in the workplace than men do. The survey was split evenly between men and women, 68 women took our survey and 51 men took our survey. This played a huge role in the responses about gender inequality. The majority of the people who took our survey were college-age students between 18 and 25 or parents between the age of 46 and 55, this gives a wide range of ages and opinions. More than half of the responses to race were white/caucasian and the other large bits were Latinos and Asian, this as well gives a wide range of opinions within race and cultural beliefs. Almost everyone who took our survey voted or planned on voting but I do not think the few people who did not vote affected the results a lot. The majority of the voters affiliate with democrats which I believe affected the results a lot since they have different views and 24 were republicans,...

  Ariela Kluk Mr. Roddy IHSS October 10, 2020 The study of sociology is an interesting way to look at many different aspects of our societal roles and places in our communities. There are many different subcategories of sociology that each hold there own importance. These focuses can range from morals and etiquette (which were studied in depth by Harriet Martineau) to suicide and religious life (which were researched by Emile Durkheim). Harriet Martineau was known for not only studying the important subjects of morals and etiquette; but also being the first female sociologist in the world. Emile Derheim was known as the father of sociology because he was a founder of the french school of sociology.  Harriet Martineau studied our society's morals and manners. She is well known for have visited America and having created two important writings that addressed new advances in sociology. She also was well known for being an avid supporter of the abolitionist movement. Though be...

  Ariela Kluk Mr. Roddy IHSS Oct 2, 2020 American Girl Doll As a child, I played a lot with American girl dolls. The dolls are supposed to portray girls from ages 8-12 of all ethnicities. The dolls came with books that tell the story of the doll which helps give a background of their ethnicity. They also came out with look-alike dolls where you design the doll to look like you. The first doll I received was for my 8th birthday from my grandma, Her name was Kanani. Kanani was a Hawaiian girl and her story was about how her cousin comes to visit her and they have a beautiful friendship until she makes a silly mistake which threatens her fragile friendship but before fixing it she must learn the true meaning of the aloha spirit. Each book teaches a different story not only about friendship but about different cultures.  My neighbor (best friend) and I would play with our dolls all day long. The dolls were and are very pricey but became a trend and not only were they good quality ...

  Leon Hoang Mr. Roddy IHSS 22 September 2020 Social Interaction and Online Gaming When I started playing online games it was because most of my friends did, and not wanting to feel left out, I decided to join up. At first, my sole focus was to be the best at the game and to get better. However, after a while I finally came to the realization that social interaction through gaming is equally or more important than the game itself. In many online multiplayer games, interaction between players through some way, such as voice chat or text chat is essential. Because of that, I have both made and strengthened friendships over the years. Of course solo gaming is possible, but talking to people while playing is the best form of gaming there is. In fact sometimes if you don’t even enjoy the game, playing with others makes it feel like you do. Furthermore, I found evidence to back up my opinion. “ However, social interaction is a strong motive not only for playing multiplayer games, but als...

  Emilio San Vicente  Mr. Roddy HISS 9/21/20 Social meetings   The article that I found has to do with social reasons, especially when a group of people get together for a specific meeting, whether to eat, go to the movies, have a party, etc. This is something that I will go deeply while we go through. Well, some of the observations that I have managed to think of is that people always have meetings for specific reasons. My observations are that most people do this type of meeting with a reason to strengthen their relationship with family or a friend.  I think this point is very important because it can be appreciated when you are in this type of meeting when people talk about topics which express the interest of other people, such as how are you? Another point and the last one is that I found is the interest that people have when they see that they have something in common. This I just verified with this example: When I got to the United States, my family met...

Animal sacrificing is one of the most important rituals in Ancient Greece. These sacrifices helped humans, gods, and animals maintain an appropriate relationship. The Greeks sacrificed certain animals to certain gods depending on their association of the animal to the god. The most commonly sacrificed animals were sheep and goats. They mainly sacrificed the animals to either honor them, thank them, or request a favor from them. I personally feel that sacrificing animals was not the nicest way to thank the gods or ask them for help. Most of the time, the Greeks sacrificed an animal associated with the god. Wouldn't that make the gods angry at you for sacrificing that animal instead of wanting to help you? I think most of the Greeks thought about this which is why sheep and goats were more commonly sacrificed as these animals were not associated with any of the Olympian gods which were given the most sacrifices. On top of that, it must have been really hard to have to clean up the me...

  Miriam (Isabelle) Saxon Mr. Roddy  IHSS September 14, 2020 Muskawama In IHSS class we have been talking a lot about coming of age rituals, however most of the ritals we discuss the ritual I am writing about is a little closer to home. I spend my summers in northern Wisconsin at a camp called Red Pine. It is an all girls sleep away camp. The camp is 78 years old and one of it’s oldest traditions is Muskawama. Muskawama is a day long ceremony that symbolizes the transition from girl to young women. In which you will go through three main ceremonies one at Sunrise, one at Midday, and the last and most important at Sunset. Most people go through it when they're 13 or 14. I went through it last year when I was 14 and my mom went through it at 13 when she was a camper in the 80’ds. Part of the tradition is the mystery surrounding it you don’t get to know what actually happens on Muskawama until you go through it. If you are at the age when you do go through it you are told at the ...

