This was my third year at University, and I should say that, to me, has been the slower year so far. Especially this semester, I wasn’t so motivated with classes, and maybe it’s because I’m tired and I just want to have my vacations… a break is needed! Despite that situation, I think I learned a lot, and did new things related with my career, and with other subjects that are interesting to me. It was an opportunity to try some stuff that to me seemed to be great, but, because of many reasons, I hadn’t done before.

I had some great classes, such as Sociological Theory I, Qualitative Techniques and Chilean Social History. Those were great for me to learn new things about my career and my country, and also to convince myself that this is what I want to be. Sometimes I still have my doubts, but in the last time I have felt that this is the right place for me.

But it was not all about studying. I also started to teach in a popular school (I am doing Maths). It has been a great experience so far, because I have had the chance to get to know a different reality than the usual one I am living in, and I am participating in an active way in my attempts to make a change in this society. It is a small step, but I am in the way of somebody who wants to learn, and wants to do something with his life, and if I can be a part of it, to me is awesome.

One cool thing of this year, it is that we had a congress of the Latinamerican Sociology Asociation, in Buenos Aires, and it was a great chance to go and meet great people from different countries that were studying the same that I am, and it was also an amazing opportunity to know a new city.

I have also started to work in some stuff of my area, non very qualified work, but i have made a lot of great contacts for the future.

To sum up, I would say that this has been a good year, to improve in many skills and meet new people (which is something I really like), and I am willing for next year to be even better.

Sociology, in our school (and in many others), is facing for a considerable number of important issues, related with programs of study, academics, insfrastructure, etc, but, right now, we will refer to those concerning to three exes: Technology, Sociol Matters, and Education.

1. Technology: In our school, there are a limited quantity of computers equipped with software such as SPSS and Atlasti. These two software are important in the process of education on become a sociologist, since we have to learn, at least in a superficial way to use the, and to have that knowledge in our hands.
I think that, sometimes, we are self-taught in this aspect, being unable to reach the level of ability that we should/want.
In the other hand, we could say that a technology problem is also related with infrastructure. Even though the building is kind of new, it doesn’t have the suitable number of classrooms for all the students and careers that are given in our faculty. A few weeks ago, new microwaves were added to our casino, but there’s already one that is not working. Our authorities should pay more attention to our concerns in all of the different areas we are asking for improvement.

2. Social Matters: our school of Sociology is not very linked to our social background. Situation that, I think, is very ironic. We don’t have projects open to the students to be a part of different communities around university, and, when we get in touch with groups of people, is almost all the time because we are making an investigation, but we don’t get a real support (in an institutional way) to do it.

3. Education: sometimes, we don't have the best teachers. They are for sure great professionals, but they don't have the "gift" of teaching, so classes are not interesting, or they just don't have the will to help.
There's also a problem coming from our authorities, that is had relation with our career not having a clear profile.

Election Day

I am registered to vote. I got registered in July, 2008, when was the expiring date to do it, to vote for the elections to choose major and his advisers. I belong to the district of El Tabo, so I thought it was a very important decision, because, as there is such little quantity of people, it is almost true that one vote and a campaign can make a difference.

I'm not very into electoral campaigns, wherever they come from, because I think they are just a big lie. I had the chance to watch an event made from one candidate to be senator to the people from the area, and it was a big circus: giving presents, meals, different speeches (that were about how bad was the competition, and didn't say a word about a real project), and it was a big show... in some way, they were trying to "buy" votes, with entertaining.

I think that the president should be a person that is not surrounded by a political environment contaminated with all the ambitions, which are out from the desire to improve the country. Should be honest, worried about what people need, and someone who has the will to change things, without being afraid.

I’m not sure if I’d like to have a career on politics, since it’s not an environment I specially enjoy, but I’d still like to do something related with politic publics, in order to make important and deep changes in society, that can improve people’s quality of life.

One ministry I’m interested is Health Ministry, because I’m really into how all people have access to a health care service of a good quality, without having in mind if they have money, or they don’t. For me, it’s a very important issue to solve in our society. People should have the chance to demand for a good health service, and hope for the State to answer to their requirements.

