Being that I am in one level of higher education, I found the value of higher education to be an interesting topic. Starting off the author discussed that it is hard to determine the value and how it should be measured. The first point is about student culture and liminality. Liminality refers to the state that you are not here nor there. I think this means you are not where you want to be career wise but you are on the path to getting there. The undergraduate culture is a liminal space where students can interact with one another and maybe become lifelong friends. These experiences create social changes of classifications and roles. Lastly this section questions whether the culture for college can create new ideas and transform visions or if college is meant to train people just to take the place of another worker.
The next section of this reading is about student culture, the public university, and American culture. After this author has attended this school and has taught there she claims that the same forces that shape the university shape the student culture. She talks about since WW2 each year more and more people decide to go to college. Then she gets into the fundings and how they were being reduced and how the funding is important when it comes to university planning. Because school costs so much most students are now working while going to school. Students pick fields that are well paying in order to start paying on loans after school. The poorer students are going to community colleges too. She ends this section by saying that universities should not rely on politics of government or profits or organizations.
Millennials: Confindent. Connected. Open to Change. 2) It is interesting the shift from "Look at me generation" to "always connected". While it is true that most millennials have some kind of privacy setting on their social media sites, I believe there is something to be said about how technology and social media has made it easier for this generation to be very expressive about their identities. Because of this, it definitely can be said that millennials can be seen as a "look at me generation". Even if there are some kind of privacy settings or standards on these social media sites, there is quite a larger possibility that personal information is available to larger amounts of people from ever before. It is true that the majority of this generation participates in this kind of activity, but on the other hand there is also people, like myself, that are absolutely terrified by the idea of droves of personal information like that beings available to the world. These forms of communications are a good thing and are important because it allows all different types of perspectives and ideas to be shared and taught, but I think more of this generations should consider the consequences that could arrive from this type of personal sharing as well.
I read the story titled, "Gen (fill in the blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity". This story was written by Arlie Hochschild, a professor at the University of California, Berkley. In this entry, a question was posed within the text, “Can we make up our generation, as Mr. de Lissovoy playfully did, or is it imposed upon us, like it or not?”. I thought that this was a very interesting way of thinking, and something that I had never really thought about before. When I kept reading, I came across a theory from Karl Mannheim, who is a German sociologist. He stated, “a generation is a cohort of people who feel the impact of a powerful historical event and develop a shared consciousness about it.” After reading this, my mind drifted off thinking about September 11th and how that has affected everyone in the United States that was alive at the time, or even those born into families that had been affected before they were born. I definitely think that life events shape a generation, and what that generation is about. But when there are no major historical events going on, what happens then? Well, then I believe what Mr. de Lissovoy said, which I quoted previously, is true, that we can create our generation. For example, currently I feel that my generation is being shaped by technology all around us. My parents didn’t have cell phones or high definition TV. They didn’t even have iPods, and now we can hold our music on our cell phones. It seems that even if no big historical even has taken place, technology and different inventions and ideas can help to shape and mold generations.
December 16th reading culture blog post: While reading “Pissing in a River- The Patti Smith group” I realized that I shared Nick Hornby’s thoughts on several topics. Hornby said “she seems blissful untroubled about her status as an artist: she just is one and it requires no further contemplation on her part.” This is how I want to be as an artist, and by artist, I mean as a writer. I want to be able to make things flow with great meaning, but not have to worry about what others think of my writings, just enjoy the fact that I can write and I am doing so. Later, Hornby says, “as Smith hit the electrifying climax of the song, you could feel the whole audience fall in love with her, and the song, and the evening.” Smith put so much passion forth while singing her song that everyone who was listening could feel it. They could feel her passion. I hope to show my passion to others as I continue to write. Another quote from Hornby’s writing that really stuck with me was “just make sure whoever it is means it, that they’re burning up in their desperation to communicate whatever it is they ant to say.” I will always put forth my best effort to get my point across in a piece of writing; it seems a waste to do otherwise.
I think it is great that you took so much from the passage you read and applied it to your own life in hopes of becoming a better writer. I also want to be a writer who can express my thoughts freely and smoothly that makes it easy for readers to understand what I am trying to say, but also encourage them through my words.
The fact that you will always put forth your best effort when writing will bring you so much success. Hard work always pays off, even at times when it seems it doesn't. I look forward to becoming a better writer with you in these next few weeks!
I read “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.” I think Millennial is the best term to describe our generation. I think “look at me” and “always connected” could also be said about the members of the Generation X and the Boomers, but Millennial expresses that we witnessed the turn of the century in our early lives. The Pew Research Center could have added more questions about things like sexuality tolerance and how we perceive the health of our planet and our national economy. They could have asked us our opinion on women’s rights and the use of contraception and practice of abortion. These are all things which are changing in our modern world and I believe the Millennials are largely responsible for the increased support of these movements. Personally, I am not as interested in technology compared to other young people my age. Making a twitter account made me feel kind of uncomfortable, like going to a Wal-mart. Also, just the other day I learned about the cloud and hashtags. I still have an old flip phone. It is not smart, but it can make a call and it even has a calculator and a camera. In the past I had an xanga account and a myspace. Now I have facebook, okcupid, tumblr, and linkedin (which I don’t know how to use yet), and as of yesterday… a twitter. So, I am in the majority group in terms of social media, but I am in the minority when it comes to having tattoos and piercings. Apparently, only 38% of Millennials have tattoos and only 23% have piercings in places other than their ear lobes. Oddly enough, earrings are the only jewelry that I rarely ever wear. On that note, I think I fit in with my generation more than I thought I did. Most of the time I feel like an old soul, especially regarding my taste in clothes and music, however statistics show that I have more in common with my peers than I thought I did.
I read "Pissing on the River". I think that Hornby was trying to explain that some artists write music because they need a hit record, while some do it because they truly enjoy it. When artists write and perform music because it means something to them it becomes more relatable to the viewers. The author explained how Patty Smith sang older songs, but she gave those songs a different effect. Since the songs had a different effect the viewers became emotional towards the lyrics. Music is in everyone's lives. With this huge impact, it is important that we have artists similar to Patty Smith. People who will allow us to feel the music and lyrics. When you are able to have the viewer feel emotion towards a song, that is when I think you succeed as an artist.
I read "The Problem with Youth Activism" and it was quite an eye opening article. When we think about joining organizations on campus for the "good of the community" we think about how we could get involved and put our own footprint in the world. However, how often does action really take place? It was interesting to read this article because Courtney E. Martin gave me a different perspective on organizations. It is all well and good to put something down on paper and say you are going to do something, but until we carry out our own actions nothing will come of those thoughts. The more engrossed we are in these organizations the less likely we are to speak out, to have sit ins, to protest, to have a voice. I can truly relate to this article because it is true. I started my college career on the university soccer team. After freshman year, however, I decided not to play anymore. This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but it made me rebel and "stick it to the man". I was not happy in my situation so I did something about it. I carried out my words that I was going to create a women's club team on campus, and I did just that. Now there is another medium for girls to come out and play that is not as competitive as a varsity sport, but more of a commitment than intramurals. I think it is an interesting view to look at organizations as hindering society. Scanning through all of the organizations on campus, I'm trying to think of any protests that happened or anyone that made much of an impact about a particular subject area. It is not something that we, as college students, see very often. I truly believe that our generation is THE generation. We are the generation who is going to change the way we look at the world. In order to do this, though, we need to become more active as a whole. Take your thoughts and don't be afraid to speak out, it is the only way progress/change is going to be made.
"Once More to the Lake" by E.B. White Reading Response
White imagines his son as himself. We can assume that White's father felt the same while taking White to the Lake. Because of this, we assume that White's father and him share unique characteristics, learned over the years. White discusses his time spent up at the lake, away from the harsh realities of the city. Most notably, white refers to the time that there was a thunderstorm at the lake and all the campers had gone swimming in the storm, coincidentally there was a storm the week White and his son were vacationing. White jr. grabbed his dripping shorts and bolted towards the lake, with many other boys. He notes that it is his sons first time visiting the lake, and a long time since he too had visited. White comes to terms that he is the role model for the next generation. White is saying that his father has come to teach him the values of friendship and youth, as he intends on teaching his. He sees time passing by, and the cycle seems to repeat through each generation.
In “What High School Is”, Theodore R. Sizer describes a typical day for a high school student named Mark. It was published in 1984, when I was in Junior High and is very accurate of what I remember. It is sad, much of the time is spent on routine or running all over the building going from one class to another, and not on instruction. Today’s high schools I know are not much different and are possibly worse. There are new technologies in today’s world we did not have back then. Today the teachers have the distraction of cell phones in class. Or relying on technology for a lesson that could very well decide not to work. In the description that Sizer wrote half of the teachers were yelling the homework assignments as students were leaving and one even forgot to give it to them. I know at our local high school they don’t even tell the students anymore, the text them to the student. This requires the student to have a cell phone. Sizer states that “What is absent is any definition of these subjects or any rationale for them. They are just there, labels. Under those labels lie a multitude of things. A great deal of material is supposed to be “covered”; most of the courses are surveys, great sweeps of the stuff of their parent disciplines.” Which is so true even today. Students spend minimal time in each subject, then are running to learn another subject. Sizer, then goes on to say that coverage within subjects is the key priority. But, if teachers decided to require students to use several subjects to solve a complex problem, the protesters will argue that this takes time away from other things. I believe that this is the way teaching should happen. In the really world, the work world you don’t just use one subject at a time to solve problems or accomplish a task, you use many. Why are we still not teaching are youth this way?
"What High School" by Theodore R. Sizer ~ Question #2 Theodore R. Sizer, a well-rounded, educational figure, took a deeper look into the high school life of an eleventh grader named Mark. Sizer brought attention the aspects of high school that are buried beneath the stereotypical "motivational" focus that is found in secondary education. With much detail he brought Mark's eleventh grade life alive, including his frustrations and anxious feelings that ultimately come from trying to fit into the mold of a successful high school student. Sizer puts it nicely when he says that high school is a "sustained restlessness". It is not just a time for students to grow and find themselves, but also a time of academic stress and competition.
My high school experiences have definitely been a shaping factor in my life, inside and outside of school. My teachers especially played a role in the success of my academics, but their expectations also took a discouraging tool on me daily. I had many teachers who encouraged me to work hard and do my best and if I did that I would find success. On the other hand, I had teachers who had such high, unrealistic expectations in which only caused many nights of tears. As a learner, the various expectations my teachers had both challenged me as a student and has prepared me for college. I can now say I am thankful I had a variety of teacher perspectives. I also now know what I do not want to do when I am given the opportunity to teach someday. The expectations my teachers had were consistent most of the time with all students, however there were times when I would find students getting away with things that I thought were quite unfair. My dad would always remind me that doing what is right and going the extra mile will pay off in due time, regardless of the student or teacher involved.
Overall, the never-ending hustle and bustle of high school requirements along with the expectations of teachers plays a huge role in students mental, emotional, and physical stability. I have experienced hardships, both academic and friendship based, just like Mark, and I can understand the challenges that come with being a high school student in today's world.
I read the article “Juvenile Delinquency Films.” The article was about films produced in the 1950’s that caused controversy. The article focused on three movies specifically; "The Wild One," "Rebel without a Cause," and "The Blackboard Jungle." All movies portrayed the youth culture and were groundbreaking when they were first released. All the movies had different plots, but the themes were the same. They portrayed youth as the up and coming commodities, but they did so in a violent and sexual manner. The films made adults seem unperceptive to the more complex world of youth. The three films challenged topics such as homo-sexuality, violence, family dynamics, and social class in blatant or subtle approaches. The movies were controversial because there were violent “copy cats” who were inspired to hurt others after seeing the movies. The article made me think about movies that could be considered Juvenile Delinquency Films after the 1950’s. The one movie I kept thinking of while reading the article was "The Breakfast Club." The film idolizes youth culture and explores the different dynamics of youth. Each character in "The Breakfast Club" demonstrates a social class, an affect from family dynamics, or even sexuality. For example, John Bender was the most conflicted youth in the movie. He reveals his behavior is the cause of physical abuse from his father later on in the movie. After reading this article, I can look more critically at youth-centered films and see some of the common themes that could be seen from "The Wild One," "Rebel without a Cause," and "The Blackboard Jungle."
The article “We are all Third Generation” by Margaret Mead was a very interesting read. She states in the reading that we are all “third generation” Americans. I believe I know what she means by that. The “first generation” Americans were the immigrants who came looking at the immigration as a choice between freedom and oppression. They were thought of as “failures” at being Americans by the “second generation” Americans because they still held on to their foreign culture even after they came to the United States. The “second generation” Americans look at it as success or failure and strove to get a head of their “first generation” family. They felt the need to adapt and become more American in their culture and lives. The “third generation” American felt it’s easy to leave all old customs behind and start fresh as a “true” American. They had lost all accent, clothing, food, or any other shred of previous culture and has adopted American cultures. What the author is trying to convey is that most of us are at that stage where we consider each other Americans and do not separate ourselves by Italian, Irish, German, etc. We are “third generation” Americans because we have forgotten our diverse backgrounds and think of ourselves as Americans and nothing else.
Gen(Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking Identity by Arlie Russell Hochschild
Arlie Russell Hochschild, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, uses Karl Mannheim's essay, "The Problem of Generations" to explore the generational shift of people in both the past and present. Hochschild suggests that there "is a trend toward a more loosely jointed, limited liability society, the privatizing influence of that trend and the crash-boom-bang of the market."
If you take a look back in history during the time of the Great Depression and World War II you find that people in that time period were marked by these historical events. Their way of life was affected by economic hardships, but also by the absence of fathers and sons due to fighting in the war. Their identity was found in their family. As time has gone on, people have changed and developed new trends and priorities due to societal and historical changes. For example, individual choice is presented through the progression of women rights. Today, women can be whatever they choose: a mother, a business owner, a political figure, and so on.
Hochshild says, "If in previous decades large events drew people together and oriented them to action, the recent double trend toward more choice but less security leads the young to see their lives in more individual terms." Today most people run off of what they want, not what is morally sound or right for the greater good. Our individualistic society has created a market of "things" that fuel our greatest wants, such as a new car and the newest iphone. Overall, the collective mood of a generation has changed immensely over the past one hundred years. Historical events, circumstances of people, and technology have all influenced the technology dependent society we live in today.
Dec. 15th. Reading 1. Chapter 2 - How Dungeons and Dragons Changed my Life
I chose to read the article about Dungeons and Dragons written by Ethan Gilsdorf because it was an article I could immediately relate to. For those that don't know, Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop game, that includes coming up with strategies, fighting dragons, fighting monsters, saving lives, and roleplaying which defined- can be another way of acting. Gilsdorf stated in their article that they had believed that as they grew older, that D&D is a game that you do not go back to. However, it is something that you can go back to as well as a game that is still alive and ongoing.
A lot of people think that video games and things like D&D can corrupt kids. While some video games could potentially do that if you don't watch your children, for D&D this is not the case. Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop game that makes you live out your imagination, and become a hero that you wouldn't be able to be unless playing this kind of game. It is also a game that wants you to be creative. It keeps that creativity alive, you create so many things, and while some may not believe it it can boost your confidence in terms of social meetings or anything to that sort. It can teach kids to take leadership, and it also forms bonds with who you're playing with. I'm not saying that all games are harmless. Some can very well be depending on its content. The one thing I do want to say however is that don't discourage your kids from ever playing the old school tabletop games, because it is just another way to unleash your creative heroism, and let that imagination flow. And what's even better about that is that it's done all through pencil, paper, a gameboard map, and pieces to represent yourself- no controller or being plastered in front of a tv screen at all.
Dec. 16th. Reading 2. Chapter 2 - From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle
Min-Zhan Lu, an English teacher at the University of Louisville, wrote this article to say what she could not to her mother before she died, as well as write down her experiences living in a world dominated by Western humanistic tradition versus Mao Tse-tung's Marxism. She speaks about how hard it was to grow up living in a world during a time period that had created a rift between those of her nation that did not agree with the ways she was brought up- and in this case it was for her knowledge of the English language.
It's hard for me to believe that a greater knowledge of another language can cause difficulties as well as provide possible dangers in a society that does not accept anything other than its own. I feel that if it were here and if we knew how to speak fluently in both Chinese and English, there would be much praise within our country. It would be even greater if we weren't just bilingual, but trilingual and so on. Min-Zhan Lu describes that the more she grew, the more she came to realize just what was affecting her family in terms of speaking English outside of the home, and having a father who was fluent in English as a medical doctor did. Her family was sneered upon, and having to keep it a secret for most of her life became a struggle in itself.
Lu brings up a good point also, in that language is and can be a tool for survival. She had struggles in this area, of knowing both languages with only their own being dominant, so her voice was left unheard. She urges many to not so much teach them a means of 'survival' but to utilize what we have to our advantage. Utilize the classrooms, modify them. "Moderate the currents, but teach them from the beginning to struggle."
I read the article "The problem with your activism", and i found it to be very interesting. I have never paid much attention to the clubs and other group work, but found out they were more valuable than i thought. This article is saying those clubs are created with a different purpose than we are aware of. They have a different meaning to the administrators and professors than they do to the students. This scenario might not reflect the truth about all the clubs, but it is still upsetting to see this happening. Students are almost like clowns used on the way to accomplish something. I was surprised to read that a study found that college students increasingly believe that they are being controlled by outside forces. I do agree with that, and there is a lot more than the clubs with that, but It is surprising that many of them are aware.
I read the article on Dead Space 2: Your Mom Doesn't Want You to Play This Game and I watched a coupe of trailers for that game along with the #yourmomhatesthis videos. Back in 2010, I was a sophomore in high school and even before then I had started playing M rated games, part of it was that I actually really enjoyed those games as they were allowed to show more, and do more with the game having the M rating, kind of like an R rated movie. Another part of my enjoyment of those games was because all of my friends were playing the same games and I wanted to see when all the hype was about. And of course I was in my rebellious age and it made my parents mad that I was playing these games so of course I was going to play them. The whole #yourmomhatesthis campaign done by EA games for Dead Space 2 was geared directly at those kids who were in that stage of rebellion. Anything that pisses your parents off, especially your mom, you have to have. Music, movies, people, and video games. All of them feed into your rebellious nature at that age. But besides that aspect of the game, Dead Space 2 was actually a brilliant game. The story was superb, the graphics for the time were great and of course, everyone likes to get scared. Zombie games were getting big around 2010. In 2008, Left 4 Dead came out and it was a huge hit and a year later the sequel released which was even bigger. The original Dead Space released in 2008 as well and it redefined horror games. It all comes down to people love being scared. Without that want or urge, places like Field of Screams and and other haunted attractions would go out of business. Mom's will hate this game, but regardless, it is a great game which should be played.
I am choosing to write about the Problem With Youth Activism article.
I related to the author a lot when she talks about how she “rarely thought beyond the borders of folding tables” within different college organizations. (88) Being active in my sorority has allowed me many amazing opportunities, but there is an image associated with it. You carry yourself with pride and dignity 24/7, but especially when you’re in letters. If you are disruptive of the norms that go on here, it looks bad on the organization and can also cause more controversy than it’s worth in such a small school. This is also interesting because the college has JUST now started helping us financially within the past year.
Conversely, being active in All Greek Council here is allowing my voice and the voice of all the organizations to be heard. Many students not in Greek life here at Millersville look down on Greeks, thinking it’s pointless to be one because it’s so small... It’s a joke to some people. AGC is working with the Student Senate and different school advisors in order for Greek life to grow and change for the better. We are making a stand together to be recognized by the school as worthy of their tie and funding. Our meetings and hearings may not be as radical as what went on in the 60’s, but policies have changed and students are paying far too much to “waste” it. That saying may have came from our parents originally, but I can tell you that since I am paying my way through college, I can definitely agree with it. Money has a way of changing people, no matter what the cause.
It might also be said that students need to be informed more on current events in order to feel strongly about a certain thing. The statement “… I believe they simply don’t have the time or energy to start innovative revolutions from scratch because they are so busy taking standardized tests and building their resumes with internships and assistantships” (88) is 100% true. She describes students as “timid”, which can be completely understood with how we are expected to act like adults and if we don’t do things “perfectly” we won’t get a job in the future. There are so many factors as to why radical movements are not as present in college, mainly I think because of this statement.
I agree that youth activism has been institutionalized on college campuses. Being the President of the Women's Soccer Club at Millersville University, I find through my experiences the institutionalization of youth activism. In order to even have a bake sale, for example, we needed permission from higher ups. For us to be able to practice, both inside and outside we need permission and keys from higher authority.
Most youth activism we see today involves peaceful protest. The activism brought into light recently deals with the case of Michael Brown. I have seen in many public areas, and universities across the nation holding peaceful protests where they simply lay down in a public space, blocking all foot traffic. These protesters hope to drive home the point that black lives matter, seeing Michael in that condition for such a long time, on video is discrimination. I see have not seen much involvement from organizations on campus.These acts seem to be more spontaneous of the students, rather than the universities.
I believe our country needs to move towards peaceful protest. Regarding the Ferguson case, the riots down south did not show the world our "good side". Some viewed these acts as a tantrum, child-like. Peaceful protest harms no one, yet drives home the point. The demonstrators in the movement black lives matter peacefully show that there needs to be change made. In some countries, authorities do not need to use guns to regulate the people. I believe and hope that America can strive to be a place without so much gun control, and arguably not so cruel.
Reading due 12/15 “Once More to the Lake” White wrote this narrative with his own experience with his family in mind. White could imagine his father having the same inclinations about the lake and his relationship with his son, as the narrator had with his own son. It is as if time hadn’t stopped and every characteristic of their time at the lake hadn’t changed over the years. The waitresses were still the same age and the “peace and goodness” of each summer remained in tack. The narrator realizes that he is the teaching the next generation and passing on values that his father instilled in himself.
Reading due 12/16 “The Problem with Young Activism” Martin believes that the youth today is not willing to take the risk for activism, compared to the willingness of students in the 60’s. Students today are more concerned with their paper resume and the impression they will make on future employers. Moreover, Martin believes students and youth today are not hungry enough to make their own stand—students simply join already formed groups and take up already formed arguments. Martin states that students and youth need to move from being simply hungry to being angry.
The reading I chose to do for December 16 is of the Observations and Conclusions from “Cross-Curricular Underlife: A Collaborative Report on Ways with Academic Words. I thought that this topic seemed interesting. Anderson, Best, Black, Hurst, Brandt Miller, and Susan Miller start this section with the observations of Art History. In this class the person sat in this class the first day and could not stand the teacher. She gave out the syllabus and talked so fast and seemed to have a different sense of teaching. But when the writer was worried about their grade they went to go see the teacher. After meeting with the teacher she could tolerate her better in class and because she knew what was expected she would write much more for her exam and would receive the top grade.In the Sociology class the teacher would switch up what they did in class whether it be video or straight lecture. The author would watch the behaviors of the students. At first they noticed that A LOT of the students would get up and leave during the film. But as the semester progressed they realized they needed the movie for test questions so they would go and if it was a movie they would stay. If it was a lecture they would leave early. Even those who stayed during film would work on other assignments or be bored doing it. In the calculus class the author overheard students talking about assignments and quiz answers. There was a little interaction while the teacher was writing on the board and very few questions were asked. They had study groups and used cheat sheets and assumed tests would be hard.
This within itself has much to do with culture. There is culture within a classroom. For example in the Sociology test it was norms that a lot of the students would get up and leave class. It was sensed by the class that they didn’t like the Art History’s teacher way of doing class unless they would go to her office like the one student did. In math they knew they had to use each other and form groups to study . These are all behaviors that students shared throughout these classes that show how each classroom can have a different culture.
For today's reading I read, "My Music". The question that was posed was "discuss how they connect music to their relationship with others and/or their memories of the past"? Both of the interviewees brought different insight to that table as far as music in the world is concerned. The first interviewee, Edwardo, made good connections to his life and his music choices. Edwardo made references to his music choices being influenced by the group of people he was hanging out with. I find that I relate to Edwardo in many ways. As I began to develop my music taste, throughout high school, I found myself trying to forge my own way through the music scene, but being surrounded by my friends constantly, definitely had an impact on my choices.
In the first story, Edwardo tells about how he started to find his own way through music and about how on different days when he is with different people. I can say that is how I began to find my own way as well. As you hangout with different people you want to please them so you decide to listen to the type of music that everyone else is interested in. It was obvious that Edwardo had a clear vision of his music taste, but that his friends had different taste. He said that he would listen to a majority of rap music until he would hang around his friends who listened to rock. I think it is important to want to please your friends, to an extent, but I also believe it is important to have your friends listen to your views as well. Peer pressure takes over the youth and if there is anything that we can individualize in, it is music. Music can tell many stories about a person and giving up the type that you like just to please someone is not the answer.
In the second interview, Steve tells about how the type of music he likes to listen to brings him back to specific days and specific memories from his life. He tells that much of the music that he listens to was from the WWII era and that he can remember exactly where he was when he listens to some songs. It's funny how that works, isn't it? There are plenty of songs that bring me back to days when I was younger and especially songs that take me back to high school. It is even crazy that there are songs, not so old, that take me back to memories not more than a year ago! I always mention to my roommates about how certain songs remind me of a certain time of year and I can remember the exact activities I was doing while listening to the music.
Music is something that defines our culture. It defines personalities and people in general. If we think about our own culture, think about the type of music you listen to and how much you can relate to the music or what kind of mood it puts you in. Think about when you are in a bad mood, do you listen to sad music or do you listen to happy music to break your mood? All of this defines us as a person and brings us full circle with culture. Our music and our culture go hand in hand.
Reading # 2 After reading Diane Ravitch’s “The Myth of Charter Schools,” I am glad I did not waste my time watching the documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman,” like my neighbor urged me to. Without reading Ravitch’s critical review of the film, a person could be misled to think that charter schools are much better than our public schools. In the film Davis Guggenheim’s message is clear that he believes that the public schools are failing because of bad teachers, not because schools are underfunded. He even states that the public schools already spend too much. He never takes into account that it is reported that 60% of school achievement is explained by non-school factors, such as family life and income. Being the film maker I guess gave him the right to put only facts he wanted to in the movie. He didn’t care to acknowledge that only 1 out of 5 charter schools ever reach the results that it claims. I know in my area many of the charter schools are only open for a short time before they close. Further study shows that there is very minimal increase in test scores and in some areas no increase at all or worse scores. If funding has no effect on a child’s education, then why do some of the charter schools spend up to $35,000 on each student? Another charter school has assets of more than $200 million and the creator currently being paid $400,000 annually, yet this school has many students not performing well. In charter schools, they select who can attend, and they can kick you out if you do not perform well. Public school takes everyone, no questions asked. Public schools have the children with disabilities that the charter schools will not take. They also have the ESL learners. Ravitch mentions that the government and those for charter schools look at the scores of other countries, but are not doing what these countries are doing. First, America has one of the highest poverty rates compared to the countries we are comparing ourselves to. Which does effect a child’s learning, regardless of what Guggenheim says. If we did what the other countries did, we would screen teacher candidates better, have higher salaries, give better support and have mentoring system for new teachers. The other counties do not close failing schools or privatize them, they strengthen the education profession. We as a nation if we are serious about improving our schools we should then take steps to improve our teacher forces, we should better prepare our teachers before they enter the classroom. After reading what “Waiting for Superman” was about I understand why my neighbor pulled her children from the public school and put them in a private Christian school. She was misled. They have since moved and she is actually now the Principal of the Christian school. The only education back ground she has is teaching one class per semester at a college in Political Science, now she is running a school. That scares me.
Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
In this reading, millennials were described as "confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat, and open to change." And I agree. I feel that this is an accurate description of this generation. I see millennials as confident because this is a generation that dares to be different. We dare to stand out. Although social norms are still alive and well, more people brought up in this time are stepping out of the box. How many Baby Boomers have you seen with pink hair and green lipstick? How many Generation Xers have you seem publicly kiss their same-sex significant other? These are the things that millennials are doing that show their confidence and openness. There's no more hiding.
Millennials, for the most part, support interracial dating. Millennials are not chasing immigrants our of the country. So much has changed in these past decades and this generation is not resisting. For the first time in history, our president is black. During any other generation, Obama wouldn't have been given a chance. But here we are. Paving the way for unimaginable opportunities and experiences.
Chapter two, Question two, “The Problem with Youth Activism.” I struggled with the authors view on college students while reading this article. She seems to be empathetic to college students by giving examples to her college years and explaining how students have no time to do more risky activism movements. However, she makes college students seem like non-creative people who will just do what looks good on their resumes.
This was an extreme generalization made by the author. There are definitely people who just get involved in school organizations to build their resumes, but there are also students who get inspired in college. In college, students are taught hundred of hours of thoughtful lecture by professors a semesters. Those professors open up the eyes of students and help fuel their passions. I think college is a time where people choose to stay within the confines of society or passionately promote their cause. So I do agree with the author that students get involved in organizations and do not question authority because it will help them in the future. However, she generalized and did not mention all those students who question authority on a daily basis.
I read "Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change" page 67 question #2. After looking at the results from the quiz I would say that I do not use technology as much as other people. The social media sites that I participate in are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (only for this class). I am an early childhood education major, which has a big influence on my culture and the activities I participate in. I make sure that all of my social media sites are private. For Facebook, I limit who follows me, keep any personal information off social media, and I have my account set so that I have to approve of something before it is posted onto my timeline. Being an education major is very important to me so I do not list myself by my full name. I do this so that when I work in classrooms students are not able to search for me. It is very important to act professional with students. For my other social media sites I am also cautious of what I share. There have been many stories about teachers not getting jobs because of their social media accounts, this is why I am very cautious.
I read the article, The Problem with Youth Activism, by Courtney E. Martin. This article talks about Martin’s views on colleges and their students. She talks about how these students join different clubs and groups on campus. A lot of these students join groups but do not make new ones. I believe the reason behind this is because we are told to do this because “doing things” will look good on our resumes. Martin understands the dilemma with these students and is sympathetic. My attitude towards young activists, the students of these college campuses, is that I do agree with what they do. I support someone who wants to make their own club and do something different. What I don’t agree with is how these clubs are more looked at as something that you can put on our resume. Students are brainwashed in a sense because all they can focus on is standardized testing, internships, and anything they can put on a resume. I don’t like how students are like this, but I can’t blame them. Its pounded into my head as well.
I read “Student Activism in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s” on pages 173 - 176. Activism is a topic very close to my heart. It is especially relevant right now with all the Ferguson protests around the country. I think students make especially powerful activists because generally we are young, intensely passionate, and strong willed. As we become educated, we feel more obligated to put what we learn into action. Even though I consider myself aware about activist issues, I learned about the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), the Port Huron Statement, and the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). The SDS organized anti-war protests, promoted draft resistance, and protested the presence of the ROTC on campuses. Apparently, in 1970, student activism was at its peak with around 100 protests per day and over 500 colleges had to shut down! I think all of this is just awesome. Outstanding achievements for great causes!
Gen (Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity
When Arlie Hochschild suggests that there “is a trend toward a more loosely jointed, limited-liability society, the privatizing influence of that trend and the crash-boom-bang of the market,” she is explaining that because of how individualized the current generation is there is no definite way to identify this generation as whole. As far back as the 20s and early 30s each generation has been associated with a title related to a single or series of events, which took place during that era. However, after the 80s and the 90s there has been a turn from events shaping the generation as a whole to events shaping a generation at an individual level. Most of what has been the cause of this is linked back to technology. With modern television, social media, online blogging and personal accounts, it’s hard to relate this generation as one group when it seems to be an “all about me” era. When trying to determine a “collective mood” of a generation, it comes back to the idea of what occurred during that time that helps to define anyone from that generation. As Hochschild points out, “in previous decades large historic events drew people together and oriented them to action.” Now-a-days people are more zoned into this new technological era that interpersonal connections are becoming more and more scarce. With the increase in users of social media and the rise in online sources for the news, weather, sports, etc. people are becoming more content with a sedentary lifestyle and the need for in-person social interactions has become all but obsolete. So in short it has been a progressing trend that went from a very defined generation up to what is currently the “login” generation, with little chance of changing the path it’s on.
"What High School Is" I really agree with the way that Sizer describes high school education, as we know it, as a type of "conveyer-belt" education In this style of education students go through out the day, spending relatively short amounts of time learning various subjects. I believe there is both pros and cons to this style of education. I consider the pro of this style is the broadening of students education. Because of this, students are able to get a taste of many different subjects and possibly find an interest in an area that they may not have guessed before. I consider the con of this style of education is that the short periods of study on many different subjects makes it difficult for students to focus and really learn each subject. As a result it feels like students may just more or less just go through the motions and get done only what is required of them.
Chapter 2 question2 “My Music.” Both of the interviewees express their interests in music in different genres. Edwardo’s interview was different because he gave very short answers. He was blunt and did not go into much depth when explaining his choice in music. He explained his variety in music as a mixture of social pressures from his friends and music he liked to enjoy when no one else was around to avoid ridicule. Edwardo’s true musical passion is rap, he even likes to rap himself. However, when he’s around his friends he lets them take control of the music and they listen to rock. Steve lets the sequence of his life control the music he listen’s too. Steve’s answers in his interview were very thoughtful and in-depth. He explained how his heritage, events during the time period, and even his love life was the driving force in his music choice. I liked the point he said about how wars and economic depressions changed the musical influence of the time. Also, on a more personal level he mentioned how when he was sad he would listen to sad songs and would listen to happy songs when he was happy.
A young girl hears a story about another girl who was left at the altar by her fiance from her bold and confident Mama. Puerto Ricans are known for retelling stories that are passed from generation to generation. In the passage, the author shares her fond memories of her grandmother's tales, this one in particular expresses how love can leave you broken and in shattered pieces if you allow the wrong kind of love in your life.
Mama tells the story of Maria La Loca's wedding day when her future husband left her at the altar. She was a beautiful girl at the time, but now is "loca" and has become far from ordinary over the years due to her tragic heartbreak.
The story of Maria La Loca helps the young girl in the story to learn what it means to be normal.Each person has their own story and make choices that ultimately end with either consequences or reward. Being normal does't mean that you have to be like everybody else. It more lies in the truth of making sound, smart decisions in which will keep you going down the right path in life. Being normal is doing what makes you happy and what is truly BEST for you. But also learning from the mistakes of other people as Mama was trying to expose throughout the story.
