Sociolization! 4/27 - 4/28

I noticed sociology when...
I was taking my ACT and PSAE tests in the fieldhouse. Everything we did for those two days were strict and conformed. We were not allowed cheat, make gestures, use our calculators for any test other than math, speak at all, have an electronic devices, or even bring water. However, we all followed these rules to avoid harsh punishment, retaking the test completely, and making the entire room suffer. The rules are crazy strict, but for good reasons. I'm glad everyone followed them so we didn't have any issues, and we didn't all have to retake our exams. Also, being in the fieldhouse felt somewhat like a total institution for various reasons. It was weird to have our lives completely prearranged for two days where we couldn't control anything, and I'm glad its over with.

Taking these tests the two days before prom was a great way to view sociology. I said it felt like a total institution because we weren't allowed to contact any of our friends, family, etc. during the testing. We were basically desocialized and resocialized for the testing days so there wouldn't be any abnormalities. All of the teenagers in the room were forced to stay quiet, turn off their cell phones, not bring food or water, and not cheat on the tests. All of us followed these rules, which is a perfect example of how a total institution works. In jail, for instance, the prisoners are forced to desocialize from their previous lives and resocialize to the life in prison. Much like in Shawshank Redemption, the teachers who oversaw our testing controlled our lives for the time being. Sociology works in our every day lives, and these hard testing days showed that!