The first 5 problems I think should be solved in our country are:
1. A decent health service for all Chileans.
2. A fair educational system, in terms of social economical not determining the access to it.
3. Poverty and access to fair work conditions.
4. Regulation on environment issues, especially the ones related with the interests from the private area.
5. Legislation about the real situation of “freedom of choosing”.

Criminal Laws

I am against capital punishment, since I think that criminals that make a big mistake or offense, should pay for what they have done. Death may be even a solution for their problem of not having an exit.

On the other side, I don't think that humans have the power of taking away other people's life... I prefer them to be in jail, having thought of what they have done, and in, some way, "suffering", than just death.

On the other hand, I guess that having capital punishment may reduce the criminality rates, since people would be more affraid of making something wrong, but I also think that our authorities should be qualified to create other different solutions to the problem of criminality.

To reduce criminality rates, I think the governments should go to the root of the problem: what causes people to go and commit crimes? do they do it to survive? do they have a lack of something? Basis for a lot of crimes are the conditions of poverty in our society, the lack of education, the unexistent job positions for a lot of chileans.. if we solve that problems, I think criminality rates would decrease, especially in the case of Chile.

Luckily, I haven't had close experiences with crimes. The only thing was that once I was playing soccer here in the campus, and, in the mean time, somebody stole my bag with some of my clothes, cell phone, ID, etc.

What to do / where to go in Santiago

I think that a foreign tourist should go to our touristic spots, as for example to Santa Lucia and San Cristobal hill, La Moneda, the Ex National Congress, Bellas Artes musem, National Library, La Piojera, etc. Those are beautiful places that they have to go. In the other hand, if they feel like it, they could go to other places that are not so touristic, but are representative from our country.
Tourists should of course know new places, and go out and get to know the people here! To chat, go to party, etc.
One place for me is the Central Market, as you can eat amazing sea food and typical things.
A second place is the National Library: I really love it! the building is amazing, and beautiful! and there are so many things to do, I love it.
In Santiago you should go to party, and know Bellavista or Suecia street, they are great to have an amazing time.
I think it would be good also to La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's house. It is a good opportunity to get to know about one of our most important poets in our country.
And finally, I would recommend to go to San Cristobal hill: i think is really cool, you can do a lot of things, go to zoo, have a nice view of the city.. it is a great place!

Transantiago : Before and after

I can't make a huge opinion about Transantiago as a new system of transportation for me, as I am not from Santiago, and since I came here I have used only this system.

But, for the same reason, I can talk about the difference in the service from where it started, until now.

It is obvious that the system has improve, and that now is not that bad. The big problem with the system are the "tours" that are made by the buses, because some are too short and don't cover all the places that people need, and is like they were created based in some weird conveniences, and not based in a social investigation.

That's what i'd change: tours, I'd make them longer in some cases.

A country I would like to visit

I would like to visit Venezuela. I have always liked this country, because I think it has amazing landscapes, and people I have met from Venezuela is really kind, and smiling, and they tell me people there, is usually like that... those are the main reasons! But of course I would also live the environment there, how is the country, their public politics, etc.
If I were there, I would like to of course meet new people and the landscapes there, and would like to party, jaja, because I have some good friends in Venezuela, and they have told me that if I go there they'd join me in the everything I'd like to do! and they would invite me to some other things.
Though I think is a very interesting country, I don't think that I would like to live there.. or studying, or living... I'd like to go and visit it, but nothing else.. living in other country is not in my plans!

First Term : Good and Bad points

The first term I tried to do some sports: I practiced soccer, but I was not really good, even when I did my best.. that's not for me, I guess. So, this term I will try some other sport, maybe something more individual.

I started teaching Maths, and I have done that for the second semester too.. I hope to keep doing this for many more time.

In academics terms, it was really stresful: every teacher started with their own evaluation by May, so May and June (and even July) were months where every week we had to do something! I hope this term is not such a mess, in setting up dates and stuff.

But I still learned a lot, and I was able to realize that this is the career I want, and that I was not wrong, so, I'd say it was a positive third semester for me.