Blog post Reading Culture December 17th 2014 Today I read the article titled “What High School Is” by Theodore R. Sizer. While I was reading through it, it seemed like I could relate to almost everything the main character of his book was going through, when I looked back on my high school years. He told the story of Mark who was a 16 year-old boy who was in eleventh grade. Sizer walked through Mark’s typical day, which included: English class, typing class, biology class, French class, lunch, US history, algebra two, and then gym. He also had an assembly that day, so each class was cut short by 5 minutes. After Sizer went through Mark’s typical day, he went on to analyze schools in the US. He said something that really hit me “Tomorrow, and virtually every other tomorrow, will be the same for Mark.... Their conception of high school I remarkably uniform across the country, a striking fact given the size an diversity of the United States and the political decentralized character of the schools” I never before thought about just how similarly structured all schools are in the United States. I am wondering if they are structured this way all over the world, probably not. This piece really made me wonder also why we don’t combine subject material. For instance, you clearly need to know how to read in order to partake in history class when the activity is to read from the textbook. But English teachers don’t teach about history and history teachers do not teach English.
I read “Lessons From My Year As a Freshman” by Rebekah Nathan on page 132. Nathan speaks of college as a rite of passage where teens leave the comfort of their parents homes and enter into the undergraduate college experience. She speaks of the undergraduate state in terms of liminality, “the ambiguous place of being neither here nor there” (132). I am definitely in that liminal, transitional period of my life. After graduation, I attended IUP for a few weeks and then came back home to live with my parents. The next semester I attended my local community college and 2 years later, here I am commuting to MU. Nathan also speaks about how universities have struggled to support themselves financially over the last decade. This is hard for me to understand because there has been such a huge increase in enrollment and tuition! I don’t understand how colleges are short on money. Obviously, more students, more teachers, more facilities, but how could they be struggling that much, especially after all the advanced technologies they purchase and the hefty salaries of the school CEOs.
Today I read "My Music". I thought this article was very interesting because the authors interviewed two people. One of the candidates was a fifteen year old male and the other was a fifty-seven year old man. Both of these candidates were at completely different stages in their lives. Edwardo, the fifteen year old, explained that he began listening to oldies when he lived in California. When his family moved to New York he began listening to rap because everyone was listening to that. His older brother also had a big influence on his style of music. Unlike Edwardo, Steve explained how music relax him. Steve also explained how music has influenced his life and the importance of music. It is interesting to learn how music makes people feel. I think it is important to listen to the style of music you enjoy and not to switch to what everyone else is listening to. Steve shared his Polish heritage in music and ended up marrying someone with the same interest in music. I think it is important to share the different genres of music and interest people in your style.
"Dead Space 2": Your Mom Doesn't Want You To Play This Video Game:
What Williams is trying to argue here is the generational gap has become a selling point for certain products. In this case, this specific video game's main selling point is "your mom is going to hate this".I think she makes an excellent point in describing what really attracts people, in this case kids, to certain products. It is the general idea that this is something new or outladish, something that is specific to my generation only, even if it really is not. The idea that your parents are not going to approve of something you do just makes the act so much more satisfying. Williams also does a nice job in acknowledgeing that this is not a sales concept that is new to this generation. Products selling on the idea that this is bad or your parents wont approve has been around for a long time, as Williams uses the example of the highly popular "Grand Theft Auto" games that have been around for 14 years. I think it is interesting to see how some may think there is great change between generations, but in reality the general ideas and trends remain the same.
The film Step-up portrays modern day city life. In the film the main character attends a very elite dance school in the city of New York. Due to socioeconomic status she has one means of staying at this school, that is attending every single day. She experiences a mix of emotions having to choose between her friends from the hood that she values almost as family and her education.
This film depicts today's youth in aspects of dress, values and realities. Everyone from her new school judged her. She had to prove herself and her worth to the rich, elite and powerful. Today, in schools across the nation, individuals struggle with bullying and new issues of teen pregnancy and hate crime. This movie depicts overcoming the struggles that our generation must face. They are marked as youth by the music they listen to and dance they perform. Most older adults see hip hop music as bad, therefore we can assume hip hop is more listened to by the younger generations.
The friends and family of the main character felt like they had been left in the dirt because they had lost the battle between friendship and school. Because of this betrayal, they sought action and vandalized the elite school. Things like this can define a group. Arguably, both groups have talent and both can succeed, one just has an either pathway of getting there than the other. Often we see delinquent behavior in connection with deviant labels. Due to social status, these youth were labeled as bad or deviant and were not allowed into the school.
Today I decided to read "What is high school" by Theodore R. Sizer. It basically starts off talking about Mark's day. He starts off with his friends before heading to classes. They describe each class he goes to and what it was like from his point of view. He has english, bio, typing,language, and a math class. He explains how he wasn't comfortable taking his typing class because it is a girl thing.
After reading about Mark's day the book goes on to say that most of us have a vision of what high school is like. It then talks about goals across the U.S and how the goals are all similar and how high schools will touch base on mind, body, morals, values, and careers. I found it very interesting that they said how teachers can find time to get some coffee but most students cannot because there is a big emphasis on where your supposed to be. It then talks about how most of your classes are choosed for you and they often times are the sequence classes.Then it says how schools that have low income areas attendance tends to be higher which surprised me. Mark has about 7 different teachers which doesn't give them the chance to really get to know him. It ends the chapter saying that high school is like a conveyer belt.
Reading ahead, I decided to read a section about generations. I read the Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity. To start Sandy says that she doesn't feel part of the Gen X or Gen Y. She says she is in-between the generations that barely tolerates computers to the one that treats them like family. The next person Mr. Lissovoy says that as a sociology professor refers himself to the Generation One and a Half. It is then discussed how people brought up in the 1930's, 40's, and 60's were branded by things like war. The 70's to the 90's has been the shift of mass media and a sense of impermanence in family and work. It then discusses how Gen X'ers are trying to sort out culture info. One example of this is how if you were a man you married and supported a family.
Then it goes on to talk about Mr. Lissovoy. His parents divorced when he was a baby. She talks about the divorce and the dad's role and how she seemed to be neglected by him. He goes on to say that if you really want it you can get it. Saying that he is apart of the Generation of Individual Choice. Then it talks about industries and goes on to say that advertisers are appealing to children and not parent. The last part of this paper goes on to say that market generations are generations of things and not people.
I think that the Martin is honestly frustrated with the youth in this day. She describes today's youth to be hungry, but not angry for the change. In comparison, young activists were louder and achieved more without worrying about the consequences back in the 60's. I think Martin is frustrated and disappointing in today's youth for not stepping up and taking the risk that previous generation have.
Reading # 3 In “The Value of Higher Education Made Literal” Stanley Fish exposes and critiques the Browne report, “Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education,” and it’s way of thinking about the value of higher education. The Browne report sees higher education as an investment, as in the cost of courses will reap financial benefits down the road. One way a course would “sell” itself is to state “that it provides improved employability.” Students would then be asked to pay a higher charge for courses that have a proven path to higher earnings. Fish states that “there is a verbal echo here, surely unintended, of the value nowhere to be found in the report, the value of higher learning.” Nowhere in the report is it mentioned that the value of education should be knowledge. The report goes on to say that courses of study that “deliver improved employability will prosper,” while those that don’t “will disappear.” Fish states that under this the art and humanities would be the losers.
Fish says that higher education is no longer seen as a public good, whose effect permeates society. Higher education is now seen as a private benefit. Fish continues to say that the report’s monetization of everything has redefined it’s every word: value now means return on the dollar and quality of life now means how many cars or houses you can buy. You have to admit that this view has appeal. However, privatization of higher education makes it harder for working class people to be able to benefit from it.
The article by Mary Elizabeth Williams, "Dead Space 2": Your Mom Doesn't Want You To Play This Video Game, leaves me a bit… Annoyed, I guess you could say. I understand her point completely; she saying that Dead Space is using the generation gap as a way to market the video game, where saying “Mom’s will hate it” will make younger kids want to but it more. The selling tactics are targeting the youngest buyers who will enjoy the violence more. She also says though the ads feature “unglam older women”, but isn’t that what mom’s are? I don’t exactly agree with what she is saying in her article. I am your non-traditional gamer as a 20 year old sorority girl who also enjoys partaking in Call of Duty on her Xbox. That being said, I wanted to play violent video games because they looked cool to me and my friends were also playing them. Never once did I think about how my parents would react because they know that I know it’s not real, I’m mature enough, blah blah, because our generation is one that is growing up on violent videogames, where theirs isn’t. So it’s understandable that she might see a gap there, but I don’t think there actually is one. It should be noted that teenagers don't care what their parents think, so if their mom's like it or don't, they still don't care. If their friends are doing it, they will want to also.
Today I chose to read, "The Value of Higher Educations Made Literal" on pg. 141. The question that was posed at the end of the reading was, "what is known as the 'typical' student at your college? Is he or she the 'investor' or 'consumer'?" Taking a step back and thinking about my own college experience thus far, it is obvious that most students are here to get a degree to make that money.
In the reading and investor was described as someone who invest sin their college career because they know they will be making the money back and therefore living a more prosperous life. I would like to think that many of us would be investing in our college experience, since we all seem to be in it for the money. However, I cannot say that I truly believe we are a majority of investors. The college pool is filled with consumers who are just coming to get a degree and hoping to live medial lives and hopefully make enough to stand on our own two feet. There again, though, we see having enough money.
I would have to say that the typical college student would like to call themselves the investors in hopes to earn back all of the time and money that they put into their schooling, but when looking at the broad spectrum it only seems right to classify the majority as consumers. We are consuming our time and colleges are consuming our money, and for what? To hopefully make it out on our own with little to no assurance? College is a give and take, they take your money and you put in the time and maybe you will be in the correct field which will lead you to the money.
Today I read "My Music", which I thought was very interesting. In this article a 15 year old high school student and a 57 year old salesmen were interviewed about what music means to them. Their answers were completely different.;both in context and also they answered the questions. Young Edward was answering questions nervously and his answers were short. Steve is very confident and his answers were deep. One common thing with both of them was that they both were influenced by people around them about their choices. Music is an incredible art that has a different meaning to each individual.The choices we make about music and the meaning it holds in us is affected by our culture, experiences,age, emotional state, etc This article did a reat job in proving that and also showing the importance of music to humans.
From my reading of Gen (Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity, I have grown to realize that there are many people who do not identify with a specific generation. Some people feel as though they are between generations which makes a lot of sense. How would you classify someone who is not computer savvy, doesn't own a smartphone, and is not involved in social media? Would they still be considered a millennial? Some Generation Xers feel like they are Millennials and vice versa. There are no clear cutoffs for generations. Many of my friends relate to music from the 70s and wear "Cosby sweaters." Does this make them Generation Xers? The opening of this article speaks a lot about choice and I feel like we get to personally choose which generation in which we belong but in the eyes of everyone else, we are born into our specific generations.
Marketing strategists use this mixed identify to their advantage. For example, products are being created to make older generations feel younger and products for younger generations to older. There is a certain appeal about being included in a generation that isn't your own. It's like being a part of the "cool kids."
I read a piece from Stanley Fish called, "The Value of Higher Education". At the end of the article it said to describe a typical college student at your college. I do not feel that there is one type of student at Millersville, or any other college. However, I feel that there are three types of students. The first being, the ones who take higher education seriously. They do there work, invest time in their studies, and are active around campus. These types of people would be investors. The second group would be those who do their work just to make it by. I would describe these people as consumers because they aren't putting all their effort in their schooling. Lastly, there are the people who simply do not put an effort into their education. Why you would do this, I am not sure. Higher education is expensive so taking it seriously is the only option for me. I also think that your major influences which kind of student you are. For example, I am an education major so I have to keep my GPA at a certain number, and I can not receive less than a C for an overall grade. If I do not do these things I am then out of my major. With that being said, I take my education very seriously so that I can stay in my major and get my dream job.
"The Value of Higher Education Made Literal" This reading actually really related to the topic of my first paper. I absolutely agree with Fish when he claims that our society has manufactured this idea that higher education in a prerequisite for a decent job. While my paper really focused on the negatives of this societal standard and the alternative options that may be taken by an individual, I liked how Fish kind of lays out the positives of this idea. He feels that this creates the expectations of a larger amount of different people to pursue higher education, and that there could possibly be a genius or very talented person out there that could be missed because they never pursued this type of education.
Reading number 1, We are all third generation by Margaret Mead.
Mead describes the sequence from first generation to second generations as follows: the first generation usually live in an ethnic neighborhood because that's where their parents settled. They usually speak their native language to speak with family but learn English to speak to friends and teachers. The first generation usually have the same profession as their parents.
Second generation have less ties to their ethnic neighborhood. They usually only speak English. The second generation usually move to the suburbs and have a different profession than their parents.
Mead's description is similar to my family in that my grandfather grew up in an ethnic neighborhood and spoke Italian at home. When he went to school is when he learned English. In fact, he stayed in the same house he grew up in and his brothers lived only a few blocks away. His children only speak English. My parents stayed in the same neighborhood, but some of my aunts and uncles moved to the suburbs like my Mead described.
Mead implied a negative connotation to the second generation for leaving the ethnic neighborhood and loosing their hertiage. I disagree with Mead I think a person can leave their (old neighborhood) and keep their hertiage alive.
When reading "Once More on the Lake" I realized out of all the generation articles I have read that this is a great article that reflects on the meaning of generations. The narrator talks about his generation, his fathers, and his son’s generation. He also reflects on the role of a father on the next generation and how it is the father’s job to teach sons. The author went about this idea by describing times spent on the lake with his father and his son. The imagery is the most powerful literature I picked up from the article. He would use phrase such as “..when the lake was cool and motionless..how the bedroom smelled of lumber and wet woods whose scent entered through the screen.” E. B Whites descriptions helped me immerse myself in the article. It also helped me feel the connection through the generations that spent time on the lake.
Judith Ortiz Cofer’s story, Casa, is not only the telling of a story from grandmother to family, but also a lesson to a young girl about what it means to be normal. The young girl sees herself as a “cultural chameleon” in both the crowds of New Jersey and her native Puerto Rico town. She feels most normal at her Mama’s house because it is where she is actually noticed and most accepted for who she really is. The story of Maria la Loca helps her learn what it is to be “normal” since she can relate her family to what Maria has done, and learn from it. She enjoys watching her family get involved with the story, as everyone can somehow relate to it. She loves her family for being so open with each other and it is where she feels most at home.
Margaret Mead’s article “We Are All Third Generation,” describes the difference between the first, second, and third generations of Americans. To my understanding, the first generation is described as the immigrants who settled in America, bringing their known culture and customs along with them. The second generation is said to reject the values of the first generations, wanting to create their own culture and customs. The third generation has completely shifted away from the culture of the first generation, abandoning all customs and creating their own. Mead states that the first generation “did very well in his way, but he is out of date” (96). We, the third generation, do not reject the culture of previous generations, we simply believe there is progress to be made.
December 18th 2014 I read The Value of Higher Education today written by Stanley Fish in our book. I liked the bit that the political philosopher told Fish that he became a distinguished scholar not by choice but by opportunity. I think that for a lot of people in America, it is hard to find the money to be able to have the opportunity to attend college. In England, since they do not have to pay, everyone has the choice to be able to go to a school of their liking. If it were like that in America, I bet a lot more people would be able to enjoy the experience of going to college as well as gain knowledge. I really liked a quote that Fish put into this writing “students should only pay towards the cost of their education once they are enjoying the benefits of that education.” Maybe I am a bit biased since I am a poor college student, but still. I think it would be nice to be established with a good paying job before having to pay back student loans.
I think what Mary Elizabeth Williams was trying to get across in “Dead Space 2: Your Mom Doesn’t Want You to Play This Game”, was that at no matter what age we are we still want to go against what our parents say. William talks about how the ad for the game shows mothers watching the game in disgust and fear. Then argues that a 2009 study showed that women are 40% of those that are in to gaming and the average gamer is 43 years old. William points out that the ad features women who look like they could be parents of “basement-dwelling 30-year-olds.” She then ask if EA is suggesting that the rebellious gamers are really adults that should be a loud to spend the money for the game out of their own paycheck. Towards the end Williams makes several comments that makes me believe she was trying to say no mater our age we want to defy our parents. She says that the ad flows from that great universal truth that “mom’s disapproval has always been a great barometer of what’s cool.” William then goes on to say that whether you are 15-year-old kid or a corporate lawyer there is something satisfying in knowing somewhere your mother would not be happy with your behavior. She ends by saying “no matter how many creepy creatures you can blow away, the most satisfying imaginary war of all is still the one against your parent’s favor. Being 41- years-old, I wouldn’t say that I found joy in going against my mother, but the fact that I am an adult and I will do what I want whether she agreed with it or not. Years of being told what to do and now I can make my own decisions.
Chapter 2, Gen (Fill in the Blank) by Arlie Russell Hochschild
2. Individual identities are shaped by what people buy and consume because what they surround themselves with shows others their interests, passions, and what they like to do. A persons dress helps to identify them because certain styles depict what a person is like, just like what kind of products or other things they carry around. The type of music people listen to helps to identify them because it is what they are interested in, and that music or artist may help relate to their life or situations in their life. People make assumptions about others based on their appearance, and it helps to let them know what that person is like. Obviously, people buy and consume things they are interested and believe in, and it helps others to identify who they are and what kind of person they are like. It also helps to identify what generation a person is from, such as the way they dress, the type of music they listen to, and the activities they enjoy doing.
In David Sedaris's work, "Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities," he tells how early on in his childhood his father had an enormous obsession with jazz music which he tried to instill in his children. David goes on to say that although he and his sisters told their father that they did indeed love jazz music, he felt that they didn't have the same level of appreciation as he did. When he wrote about their family having to move to North Carolina, their father was disappointed that he'd be so far away from the clubs and radio stations that place his favorite music. However, he held on to the ambition that his children might one day form a jazz combo in their new living establishment. And he actually got his chance when he took David and his sisters to a concert performed by Dave Brubeck. Now back to the early statement that David's dad didn't feel that his children had the same appreciation he did; that's not saying that he thought they only liked jazz because he did, he wanted them to understand the stories behind jazz songs and to know where jazz artists came from to get where they are now. He was hoping to teach his children music appreciation versus simply liking a music genre. In my personal beliefs I think that parents try to make any bridge they can with their children when it comes to similar interests. In the case of music everyone is a lover of it. Sure the styles change over the years and there are always new artists, but the level of appreciation for a musical performance always stays the same. There can even be lovers of the same artists but are born to different generations. Myself, there are some artists who I'm a huge fan for, but they first came out years before I was born, but that doesn't mean I can't like their music any less than someone who was from the generation they became popular. So I would go about the same path as David's father did to teach music appreciation to not only my children but anyone who is a lover of music.
Isn't it crazy what music can do? It can change your whole mood without even trying and can uplift any spirit, if it's the correct song. Reading through this passage I was able to relate. I have listened to countless songs over and over again and sometimes when I am driving and I pay close attention to those lyrics, I begin to feel like the song is being sung to me. Some of the lyrics hit home so much that I feel as if I have never heard the song before. Taking a closer listen to a song and it's lyrics makes me feel more connected. I can relate much more and therefore have a much better feeling about the song.
I wish I could say there was one particular song that came to mind, but I can just remember being in the car and hearing a song I've heard a multitude of times and just being astounded at how much I had missed by careless listening, or listen for pure enjoyment. Music is very powerful and I can honestly say that I spend much of my day listening to music because it is what keeps me, well me. I am in love with music because of the feelings I get when I hear certain songs. I can sing along and hum the tune, but it is not until I truly hear the song and the meaning behind it that I can say I feel connected to it.
Chapter 3, What High School Is by Theodore R. Sizer
1. I think deciding whether students are happy taking subjects depends on the student, the teacher, and the subject it is. If the subject is one the student is interested in, and is taught by a teacher who cares about the class, the students, and makes the class interesting, the student would be happy taking that subject. But, if the student is forced to take the subject and it is something they are not interested in, they are not going to be happy taking it. There are certain subjects that students have to take, and not all are going to be happy taking them, but having teachers that are excited to teach them is key. If teachers can make lessons where the students are active within them and physically doing things, they are more likely to be motivated and enjoy that class and subject. Instead of looking at school as something that is necessary and dreadful, students should be looking forward to attending class and happy about going to these subjects.
December 15th Blog Post: Chapter 2, Question 1 The author described the first generation as hard workers who set up America basically. From then on, generations became lazier since everything was set up for them. Not only that, but technology was a key factor in our work ethic; we don't have to work as hard to get the same result. In some ways I can see where the author is coming from, but these are very broad generalizations about Americans today, which don't necessarily apply to everyone, especially my family. I feel like it really depends on how you were raised if you are a hard-worker or not. For my family, we have very strong value and principles, centered around our religion. We believe that you should work hard for everything you want and you can persevere through anything. So I would say that the third generation theory does not apply to me or my family.
Pissing in a River - The Patti Smith Group talks about the importance of pop music in the lives of young people. Pop musicians are important because they have and still influence future artists in one way or another. Without great artists, who would inspire others? No one starts creating music because they went to a shitty concert and heard shitty music. People get creative when they are moved by something. When something touches their soul.
I feel that it is safe to say that music, in one form or another, has played an important part in everyone's lives. Most athletes have their power training playlist. Couples have "their song." Some people can remember the lullaby that their mother hummed to soothe them as baby. There's that song that plays in the club that is every girl's theme song for that week. What would happen if we didn't have these musical connections? Would social gathering be like without music? Music can be the buffer between two strangers at a party. The common interest that sparks their conversation. The thing that connects two different people.
Chapter 3, Lessons From My Year As A Freshman by Rebekah Nathan
2. Nathan introduces term ‘liminality’ meaning neither here nor there. At some point in a college person’s life, they find themselves in this kind of state. It usually comes at a time when a person begins questioning what they are doing, such as their major, school, friends, etc. It is not uncommon for students to go through liminality, and want to change something drastic in their lives. I definitely have already gone through that period of liminality, in between high school and college, where I really broke out of my shell and became more talkative and out spoken. I was glad for this time because in my first year of college, I was able to branch out and make more friends than I would have. Nathan also discusses universities and the recent struggle to support them. I do not understand why this is so, because of how much attending a higher education has been pushed on students recently, and how much tuition has gone up. This just makes me think of how universities may not be using their money the most effectively, and if this is something that should be brought to attention to be solved.
December 16th Blog Post: Chapter 2, Question 2 I don't think you can really identify the "American Character" without being to general. People have different opinions about what the typical American represents today and you can't just pin it down to a few traits. America is a melting pot. Everyone has different backgrounds, principles, and values. The American Character is always changing and is viewed differently because we are all different. American in 1942 was extremely different from what it is today. So in that way, the "American character" is changing, but it represents the unique traits in all of us.
The last section I read for Chapters one and two was Pissing in a River by Nick Hornby. It starts off talking about how perfect the day was for Patti Smith's show. It was a fundraiser for a chapel. He explains how he was surprised from the performance and wasn't expecting it to be so moving. One thing he loved about her is how connected she was to art, books and music. He then compares Smith to Springsteen in saying that they are completely different. He quotes that "Smith doesn't give a shit" (p.76) and goes on to say that she isn't troubled by her status of an artist. He then starts to talk about Pissing in a River. Before the night of the show the song wasn't ever recalled but at the show where he was indulged in the music. It then ends saying how the music made one not want to read, write or paint. His very last statement is about pop music and how pop songs are capable of anything.
If I had the resources to start up a charter school, I would name it Ty's Charter School of Harrisburg. I would set up my school to teach children who are under-privileged, homeless, or in foster care. I would want the tuition, room and board, and food to all be free of charge. The purpose for the school is to give under-privileged kids a quality education for no cost. I would design the school in different sections according to age range (grades k-12). I would set up classrooms with 20 students or less, one teacher, and one assistant per class. Not only would I want the curriculum to have standard course (English, math, science, history), I also would include courses that help them get ready for the real world by themselves like cooking classes, financial classes, getting them prepared for job interviews, and more. I would want my school to be a safe environment for the students where they can be creative and have fun. Also, for the young children, I would hire only the best house parents so they can be supervised at all times, and still have a normal childhood. The older children could live in dorms with a RA like college, which will also help them get ready for college living. After students graduate, I would provide them with a scholarship or just a sum of money in general to help them get on their feet when they leave. I would partner with a celebrity or a rich sponsor who shares the same vision that I do. I would try not to have it run by any government agencies.
I read the photo essay by Eugene Smith on page 111, titled “Nurse Midwife”. A woman named Maude Callen was a nurse midwife in Berkley County, South Carolina. According to the essay, at the time Callen practiced, there were approximately 20,000 common midwives in the nation (Smith). As an experience nurse midwife, Callen was a rarity. Smith reports that there were 9 in South Carolina and only 300 in the whole nation. This photo essay appealed to me because my mother is a registered nurse and seriously considered learning midwifery. My mother had her first child, my big sister, at a hospital called GBMC. After that experience, my mom had me at my grandparent’s house with a midwife and the entire family. After our house was built, she delivered my little sister there in her bedroom. So midwifery is close to my heart. I like the way the author used one page to portray the whole aura of the essay through photos and captions. I’d like to use this method in the future.
The author describes liminality as being a common ground where everyone is on the same level and everyone has the same opportunity to excel. The article stated that in college, no matter what the student's background or social status, they are on the same level being as though they will be experiencing life and learning life lessons just like everyone else. I feel like students remain in this state of "suspended normality and hardship" until they have simply grown out of it. Some people may never grow out of it, and are in constant search of their identity. But I feel once students are completely independent from their parents with their desired career, they should have a sense of self and that is when they truly become adults.
Music is and has been a powerful source of influence for youth. Often youth experience a mix of emotions entering different stages of adulthood, and in doing so turn to music. When you are sad, you listen to a different type of music then when you are happy. Music is an outlet for all ages. I find it interesting the amount of pull that the peers had on particular individuals. I found it evident in my life that I too listened to different types of music around my peers. I realized, with my friends around, that I listen to more rap music and "the now".
Steve's store was particularly inspirational to me. I like how music offered an escape from harsh economic times, and means to keep pushing on in times of war. I find it amazing the influence music can have on individuals. In considering a writing assignment for this class I thought about analyzing the effects of music on test taking. While growing up, the media portrayed ideas of pregnant mothers holding headphones up to their stomachs, blasting operas such as Bach in hopes their babies would become smart.
Music can provide mood and set the whole theme of cultural events and celebrations. In celebrations across the country, music sets the mood of the event. When I attending my cousin's wedding this past fall, I noticed it would seem a bit strange if she were walking down the aisle to some heavy metal genre of music. I think American Popular culture builds stigmas of when it is appropriate to listen to different types of music. If I want to listen to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey while I walk down the aisle, you bet I'm going to be.
Reading Culture 2: Chap 3 The Myth of Charter Schools
Although teachers play a big role in students achievements throughout their academic career, teachers are with students for one-third of the day throughout the school year. There are many other factors that go into academic achievement. Home life plays a big role, environment, intellectual ability, and economic status. My father teaches in a public school in the inner city. Through his years teaching he has had many students that were living in homeless shelters. If they kids are worried about what and if they going to eat, how could they concentrate on their studies? Poverty plays a big role in their success. In some poor homes, there is sometimes a single parent who has to work two jobs to support the family. But they don't have the time to reinforce the importance of schoolwork with their children. In middle class families the parents have time to check in with there student's in addition to being to hire private tutors if need be. Because of all these factors standardized testing is not the best option. In order to approve American schools we should give more funds that truly need it, hiring more teachers to lower the student to teacher ratio, while increasing the individualized learning of each student.
Ch. 3 ~ The Value of Higher Education Made Literal ~ Question #2
Stanley Fish, a scholarly publisher, dives into the truth behind privatization of universities. He discusses the funding and students who attend these schools. He's brings to mind the truth that students will be paying for their higher education rather than depend on public funds which come people who have never attended college themselves. He says,"Students should only pay towards the cost of their education once they are enjoying the benefits of that education" (Fish).
A "typical" student at Milersville University makes time for academics and friends. He or she puts effort into attaining their future goals but also makes time to socialize with good friends. I find that there are four types of students: positive investors, negative investors, positive consumers, and negative consumers. Positive investors spend their time wisely making smart choices. Negative investors spend their time irresponsibly and with people and places they shouldn't be. Positive consumers take each day as it comes and enjoy the act of learning, taking everything they can in to become a better student. Negative consumers put themselves in situations that will take away time from schooling, but rather filling their mind with negativity; actions that will not benefit them in the long wrong. You see all types of students at both private and public schools. The character of a student is completely individual in which the type of person you are is based off of the choices you make.
Overall, Fish touches on secondary education topics that are not usually discussed. However, the points he brings to mind are validating and bring to light the positive aspects of private universities.
Reading Culture 3: Chap 3 The Value of Higher Education Made Literal
Stanley Fish discibes college students as either investors or consumers. An investor being someone who invests in schooling for the love of the subject or their thirst for knowledge. I consumer who is looking to get a degree in order to get a better job that pays more. If more and more students become consumers than many of the classes will be dropped curriculum. Classes like Greek mythology and Philosophy will be obsolete. While technology and Accounting will be on the rise.
I think your typical college student starts out as a consumer, chasing a degree and big paycheck. But many leave as investors, sorting out all of the information that they learned throughout college. Sorting out what they enjoyed most and what job would be emulate that. Why realizing that the other classes although won't necessarily help you get a job but will help to round out you as a person.
Although it would be better if more people were investors, but with the rising costs of getting a education nowadays. Being a consumer is becoming more and more necessary. Unfortunately with those rising costs, you really have to have a future goal in mind rather than just getting a degree just to get it, with no specific plan in mind. You need to have a vision for all the hard work you have to put in now. Ideally a student should be both an investor and a consumer where they enjoy what they study that leads to a job in that field.
Reading Culture 4: Chap 2 Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities
Early on in the story Sedaris acknowledges that both he and his sisters enjoyed jazz music that their father passed down to them, but they were not as enthusiastic as he was. Although they preferred jazz over what their friends to, with their father it was never good enough. He went as far as giving them instruments and putting them in lessons. Because the father was so persistent the kids rejected.
Their father really did love jazz, but I don't think it was all about jazz. Part of it was wanting that connection with his kids. He wanted something that the whole family could embrace. This is uncommon many parents trying to project their interests onto their kids in hopes of making a connection. With the age and generation gap, somethings it's harder for parents to relate to their kids, so they try what they can.
I read "What is High School," by Theodore R. Sizer. At the end of the article it told readers to describe what our high school teachers expected of us.
Most of my teachers in high school had the same expectation, but their expectations were different for each class. Our classes were split into three sections: honor/AP classes, college prep classes, and tech prep classes. For example, if you were in an honors class you were expected to have your work competed. The same thing went for college prep classes. However, if you were in tech prep classes they weren't as demanding about getting work done. It is like they expected those students to not finish their work. I think this is bad. Everyone should have the same expectation. Instead of allowing that class to get away with not completing their work the teachers should have modified it so it was easier for those students to complete. Even if it was modified the students would still be completing the assignment!
Since I was in college prep classes I was expected to have my work done and completed on time. This has helped me in college. Learning time management in high school has carried over into my college career and I am able to get my work done in time. In high school I had a heavy course load so it helped when I went to college and became swamped with work. My high school has had a big influence on me and has helped me to become a better college student.
I read "What is High School" by Theodore R. Sizer. One of the articles questions asked the readers to explain what their day was like in high school or college like how Mark's day was explained.
My typical day of high school would start out with driving to school around 7:15. I would either drive by myself, or carpool with my neighbors while we took turns driving. Once I got to school I would park in my parking spot and walk inside. Our parking lot for students who drove was away from where the busses dropped off the other students. I would then walk inside and go to the band room and hang out with some of my friends there before it was time to go to homeroom. In homeroom I we got our attendance taken every day and listened to the morning announcements. I had the same homeroom all four years of high school. The teacher I had was named Mr. Gold. He was a very careless teacher but did his job.
I remember my senior year the best but some parts are fuzzy. I remember once the bell rang around 7:30 we went to our first block of the day. Our school ran on the block system and not the period system. We tried to go to the period system but it never worked. So I had four classes a semester the whole time I was in high school. Next I went to my Video Production class. I used to have Chemistry 2 but that class was not for me so I switched. This class was very fun because we got to create and edit videos. The teacher in this class was also very laid back and almost did nothing unless you had a question.
Each class block lasted around an hour and a half I think. But anyways, my next class was then my Math class. Statistics if I'm correct. This class I had the best math teacher I've ever had and I have had him 3 out of the 4 years in high school. Very soft spoken but knew math very well he even won an award for it. I would problems in class and take notes. There were alot of notes which was something that I liked because math confused me at times. This teacher named Mr. Berger, would also give us breaks in the middle of the class because he knew that our attention couldn't last the whole time we had the period. After that class was done we had the lunch block. You either had A, B, C, or D lunch. I have experienced all of them. Once you were the senior, the seniors had their own room of the cafeteria with TVs. The struggle was that the televisions always had sports playing on them which wasn't my thing. During this block and every spring semester I had my Jazz band class. During this block we would prepare for the spring jazz concert. I played the drum set or any other percussion instrument needed. It was very exciting and I learned alot. I even had a drum solo in each concert which was very awesome. Once Jazz band was over, I would have normal concert band split with either health or gym. It was exciting because most of my highschool time I was in a band class. Music was and still is my favorite so I was glad I was able to partake in many of the music programs. Once school was over I would also have Pit Band for the musical. School would get out at 2:05 and we would have 25 minutes to relax before pit band started. Besides that I would have the occasional homework but nothing compared to college. Even during senior year I was sometimes able to just walk around the halls or sit in on a different class. It was a great experience but I still love college much better.
I read the story Let Teenagers Try Adulthood by Leon Botstein. One of the questions is what assumptions about schooling and American teenagers is the author asking readers to share? What I took from that was that, is that due to the increase in curricula (things to know) and the biological fact that young people mature substantially earlier, that the construct of a high school is kind of going against the natural grain of things. It’s confining people/students to a synthetic misunderstanding of the world. He states, “Individuality and dissent are discouraged”. There is undeniably a change in culture of learning and growing and become future citizens of this country, and world, and the educational institution needs to adapt to these culture changes.
