Hussain 1

Zahin Hussain

Dr. Jacobs

Sociology 2000

11 December 2017

Service Learning Journal

11/04/17 1:00 4:00 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

During my service experience, I was asked to organize certain areas throughout the store. For

example, I was asked to fold different types of fabrics and place them in a designated fabric room. One

specific moment that stood out to me was when my supervisor asked me to NOT organize a certain

section of the store. She stated that older women enjoy looking through the disorganized mess in order

to find the things that they want; it is somewhat of a hunt for them.

How do you feel about what happened?

I did not understand the reasoning behind not organizing only a specific section of the store.

After, discussing this with my supervisor, I realized that the demographic that shops at thrift arts and

craft store is largely older women who have some time on their hands. They generally stay at home

while sewing, knitting, and crafting various items. Therefore, on their hunt for the next fabric yarn within

the Arts and Crafts store, they tend to not want to quickly go into the store, find what they want, and

leave. They want to enter the store, catch up with the workers at the store, and slowly look around the

mess of items to find exactly what they wanted. For them, the process of finding the items and the

socialization that occurs while searching for that item is more important than the item itself (Conley 91).
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What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience? Explain

how they assist your understanding.

The idea of Functionalism is especially important in this scenario. The function of a store like

Arts and Scraps is not only to be a thrift store for art merchandise but it functions as a social center for a

local community (Conley 31). People who do not have funds for other activities that cost money are able

to spend limited amounts of money to engage in a recreational social institution much like bowling or

the movie theaters (Conley 15).

Is there anything you currently are or are not doing that impacts the situation you observed?

Currently, I am engaging in this specific social institution by striking conversations with

customers. I find that when I strike conversations with the customers at Arts and Scraps, they rarely

want to end the conversation. Although I enjoy these conversations, I find that I often must disengage

with the customers in order to continue to do the work that I was instructed to complete.

11/16/17 12:38-4:08 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

During my service experience, a woman walked in with her two children to peruse the store. She

was an African American woman with two children, one was around 11 years old while the other was

around 6 years old. The woman dropped her children off at the play-section of the store, as they wanted

to play around with the various pvc-pipe drums that we offered. I struck a conversation with the 11-year

old boy. I naturally asked him questions about where he went to school and what he wanted to do when

he grew up, and eventually I asked him where he wanted to go to college. His response was that he

wanted to go to UCLA. This came as a little bit of a surprise to me because I did not expect an 11-year
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old boy to know of a prestigious university like UCLA, let alone want to attend in the future. He then

stated that he would like to play basketball at UCLA, which I did not even think about.

How do you feel about what happened?

After the incident, I understood that I was ignorant I was of the community that I was working in. There

is a large focus on basketball and football as gateways to success in this community, as a basketball or

football scholarship is often the only way that a poor child can afford a college education. Furthermore,

there are limited education resources available to children in this community and therefore merit

scholarships can be difficult to attain.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?

Explain how they assist your understanding.

The idea of economic differences between races is especially important in recognizing the

importance of this experience. The black community has a high rate of poverty, crime, and

unemployment compared to other races in the United States (Conley 271). This difference is

exemplified in the area of Detroit that I was volunteering in, as a large proportion of the population is

African American and also poverty stricken. With this economic difference in mind, the story of an

African-American 11-year-old boy dreaming of playing basketball to get into college seems likely, while

also being heart-breaking.

What can you do with the knowledge gained from this experience?

With the knowledge gained from this experience, I will have a more complete understanding of

race relations within the United States. Furthermore, I believe that I now understand the straight-line

assimilation model better because the idea of playing basketball to get into college falls into a sort of

middle-stage between accommodation and assimilation (Conley 348).

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11/21/17 1:55-4:25 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

While volunteering at Arts and Scraps, I found a stack of high quality leather bags sitting on one

of the shelves of the store. This was a strange occurrence, as Arts and Scraps only stocked items that are

donated to the store rarely are leather items in stock. The large leather bag was being sold for 10

dollars and the smaller bags were being sold for 5 dollars. The retail prices of the bags were 10 times as

much as what they were being sold for in the store. However, each bag had some sort of quality issue.

For example, some bags had many different types letters of the alphabet stamped onto them, and some

of the bags also had zippers missing.

How do you feel about what happened?

