For this discussion post we want to explore the concepts introduced by Mills in "The Promise". In particular, Mills identifies the difference between "personal troubles" and "social issues". For Mills, it is of utmost importance for the sociologist to clarify the difference when investigating social phenomena. In contemporary sociology, we see the difference between these concepts as such:
- Personal Troubles
- Occur within the character of the individual and within the range of her/his immediate relations with others
- Social Issues
- Involves the organization of many factors outside the individual’s control and immediate environment
Characteristics include:- Negatively affects a larger number of people
- Stems from a specific social cause
- Can only be solved through social action
To further engage in these ideas, I would like you to watch the following video clip and respond to the questions below. After posting your response, make sure that you provide a thoughtful and developed response to at least two (2) of your fellow classmates' posts.
Video Link: The People's Grocery | global oneness project
Use the following questions to formulate your response:
- What were the social phenomena that The People’s Grocery observed in their community?
- Was it a personal trouble or an social issue?
- What was the Historical context of this community in west Oakland? What Social Structures were being addressed or impacted? Who were the main people being impacted by this social phenomena (Biographies)?
- What social actions did the members of the People's Grocery implement in order to address the problems they observed?
This Discussion Post will be available for you to respond to from 10/1/10 - 10/3/10.
*When responding, make sure you state your name and course you are enrolled in.
*When responding, make sure you state your name and course you are enrolled in.
The social phenomena that The People's Grocery observed in their community was that there was no place for people to shop for groceries and food other than liquor stores and fast food restaurants. Since these were the only options for people to obtain food, the people's health declined and also lowered the community's economic abilities.
ReplyDeleteThis is a social issue.
The historical context of this community in west oakland was they have always been a community with a not so great economic background. It has been a community full of minorities and high hunger rates. The social structures that are being impacted are the workforce, the families, and even the liquor stores and fast food restaurants. The workforce will grow with the knowledge of locally grown food and the families will have the ability to obtain healthier food. As for the liquor stores and the fast food restaurants, they will not be as relied on for food as they were before. But as for the main people being impacted by this social phenomena are the townspeople of West Oakland.
The social actions the people of The People's Grocery implemented to address problems they saw in the community was they created urban gardens to grow fresh produce, as well as a bigger farm outside the city. They also provided cooking classes for the adults in the community to teach them how to cook using fresh and healthy ingredients. Lastly, they provided the people with bags of fresh groceries to get them used to having the fresh food.
-Chelsie Akins-Stewart
The social phenomena observed was that the people living in West Oakland didn't have a healthy way of eating because they could only do their food shopping at Liquor stores and fast food restaurants. There were no grocery stores or food markets available to the low income community, causing illness and weakening the economic status of West Oakland.
ReplyDeleteThis was a social issue because it affect a majority of people.
West Oakland's history has always been one of poverty and low economical value. There are high hunger rates and low employment rates among the community of West Oakland, and with the people's grocery providing food and some work for the community it will slowly but surely improve their quality of life. This social Phenomena has affected the community of West Oakland greatly.
The People's Grocery has provided West Oakland with bags of fresh fruit and vegetables in order to help them start on a healthier lifestyle. They also provide cooking classes and work for those of West Oakland.
~ Samantha Ross
soc&101 930am
The social issue that was observed in West Oakland was that the community there had effectively nowhere in which its residents could shop for groceries with the exception of liquor stores and fast food establishments. Due to the limited choices for a healthy diet this offered members of the West Oakland community, people’s health could be seen going into decline, and the economy of the area was also being negatively affected.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, the community of West Oakland has struggled economically. The social structures being affected were the workforce and the main people being affected were the families in West Oakland.
To counteract the issues that they saw in West Oakland, The People’s Grocery planted gardens both inside and outside the area to grow fresh produce for the local community, which also provided work for residents of the area. They also offered cooking classes for the community which taught community members how to cook using fresh ingredients.