I also read "What is High School" by Theodore R. Sizer. My highschool days were very different from the time I entered as a freshman to the time I graduated. When I was in 9th grade, my school was under a huge renovation project. Half the school was inaccessible, so I learned to navigate its halls by several detours. Getting lost and being late became the norm. We only had 5 minutes to get from one class to another and many times, due to the crowded halls, it took more than 5 minutes to reach the other end of the school. Freshmen especially had trouble under these conditions because we were new to the environment, ignorant and naive. We were scared to ask an upperclassmen for directions because we feared that they would mislead us, which they were known to do. Our smaller size was also an obstacle for us in the crowded halls, especially in the stairwells. Getting to the lunch line was the most important trek of the day. Even though we were only offered brown bagged lunches at the time, due to the renovations, packs of students would run, push, and force their way right through you like a stampede. As you can imagine, I packed my lunch for that entire year and the majority of the next. Also during this transitional period, my highschool was dealing with severe racial disputes. One day during our lunch break, there was a confrontation between a group of black students and a group of white students (is there a politically correct term for rednecks?). I did not witness this directly, however I did see racism in small doses. As the years went on, the omnipresent racism that plagued our school seemed to subside. We held a Challenge Day program at our school for several days and I think that really improved the morale of my school. As an upperclassman, my mentality changed. I was no longer the weak little underdog freshman. I had a surplus of friends and we roamed the halls like we owned them, and we did, well, our parents paid for them. I was not worried about being late to class or getting a good spot in the lunch line. My school had A, B, and C shift lunches and during the renovations, students were allowed to eat lunch on the floors, in the hallways, in teacher’s classrooms and outside. This practice continue even after the construction was finished and it became sort of an unofficial school tradition. At first our school officials tried to contain all the students in the lunch room during one lunch shift, but still students had to eat on the floor and because there were so many students and the cafeteria was still too small, sometimes we waited in the lunch line until after the lunch shift had ended and we late to our next class. Students signed petitions to keep the A, B, and C shifts and to enable us to continue freely roam the school during the lunch period. This was advantageous to us because we could sit down and enjoy lunch with plenty of time to spare to use the bathroom and socialize. Some students even skipped lunch so that they could take an extra class or do makeup work during their lunch break. Also, I was never the type of student to skip an academic class, but I did skip swimming class, pep rallies and the end of the lunch period. My best friend and I would avoid the initial lunch rush and walk outside down to the creek and meet with friends and then return to lunch with nearly no line at all.
December 17th reading. "Dead Space 2" - question 1.
Reading the D&D chapter, I was quite interested in the second article they had that provided insight on games. I myself was actually surprised. I didn't know that this was an actual "thing." Ads featuring and supporting the Dead Space game didn't focus on how gorey the game is, or how 'scary' the game is. Instead, it actually revolves around "your mom is going to hate it." First of all, I couldn't believe that. Second of all, seriously? I went with question #1 for making connections, and decided to interview my mom and a few co workers I know who are either gamers or at least have played video games before.
My mother instantly responded with ,"That's stupid. Why on earth would somebody do something like that? It's ridiculous." To which I agreed. Apparently mothers disapprovals are what prove things to be "cool." So does that mean if they disapprove you actually taking care of yourself people agree that's cool? That's just stupidity. While I understand that's a tad harsh, you get my point.
Of my co workers that I interviewed who spend their time infrequently gaming, they also agreed it was rather silly. However, they did not disapprove of most games that are out today. We have come a long way in terms of gaming and in terms of making things better both equally as well as image graphic appealing. Most know games like Dead Space exist now, it's hard not to know. Take out the horror aspect and you're just left with mindless killing. You could even associate or at least connect Dead Space with a lot of aspects that games like Grand Theft Auto have. Story not so much, but how to play and who to shoot and upgrades? It's pretty much repetitive.
my posts are a bit behind due to myself being behind ]]
Dec. 18th reading. Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity
Upon reading this article by Arlie Russell Hochschild, it begins right off the bat with a quote by a man by the name of Lissovoy. "I'm not part of the 1960s generation. I don't feel part of Gen X or Gen Y. I'm between the generation that barely tolerates computers and the one that treats them like a member of the family."
Hearing that statement alone has brought my thoughts to our own generation as we speak. I feel like for myself, I am caught between a generation that is slowly fading while my own generation is continuing to grow in an era where technology is becoming prominent and continuously evolving. I find my values and traditions something that have been held by previous generations, while I am struggling to keep up with my own generation due to my upbringing.
A part of me remembers being in a generation that was caught between the evolution of machinery and technology. We entered an era where the computer was a bulky piece of tech, and now here we are with laptops, smart phones, and new experiments already being tested such as having contact lenses create tv screen like images for us, or being able to be connected to the internet through your eyeball- and even cars that can fly and be auto piloted without us having to lift a finger.
It's scary, when you think about it. You're living in an age where generations I feel are meshing into one. Ideals, thoughts, opinions, beliefs, they are all swimming together and fighting one another because of previous upbringings and what is happening in our world today. Even now I have to question what will happen when my own generation is beginning to find its own ending? What is going to happen as I keep growing? Are we slowly going to become a generation like we've already begun to believe and make movies out of? A cybernetic world, technology and floating crafts like they predicted way back during when The Jetsons aired? It's honestly something I can't believe can happen, but as time has moved on and we're already headed for 2015, a part of me realizes it's pretty believable and may happen before I'm even ready to move on.
I read Hollywood tars, Brenda, Dean and Monroe. It is about them and their influence on audience. The article states thay the audience chooses the movies they watch according to the actors and actresses in the movie. The personality that they display is very important to the audience, and each have some qualities that attracts the audience. I believe it is not just the personality, physical appearance also plays a huge role for the audience. I do agree with this article. I also choose the movies I am going to watch according to the cast. The story does not matter much, if one of my favorite actors or actresses is there, I am watching it...
Ch. 2 ~ Pissing in a River - The Patti Smith Group ~ Nick Hornby
Judging by the title of this passage, you really have no idea of what you are getting yourself into. Nick Hornby, an English novelist, discusses Patti Smith's music style and who she is as an artist, but also discusses the importance of pop music in the lives of young people.
Hornby explains Pattie Smith as a woman whose passion and emotional songs captivate her audience. Her songs were rich in context and she made the audience feel the words she was singing. In the text Hornby says, "Just make sure that whoever it is means it, that they're burning up in their desperation to communicate whatever it is they want to say" (76). The author is suggesting that all music should be intentional and really grab the hearts of its listeners.
Pop music today is very shallow. Today, songs based on sex, drugs, alcohol, and relationships bombard the radio. There are many artists whose goal is to have a top hit, not necessarily encourage their fans. They focus on creating a song that is catchy with a solid beat...who listens to lyrics anyways? Actually, many people do, and it is quite a disappointment when trashy songs are constantly running through your head. Despite the lack of meaningful and purposeful music, the powerful world of pop music does have a strong hold on many youth today, both good and bad.
In Meade's article, "We Are All Third Generation," she begins by talking about a process that all immigrants in America undergo that is efficient enough to be started in the first generation and come full circle by the third. The first generation is described as being the adventurer. During this time is when the members of a generation wish to do better for themselves, so they move to a new city/state/country, abandon their family trade, change their vernacular/language, and adopt a new and acceptable name in the new business world. Now although must end up being successful that have some resentment to the choices they made and feel a level of guilt for leaving behind everything that once made them who they were. The next generation is referred to as the rebellious or misunderstood generation. This generation feels a sense of disappointment in their parents, mostly because they feel that their parents only achieved half of what was needed to be both successful and happy. Finally the third generation, which Meade entitles the misguided generation. Here, an individual wants to feel a sense of belonging but feels distant from it with the realization that their grandfather or fore bearer of their name was not a native born member of that struggle or event. While I don't see any possible modifications to this system, in that these experiences are inevitably to happen, I do feel that certain aspects of this system pertain to my family. My grandparents grew up after the end of the Second World War during that time America was maintaining its dominance as a new world power. So by the time my grandparents grew up they didn't know much of adapting to the new order of society that my parents inherited. After that my parents were growing up in fear from the Soviet Union, and through that fear they developed a sense of prejudice towards anything that was un-American. Unfortunately, because of this fear they ended up being unwilling to accept any new relations or transitions that the country developed. Finally we come to my generation, which has a misunderstanding of my parents and what they consider to be social norms because my generation has grown up becoming accepting of everything that is currently helping to shape the future.
As a member of group one, I read the introduction, foreword, chapter one, and chapter two of Postman’s book, “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” I want to discuss an example that stuck out to me in Chapter two, Media as Epistemology. In this chapter, Postman gives three examples of spoken word versus written word and how they resonate with people as well as how truth comes across in different types of cultural settings. In his first example, Postman discusses a western African tribe that had no writing system but whose rich oral tradition gave form to its ideas of civil law. He says that in oral cultures proverbs and sayings are not occasional devices but they are incessant. They are what form the substance of thought itself. Thought would be impossible without proverbs and sayings in a culture such as this. In Postman’s second example, he discusses what “truth” means in the culture of a University setting. He told the story of a boy who quoted his own spoken word in his thesis. He was presenting in front of a panel of professors, and one said to him, “You are not a journalist. You are supposed to be a scholar.” And Postman later stated, “Why do you assume the accuracy f a print referenced citation but not a speech- referenced one?” This really made me wonder. The panel went on to tell the student “The written word is assumed to have been reflected upon and revised by it’s author, reviewed by authorities and editors It is easier to verify or refute, and it is invested with an impersonal and objective character...” To me, this makes sense, but it is confusing at the same time. Why is written word the only form of communication accepted in the University setting? In Postman’s third example, he discusses the influence of media on our epistemologies by giving the reference to the trial of Socrates. Postman says, “To the Greeks, rhetoric was a form of spoken writing.” Which is why Socrates used it at the beginning of his trial. Even though rhetoric always implied oral performance, its power to reveal the truth resided in the written word’s power to display arguments in orderly progression. The point Postman was trying to make by all of these examples were that the concept of truth is intimately linked to the biases of forms of expression. So what he is saying is that depending on what cultural setting you are in, people need to hear things in different ways, written or orally addressed, to assess if they are true or not.
Questions: Q1: Postman states in Chapter One “Speech, of course, is the primal indispensable medium. It made us human, keeps us human, and in fact defines what human means.” Do you agree that speech is what makes us human? If so, why? If not, why not?
Q2: Postman said, “Although culture is a creation of speech, it is recreated anew by every medium of communication.” How do you believe speech can effect a culture/ How does speech effect culture in different ways?
Q3: In Postman’s book, he defines what “communication” is to him. What do you define communication as? Do you agree with Postman’s definition or do you have your own?
In Delilah Montoya’s Visual Essay “Women Boxers: The new Warriors” she starts out by saying that the boxers in her book represent a new generation of women who grew up with role models like Wonder Women, the PowerPuff Girls, Cat Women and working mothers. She calls these women “Les Malcriadas”, which means women who refuse to play by the rules. I love this! So, how are these role models reflected in the way Montoya photographed these boxers? First, the role models are all women who refused to play by the rules, and these pictures defy what is thought about how a women should look and act. Women fighting, how dare they. A women with a tattoo wearing boxing gloves, I don’t think so. A women showing her muscles, women don’t have muscles! All these pictures go against what society believes a women should represent. Second, looking at the picture of Chavez I think of Wonder Women, the one from my time many, many years ago. She is strong and powerful and beautiful and that is what I see Chavez as in this picture. The picture of Holm not facing us, but showing her sculpted muscles I see reminds me of Cat Women. She wears a mask so we do not see her face, and skin tight leather outfit so we can see how strong and powerful she is. The picture of the actual boxing kind of reminds me of what I can remember about the PowerPuff girls. I am a little old for that but watched it a little with my oldest daughter. I kind of remember them flying around fighting and for some reason I am thinking they wore box gloves or something, so this pictures just kind of makes me think of them.
In Delilah Montoya’s Visual Essay “Women Boxers: The new Warriors” she starts out by saying that the boxers in her book represent a new generation of women who grew up with role models like Wonder Women, the PowerPuff Girls, Cat Women and working mothers. She calls these women “Les Malcriadas”, which means women who refuse to play by the rules. I love this! So, how are these role models reflected in the way Montoya photographed these boxers? First, the role models are all women who refused to play by the rules, and these pictures defy what is thought about how a women should look and act. Women fighting, how dare they. A women with a tattoo wearing boxing gloves, I don’t think so. A women showing her muscles, women don’t have muscles! All these pictures go against what society believes a women should represent. Second, looking at the picture of Chavez I think of Wonder Women, the one from my time many, many years ago. She is strong and powerful and beautiful and that is what I see Chavez as in this picture. The picture of Holm not facing us, but showing her sculpted muscles I see reminds me of Cat Women. She wears a mask so we do not see her face, and skin tight leather outfit so we can see how strong and powerful she is. The picture of the actual boxing kind of reminds me of what I can remember about the PowerPuff girls. I am a little old for that but watched it a little with my oldest daughter. I kind of remember them flying around fighting and for some reason I am thinking they wore box gloves or something, so this pictures just kind of makes me think of them.
Montoya describes women who enter the ring to be thought of as malcriadas- which translates to "an ill-mannered servant" or "bad girl." She says that women can best be related to this because when we think of the sport of boxing, we do not typically think of it as a woman's sport (even though it has grown into one both for women and men). She says that what inspires women to become professional boxers tends to be a range of things- growing up and being inspired by professionals, seeing television programs that have lead women-roles (ie. the Power Puff Girls, Wonder Woman) and so on. Female boxers are continuously changing the stereotypes that most men have- however, it is an ongoing struggle when it comes down to depicting women and the roles that they 'should' play in society.
Berger's essay and their visuals provide us with women who are in the classic "sexy" pose. They are exposed, have little to no clothing, and normally are included in advertisements for hair products, skin care, and fragrances. Heck, they're even seen in shoe advertisements and made sexual. The pictures in Montoya's piece are hardly similar I feel compared to that of Berger's, even though few similarities are there. First of all, you have pictures of these women in the action. This is the exact opposite compared to what you normally see in other commercials- being vulnerable and all dolled up. You have one sitting at the edge of the ring, ready for combat. Perhaps the only similarities compared to Berger's and Montoya's would be eye contact. Her photo of Jackie sitting there and staring at you with a fierce look and yet calm disposition could be compared with the Gucci Guilty add. They just are in different context. The same can be applied for the shoe advertisement and Holly Holm, whose back is only shown to us. This creates a sense of masculinity, because you can see the defined muscles and forms in her arms and her back. On the contrary, the Ree tone ad shows nothing but skin and legs, which in most people's case would be one of the many 'parts' of women that are the 'sexiest' and eye appealing.
Female Chauvinistic Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
In this article Ariel Levy describes what it was like to grow up through the Raunch Culture stage in life. The time where women felt more feminine and empowered to show off their bodies. She describes "raunch" and "liberating" as not being as synonymous as people believe them to be. I would have to agree with this statement. I believe that women became raunchy in order to prove themselves to the men. I believe they acted in this manor (and still continue to) because of the images that are portrayed in the media. The style that women are wearing in magazines, on TV, etc. is one that depicts the perfectly feminine woman. However, are any of these people actually liberated? They might feel a new sense of coming into their own skin, but you cannot tell me that exposing your breasts and butt are something that makes you feel free. Being liberated (from what was happening before these feminist movements took place) was when the feminist movements actually took place. The raunchiness is what followed.
This article provided good insight into what a female was going through during these movements. The women felt empowered to go to strip clubs and to be more like men because they had the freedom to do so. However, this freedom is not the same freedom that seems to have 'liberated' the women. This freedom was that women could conduct themselves as more closely related to men than previously. That being said, is exposing your body the way to get there? Being able to do as you wish is one thing, but it is unbecoming of someone to flaunt themselves because they feel like they have more of a right to do so.
"Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization" 2) I think there is a lot of factors that go into the idea that people hate the idea of "hipsters". I think mostly this is because its just a trend that emerged from being obscure to being fairly popular. I think when anything that becomes popular over time people begin to hate or dislike the trend.
Chapter 4, Women Boxers: The New Warriors by Delilah Montoya
2. Every person has a number of people or things that help influence them in their life and make them who they are. These people or objects can also serve as a role model, and it is very important that they are positive, and helps to lead this person in the right direction in life. In my life, I have a number of people who help influence me positively, but my mother and grandmother really are the most influential in my life. I look up to them a lot, and hope I can be as great as they are one day. Some people may not have loved ones in their life they can look up to, so instead they look up to celebrities and those that are in the spotlight, which can be either good or bad. There are a number of celebrities that would currently be considered a ‘bad influence’ and would not be good role models for young children. But, there are also a number of celebrities that would be considered a good role model and positive for young children to look up to. Many things that would help characterize a positive role model and influence would be a good body image, not advertising illegal or dangerous things, being in a positive spotlight, and an all around good person.
Good and encouraging role-models are so important for all people, especially children. I have been impacted by my parents and many other wonderful relatives who have helped make me into the person I am today. I am very fortunate. I can only hope that I can now be a role model for young teens and children today. It is also essential that you teach children right from wrong, and show them the people they should avoid!
An example of something being raunchy and liberating is hip hop music. You cannot place hip hop in just one category because it is a representation of different lifestyles and concepts. Some hip hop can talk about sex and drugs, but on the other hand, some hip hop music can be uplifting and really have a positive message. Hip hop can be raunchy in the sense of its language and content matter. It can also be liberating because it's people telling their story, what happens in their everyday lives, and they can express their feelings and opinions musically. Hip hop can represent many things, which is why you can not categorize it to just one concept.
Hip-hop can definitely be categorized in different groups. There are many songs in this genre that consist of very dirty and disgusting lyrics. Hip-hop is my favorite genre and I am thankful for the artists who choose to sing songs that are more uplifting and positive. Along with hip-hop, every type of genre can be be put in a good or bad category depending on the listener. Overall, the artist who is behind the music determines what type of songs they generate for their fans.
Chapter 4 ~ In the Shadow of the Image ~ Writing Assignment #1
In the Shadow of the Image, Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen, discuss the power of images. In today's world, we are bombarded with billboards, television commercials, and magazines that make people be something they are not, but also make others feel bad of what they don't have.
On a daily basis, I get distracted while I'm in line to check-out at the grocery story, gawking at the latest fashion in a People magazine. While I am riding in the car, I see a gleaming engagement ring displayed on a bill board; a ring I will only have in my dreams. On television commercials I see clothing I think I "need" to have. Do these images create a sense of yearning in my heart?
Overall, I truly try to be content and thankful for what I have. I try not to get caught up in the media that portrays you have to be so thin, own a Michael Khors bag, and wear high-quality name brand clothing. Yes it is okay to splurge once in awhile, however it is important that you avoid the tricks and schemes the media has up their sleeves!
Images are very powerful. Yes many times ads and billboards have pictures that are trying to sell us something! They put things that are out of our reach right in front of us too hoping that our want is greater than our ability to walk away from it.
"Reading the Gaze:Gender Roles in Advertising" how different pictures of genders are used in advertising. The major reason is of course to draw attention. If the person in the advertisement is nude, it draws even more attention. The essay also talks about the importance and meaning of where the character in the advertisemnt is looking at. Different relationship is set up when the person is looking directly at you than when she is looking down, etc... The 4 pictures at the end of this essay all use geders to draw the attention. Te first picture doesn't even make sence in having a nude woman. The rest can make a little sence, and they do affect you differently when the character is looking directly at you.These pictures sldo attain their goal by drawing the attention.
Today I read "History of My Face." This poem is about a man relating all of his facial features to different cultures and their origin. This was a short but profound work. He pretty much made a timeline of cultural events that had an impact on the world and his bloodline and its mixtures. As we all know, our facial features are inherited from our parents and their parents and so on. You can look at family trees and observe how we are morphed into what we look like today. When Mattawa looked in the mirror, he saw his ancestors. He saw the Roman, Turkish, Greek, and Libyan in his features.
When we look into our mirrors we see ourselves. But if we look a little harder and think a little deeper, we will see the reflections of those before us. I love that this is deeper than skin although skin color is also significant. The shape of our eyes, the bridge of our nose, the fullness of our lips. Each feature is etched in history.
Chapter 4: 'The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire" Reading Response
The article was a response to another author's argument about nudity in art. The main arguments in the article that were brought up was nudity itself and the gender hierarchy involved in nude art. One of the first points brought up was what to called nudity in art. Should we consider being naked as nakedness or being nude. The article determined that nude was the correct term when referring to art because "naked" had a negative connotation to it. The article went on to explain that men nude in art usually are admiring the women in some way and women look at themselves. The author explained that the "looking" of the men to the women and the women to themselves describes the submission of women. I personally never thought into the looks that nude art signified. The next time I see nude art I will look closer at the body language and "looks" of the people in the art.
Lastly, the article did a good job of letting the reader know when they were comparing what the original argument stated by using quotations and breaks in paragraph. This lead to a well organized counter-argument.
This article attracted me to read it because of my appreciation of nude artworks. I never really considered the gender roles between the characters in the paintings though. As far as the nakedness vs nude terminology, I don't personally see a difference. I agree naked may have a negative connotation but why? Since when are our bare bodies an embarrassment? Since the sins of Eve? hence, female submission... :(
Women Boxers: The New Warriors The article Women Boxers by Delilah Montoya depicts a strong, independent women who does not follow the rules—malcriada. Other women figures who could be considered a malcriada would be most famously, Rosa Parks. She is an African-American activist who refused to have her voice be silenced. She is considered by US Congress to be “the first lady of civil rights.” During the 1800’s we have Harriet Tubman who conducted the Underground Railroad to help runaway slaves get to the north. Another women we have is Jane Austen who is known for paving the way for female writers at a time when female writers were not welcomed. She wrote “Pride and Prejudice” “Emma” and “Northanger Abbey.”
In Khaled Mattawa's piece entitled, "History of My Face," he describes different facial features of his and tells how each feature is tied to his heritage. In addition to saying where his family comes from he also talks about events in history tied to those places that could've been part of why he has the face that he does. He talks about the slaves of Sanussi, the settlement of the Greeks, the invasion of Tripoli, the intermarriage of Septimus Severus, and the claiming of Uqba. I think what his poem is saying is that our face can tell a lot of our own history and where it is that each of us comes from.
Through my own heritage you'll see pieces of Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, and the Susquehannock tribe. The way my skin easily tans comes from my Native American ancestry. The thick and darkness of my hair comes from Italy. My rounded face from the hills of Ireland. The way my voice carries comes from Germany. And my warming smile from Austria. However, unlike Khaled, I don't know what the full history is behind my family's heritage, but I still believe that my face alone can help tell the story of where I come from as an individual.
"Women Boxers; The New Warriors" By:Delilah Montaya
Montaya writes about the women who grew up with role models such as Wonder woman, cat woman and the Powderpuff girls. The depictions of the boxers in the images shows them reminiscing superheroes. For example, the women boxers look like the depictions of Wonder Woman in the comic books with their dress mainly. Their pants in particular have belts that resemble wonder woman's indestructable belts.
I imagine these women boxers that gain popularity portray almost "on earth" superheroes. They give young women a chance to see women in power and provide a sense of role model. They give them real superheroes that they can actually aspire to become. A boxer is an attainable position for an everyday child to wish to be.
As I grew up I looked to role models such as Lizzie Maguire and Britney Spears. I thought if i tried hard enough i could become a famous movie star. This depiction of these women resemble superheroes somewhat with their attire also. Montaya displays these women as real life superheroes, someone we wish to grow up idolizing.
I read In “The Shadow of The Image” on page 178. In response to the suggestions for reading on page 179, I will analyze my use of brand named products. I try to be very aware about the products I buy because I think of myself as a responsible consumer. I like to know what to buy and what to avoid. For example, I avoid Shell, Exxon, BP, Nestle, Kraft, Nabisco, Post, McDonalds, and of course Walmart. There are tons of others as well. I do have attachments to certain brands due to my limited options. I support Nature’s Choice, Toms, and Burt’s Bees. It’s interesting to me because I find it much easier to recall the brand names I boycott rather than the products I do purchase. Usually that is because the corporate giants are the ones who have enough money to advertise and brand themselves so well, where as the local, small businesses are harder to remember the names of. It is obvious to see where the money goes and its effectiveness.
Adams describes how his life revolved around video games, online games, and fictional characters. The author tells the readers that playing these games didn't help him get friends or get a girl. He was completely lost in these games.
The author admits he played by the rules. Instead of just playing the game he related the game to a "manual of how people are put together". Every one in this world plays a role just like the characters play a role in the game. He was able to relate it to the real world.
The author also related Facebook to a video game. Users must create an online profile for their "character" in order to join the site. The author then continues by saying that once you are a user you connect and make relationships with people, similarly to video games.
CHPT 4 blog post dec. 23rd images. I read, “In the Shadow of an Image” written by Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen. I found that the beginning of this story was kind of hard to follow. It skipped around a lot between different peoples stories. I found that in each story however, there were the ideas of how people saw images in their lives, and how they related regardless of race or class. There were billboards on the streets, posters in the subway, labels on products used everyday, and stories with images in magazines such as the New York Post. There was a girl getting an after school job just so that she could get the name brand pair of jeans even though they were way more expensive, because she wouldn’t fit in at school if she didn’t have them. There was a story of a woman who had an important interview and the biggest thing on her mind was what was she going to wear. When she got the job, she called her friend to thank her for the outfit suggestion. Images are a huge influence on people’s lives, even if we don’t feel like we are affected by them, we are. “ We live and breathe an atmosphere where mass images are everywhere in evidence mass produced, mass distributed. In the streets, in our home, among a crowd, or alone they speak to us, overwhelm our vision. “
For Dec 22 I read The Female Nude by Richard Leppert. He starts off by saying that nakedness means to be without clothes and most people get a sense of embarrassment. He studied the representation of the naked human body in art as a type of painted or sculpted composition. He ignored the questions who and why when investigating. One of his critiques criticized that a man has power that he exercises on others and women presence is about what they can do and what they cannot do. Berger another critique says that men act and women appear. He argues that the painted nude is of female and it is no expressive of their feelings but is a sign of her submission to the owners feelings and demands. Marcia Pointon account of the male stare acknowledges strength and weakness. She goes on to say that this is a type of painting that is done for men. It then describes what the looks can mean and how they can be driven by love, hate, that can be mutual or reciprocal or selfish and self-serving. It ends this section saying that female nudes is a space that is open to contestation .
The next reading I did for Dec 23 was Gender Roles in Advertising. This piece had to do with reading the gaze. It starts off by saying that over years publics attention has been drawing attention yet men are also becoming quite popular for attention. The gaze refers to the relationship that occurs between the reader and the person represented in the image. It explains how when the person in the image is looking directly at you it creates a different image than if they were looking down. On the next page 209 it shows four different photos. The one is a "Gucci Guilty" perfume ad. To me its saying get this perfume it makes me smell sexy by the way that the guy is all over the women. The last page of this part talks about direct and indirect ways of addressing us. It talks about facial expressions and gestures and what they mean.
This article talks about the influx of white listeners to "black" hip-hop. I don't think white artists are ever ripping off black music. If they have the talent to produce hip-hop music why can't they? To me this article was very racist. Throughout the article they had underground black artists commenting on how their audiences were becoming more and more white. And how they were pleasantly surprised when they see a lot of black fans in the audience at one of their concerts, because they could vibe to their music, and they are used to seeing white faces in the audience, so seeing the black people was refreshing.
It's like anything else, if someone can act they can act, the color of their skin is irreverent. The same standard should exist for the hip-hop and rap industry. Whether the people going to the concerts and buying the CD's are black or white shouldn't matter. Talent is talent, for that reason I think anytime white artists get into the rap industry they are extending an artistically unique style that only can enhance so called "black music."
Just look at how popular Eminem is in the rap world. In my opinion he is the best rapper of all time, ignoring race, but he just happens to be white. This opinion is shared by a lot of people, many people rank him at least in the top 5. If he never entered this industry people would never have heard and seen his greatness. There are plenty of other young and upcoming artists trying to have similar impacts. If they are good enough, why not give them the chance to see what they have, regardless of skin color.
“Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization” I myself have been asked recently by a friend I went to high school with, but haven’t seen for a very long time, “Are you a hipster now?” I did not even know how to respond at the time… I didn’t think I was a hipster, as many of them don’t. It’s a confusing thing for someone who doesn’t necessarily believe in labels, especially “negative” ones about oneself… And now the fact that Douglas Haddow describes hipsters mirroring “the doomed shallowness of mainstream society” (235) it’s like he’s calling everyone a hipster. I think he has a flawed way of describing our younger generation. (I even had to look up a “kiffiyeh” which he describes hipsters wearing, and I’m pretty sure it’s already out of fashion, which a hipster would not be atoned to.) In Douglas Haddow’s article, he describes a hipster as “one mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot of styles, tastes and behavior”. He says this is because after World War II, our culture is lost in its past and it is now unable to create any new meaning. (235) The more I think about it, I know a few people who fit Haddow’s definition of a hipster, and I can definitely relate to how he says they are shallow. They push their “individuality” on others over social media, yet their opinions are the same as everyone else’s, they just have to be more overt about it. My problem with Haddow’s argument is that I don’t think hipsters are such a lost cause. They may blend subcultures together to create their ideas but is that as bad as it seems? Our generation has to compete with the entire world today, so it’s only expected that we take the best part of cultures to be able to survive. I also extremely dislike how throughout the whole article, he judges people outside of parties who “exemplify hipster homogeneity”. (236) Either way, these hipsters are trying to figure out where they belong in the world, which is not such a bad thing. I honestly do not understand why he hates hipsters so much, as they really are not as detrimental to society as he makes them seem.
I read “Female Chauvinist Pigs” by Ariel Levy on pages 245-247 and answer the questions posed in Classroom Activity. I agree with Levy that “raunchy” and “liberated” are not synonymous, yet I disagree because I don’t think we should try to draw a clear cut line between them either. I think to some extent, that types of dress, pornography, and sleeziness are the results of our liberation. Having the right and choice to be “raunchy” is the empowering part. Without it, raunchiness would be oppressive and degrading. I agree with Levy to some extent when she said that women become Chauvinist pigs when they make themselves and other women into sex objects (246). In my opinion, I think it is natural and normal to flaunt sexuality, however some methods are better than others and lean towards oppressive instead of expressive. Perhaps, the answer lies in the intention. Someone might be “raunchy” if they dress or act a certain way in order to be looked at, aroused, or desired by others. Where as, someone who is “liberated” would dress themselves however they like, despite how revealing. There are many people, who act “raunchy” and the like, however I believe that the lot of them are misunderstood and are in fact, “liberated”.
Coming from an older, somewhat conservative person, I agree with you that it is natural and normal to flaunt sexuality. And yes, it should be done tastefully or it can come off wrong.
Dec. 27th reading. In The Alpha Geeks David Brooks ends by drawing on a biblical reference by saying “For it is written, the last shall be first and the geek shall inherit the earth.” What does he mean by this? Simple, at one time nerds, geeks, whatever was the chosen name were looked down upon. It was the good looking jock that drove the cool car and got the pretty girl and would succeed. Why, because they were social. At one time in our history people had to deal with people. So employers wanted social, people people. Nerds and geeks were smart, but a lot of the time they were considered socially awkward. However, this all changed with the development of Microsoft and the digital economy. As Brooks states “the new technology created a range of mental playgrounds where the new geeks could display their cultural capital.” It is the geeks that are spending time in technology developing new things that the rest of us want. Who do we call when we have a computer problem, “The Geek Squad?” In today’s world of technology it pays to have a geek as one of your employees. And it pays to have one as a best friend. They have now inherited the earth because they are some of the most sought after employees, making good money.
Dec. 27th reading. In The Alpha Geeks David Brooks ends by drawing on a biblical reference by saying “For it is written, the last shall be first and the geek shall inherit the earth.” What does he mean by this? Simple, at one time nerds, geeks, whatever was the chosen name were looked down upon. It was the good looking jock that drove the cool car and got the pretty girl and would succeed. Why, because they were social. At one time in our history people had to deal with people. So employers wanted social, people people. Nerds and geeks were smart, but a lot of the time they were considered socially awkward. However, this all changed with the development of Microsoft and the digital economy. As Brooks states “the new technology created a range of mental playgrounds where the new geeks could display their cultural capital.” It is the geeks that are spending time in technology developing new things that the rest of us want. Who do we call when we have a computer problem, “The Geek Squad?” In today’s world of technology it pays to have a geek as one of your employees. And it pays to have one as a best friend. They have now inherited the earth because they are some of the most sought after employees, making good money.
“The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire” This reading was interesting to say the least. I think what Leppert essentially is attempting compare and contrast differing arguments regarding is the difference between what nude artwork was and what it has become, how it is perceived by different people viewing it, and the evolution of specifically nude art depicting females. I believe Berger’s thesis, effectively in response to Sir Kenneth Clark, is that since females are not projecting outward they are the only ones that should be considered nude in art, and while men are only projecting outward they are the ones that should be considered naked in art. Subsequently, women are to be looked at, and men are the lookers. This reading was difficult for me, and not what I expected to say the least. What I believe summarizes Leppert’s response to this thesis is that the image of females is driven directly by how men see them. This means that no matter the message an image like this is meant to portray, the actual way the image is perceived is driven by sexual desires or gender hierarchy. I, personally, am not really sure what to make of this entire argument. I tend to see a relation to this argument and the way women may be portrayed in Hollywood and advertising. Leppert is sort of arguing for the affirmation of the idea that “sex sells”. That the idea that often what we see in images like these are driven by natural factors, although he seems to be talking about more of how people perceive any image.
Do you think women's dress and attitudes are influenced by men's perception over women? (or what women think are men's perception of them?) I am very interested to hear from the other side of the coin!
I chose to read “In the shadow of the image” by Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen from chapter 4: Images. When reading the writing assignment #1 I had to first look up to work vignettes. I was very confused. After understanding that a vignette was a brief description, encounter or episode, I was able to begin. The story describes small bits of different people’s lives, from the encounter of a Spanish woman on a train to a guy taking a shower. The description of moments in the standard American life includes images that surround us. Visual messages that I encounter throughout the day would include commercials, ads on twitter and facebook, magazines, and billboards. Each American is bombarded with similar stimulus and advisement, whether we are on a train, in the shower, or in Sears.
Brooks notes "geeks have created a new definition of what is cool". He distinguishes between two stigmas of nerd and geek. He comments on how geeks have defined themselves as the "cooler" nerd. When I think of a nerd, typically, I picture a tiny kid with his calculator and pencil, as do many. Brooks brings to light the concept of geeks redefining the stigma of nerd. With examples like Weazer and Sublime, the term geek is seemed to be cool, instead of being pictured as being beat up by jocks and athletes.
Geeks have their own counter culture versus nerds have an assigned stigma, as I mentioned above with my own explanation of a stereotype of a nerd. Geeks are valuable to society. When I think of geeks, I also think of Geek squad, a reliable computer fixing company with ads depicting models as geeks. Brooks mentions they create their own counterculture, which I agree is formed. I think brands like vans, blink 182 and those of punk rock are associated with modern day geeks. One of the best examples of the modern day geek, as Brooks mentions, is Harry Potter.
Harry Potter has defined the term geek as his own. Those who like Harry Potter series were not defined as alienated nerds, but hopeful wizards. These characters brought to life the world of magic, dragons, wizardry and boarding school. Attending a boarding school with your two best friends became the desired dream of most children. Hogwarts provided a mystical getaway in reading books, and in doing so emphasize the importance of reading, an hobbie typically associated with nerds.