     Bride kidnapping was originally a ritual, then a tradition, and now illegal. It was a ritual surrounding the customs of marriage, where the woman is snatched from the streets and taken away to their captor's family home. there the captor's family will try to convince the "Bride" to wed their son. Authorities recognized this put may young women in danger of domestic violence, rape, and phycological trauma, in 2013 this custom was made illegal. Although made illegal, in rural areas of the country this practice still happens.      In one part of the article, there was a section talking abo ut how women suppressed other women. Many of the cases were not reported or they were retracted because they " fear public shaming for disobedience" and were pressured by other family member s.  Although there are women who might think this way the article also talked about women who don't stand this practice and are finding ways to engage other women in fighting a...

Sara Avalos-Paez Mr.Roddy IHSS 9/12/2020 Dipo Ghana In the Krobos Tribe of Ghana, the coming of age ritual for girls is Dipo. Dipo has changed over the years, because of Christianity, modernization, formal education, and environmental changes. Before Dipo changed the girls had to prepare for a year, this changed because of formal education and teachers did not allow multiple abscesses, it changed to be a few months, to weeks, and now the preparation is for 4 days, with a parade on the fourth day. The preparation for Dipo isn’t the only thing that has changed, some other things that have changed are the age Dipo is performed, the number of people who still do it, and the way that the girls dress during the preparation. Dipo used to be performed by girls who had their first menstrual cycle so that after the ritual they would be ready for marriage and to have sex. If a girl was proven to have a child before the ritual they were punished and banished from the village. The girls that perfo...

  Nora Mayral Boyle Dr. Roddy IHSS 13 September 2020 Cherry Blossom Festival The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, generally taking place between the months of March and May, is the ancient Japanese celebration and  tradition of viewing the blossoming cherry blossom trees. In Japan it is known as Hanami, which translates to “viewing flowers”. The origins of this festival lies over 1,000 years ago, inspired by the poems of aristocrats describing these blossoming trees. In current-day Japan, Hanami is a big deal. They drink and eat traditional Japanese meals, and often have picnics underneath the sakura(cherry blossom), making the tradition of something special. ‘The” Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Ueno Park, located in Tokyo, the former grounds of the Kaneiji Temple. The pathways of this park are filled with these cherry blossom trees, usually over 1,000 of them. This seems like a beautiful ritual/ceremony to me. I haven’t experienced or been involved in a festival of the...

 Alex Karni IHSS Mr. Roddy September 13, 2020 En docannibalism  is an ancient ritual that involves eating the flesh of a family member or friend who’s passed away. This ritual is not for survival but instead out of respect. In Papua New Guinea, the Fore tribe have passed down this funeral rite over many generations. They believe that by consuming the flesh of the dead that they can absorb the loved one's wisdom through the ritual. Those who participated had to follow certain protocol; for example, a woman had to eat her brother's brain or the hands of her brother-in-law. Depending on which one they choose symbolized a different attribute. Other areas of the world, such as India, were known to do the same ritual in attempt to gain supernatural powers or immortality. Another is the Wari Tribe from the Amazon, which also practiced endocannibalism. From there, the  spirit could become an animal that would provide food for generations to come....

Baptism has been around for a very long time and billions of people have done it. Many people may have many different definitions of Baptism but it basically boils down to a public display that you take Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. Baptism can be done at any age but is most commonly done to babies as they're the first step into the Christian faith. Different denominations of the Christian faith do Baptisms in different and denominations have even split because of how it is performed. The most common is the sprinkling or pouring of Holy Water on the head of the person getting Baptized as a sign of purification, regeneration and admission to the Christian Church and Christian faith. People may also be fully submerged in water symbolizing their old life being buried and the new life being resurrected in the eyes of God. So why do Christians get baptized? There are many different reasons but the main one is that the Bible commands them too. In the book of Mathew (28:19) it say...

 The "Walk About" ritual is an Aboriginal coming of age ceremony.  It is long and difficult to complete; only males practice this ceremony. The ceremony is one that is highly physical. A boy, who is showing the first signs of puberty and going to be soon seen as an adult in the eyes of everyone, will embark on a six month journey. The ritual itself isn't hard to explain. The boy who is entering manhood has to survive with no human contact as he walks about the land for six months. He must do this before he can return to the tribe. This means he will have to find his own water, hunt his own food, and make his own shelter. He leaves with a loin cloth, his knowledge, and spiritual chants. He is suppose to sing these chants as he walks to connect with the spirits that are to guide him. After going through all this after six months, proves that he is strong enough and is eligible to become a man. Showing that can he survive on his own is the whole ritual. If I were to guess th...

