Everyday Sociology and PEDs

The entry that I read from the Everyday Sociology Blog for this assignment was about the recent case of Alex Rodriquez, or as most people know him A-Rod and how society views the use of performance enhancing drugs and when their use could be viewed as cheating. Most of the blog talks about how deviance is socially constructed and why we deem some actions unacceptable while other actions that are similar are acceptable in other contexts. In this particular case the blog talked about how the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sports is viewed as deviant, while the use of PEDs to help with anxiety for a performance is acceptable. The article cites the reason for things being this way in sports is because we see PEDs as giving an unfair advantage to players that use them compared to those that don’t. It also compares surgeries, like corrective eye surgery, that can help the performance of players to PEDs and questions why they are allowed in sports.

After reading the post from the Everyday Sociology Blog I looked at a blog post from an ESPN writer and another from a writer on Deadspin. Both of the posts I found were focused mainly on whether or not the PEDs actually give athletes an edge and why they are such a big deal in baseball compared to other sports. Each of these articles almost takes a sociological perspective in questioning the norms of society and why PEDs are considered deviant in baseball. For example in the Deadspin post the writer Scott Lemiuex points out that PEDs are more of a taboo in baseball because it is America’s pastime and people think that it should remain drug free. This is also mentioned in the ESPN post by writer David Schoenfield but he points out that most people care more that it helps players hit homeruns more than anything else. In his post he talks more about homeruns and the fact that the records broken by players using PEDs are sullied by this fact.  By the end each of these other posts ended up shifting the focus more on something other than the sociological implications with the ESPN article looking at the homerun data and the one from Deadspin becoming more of an opinion piece. In the end looking at these articles they both brought up sociological concerns even if they weren’t intending to do so or thinking about sociology.
The thing I learned from sociology about this issue is that everything that we do is done in a certain context and the norms we set can vary depending on the situation. In this situation PEDs and their use are unacceptable when it comes to baseball, America’s pastime. This is because most people see it as an institution that needs to remain PED free to retain its integrity. This integrity is something that most Americans value and when looking at a society from a sociological perspective we can learn a lot from the values a culture has and how those values fit with the norms of a society.   

Sources:

 http://deadspin.com/what-the-dumb-hysteria-over-a-rod-and-peds-is-really-ab-1167255086
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/39131/does-a-rod-really-gain-an-edge-from-peds
http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2013/09/constructing-deviance-a-rod-drugs-and-cheating.html

My Culture

                Thinking about my own culture is something that I have never really done before and trying to think of the key aspects of it in some ways is almost a challenge.  The key aspects of my culture are heavily influenced not only by where I live and have lived but how I was raised and what I have learned in school and elsewhere. Some of the key aspects of my culture come from my religion or values my family and friends have instilled in me. The things that I value or the values and norms that have been instilled in me are more than likely typical of someone from a middle class family that has grown up in rural area.

                For my entire life I have grown up in the UP with friends and family always living close by and always being there for support. Even now while I am up here at Michigan Tech I have family that lives half an hour away and a network of friends that are always there for me. The value of my family and its importance in my life is something that was instilled in my belief system since I was young. From a young age I was taught that family comes first, this was something that was easy for me to grasp because I have two younger brothers that I have looked out for since I was young. Having to watch out for them got me to realize that having someone there for me when I need it is important if I run into trouble. This might differ from someone who does not like their family or view them in the same way that I do.  For example I might differ from someone that was an only child who might have been given whatever they wanted and only worried about themselves.

Another thing that is important to me is to treat people with respect and to treat them how I would want to be treated. This golden rule was instilled in me at very young age by my parents and has allowed me to gain many friends as I have grown up. This is important when you are young because it helps you learn how to act in groups and to get along with people. The idea of respecting everyone and their beliefs has also instilled in me the value of acceptance. The value of acceptance is something that is fairly important to me because if I can’t accept others viewpoints or beliefs I feel as though I am missing out on a way of thinking about things even if I don’t agree with that perspective. This is something that has been reinforced over the years by my father who is a police officer. In his job he has to look at things from different viewpoints all the time when dealing with people that are in disputes or bringing in complaints. He would always tell me to look at things from each perspective before making a decision about something or someone. This has led me to be accepting of different ideas or beliefs and adapting to be able to get along with just about anyone.

In addition to the values of family, respect, and acceptance another thing that I was raised to value is hard work. As I grew up I was always taught to try my best and work hard to accomplish my goals. This was instilled in me in various ways the most obvious to myself being through always having to earn my allowance or work to save money to buy the next best toy or gadget as I was growing up. This was also instilled in me through school work because I realized that the harder I worked the better my grades were. Also when my grades were good my parents would reward me by letting me have friends over or if it was hockey season and I wanted one, getting me a new hockey stick. Eventually I have come to realize that hard work is kind of its own reward which differs somewhat from what I see with kids growing up now who seem to feel entitled to everything including grades.

Overall the things that I value and find important in my life are not limited to the examples I have given above and are wide ranging with some being more important than others. Each one shapes my actions and personality in ways that make me who I am. These values have been reinforced through my daily interactions with people as well as my friends and family. These values more than likely would differ from the values someone from a different culture would have. Culture and the values within it all shape who we are and differ based on the values and beliefs instilled in us as we grow up and learn about our environment and interact with it.