This article was interesting and it kept bringing me back to a connection with my classes that I took this past fall. We kept discussing "what is normal" and who gets to decide who/what is normal? These questions hold similar connotations. Who is to say someone is one way over the other? Nerds are portrayed in the media as the smart, goodie goodie people who know way more than most people. They are also portrayed at the scapegoats in most situations. People make fun od these so called nerds because they are intimidated by their smarts.
When thinking about what a nerd really is, it might be true that they are smart, but what images come to mind. The nerds, in the media, are always portrayed with the pocket protectors, the big glasses, the profound language, and the more basic clothing. It is easy to see who exactly these people are, but what would they look like without the media? My guess is they would be much like you and me. Without the media displaying what they believe the world should look like, there would be less people trying to be someone else and more people trying to be themselves.
I read "Gender Roles in Advertising". This article opened my eyes. I never notice how much a facial expression, a hand position, or body movement influenced us. This article explained how they use models to influence the viewer.
Advertising for males is different than for woman. The advertiser develops ads that will intrigue men to want a project. For example, a lot of ads for men deal with woman. The model make a certain facial expression, wear a certain style of clothes, and stand in a particular way that will intrigue men into the product. The same goes for woman. The advertiser will use a model/ or product that woman are interested in. For make up they make models look beautiful to try to sell it to us. This article was short, but definitely got its point across. I will now look at ads differently when viewing a magazine or tv commercial.
December 27 Reading - women and the rise of raunch culture
while Reading this passage I feel like it really brings up a good point of feminism and how it has evolved to today. While i cannot say i am a hardcore feminist, there are many things i believe that feminists fight for. we want to be seen as equal, and we want many rights men have that women struggle to obtain. I question however a lot of things that we have done in order to obtain that respect and equality. We have risen from a generation that is afraid of what we wear to a generation that could care less. We do not let people's opinions rule what our wardrobe is, so we are able to express ourselves fully without concern. It is good to feel empowerment.
However, as much as clothing concerns have decreased slowly, we are still judged by our own peers. We pick on each other either quietly or out loud, and normally we cannot differentiate feminists and "sluts" or other because of what we choose to wear (which ranges from mostly nothing to raunchy mini skirts). It's a style, there is no doubt. But is it a style that I feel can help gain us respect?
If we can get past the entire judgement barrier, I feel like it can. Being appealing to the crowd is what draws attention. Sometimes though I feel like that attention is not well spent. We create more possible cracks than a solution I think. On one half it is women growing up in a generation that is strong and fearless, while on the other half we continue to promote the stereotypes and things that we are trying to rid of so we may become equal with men in the world.
Dec. 27th Chapter 4- Images “Rewriting the Image” I read the visual essay from chapter four called “Rewriting the Image.” In this essay it is said that “ advertising does not just create “images,” it constructs differences between men and women, which operate under the assumption that they reflect a universal timeless truth.” I thought that this quote was very eye opening. Images portrayed in magazines and online and in books, they all tell women how they should dress, men what hair styles they should have, women how much make-up to apply and how to do it correctly, but they all do this without even saying words. People just look at these images and draw conclusions from what they see. That is why images are so powerful. One effective way of making a message through images is “rewriting” the image by taking an image that already exists and changing it to make it new again. It sends a message if the image is well known, when you make the changes to it.
Berger makes a point that when men and women both appear in the same advertisement the woman is still to be the one who appears for the viewer's pleasure. The common argument that is discussed over this issue is that the man is the one who acts in the ad and the woman is the one who appears in the ad. This is a serious debate when discussed because the root problem that this brings up is the issue of sexism. Yet still, many advertisements continue to uphold this trend between men and women. In Berger's article he gives an example of a photo that follows the same conformity in a Gucci Guilty ad.
The Gaze that is also discussed in this reading also faces the issue of sexism. Men and women have different views when seeing different genders appear in certain advertisements. When opposites see each other there is often a sense of admiration and sometimes arousal, bottom line opposites approve of the other more often in how they're portrayed in advertisements. On the other hand when men or women see a portrayal of their own gender in certain manner that tend to shy away from it or profile them as being part of a certain clique or group that they themselves would never partake in. The views may change between genders, but the views that each gender has with different portrayals of each gender seems to be trend that will be unwavering and unchanging.
In John Berger's "Ways of Seeing", nakedness and nudity are defined as two different things. Numerous examples are given to explain their differences. I have gathered from this reading that nakedness is something someone experiences on his or her own. When you are alone and not wearing any clothes, you are naked. You are exposed to only yourself. Nakedness is something that you enjoy (or not enjoy) without an audience. But when you are not wearing clothes and are on "display", you are nude. Nudity is an art that comes in many forms. Nude photographs, nude poses, nude gestures, and nude paintings are a few examples of how nudity can be observed. "A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude." The woman depicted in Nell Gwynne by Lely is nude. She is not simply a women but she is something to be observed. Something to be admired. Although she is a women, through this painting, she has become an object.
This was a very interesting read. I enjoyed the comparisons between men and women because many of them were true. Women, without a doubt, are perceived differently than men. A man's presence can display what he can do for someone while a woman's presence displays what can be done for her. This makes it seem as though women need to be taken care of and for some women this is true. But this makes me question why it is true. Do some women need to taken care of simply because they truly can not fend for themselves? Or has that mindset been instilled in women? Have women been manipulated into believing that men are holders of power or do they genuinely have it?
I read “Reading the Gaze: Gender Roles in Advertising” on page 206 and answered the questions under Classroom Activity in relation to John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” on page 193. The 4 advertisements on pages 208 and 209 support Berger’s argument. According to him, women are subjects gazed upon by men. The Gucci Guilty ad shows the woman making eye contact with us while she is looked at by the man. On the next page, the woman in the Reebok ad is not looking at us and the gaze is only one way, from the viewer to the model. If the women of these ads were replaced with men, the gaze would not work in the same way. The Got Milk ad with Nelly consists of a two way gaze from the viewer to Nelly and from Nelly to the viewer, probably a female, so again the female is the subject of the males gaze.
The whole topic of the visual essay was about reworking an existing image to change the interpretation or reputation it has. From the visual essay I thought the rewritten image of the "Girl with the Pearl Nose Ring" encompassed the essays message. The rewritten image showed a woman who look more edgy than the original photo. I inferred that this woman was a more independent thinker than the girl in the original photograph. Just by tweaking a few elements ( the color, placement of pearl, and value) of the photograph I was able to picture an entirely new girl. This encompassed the meaning of the essay because "Rewriting the Image" is not only able changed original pieces of art, but it is about questioning the original art and questioning the stigma it may have presented.
I read the visual essay "Reading Labels, Selling Water". The essay discusses how the same water can cost a lot more in 2 different bottles due to it's brand. The bottle and the name of the brand make the difference. Fancier they are, the more money they cost.This is the truth about everything The fancier the packaging is, the better we think the item is. We are always drawn to more appealing and extrarordinary things. The same top,or a handbag can cost 100 dollars more just because it is in mall and has a famous brand name than the bag for sale in Burlington. Sometimes thinking about this makes me feel stupid, but even when i know this, i am still more attracted to more expensive items. I am probably not alone :))
It is amazing how a lot of stuff comes from the same manufacture, off the same line, but in the end they slap a different logo or name on it and the price goes up, depending on that name.
My reading for today I picked Rap and the Cotton Club. Bakari Kitwana starts his section off by talking about how the black face in the audience and how there are more and more white people listening to rap. He refers to his time being the Cotton Club because they only sang to white audiences. Boots says that one night when he stepped onto stage and saw an all white audience he thought "they aren't here to see us" but then they applauded. The same thing is happening to hip hop. It then talks about the transformation to how now 1 million units are sold in 4 days for 50 cent. It talks about how the audience is including white , college students who have the time to look up this kind of music. Even though a crowd can be made up of mostly white people it states that if there are not black kids out there buying it you will not make it. They end the section saying that it is a racist thing that they think the white MC's are the originators just because they don't want to hear it being old school
Chapter 5, Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization by Douglas Haddow
2. I believe hipsters are casted in a negative light because of how defiant they are of society. Those who are considered hipsters are very non-mainstream in their views, and will go out of their way to prove that they do not believe in that kind of lifestyle. I believe this strong sense of defiance makes people annoyed at those who are labeled hipsters, because they will do anything to prove that they are different than the mainstream and a majority of society. People who get annoyed by this most likely do not understand why those considered hipsters can’t just go with the majority of society and always have to be different. They may also get annoyed with how hipsters push their views on others, and always have to show in a big way that they are different. This negative light may be brought on because they may also put off an attitude to others that says ‘I’m superior’ and ‘better’ because they are living their life so much differently.
Benjamin Nugent, uses Mary Bucholtz's paper, "The Whiteness of Nerds: Superstandard English and Racial Markednes", to explore the idea of being a "nerd". What really defines a nerd anyway? When I think of a nerd, I think of someone who is very intelligent and may dress in a more conservative fashion, unlike the popular fashion of the time. However, I hate how being called a "nerd" is so looked down upon. All people are placed in a stereotypical category, and all people should realize that we are all unique and talented in our own way. Where would we even be without nerds?
In the passage, Nugent suggests that a nerd is an individual who is "hyperwhite". That is definitely an interesting way to put it. In retrospect, the term hyperwhite coincides with both white and African American individuals. In Bucholtz essay, she defines nerdiness "as a way of using language" (263). In all, so called "nerds" shape their own identity, just like other groups of people. In the text, the author also brings up the differences between nerds and African Americans in which relates to the fact that sometimes their differences interfere with becoming friends. However, African Americans can also be considered nerds, even though the "white nerd" has a very familiar place in society.
I do have plenty of name-brand objects in my house. I never realized it until I actually counted all of them. The few that I will pick for this assignment are: 1. Apple iPhone 2. Beats by Dr. Dre 3. Colgate Toothpaste 4. Ford Mustang
I'll start with the iPhone. The iPhone is one of most popular cellular devices today on the market besides the Android. I see so many people have iPhones. The one reason why I think the iPhone is so popular is because of how simplistic the layout of the phone looks. Same as their commercials for the phone. There is always a white background and all of the attention is focused on the phone itself with the way it looks. This product tries, I think, to focus on a wide age group. Anyone should be able to use an iPhone because it is easy. My parents definitely get confused with the phone and don't use it to its full capability but I know other parents who do. The images that this product sends off is that it is an everyday tool that will help you through life. You can call, text, take pictures/videos, play games, stay organized, listen to music, check emails, and so on. Product 2 is Beats by Dr. Dre. I am sure half of the people who bought Beats had no idea who Dr. Dre was at the time. I know I didn't. I don't remember what got my attention of beats and why I wanted them. Pretty sure they were in an LMFAO music video and that's what made me want them. These headphone are stylish which I think is a big reason as to why they sold so well, espcially at their 300 dollar price for the studios. What really sold them to me was the sound of them. These headphone were definitely focused on a younger crowd but for many uses. There were studios, wireless, business travel looking ones. The economic group I'm sure was focused to a higher group since the price was so high. They were also used during sports. When a player was on the side lines, they would listen to their beats so some fan would want to buy them since that player was using them. They have been put in countless music videos as well. The third item is Colgate Toothpaste. When you think of a toothpaste brand, Colgate is at least one of the top brands you can think of. It is used so much. There is also mouthwash, whitening stripes, and other products that come from Colgate. Their commercials that I see always show everyone having perfectly straight and white teeth. Something that the company wants people to believe that their product is the best. This product spans to everyone at any level in any level of economy. The fourth product is my mustang which is built by Ford. Ford is one of the most well know brand of American made cars out there. They have so many different kinds of vehicles to support any ones kind of need. Some cars are more expensive like the Mustang but others are affordable for families. They have a good name for their trucks as well.
In the beginning of her piece Montoya begins by stating that young women in today's society are stepping up and taking more risks especially in the field of sports such as boxing. The reason behind this undertaking is that most of these young women grew up watching, who they considered, role models. Such role models included: Wonder Woman, The Power Puff Girls, and Catwoman. The one thing these ladies all shared was that they proved to themselves and others that they are some of the toughest fighters in the world. So it isn't that hard to believe that some young ladies wanted to have that same feeling for themselves.
For a long time, also, boxing was a male dominated sport but after facing the ambition that some woman wanted for themselves boxing has become a gender equal sport. In the photographs that were provided in Montoya's work you can see that the women who have entered the world of boxing have the tendency and intentions of being a similar image as their fantasy role models. The common image that they all seem to try and go for is that not only are they proving that they're a tough person to go against but they're still also attractive. So I believe that the idea of wanting to follow in the footsteps of a role model is a good ambition to have, but also you should still know that you aren't going to walk the same path as your role model.
At the end of this piece it mentioned how some woman grew up with role models such as the powder puff girls, cat woman, and some working mothers. Then the author asked to look at the pictures in the text and see how they are new role models. When looking at the pictures of the boxer it shows how strong women are. Before, we cleaned houses and cooked dinner. Much differently today, we work the same paying jobs as males and have gained rights to make us equal to males.
As you flip through commercials you see a lot of ads with women working out. Healthy is the new "thing". Women can be tough, strong, and athletic now. The boxers in the pictures on pages 212 and 213 show how tough we can be. We can also participate in the same sports as males. Times have changed and our role models are now healthy athletic figures and not so much powder puff girls or cat women.
1. One section in this passage I found interesting is where Greif was talking about how we call the gym a health club, even though it’s not a place where people meet other members to discuss things. Rather, the gym is a place where individuals go by themselves to do their exercise and routine in a more privatized manner. “Modern gym exercise moves biology into the nonsocial company of strangers” (Greif, page 253). In the gym everyone has their own way and order of doing things and keeps to him or herself. If you look around, almost every person has headphones in, and there is little to no conversation ever. My personal experience with the gym has almost always been a little awkward. My friend and I will meet up sometimes and go, but when we do, we never really get to talk to each other. I feel that as soon as you step inside, it’s almost rude to talk to not distract the other people, and people will give you funny looks. I think it’s so silly, you’re running next to your friend and you acknowledge each other’s presence, but you just continue to run next to each other for forty minutes with your headphones in, not speaking. I’m not the biggest fan of the gym; I’d rather run outside on the streets rather than on a track. But, I’ve always thought it funny they call it a health club, because the name doesn’t really fit it’s description.
Woman Boxers: The New Warriors ~ Writing Assignment #2
Women's boxing has opened up a whole new realm for females. Even thought it has been categorized as a male sport, females have taken it on. Many are influenced by their families and are driven to succeed in this sport. I admire these women who have the determination to take on another opponent and fight for victory. However, I have no desire to ever become a female boxer.
Similar to the significant female boxers mentioned in the passage, I have also been influenced greatly by my family. My parents encourage me to fulfill my dreams and help guide and support decisions I make. I'm thankful to have such support, much like the women boxers experience in their athletic careers.
As I think about the readings I think about the image women boxers portray for young girls. They wish to become like these athletes. These athletes demonstrate crucial characteristics like commitment, dedication, and team work. Women boxing allows women to compete in a strictly masculine sport. The image provided by pop culture of what a woman should do is challenged. At the time these women participated in boxing, the woman's place was in the house. Often woman were depicted as the housekeeper, always cooking and cleaning.
To be able to compete in the sport of boxing, athletes must have certain muscles. Women develop muscles that the typical woman does not focus on. American culture at the time, portrays women with bonnets and baking apple pie. Women wanted to be thin, not seen as muscular and manly. Today I think we still see a focus on the thin body shape, but are moving towards the acceptance of the curvy woman. The new woman has shape and figure to her body. A healthy woman is the woman of now.
Part 1 - Girls Gone Wild is about feminism and liberation. A woman should feel proud of herself and her body, so there’s nothing wrong with wanting to share it with others. To freely express the love of yourself is empowering. Men sexualize women’s bodies—there is nothing sexual about a woman’s breasts. It’s nice knowing people are admiring you. “Self objectification can be fixed through sexual liberation.” If guys can go shirtless in public, why can’t women? Who cares what they think.
Part 2 - Girls Gone Wild is about objectifying women. A woman should feel proud of herself and her body, so she should be conservative in wanting to share it with others. Why is there even satisfaction in looking at boobs? Self-objectification can be detrimental to a women’s mental health. This overly sexual behavior is embarrassing and slutty. You’re giving women a bad image if you show your breasts. No one will respect you.
This article talks about how consumers love bottled water, even though they have it for free in their own house. Many people prefer bottled water and sometimes that is the only water they will drink. When in reality, Philadelphia tap water is more beneficial for you than bottled spring water. Tap water had fluoride added which is good for your teeth.
The article mentions "fancy" water bottles like Bling and Pellegrino. People buy these products because the fancy names and labels, but in reality it's all H20. Don't get me wrong, bottles come in handy sometimes. On the soccer field or while hiking where tap water is not accessible makes it very convenient to have bottled water.
This whole water bottle culture amazes me. When you visit someones house and they have bottled water ready baffles me. On another note people that only drink bottled water are going doomed when the Zombie Apocalypse.
Dec 29th Reading In Benjamin Nugent’s essay Who’s a Nerd, Anyway? he talks about Mary Bucholtz’s research on what nerdiness is. He states that Bucholtz has been working on this question for 12 years. This essay was written in 2007. Nugent states that she has concluded that nerdiness is largely a matter of racially tinged behavior. People who are considered nerds tend to act in ways that are “hyperwhite.” Bucholtz understands it first as being as a way of using language. Most “cool” white kids use some African-American vernacular English, slang. However, nerds punctiliously adhere to Standard English and they often favor Greco-Latinate words over Germanic ones. They use their distinctive way of speaking as a badge of membership.
Nugent also mentions how in Bucholtz research she claims that “symbolic resources of an extreme whiteness” can be used elsewhere. A lot of our trends in music, dance, fashion, sports and language are traced to African-American resources. However, in nerdiness, African-American culture does not play a role. Bucholtz states that by cultivating an identity that is excess whiteness the nerds are denying themselves the aura of normality. Bucholtz also observed that the code of conspicuous intellectualism in the nerd cliques could shut out black students who chose not to openly display their abilities.
For today's reading, I read Women Boxers: The New Warriors. Montoya has photographed three woman boxers and included them in this work. Looking at these pictures, you see three physical strong and tough women. These photos reflect the three women's more aggressive sides because as we know, boxing is an aggressive and violent sport. These are great shots to show future female boxers. We want to see our role models at their best. Role models are supposed to inspire us and Montoya provided inspirational and motivational pictures.
What I like most about this story is that it exposes the other sides of female boxers. These women cannot make a decent living from boxing as men can. They have to work normal jobs and live normal lives. Many woman boxers are single parents. They still have to take care of their families. Some are nurses, social workers, and some are even students. Many of these women are great role models because although they are participating in a violent sport they are showing that they can still be gentle and human.
Today I read about the article: Female Chauvinist Pigs; Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. Ariel Levy starts this section saying that years ago on TV she started to notice that women were being more provactitive and wearing less clothes. She then goes on to discuss Charlie's Angels where women are said to be strong and empowered and were more like dressed like porn stars. Even when she walked down the streets she could see that females were wearing less and less and some even wore shirts that said porn star on it. Her friends then at that time started to go to strip clubs and there were night marches on campuses. What was more surprising to her were the responses she got after interviewing men and women. Some of the women's answers were shocking. They said that they wanted to be experienced as a man because they were not girly girls.
I read “Against Exercise” by Mark Greif on page 251. In the beginning of his essay, he says compares the modern gym with the environment of a factory. He points out the similar conveyor belts and bench presses. That part is interesting. I’ve never considered how closely they resemble each other. I do however, hold the opinion that exercising in modern gyms with machines and dumbbells are wasteful. People use their energy to power these machines which in turn, do not produce anything. He mentions the farmer who uses a pulley, cable, and bar to lift heavy loads. Now this mechanism has been transformed into an exercise machine. Then he ponders why exercise is not a private activity like eating, sleeping, defecating, cleaning, grooming, and masturbating. Well thats a silly question. All of these activities are private for some people and public/social activities for others. Not one of them is only done privately or publicly. Then he says exercisers make faces and noises associated with pain, tears, and orgasm. And exercisers wear tight lycra clothing. More generalizations. I prefer to exercise in loose cotton clothing, with other people, outside in the grass, without machines. What would Greif say about that? Then he says exercisers are dependent on numbers and counting. Again, this statement is not all inclusive. I do not count reps and keep track of weight. I play sports and tag and games. The only counting we do is to keep score, if we even do that… Another generalization, “Women strip their bodies of layers of fat to reveal a shape without its normal excess of flesh...the task of the women exerciser remains one of emanciation” (255). I am a woman. I like to exercise. I like my strong muscles and I like my fat. Furthermore, he says that men aim for a fully developed six-pack, which associated exercise with the “masculinity of drinking”. That may be true, but specifying this as a masculine desire is unnecessary because women like having six-pack abs and women love to drink. Ugh I hate sexist generalizations more than anything!!! I can't believe this was published in a textbook!
Victoria's Secret typically uses very "skinny" models in their advertisements. This relays the message that only smaller women can look good in their lingerie, which is false. I feel that they should include models of all sizes, and not just the typical "plus size". They should have normal women in their ads, instead of models to give a more realistic approach. Ads that feature women of typical stature boots self confidence in others, because they see that other women like them can pull it off too. Using models who are below average for their weight is extremely unrealistic for some. I feel if they use regular women, their sales and ratings would boost because they will be targeting the majority of the audience.
The nude photographs of Kim Kardashian of her recreating a monumental photo from the past has gained quite the popularity. This picture, to me, says a lot about our culture today because it's more acceptable for a woman to be naked in public than years ago. At one point in America, a woman could been killed for being nude in public. Now that we have the internet and other forms of media, these things are more accessible and frequently viewed. Some negative aspects about this picture was that the history of the original was not taken into consideration and was seen to some as a mockery to recreate it. Also, some view women to be seen nude publically is immoral. It can be seen as raunchy and not right to do since she is a mother as well. On the other hand, the picture also got great reviews in the fact that even after having a kid, she could pull something like that off. It showed confidence and that's why some may admire her. Another positive was that everyone got a lot of profit from it from magazine sales. All in all, our society may have mixed views about women's sexuality, but in today's world, I feel that it is a lot more accepted and even expected of women to be "sexy". I didn't agree with the picture and I thought it was a little extreme, but I wasn't surprised by it's raving reviews.
Chapter 4: Women Boxers: The New Warriors Reading Response
The article focused on the driven women boxers that have emerged into sports and the definition of the word malcriada. Malcriada is a who will do what she wants. I think the authors way of introducing that vocab and tying it into the women boxers was unique and a good addition to his main point. Bringing up Title IX and all the civil rights movement also helped show how far women have come. The article suggest that these women boxers are fighters not only in the ring, but in the area of female rights. They do what they want even when society frowns upon it. Society does not like seeing girls get punched in boxing rings, but women boxers do not care. They are truly malcriadas.
This article talks about how the term "geek" has changed from a carnival performer who bit the head off a live chicken, to most recently associated with an obessive interest in high-tech computers and video games, science fiction, and the Harry Potter series, but keeping the connotations of weirdness and freakishness. Also saying that they are in a way moving up in the world with TV shows such as Revenge of The Nerds.
After reading a similar article called Who's A Nerd, Anyway? by Benjamin Nugent, it got me thinking. What makes a nerd a nerd? Who decides who the cool kids are and the nerds are in high school and other places as well. Is it the clothes you wear, the way you talk or the things you do? Is it related to academic success? To me it is all relative. It is all a matter of opinion. In Nugent's article it says that nerds would say something like "it's my observation" instead of "I think." Also how language plays a big part in the label you receive. People should worry less about labels and little things like that and more about character, especially since this whole topic is so subjective.
Joseph, I think people tend to classify others as 'nerds' or 'geeks' because there are groups out there called 'geek squad' that represent a techy batch of people with glasses who fix computers.
I chose to explore Adam Rogers article, “Geek Love.” When traveling through the diagram, answering yes and no at different intersections. I explored the different paths and I began to understand the qualities these ‘geek’s’ have which either lead them to girls, chat rooms, or on second life. The different paths have shown me the qualifications, if you will, to be a ‘geek’. It seems geeks like computer games, sci-fi, books, yoda, and hot pockets. Geeks just seem to be like anyone else—we all have our own special thing about us. Whatever it is computers, sports, school, skateboarding, it just makes us dynamic. And if calling someone a geek just means they are human and have a passion, than I’m a geek.
Today I chose to read this article because it related back to the essay that I am writing for this topic. This article was all about how women are portrayed in the media and how differently men are portrayed. Berger makes a few statements where he claims that women are portrayed in a sexier manner because the media believes the audience that will be viewing that piece will be mostly male. Think about it, if you were to visualize a mans body where a woman's body is, the effect would not be the same. I think it is an important topic to talk about because it is true, women are portrayed at on a much different scale then men. Women are portrayed in a sexy manner, although yes, men are always made out to be sexy in some cases, the ideal audience will always be targeted for men.
The way that the media distorts images is downright disgraceful. Nowadays they change entire bodies to fit the right viewer, but most of the time you know who is viewing those pictures? Women. Women are viewing those pictures and those women have unrealistic expectations for how they should look and then they resort to drastic measures. It is not right the way that the media portrays women. Now, there are cases where celebrity women fight back to the media and make a point to the public about not changing who they are to fit roles and such, but these are rare and hard to come by. Most of the time, in magazines, newspapers, really any ads, the women are not real people at all. They are an outline, a very rough outline, of a true person, but then then are captured in such a way that they need editing. Is it not the job of a company to higher someone who "has it all"? Then why, if that is true, are these women begin airbrushed and photoshopping. Makes no sense to me.
Reading Culture: Dec 29th I read “The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire” by Richard Leppert. In his writing he quotes Kenneth Clark, who says “nakedness describes a state of being without clothes; while nudity, by contrast, is a category of artistic representation.” I know that in the art world, nudity is a beautiful form of art. This made me wonder why when people take pictures of nude people, why is that wrong? Berger says, “ to be naked is to “be oneself”; but to be nude is to be seen by others”. This makes me wonder, can you be yourself when you are being seen by others? I feel like people are always covering up like they have something to hide, but if nudity is beautiful then why does everyone act like it is a terrible thing unless it is in the form of a painting or mural.
DECEMBER 29 POST I read the visual essay "Public Health Messages". This essay states that public messages appear everywhere, anywhere frim billboards to magazine ads. Like advirtising, they are intended to persuade us. Unlike the the advertisements, not to have us buy something, but to live a healthy lifestyle. Even the public health messages use pictures that will grab our attention. The posters that were used suring world wae 2 are mean and ate accusing women. Women are not the only gender yhat have STDs, but they are being pointed out.
Chapter 6, The Center of the Universe by Tina McElroy Ansa
1. I believe I do carry the place where I grew up with me. I notice it more now that I am in college, because where I grew up and Millersville are two very different places. I grew up in a suburb right outside of Philadelphia, so my childhood was more city like than the farms of Lancaster. I basically grew up in Philadelphia, I’ve been there a million times and my parents started letting me go by myself with my friends in middle school. I can see the skyline from my house; the city has always been a part of my life and childhood. Since being in Millersville for college for the past three years, I feel like I enter almost a different world when going back. Being surrounded by farms and vast amounts of open land is very different. It’s a nice change from the fast pace life I usually have a home, but sometimes it’s too country for me and I don’t like it. At school when I meet someone I’m able to tell right off the bat whether they grew up in Lancaster or not, I can definitely see differences in those who have and have not.
I read “The First Job” by Sandra Cisneros on page 383 at the beginning of Chapter 8 about Work. I can relate to Cisneros’ first workplace experience so I chose to write about the third prompt on page 385. For my first job, I worked under the table at a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm. I was 12 years old. I drove my dirt bike a mile up the road every Saturday at 7 AM and usually stayed until about noon. The work was hard and the sometimes the conditions were miserable, but my young feminist self was determined to endure. I worked at this farm for about 3 years until I got lazy, got my first boyfriend, and like Cisneros, I got creeped out by my older male coworkers. Since then, I’ve had a few babysitting jobs. It paid well and was easy enough, but I’ll never forget when the father of my favorite pair of kids crossed the professional line and how uncomfortable that situation was. After that incident, I took a full time job at a small engine warehouse. This was by far the worst job I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I stuck it out for a whole year. I’ll never force myself to work under those conditions again. I packed orders in boxes on an assembly line for 8 to 10 hours a day. After my second day, my hands were chapped, fingernails broken, and my cuticles were cracked and bleeding. There were computers that timed our progress and counted our orders. Every packer was supposed to be able to pack 50 orders per hour. One of my coworkers could manage to pack 80 per hour, whereas I could only manage 40 if I really tried hard. It was a simple job, but the standards seemed impossible to reach. At the end of every work day, my supervisors gave us the numbers and singled out people who did well and those who were not carrying their weight. Workers with outstanding performances were rewarded with little freebie gifts and those who were not up to par were threatened to be fired. After being told several times that I was too slow, I figured that the computer generated numbers were calculated by a ratio of orders to seconds. I found a way to cheat the system to make my packing rate faster than it actually was by logging out of the computer system in between orders. Amazingly, my supervisors were fooled! My numbers were above the bar and I was rewarded for it. Two days later, my supervisor noticed the change in the pattern of my packing numbers, watched how I implemented my new method and then told me that I was not allowed to do that anymore, but commended me for finding a loophole in the system. Instead of repossessing my freebie gift or firing me, I was promoted from packer to picker and quickly after that I was moved upstairs to learn inventory control. I became the apprentice and friend of an unpleasant, misunderstood, and intelligent man named Tim. Partnering with Tim was the only reason I lasted there as long as I did. He taught me the inside ropes of the business and gave me more responsibilities to keep me occupied. He showed me how bad management and lack of accountability can ruin the success of the business. He instilled in me the importance of minor details and workplace morale. We liked to vent about our coworkers to each other and quite a few times we were pushed over the edge and felt like walking out. Tim and I made bets about which one of us would be fired first, knowing that it would never happen because our responsibilities were to important to the warehouse. Because of my frustrations, I became a more careless worker, took more breaks, and didn’t worry if I was a few minutes late. Tim always told me to call out if the weather or the roads were too bad. He always said this job is not worth your life! That philosophy really resonated with me. One morning I woke up and got dressed for work and then realized that today was the day, so I called my boss and said I won’t be returning. Now I work at a family owned orchard and farm market. The pay is low and its a customer service job, but my bosses are respectable and they feed me well.
Chapter 6, D.C. Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People
I have mixed feelings about homeless people. Ideally I wouldn't want to see anyone in the streets. Some people have bad luck and are mentally ill so it's not their fault. But a lot of homeless people got their by the choices they made. I am immuned to homeless people, being from a big city. I never give money to them because it's to hard to decipher what the intentions for the money are. Some people really want it to get help, but you know others take that money and buy drugs and alcohol with it. I am all for buying a homeless person outside of McDonald's a burger but that is why I never give money.
Kathryn Baer talks about the debate on whether homeless people should be allowed in public libraries or not. I have to say both sides make good arguments. On the one hand the public library is free to all, but at certain point when they are overrun by the homeless kids aren't going to want to go libraries to study and do work with smelly homeless people swarming. I think homeless people should be allowed to visit libraries to go to the bathroom or warm up in the winter, but they shouldn't overstay their welcome by staying all day and night.
I read "Calling Him Back From Layoff," by Bob Hicok. This was a poem about a business owner who was inviting a worker back after being laid off. The business owner then felt bad because he knew allowing this man back in the business meant that the others who had applied for the job would sit and wait to see if they received the job. I think a lot of people could relate to this today. Jobs are hard to find and we wait around to see if we have been hired. Instead of having people wait by the phone business owners should explain why they did not get the job. Yes, this may take a lot of time but it would help those who were not hired. I thought that this was an interesting piece and was much different from the readings previously read for this class.
I read "From Middle East to Madison, Justice Depends on Public Spaces"
This article is something we think about everyday, but we don't even realize what we are thinking. Whenever we want to meet up with a group of friends we tend to pick a public space such as a town center or common area. This place would need to be public and free for all to access.
Whenever people need to gather to celebrate, or more importantly, protest there needs to be a public space which is available to everyone to participate. These public spaces have been pivotal in protests in the Middle East. People know of the space and are able to gather there. The world needs more of these spaces to unite people of similar causes and even just to create community in the area they live in. I think what Project Public Space is doing will have a major impact on the world by allowing people to gather and get their ideas heard.
Tina Ansa writes about a lot about her family and how it helped to shape her into the writer that she is know as today. What you don't look at right away, however, is that background of the places she was raised up in. From a different point of view, one can learn that just as your family helps to raise you, so does the environment that you're brought in. Along the same lines of bringing one up, when a person lives in a specific area long enough they develop habits that become natural to their character just the same as how their family instills qualities of behavior in them. Ansa makes note of this in her piece in the conclusion, but she makes more reference to them in the whole piece than she knows.
In the beginning of her piece Ansa tells how her father brought her to a fountain in Macon, GA where he told her this is the center of Georgia. At that young of an age she went from a kid thinking she's the center of the universe to thinking, "Wow this is the center of my state." She then tells how her father's family is originally from Wrightsville, GA and there they were well known farmers like many other African families who owned farmland at the turn of the 20th Century. Her mother's family was different they were city dwellers from middle state, many worked as schoolteachers, tradespeople and semiprofessionals. One person in particular was her great-grandfather Pat. He worked as a barber and whenever she asks her mother about him she smiles with nostalgia and tells of some of his life stories. That same barbershop was used later by his daughter for a make-shift school where she taught kindergarten by day and illiterate parents by night. So as proud as she is in each of these family members for their achievements in life she also has pride in the places that these events took place in that allowed these accomplishments.
In I Stand Here Ironing, Tillie Olson tells a story of a women standing at an ironing board telling the life story of her eldest child Emily. Who is the narrator? I believe that it could be any mother who has made mistakes raising their children. The eldest seems to be the ones we make the most mistakes with. I am thinking that the narrator’s job is ironing cloths. Who is she talking to? Possibly a psychiatrist. It starts out “I wish you would come and talk to me about your daughter, I’m sure you can help me understand her. She’s a youngster her needs help and whom I’m deeply interested in helping.” But the narrator says “You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that you could use me as a key,” she goes on to say “There is all that life that happened outside of me, beyond me.” She is saying that she can’t open her daughter up to talk. She explains her daughter’s life and the things that happened to her. The narrator is feeling guilty knowing that if she did not have to choose work over motherhood things would be different, but Emily’s father left before she was a year old. She explains the times Emily did not live with her or when she was in an awful nursery school. These are the things that happen “beyond her.” Things that helped develop who Emily is and why the narrator cannot be a key to her daughter. This could be how so many working mothers feel.
