Brief description

The letter of introduction was a starting point for the course, where I was first introduced to what a social scientist is. It was a simple first paper to dip my toes into the course as I continued to explore through it. Due to its simplicity there wasn’t much room for change throughout the paper and there wasn’t really a draft that was needed. At the time of writing the paper I wasn’t a big fan of writing drafts either. I went through the assignment pretty quickly, I didn’t face any challenges with it. I enjoyed completing the assignment though, because I was able to see the world through the lens of a social scientist. I took the time to look at the issues the world faces and try to come up with solutions. I also took the time to analyze what being a social scientist is. This assignment helped to put my foot in the door of the course. 

Letter of Introduction

Dear Ms. Jourdain,

            A social scientist is one who conducts research in ways to improve society and then tries to execute it. They study culture and society as a whole. I feel that I can fall into this category as well. Although I am not a social scientist yet I can work towards it. This comes along with learning the ways of it. As of now what I think makes me a social scientist is the process of researching ways to improve a situation. Researching is a big component of being a social scientist and I think that although I haven’t solved any societal issues, I have been able to solve issues in general through research and conducting a plan to execute it. I think that having the basics down of being a social scientist is a decent first step. As I said before, I haven’t solved any of the problems of society, but I do constantly think of what’s wrong with society and try to think of ways to solve it. I also like to get people’s opinion on the situation so I can come to a census of what other people think of the problems in society. This is a way of finding different approaches to solving an issue. I have a basic understanding of what is expected of a social scientist and I would enjoy fulfilling the duties of it. I think what is most important about a social scientist is their desire to help people and I think that’s the part that sticks out to me the most. I want to be able to help people and society, that is why I have decided to major in psychology which is apart of social scientist. I have the will to help people and I think that makes me a social scientist essentially.

            In today’s world there is a list full of issues with the world. As we progress as a society, the more issues we encounter. There is a plethora of social issues that I feel strongly about. One of them is education as funding keeps getting cut from it. I think everyone should have an equal level of education, meaning that your demographic shouldn’t matter when it comes to your education. I went to high school in the South Bronx and the education I received there was inadequate. There was barely any funding, where we couldn’t even receive textbooks. Not everybody is getting the educational opportunities they deserve. Education is the path to success and making a change so we should all receive a good one. I think that funding for education should be increased not cut. Another issue I care about is immigration because I don’t think innocent people trying to obtain a better life should be thrown in cages as if they were animals. America should take in the hungry, poor huddled masses not ban them for the country. People don’t get a choice where they were born so they should be able to come to America to breathe free. It should be more attainable to become a citizen in America so the people have a chance at a better life. Furthermore, people in the LGBTQ community rights should be protected as well. Someone shouldn’t be persecuted due to who they love. They shouldn’t be fired from their job or denied services due to it. There are bills being signed that infringe upon their rights and it is unethical and it should be changed. There is plenty of social issues that I care about and I’d like to see change or one day try to help change. 

The way how people are born, raised and nurtured, and let into the world with their own ideas and way of life is fascinating to me. We’re all in our way unique from each other and have very different opinions on life and issues. When it all comes together in our interactions with each other it can go an assortment of ways and I think that’s interesting. However, I am curious about how people act depending on their region. Why does a region have such an impact on one’s way of living. I want to get deeper into how does one’s location make them who they are and why does it contrast with others? People from different parts of America have such differing views on issues but we’re all live  in the same country. Why is this?  I am curious about what makes a person feel a certain way about an issue and I think if you know that it’ll help with change.

As I mentioned above I want to pursue a job in psychology, which is a way of understanding people. I like to help people with any issues they may be having. I like to sit, listen to them, and figure out who they are, while helping them solve their mental conflict with themselves, or anything that has been weighing on them. In doing this I think I have gotten good at analyzing people and understanding how they think. I have learned that each person has their own way of thinking but many times it’s not far off from each other. This has helped gain an understanding of the types of people that there are, because our ways of thinking can be grouped along with each other. Thus, I have also learned with each group of people there is a way of handling the situation in a way that works for them and I learned a bit of how it works. As of now I guess me helping people is a hobby until I start a career, but I think in pursuing this hobby I have gained an understanding of people that will help in the long run with this class.

Ultimately, social scientists are required to be able to research, make plans, and overall help society and I think I can very well do that. I think with the tremendous amount of social issues that faces society like education, social scientists are needed to help solve them and move closer to achieving peace. I think portraying a social scientist in the class would be interesting and I look forward to what I can learn from it.

Best,

Annette Martinez