Gopalakrishnan 1

Pranav Gopalakrishnan

Dr. Jacobs

SOC 2000 - 502

11 December 2017

Service Learning Journal

October 14, 2017: Beaumont Hospital (2:30 4:00 P.M.)

1. I got to sterilize equipment that belongs to the Operating Rooms and I also interacted

with a lot of the veteran technicians that work in this hospital. I also got to go around the

hospital as I moved around equipment or assisted patients in finding their destinations.

Volunteering in the hospital allowed me to see the parts of the clinics that most patients

never really get to see.

2. The Hospital is a very diverse environment, which is understandable, since it caters to a

multitude of people and addresses a multitude of different medical conditions. Working

with patients offers a plethora of insight into how different people go about their daily

lives and how different cultures deal with disease and doctors. Its also interesting to see

how many people struggle with some form of illness, because it highlights the vast

healthcare issue in the United States.

3. I am hoping to pursue a career in the medical field so using my sociological imagination

(Chapter 1) to understand how people think and act in a medical setting was a welcome

experience. Healthcare also tends to be deeply rooted in socioeconomic (Chapter 7)

issues because in this capitalist/consumerist (Chapter 7) society, those who are

considered bourgeoisie have better access to good care over the lower income families. In
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terms of conflict theory (Chapter 1), this would show the vicious inequalities between

income brackets and the harmful effects of income inequality.

4. I noticed that despite the numerous complaints about American healthcare, people dont

like to talk about solutions to those problems very much, especially in a healthcare

setting. Most likely, people prefer to avoid uncomfortable topics (especially when it

requires talking about politics) because its easier to avoid the problem.

October 21, 2017: Shri Bhaktha Hanuman Temple (12:30 2:30 P.M.)

1. This was the beginning of the days religious festival. The program was meant to go from

1:00 to 7:00, which meant I had to come thirty minutes early to help set up. The first

segment was mostly vocal music. The musicians are all young children between 6-13

years old. They all studied under various great and established musicians and each of

them rehearsed for months to perform at this temple. It is a festival dedicated to music

regarding a special week in the Hindu calendar.

2. This festival is important to me, as it is a part of my home culture and is a very important

cultural and religious event. It is always good to see a new generation of musicians and

artists showcase their talents. It is also very interesting to see how children who were

born and raised in the United States can reconnect and take part in the culture of their

ancestors; this is one of the many ways people can stay in touch with their native culture

even if they do not live in the country of their birth.

3. I think the most prevalent sociological concept in this environment is code switching

(Chapter 3), which refers to when people who play multiple societal roles become adept

at switching between different roles. This scenario also demonstrates nonmaterial

culture (Chapter 3) because it shows an example of people expressing their values and
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beliefs through things that are not easily tangible. Exposure to this kind of cultural

difference would also serve to counteract ethnocentrism (Chapter 3) by exposing

people to different cultures other than their own.

4. My part in this event helped to set the stage for people to partake in a rich and vibrant

culture. I believe that it is very important for people to stay in touch with their culture and

the ways of their ancestors. The experience of helping with this event and of being a part

of this grand festival also helps me connect with my culture and promotes my sense of

social identity in this multicultural, modern world. I learned more about the music of my

people and I also got to be a part of a large entertainment production.

October 21, 2017: Shri Bhaktha Hanuman Temple (2:30 5:00 P.M.)

1. This was the second segment of the music festival. In this part, I helped manage the

various professional artists and instrumental performances that were scheduled for the

day. We had a multitude of well-known artists and their students in attendance, and so we

had to accommodate a multitude of different instruments, playing styles, and time slots. I

was also in charge of announcing and preparing the artists as they took the stage, so I had

to interact with all the different musicians.

2. As mentioned before, this festival is a major cultural event, and it was widely attended by

the Indian community. The local priests of the temple used the festival as a part of the

days religious ceremony so I got to participate in two major events at the same time. Ive

always liked how music ties into the various religious festivals of my culture. I also met a

lot of people that are very well versed in the religious texts and musical traditions of

India; most of them tend to be very spiritual and love to pass on what theyve learned

with the younger generations.

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3. This was yet another example of code switching (Chapter 3), this time on my part as

well as I had to juggle different types of musicians while also helping the coordinators for

the event and interacting with friends and family that were at the event. Each music style

and each school of art is a subculture (Chapter 3) of the musical and artistic tradition of

India, and so each one deserved an equal amount of respect.

4. This part of the festival was much livelier, and now that I was a more active part of the

event while it was ongoing I managed to interact with a lot of people who were very well

educated in the tradition of my people. I learned about the different musical styles and

about the various great artists that keep those traditions alive and pass them down to the

next generation.