I read Memorials Cause Controvercy in chapter 6.the essay starts with a family story of how Jim Ward was kid in crash, and his family members put up a custom made cross, which later was the takeb down by public works department. A new policy came out that banned homemade crosses from roads, instead the country will erect round memorial markers that say Drive Safely.Some families were not happy with the policy, I personally like the that idea. A lot of people were happy to see the crosees go. I really liked Ward's quote:"everyone should realize that it is not always someone else facing a tragedy, sometimes it's you". A lot of times we dont think about things like that.
I chose to read the article "D.C. Libraries: homeless Shelters No More?" Fisher begins the article by stating that homeless people have been gathering in public libraries to keep warm and catch a quick nap. However, D.C. library's director, Ginnie Cooper has announced that sleeping will no longer be allowed in libraries along with carrying in more than 2 bags. New York City has even taken action by requiring library quests to present a library card before entering the building. However, federal judge Emmet Sullivan ruled against all restrictions on the libraries. Library directors are calling for the government to provide more homeless shelters in the area. Fisher believes there should be action taken to prevent homeless into libraries. Fisher uses pathos and logos to create his argument. He even allows for the other side of the argument to make an appearance. However, I'm not sure if I would want my child going to a public library where there could be possible homeless people there--they have nothing to loose and everything to gain.
The First Job by Sandra Cisneros is about a young girl who gets her first job, via her Aunt, at a photo developer. Her motivations stem from her father, who wants her to go to a private school that expensive and he puts the responsibility of paying for it onto her. We see early on that she is somewhat of a pushover when she explains how “Tito” pushed her into the open water hydrant, though she “sort of let him”. She wears a “dress that made her look older” to the interview, lies about her age, as her Aunt told her to do, and gets the job. She continues to tell of some events that include immature behaviors which underline why she should not be working alone at this shop. She explains early on that she thought she would “find an easy job” though she describes this job as doing what she was told, which was simply matching negatives to positives. She says “I don’t know” many times throughout the story, which implies that she never asks for help when she needs it. The situation with the old man shows her misjudgment of character though even more of her naivety, as she explains he has “kind eyes”. The fact that it is hard for her to stand up for herself shows that she is not mature enough to work in a place that requires such independence.
Ansa poses the question; "why would an African American want to live in the south?". When answering this perspective from her point of view she would say there's no place else she did fit in. Ansa has traveled up and down the eastern coast and has therefore experienced all walks of life. She has found that there is "no place else she did belong". She believes she is a part of the history of the south, her father before that and decades more.
On her father's side of the family, Ansa experienced a farmer's perspective of the grand state of Georgia. On the other hand, her mother's family offered a different perspective of the city life of Georgia. Each side offers a new viewpoint of the world. Summer visits to the country became the desired vacation for her and her siblings. Ansa first mentions at the beginning of the piece a fountain surrounded by her first intimate family and then spiraling outward to encompass the entire world.
Ansa speaks about family a lot with her novels and pieces. With her vision of family surrounding her at the fountain in city park, Ansa places heavy emphasis on the idea that the south is her family. Wherever Ansa's family is, is where her home is. Personally I don't think Ansa disconnects all the hate from the past because Georgia is now seen differently. It is seen as a flourishing city for all to thrive in.
I decided to read "The First Job" also. Writing Assignment 3.
My first and only job so far has been working at Panera Bread. When I was close to graduating high school, my father told me that it was about time I start looking for jobs. I would need it for college and also for putting money on the side for myself. To be truthful though, my first experience is lucky. My father, who has been a member and a loyal customer at the store was able to get me an interview as soon as possible, giving me a major advantage to those who had their electronic applications before my own. My interview was very short, I was very nervous at the time. Right after I was hired on the spot. At that time I was just very happy that it happened, and thrilled I finally had a job. When I look back on it now I have to wonder if I Would have been hired without my dad's help, or if I would have had another job elsewhere.
It's hard for me to imagine having a different job outside of Panera Bread because I have been working there for three (going on four) years now. All of my time spent has been filled with laughs, frustrations, and a growing bitterness towards people since (let's be real) we are dealing with retail. I've been exposed to kindness but also rudeness and an increasing amount of impatient customers- some even racist to me.
Even still, I do love my job- and a part of me is afraid of leaving this comfort zone that I have created for myself throughout my time here. I have made wonderful coworker friends, my managers respect me and know I am a hard worker- it's hard to imagine that a job like this is so little compared to jobs I could obtain after I graduate this year. I can only hope for the best, can't I? To save time of course, Could I interest you in a "My Panera" card?
This reading certainly ended in a different way than I thought it would when I started reading it. The piece starts off seeming like a somewhat generic description of somebody's first job, I even remember thinking it sounded a little like what I remember about my first day of my first job ever. But in the last paragraph the author goes from this generic description to describing what may have been a jarring life experience, I certainly did not see it coming. The story also ended pretty abruptly after the author's revelation, leaving me thinking what happened next? The ending really makes a story, that begins very benign, to one that 's ending is surprising and creates a sort of panic in the reader.
I read "D.C. Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People." The topic for the article was upsetting. It was about rules in public libraries targeted against homeless people. My first thought was how can you consider yourself a public library? The libraries rules would consider the library to be a "homeowners" library rather than a "public" library. To an extent I understand why libraries are cautious of homeless people loitering in libraries. If homeless people are staying in the library and not using it's resources than the staff should simply direct them to the closest shelter rather than kicking them out of the library. If a homeless person is going to the library to get knowledge then they have no right to kick them out. Even if they may fall asleep, if a homeowner fell asleep I am sure librarians would simply wake them up rather than getting them out of the library. This article was sad, but it discusses an important issue. I think public libraries should rethink their title of "public."
I decided to read Worked Over and Overworked. Not surprised one bit that the intro starts talking about someone who works at walmart. The next scenario speaks of the army and how after the army a guy took a minimum wage job but some days was told not to even clock in and if they left it meant they quit. These are just two scenarios that were talked about in this section. It then discusses how this is a long term squeeze. Worker productivity has gone up since 1979 but that doesn't mean the same for the salaries. This has caused more poverty, inequalities, tensions, more time at work etc. It is said that 22 million full time workers do not have health insurance! Many families are not falling behind only because they are working longer and harder. Walmart has been associated to be said to be less caring, less generous, and less law-abiding management style. The average pay for an Walmart employee is 8.50. This article just goes to say how much of workaholics we are becoming and its not even necessarily by choice but a means to survive too.
This story left me a bit unsettled. I can relate to this story in a few different ways. I was just as nervous at my first job, well any new job for that matter, as she was in this story. I would imitate others actions until I would become comfortable enough to do my own thing. My very first job was at a Subway restaurant in high school. I would make sandwiches and serve customers in anyway that I could. However, I would also be hit on by older men and would be tipped even though it was not something that everyone did. I also had some guys wait for me around the restaurant until I was done, but we had to kick them out. Some people are too creepy. It was a shame that the girl in this story was caught off guard, but I guess it is true what they say, you can't trust everyone that you meet.
At Subway I only lasted a little more than a year. I heard horror stories about my boss before applying, but I figured a job was a job so i went ahead with it anyway. Well, then I began to see her true colors. She was over controlling and just all around overbearing. I had to get out of there, and it was the best decision I could make. It sent me on to better jobs with better opportunities and better money. Everyone's first jobs are exciting new experiences and it is a shame that some people have worse experiences than others.
3. A place I know well and have seen change over the years is a field in my town that has been open for as long as I remember. Across the street, they recently built a new YMCA, and now across from the field they want to build condos. When I heard this, it kind of made me sad, that field has been there since my childhood, and was a place I’ve gone to so many times just to run around, play, and hang out. Recently, changes to the field have been made which seems like they are preparing it for construction, and every time I pass it and see how it has changed, it makes me sad. I know a lot of people are upset with this new construction, because they are taking away a place for children to go. Almost every day there are people there taking advantage of its final days. I guess there will be benefits to the condos being built, but is it worth sacrificing this field for them? I don’t think so, and I know a majority of the community feels the same way.
I'm sure it has been difficult to see one of your childhood places soon turn into a place of construction and a conglomeration of homes. It is great that there are other people who feel the same way. Maybe there is still hope and plans can always change!
I live in a development and I also have noticed the changes that have occurred with the land surrounding my home. My now next door neighbors house used to be a place of play, especially during the winter, when a snow mound would form for my friends and I to sled. Now my development is full of houses, completely filled and no place to build any more homes. It is amazing what happens to land as time goes on.
I hope the condos that are going to be built will bring more benefits in your community then you ever thought!
A place that I remember that changed is Hershey Park. Before 2009, there was a huge water ride called Canyon River Rapids. It resembled a real like river with large rapids, rocks, waterfalls, and lots of twists and turns. You were seated in a large, circular, floatable raft that seated 8 people and at the end of the ride, you got soaked! In the center was a turn table that you could use to rotate your raft. It was my favorite ride in the park and in 2009, they deconstructed it to expand the water park which is now called The Boardwalk. The Boardwalk originally was created in 2007, and now includes 5 main water attractions, with a wave pool, and lazy river. Where the wave pool and lazy river are located, is where Canyon River Rapids was located before 2009. Even though I miss this former attraction, I do really enjoy the expansion of the new water park. Being a former employee of Hershey park, I know that the Boardwalk has been very profitable, and increased revenue greatly for the company. When working there, I worked in a restaurant located in the Boardwalk and everyone I seen were happy and were enjoying themselves.
Ok, I am 41 so I have seen a lot of changes at Hershey. It is funny, we get season passes with our kids and I tell them that the only roller coasters were the Comet and the Super Luper Duper(spelling?), and I actually remember when this when was constructed. The only "water" ride we had was the Coal Cracker. My kids can't believe it. But, yes I like the changes.
For my reading I chose Tina McElroy Ansa's essay "The Center of the Universe." Ansa asks readers why wound any African American love the south with all of its history. Ansa responded by explaining that the south's history is in her. It is what has made her into who she is today. The experiences that she had in Georgia are what led her to become a writer. Her roots grew deep into Georgia before she was even born. Her family made their living in the south by farming, teaching, and barbering. Many of her fondest memories stem from her childhood in Macon.
The history of the south can be seen as good or bad depending on the angle in which you look at it. Some people hate the south because of slavery while others can look past that and remember the relationships they built with their family and the good times they may have had despite their circumstances. This is what Ansa was able to do. She remembered her struggles while also remembering the positive things that have shaped her life.
I read "The Real Super Heroes," by Dulce Pinzon. It opened my eyes and made me realize that there are so many heroes that are gone unnoticed. We see heroes as firefighters, police officers, army men/women, etc. What about those who work in terrible conditions just to survive? Mexican workers take jobs that Americans would NEVER do. Americans would rather be homeless rather than working in conditions similar to how Mexicans work. We never consider this. So why do we not give them credit? It seems as if we should. They're doing jobs we would never try.
You bring up such a great point! I've never thought about this before. There are so many heroes in this world that are shoved under the rug and given no credit for their hard work.
I guess we can help this issue by giving thanks to workers in our community who may be less fortunate. Having gratitude for people who normally do not get thanked would make many people smile, I'm sure.
Thanks for bringing up this point! Many more people should be aware of people who are in similar positions like Mexican workers.
I read "My first Job" in chapter 8. It is a story of the narrators first job and her experience there. Narrator's aunt Lala found this job for her and told her to say she was 1 year older than she was. The job was at the Peter Pan Photo Finishers and she was responsible for matching negatives with their prints. The job was easy but she was shy and did not feel comfortable among older adults. One day an older man at her work told her it was his birthday and asked her to give a kiss. She was getting ready to kiss his cheek but he kissed her in the mouth and didn't let go. This an awkward story that has ended abruptly and surprisingly. The story is about her first job, but the ending doesn't make sense. I am not what the author wanted the readers to think. Why would she even want to include the ending part in her story? I am left with several unanswered questions.
I read "Caring for the Woods" by Barry Lopez on pages 277-281. Question 2 on page 282 refers to how some people would not agree with Lopez's position on environmental preservation. If someone thought Lopez's motive was a selfish one I would argue that they are mistaken and Lopez is not only concerned about his and his loved ones well-being, he is concerned with the overall health of our planet. I would mention Garrett Hardin's economic theory called "the tragedy of the commons" and how preserving the resources shared by all life on Earth is in everyone's best interest. Indeed, like Lopez, I enjoy my wooded home because of the scarcity of neighbors and undeveloped land, but preserving our solitude is not the most important thing at stake. We must encourage sustainable practices all around in order to leave an inhabitable planet for the generations to come.
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." - David Brower, environmental conservationist
In chapter eight there is a story entitled, “The Real Story of the Superheroes.” I thought that this was a fascinating story that depicted images in order to get the point across about what it really means to be a hero. The introduction is something that I have been struggling with in my papers, so I was really paying attention to thins introduction. It reeled in the reader by bringing a major event from US history to the front. Pinzon pulled in the reader this way and said that the people who helped in 9/11 were heroes, but also there are heroes everyday without a huge historical event as the main focus. Mexican immigrant workers in New York city was the example he focused on. He put in different pictures of the immigrant workers where they are from what their job is and how much money they send home every week to their families. I think it is inspiring for these people to work so hard, even though many of them make so little and still they are sending money home to their families and being the main support for them to survive.
This article was an analysis of a cocktail waitress's workplace. The article broke apart her work environment from what she did to the people she interacted with. It was very detailed and explained the specifics about customers and her staff. The graphs on pages 420 and 421 are an excellent visual representation of the people that the waitress encounters. It explains the difference between the different terminology the waitress uses to describe people at the restaurant. For example, a party at the restaurant is referred to as a "zoo." The analysis of this workplace was fascinating because to an average observer the restaurant may seem dull or average. However, when looking at the dynamics of this workplace, and other work places, it is obvious that there is a network going on that keeps the workplace moving.
The Center of the Universe ~ Writing Assignment #1
Tina McElroy Ansa, shares a glimpse of her childhood in the south. She makes known the people that impacted her own life and the places that will live in her heart forever. At the end of the passage she says, "My mama is right. I don't live in Macon anymore. Macon lives in me" (277).
Like Tina McElroy Ansa's childhood, I also have had childhood experiences that will never leave my memory and always hold a special, significant place in my heart. I will forever carry my grandparents old house and times spent with them. My grandparents old house was my favorite place to go as a child. There was no place like it. My grandma would let me garden with her, bake with her, explore the attic with her, and play hours and hours of pretend. My grandparents old home has given me a view of what a grandparents house should be like. Even though their new house is still special, it is nothing like the former one. Unfortunately, many people are not as lucky as I have been with having such loving and caring grandparents.
The media also plays a big role in the ways people envision a "good place". In my life, the positive portrayal of grandparents in television shows and movies is a reality for me. However, for others, grandparents may bring heartache. Overall, the experiences you have as a child affect what places and memories you carry with you as an adult.
I read the visual essay " The Real Story of the Superheroes." The essay is about heros that sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for a good of others but go unnoticed.The essay focuses on Mexican Immigrants that work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages and send money to their families due to the poverty in Mexico.The project consists of color photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular American superheroes. Each photo pictures the worker in their work environment and is accompanied by short text with their name and the amount of money they send to Mexico. I really liked this visual essay, it brings up things that we do not think about at all. It is very important to be aware of such things because it changes us, and the way we view others and the world. It also affects how we treat people even though we do not admit so.It is not only workers, there a lot more heros in this world than we realize...
3. My first job was paid, and I worked in the doctor’s office my mom works in helping with filing patient’s papers, copying, faxing, shredding, and things like that. I started freshman year of high school and continued until my junior year of high school. My dad would drive me to the hospital three days a week and I would work from 3 until whenever my mom was done work for the day, usually around 6. I absolutely hated it. My mom kind of forced me to take the job since they needed help in the office and it was an easy way to make a little extra money. A majority of what I did was filing papers, which I dreaded. There were two doctors I did it for, and the work was boring, tiring, and so repetitive. It was also weird working with my mom, for the most part it was fun, but then we started spending too much time together, especially the days I worked, then we would go home and be together all night. I think what I did was in the middle of fitting into the new world. Since this was six years ago, it was still acceptable for doctors to do everything in hard copies. But now, our world has shifted to almost everything digital, and the office no longer had papers, but instead everything is on the computer. I went to the office recently, and it’s much different than when I was there. There are more computers on the desks, rather than folders on folders of papers and charts.
When I was fifteen I told my parents that I wanted a job. At fifteen there were not many jobs available. I applied at a restaurant and got a job as a busser. I hated it!! The only thing I enjoyed was getting tips at the end of the night and my pay check every other week. My co workers were not friendly and the job was very unreliable. I would show up and my name would be crossed off the schedule. After weeks of not working I then began to find a new job. I think this unpredictable job helped me to mature as a person and a worker. I had to stay organized so I knew when I was or was not working, and it motivated me to find a new job. Today, I am currently working three jobs and absolutely love all of them!
I read the article named Goths of Tomorrowland by Thomas Hine. This article was very interesting to me. Hine says that young people are "caught in a paradox". He means that all of the things that young people try and separate themselves with, come around and become branded as something to sell. It is just like how baggy pants became an in thing to do. I don't think it is right to take something that someone used to make themselves or a group of people different and sell it to other people as the in thing. Any kind of people should be able to establish their own way of doing things because that is what makes them unique and a person. I think it is more important for young people to have their own way of doing things is because that is when they are discovering who they really are.
My reasons coming to college was nothing major. I knew college helped you get a better job than if you didn't go to college. But now after being to college for some time now, I realized how important and how much you actually learn in college. The one thing that bothers me is how important credits are in college. Sometimes i feel as if they become more important that your own education, During registration for classes, you become so focused on getting enough credits that you usually aren't able to take classes that actually interest you. I feel like if your education was more important, you would be able to take classes that really specified to your major/interests. This seems to be leading more towards credentialing. An Educating approach would focus on the students knowledge gained. They are not identical at all because they focus on two different things, acquiring knowledge or credits. You do end up doing both but usually the focus ends up becoming on credits.
Question 3 pg. 282 Being older and living both in Baltimore and Pennsylvania I have seen a lot of places go through some major changes. Right now I live in Red Lion, which is still a small town, but growing. I remember about 33 years ago I lived here briefly with my parents and we would go to Cape Horn Tack shop. The store is still around, but not where it used to be. It was on the corner of Cape Horn RD and Lombard Street. At that time they were just barely paved roads with fields all around. The tack shop was a little barn made into a store. I don’t remember much else around it. Now, that store is Cape Horn Western Wear and is several miles down the road, still in Red Lion, but a different area. It is not even on Cape Horn Road anymore. What is there? Weis supermarket, McDonalds, and other stores. Then on one of the other corners is a Giant shopping center, a Sheetz on one corner and Rite Aid on another. And of course now there is a traffic light and several lanes. Before The Supermarkets moved into that area, people would go into Red Lion the town to the store, bank, pizza place, you name it. Now when people say Red Lion, you have to ask where they made because it almost seems like two different towns. The change has affect the older farmers by taking land away. It has also has affected the demographics of the area. Many developments are now being built around the shopping centers and people are moving in from all over.
Today I wanted to read Shopping for Pleasure; Malls, Power, and Resistance. It starts the section off by comparing shopping to a religion by saying that shopping malls are cathedrals of consumption and commodities is what is worshiped. Then it talks about the differences with religious congregations and how it is powerless and how one is forced to buy the truth on offer, all of it. It gives an interesting statistic that 90% of new products fail to find reliable buyers. The next paragraph mentions that religion may help to look into the power of consumerism. I also found it interesting that in a study they found that 80% of unemployed young people visit the mall at least once a week. It talks about how in Australia Thursday nights are the prime shopping times because they have longer hours. It ends the section talking about some tricky users are hoped to eventually turn into economic consumers.
I read "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100" by Martin Espada on page 391 and respond to the prompt under Classroom Activity. Music is especially important for many immigrant workers because it reminds them of their home and rings true to their cultural perspectives. Workers of all kinds enjoy music because it provides them with entertainment while they work. Music though, especially resonates with immigrant workers. Displaced in a foreign, unfamiliar environments, immigrants use music to cope with the struggles of being a foreigner.
Chapter 6 "The Center Of The Universe" by Tina McElroy Ansa.
I grew up in Philadelphia so I am used to more traffic jams, noisy streets and well lite streets. Being in walking distance to restaurants and stores. The way I take my city like with me was when I was observing a teacher in a school, my the girl I carpooled with who happened to be from the suburbs said "lock your doors" when she saw a couple guys walking in the city of York. I found the comment a little strange and told her we were fine, it was 3:30 in the afternoon and it was not a dangerous situation. I think because I was more familiar with cities and the different people in them, I was more calm then her. Media makes the suburbs seem like a perfect place to raise children. With the two kids, a dog and the big yard. They depict the city as a place filled with crime, but this is not the case. Naturally crime numbers go up with the population, and media always focusing on the bad things happening in cities.
I read The First Job by Sandra Cisneros. This piece is about a young girl who wanted to work. Although she was young, she was prepared to take on the adult role of a working. Throughout the piece you could see that she still had childish tendencies. She treated the lunchroom like it was a school setting. She was so scared and nervous that she ate alone in the washroom and then on her break, she sat in the coatroom instead of mingling with her coworkers. Her writing takes a dramatic turn in the last paragraph when she meets an older guy who appears to be friendly. His actions began friendly but ended aggressively and clearly she was startled.
The ending of this story really bothers me because I am sure that there are many young workers out there who experience things like this. Depending on some family's fortunes, or lack there of, their young are forced to work. They are thrown into strange places which strange adults. It is sad because children are taught to trust adults, not fear them. But when children are sexually harassed, that trust is broken. I can only assume that this stranger's kiss has impacted Cisneros's life indefinitely. This piece just makes me wonder how many children are taken advantage of in workplaces where they shouldn't even be. If this incident were to be reported, who would be in trouble? The child who shouldn't be working there or the older harasser?
Americans work all of the time. Even if you aren't in your office you still have your email programed into your phone, take work phone calls, or work on paper work. Why do we do this to ourselves? In other countries they allow time for vacation, relaxation, and time away from the office. They're also so much happier. Americans are so focused on earning money that they forget to live. I find this to be very sad. Why not work and enjoy your life? Obviously I am not in the real world yet so I probably do not understand, but it seems crazy to me that people do not want to give themselves a break! This article really opened my eyes as to how over worked we are today. I wish people would stop focusing on money and would refocus on themselves. America would be such a happier place.
As I read Tillie Olson’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, the mother in the story relates many of the aspects of herself and her first daughter, Emily, to her work. She begins her tale by explaining how Emily was the most beautiful child, and wanted to spend time with her, except she “worked or look for work and for Emily’s father” (386) and so had to leave her with a neighbor to be taken care of during the days. Because this was not ideal, she found another job “hashing at night” so that she could be with her during the days. But this did not last and she actually sent her to live with her father for a while. She says when Emily finally came back she was no longer as lovely. She explains that she sent her to nursery school because “it was the only way we could be together, the only way I could hold a job,” (386) even though she knew Emily hated it. When she was seven, she was sent away again, to a “new daddy” (387), and was left alone at night. She developed red measles and was then sent to a convalescent home because her mother simply could not take care of her, though she returned eight months later. The mother’s tale skips ahead to a few years ago and says “I was working, there were four smaller ones now, there was not time for her. She had to help be a mother, and housekeeper, and shopper. She had to set her seal.” (389) Emily continues to struggle in school by the end of her tale, and her mother speaks of only slight happiness coming from her daughter. Her mother regrets things from their past where she explains the memories as “so heavy and meaningful in me” (390) and she hopes she has not left Emily to feel helpless.
The mother in the story struggled often to balance the needs of her five children, being a good mother, and earning money. This constant battle left her first born, Emily, behind in her life. It is apparent from her words that she loves Emily dearly, she just made some mistakes that were detrimental to Emily and consequently their relationship. I believe it mostly stems from not spending enough time with Emily, but also the fact that she was shipped around so much on her own. Young children need guidance and support from their parents, and leaving Emily alone allowed her to grow up much too quickly. Her mother see’s that now, as she says “My wisdom came too late” (390) but there is still time for the ladies to forgive each other and move forward in their relationship.
The article I choose to read for today is D.C Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People. Kathryn Baer starts off saying that the library has issued proper behavior rules with penalties for violations. They are are to create a more safe and secure environment. It then lists all kinds of things that are not allowed like: fighting, smoking, carrying firearms, harassing, skateboarding etc. It then goes on to say that this includes: no sleeping or lying head down on tables, no more than two bags, and you can't use the bathroom for bathing etc. They question whether this is a rule to prevent homeless people from gathering around. Its because there are complaints about homeless people. But whats the big deal if they can't take books out?
Being that I am in one level of higher education, I found the value of higher education to be an interesting topic. Starting off the author discussed that it is hard to determine the value and how it should be measured. The first point is about student culture and liminality. Liminality refers to the state that you are not here nor there. I think this means you are not where you want to be career wise but you are on the path to getting there. The undergraduate culture is a liminal space where students can interact with one another and maybe become lifelong friends. These experiences create social changes of classifications and roles. Lastly this section questions whether the culture for college can create new ideas and transform visions or if college is meant to train people just to take the place of another worker.
ReplyDeleteThe next section of this reading is about student culture, the public university, and American culture. After this author has attended this school and has taught there she claims that the same forces that shape the university shape the student culture. She talks about since WW2 each year more and more people decide to go to college. Then she gets into the fundings and how they were being reduced and how the funding is important when it comes to university planning. Because school costs so much most students are now working while going to school. Students pick fields that are well paying in order to start paying on loans after school. The poorer students are going to community colleges too. She ends this section by saying that universities should not rely on politics of government or profits or organizations.
Millennials: Confindent. Connected. Open to Change.
ReplyDelete2) It is interesting the shift from "Look at me generation" to "always connected". While it is true that most millennials have some kind of privacy setting on their social media sites, I believe there is something to be said about how technology and social media has made it easier for this generation to be very expressive about their identities. Because of this, it definitely can be said that millennials can be seen as a "look at me generation". Even if there are some kind of privacy settings or standards on these social media sites, there is quite a larger possibility that personal information is available to larger amounts of people from ever before.
It is true that the majority of this generation participates in this kind of activity, but on the other hand there is also people, like myself, that are absolutely terrified by the idea of droves of personal information like that beings available to the world. These forms of communications are a good thing and are important because it allows all different types of perspectives and ideas to be shared and taught, but I think more of this generations should consider the consequences that could arrive from this type of personal sharing as well.
I read the story titled, "Gen (fill in the blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity". This story was written by Arlie Hochschild, a professor at the University of California, Berkley. In this entry, a question was posed within the text, “Can we make up our generation, as Mr. de Lissovoy playfully did, or is it imposed upon us, like it or not?”. I thought that this was a very interesting way of thinking, and something that I had never really thought about before. When I kept reading, I came across a theory from Karl Mannheim, who is a German sociologist. He stated, “a generation is a cohort of people who feel the impact of a powerful historical event and develop a shared consciousness about it.” After reading this, my mind drifted off thinking about September 11th and how that has affected everyone in the United States that was alive at the time, or even those born into families that had been affected before they were born. I definitely think that life events shape a generation, and what that generation is about. But when there are no major historical events going on, what happens then? Well, then I believe what Mr. de Lissovoy said, which I quoted previously, is true, that we can create our generation. For example, currently I feel that my generation is being shaped by technology all around us. My parents didn’t have cell phones or high definition TV. They didn’t even have iPods, and now we can hold our music on our cell phones. It seems that even if no big historical even has taken place, technology and different inventions and ideas can help to shape and mold generations.
ReplyDeleteDecember 16th reading culture blog post:
ReplyDeleteWhile reading “Pissing in a River- The Patti Smith group” I realized that I shared Nick Hornby’s thoughts on several topics. Hornby said “she seems blissful untroubled about her status as an artist: she just is one and it requires no further contemplation on her part.” This is how I want to be as an artist, and by artist, I mean as a writer. I want to be able to make things flow with great meaning, but not have to worry about what others think of my writings, just enjoy the fact that I can write and I am doing so. Later, Hornby says, “as Smith hit the electrifying climax of the song, you could feel the whole audience fall in love with her, and the song, and the evening.” Smith put so much passion forth while singing her song that everyone who was listening could feel it. They could feel her passion. I hope to show my passion to others as I continue to write. Another quote from Hornby’s writing that really stuck with me was “just make sure whoever it is means it, that they’re burning up in their desperation to communicate whatever it is they ant to say.” I will always put forth my best effort to get my point across in a piece of writing; it seems a waste to do otherwise.
I think it is great that you took so much from the passage you read and applied it to your own life in hopes of becoming a better writer. I also want to be a writer who can express my thoughts freely and smoothly that makes it easy for readers to understand what I am trying to say, but also encourage them through my words.
DeleteThe fact that you will always put forth your best effort when writing will bring you so much success. Hard work always pays off, even at times when it seems it doesn't. I look forward to becoming a better writer with you in these next few weeks!
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ReplyDeleteI read “Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.” I think Millennial is the best term to describe our generation. I think “look at me” and “always connected” could also be said about the members of the Generation X and the Boomers, but Millennial expresses that we witnessed the turn of the century in our early lives. The Pew Research Center could have added more questions about things like sexuality tolerance and how we perceive the health of our planet and our national economy. They could have asked us our opinion on women’s rights and the use of contraception and practice of abortion. These are all things which are changing in our modern world and I believe the Millennials are largely responsible for the increased support of these movements. Personally, I am not as interested in technology compared to other young people my age. Making a twitter account made me feel kind of uncomfortable, like going to a Wal-mart. Also, just the other day I learned about the cloud and hashtags. I still have an old flip phone. It is not smart, but it can make a call and it even has a calculator and a camera. In the past I had an xanga account and a myspace. Now I have facebook, okcupid, tumblr, and linkedin (which I don’t know how to use yet), and as of yesterday… a twitter. So, I am in the majority group in terms of social media, but I am in the minority when it comes to having tattoos and piercings. Apparently, only 38% of Millennials have tattoos and only 23% have piercings in places other than their ear lobes. Oddly enough, earrings are the only jewelry that I rarely ever wear. On that note, I think I fit in with my generation more than I thought I did. Most of the time I feel like an old soul, especially regarding my taste in clothes and music, however statistics show that I have more in common with my peers than I thought I did.
ReplyDeleteDr. Shea,
ReplyDeleteMy book is being shipped to my house, so I am unable to complete this assignment. Once my books arrive, I will complete this assignment!
The first chapters have been scanned into D2L, many people have had this problem and are getting their books late. D2L content section.
DeleteI read "Pissing on the River". I think that Hornby was trying to explain that some artists write music because they need a hit record, while some do it because they truly enjoy it. When artists write and perform music because it means something to them it becomes more relatable to the viewers. The author explained how Patty Smith sang older songs, but she gave those songs a different effect. Since the songs had a different effect the viewers became emotional towards the lyrics. Music is in everyone's lives. With this huge impact, it is important that we have artists similar to Patty Smith. People who will allow us to feel the music and lyrics. When you are able to have the viewer feel emotion towards a song, that is when I think you succeed as an artist.
ReplyDeleteI read "The Problem with Youth Activism" and it was quite an eye opening article. When we think about joining organizations on campus for the "good of the community" we think about how we could get involved and put our own footprint in the world. However, how often does action really take place? It was interesting to read this article because Courtney E. Martin gave me a different perspective on organizations. It is all well and good to put something down on paper and say you are going to do something, but until we carry out our own actions nothing will come of those thoughts. The more engrossed we are in these organizations the less likely we are to speak out, to have sit ins, to protest, to have a voice. I can truly relate to this article because it is true. I started my college career on the university soccer team. After freshman year, however, I decided not to play anymore. This was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but it made me rebel and "stick it to the man". I was not happy in my situation so I did something about it. I carried out my words that I was going to create a women's club team on campus, and I did just that. Now there is another medium for girls to come out and play that is not as competitive as a varsity sport, but more of a commitment than intramurals. I think it is an interesting view to look at organizations as hindering society. Scanning through all of the organizations on campus, I'm trying to think of any protests that happened or anyone that made much of an impact about a particular subject area. It is not something that we, as college students, see very often. I truly believe that our generation is THE generation. We are the generation who is going to change the way we look at the world. In order to do this, though, we need to become more active as a whole. Take your thoughts and don't be afraid to speak out, it is the only way progress/change is going to be made.
ReplyDelete"Once More to the Lake" by E.B. White
ReplyDeleteReading Response
White imagines his son as himself. We can assume that White's father felt the same while taking White to the Lake. Because of this, we assume that White's father and him share unique characteristics, learned over the years. White discusses his time spent up at the lake, away from the harsh realities of the city. Most notably, white refers to the time that there was a thunderstorm at the lake and all the campers had gone swimming in the storm, coincidentally there was a storm the week White and his son were vacationing. White jr. grabbed his dripping shorts and bolted towards the lake, with many other boys. He notes that it is his sons first time visiting the lake, and a long time since he too had visited. White comes to terms that he is the role model for the next generation. White is saying that his father has come to teach him the values of friendship and youth, as he intends on teaching his. He sees time passing by, and the cycle seems to repeat through each generation.
In “What High School Is”, Theodore R. Sizer describes a typical day for a high school student named Mark. It was published in 1984, when I was in Junior High and is very accurate of what I remember. It is sad, much of the time is spent on routine or running all over the building going from one class to another, and not on instruction. Today’s high schools I know are not much different and are possibly worse. There are new technologies in today’s world we did not have back then. Today the teachers have the distraction of cell phones in class. Or relying on technology for a lesson that could very well decide not to work. In the description that Sizer wrote half of the teachers were yelling the homework assignments as students were leaving and one even forgot to give it to them. I know at our local high school they don’t even tell the students anymore, the text them to the student. This requires the student to have a cell phone.
ReplyDeleteSizer states that “What is absent is any definition of these subjects or any rationale for them. They are just there, labels. Under those labels lie a multitude of things. A great deal of material is supposed to be “covered”; most of the courses are surveys, great sweeps of the stuff of their parent disciplines.” Which is so true even today. Students spend minimal time in each subject, then are running to learn another subject. Sizer, then goes on to say that coverage within subjects is the key priority. But, if teachers decided to require students to use several subjects to solve a complex problem, the protesters will argue that this takes time away from other things. I believe that this is the way teaching should happen. In the really world, the work world you don’t just use one subject at a time to solve problems or accomplish a task, you use many. Why are we still not teaching are youth this way?