~Rachel Harris
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe social phenomenon in west Oakland was that the community had no source of nutrition aside from the liquor stores and fast food restraints around them. The social issue in west Oakland is that because of malnutrition the percent of infants born alive has dropped, the amount of infants born with low birth weight has gone up, the number of people hospitalized has jumped, and the number of people with type ll diabetes has rocketed. Also in west Oakland the number one cause of death is heart disease which accounted for 27% of all deaths. All of these issues are influenced mainly by a person diet.
ReplyDeleteAlthough west Oakland is going through tough times the community has proven strong through many years of poverty and catastrophe. Many people in west Oakland live week by week. A large 71% of residents in west Oakland make fewer than 30K a year and the poorest which is half of this percent make less than 11K a year. This amount of money is not enough to get by and it is surely not enough for someone to put nutrition first. It is clear that west Oakland is in need of change. The social structure being impacted are number one families health puts a large strain on a family and the amount of hospitalized people in west Oakland shows that many families are going through heart ache whether it be from the loss of an infant being still born because of malnutrition or of a family member not being treated for type ll diabetes. The second social structure impacted is employment because of people having a lack of nutrition their immune systems are not up to par meaning more sick days than the average person. The main people being impacted of this phenomenon are the people in the community of west Oakland.
The members of people’s grocery have taken multiple steps in order for the community of west Oakland to flourish. They have provided a source of fresh fruits in vegetables in the community. They have also made it possible for the people in the community to become a part of the plan to change the availability of nutritional foods by having a community garden. Another thing they have done which is a big part of the change is teaching them how to cook with healthier foods, peoples grocery is aware that west Oakland only knows fast food so they need the basics of food preparation so they can get the most nutrients out of the food.
The social phenomenon that The People’s Grocery observed in their community was a shortage of grocery stores. West Oakland had nowhere to buy food other than liquor stores and fast food restaurants. Nation wide hunger rates were at a high and the community had no place to buy fresh healthy food. With time this affected the health, economy and community of west Oakland.
ReplyDeleteThe social issues addressed were that families had two places to shop. Historically, communities benefited from small box grocery stores to buy fresh locally grown food. With time and a changing economy, big box companies forced these small food establishments out of business. West Oakland having racial diversity and low-income rates were overlooked and without benefit of these stores. This encouraged unhealthy eating habits and resulted in a high number of chronic disease related diets.
The People’s Grocery had a mission in mind. This mission was to create a local food system and support a healthy economy. Farms were created outside the city and both locally. The community was encouraged to be more involved. Cooking classes were created so a better understanding of healthy eating could be applied. Mainly, fresh produce could be attained. The People’s Grocery was injecting resources of health back into the community.
Rob Jaeger
soc 101
The social phenomena in this video was the fact that the West Oakland community lacked a grocery store, which forced them to rely on liquor stores and fast food restaurants for food. This is a social issue that negatively impacted the community of West Oakland. This community is made up of low income people and people of color that have experienced severe conditions like chronic disease related to their diet. The social structures being addressed and impacted were the income structure of the community and the overall health of the community as well.
ReplyDeleteThe reason the community has been effected in such a detrimental way is due to its history. When the big chain and commercial food retail stores started they out competed the small food retail businesses and left the community without a grocery store. In response the community was left with liquor stores and fast food restaurants. This lead the community to be in a worse economical situation and an unhealthier lifestyle.
The People's Grocery really addressed this issue head on. They didn't just want to provide healthier food to the community, they also wanted to better it as a whole. They supplied healthier food choices by giving people organic produce that was grown in local gardens and a farm that the People's Grocery created. They also helped create jobs by hiring people of the community so that the income would stay within the community. The People's Grocery also provided another way to get the community involved by giving adult cooking classes. The organization fundamentally helped turn this community around and really showed that you can impact change in society if you want to.
Denisse Manrique
Intro to Soc 101
The social phenomena in West Oakland was that there was no place for the community to buy groceries other than liquor stores and fast food establishments. Since, there was is no public grocery store for people to buy food on a low income, people's health as declined.