I found it interesting that a high-end leather bag company would be willing to donate expensive

leather bags with minor quality issues to an Arts and Scraps store. Furthermore, I also found it

interesting that many of the customers did not care that there were quality issues with the bags. They

seemed to treat it like it was a normal item. I feel that in a suburban or more economically stable area,

even in a thrift store, the store would not even bother stocking items like these.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience? Explain

how they assist your understanding

Reflection theory is important in this scenario, as leather bags in this case are cosmetic items

and the main purpose is to make a person seem better to the people around them (Conley 91). It is

especially pertinent in this scenario because the leather bags that people bought had damaged quality,

yet they were still leather bags. The functionality of many of the leather bags were hindered due to the

quality issue, but people were willing to give up functionality for a so-called expensive item. People
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choose the items they buy so they are seen in a certain way, and in this case, even though they may

have been economically disadvantaged, buying this item would make their economic situation seem

better to others.

What can you do with the knowledge gained from this experience?

I have gained insight into the economic situation of those that are economically disadvantaged.

People who are economically disadvantaged have the same material culture as those who are middle-

class or upper-middle class they see the same commercials, ads, and items all over society (Conley 82).

Therefore, it is unfair to judge them for wanting something expensive, as they want the same things as

everyone else. They would like other people to see them in a positive perspective, and they therefore

are willing to buy diminished functionality high-quality items in order to be seen in this positive

perspective.

11/25/17 1:30 4:00 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

While volunteering at Arts and Scraps, I was placed in the fabric room. I was told that I must fold

and organize the various fabrics. During the process of organizing fabric, many customers came into the

room and browsed the various fabrics. There were a few select customers that were in the room for the

whole three hours that I was there. These customers tended to be older women. After speaking to these

women I found that they came from very different backgrounds. One of the women was a black woman,

while the other one was an older white woman. I found that they were great friends and they see each

other almost every week because they both spend so much time looking through all the fabrics.

How do you feel about what happened?

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I thought the way the friends spoke to each other was strange. They did not speak to each other

much at all while browsing through the store. The African American lady would browse through the

fabrics and would begin having conversations with the no one in particular, but the older white woman

would every once in a while respond to her conversations. From an outsiders perspective, it would

seem like this fragmented conversation would be a result of a particularly weak relationship. However,

this same pattern continued for a few hours as they two ladies continued to browse through the section.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?

The idea of Agents of Socialization, plays an important role in this experience. These women

understood each other and communicated in a way that I did not understand they were socialized in a

way that my family, friends and overall environment did not teach me (Conley 124). If I was in a room

with a friend and we were browsing a store, I would respond to everything he would ask me, there

would be no blank conversation with himself. Therefore, this experience helped me understand how my

environment has created the way I interact with others, and other people have been socialized in ways

that lead to different types of communication (Conley 125).

What can you do with the knowledge gained form this experience?

This experience has given furthered my ability to understand other people. Often I will speak

with someone and they will not maintain eye contact, or they will conversate in a way that I find

awkward or strange. I now understand that these strange methods of socializing with others is highly

variable amongst different environments. I cannot expect someone to interact in a very specific manner

because it is impossible for everyone to become socialized in the exact same environment.

11/26/17 3:30 6:30 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

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During my service experience, I continuously provided water, food, and blankets for any patients

at the hospital. Many times, I would go into a patients room, and I would ask them if they would like

water, food, coffee, tea or blankets. Patients would almost always be taken aback at the good service

that they were being provided at the hospital they would be thankful. Also, a patient had me get them

a pre-warmed blanket, they asked me to place the blanket on top of them, even when they have family

members near them who are more than willing to place the blanket on top of them.

How do you feel about what happened?

I enjoy helping the patients at Troy Beaumont hospital, but I find it strange that patients are

aghast that such a simple service is being provided at the hospital. I believe maybe it is because the

feelings people associate with hospitals is rarely good. It is a place that leeches you of your money while

you are being leeched of your health of course you would not think they would have something to

make you comfortable and happy.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?

Hospitals are often considered total institutions places of socialization that are highly ordered,

enclosed and regimented (Conley 131). This is important because it affects the way people perceive

hospitals as a social institution (Conley 17). It is a place that is not only associated with dying and bad

health, but it is also associated with isolation and order. In a place of order, patients rarely expect that a

volunteer is going to appear and ask you, the patient, what you want. It is often that a doctor tells you

what you should be drinking, yet rare that a volunteer asks you what you want to drink.

What can you do with the knowledge gained from this experience?

This experience has taught me how to interact with patients at hospitals. Patients are wheeled

in from a public society into a private social institution. They are placed from an unregimented and open
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society into a highly regimented total institution. Through interacting with patients on a more personal

and less professional manner, they can socialize with a part of the real society through me.