Emilio San Vicente Mr. Roddy  IHSS 9/13/20 Temazcal Ritual   Basically the temazcal is a ritual that is still practiced nowadays and also was already practiced by the Mayans when they were a civilization. The temazcal is a steam bath that was used in Mesoamerica for hygienic purposes and to perform therapeutic and spiritual rituals. As a curious fact the Temazcal comes from the Nahuatl word “temazcalli”, whose literal translation would be “sweat house”.    It is said that the Temazcal symbolizes the purification of the soul, the rebirth and the axis of the Universe where the humans get rid of its shells where you can basically close your eyes and imagine that you are in the womb of a woman or that you are in a magic atmosphere where there is only you. When you leave the temazcal is when your sins and everything bad that you have done in your life is forgiven, referring to childbirth. Now the Temazcal itself is a kind of generally round hut that is between t...

  Ariela Kluk Mr. Roddy IHSS 12 September 2020 Mikveh: A Jewish Ceremony A Mikveh is a ritual-bath which takes place before a Jewish wedding. It is a tradition that the bride has this bath, which supposedly cleanses her before the wedding, and brings her peace. Some grooms have begun to follow this tradition and also have a Mikveh. It is supposed to represent their transition from single to married, however, before being able to go to the Mikveh the bride must be at least 7 days without her menstrual cycle, so that she is fully clean before the bath. She also must shower, brush her teeth, clean her hair, take off all jewelry, clean her nails, untangle her hair, clean her ears and then must be checked by a kosher woman to make sure she is completely clean and then she can enter the Mikveh. The bride visits the Mikveh 4 days before her wedding where she can go alone or invite her close family and friends (must be female) to watch her submerge herself into the Mikveh. The Mikveh is fi...

  Leon Hoang Mr. Roddy IHSS 12 September 2020 The Bull Jumping Ceremony I mentioned this specific ritual in class a few weeks before, but I thought it would be interesting to research it further. The tribe in question are called the “Hamar” or “Hamer”. They inhabit the Hamer woreda (Districts of Ethiopia), in a part of the Omo river valley. As well, they raise lots of cattle and are unique because they do not believe in personal land ownership, rather everything is shared.  In preparation for the bull jumping ceremony, the boy is first covered in sand and his head is shaved. It is believed that sand will remove his sins. He is then smeared with animal feces and bark from trees is tied around him in a shape of a cross. I think it’s interesting to see the many meanings of the cross in different religions.  At sunset the boy is stripped of all of his clothes and begins the ritual. The boy then jumps across the cattle several times showing his skill. If he succeeds, he is giv...

  Alex Gross Mr. Roddy IHSS 12 September 2020 Lip Plating Lip plating is a common ritual among the Mursi tribe, which is an Ethnic group located mostly in Southeastern Ethiopia. Lip plating is when a girl or woman gets a cut on her lower lip, and progressively puts a larger and larger wooden cork in the hole. The healing process of making the hole larger and larger takes 3-4 months. Many girls get theirs to 5 inches in diameter and some choose to keep going. After this they insert a decorated plate into the hole and just leave it there. Much of the reasoning behind lip plating is unknown. It is just a tradition in their culture that is now a society norm for the Mursi. Something I found interesting is that there is a surprising similarity between this tradition and some things in Western Culture. The lip plate is not ate all required by the tribe or necessary to be accepted. Despite this, most girls choose to get the lip plating done around ages 15-17 because of the fact that thi...

  Leon Hoang Mr. Roddy IHSS 26 August, 2020 IHSS: Anthropology Reading - The Nacirema “The fundamental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease” (Miner). This sets up a cause and effect scenario in which if man practices ritual and ceremony, disease will not occur. For this very reason, families have one or more shrines dedicated to rituals in every home. It seems that religion is more important to them than anything else in life. Another fascinating thing was the obsession with mouths that the Nacirema have. They believe that the mouth could be the cause of most illnesses and go to the supposed "holy-mouth-men" for a cure. Despite the ghastly techniques that the holy mouth men use, such as inserting hog hairs and using crude tools to fill holes in with a “magical material”,  in the eyes of the subject this is simply required in order to stop decay. The thing that is interesting, is t...

  Miriam Isabelle P. Saxon  Mr. Roddy IHSS 8/26/20 The  “Nacirema” (Disclaimer I was planning to write this as I read the material, but I quickly had a revelation about it and changed how I was originally planning to write it. I left in my original begging because I thought you might find it interesting.) Anthropology is a field in which diversity is very common in their work, but the way in which the Nacirema act is so extreme that it is surprising even to someone who works is so heavily steeped in abnormality. The Nacirema are still surrounded in mystery as little is known about their origin other than their vague comments about coming from the east. They are located in North American between Canada and Mexico...that's where America is. Wait, Nacirema is American spelled backwards...is this a joke?  (I was originally planning on writing this as I read the article but after my earlier revelation I read the article then came back and wrote the rest of my response.)...