October 21, 2017: Shri Bhaktha Hanuman Temple (5:00 7:00 P.M.)

1. This was the final segment of the festival, and this part was dominated by the various

dance communities. The dancing styles of India are usually populated by women, and all

the various dances portray stories with emotion portrayed through the music and through

the movements and expressions of the dancers. I also helped the coordinators put away

the various stage sets and return the temple to its original state after the program was

over.

2. As I mentioned earlier, the dancing styles of India are dominated by women. Even on a

grander scale with professional performers, male dancers are hard to come by or are

relegated to specific dances and specific roles. Perhaps this ties in to the idea that women

are meant to be graceful and expressive whereas men should be focused on more

combative sports like rugby? It could also be due to the nature of the performance and the

content of the dance, which often involves female characters or requires more limber
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bodies to properly move through the motions of the dance. In either case, the dances are

always spectacular and moving to watch, especially if one is acquainted with the

traditional stories associated with each dance.

3. If men are not taking parts in these dances due to traditional concepts of what is proper

for men to do, then this is an example of gender roles (Chapter 8), but if this is

considered a biological issue, then perhaps the reason is biological determinism

(Chapter 8). Gender in art varies with culture, but in general, its obvious to see that men

are considered tough and rigid whereas women are considered delicate and graceful.

4. I am not sure if my involvement in this segment of the program has any impact on any

greater sociological issues. As a whole, however, my involvement in this program was a

positive force for the Indian community, as I helped bring Indian culture to the rest of

Michigan and allowed the younger generations of Indians in the United States to

showcase their talents and also partake in their heritage.

October 23, 2017: 826 Michigan (6:00 8:00 P.M.)

1. This was our On-Site Training for the 826 Michigan tutoring program. While we were

there, the coordinators went over the Socratic Method and gave us a quick run-down of

basic volunteering policies (i.e. the dos and donts of tutoring). We also did a bunch of

activities to get to know our fellow volunteers better as well as practice exercises to

simulate different challenges tutors must face when working with students. At the end of

the Training we also went over the various other kinds of volunteer options that 826

offers and signed up for all the opportunities that we felt suited us. Since I wanted to

tutor, I stuck with the tutoring option.

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2. I have tutored before, so I wasnt very uncomfortable with the idea of tutoring in Detroit.

I was slightly nervous because the environment would be much different than what I was

used to. 826 Michigan isnt like most other tutoring groups; they dont focus on grammar

rules or about following conventions. 826 focuses on providing help with the students

homework and exams while also providing them encouragement and advice in writing

and reading. It was less about getting everything 100% right and more about the actual

experience of learning.

3. When we were learning about the history of 826, I immediately thought of the concept of

privilege (Chapter 7) and socioeconomic classes (Chapter 7). 826 is specifically

focused on students from backgrounds that did not grant them the same opportunities as

others in the United States. These kinds of students are usually disadvantaged throughout

early education, and this problem persists throughout their lives. We were encouraged to

keep this in mind when tutoring, meaning we had to use our sociological imagination

(Chapter 1) to properly connect with our students. Ill probably be using sociological

imagination (Chapter 1) throughout the entire time I volunteer with 826.

4. I learned a lot about the current disadvantages facing students in Detroit, as well as

internal biases that exist within everyone when meeting people (e.g. making assumptions

about someones family or about the opportunities they may or may not have had).

October 26, 2017: 826 Michigan (4:00 6:00 P.M.)

1. I worked with two students today; I helped one with math concepts, and I helped the

other one with his writing assignment. When working with the second student, the two of

us came up with a story together regarding the zoo and a group of snakes. I used the

Socratic Method to help the student brainstorm their story by asking questions about how
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the plot progressed, and we went through the whole story piece by piece. Once it was

completed, we reviewed his work and edited the story. After it was complete, the two of

us presented the story to the whole class.

2. Working with the second student on his story was a very enjoyable experience. I had a lot

of fun making a piecewise story with the student, and it was interesting to watch the

student come up with different characters and how the story grew over time. I learned a

lot about the student I was working with through the story he wrote, because he wrote the

story based on what he liked and about something he was interested in (i.e. snakes).

3. Working on writing and math with the students highlighted the socioeconomic

inequalities (Chapter 7) that Detroit has. The effects of stratification (Chapter 7)

become very clear when you work with disadvantaged students that have a weaker

foundation in writing and reading. It becomes apparent that the effects of inequality have

long lasting repercussions when you see how it affects the education and career

opportunities of the next generation.