"What High School" by Theodore R. Sizer ~ Question #2
ReplyDeleteTheodore R. Sizer, a well-rounded, educational figure, took a deeper look into the high school life of an eleventh grader named Mark. Sizer brought attention the aspects of high school that are buried beneath the stereotypical "motivational" focus that is found in secondary education. With much detail he brought Mark's eleventh grade life alive, including his frustrations and anxious feelings that ultimately come from trying to fit into the mold of a successful high school student. Sizer puts it nicely when he says that high school is a "sustained restlessness". It is not just a time for students to grow and find themselves, but also a time of academic stress and competition.
My high school experiences have definitely been a shaping factor in my life, inside and outside of school. My teachers especially played a role in the success of my academics, but their expectations also took a discouraging tool on me daily. I had many teachers who encouraged me to work hard and do my best and if I did that I would find success. On the other hand, I had teachers who had such high, unrealistic expectations in which only caused many nights of tears. As a learner, the various expectations my teachers had both challenged me as a student and has prepared me for college. I can now say I am thankful I had a variety of teacher perspectives. I also now know what I do not want to do when I am given the opportunity to teach someday. The expectations my teachers had were consistent most of the time with all students, however there were times when I would find students getting away with things that I thought were quite unfair. My dad would always remind me that doing what is right and going the extra mile will pay off in due time, regardless of the student or teacher involved.
Overall, the never-ending hustle and bustle of high school requirements along with the expectations of teachers plays a huge role in students mental, emotional, and physical stability. I have experienced hardships, both academic and friendship based, just like Mark, and I can understand the challenges that come with being a high school student in today's world.
I read the article “Juvenile Delinquency Films.” The article was about films produced in the 1950’s that caused controversy. The article focused on three movies specifically; "The Wild One," "Rebel without a Cause," and "The Blackboard Jungle." All movies portrayed the youth culture and were groundbreaking when they were first released. All the movies had different plots, but the themes were the same. They portrayed youth as the up and coming commodities, but they did so in a violent and sexual manner. The films made adults seem unperceptive to the more complex world of youth. The three films challenged topics such as homo-sexuality, violence, family dynamics, and social class in blatant or subtle approaches. The movies were controversial because there were violent “copy cats” who were inspired to hurt others after seeing the movies.
ReplyDeleteThe article made me think about movies that could be considered Juvenile Delinquency Films after the 1950’s. The one movie I kept thinking of while reading the article was "The Breakfast Club." The film idolizes youth culture and explores the different dynamics of youth. Each character in "The Breakfast Club" demonstrates a social class, an affect from family dynamics, or even sexuality. For example, John Bender was the most conflicted youth in the movie. He reveals his behavior is the cause of physical abuse from his father later on in the movie. After reading this article, I can look more critically at youth-centered films and see some of the common themes that could be seen from "The Wild One," "Rebel without a Cause," and "The Blackboard Jungle."
The article “We are all Third Generation” by Margaret Mead was a very interesting read. She states in the reading that we are all “third generation” Americans. I believe I know what she means by that. The “first generation” Americans were the immigrants who came looking at the immigration as a choice between freedom and oppression. They were thought of as “failures” at being Americans by the “second generation” Americans because they still held on to their foreign culture even after they came to the United States. The “second generation” Americans look at it as success or failure and strove to get a head of their “first generation” family. They felt the need to adapt and become more American in their culture and lives. The “third generation” American felt it’s easy to leave all old customs behind and start fresh as a “true” American. They had lost all accent, clothing, food, or any other shred of previous culture and has adopted American cultures. What the author is trying to convey is that most of us are at that stage where we consider each other Americans and do not separate ourselves by Italian, Irish, German, etc. We are “third generation” Americans because we have forgotten our diverse backgrounds and think of ourselves as Americans and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteGen(Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking Identity by Arlie Russell Hochschild
ReplyDeleteArlie Russell Hochschild, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, uses Karl Mannheim's essay, "The Problem of Generations" to explore the generational shift of people in both the past and present. Hochschild suggests that there "is a trend toward a more loosely jointed, limited liability society, the privatizing influence of that trend and the crash-boom-bang of the market."
If you take a look back in history during the time of the Great Depression and World War II you find that people in that time period were marked by these historical events. Their way of life was affected by economic hardships, but also by the absence of fathers and sons due to fighting in the war. Their identity was found in their family. As time has gone on, people have changed and developed new trends and priorities due to societal and historical changes. For example, individual choice is presented through the progression of women rights. Today, women can be whatever they choose: a mother, a business owner, a political figure, and so on.
Hochshild says, "If in previous decades large events drew people together and oriented them to action, the recent double trend toward more choice but less security leads the young to see their lives in more individual terms." Today most people run off of what they want, not what is morally sound or right for the greater good. Our individualistic society has created a market of "things" that fuel our greatest wants, such as a new car and the newest iphone. Overall, the collective mood of a generation has changed immensely over the past one hundred years. Historical events, circumstances of people, and technology have all influenced the technology dependent society we live in today.
Dec. 15th. Reading 1. Chapter 2 - How Dungeons and Dragons Changed my Life
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article about Dungeons and Dragons written by Ethan Gilsdorf because it was an article I could immediately relate to. For those that don't know, Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop game, that includes coming up with strategies, fighting dragons, fighting monsters, saving lives, and roleplaying which defined- can be another way of acting. Gilsdorf stated in their article that they had believed that as they grew older, that D&D is a game that you do not go back to. However, it is something that you can go back to as well as a game that is still alive and ongoing.
A lot of people think that video games and things like D&D can corrupt kids. While some video games could potentially do that if you don't watch your children, for D&D this is not the case. Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop game that makes you live out your imagination, and become a hero that you wouldn't be able to be unless playing this kind of game. It is also a game that wants you to be creative. It keeps that creativity alive, you create so many things, and while some may not believe it it can boost your confidence in terms of social meetings or anything to that sort. It can teach kids to take leadership, and it also forms bonds with who you're playing with. I'm not saying that all games are harmless. Some can very well be depending on its content. The one thing I do want to say however is that don't discourage your kids from ever playing the old school tabletop games, because it is just another way to unleash your creative heroism, and let that imagination flow. And what's even better about that is that it's done all through pencil, paper, a gameboard map, and pieces to represent yourself- no controller or being plastered in front of a tv screen at all.
Dec. 16th. Reading 2. Chapter 2 - From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle
ReplyDeleteMin-Zhan Lu, an English teacher at the University of Louisville, wrote this article to say what she could not to her mother before she died, as well as write down her experiences living in a world dominated by Western humanistic tradition versus Mao Tse-tung's Marxism. She speaks about how hard it was to grow up living in a world during a time period that had created a rift between those of her nation that did not agree with the ways she was brought up- and in this case it was for her knowledge of the English language.
It's hard for me to believe that a greater knowledge of another language can cause difficulties as well as provide possible dangers in a society that does not accept anything other than its own. I feel that if it were here and if we knew how to speak fluently in both Chinese and English, there would be much praise within our country. It would be even greater if we weren't just bilingual, but trilingual and so on. Min-Zhan Lu describes that the more she grew, the more she came to realize just what was affecting her family in terms of speaking English outside of the home, and having a father who was fluent in English as a medical doctor did. Her family was sneered upon, and having to keep it a secret for most of her life became a struggle in itself.
Lu brings up a good point also, in that language is and can be a tool for survival. She had struggles in this area, of knowing both languages with only their own being dominant, so her voice was left unheard. She urges many to not so much teach them a means of 'survival' but to utilize what we have to our advantage. Utilize the classrooms, modify them. "Moderate the currents, but teach them from the beginning to struggle."
I read the article "The problem with your activism", and i found it to be very interesting. I have never paid much attention to the clubs and other group work, but found out they were more valuable than i thought. This article is saying those clubs are created with a different purpose than we are aware of. They have a different meaning to the administrators and professors than they do to the students.
ReplyDeleteThis scenario might not reflect the truth about all the clubs, but it is still upsetting to see this happening. Students are almost like clowns used on the way to accomplish something. I was surprised to read that a study found that college students increasingly believe that they are being controlled by outside forces. I do agree with that, and there is a lot more than the clubs with that, but It is surprising that many of them are aware.
I read the article on Dead Space 2: Your Mom Doesn't Want You to Play This Game and I watched a coupe of trailers for that game along with the #yourmomhatesthis videos. Back in 2010, I was a sophomore in high school and even before then I had started playing M rated games, part of it was that I actually really enjoyed those games as they were allowed to show more, and do more with the game having the M rating, kind of like an R rated movie. Another part of my enjoyment of those games was because all of my friends were playing the same games and I wanted to see when all the hype was about. And of course I was in my rebellious age and it made my parents mad that I was playing these games so of course I was going to play them.
ReplyDeleteThe whole #yourmomhatesthis campaign done by EA games for Dead Space 2 was geared directly at those kids who were in that stage of rebellion. Anything that pisses your parents off, especially your mom, you have to have. Music, movies, people, and video games. All of them feed into your rebellious nature at that age.
But besides that aspect of the game, Dead Space 2 was actually a brilliant game. The story was superb, the graphics for the time were great and of course, everyone likes to get scared. Zombie games were getting big around 2010. In 2008, Left 4 Dead came out and it was a huge hit and a year later the sequel released which was even bigger. The original Dead Space released in 2008 as well and it redefined horror games. It all comes down to people love being scared. Without that want or urge, places like Field of Screams and and other haunted attractions would go out of business.
Mom's will hate this game, but regardless, it is a great game which should be played.
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ReplyDeleteI am choosing to write about the Problem With Youth Activism article.
ReplyDeleteI related to the author a lot when she talks about how she “rarely thought beyond the borders of folding tables” within different college organizations. (88) Being active in my sorority has allowed me many amazing opportunities, but there is an image associated with it. You carry yourself with pride and dignity 24/7, but especially when you’re in letters. If you are disruptive of the norms that go on here, it looks bad on the organization and can also cause more controversy than it’s worth in such a small school. This is also interesting because the college has JUST now started helping us financially within the past year.
Conversely, being active in All Greek Council here is allowing my voice and the voice of all the organizations to be heard. Many students not in Greek life here at Millersville look down on Greeks, thinking it’s pointless to be one because it’s so small... It’s a joke to some people. AGC is working with the Student Senate and different school advisors in order for Greek life to grow and change for the better. We are making a stand together to be recognized by the school as worthy of their tie and funding. Our meetings and hearings may not be as radical as what went on in the 60’s, but policies have changed and students are paying far too much to “waste” it. That saying may have came from our parents originally, but I can tell you that since I am paying my way through college, I can definitely agree with it. Money has a way of changing people, no matter what the cause.
It might also be said that students need to be informed more on current events in order to feel strongly about a certain thing. The statement “… I believe they simply don’t have the time or energy to start innovative revolutions from scratch because they are so busy taking standardized tests and building their resumes with internships and assistantships” (88) is 100% true. She describes students as “timid”, which can be completely understood with how we are expected to act like adults and if we don’t do things “perfectly” we won’t get a job in the future. There are so many factors as to why radical movements are not as present in college, mainly I think because of this statement.
"Youth Activism" Reading Response
ReplyDeleteI agree that youth activism has been institutionalized on college campuses. Being the President of the Women's Soccer Club at Millersville University, I find through my experiences the institutionalization of youth activism. In order to even have a bake sale, for example, we needed permission from higher ups. For us to be able to practice, both inside and outside we need permission and keys from higher authority.
Most youth activism we see today involves peaceful protest. The activism brought into light recently deals with the case of Michael Brown. I have seen in many public areas, and universities across the nation holding peaceful protests where they simply lay down in a public space, blocking all foot traffic. These protesters hope to drive home the point that black lives matter, seeing Michael in that condition for such a long time, on video is discrimination. I see have not seen much involvement from organizations on campus.These acts seem to be more spontaneous of the students, rather than the universities.
I believe our country needs to move towards peaceful protest. Regarding the Ferguson case, the riots down south did not show the world our "good side". Some viewed these acts as a tantrum, child-like. Peaceful protest harms no one, yet drives home the point. The demonstrators in the movement black lives matter peacefully show that there needs to be change made. In some countries, authorities do not need to use guns to regulate the people. I believe and hope that America can strive to be a place without so much gun control, and arguably not so cruel.
Reading due 12/15
ReplyDelete“Once More to the Lake”
White wrote this narrative with his own experience with his family in mind. White could imagine his father having the same inclinations about the lake and his relationship with his son, as the narrator had with his own son. It is as if time hadn’t stopped and every characteristic of their time at the lake hadn’t changed over the years. The waitresses were still the same age and the “peace and goodness” of each summer remained in tack. The narrator realizes that he is the teaching the next generation and passing on values that his father instilled in himself.
Reading due 12/16 “The Problem with Young Activism”
Martin believes that the youth today is not willing to take the risk for activism, compared to the willingness of students in the 60’s. Students today are more concerned with their paper resume and the impression they will make on future employers. Moreover, Martin believes students and youth today are not hungry enough to make their own stand—students simply join already formed groups and take up already formed arguments. Martin states that students and youth need to move from being simply hungry to being angry.
The reading I chose to do for December 16 is of the Observations and Conclusions from “Cross-Curricular Underlife: A Collaborative Report on Ways with Academic Words. I thought that this topic seemed interesting. Anderson, Best, Black, Hurst, Brandt Miller, and Susan Miller start this section with the observations of Art History. In this class the person sat in this class the first day and could not stand the teacher. She gave out the syllabus and talked so fast and seemed to have a different sense of teaching. But when the writer was worried about their grade they went to go see the teacher. After meeting with the teacher she could tolerate her better in class and because she knew what was expected she would write much more for her exam and would receive the top grade.In the Sociology class the teacher would switch up what they did in class whether it be video or straight lecture. The author would watch the behaviors of the students. At first they noticed that A LOT of the students would get up and leave during the film. But as the semester progressed they realized they needed the movie for test questions so they would go and if it was a movie they would stay. If it was a lecture they would leave early. Even those who stayed during film would work on other assignments or be bored doing it.
ReplyDeleteIn the calculus class the author overheard students talking about assignments and quiz answers. There was a little interaction while the teacher was writing on the board and very few questions were asked. They had study groups and used cheat sheets and assumed tests would be hard.
This within itself has much to do with culture. There is culture within a classroom. For example in the Sociology test it was norms that a lot of the students would get up and leave class. It was sensed by the class that they didn’t like the Art History’s teacher way of doing class unless they would go to her office like the one student did. In math they knew they had to use each other and form groups to study . These are all behaviors that students shared throughout these classes that show how each classroom can have a different culture.
For today's reading I read, "My Music". The question that was posed was "discuss how they connect music to their relationship with others and/or their memories of the past"? Both of the interviewees brought different insight to that table as far as music in the world is concerned. The first interviewee, Edwardo, made good connections to his life and his music choices. Edwardo made references to his music choices being influenced by the group of people he was hanging out with. I find that I relate to Edwardo in many ways. As I began to develop my music taste, throughout high school, I found myself trying to forge my own way through the music scene, but being surrounded by my friends constantly, definitely had an impact on my choices.
ReplyDeleteIn the first story, Edwardo tells about how he started to find his own way through music and about how on different days when he is with different people. I can say that is how I began to find my own way as well. As you hangout with different people you want to please them so you decide to listen to the type of music that everyone else is interested in. It was obvious that Edwardo had a clear vision of his music taste, but that his friends had different taste. He said that he would listen to a majority of rap music until he would hang around his friends who listened to rock. I think it is important to want to please your friends, to an extent, but I also believe it is important to have your friends listen to your views as well. Peer pressure takes over the youth and if there is anything that we can individualize in, it is music. Music can tell many stories about a person and giving up the type that you like just to please someone is not the answer.
In the second interview, Steve tells about how the type of music he likes to listen to brings him back to specific days and specific memories from his life. He tells that much of the music that he listens to was from the WWII era and that he can remember exactly where he was when he listens to some songs. It's funny how that works, isn't it? There are plenty of songs that bring me back to days when I was younger and especially songs that take me back to high school. It is even crazy that there are songs, not so old, that take me back to memories not more than a year ago! I always mention to my roommates about how certain songs remind me of a certain time of year and I can remember the exact activities I was doing while listening to the music.
Music is something that defines our culture. It defines personalities and people in general. If we think about our own culture, think about the type of music you listen to and how much you can relate to the music or what kind of mood it puts you in. Think about when you are in a bad mood, do you listen to sad music or do you listen to happy music to break your mood? All of this defines us as a person and brings us full circle with culture. Our music and our culture go hand in hand.
Reading # 2
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Diane Ravitch’s “The Myth of Charter Schools,” I am glad I did not waste my time watching the documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman,” like my neighbor urged me to. Without reading Ravitch’s critical review of the film, a person could be misled to think that charter schools are much better than our public schools. In the film Davis Guggenheim’s message is clear that he believes that the public schools are failing because of bad teachers, not because schools are underfunded. He even states that the public schools already spend too much. He never takes into account that it is reported that 60% of school achievement is explained by non-school factors, such as family life and income. Being the film maker I guess gave him the right to put only facts he wanted to in the movie. He didn’t care to acknowledge that only 1 out of 5 charter schools ever reach the results that it claims. I know in my area many of the charter schools are only open for a short time before they close. Further study shows that there is very minimal increase in test scores and in some areas no increase at all or worse scores. If funding has no effect on a child’s education, then why do some of the charter schools spend up to $35,000 on each student? Another charter school has assets of more than $200 million and the creator currently being paid $400,000 annually, yet this school has many students not performing well. In charter schools, they select who can attend, and they can kick you out if you do not perform well. Public school takes everyone, no questions asked. Public schools have the children with disabilities that the charter schools will not take. They also have the ESL learners. Ravitch mentions that the government and those for charter schools look at the scores of other countries, but are not doing what these countries are doing. First, America has one of the highest poverty rates compared to the countries we are comparing ourselves to. Which does effect a child’s learning, regardless of what Guggenheim says. If we did what the other countries did, we would screen teacher candidates better, have higher salaries, give better support and have mentoring system for new teachers. The other counties do not close failing schools or privatize them, they strengthen the education profession. We as a nation if we are serious about improving our schools we should then take steps to improve our teacher forces, we should better prepare our teachers before they enter the classroom. After reading what “Waiting for Superman” was about I understand why my neighbor pulled her children from the public school and put them in a private Christian school. She was misled. They have since moved and she is actually now the Principal of the Christian school. The only education back ground she has is teaching one class per semester at a college in Political Science, now she is running a school. That scares me.
Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
ReplyDeleteIn this reading, millennials were described as "confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat, and open to change." And I agree. I feel that this is an accurate description of this generation. I see millennials as confident because this is a generation that dares to be different. We dare to stand out. Although social norms are still alive and well, more people brought up in this time are stepping out of the box. How many Baby Boomers have you seen with pink hair and green lipstick? How many Generation Xers have you seem publicly kiss their same-sex significant other? These are the things that millennials are doing that show their confidence and openness. There's no more hiding.
Millennials, for the most part, support interracial dating. Millennials are not chasing immigrants our of the country. So much has changed in these past decades and this generation is not resisting. For the first time in history, our president is black. During any other generation, Obama wouldn't have been given a chance. But here we are. Paving the way for unimaginable opportunities and experiences.
Chapter two, Question two, “The Problem with Youth Activism.” I struggled with the authors view on college students while reading this article. She seems to be empathetic to college students by giving examples to her college years and explaining how students have no time to do more risky activism movements. However, she makes college students seem like non-creative people who will just do what looks good on their resumes.
ReplyDeleteThis was an extreme generalization made by the author. There are definitely people who just get involved in school organizations to build their resumes, but there are also students who get inspired in college. In college, students are taught hundred of hours of thoughtful lecture by professors a semesters. Those professors open up the eyes of students and help fuel their passions. I think college is a time where people choose to stay within the confines of society or passionately promote their cause. So I do agree with the author that students get involved in organizations and do not question authority because it will help them in the future. However, she generalized and did not mention all those students who question authority on a daily basis.
I read "Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change" page 67 question #2. After looking at the results from the quiz I would say that I do not use technology as much as other people. The social media sites that I participate in are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (only for this class). I am an early childhood education major, which has a big influence on my culture and the activities I participate in. I make sure that all of my social media sites are private. For Facebook, I limit who follows me, keep any personal information off social media, and I have my account set so that I have to approve of something before it is posted onto my timeline. Being an education major is very important to me so I do not list myself by my full name. I do this so that when I work in classrooms students are not able to search for me. It is very important to act professional with students. For my other social media sites I am also cautious of what I share. There have been many stories about teachers not getting jobs because of their social media accounts, this is why I am very cautious.
ReplyDeleteI read the article, The Problem with Youth Activism, by Courtney E. Martin. This article talks about Martin’s views on colleges and their students. She talks about how these students join different clubs and groups on campus. A lot of these students join groups but do not make new ones. I believe the reason behind this is because we are told to do this because “doing things” will look good on our resumes. Martin understands the dilemma with these students and is sympathetic. My attitude towards young activists, the students of these college campuses, is that I do agree with what they do. I support someone who wants to make their own club and do something different. What I don’t agree with is how these clubs are more looked at as something that you can put on our resume. Students are brainwashed in a sense because all they can focus on is standardized testing, internships, and anything they can put on a resume. I don’t like how students are like this, but I can’t blame them. Its pounded into my head as well.
ReplyDeleteI read “Student Activism in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s” on pages 173 - 176. Activism is a topic very close to my heart. It is especially relevant right now with all the Ferguson protests around the country. I think students make especially powerful activists because generally we are young, intensely passionate, and strong willed. As we become educated, we feel more obligated to put what we learn into action.
ReplyDeleteEven though I consider myself aware about activist issues, I learned about the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), the Port Huron Statement, and the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). The SDS organized anti-war protests, promoted draft resistance, and protested the presence of the ROTC on campuses. Apparently, in 1970, student activism was at its peak with around 100 protests per day and over 500 colleges had to shut down! I think all of this is just awesome. Outstanding achievements for great causes!
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ReplyDeleteGen (Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity
ReplyDeleteWhen Arlie Hochschild suggests that there “is a trend toward a more loosely jointed, limited-liability society, the privatizing influence of that trend and the crash-boom-bang of the market,” she is explaining that because of how individualized the current generation is there is no definite way to identify this generation as whole. As far back as the 20s and early 30s each generation has been associated with a title related to a single or series of events, which took place during that era. However, after the 80s and the 90s there has been a turn from events shaping the generation as a whole to events shaping a generation at an individual level. Most of what has been the cause of this is linked back to technology. With modern television, social media, online blogging and personal accounts, it’s hard to relate this generation as one group when it seems to be an “all about me” era.
When trying to determine a “collective mood” of a generation, it comes back to the idea of what occurred during that time that helps to define anyone from that generation. As Hochschild points out, “in previous decades large historic events drew people together and oriented them to action.” Now-a-days people are more zoned into this new technological era that interpersonal connections are becoming more and more scarce. With the increase in users of social media and the rise in online sources for the news, weather, sports, etc. people are becoming more content with a sedentary lifestyle and the need for in-person social interactions has become all but obsolete. So in short it has been a progressing trend that went from a very defined generation up to what is currently the “login” generation, with little chance of changing the path it’s on.
"What High School Is"
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the way that Sizer describes high school education, as we know it, as a type of "conveyer-belt" education In this style of education students go through out the day, spending relatively short amounts of time learning various subjects. I believe there is both pros and cons to this style of education. I consider the pro of this style is the broadening of students education. Because of this, students are able to get a taste of many different subjects and possibly find an interest in an area that they may not have guessed before. I consider the con of this style of education is that the short periods of study on many different subjects makes it difficult for students to focus and really learn each subject. As a result it feels like students may just more or less just go through the motions and get done only what is required of them.
Chapter 2 question2 “My Music.” Both of the interviewees express their interests in music in different genres. Edwardo’s interview was different because he gave very short answers. He was blunt and did not go into much depth when explaining his choice in music. He explained his variety in music as a mixture of social pressures from his friends and music he liked to enjoy when no one else was around to avoid ridicule. Edwardo’s true musical passion is rap, he even likes to rap himself. However, when he’s around his friends he lets them take control of the music and they listen to rock.
ReplyDeleteSteve lets the sequence of his life control the music he listen’s too. Steve’s answers in his interview were very thoughtful and in-depth. He explained how his heritage, events during the time period, and even his love life was the driving force in his music choice. I liked the point he said about how wars and economic depressions changed the musical influence of the time. Also, on a more personal level he mentioned how when he was sad he would listen to sad songs and would listen to happy songs when he was happy.
Casa ~ Judith Ortiz Cofer ~ Exploratory Writing
ReplyDeleteA young girl hears a story about another girl who was left at the altar by her fiance from her bold and confident Mama. Puerto Ricans are known for retelling stories that are passed from generation to generation. In the passage, the author shares her fond memories of her grandmother's tales, this one in particular expresses how love can leave you broken and in shattered pieces if you allow the wrong kind of love in your life.
Mama tells the story of Maria La Loca's wedding day when her future husband left her at the altar. She was a beautiful girl at the time, but now is "loca" and has become far from ordinary over the years due to her tragic heartbreak.
The story of Maria La Loca helps the young girl in the story to learn what it means to be normal.Each person has their own story and make choices that ultimately end with either consequences or reward. Being normal does't mean that you have to be like everybody else. It more lies in the truth of making sound, smart decisions in which will keep you going down the right path in life. Being normal is doing what makes you happy and what is truly BEST for you. But also learning from the mistakes of other people as Mama was trying to expose throughout the story.
Blog post Reading Culture December 17th 2014
ReplyDeleteToday I read the article titled “What High School Is” by Theodore R. Sizer. While I was reading through it, it seemed like I could relate to almost everything the main character of his book was going through, when I looked back on my high school years. He told the story of Mark who was a 16 year-old boy who was in eleventh grade. Sizer walked through Mark’s typical day, which included: English class, typing class, biology class, French class, lunch, US history, algebra two, and then gym. He also had an assembly that day, so each class was cut short by 5 minutes. After Sizer went through Mark’s typical day, he went on to analyze schools in the US. He said something that really hit me “Tomorrow, and virtually every other tomorrow, will be the same for Mark.... Their conception of high school I remarkably uniform across the country, a striking fact given the size an diversity of the United States and the political decentralized character of the schools” I never before thought about just how similarly structured all schools are in the United States. I am wondering if they are structured this way all over the world, probably not. This piece really made me wonder also why we don’t combine subject material. For instance, you clearly need to know how to read in order to partake in history class when the activity is to read from the textbook. But English teachers don’t teach about history and history teachers do not teach English.
I read “Lessons From My Year As a Freshman” by Rebekah Nathan on page 132.
ReplyDeleteNathan speaks of college as a rite of passage where teens leave the comfort of their parents homes and enter into the undergraduate college experience. She speaks of the undergraduate state in terms of liminality, “the ambiguous place of being neither here nor there” (132). I am definitely in that liminal, transitional period of my life. After graduation, I attended IUP for a few weeks and then came back home to live with my parents. The next semester I attended my local community college and 2 years later, here I am commuting to MU.
Nathan also speaks about how universities have struggled to support themselves financially over the last decade. This is hard for me to understand because there has been such a huge increase in enrollment and tuition! I don’t understand how colleges are short on money. Obviously, more students, more teachers, more facilities, but how could they be struggling that much, especially after all the advanced technologies they purchase and the hefty salaries of the school CEOs.
Today I read "My Music". I thought this article was very interesting because the authors interviewed two people. One of the candidates was a fifteen year old male and the other was a fifty-seven year old man. Both of these candidates were at completely different stages in their lives. Edwardo, the fifteen year old, explained that he began listening to oldies when he lived in California. When his family moved to New York he began listening to rap because everyone was listening to that. His older brother also had a big influence on his style of music. Unlike Edwardo, Steve explained how music relax him. Steve also explained how music has influenced his life and the importance of music. It is interesting to learn how music makes people feel. I think it is important to listen to the style of music you enjoy and not to switch to what everyone else is listening to. Steve shared his Polish heritage in music and ended up marrying someone with the same interest in music. I think it is important to share the different genres of music and interest people in your style.
ReplyDelete"Dead Space 2": Your Mom Doesn't Want You To Play This Video Game:
ReplyDeleteWhat Williams is trying to argue here is the generational gap has become a selling point for certain products. In this case, this specific video game's main selling point is "your mom is going to hate this".I think she makes an excellent point in describing what really attracts people, in this case kids, to certain products. It is the general idea that this is something new or outladish, something that is specific to my generation only, even if it really is not. The idea that your parents are not going to approve of something you do just makes the act so much more satisfying. Williams also does a nice job in acknowledgeing that this is not a sales concept that is new to this generation. Products selling on the idea that this is bad or your parents wont approve has been around for a long time, as Williams uses the example of the highly popular "Grand Theft Auto" games that have been around for 14 years. I think it is interesting to see how some may think there is great change between generations, but in reality the general ideas and trends remain the same.
"Juvenile Deliquency Films"
ReplyDeleteThe film Step-up portrays modern day city life. In the film the main character attends a very elite dance school in the city of New York. Due to socioeconomic status she has one means of staying at this school, that is attending every single day. She experiences a mix of emotions having to choose between her friends from the hood that she values almost as family and her education.
This film depicts today's youth in aspects of dress, values and realities. Everyone from her new school judged her. She had to prove herself and her worth to the rich, elite and powerful. Today, in schools across the nation, individuals struggle with bullying and new issues of teen pregnancy and hate crime. This movie depicts overcoming the struggles that our generation must face. They are marked as youth by the music they listen to and dance they perform. Most older adults see hip hop music as bad, therefore we can assume hip hop is more listened to by the younger generations.
The friends and family of the main character felt like they had been left in the dirt because they had lost the battle between friendship and school. Because of this betrayal, they sought action and vandalized the elite school. Things like this can define a group. Arguably, both groups have talent and both can succeed, one just has an either pathway of getting there than the other. Often we see delinquent behavior in connection with deviant labels. Due to social status, these youth were labeled as bad or deviant and were not allowed into the school.
I love this movie and I like how you described it. Your description made me want to watch again!
DeleteToday I decided to read "What is high school" by Theodore R. Sizer. It basically starts off talking about Mark's day. He starts off with his friends before heading to classes. They describe each class he goes to and what it was like from his point of view. He has english, bio, typing,language, and a math class. He explains how he wasn't comfortable taking his typing class because it is a girl thing.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about Mark's day the book goes on to say that most of us have a vision of what high school is like. It then talks about goals across the U.S and how the goals are all similar and how high schools will touch base on mind, body, morals, values, and careers. I found it very interesting that they said how teachers can find time to get some coffee but most students cannot because there is a big emphasis on where your supposed to be. It then talks about how most of your classes are choosed for you and they often times are the sequence classes.Then it says how schools that have low income areas attendance tends to be higher which surprised me. Mark has about 7 different teachers which doesn't give them the chance to really get to know him. It ends the chapter saying that high school is like a conveyer belt.
Reading ahead, I decided to read a section about generations. I read the Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity. To start Sandy says that she doesn't feel part of the Gen X or Gen Y. She says she is in-between the generations that barely tolerates computers to the one that treats them like family. The next person Mr. Lissovoy says that as a sociology professor refers himself to the Generation One and a Half. It is then discussed how people brought up in the 1930's, 40's, and 60's were branded by things like war. The 70's to the 90's has been the shift of mass media and a sense of impermanence in family and work. It then discusses how Gen X'ers are trying to sort out culture info. One example of this is how if you were a man you married and supported a family.
ReplyDeleteThen it goes on to talk about Mr. Lissovoy. His parents divorced when he was a baby. She talks about the divorce and the dad's role and how she seemed to be neglected by him. He goes on to say that if you really want it you can get it. Saying that he is apart of the Generation of Individual Choice. Then it talks about industries and goes on to say that advertisers are appealing to children and not parent. The last part of this paper goes on to say that market generations are generations of things and not people.
The Problem with Youth Activism
ReplyDeleteI think that the Martin is honestly frustrated with the youth in this day. She describes today's youth to be hungry, but not angry for the change. In comparison, young activists were louder and achieved more without worrying about the consequences back in the 60's. I think Martin is frustrated and disappointing in today's youth for not stepping up and taking the risk that previous generation have.
Reading # 3
ReplyDeleteIn “The Value of Higher Education Made Literal” Stanley Fish exposes and critiques the Browne report, “Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education,” and it’s way of thinking about the value of higher education. The Browne report sees higher education as an investment, as in the cost of courses will reap financial benefits down the road. One way a course would “sell” itself is to state “that it provides improved employability.” Students would then be asked to pay a higher charge for courses that have a proven path to higher earnings. Fish states that “there is a verbal echo here, surely unintended, of the value nowhere to be found in the report, the value of higher learning.” Nowhere in the report is it mentioned that the value of education should be knowledge. The report goes on to say that courses of study that “deliver improved employability will prosper,” while those that don’t “will disappear.” Fish states that under this the art and humanities would be the losers.
Fish says that higher education is no longer seen as a public good, whose effect permeates society. Higher education is now seen as a private benefit. Fish continues to say that the report’s monetization of everything has redefined it’s every word: value now means return on the dollar and quality of life now means how many cars or houses you can buy. You have to admit that this view has appeal. However, privatization of higher education makes it harder for working class people to be able to benefit from it.
The article by Mary Elizabeth Williams, "Dead Space 2": Your Mom Doesn't Want You To Play This Video Game, leaves me a bit… Annoyed, I guess you could say. I understand her point completely; she saying that Dead Space is using the generation gap as a way to market the video game, where saying “Mom’s will hate it” will make younger kids want to but it more. The selling tactics are targeting the youngest buyers who will enjoy the violence more. She also says though the ads feature “unglam older women”, but isn’t that what mom’s are? I don’t exactly agree with what she is saying in her article.
ReplyDeleteI am your non-traditional gamer as a 20 year old sorority girl who also enjoys partaking in Call of Duty on her Xbox. That being said, I wanted to play violent video games because they looked cool to me and my friends were also playing them. Never once did I think about how my parents would react because they know that I know it’s not real, I’m mature enough, blah blah, because our generation is one that is growing up on violent videogames, where theirs isn’t. So it’s understandable that she might see a gap there, but I don’t think there actually is one. It should be noted that teenagers don't care what their parents think, so if their mom's like it or don't, they still don't care. If their friends are doing it, they will want to also.
Today I chose to read, "The Value of Higher Educations Made Literal" on pg. 141. The question that was posed at the end of the reading was, "what is known as the 'typical' student at your college? Is he or she the 'investor' or 'consumer'?" Taking a step back and thinking about my own college experience thus far, it is obvious that most students are here to get a degree to make that money.
ReplyDeleteIn the reading and investor was described as someone who invest sin their college career because they know they will be making the money back and therefore living a more prosperous life. I would like to think that many of us would be investing in our college experience, since we all seem to be in it for the money. However, I cannot say that I truly believe we are a majority of investors. The college pool is filled with consumers who are just coming to get a degree and hoping to live medial lives and hopefully make enough to stand on our own two feet. There again, though, we see having enough money.
