Sociological Mindset

This week in class we read Survivors of the F227. It was about a plane that went down in the mountains and the survivors of the plane crash had the feed off the bodies of their friends and loved ones in order to survive. More specifically it was about a group of people who’s mindsets had been shaped by the society they grew up in, and then those people had to go against those mindsets to survive being stranded in the mountains. To us who have been raised to believe cannibalism is wrong, and who have not been in the situation where cannibalism was essential to survival see this act as savage and barbaric. The survivors also felt this way but adapted in order to survive. Even as they were engaging in the act they tried to ease the uncertainty raised by the situation by convincing themselves what they were doing was right. That god had left them these bodies to be eaten so that they may survive. It is interesting to look deeper into the way that society morphs our mindsets and the way we think. How we are raised by our parents, the culture we live in, and the sorts of media we are exposed to all are factors into creating our way of thinking. This reminds me of when I was younger I went on a cruise with my father, my grandfather, and my uncle. My uncle lived in Poland in an isolated town, barely ever left his town, and never left the country until now. He was not used to the people of various cultures and races that were on the cruise. He certainly did not hate them, he was more afraid of them. So much so he often hesitated leaving his room. I remember I found it funny that he refused to leave the room one night when we were going to have dinner. Now though, I realize this is a direct result of how/where he was raised and the type of mindset he had created because of this. When he was put on the cruise he was thrown out of his comfort zone but, eventually he got used to it and he began to enjoy himself. Once again this weeks lesson has changed how I view other people and how they think. And… my power just went out so I'm going to have to save this to word and post it later.