ReplyDeleteThis is a social issue because it is affecting a large number of people. The historical context of the West Oakland community has always been a community with a poor economic background. The main people being affected by this social phenomena are families, employee's and liquor stores and fast food establishments. The community has not only been affected economically, they are struggling with illness and a high hunger rate.
The People's Grocery has provided their community with fresh bags of produce. People's Grocery have started gardens both inside and outside the area to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. These gardens have also provided some people with the ability to work. They have also provided adults with cooking classes, in order for them to learn how to cook with fresh ingredients.
Kristine Kolden
Sociology 101 9:30 a.m.
The social phenomena which was investigated was that there were no grocery stores in West Oakland to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. This was a social issue because it effected an entire area and therefore this group of people. It can also be defined as a social issue because it had to be solved by a team outside of the community.
ReplyDeleteThe people in West Oakland are historically a low income group of people. The businesses and families living in this area were all impacted by the phenomena mainly the parents trying to raise their children, the children themselves, as well as the owners of the individual liquor stores and restaurants.
The People's Grocery introduces fresh food to the neighborhood, creating somewhere for the community to shop and learn how to make healthier choices and meals for their families.
Alyssa Scheuer Soc101
Brandess Marr
ReplyDeleteSociology 101
9:30-10:55
West Oakland is a community made up of approximately 30K mostly colored low income citizens. In 2002 People’s Grocery noticed a social phenomena occurring in Oakland. The big box stores had eventually run all of the local mom and pops out of business. With no local grocery stores open in the community any longer the only options for getting their food was fast food restaurants and liquor stores. This social issue strained their economic status. The people were getting serious illnesses related to poor nutrition which resulted in even more people not working. People’s Grocery believed that they could help these people strengthen their community and economic status. They began by starting farms and gardens within the communities to grow organic produce for the people. They educated them about agriculture and better nutrition. The community was offered cooking classes to teach them how to cook with the produce that was now being offered to them. Over time this results in better health so more people are able to work which leads to more businesses and a better economy.
The social phenomena in this video reflects the fact that West Oakland community was lack of the grocery stores , which directly made the residents there merely depended on the local liquor stores and fast food restaurants. That is the vital reason for the low health condition in that community. People can’t find the fresh healthy food close to the neighborhood. In order to obtain food, they have no choice but go to these places for food. People there are getting sickness because their poor nutrition. Also, this situation badly restricted the development of the economy in the West Oakland community. Under this circumstance, West Oakland has become burdened by a variety of interconnected stresses, including food insecurity, malnutrition and chronic disease, poverty and underdevelopment and limited opportunities for youth. These kinds of social issues badly influenced the community.
ReplyDeleteThe residents in the West Oakland community are main component of the low income minority. Most residents do not own cars in order to easily travel to Emeryville or Lake Merrit or Chinatown to shop at the closest supermarkets. Residents can bike or take a bus, but the only shops within walking distance are liquor stores. And there are lots and lots of them. Neighborhoods are struggling for something most folks take for granted: a place to buy food. West Oakland has no grocery store. According to a scientific research, 37 percent of the adults and 20 percent of the kids living in West Oakland have asthma and children living in this community are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for breathing related illness than any other children in California. This is the historical context and social structures in this issue.
The People’s Grocery assured that they could help to create the local food system, and support the health and economy. If it weren't for the great work of groups like the People's Grocery, that offers one meal a day to hundreds of locals, fresh produce would be virtually extinct for the 30,000 residents of West Oakland. But these charitable groups simply cannot feed everyone. People's Grocery has started area which is the agricultural base to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for the people in West Oakland. And also they settled the gardens in the community so that the residents can cultivate close to their home. This probably solved the problem that no grocery stores near the neighborhood. Now people there own the fresh vegetables and fruit both from themselves and the organization. The people’s Grocery has also provided the specialist to help the residents doing their work. They have also offered the adults with cooking classes due to let them learn how to cook with fresh ingredients. In this way , they regenerated the food structure system in the West Oakland which is the essential component of people’s life there.