INGLES IV

Blogging Experience

I think the blogging experience was interesting. I didn't think we were going to do this, but first of all, I learned how to make a blog (I had no idea), and it helped to practice my written English.

I kind of enjoyed. I mean, I like to write things, but sometimes the topics were not very interesting. So, I enjoyed the fact I could practice and learn things while I was writing, but I did not like some the topics.

I think this blog helped me to improve my written English, and, in fact, since I left high school I had not written in English, so it worked to catch up what I knew, and to learn some new stuff too.

That’s to me the main advantage of having this blog: we can practice our written English, and we can learn new words and improve our grammar skills in the process. We also had the chance of knowing about blogger.com and its characteristics. This both things are very important (specially the first one).

The disadvantages of working in this blog, may be related with the topics as I say, but the things I think did not work were because of the time we had, and sometimes it was tedious, because we had to post on somebody else’s blog, but sometimes, because of the topics, the content of them was very similar, so we wrote the same things in blogs, and the commentaries were short and meaningless. The “post to your classmates” part it could be omitted, because it was not a big contribution.

To sum up, I may say that this experience was good, but the English class could have some other elements (besides this) to learn to write in this language, or, at least, we could have the chance to write about things we want to.

Creativity and Education

Ken Robinson makes us aware of a problem concerning with all of us and our children: how the education system (which has been part of almost all of us) is stopping our capacities to be creative.

He says that all children are born with the capacity to be creative, but society punishes the mistakes we all make, so children will be afraid to do something new or different. In that aspect, children are being educated to not be creative.

Ken Robinson also says that the education institutions are working to produce "university teachers", because they want their student to "think": subjects such as maths or language are taught with a high level of importance, but other subjects like dance, music or art are secondary.. why is that? Because they want to train "heads".

The system is made because for what is considered more useful for the work (in a context of industrialism, so work understood obviously not as art). is also considered according to the academic habilities, and here is the mistake, because this hability is confused with "intelligence".

This is related with why education is made thinking in university: if somebody has bad grades at school, that person will this he/she is not intelligent enough. But he/she doesn't know that can have other habilities, such as dance, singing, painting, etc. Our system doesn't allow to discover that.

My favorite subject: Sociological Theory I

My favorite subject this term is Sociological Theory I, which is the subject where we learn about the different and main theories, authors and movements of Sociology.
This semester we have studied Karl Marx, and now we are going to start with Emile Durkheim and, after that, Max Weber.

This subject is taught by Octavio Avendaño, and I think that is a big plus for the subject. To really learn, I need an organized class, with the ideas not just in the air, and this teacher is very clear, and he is not just speaking thoughts, and is really teaching what sociological theory is about.

I like this subject because I feel I am really learning about a central subject of my career, the ideas are clear, and it kind of makes me feel like I am in the right place, and that I wasn't wrong when I decided to study Sociology.

So far, I have learned about Karl Marx's theories related with the work, the capital, the State, etc, and I am willing to start learning more about Emile Durkheim and Max Weber statements.

My future

I, actually, don't know what I'd like to be in 5 years.
I think I would like to be traveling. What I want to do is to work some years, and then go in a super trip to Latin America and Europe, for all the time I can afford, hopefully two or more years.
After that, I'd dedicate myself to work in my area (which I love).
Personally.. I don't know xD ... I just want to travel, meet people, know new places, taking lot of pictures and enjoy life =)
For that reason, I haven't thought in where I'm going to live, but I guess I'll do it in Las Cruces (my hometown), or maybe in Valparaiso, but I want to work in Santiago... but, for me, Santiago is not a place to live! I'm very used to feel the beach near from me. That's why I plan to travel from Las Cruces to Santiago everyday... is not that far, and I think it worths it.

