Personal Narrative: Exploring Christmas Culture In North Dakota

An ideology created in the 1960s, the culture of poverty is the idea that people stuck in poverty during this time had no way of breaking out and that they were trapped in a vicious cycle. The people living this way are helpless and could not provide for themselves, and many born in this lifestyle are heading downward with no avail. To spread awareness in the 60s, CBS sent reporter Charles Kuralt to document the quality of life and present the culture of poverty that ravaged in Appalachia. He went around a small town in mountainside Kentucky and interviewed families and documented the state of life around Christmas. This CBS News Special Report, Christmas In Appalachia, affirms the ideology of a culture of poverty, and the interview with Ibe Johnson, a hardworking husband and father, solidifies this through several filming techniques. Using a mix of eye-level and low level angle shots along with scale, duration of the interview, and composition of the scene, the film subjects the viewers to evidence of the culture of poverty.

In this paper I will discuss Social Theories such as Structural Functionalism, Conflict theory; with emphasis on Karl Marx’s early work and how it relates to the conflict theory and Symbolic interaction. I intend to define and discuss relevant sociological terms of these theories and how these theories could apply to my favorite holiday which is Christmas.

I hope that you had an awesome Christmas and a happy new year. This Christmas I traveled to Nevada and California with my family. We didn't get to decorate the Christmas tree, but it's okay because I got to spend lots of quality time with my family and I think that's what matters. Did you get to spend a lot of time with you family? We went skiing on Christmas Day and we had a blast. I'm still not very good at skiing, but I had so much fun playing in the snow. Do you like playing

So in the meantime, with Christmas close approaching, I’m going to pop my collar and wrap a cosy scarf round my neck, be grateful for what I’ve got and move forward steadily. Besides, I’m not working this Sunday and I can’t wait to go to church to play my drums. Speaking of which; I must find out if there’s a drum and dance class I can join in

I expected to go to North Dakota and be bored out of my mind. I thought that we were going to be fishing on a boat for 8-10 hours a day. I am a very impatient person so sitting on a boat in the middle of a lake, not being able to swim because there are hooks in the water sounds absolutely terrible to me. That is exactly what had happened the year before, and it seemed like i was on that boat for years.

Agony ripped through my insides like a disease. My great grandmother died in the winter of 2014. She lived in Kansas at the time but my great grandfather died and found his final resting place in South Dakota. Since South Dakota lies so far north, during the winter a permafrost covers the ground making a burial impossible. So, to bury my great grandmother with my great grandfather, my family cremated her to bury the couple together.

Holidays are fundamental parts of diverse cultures and by observing them through the lens of an outsider; we are able to see how a culture can have different perceptions. Nonetheless, we can observe Christmas from the perspective of someone that isn’t part of the American culture. When I think about someone’s perspective on this holiday, I can imagine the following: For Christmas, families meticulously decorate their houses and bushes with wires. These wires are only turned on at nighttime. When they are turned on, the house becomes very illuminated, and every house on the block competes to see whose house looks the brightest. Americans become interested with the presence of their houses; they decorate their houses so others can admire them.

The Christmas Day Tsunami was caused by a massive earthquake. There was forces that had been building up for hundreds of years and once they forces were released it caused violent and killer waves to be unleashed. These violent movements of the tectonic plates displaced huge amounts of water which sent powerful shock waves in every direction. The Earthquake that caused the Tsunami was a result of the sliding of the India plates which had been going on for a millennium. The Earth shuddered due to trillions of rocks that were moved. The disturbed seafloor was displaced and created the Tsunami. So many people were caught unprepared because this was something that took time. The forces and sliding of the plates had been happening overtime for years

The United States is praised in social studies classes for being a “melting pot” that accepts all no matter their race, creed, or religion. However, one group of Americans is claiming they are being unfairly persecuted for their faith, because they are unable to practice it the way they see fit. They are not a minority religion or newly established, but in fact Christians. Considering that Christianity is the largest faith group in this United States, it is important to analyze these claims of injustice and determine if there is a valid argument at play. It is also vital to examine what role Christians play within these conflicts and the current American landscape. Once these two elements are explored, other instances of documented religious

It is curious that as children, humans have the ability to observe and remember details of specific situations and instances yet lack the ability to describe them. Truman Capote, as a grown man, took advantage of his vivid memories and composed the short work, "A Christmas Memory." The story begins in late November, a month symbolic of all the years gone by that Capote could remember beginning preparations for Christmas fruitcakes.

Christmas is the annual festival celebrating the birth of Jesus on the 25th December, at least that is what it began as initially. Since it has expanded into an international phenomenon for consumption, taking priority over our everyday practices of life (Michel De Certeau, 1980). Our time we spend divided between work and leisure in accordance to the codes and conventions of society shifts, Christmas derails these expectations. Yet surprisingly Christmas gains little attention in terms of social research, despite the fact that it can be explored diversely. The inquiry ‘What is Christmas?’ links to multiple aspects of social research. The aspects of Christmas can be subdivided into the following; religion, commercialism, gift-giving, social relationships, sensualism and mythology. This essay will analyse these fundamentals of Christmas through both psychological and sociological perspectives, as the theories among these two social sciences are best suited to the elements which make up Christmas itself.

I'm still excited about Christmas but I'm starting to get a little stressed as well with it coming so fast. I just feel so behind on everything. I plan on

In 2005, ten-year-old Belle Adams had her dreams crushed after learning the truth about Santa Claus. Her mother, Nicki Adams, admitted to lying about Santa Claus being real. Belle never felt so betrayed. She reacts by writing an offensive note and sliding the note under her mother’s door. The note read, “You have no idea what you just did. I really tried to believe. Everyone told me it’s your parents. I can’t believe you anymore. Is the Easter bunny real, how about the tooth fairy, huh? You just ruined a 10-year-old child’s Life! Thanks! Nothing will make me feel better because you lied to me about something I Loved that Broke my Heart!” As we all know, Santa Claus is the one of the most famous mythologies of all time. Every Christmas Eve,

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. I love seeing the shinny Christmas lights that decorates my street and the sound of fresh fallen snow on the ground. Christmas reminds me of family, the laughter and loved we shared, and the gifts we gave to each other. My house on Christmas became the center of my joy.

We each take a huge breath as we step out into the crispy snow that snaps under our boots. I make my way to the front door, illuminated by the red, green, and blue Christmas lights. As I open the door and step into a house full of cheek pinches and hugs, an array of Christmas smells welcomes me and makes my mouth water. As my family and I are quickly made comfortable, I look around... All the house is full of Christmas decorations, and the carols are heard all over the house. My cousins are running, playing , and laughing.