4. Id like to believe that by volunteering at 826 Michigan, I can help alleviate some of the

problems caused by poverty and historical inequality between urban and suburban areas.

Providing education that brings students up to par for their future helps provide them with

tools to stand up against the marginalization that disadvantaged people in Detroit have

faced for a long time.

November 2, 2017: 826 Michigan (3:45 6:45)

1. Today in tutoring, I went over another students writing and helped them revise their

stories so that it could be published in the 826 archive. We went through the story and

focused on what the student did well, and what could use some improvement. A lot of the
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focus went into encouraging the student to repeat themes or trends that enhanced the

story while figuring out how to change what didnt work as well to make it work better.

We also had a presentation by the coordinator about tabletop games and how they are

played.

2. Today was a constructive day of tutoring. As with before, I had a lot of fun helping the

students go through the stories they created and watching the stories come to life as the

characters and plot are worked upon again and again. Watching these students come up

with vibrant tales and show me the depths of their creativity makes me wonder how many

amazing scientists, artists, and other visionaries are left behind due to the inequalities that

plague our country.

3. The whole point of 826 Michigan is to address issues of socioeconomic inequality

(Chapter 7). These issues are clearest when working with students that have trouble in

writing and reading. Its very easy to see where the system has failed them and how badly

the effects of marginalization can cripple the amazing talents of students who have so

much to offer the world. It also highlights how most of us come from positions of

relatively high privilege (Chapter 7-9) and we must therefore try to rectify these

inequalities as we come across them in our lives. 826 Michigan is one of the ways I can

help to fix these kinds of problems by trying to address one of the major roots of poverty,

which is bad access to quality education and bad access to educative resources.

4. The knowledge I gained today about the extent of harm done by poverty and

marginalization will help me as I continue to volunteer at 826 Michigan and help the

students throughout the semester. It will help me overcome my own internal biases,

especially the ones I am not even aware of.

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November 4, 2017: Beaumont Hospital (2:30 4:30 P.M.)

1. Today at the hospital I helped the people who work in Surgical Services put away the

various types of equipment. I also got to deliver equipment to the operating rooms and I

was able to take the time to interact with some of the doctors and other staff at the

hospital about life at the hospital and what its like in the medical field.

2. I was very surprised to hear about the levels of stress in medicine. Some of the doctors

flat-out told me that there were times that they considered finding a new line of work. It

was extremely unexpected to hear. I also learned a lot about what goes on behind the

scenes of the hospital and how the different staff members play different parts in their

specific role at the hospital. Most people never really learn about the finer details about

how their healthcare works.

3. I think the best sociological concept that describes my experience today is

dramaturgical theory (Chapter 4) because it describes how people are all actors on a

grand stage. This applies to the hospital setting because each staff member and each

patient has their own part in the play of healthcare. Healthcare also offers great

examples of status (Chapter 4) and roles (Chapter 4) as doctors and nurses enjoy a

very high achieved status (Chapter 4) in our society, and for good reason. Its very easy

to see the authority and benefits that those statuses confer on the people that have them.

Some doctors also told me about their own role strains (Chapter 4) where their duties as

a doctor may conflict with how they feel as a fellow human person and they have to make

difficult choices under great amounts of pressure.

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4. I learned a lot about roles (Chapter 4) today and how widespread their effects on society

are. It was also shocking to learn how some doctors and nurses feel about their

occupation, especially considering how prestigious those careers are.

November 11, 2017: Beaumont Hospital (3:45 6:15 P.M.)

1. Today was a calmer day. I didnt have to do too much in terms of delivery or moving

things around. Mostly, I just helped the hospital staff work with assembling,

disassembling, and sterilizing equipment. I talked to the people who worked in the

department about their lives and about how their jobs in healthcare impacted them. To

my surprise, they didnt really give very concrete answers. For them, these things were

simply a part of their normal daily routines, and so they never really stopped to consider

these kinds of questions.

2. I think it really goes to show the effects of socialization (Chapter 4) how people become

completely accustomed to how things are. I was surprised to find out that people who

work in healthcare dont stop to consider the logistics of healthcare or how those kinds of

things can impact them or the people around them. Perhaps they have been exposed to the

healthcare environment for so long that any changes they can perceive are minute? The

healthcare paradigm in the United States is mostly static, nothing ever really happens in a

macro-level scale.

3. As mentioned earlier, socialization (Chapter 4) is the major theme for this entry. Adult

socialization (Chapter 4), in particular, shows that even as we grow up we have to be

wary about becoming complacent about the various sociological themes and concepts we

see in play around us. Since we know that societies and cultures arent static (Dr.
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Jacobs Chapter 1 Notes), then it falls to us to be agents of change in any aspect of

society where we wish to see change.