I would have to say that the typical college student would like to call themselves the investors in hopes to earn back all of the time and money that they put into their schooling, but when looking at the broad spectrum it only seems right to classify the majority as consumers. We are consuming our time and colleges are consuming our money, and for what? To hopefully make it out on our own with little to no assurance? College is a give and take, they take your money and you put in the time and maybe you will be in the correct field which will lead you to the money.
Today I read "My Music", which I thought was very interesting. In this article a 15 year old high school student and a 57 year old salesmen were interviewed about what music means to them. Their answers were completely different.;both in context and also they answered the questions. Young Edward was answering questions nervously and his answers were short. Steve is very confident and his answers were deep. One common thing with both of them was that they both were influenced by people around them about their choices.
ReplyDeleteMusic is an incredible art that has a different meaning to each individual.The choices we make about music and the meaning it holds in us is affected by our culture, experiences,age, emotional state, etc This article did a reat job in proving that and also showing the importance of music to humans.
From my reading of Gen (Fill in the Blank): Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity, I have grown to realize that there are many people who do not identify with a specific generation. Some people feel as though they are between generations which makes a lot of sense. How would you classify someone who is not computer savvy, doesn't own a smartphone, and is not involved in social media? Would they still be considered a millennial? Some Generation Xers feel like they are Millennials and vice versa. There are no clear cutoffs for generations. Many of my friends relate to music from the 70s and wear "Cosby sweaters." Does this make them Generation Xers? The opening of this article speaks a lot about choice and I feel like we get to personally choose which generation in which we belong but in the eyes of everyone else, we are born into our specific generations.
ReplyDeleteMarketing strategists use this mixed identify to their advantage. For example, products are being created to make older generations feel younger and products for younger generations to older. There is a certain appeal about being included in a generation that isn't your own. It's like being a part of the "cool kids."
I read a piece from Stanley Fish called, "The Value of Higher Education". At the end of the article it said to describe a typical college student at your college. I do not feel that there is one type of student at Millersville, or any other college. However, I feel that there are three types of students. The first being, the ones who take higher education seriously. They do there work, invest time in their studies, and are active around campus. These types of people would be investors. The second group would be those who do their work just to make it by. I would describe these people as consumers because they aren't putting all their effort in their schooling. Lastly, there are the people who simply do not put an effort into their education. Why you would do this, I am not sure. Higher education is expensive so taking it seriously is the only option for me. I also think that your major influences which kind of student you are. For example, I am an education major so I have to keep my GPA at a certain number, and I can not receive less than a C for an overall grade. If I do not do these things I am then out of my major. With that being said, I take my education very seriously so that I can stay in my major and get my dream job.
ReplyDelete"The Value of Higher Education Made Literal"
ReplyDeleteThis reading actually really related to the topic of my first paper. I absolutely agree with Fish when he claims that our society has manufactured this idea that higher education in a prerequisite for a decent job. While my paper really focused on the negatives of this societal standard and the alternative options that may be taken by an individual, I liked how Fish kind of lays out the positives of this idea. He feels that this creates the expectations of a larger amount of different people to pursue higher education, and that there could possibly be a genius or very talented person out there that could be missed because they never pursued this type of education.
Reading number 1, We are all third generation by Margaret Mead.
ReplyDeleteMead describes the sequence from first generation to second generations as follows: the first generation usually live in an ethnic neighborhood because that's where their parents settled. They usually speak their native language to speak with family but learn English to speak to friends and teachers. The first generation usually have the same profession as their parents.
Second generation have less ties to their ethnic neighborhood. They usually only speak English. The second generation usually move to the suburbs and have a different profession than their parents.
Mead's description is similar to my family in that my grandfather grew up in an ethnic neighborhood and spoke Italian at home. When he went to school is when he learned English. In fact, he stayed in the same house he grew up in and his brothers lived only a few blocks away. His children only speak English. My parents stayed in the same neighborhood, but some of my aunts and uncles moved to the suburbs like my Mead described.
Mead implied a negative connotation to the second generation for leaving the ethnic neighborhood and loosing their hertiage. I disagree with Mead I think a person can leave their (old neighborhood) and keep their hertiage alive.
Reading Response: "Once More on the Lake"
ReplyDeleteWhen reading "Once More on the Lake" I realized out of all the generation articles I have read that this is a great article that reflects on the meaning of generations. The narrator talks about his generation, his fathers, and his son’s generation. He also reflects on the role of a father on the next generation and how it is the father’s job to teach sons. The author went about this idea by describing times spent on the lake with his father and his son. The imagery is the most powerful literature I picked up from the article. He would use phrase such as “..when the lake was cool and motionless..how the bedroom smelled of lumber and wet woods whose scent entered through the screen.” E. B Whites descriptions helped me immerse myself in the article. It also helped me feel the connection through the generations that spent time on the lake.
Judith Ortiz Cofer’s story, Casa, is not only the telling of a story from grandmother to family, but also a lesson to a young girl about what it means to be normal. The young girl sees herself as a “cultural chameleon” in both the crowds of New Jersey and her native Puerto Rico town. She feels most normal at her Mama’s house because it is where she is actually noticed and most accepted for who she really is. The story of Maria la Loca helps her learn what it is to be “normal” since she can relate her family to what Maria has done, and learn from it. She enjoys watching her family get involved with the story, as everyone can somehow relate to it. She loves her family for being so open with each other and it is where she feels most at home.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Mead’s article “We Are All Third Generation,” describes the difference between the first, second, and third generations of Americans. To my understanding, the first generation is described as the immigrants who settled in America, bringing their known culture and customs along with them. The second generation is said to reject the values of the first generations, wanting to create their own culture and customs. The third generation has completely shifted away from the culture of the first generation, abandoning all customs and creating their own. Mead states that the first generation “did very well in his way, but he is out of date” (96). We, the third generation, do not reject the culture of previous generations, we simply believe there is progress to be made.
ReplyDeleteDecember 18th 2014
ReplyDeleteI read The Value of Higher Education today written by Stanley Fish in our book. I liked the bit that the political philosopher told Fish that he became a distinguished scholar not by choice but by opportunity. I think that for a lot of people in America, it is hard to find the money to be able to have the opportunity to attend college. In England, since they do not have to pay, everyone has the choice to be able to go to a school of their liking. If it were like that in America, I bet a lot more people would be able to enjoy the experience of going to college as well as gain knowledge. I really liked a quote that Fish put into this writing “students should only pay towards the cost of their education once they are enjoying the benefits of that education.” Maybe I am a bit biased since I am a poor college student, but still. I think it would be nice to be established with a good paying job before having to pay back student loans.
I think what Mary Elizabeth Williams was trying to get across in “Dead Space 2: Your Mom Doesn’t Want You to Play This Game”, was that at no matter what age we are we still want to go against what our parents say. William talks about how the ad for the game shows mothers watching the game in disgust and fear. Then argues that a 2009 study showed that women are 40% of those that are in to gaming and the average gamer is 43 years old. William points out that the ad features women who look like they could be parents of “basement-dwelling 30-year-olds.” She then ask if EA is suggesting that the rebellious gamers are really adults that should be a loud to spend the money for the game out of their own paycheck. Towards the end Williams makes several comments that makes me believe she was trying to say no mater our age we want to defy our parents. She says that the ad flows from that great universal truth that “mom’s disapproval has always been a great barometer of what’s cool.” William then goes on to say that whether you are 15-year-old kid or a corporate lawyer there is something satisfying in knowing somewhere your mother would not be happy with your behavior. She ends by saying “no matter how many creepy creatures you can blow away, the most satisfying imaginary war of all is still the one against your parent’s favor. Being 41- years-old, I wouldn’t say that I found joy in going against my mother, but the fact that I am an adult and I will do what I want whether she agreed with it or not. Years of being told what to do and now I can make my own decisions.
ReplyDeleteChapter 2, Gen (Fill in the Blank) by Arlie Russell Hochschild
ReplyDelete2. Individual identities are shaped by what people buy and consume because what they surround themselves with shows others their interests, passions, and what they like to do. A persons dress helps to identify them because certain styles depict what a person is like, just like what kind of products or other things they carry around. The type of music people listen to helps to identify them because it is what they are interested in, and that music or artist may help relate to their life or situations in their life. People make assumptions about others based on their appearance, and it helps to let them know what that person is like. Obviously, people buy and consume things they are interested and believe in, and it helps others to identify who they are and what kind of person they are like. It also helps to identify what generation a person is from, such as the way they dress, the type of music they listen to, and the activities they enjoy doing.
In David Sedaris's work, "Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities," he tells how early on in his childhood his father had an enormous obsession with jazz music which he tried to instill in his children. David goes on to say that although he and his sisters told their father that they did indeed love jazz music, he felt that they didn't have the same level of appreciation as he did. When he wrote about their family having to move to North Carolina, their father was disappointed that he'd be so far away from the clubs and radio stations that place his favorite music. However, he held on to the ambition that his children might one day form a jazz combo in their new living establishment. And he actually got his chance when he took David and his sisters to a concert performed by Dave Brubeck. Now back to the early statement that David's dad didn't feel that his children had the same appreciation he did; that's not saying that he thought they only liked jazz because he did, he wanted them to understand the stories behind jazz songs and to know where jazz artists came from to get where they are now. He was hoping to teach his children music appreciation versus simply liking a music genre.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal beliefs I think that parents try to make any bridge they can with their children when it comes to similar interests. In the case of music everyone is a lover of it. Sure the styles change over the years and there are always new artists, but the level of appreciation for a musical performance always stays the same. There can even be lovers of the same artists but are born to different generations. Myself, there are some artists who I'm a huge fan for, but they first came out years before I was born, but that doesn't mean I can't like their music any less than someone who was from the generation they became popular. So I would go about the same path as David's father did to teach music appreciation to not only my children but anyone who is a lover of music.
"Pissing in a River"
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy what music can do? It can change your whole mood without even trying and can uplift any spirit, if it's the correct song. Reading through this passage I was able to relate. I have listened to countless songs over and over again and sometimes when I am driving and I pay close attention to those lyrics, I begin to feel like the song is being sung to me. Some of the lyrics hit home so much that I feel as if I have never heard the song before. Taking a closer listen to a song and it's lyrics makes me feel more connected. I can relate much more and therefore have a much better feeling about the song.
I wish I could say there was one particular song that came to mind, but I can just remember being in the car and hearing a song I've heard a multitude of times and just being astounded at how much I had missed by careless listening, or listen for pure enjoyment. Music is very powerful and I can honestly say that I spend much of my day listening to music because it is what keeps me, well me. I am in love with music because of the feelings I get when I hear certain songs. I can sing along and hum the tune, but it is not until I truly hear the song and the meaning behind it that I can say I feel connected to it.
Chapter 3, What High School Is by Theodore R. Sizer
ReplyDelete1. I think deciding whether students are happy taking subjects depends on the student, the teacher, and the subject it is. If the subject is one the student is interested in, and is taught by a teacher who cares about the class, the students, and makes the class interesting, the student would be happy taking that subject. But, if the student is forced to take the subject and it is something they are not interested in, they are not going to be happy taking it. There are certain subjects that students have to take, and not all are going to be happy taking them, but having teachers that are excited to teach them is key. If teachers can make lessons where the students are active within them and physically doing things, they are more likely to be motivated and enjoy that class and subject. Instead of looking at school as something that is necessary and dreadful, students should be looking forward to attending class and happy about going to these subjects.
December 15th Blog Post: Chapter 2, Question 1
ReplyDeleteThe author described the first generation as hard workers who set up America basically. From then on, generations became lazier since everything was set up for them. Not only that, but technology was a key factor in our work ethic; we don't have to work as hard to get the same result. In some ways I can see where the author is coming from, but these are very broad generalizations about Americans today, which don't necessarily apply to everyone, especially my family. I feel like it really depends on how you were raised if you are a hard-worker or not. For my family, we have very strong value and principles, centered around our religion. We believe that you should work hard for everything you want and you can persevere through anything. So I would say that the third generation theory does not apply to me or my family.
Pissing in a River - The Patti Smith Group talks about the importance of pop music in the lives of young people. Pop musicians are important because they have and still influence future artists in one way or another. Without great artists, who would inspire others? No one starts creating music because they went to a shitty concert and heard shitty music. People get creative when they are moved by something. When something touches their soul.
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is safe to say that music, in one form or another, has played an important part in everyone's lives. Most athletes have their power training playlist. Couples have "their song." Some people can remember the lullaby that their mother hummed to soothe them as baby. There's that song that plays in the club that is every girl's theme song for that week. What would happen if we didn't have these musical connections? Would social gathering be like without music? Music can be the buffer between two strangers at a party. The common interest that sparks their conversation. The thing that connects two different people.
Chapter 3, Lessons From My Year As A Freshman by Rebekah Nathan
ReplyDelete2. Nathan introduces term ‘liminality’ meaning neither here nor there. At some point in a college person’s life, they find themselves in this kind of state. It usually comes at a time when a person begins questioning what they are doing, such as their major, school, friends, etc. It is not uncommon for students to go through liminality, and want to change something drastic in their lives. I definitely have already gone through that period of liminality, in between high school and college, where I really broke out of my shell and became more talkative and out spoken. I was glad for this time because in my first year of college, I was able to branch out and make more friends than I would have.
Nathan also discusses universities and the recent struggle to support them. I do not understand why this is so, because of how much attending a higher education has been pushed on students recently, and how much tuition has gone up. This just makes me think of how universities may not be using their money the most effectively, and if this is something that should be brought to attention to be solved.
December 16th Blog Post: Chapter 2, Question 2
ReplyDeleteI don't think you can really identify the "American Character" without being to general. People have different opinions about what the typical American represents today and you can't just pin it down to a few traits. America is a melting pot. Everyone has different backgrounds, principles, and values. The American Character is always changing and is viewed differently because we are all different. American in 1942 was extremely different from what it is today. So in that way, the "American character" is changing, but it represents the unique traits in all of us.
The last section I read for Chapters one and two was Pissing in a River by Nick Hornby. It starts off talking about how perfect the day was for Patti Smith's show. It was a fundraiser for a chapel. He explains how he was surprised from the performance and wasn't expecting it to be so moving. One thing he loved about her is how connected she was to art, books and music. He then compares Smith to Springsteen in saying that they are completely different. He quotes that "Smith doesn't give a shit" (p.76) and goes on to say that she isn't troubled by her status of an artist. He then starts to talk about Pissing in a River. Before the night of the show the song wasn't ever recalled but at the show where he was indulged in the music. It then ends saying how the music made one not want to read, write or paint. His very last statement is about pop music and how pop songs are capable of anything.
ReplyDeleteDecember 17 Blog Post: Chapter 3, Question 2
ReplyDeleteIf I had the resources to start up a charter school, I would name it Ty's Charter School of Harrisburg. I would set up my school to teach children who are under-privileged, homeless, or in foster care. I would want the tuition, room and board, and food to all be free of charge. The purpose for the school is to give under-privileged kids a quality education for no cost. I would design the school in different sections according to age range (grades k-12). I would set up classrooms with 20 students or less, one teacher, and one assistant per class. Not only would I want the curriculum to have standard course (English, math, science, history), I also would include courses that help them get ready for the real world by themselves like cooking classes, financial classes, getting them prepared for job interviews, and more. I would want my school to be a safe environment for the students where they can be creative and have fun. Also, for the young children, I would hire only the best house parents so they can be supervised at all times, and still have a normal childhood. The older children could live in dorms with a RA like college, which will also help them get ready for college living. After students graduate, I would provide them with a scholarship or just a sum of money in general to help them get on their feet when they leave. I would partner with a celebrity or a rich sponsor who shares the same vision that I do. I would try not to have it run by any government agencies.
I read the photo essay by Eugene Smith on page 111, titled “Nurse Midwife”. A woman named Maude Callen was a nurse midwife in Berkley County, South Carolina. According to the essay, at the time Callen practiced, there were approximately 20,000 common midwives in the nation (Smith). As an experience nurse midwife, Callen was a rarity. Smith reports that there were 9 in South Carolina and only 300 in the whole nation. This photo essay appealed to me because my mother is a registered nurse and seriously considered learning midwifery. My mother had her first child, my big sister, at a hospital called GBMC. After that experience, my mom had me at my grandparent’s house with a midwife and the entire family. After our house was built, she delivered my little sister there in her bedroom. So midwifery is close to my heart. I like the way the author used one page to portray the whole aura of the essay through photos and captions. I’d like to use this method in the future.
ReplyDeletePost 4: Chapter 3: Question 2: Higher Education
ReplyDeleteThe author describes liminality as being a common ground where everyone is on the same level and everyone has the same opportunity to excel. The article stated that in college, no matter what the student's background or social status, they are on the same level being as though they will be experiencing life and learning life lessons just like everyone else. I feel like students remain in this state of "suspended normality and hardship" until they have simply grown out of it. Some people may never grow out of it, and are in constant search of their identity. But I feel once students are completely independent from their parents with their desired career, they should have a sense of self and that is when they truly become adults.
"My Music" Reading Response
ReplyDeleteMusic is and has been a powerful source of influence for youth. Often youth experience a mix of emotions entering different stages of adulthood, and in doing so turn to music. When you are sad, you listen to a different type of music then when you are happy. Music is an outlet for all ages. I find it interesting the amount of pull that the peers had on particular individuals. I found it evident in my life that I too listened to different types of music around my peers. I realized, with my friends around, that I listen to more rap music and "the now".
Steve's store was particularly inspirational to me. I like how music offered an escape from harsh economic times, and means to keep pushing on in times of war. I find it amazing the influence music can have on individuals. In considering a writing assignment for this class I thought about analyzing the effects of music on test taking. While growing up, the media portrayed ideas of pregnant mothers holding headphones up to their stomachs, blasting operas such as Bach in hopes their babies would become smart.
Music can provide mood and set the whole theme of cultural events and celebrations. In celebrations across the country, music sets the mood of the event. When I attending my cousin's wedding this past fall, I noticed it would seem a bit strange if she were walking down the aisle to some heavy metal genre of music. I think American Popular culture builds stigmas of when it is appropriate to listen to different types of music. If I want to listen to "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey while I walk down the aisle, you bet I'm going to be.
Reading Culture 2: Chap 3 The Myth of Charter Schools
ReplyDeleteAlthough teachers play a big role in students achievements throughout their academic career, teachers are with students for one-third of the day throughout the school year. There are many other factors that go into academic achievement. Home life plays a big role, environment, intellectual ability, and economic status. My father teaches in a public school in the inner city. Through his years teaching he has had many students that were living in homeless shelters. If they kids are worried about what and if they going to eat, how could they concentrate on their studies? Poverty plays a big role in their success. In some poor homes, there is sometimes a single parent who has to work two jobs to support the family. But they don't have the time to reinforce the importance of schoolwork with their children. In middle class families the parents have time to check in with there student's in addition to being to hire private tutors if need be. Because of all these factors standardized testing is not the best option. In order to approve American schools we should give more funds that truly need it, hiring more teachers to lower the student to teacher ratio, while increasing the individualized learning of each student.
Ch. 3 ~ The Value of Higher Education Made Literal ~ Question #2
ReplyDeleteStanley Fish, a scholarly publisher, dives into the truth behind privatization of universities. He discusses the funding and students who attend these schools. He's brings to mind the truth that students will be paying for their higher education rather than depend on public funds which come people who have never attended college themselves. He says,"Students should only pay towards the cost of their education once they are enjoying the benefits of that education" (Fish).
A "typical" student at Milersville University makes time for academics and friends. He or she puts effort into attaining their future goals but also makes time to socialize with good friends. I find that there are four types of students: positive investors, negative investors, positive consumers, and negative consumers. Positive investors spend their time wisely making smart choices. Negative investors spend their time irresponsibly and with people and places they shouldn't be. Positive consumers take each day as it comes and enjoy the act of learning, taking everything they can in to become a better student. Negative consumers put themselves in situations that will take away time from schooling, but rather filling their mind with negativity; actions that will not benefit them in the long wrong. You see all types of students at both private and public schools. The character of a student is completely individual in which the type of person you are is based off of the choices you make.
Overall, Fish touches on secondary education topics that are not usually discussed. However, the points he brings to mind are validating and bring to light the positive aspects of private universities.
Reading Culture 3: Chap 3 The Value of Higher Education Made Literal
ReplyDeleteStanley Fish discibes college students as either investors or consumers. An investor being someone who invests in schooling for the love of the subject or their thirst for knowledge. I consumer who is looking to get a degree in order to get a better job that pays more. If more and more students become consumers than many of the classes will be dropped curriculum. Classes like Greek mythology and Philosophy will be obsolete. While technology and Accounting will be on the rise.
I think your typical college student starts out as a consumer, chasing a degree and big paycheck. But many leave as investors, sorting out all of the information that they learned throughout college. Sorting out what they enjoyed most and what job would be emulate that. Why realizing that the other classes although won't necessarily help you get a job but will help to round out you as a person.
Although it would be better if more people were investors, but with the rising costs of getting a education nowadays. Being a consumer is becoming more and more necessary. Unfortunately with those rising costs, you really have to have a future goal in mind rather than just getting a degree just to get it, with no specific plan in mind. You need to have a vision for all the hard work you have to put in now. Ideally a student should be both an investor and a consumer where they enjoy what they study that leads to a job in that field.
Reading Culture 4: Chap 2 Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities
ReplyDeleteEarly on in the story Sedaris acknowledges that both he and his sisters enjoyed jazz music that their father passed down to them, but they were not as enthusiastic as he was. Although they preferred jazz over what their friends to, with their father it was never good enough. He went as far as giving them instruments and putting them in lessons. Because the father was so persistent the kids rejected.
Their father really did love jazz, but I don't think it was all about jazz. Part of it was wanting that connection with his kids. He wanted something that the whole family could embrace. This is uncommon many parents trying to project their interests onto their kids in hopes of making a connection. With the age and generation gap, somethings it's harder for parents to relate to their kids, so they try what they can.
I read "What is High School," by Theodore R. Sizer. At the end of the article it told readers to describe what our high school teachers expected of us.
ReplyDeleteMost of my teachers in high school had the same expectation, but their expectations were different for each class. Our classes were split into three sections: honor/AP classes, college prep classes, and tech prep classes. For example, if you were in an honors class you were expected to have your work competed. The same thing went for college prep classes. However, if you were in tech prep classes they weren't as demanding about getting work done. It is like they expected those students to not finish their work. I think this is bad. Everyone should have the same expectation. Instead of allowing that class to get away with not completing their work the teachers should have modified it so it was easier for those students to complete. Even if it was modified the students would still be completing the assignment!
Since I was in college prep classes I was expected to have my work done and completed on time. This has helped me in college. Learning time management in high school has carried over into my college career and I am able to get my work done in time. In high school I had a heavy course load so it helped when I went to college and became swamped with work. My high school has had a big influence on me and has helped me to become a better college student.
I read "What is High School" by Theodore R. Sizer. One of the articles questions asked the readers to explain what their day was like in high school or college like how Mark's day was explained.
ReplyDeleteMy typical day of high school would start out with driving to school around 7:15. I would either drive by myself, or carpool with my neighbors while we took turns driving. Once I got to school I would park in my parking spot and walk inside. Our parking lot for students who drove was away from where the busses dropped off the other students. I would then walk inside and go to the band room and hang out with some of my friends there before it was time to go to homeroom. In homeroom I we got our attendance taken every day and listened to the morning announcements. I had the same homeroom all four years of high school. The teacher I had was named Mr. Gold. He was a very careless teacher but did his job.
I remember my senior year the best but some parts are fuzzy. I remember once the bell rang around 7:30 we went to our first block of the day. Our school ran on the block system and not the period system. We tried to go to the period system but it never worked. So I had four classes a semester the whole time I was in high school. Next I went to my Video Production class. I used to have Chemistry 2 but that class was not for me so I switched. This class was very fun because we got to create and edit videos. The teacher in this class was also very laid back and almost did nothing unless you had a question.
Each class block lasted around an hour and a half I think. But anyways, my next class was then my Math class. Statistics if I'm correct. This class I had the best math teacher I've ever had and I have had him 3 out of the 4 years in high school. Very soft spoken but knew math very well he even won an award for it. I would problems in class and take notes. There were alot of notes which was something that I liked because math confused me at times. This teacher named Mr. Berger, would also give us breaks in the middle of the class because he knew that our attention couldn't last the whole time we had the period. After that class was done we had the lunch block. You either had A, B, C, or D lunch. I have experienced all of them. Once you were the senior, the seniors had their own room of the cafeteria with TVs. The struggle was that the televisions always had sports playing on them which wasn't my thing. During this block and every spring semester I had my Jazz band class. During this block we would prepare for the spring jazz concert. I played the drum set or any other percussion instrument needed. It was very exciting and I learned alot. I even had a drum solo in each concert which was very awesome. Once Jazz band was over, I would have normal concert band split with either health or gym. It was exciting because most of my highschool time I was in a band class. Music was and still is my favorite so I was glad I was able to partake in many of the music programs. Once school was over I would also have Pit Band for the musical. School would get out at 2:05 and we would have 25 minutes to relax before pit band started. Besides that I would have the occasional homework but nothing compared to college. Even during senior year I was sometimes able to just walk around the halls or sit in on a different class. It was a great experience but I still love college much better.
I read the story Let Teenagers Try Adulthood by Leon Botstein. One of the questions is what assumptions about schooling and American teenagers is the author asking readers to share?
ReplyDeleteWhat I took from that was that, is that due to the increase in curricula (things to know) and the biological fact that young people mature substantially earlier, that the construct of a high school is kind of going against the natural grain of things. It’s confining people/students to a synthetic misunderstanding of the world. He states, “Individuality and dissent are discouraged”. There is undeniably a change in culture of learning and growing and become future citizens of this country, and world, and the educational institution needs to adapt to these culture changes.
I also read "What is High School" by Theodore R. Sizer.
ReplyDeleteMy highschool days were very different from the time I entered as a freshman to the time I graduated. When I was in 9th grade, my school was under a huge renovation project. Half the school was inaccessible, so I learned to navigate its halls by several detours. Getting lost and being late became the norm. We only had 5 minutes to get from one class to another and many times, due to the crowded halls, it took more than 5 minutes to reach the other end of the school. Freshmen especially had trouble under these conditions because we were new to the environment, ignorant and naive. We were scared to ask an upperclassmen for directions because we feared that they would mislead us, which they were known to do. Our smaller size was also an obstacle for us in the crowded halls, especially in the stairwells. Getting to the lunch line was the most important trek of the day. Even though we were only offered brown bagged lunches at the time, due to the renovations, packs of students would run, push, and force their way right through you like a stampede. As you can imagine, I packed my lunch for that entire year and the majority of the next.
Also during this transitional period, my highschool was dealing with severe racial disputes. One day during our lunch break, there was a confrontation between a group of black students and a group of white students (is there a politically correct term for rednecks?). I did not witness this directly, however I did see racism in small doses. As the years went on, the omnipresent racism that plagued our school seemed to subside. We held a Challenge Day program at our school for several days and I think that really improved the morale of my school.
As an upperclassman, my mentality changed. I was no longer the weak little underdog freshman. I had a surplus of friends and we roamed the halls like we owned them, and we did, well, our parents paid for them. I was not worried about being late to class or getting a good spot in the lunch line. My school had A, B, and C shift lunches and during the renovations, students were allowed to eat lunch on the floors, in the hallways, in teacher’s classrooms and outside. This practice continue even after the construction was finished and it became sort of an unofficial school tradition. At first our school officials tried to contain all the students in the lunch room during one lunch shift, but still students had to eat on the floor and because there were so many students and the cafeteria was still too small, sometimes we waited in the lunch line until after the lunch shift had ended and we late to our next class. Students signed petitions to keep the A, B, and C shifts and to enable us to continue freely roam the school during the lunch period. This was advantageous to us because we could sit down and enjoy lunch with plenty of time to spare to use the bathroom and socialize. Some students even skipped lunch so that they could take an extra class or do makeup work during their lunch break. Also, I was never the type of student to skip an academic class, but I did skip swimming class, pep rallies and the end of the lunch period. My best friend and I would avoid the initial lunch rush and walk outside down to the creek and meet with friends and then return to lunch with nearly no line at all.
December 17th reading. "Dead Space 2" - question 1.
ReplyDeleteReading the D&D chapter, I was quite interested in the second article they had that provided insight on games. I myself was actually surprised. I didn't know that this was an actual "thing." Ads featuring and supporting the Dead Space game didn't focus on how gorey the game is, or how 'scary' the game is. Instead, it actually revolves around "your mom is going to hate it." First of all, I couldn't believe that. Second of all, seriously? I went with question #1 for making connections, and decided to interview my mom and a few co workers I know who are either gamers or at least have played video games before.
My mother instantly responded with ,"That's stupid. Why on earth would somebody do something like that? It's ridiculous." To which I agreed. Apparently mothers disapprovals are what prove things to be "cool." So does that mean if they disapprove you actually taking care of yourself people agree that's cool? That's just stupidity. While I understand that's a tad harsh, you get my point.
Of my co workers that I interviewed who spend their time infrequently gaming, they also agreed it was rather silly. However, they did not disapprove of most games that are out today. We have come a long way in terms of gaming and in terms of making things better both equally as well as image graphic appealing. Most know games like Dead Space exist now, it's hard not to know. Take out the horror aspect and you're just left with mindless killing. You could even associate or at least connect Dead Space with a lot of aspects that games like Grand Theft Auto have. Story not so much, but how to play and who to shoot and upgrades? It's pretty much repetitive.
my posts are a bit behind due to myself being behind ]]
ReplyDeleteDec. 18th reading. Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity
Upon reading this article by Arlie Russell Hochschild, it begins right off the bat with a quote by a man by the name of Lissovoy. "I'm not part of the 1960s generation. I don't feel part of Gen X or Gen Y. I'm between the generation that barely tolerates computers and the one that treats them like a member of the family."
Hearing that statement alone has brought my thoughts to our own generation as we speak. I feel like for myself, I am caught between a generation that is slowly fading while my own generation is continuing to grow in an era where technology is becoming prominent and continuously evolving. I find my values and traditions something that have been held by previous generations, while I am struggling to keep up with my own generation due to my upbringing.
A part of me remembers being in a generation that was caught between the evolution of machinery and technology. We entered an era where the computer was a bulky piece of tech, and now here we are with laptops, smart phones, and new experiments already being tested such as having contact lenses create tv screen like images for us, or being able to be connected to the internet through your eyeball- and even cars that can fly and be auto piloted without us having to lift a finger.
It's scary, when you think about it. You're living in an age where generations I feel are meshing into one. Ideals, thoughts, opinions, beliefs, they are all swimming together and fighting one another because of previous upbringings and what is happening in our world today. Even now I have to question what will happen when my own generation is beginning to find its own ending? What is going to happen as I keep growing? Are we slowly going to become a generation like we've already begun to believe and make movies out of? A cybernetic world, technology and floating crafts like they predicted way back during when The Jetsons aired? It's honestly something I can't believe can happen, but as time has moved on and we're already headed for 2015, a part of me realizes it's pretty believable and may happen before I'm even ready to move on.
I read Hollywood tars, Brenda, Dean and Monroe. It is about them and their influence on audience. The article states thay the audience chooses the movies they watch according to the actors and actresses in the movie. The personality that they display is very important to the audience, and each have some qualities that attracts the audience. I believe it is not just the personality, physical appearance also plays a huge role for the audience.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with this article. I also choose the movies I am going to watch according to the cast. The story does not matter much, if one of my favorite actors or actresses is there, I am watching it...
Ch. 2 ~ Pissing in a River - The Patti Smith Group ~ Nick Hornby
ReplyDeleteJudging by the title of this passage, you really have no idea of what you are getting yourself into. Nick Hornby, an English novelist, discusses Patti Smith's music style and who she is as an artist, but also discusses the importance of pop music in the lives of young people.
Hornby explains Pattie Smith as a woman whose passion and emotional songs captivate her audience. Her songs were rich in context and she made the audience feel the words she was singing. In the text Hornby says, "Just make sure that whoever it is means it, that they're burning up in their desperation to communicate whatever it is they want to say" (76). The author is suggesting that all music should be intentional and really grab the hearts of its listeners.
Pop music today is very shallow. Today, songs based on sex, drugs, alcohol, and relationships bombard the radio. There are many artists whose goal is to have a top hit, not necessarily encourage their fans. They focus on creating a song that is catchy with a solid beat...who listens to lyrics anyways? Actually, many people do, and it is quite a disappointment when trashy songs are constantly running through your head. Despite the lack of meaningful and purposeful music, the powerful world of pop music does have a strong hold on many youth today, both good and bad.
Chapter 2 page 102 question 1
ReplyDeleteIn Meade's article, "We Are All Third Generation," she begins by talking about a process that all immigrants in America undergo that is efficient enough to be started in the first generation and come full circle by the third. The first generation is described as being the adventurer. During this time is when the members of a generation wish to do better for themselves, so they move to a new city/state/country, abandon their family trade, change their vernacular/language, and adopt a new and acceptable name in the new business world. Now although must end up being successful that have some resentment to the choices they made and feel a level of guilt for leaving behind everything that once made them who they were. The next generation is referred to as the rebellious or misunderstood generation. This generation feels a sense of disappointment in their parents, mostly because they feel that their parents only achieved half of what was needed to be both successful and happy. Finally the third generation, which Meade entitles the misguided generation. Here, an individual wants to feel a sense of belonging but feels distant from it with the realization that their grandfather or fore bearer of their name was not a native born member of that struggle or event.
While I don't see any possible modifications to this system, in that these experiences are inevitably to happen, I do feel that certain aspects of this system pertain to my family. My grandparents grew up after the end of the Second World War during that time America was maintaining its dominance as a new world power. So by the time my grandparents grew up they didn't know much of adapting to the new order of society that my parents inherited. After that my parents were growing up in fear from the Soviet Union, and through that fear they developed a sense of prejudice towards anything that was un-American. Unfortunately, because of this fear they ended up being unwilling to accept any new relations or transitions that the country developed. Finally we come to my generation, which has a misunderstanding of my parents and what they consider to be social norms because my generation has grown up becoming accepting of everything that is currently helping to shape the future.
As a member of group one, I read the introduction, foreword, chapter one, and chapter two of Postman’s book, “Amusing Ourselves to Death.” I want to discuss an example that stuck out to me in Chapter two, Media as Epistemology. In this chapter, Postman gives three examples of spoken word versus written word and how they resonate with people as well as how truth comes across in different types of cultural settings. In his first example, Postman discusses a western African tribe that had no writing system but whose rich oral tradition gave form to its ideas of civil law. He says that in oral cultures proverbs and sayings are not occasional devices but they are incessant. They are what form the substance of thought itself. Thought would be impossible without proverbs and sayings in a culture such as this.