12/02/17 1:00 4:00 P.M

What happened during your service experience?

During my service experience, I was asked to sweep the floor of the store before closing. I was

told to throw out any items that were on the floor. I was confused at this response, so I asked again if

my supervisor was sure that she wanted me to throw out everything I found on the ground regardless of

what item it was, and she said yes.

How do you feel about what happened?

I would have never thought that a store like arts and scraps had too much stock in their store.

However, I have come to realize that the store gets mass donations of low-value items. There is not a lot

of space for these items, and as such it is difficult to keep the store clean, organized, and useful. In order

to combat this issue, the store must have policies like the one mentioned above in order to get rid of

items on a daily basis.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?

The Dramaturgical Perspective plays a role in this experience (Conley 139). Many people who

donate to Arts and Scraps often donate items because they get the impression that every item they

have is worth something to someone who has nothing, but I do not think that is the case. Many of the

items donated are tiny scraps of clothing that are almost completely useless other than very specific and

unique art projects, yet people see themselves as philanthropists when they donate almost useless

items to a thrift store. They think that the recipient of the donation will be highly appreciative, often

when explicit direction has given to not donate the item due to the difficulty of placing it in the store.
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What can you do with the knowledge gained from your experience?

This experience has taught me to analyze my gestures towards others from other perspectives

than my own. Many of the gestures that I think are nice often are not taken as such by the person

receiving it. For example, sometimes when a person that I know is depressed, I will try and comfort

them. However, there are situations where my sympathetic gesture is taken as an annoyance by the

recipient.

12/05/17 12:30 4:00 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

During my service experience, I was asked to organize empty cigar cases on top of a shelf. These

cigar cases needed to be on top of the shelf, and they needed to be organized by cigar brand.

Furthermore, I was told that these cigar cases were hot items and would sell out quickly.

How do you feel about what happened?

I was confused when I was told to organize these cigar cases onto shelves because I did not

prescribe and value to them. However, I realized that people value different items differently based on

how the items relate to them. I imagine nostalgia is a major factor in the value of the cigar cases. People

generally smoked more in the past, and the past is often idealized. I believe that addiction makes them

further value their childhood, as the problems associated with addiction only arise in the future.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?

Mass media and Consumerism are important concepts to understand in this situation. Cigars

and cigarettes were highly commercialized in the past (Conley 107-109). Cigarettes like Camel

Cigarettes would use animated characters and mascots to further consumption of their productions.

This media marketing has power over the people because it played a part in socializing them when they
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were younger (Conley 293). Therefore, even now there is a large market for cigar cases because it was

such a pertinent part of the socialization process.

What can you do with the knowledge gained from you experience?

I have learned that people can idealize those things that have played a part in socializing them

when they were younger. Therefore, I now understand that peoples affinity for various social

institutions such as those associated with religion and politics can be based upon the nostalgia for their

past.

12/07/17 1:30 3:30 P.M.

What happened during your service experience?

During my service experience, I was asked to break down hundreds of different sized carboard

boxes into a pile. All of these boxes were going to be sent out to another organization that takes those

carboard boxes and recycles them into items that include different types of tires. I spent three hours

breaking down these boxes and towards the end of my service a representative of the company came

and picked up all of the boxes.

How do you feel about what happened?

I thought it was cool that one organization was willing to sacrifice time and money to assist

another organization in recycling and selling a product. I feel that this is part of an overall theme at Arts

and Scraps towards various social issues such as saving the environment. Furthermore, I also thought it

was interesting that these boxes arrived from donations that people were giving to Arts and Scraps. So,

these donors were donating their products to Arts and Scraps, while also unknowingly donating their

boxes to be recycled at another organization.

What ideas from class (concepts, readings, discussions) provide insight into your experience?
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The idea of informal social sanctions play a large role in why one organization would donate its

time, money, and resources freely to another organization (Conley 198). The unspoken rule of these

non-profit organizations is that they are not working for themselves, but rather for a larger social cause.

In this case, it was the environment that the organization was working for. So, there is an informal rule

that organizations that fight for similar causes will assist each other.

What can you with the knowledge gained from your experience?

After this experience, I will be much more likely to contact non-profit organizations for

assistance with any clubs or organizations that I am running. If this rule proves true amongst most non-

profit organizations, then I can expect to get at least some assistance from non-profit organizations.
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Work Cited

Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself: an Introduction to Thinking like a Sociologist. 5th ed., W.W.
Norton, 2017.

Jacobs, Michelle. Sociology 2000, 30 August 2017 Present, Wayne State University, Detroit. Lecture.