Best in Sociology

I consider that the best in sociology is Manuel Canales.
He is a sociologist from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, and also a Doctor in Sociology, from the same university.
Manuel Canales investigation line is related with Intolerance and Discrimination, Poorness and Social Exclusion, and Investigation Methodologies.
I like him because he has done many interesting papers and works, related with life conditions of people. And, his best characteristic is that he is one of the greatest in Speech Analysis, here in our University.
Last year, he was my teacher of the "Investigation Methodologies I" subject, and one thing I liked about him, was that he always tried that we (the students) got closer with Sociology, and is a teacher you can feel close to.
One funny thing about him was that in his classes he made us read books that he had written, and those books quoted him. Just kidding.

My career: Sociology

The main question I'm asked is: what is Sociology? and my answer is... I'm still not very sure.

When I first decided to study this, it was mainly based in the sociology course I had in the Program of Baccalaureate (for the Bachelor's degree) I was in, in this same University. I just liked the class, and I thought that everything I could learn in Sociology, I could use it as a contribution to make our society better... if we wanna improve it, we have to understand it, and for me, this is the best way.

Sociologists can make many contributions to society, since we can work in public and private places. So, we can contribute by making researches, which results will work for some ministerial or public program, or we can teach at the University, or dedicate just to the academic research, or maybe in private company.

Since we have many chances, the tools we are going to need are diverse. The access to a decent data source is basics for us, or to have the tools to make a research and to get to the people we need. We will need maybe of our sense to apply the theory to our reality, and use it in a way that we can make it better.

My favorite subject is, by now, social stratification. How classes are formed, and how that changes in every society, and how we can work on that, make a change, make things better! Specially in our country, where differences among classes are so hard, and unfair I think.

This picture is about me and my friend Carol. It was taken last December, in Las Cruces, where we both worked as leaders in a children and teens camp. The picture is from the day after the camp ended, and we had to work in a Christmas party, me as a clown, and her as a tutor. It was taken by Walter, other leader from the camp, who was the host in the Christmas party.

In this picture, the Christmas party had ended, and we were just hanging around, enjoying their last hours in Las Cruces, where everything was perfect! I am from Las Cruces, so I never left the place in the entire summer.

I have been a leader in this camp for almost four years, and I invited my friend Carol, who is one of my best friends, to work with me, and that made my experience even better… and the fact that we could stay one more day for this party, was awesome! And that’s why I love this picture! It shows all the happiness we felt (and still do), for what we were doing there, and for our friendship! It has been one of the best experiences in my life, and she’s one of the most important people in it.

Career-related web site

One of the websites I visit the most is not only related with Sociology, but also with almost every subject in our life: Wikipedia, which URL is http://www.wipedia.com. I couldn't say how or when I found this website, because it just appeared when I was looking for information of something I don't remember what it was.
I visit this website almost every week (every some couple of days, I should say), because when I need any definition, or any info about something I want to know, and is realted with sociology, music, politics, etc, wikipedia has it. I can look for some authors, or for The Beatles discography, or my home town.
I like this site because there is information about anything, and it is free! One of the things I like and I think makes it so unique, is that all info is uploaded by and for people who visit the website.

My Favorite Piece of Technology

My favorite piece of technology is notebook or PC.

There has been a computer in my house by almost 15 years, though in those times (I was five years old) it didn't have internet, and I used it sometimes just to play games. Now, we have a different one, which is newer, so we are able to do more stuff with it. Here in Santiago I don't own one, but I use my rommate's notebook. I use both mainly for the same things: to study, get in touch with my friends and family by MSN Messenger or e-mail, share info in platforms such as facebook, burn CD's, etc.

I use it almost everyday, usually at nights. In weekends, I can use it at any time of the day, to look for something, write a summary, or just do something useful (and useless) with my time.

I like it because it's a helpful tool and allows me to share, by chatting or uploading or watching pictures, and I can get valuable and worthwhile information and ideas to develop my works.

How my life be without it? I think not that different. I mean, studying would be harder, but not impossible, and I would be stuck in the phone all day. People wouldn't see my pictures on facebook, and I wouldn't be able to see them either, but that's not THAT important, isn't it?

Introduction

My name is Patricia Iglesias, I am 20 years old, I study Sociology at University of Chile, and I am from Las Cruces, though I am living un Ñuñoa while I am studying.
By using this blog, I hope to improve my English writing and reading skills and at the same time I learn how to deal with this website.