4. Today, while I didnt really do as much in terms of hospital work, I did learn a lot about

the impacts of socialization (Chapter 4) on people in specific environments and I

thought about ways to counteract the effects of that socialization (Chapter 4) so that I

will constantly remain aware of the various sociological themes around me.

November 16, 2017: 826 Michigan (3:45 6:30 P.M.)

1. Today I helped a student with their math homework. We also went over reading and

writing as we usually do, and we created another story about space aliens and a grand

quest to create the perfect pet robot dog. At the end of the day, I gave a special

presentation to all the students about fencing and I coached them all on the basics of

sabre style fencing. It was a fun experience for everyone there and all the students (and

some fellow volunteers) got to try out some fencing techniques using foam swords.

2. I had a great day! I enjoy fencing and so being able to show other people how the sport I

love to be a part of works was a great time for me. It was also nice to see how all the

students and even the volunteers got super into the various activities. A few of the

students also asked me for details for the Fencing Frenzy event the Wayne State Fencing

Team is doing very soon. I was nervous at first that they wouldnt be interested in the

sport or any of the various exercises, but I was proved wrong.

3. Today was a great example of code switching (Chapter 9) on my part, from Pranav the

tutor to Pranav the fencer. There was a tad bit of role strain (Chapter 4) involved,

since as a tutor I still had to maintain some form of order in the classroom and I had to
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make sure the students werent being unsafe with the various exercises that were going

on; at the same time, I wanted them to have fun and be a part of the sport I play.

4. Most of the lessons I learned today were about myself. I learned more about the impact of

the roles (Chapter 4) I take on in my life and how I can better handle role strain

(Chapter 4) between those roles whenever such a conflict arises.

November 30, 2017: 826 Michigan (3:45 6:30 P.M.)

1. Today was a very special day for 826, as a new student had enrolled with the program

earlier in the week. This student came from a home for members of the LGBT

community, and so I made sure to be respectful of the new students gender identity

(Chapter 8) while going through the necessary material for the day. I also worked with

another student on mathematics and we bonded over soccer and video games.

2. I had a good time tutoring, as always. I taught the new student trigonometry and one of

the students that came often about algebra. I noticed that I had to be extra careful

whenever I spoke to the new student so that I would not make the mistake of using the

wrong pronouns. I was surprised at how difficult I found it to be, especially since I had

been told beforehand that this student was transgender and I knew what their preferred

pronouns were.

3. The big theme for today was gender identity (Chapter 8). I had an entire volunteering

segment to meet with and interact with a member of the LGBT community. I also learned

about how heavily Ive been socialized (Chapter 4) into a heteronormative (Chapter

8) view of gender and the gender spectrum (Chapter 8). It was an eye-opening

experience and it helped me learn about the biases I have yet to overcome.
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4. My experience today helped me learn about the struggles of the LGBT community in

achieving the same social standing as their heterosexual and cisgendered peers. Its clear

that even for those of us who support LGBT causes there are a lot of influences from how

we have been socialized (Chapter 1) that require us to re-evaluate how we approach

gender and gender identities (Chapter 8).

December 7, 2017: 826 Michigan (3:45 6:30 P.M.)

1. Today was the last day for the semesters tutoring schedule. We decided to take things

easier today and we finished up the students homework and test preparation material as

fast as we could and then we all just played UNO and talked about our Christmas plans.

As thanks for a great semester, the students gave all the tutors a thank you note. We also

got to hear stories from each student that had been published in the 826 archives. Overall,

it was a fantastic volunteering session, and Im looking forward to tutoring again next

semester.

2. I had a good day with the students. I was very happy to hear the students present the final

editions of their stories. I had helped revise and brainstorm for a variety of these tales,

and the pride and excitement on the students faces as they presented their work to the

whole class in fresh print was amazing to see. I was sad that the tutoring semester was

over, but its only for a while, and Ill certainly be going back next semester.

3. I think this tutoring segment was less about sociological concepts and more about impact.

I could see what happens when we apply sociological imagination (Chapter 1) to

greater issues and the positive changes we can enact when we decide to get out there and
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do something good for disadvantaged communities. Each student learned a lot this

semester, and we as tutors learned a lot from them as well.

4. I learned a lot about the impact individuals can have on communities. I also gained a lot

of experience in tutoring and I learned about how different people have different needs

when it comes to education and how a tutor can try to address those problems one step at

a time.