Sociology 101
9:30-10:55
Yuan Tian
I think it was primarily a social issue; the people of West Oakland had no way of purchasing natural foods from a local grocer. The only sources they had were the liquor stores or through fast food restaurants. The people of West Oakland no longer had access to grocery stores as the video states those areas were populated by "mom and pop" grocery stores. Corporate grocers replaced and bought out most of these small businesses, but West Oakland somehow fell under the radar. As it was easier to just get a burger the people's health was at great risk. Having a burger every once in a while is okay, whereas, having that sort of food for every meal will eventually kill you or put you at great health risk.
ReplyDeleteThe social structures that were impacted were primarily the liquor stores, fast food restaurants and the community. The fast food restaurants and liquor stores will no longer be relied on for the primary food source and the people in the community will be able to live a healthier lifestyle with cooking classes and availability of groceries provided by "People's Grocery".
The social actions taken were planting gardens and farms to provide food, offer jobs for the community by working at the farms and gardens, and providing the availability of cooking classes so the people of West Oakland could live a healthier lifestyle.
Sociology 101
9:30-10:55
Hope Stewart
The social phenomenon that The People’s Grocery observed in their community was the lack of grocery stores. People were forced to go to the liquor stores and fast food restaurants because they had no place to buy fresh food. This affects people’s health and also the economy of the area.
ReplyDeleteThis is a social issue.
The community of West Oakland always has a poor economic background. They don’t have enough grocery stores that could provide healthy food for people, so it caused hunger rates and health decline.
The main people being affected by this social phenomenon are families and businesses such as the liquor stores and fast food restaurants.
The People’s Grocery helped the local community to plant gardens in order to grow fresh produce. They also provided cooking classes to bring the awareness of healthy eating.
Sociology 101
JingJing Li
Responses: I completely agree with Chelsie's post after watching the video. She gave detailed responses to each of the questions and explained also the small, yet impacting, importance of the the plastic bags provided for carrying the groceries.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Alyssa's post seemed to be a little bit shorter and not as detailed as some of the other posts she still covered all of the important issues. :) Sher stated that it was a social issue because it had to be solved outside of the community. What I was wondering was couldn't it still be a social issue if a group of people inside the community had done the same thing?
Responses: I completely agree with Rachel's post. She gave a detailed response and explained all the key points of the video clearly. She explained the history of West Oakland and how it was directly impacted.
ReplyDeleteMatchmaker016 made his points very clear and I believe that the points made were correct.
- Kristine Kolden
Responses: I found that Samantha's statistics and more detailed information on the severity of the West Oakland communities problems were very informative. They showed that the community very serious problems that needed to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Rob's response is clear and concise. I liked how he summed up the issue with enough detail and emphasized what the People's Grocery did to truly help this community.
Denisse Manrique
Intro to soc 101
Responses: Samantha’s statistics gave us a lot of information that showed a lot of serious problems in West Oakland communities. I was so surprised that 71% of residents in west Oakland make fewer than 30 K a year and the half of this percent make less than 11K a year. The poor economy brought a lot of trouble for people.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Denisse’s post. The People’s Grocery didn’t just provide healthier food for the community, they also taught people how to eat healthy, such as the cooking class that they provided.
Makayla Stone
ReplyDeleteIntro to Sociology 101 (Hornbeck)
9:30-10:55
The social phenomenon in west Oakland was that the community had no source of nutrition aside from the liquor stores and fast food restaurants. Big box stores have pushed out little mom and pop businesses in the communities, causing issues with the nutritional value of food within the community. However in West Oakland there are no big box stores and that made it hard for people, generally of lower income, to get any fresh produce or grocery items. This caused massive health issue to develop and eventually lead to an economic issue of people not being able to work because of their health. This was very much a social issue because it was not a select few people struggling with the food issue, but the whole community.
The historical context of this community in West Oakland was they have always been a community with low incomes and minority populations. Within the community the social structures that are being impacted are the workforce, the families, the liquor stores, and fast food restaurants. All of these structures were either severely benefiting from the lack of food stores or disastrously suffering from the lack of fresh produce.
In 2002 Peoples Grocery set out to change this social issue of food within the community. The social actions the people of The People’s Grocery took were to create urban gardens to grow fresh produce, as well as bigger farm outside the city. They also provided cooking classes for the adults in the community to teach them how to cook using fresh and healthy ingredients. They then taught people urban agriculture through the farms and gardens. Finally, they provided the people with bags of fresh groceries to get them used to having the fresh food. All three of these steps helped economically improve West Oakland by providing jobs and local produce in which they could thrive off of.
Responses to others:
Chelsie: I think she did a great job going into detail about the actions of People’s grocery and how that changed the community. However she only stated that the community problem was one of the social aspect, but she never stated why. Why is it a social issue, what makes it social over personal?
Rob: He had a very clear and concise way of writing about the issue. He got straight to the root of the questions without adding unneeded information, which was nice. He also showed clearly what people’s grocery did to help the community.
Response:
ReplyDelete-I like the extra data Juan compiled in his posting. Its sad west Oakland has more respiratory illness than other spots where the economic standards are higher.
-Samantha also added some good additional data about health percentages in west Oakland. It’s terrible the community situation is so bad. I know The People’s Grocery is already making a large impact on the community.
-Rob J
soc 101
The People's Grocery are observing a city that is struggling to provide healthy food for its people. This is a social issue, because it is affecting many people and can be influenced by social action. These people collectively did not have very many options to choose from when it came to eating healthy. This city does not have any real grocery stores, instead liquior stores and fast food chains overrun the area because of their financial stability. The minorites and lower class ciizens were most impacted.
ReplyDeleteThe People's Grocery worked to make a change through improving agricultural growth by planting garderns, and by providing healthy cooking and food classes as well as giving away food. They are working to get the community involved and make changes that can evolve and grow in the future.
Response1: Brandess' conciseness was very true and to the point, I think a big idea was the economic growth and community even outside of the food aspect.
Response 2:Rob seemed to a have a great backround of this issue and added useful facts that i didnt pick up on from the video
Hayley Ott
Sociology 101
Matt Hornbeck
The main people who were effected by the social phenomena were the people living in the community. The community didn’t have any other source of getting food besides eating at fast food restaurants or buying liquor; and because of this the community are in really bad shape physically and financially.
ReplyDeleteHistorically the community of Oakland have been struggling. There weren’t a lot of jobs to help improve their economy and cause of this people are not able to afford healthier then fast food.
The members of the peoples grocery decided to start growing fresh fruits and vegetables in many gardens around the community and handing them out to the people and teaching adults how easy it is to cook a healthy dinner.
This was a social issue.
Sociology 101
9:35
Damon wills
Response
ReplyDeletesamantha: after reading samanthas post i couldnt belive that 27% people die from heart disease.
chelsie: i liked how chelsies summed up about what the peoples grocery did for the community.
damon wills
9:35
I believe this phenomenon in west Oakland is a social issue because it directly influences a whole community and the only hope for change is through social action. West Oakland is a very low income area offering no support for independent grocery stores to run. Thus, liquor store grocery and fast food restaurants offer the only food options for city residents. This was affecting people’s right to eat healthy food. Mainly, the group affected by this situation is low income African American families.
ReplyDeletePeople’s Grocery is helping fight to bring healthy food to the city by producing food from local crops and handing out free bags of groceries. Local crops provide jobs and the free groceries help those who cannot afford them. They are also teaching people how to prepare healthy meals and how to use their urban environment to grow healthy food.
Response 1 – Hope brought up a good point that I didn’t think of, which is, the liquor stores viewpoint. Along with the fast food restaurants, liquor stores will take a hit from a business angle if they are relied less upon for food. This might lead to some changes in their way of business or lower prices to bring those lost customers back.
Response 2 – Yuan’s response helped my thinking out a lot. There were a lot of outside facts brought to the table to solidify the seriousness of the situation. The farms that People’s Grocery are handling will produce less city air pollutants which will help west Oakland’s percentage of lung related illnesses decrease.
Matt Childs
Sociology 101 - 9:30am