ReplyDeleteIn Postman’s second example, he discusses what “truth” means in the culture of a University setting. He told the story of a boy who quoted his own spoken word in his thesis. He was presenting in front of a panel of professors, and one said to him, “You are not a journalist. You are supposed to be a scholar.” And Postman later stated, “Why do you assume the accuracy f a print referenced citation but not a speech- referenced one?” This really made me wonder. The panel went on to tell the student “The written word is assumed to have been reflected upon and revised by it’s author, reviewed by authorities and editors It is easier to verify or refute, and it is invested with an impersonal and objective character...” To me, this makes sense, but it is confusing at the same time. Why is written word the only form of communication accepted in the University setting?
In Postman’s third example, he discusses the influence of media on our epistemologies by giving the reference to the trial of Socrates. Postman says, “To the Greeks, rhetoric was a form of spoken writing.” Which is why Socrates used it at the beginning of his trial. Even though rhetoric always implied oral performance, its power to reveal the truth resided in the written word’s power to display arguments in orderly progression. The point Postman was trying to make by all of these examples were that the concept of truth is intimately linked to the biases of forms of expression. So what he is saying is that depending on what cultural setting you are in, people need to hear things in different ways, written or orally addressed, to assess if they are true or not.
Questions:
Q1: Postman states in Chapter One “Speech, of course, is the primal indispensable medium. It made us human, keeps us human, and in fact defines what human means.” Do you agree that speech is what makes us human? If so, why? If not, why not?
Q2: Postman said, “Although culture is a creation of speech, it is recreated anew by every medium of communication.” How do you believe speech can effect a culture/ How does speech effect culture in different ways?
Q3: In Postman’s book, he defines what “communication” is to him. What do you define communication as? Do you agree with Postman’s definition or do you have your own?
There is a place on D2L that this is suppose to be posted.
DeleteIn Delilah Montoya’s Visual Essay “Women Boxers: The new Warriors” she starts out by saying that the boxers in her book represent a new generation of women who grew up with role models like Wonder Women, the PowerPuff Girls, Cat Women and working mothers. She calls these women “Les Malcriadas”, which means women who refuse to play by the rules. I love this! So, how are these role models reflected in the way Montoya photographed these boxers? First, the role models are all women who refused to play by the rules, and these pictures defy what is thought about how a women should look and act. Women fighting, how dare they. A women with a tattoo wearing boxing gloves, I don’t think so. A women showing her muscles, women don’t have muscles! All these pictures go against what society believes a women should represent. Second, looking at the picture of Chavez I think of Wonder Women, the one from my time many, many years ago. She is strong and powerful and beautiful and that is what I see Chavez as in this picture. The picture of Holm not facing us, but showing her sculpted muscles I see reminds me of Cat Women. She wears a mask so we do not see her face, and skin tight leather outfit so we can see how strong and powerful she is. The picture of the actual boxing kind of reminds me of what I can remember about the PowerPuff girls. I am a little old for that but watched it a little with my oldest daughter. I kind of remember them flying around fighting and for some reason I am thinking they wore box gloves or something, so this pictures just kind of makes me think of them.
ReplyDeleteIn Delilah Montoya’s Visual Essay “Women Boxers: The new Warriors” she starts out by saying that the boxers in her book represent a new generation of women who grew up with role models like Wonder Women, the PowerPuff Girls, Cat Women and working mothers. She calls these women “Les Malcriadas”, which means women who refuse to play by the rules. I love this! So, how are these role models reflected in the way Montoya photographed these boxers? First, the role models are all women who refused to play by the rules, and these pictures defy what is thought about how a women should look and act. Women fighting, how dare they. A women with a tattoo wearing boxing gloves, I don’t think so. A women showing her muscles, women don’t have muscles! All these pictures go against what society believes a women should represent. Second, looking at the picture of Chavez I think of Wonder Women, the one from my time many, many years ago. She is strong and powerful and beautiful and that is what I see Chavez as in this picture. The picture of Holm not facing us, but showing her sculpted muscles I see reminds me of Cat Women. She wears a mask so we do not see her face, and skin tight leather outfit so we can see how strong and powerful she is. The picture of the actual boxing kind of reminds me of what I can remember about the PowerPuff girls. I am a little old for that but watched it a little with my oldest daughter. I kind of remember them flying around fighting and for some reason I am thinking they wore box gloves or something, so this pictures just kind of makes me think of them.
ReplyDeleteDecember 23 reading. Women Boxers.
ReplyDeleteMontoya describes women who enter the ring to be thought of as malcriadas- which translates to "an ill-mannered servant" or "bad girl." She says that women can best be related to this because when we think of the sport of boxing, we do not typically think of it as a woman's sport (even though it has grown into one both for women and men). She says that what inspires women to become professional boxers tends to be a range of things- growing up and being inspired by professionals, seeing television programs that have lead women-roles (ie. the Power Puff Girls, Wonder Woman) and so on. Female boxers are continuously changing the stereotypes that most men have- however, it is an ongoing struggle when it comes down to depicting women and the roles that they 'should' play in society.
Berger's essay and their visuals provide us with women who are in the classic "sexy" pose. They are exposed, have little to no clothing, and normally are included in advertisements for hair products, skin care, and fragrances. Heck, they're even seen in shoe advertisements and made sexual. The pictures in Montoya's piece are hardly similar I feel compared to that of Berger's, even though few similarities are there. First of all, you have pictures of these women in the action. This is the exact opposite compared to what you normally see in other commercials- being vulnerable and all dolled up. You have one sitting at the edge of the ring, ready for combat. Perhaps the only similarities compared to Berger's and Montoya's would be eye contact. Her photo of Jackie sitting there and staring at you with a fierce look and yet calm disposition could be compared with the Gucci Guilty add. They just are in different context. The same can be applied for the shoe advertisement and Holly Holm, whose back is only shown to us. This creates a sense of masculinity, because you can see the defined muscles and forms in her arms and her back. On the contrary, the Ree tone ad shows nothing but skin and legs, which in most people's case would be one of the many 'parts' of women that are the 'sexiest' and eye appealing.
Female Chauvinistic Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
ReplyDeleteIn this article Ariel Levy describes what it was like to grow up through the Raunch Culture stage in life. The time where women felt more feminine and empowered to show off their bodies. She describes "raunch" and "liberating" as not being as synonymous as people believe them to be. I would have to agree with this statement. I believe that women became raunchy in order to prove themselves to the men. I believe they acted in this manor (and still continue to) because of the images that are portrayed in the media. The style that women are wearing in magazines, on TV, etc. is one that depicts the perfectly feminine woman. However, are any of these people actually liberated? They might feel a new sense of coming into their own skin, but you cannot tell me that exposing your breasts and butt are something that makes you feel free. Being liberated (from what was happening before these feminist movements took place) was when the feminist movements actually took place. The raunchiness is what followed.
This article provided good insight into what a female was going through during these movements. The women felt empowered to go to strip clubs and to be more like men because they had the freedom to do so. However, this freedom is not the same freedom that seems to have 'liberated' the women. This freedom was that women could conduct themselves as more closely related to men than previously. That being said, is exposing your body the way to get there? Being able to do as you wish is one thing, but it is unbecoming of someone to flaunt themselves because they feel like they have more of a right to do so.
"Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization"
ReplyDelete2) I think there is a lot of factors that go into the idea that people hate the idea of "hipsters". I think mostly this is because its just a trend that emerged from being obscure to being fairly popular. I think when anything that becomes popular over time people begin to hate or dislike the trend.
Chapter 4, Women Boxers: The New Warriors by Delilah Montoya
ReplyDelete2. Every person has a number of people or things that help influence them in their life and make them who they are. These people or objects can also serve as a role model, and it is very important that they are positive, and helps to lead this person in the right direction in life. In my life, I have a number of people who help influence me positively, but my mother and grandmother really are the most influential in my life. I look up to them a lot, and hope I can be as great as they are one day. Some people may not have loved ones in their life they can look up to, so instead they look up to celebrities and those that are in the spotlight, which can be either good or bad. There are a number of celebrities that would currently be considered a ‘bad influence’ and would not be good role models for young children. But, there are also a number of celebrities that would be considered a good role model and positive for young children to look up to. Many things that would help characterize a positive role model and influence would be a good body image, not advertising illegal or dangerous things, being in a positive spotlight, and an all around good person.
Good and encouraging role-models are so important for all people, especially children. I have been impacted by my parents and many other wonderful relatives who have helped make me into the person I am today. I am very fortunate. I can only hope that I can now be a role model for young teens and children today. It is also essential that you teach children right from wrong, and show them the people they should avoid!
DeleteChapter 5: Question 2
ReplyDeleteAn example of something being raunchy and liberating is hip hop music. You cannot place hip hop in just one category because it is a representation of different lifestyles and concepts. Some hip hop can talk about sex and drugs, but on the other hand, some hip hop music can be uplifting and really have a positive message. Hip hop can be raunchy in the sense of its language and content matter. It can also be liberating because it's people telling their story, what happens in their everyday lives, and they can express their feelings and opinions musically. Hip hop can represent many things, which is why you can not categorize it to just one concept.
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DeleteHip-hop can definitely be categorized in different groups. There are many songs in this genre that consist of very dirty and disgusting lyrics. Hip-hop is my favorite genre and I am thankful for the artists who choose to sing songs that are more uplifting and positive. Along with hip-hop, every type of genre can be be put in a good or bad category depending on the listener. Overall, the artist who is behind the music determines what type of songs they generate for their fans.
DeleteChapter 4 ~ In the Shadow of the Image ~ Writing Assignment #1
ReplyDeleteIn the Shadow of the Image, Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen, discuss the power of images. In today's world, we are bombarded with billboards, television commercials, and magazines that make people be something they are not, but also make others feel bad of what they don't have.
On a daily basis, I get distracted while I'm in line to check-out at the grocery story, gawking at the latest fashion in a People magazine. While I am riding in the car, I see a gleaming engagement ring displayed on a bill board; a ring I will only have in my dreams. On television commercials I see clothing I think I "need" to have. Do these images create a sense of yearning in my heart?
Overall, I truly try to be content and thankful for what I have. I try not to get caught up in the media that portrays you have to be so thin, own a Michael Khors bag, and wear high-quality name brand clothing. Yes it is okay to splurge once in awhile, however it is important that you avoid the tricks and schemes the media has up their sleeves!
Images are very powerful. Yes many times ads and billboards have pictures that are trying to sell us something! They put things that are out of our reach right in front of us too hoping that our want is greater than our ability to walk away from it.
DeleteI’ve always been interested in pop-punk culture, but after reading Dick Hebdige’s article, “Style In Revolt: Revolting Style”, I wanted to investigate further into this punk subculture of today. Bands such as New Found Glory, Blink 182, The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, Title Fight, Four Year Strong, and Tigers Jaw, all stick to the mantra “Defend Pop-Punk”. There is a certain style associated with it, where all you need is a cliché tattoo, a nose ring, t-shirt of a pop-punk band or one claiming my love of pizza and/or weed, Vans, and a beanie or snap-back. For many, it’s more than a culture. It’s made them “not sad anymore” because most lyrics are relatable to the “lonely guy” with “sad eyes, and bony knees”. It gives kids a sense of belongingness that in a way feels like individuality, because they believe they’re the only ones who go through it; the modern teen angst. This is very different to the punks of the 70’s, because pop-punk kids are a lot more relaxed and don’t necessarily desire anarchy or want to threaten law and order. There are still punks out there, they’re just very different than their more modern pop-punk subculture.
ReplyDelete"Reading the Gaze:Gender Roles in Advertising" how different pictures of genders are used in advertising. The major reason is of course to draw attention. If the person in the advertisement is nude, it draws even more attention. The essay also talks about the importance and meaning of where the character in the advertisemnt is looking at. Different relationship is set up when the person is looking directly at you than when she is looking down, etc...
ReplyDeleteThe 4 pictures at the end of this essay all use geders to draw the attention. Te first picture doesn't even make sence in having a nude woman. The rest can make a little sence, and they do affect you differently when the character is looking directly at you.These pictures sldo attain their goal by drawing the attention.
Today I read "History of My Face." This poem is about a man relating all of his facial features to different cultures and their origin. This was a short but profound work. He pretty much made a timeline of cultural events that had an impact on the world and his bloodline and its mixtures. As we all know, our facial features are inherited from our parents and their parents and so on. You can look at family trees and observe how we are morphed into what we look like today. When Mattawa looked in the mirror, he saw his ancestors. He saw the Roman, Turkish, Greek, and Libyan in his features.
ReplyDeleteWhen we look into our mirrors we see ourselves. But if we look a little harder and think a little deeper, we will see the reflections of those before us. I love that this is deeper than skin although skin color is also significant. The shape of our eyes, the bridge of our nose, the fullness of our lips. Each feature is etched in history.
Chapter 4: 'The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire"
ReplyDeleteReading Response
The article was a response to another author's argument about nudity in art. The main arguments in the article that were brought up was nudity itself and the gender hierarchy involved in nude art. One of the first points brought up was what to called nudity in art. Should we consider being naked as nakedness or being nude. The article determined that nude was the correct term when referring to art because "naked" had a negative connotation to it. The article went on to explain that men nude in art usually are admiring the women in some way and women look at themselves. The author explained that the "looking" of the men to the women and the women to themselves describes the submission of women. I personally never thought into the looks that nude art signified. The next time I see nude art I will look closer at the body language and "looks" of the people in the art.
Lastly, the article did a good job of letting the reader know when they were comparing what the original argument stated by using quotations and breaks in paragraph. This lead to a well organized counter-argument.
This article attracted me to read it because of my appreciation of nude artworks. I never really considered the gender roles between the characters in the paintings though. As far as the nakedness vs nude terminology, I don't personally see a difference. I agree naked may have a negative connotation but why? Since when are our bare bodies an embarrassment? Since the sins of Eve? hence, female submission... :(
DeleteWomen Boxers: The New Warriors
ReplyDeleteThe article Women Boxers by Delilah Montoya depicts a strong, independent women who does not follow the rules—malcriada. Other women figures who could be considered a malcriada would be most famously, Rosa Parks. She is an African-American activist who refused to have her voice be silenced. She is considered by US Congress to be “the first lady of civil rights.” During the 1800’s we have Harriet Tubman who conducted the Underground Railroad to help runaway slaves get to the north. Another women we have is Jane Austen who is known for paving the way for female writers at a time when female writers were not welcomed. She wrote “Pride and Prejudice” “Emma” and “Northanger Abbey.”
Chapter 4 pg 189
ReplyDeleteIn Khaled Mattawa's piece entitled, "History of My Face," he describes different facial features of his and tells how each feature is tied to his heritage. In addition to saying where his family comes from he also talks about events in history tied to those places that could've been part of why he has the face that he does. He talks about the slaves of Sanussi, the settlement of the Greeks, the invasion of Tripoli, the intermarriage of Septimus Severus, and the claiming of Uqba. I think what his poem is saying is that our face can tell a lot of our own history and where it is that each of us comes from.
Through my own heritage you'll see pieces of Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, and the Susquehannock tribe. The way my skin easily tans comes from my Native American ancestry. The thick and darkness of my hair comes from Italy. My rounded face from the hills of Ireland. The way my voice carries comes from Germany. And my warming smile from Austria. However, unlike Khaled, I don't know what the full history is behind my family's heritage, but I still believe that my face alone can help tell the story of where I come from as an individual.
"Women Boxers; The New Warriors" By:Delilah Montaya
ReplyDeleteMontaya writes about the women who grew up with role models such as Wonder woman, cat woman and the Powderpuff girls. The depictions of the boxers in the images shows them reminiscing superheroes. For example, the women boxers look like the depictions of Wonder Woman in the comic books with their dress mainly. Their pants in particular have belts that resemble wonder woman's indestructable belts.
I imagine these women boxers that gain popularity portray almost "on earth" superheroes. They give young women a chance to see women in power and provide a sense of role model. They give them real superheroes that they can actually aspire to become. A boxer is an attainable position for an everyday child to wish to be.
As I grew up I looked to role models such as Lizzie Maguire and Britney Spears. I thought if i tried hard enough i could become a famous movie star. This depiction of these women resemble superheroes somewhat with their attire also. Montaya displays these women as real life superheroes, someone we wish to grow up idolizing.
I read In “The Shadow of The Image” on page 178. In response to the suggestions for reading on page 179, I will analyze my use of brand named products. I try to be very aware about the products I buy because I think of myself as a responsible consumer. I like to know what to buy and what to avoid. For example, I avoid Shell, Exxon, BP, Nestle, Kraft, Nabisco, Post, McDonalds, and of course Walmart. There are tons of others as well. I do have attachments to certain brands due to my limited options. I support Nature’s Choice, Toms, and Burt’s Bees. It’s interesting to me because I find it much easier to recall the brand names I boycott rather than the products I do purchase. Usually that is because the corporate giants are the ones who have enough money to advertise and brand themselves so well, where as the local, small businesses are harder to remember the names of. It is obvious to see where the money goes and its effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteI read "Geek Love" By Adam Rogers
ReplyDeleteAdams describes how his life revolved around video games, online games, and fictional characters. The author tells the readers that playing these games didn't help him get friends or get a girl. He was completely lost in these games.
The author admits he played by the rules. Instead of just playing the game he related the game to a "manual of how people are put together". Every one in this world plays a role just like the characters play a role in the game. He was able to relate it to the real world.
The author also related Facebook to a video game. Users must create an online profile for their "character" in order to join the site. The author then continues by saying that once you are a user you connect and make relationships with people, similarly to video games.
CHPT 4 blog post dec. 23rd
ReplyDeleteimages.
I read, “In the Shadow of an Image” written by Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen. I found that the beginning of this story was kind of hard to follow. It skipped around a lot between different peoples stories. I found that in each story however, there were the ideas of how people saw images in their lives, and how they related regardless of race or class. There were billboards on the streets, posters in the subway, labels on products used everyday, and stories with images in magazines such as the New York Post. There was a girl getting an after school job just so that she could get the name brand pair of jeans even though they were way more expensive, because she wouldn’t fit in at school if she didn’t have them. There was a story of a woman who had an important interview and the biggest thing on her mind was what was she going to wear. When she got the job, she called her friend to thank her for the outfit suggestion. Images are a huge influence on people’s lives, even if we don’t feel like we are affected by them, we are. “ We live and breathe an atmosphere where mass images are everywhere in evidence mass produced, mass distributed. In the streets, in our home, among a crowd, or alone they speak to us, overwhelm our vision. “
For Dec 22 I read The Female Nude by Richard Leppert. He starts off by saying that nakedness means to be without clothes and most people get a sense of embarrassment. He studied the representation of the naked human body in art as a type of painted or sculpted composition. He ignored the questions who and why when investigating. One of his critiques criticized that a man has power that he exercises on others and women presence is about what they can do and what they cannot do. Berger another critique says that men act and women appear. He argues that the painted nude is of female and it is no expressive of their feelings but is a sign of her submission to the owners feelings and demands. Marcia Pointon account of the male stare acknowledges strength and weakness. She goes on to say that this is a type of painting that is done for men. It then describes what the looks can mean and how they can be driven by love, hate, that can be mutual or reciprocal or selfish and self-serving. It ends this section saying that female nudes is a space that is open to contestation .
ReplyDeleteThe next reading I did for Dec 23 was Gender Roles in Advertising. This piece had to do with reading the gaze. It starts off by saying that over years publics attention has been drawing attention yet men are also becoming quite popular for attention. The gaze refers to the relationship that occurs between the reader and the person represented in the image. It explains how when the person in the image is looking directly at you it creates a different image than if they were looking down. On the next page 209 it shows four different photos. The one is a "Gucci Guilty" perfume ad. To me its saying get this perfume it makes me smell sexy by the way that the guy is all over the women. The last page of this part talks about direct and indirect ways of addressing us. It talks about facial expressions and gestures and what they mean.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5, Rap and The Cotton Club
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about the influx of white listeners to "black" hip-hop. I don't think white artists are ever ripping off black music. If they have the talent to produce hip-hop music why can't they? To me this article was very racist. Throughout the article they had underground black artists commenting on how their audiences were becoming more and more white. And how they were pleasantly surprised when they see a lot of black fans in the audience at one of their concerts, because they could vibe to their music, and they are used to seeing white faces in the audience, so seeing the black people was refreshing.
It's like anything else, if someone can act they can act, the color of their skin is irreverent. The same standard should exist for the hip-hop and rap industry. Whether the people going to the concerts and buying the CD's are black or white shouldn't matter. Talent is talent, for that reason I think anytime white artists get into the rap industry they are extending an artistically unique style that only can enhance so called "black music."
Just look at how popular Eminem is in the rap world. In my opinion he is the best rapper of all time, ignoring race, but he just happens to be white. This opinion is shared by a lot of people, many people rank him at least in the top 5. If he never entered this industry people would never have heard and seen his greatness. There are plenty of other young and upcoming artists trying to have similar impacts. If they are good enough, why not give them the chance to see what they have, regardless of skin color.
“Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization”
ReplyDeleteI myself have been asked recently by a friend I went to high school with, but haven’t seen for a very long time, “Are you a hipster now?” I did not even know how to respond at the time… I didn’t think I was a hipster, as many of them don’t. It’s a confusing thing for someone who doesn’t necessarily believe in labels, especially “negative” ones about oneself… And now the fact that Douglas Haddow describes hipsters mirroring “the doomed shallowness of mainstream society” (235) it’s like he’s calling everyone a hipster. I think he has a flawed way of describing our younger generation. (I even had to look up a “kiffiyeh” which he describes hipsters wearing, and I’m pretty sure it’s already out of fashion, which a hipster would not be atoned to.)
In Douglas Haddow’s article, he describes a hipster as “one mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot of styles, tastes and behavior”. He says this is because after World War II, our culture is lost in its past and it is now unable to create any new meaning. (235) The more I think about it, I know a few people who fit Haddow’s definition of a hipster, and I can definitely relate to how he says they are shallow. They push their “individuality” on others over social media, yet their opinions are the same as everyone else’s, they just have to be more overt about it.
My problem with Haddow’s argument is that I don’t think hipsters are such a lost cause. They may blend subcultures together to create their ideas but is that as bad as it seems? Our generation has to compete with the entire world today, so it’s only expected that we take the best part of cultures to be able to survive. I also extremely dislike how throughout the whole article, he judges people outside of parties who “exemplify hipster homogeneity”. (236) Either way, these hipsters are trying to figure out where they belong in the world, which is not such a bad thing. I honestly do not understand why he hates hipsters so much, as they really are not as detrimental to society as he makes them seem.
I read “Female Chauvinist Pigs” by Ariel Levy on pages 245-247 and answer the questions posed in Classroom Activity. I agree with Levy that “raunchy” and “liberated” are not synonymous, yet I disagree because I don’t think we should try to draw a clear cut line between them either. I think to some extent, that types of dress, pornography, and sleeziness are the results of our liberation. Having the right and choice to be “raunchy” is the empowering part. Without it, raunchiness would be oppressive and degrading. I agree with Levy to some extent when she said that women become Chauvinist pigs when they make themselves and other women into sex objects (246). In my opinion, I think it is natural and normal to flaunt sexuality, however some methods are better than others and lean towards oppressive instead of expressive.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, the answer lies in the intention. Someone might be “raunchy” if they dress or act a certain way in order to be looked at, aroused, or desired by others. Where as, someone who is “liberated” would dress themselves however they like, despite how revealing. There are many people, who act “raunchy” and the like, however I believe that the lot of them are misunderstood and are in fact, “liberated”.
Coming from an older, somewhat conservative person, I agree with you that it is natural and normal to flaunt sexuality. And yes, it should be done tastefully or it can come off wrong.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDec. 27th reading.
ReplyDeleteIn The Alpha Geeks David Brooks ends by drawing on a biblical reference by saying “For it is written, the last shall be first and the geek shall inherit the earth.” What does he mean by this? Simple, at one time nerds, geeks, whatever was the chosen name were looked down upon. It was the good looking jock that drove the cool car and got the pretty girl and would succeed. Why, because they were social. At one time in our history people had to deal with people. So employers wanted social, people people. Nerds and geeks were smart, but a lot of the time they were considered socially awkward. However, this all changed with the development of Microsoft and the digital economy. As Brooks states “the new technology created a range of mental playgrounds where the new geeks could display their cultural capital.” It is the geeks that are spending time in technology developing new things that the rest of us want. Who do we call when we have a computer problem, “The Geek Squad?” In today’s world of technology it pays to have a geek as one of your employees. And it pays to have one as a best friend. They have now inherited the earth because they are some of the most sought after employees, making good money.
Dec. 27th reading.
ReplyDeleteIn The Alpha Geeks David Brooks ends by drawing on a biblical reference by saying “For it is written, the last shall be first and the geek shall inherit the earth.” What does he mean by this? Simple, at one time nerds, geeks, whatever was the chosen name were looked down upon. It was the good looking jock that drove the cool car and got the pretty girl and would succeed. Why, because they were social. At one time in our history people had to deal with people. So employers wanted social, people people. Nerds and geeks were smart, but a lot of the time they were considered socially awkward. However, this all changed with the development of Microsoft and the digital economy. As Brooks states “the new technology created a range of mental playgrounds where the new geeks could display their cultural capital.” It is the geeks that are spending time in technology developing new things that the rest of us want. Who do we call when we have a computer problem, “The Geek Squad?” In today’s world of technology it pays to have a geek as one of your employees. And it pays to have one as a best friend. They have now inherited the earth because they are some of the most sought after employees, making good money.
“The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire”
ReplyDeleteThis reading was interesting to say the least. I think what Leppert essentially is attempting compare and contrast differing arguments regarding is the difference between what nude artwork was and what it has become, how it is perceived by different people viewing it, and the evolution of specifically nude art depicting females. I believe Berger’s thesis, effectively in response to Sir Kenneth Clark, is that since females are not projecting outward they are the only ones that should be considered nude in art, and while men are only projecting outward they are the ones that should be considered naked in art. Subsequently, women are to be looked at, and men are the lookers. This reading was difficult for me, and not what I expected to say the least. What I believe summarizes Leppert’s response to this thesis is that the image of females is driven directly by how men see them. This means that no matter the message an image like this is meant to portray, the actual way the image is perceived is driven by sexual desires or gender hierarchy. I, personally, am not really sure what to make of this entire argument. I tend to see a relation to this argument and the way women may be portrayed in Hollywood and advertising. Leppert is sort of arguing for the affirmation of the idea that “sex sells”. That the idea that often what we see in images like these are driven by natural factors, although he seems to be talking about more of how people perceive any image.
Do you think women's dress and attitudes are influenced by men's perception over women? (or what women think are men's perception of them?) I am very interested to hear from the other side of the coin!
DeleteI chose to read “In the shadow of the image” by Stuart and Elizabeth Ewen from chapter 4: Images. When reading the writing assignment #1 I had to first look up to work vignettes. I was very confused. After understanding that a vignette was a brief description, encounter or episode, I was able to begin. The story describes small bits of different people’s lives, from the encounter of a Spanish woman on a train to a guy taking a shower. The description of moments in the standard American life includes images that surround us. Visual messages that I encounter throughout the day would include commercials, ads on twitter and facebook, magazines, and billboards. Each American is bombarded with similar stimulus and advisement, whether we are on a train, in the shower, or in Sears.
ReplyDelete"The Alpha Geek"
ReplyDeleteBy: David Brooks
Brooks notes "geeks have created a new definition of what is cool". He distinguishes between two stigmas of nerd and geek. He comments on how geeks have defined themselves as the "cooler" nerd. When I think of a nerd, typically, I picture a tiny kid with his calculator and pencil, as do many. Brooks brings to light the concept of geeks redefining the stigma of nerd. With examples like Weazer and Sublime, the term geek is seemed to be cool, instead of being pictured as being beat up by jocks and athletes.
Geeks have their own counter culture versus nerds have an assigned stigma, as I mentioned above with my own explanation of a stereotype of a nerd. Geeks are valuable to society. When I think of geeks, I also think of Geek squad, a reliable computer fixing company with ads depicting models as geeks. Brooks mentions they create their own counterculture, which I agree is formed. I think brands like vans, blink 182 and those of punk rock are associated with modern day geeks. One of the best examples of the modern day geek, as Brooks mentions, is Harry Potter.
Harry Potter has defined the term geek as his own. Those who like Harry Potter series were not defined as alienated nerds, but hopeful wizards. These characters brought to life the world of magic, dragons, wizardry and boarding school. Attending a boarding school with your two best friends became the desired dream of most children. Hogwarts provided a mystical getaway in reading books, and in doing so emphasize the importance of reading, an hobbie typically associated with nerds.
"Who's A Nerd, Anyway?"
ReplyDeleteBy Benjamin Nugent
This article was interesting and it kept bringing me back to a connection with my classes that I took this past fall. We kept discussing "what is normal" and who gets to decide who/what is normal? These questions hold similar connotations. Who is to say someone is one way over the other? Nerds are portrayed in the media as the smart, goodie goodie people who know way more than most people. They are also portrayed at the scapegoats in most situations. People make fun od these so called nerds because they are intimidated by their smarts.
When thinking about what a nerd really is, it might be true that they are smart, but what images come to mind. The nerds, in the media, are always portrayed with the pocket protectors, the big glasses, the profound language, and the more basic clothing. It is easy to see who exactly these people are, but what would they look like without the media? My guess is they would be much like you and me. Without the media displaying what they believe the world should look like, there would be less people trying to be someone else and more people trying to be themselves.
I read "Gender Roles in Advertising". This article opened my eyes. I never notice how much a facial expression, a hand position, or body movement influenced us. This article explained how they use models to influence the viewer.
ReplyDeleteAdvertising for males is different than for woman. The advertiser develops ads that will intrigue men to want a project. For example, a lot of ads for men deal with woman. The model make a certain facial expression, wear a certain style of clothes, and stand in a particular way that will intrigue men into the product. The same goes for woman. The advertiser will use a model/ or product that woman are interested in. For make up they make models look beautiful to try to sell it to us. This article was short, but definitely got its point across. I will now look at ads differently when viewing a magazine or tv commercial.
December 27 Reading - women and the rise of raunch culture
ReplyDeletewhile Reading this passage I feel like it really brings up a good point of feminism and how it has evolved to today. While i cannot say i am a hardcore feminist, there are many things i believe that feminists fight for. we want to be seen as equal, and we want many rights men have that women struggle to obtain. I question however a lot of things that we have done in order to obtain that respect and equality. We have risen from a generation that is afraid of what we wear to a generation that could care less. We do not let people's opinions rule what our wardrobe is, so we are able to express ourselves fully without concern. It is good to feel empowerment.
However, as much as clothing concerns have decreased slowly, we are still judged by our own peers. We pick on each other either quietly or out loud, and normally we cannot differentiate feminists and "sluts" or other because of what we choose to wear (which ranges from mostly nothing to raunchy mini skirts). It's a style, there is no doubt. But is it a style that I feel can help gain us respect?
If we can get past the entire judgement barrier, I feel like it can. Being appealing to the crowd is what draws attention. Sometimes though I feel like that attention is not well spent. We create more possible cracks than a solution I think. On one half it is women growing up in a generation that is strong and fearless, while on the other half we continue to promote the stereotypes and things that we are trying to rid of so we may become equal with men in the world.
Dec. 27th
ReplyDeleteChapter 4- Images “Rewriting the Image”
I read the visual essay from chapter four called “Rewriting the Image.” In this essay it is said that “ advertising does not just create “images,” it constructs differences between men and women, which operate under the assumption that they reflect a universal timeless truth.” I thought that this quote was very eye opening. Images portrayed in magazines and online and in books, they all tell women how they should dress, men what hair styles they should have, women how much make-up to apply and how to do it correctly, but they all do this without even saying words. People just look at these images and draw conclusions from what they see. That is why images are so powerful. One effective way of making a message through images is “rewriting” the image by taking an image that already exists and changing it to make it new again. It sends a message if the image is well known, when you make the changes to it.
Reading the Gaze: Gender Roles in Advertising
ReplyDeleteBerger makes a point that when men and women both appear in the same advertisement the woman is still to be the one who appears for the viewer's pleasure. The common argument that is discussed over this issue is that the man is the one who acts in the ad and the woman is the one who appears in the ad. This is a serious debate when discussed because the root problem that this brings up is the issue of sexism. Yet still, many advertisements continue to uphold this trend between men and women. In Berger's article he gives an example of a photo that follows the same conformity in a Gucci Guilty ad.
The Gaze that is also discussed in this reading also faces the issue of sexism. Men and women have different views when seeing different genders appear in certain advertisements. When opposites see each other there is often a sense of admiration and sometimes arousal, bottom line opposites approve of the other more often in how they're portrayed in advertisements. On the other hand when men or women see a portrayal of their own gender in certain manner that tend to shy away from it or profile them as being part of a certain clique or group that they themselves would never partake in. The views may change between genders, but the views that each gender has with different portrayals of each gender seems to be trend that will be unwavering and unchanging.
In John Berger's "Ways of Seeing", nakedness and nudity are defined as two different things. Numerous examples are given to explain their differences. I have gathered from this reading that nakedness is something someone experiences on his or her own. When you are alone and not wearing any clothes, you are naked. You are exposed to only yourself. Nakedness is something that you enjoy (or not enjoy) without an audience. But when you are not wearing clothes and are on "display", you are nude. Nudity is an art that comes in many forms. Nude photographs, nude poses, nude gestures, and nude paintings are a few examples of how nudity can be observed. "A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude." The woman depicted in Nell Gwynne by Lely is nude. She is not simply a women but she is something to be observed. Something to be admired. Although she is a women, through this painting, she has become an object.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting read. I enjoyed the comparisons between men and women because many of them were true. Women, without a doubt, are perceived differently than men. A man's presence can display what he can do for someone while a woman's presence displays what can be done for her. This makes it seem as though women need to be taken care of and for some women this is true. But this makes me question why it is true. Do some women need to taken care of simply because they truly can not fend for themselves? Or has that mindset been instilled in women? Have women been manipulated into believing that men are holders of power or do they genuinely have it?
I read “Reading the Gaze: Gender Roles in Advertising” on page 206 and answered the questions under Classroom Activity in relation to John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” on page 193. The 4 advertisements on pages 208 and 209 support Berger’s argument. According to him, women are subjects gazed upon by men. The Gucci Guilty ad shows the woman making eye contact with us while she is looked at by the man. On the next page, the woman in the Reebok ad is not looking at us and the gaze is only one way, from the viewer to the model. If the women of these ads were replaced with men, the gaze would not work in the same way. The Got Milk ad with Nelly consists of a two way gaze from the viewer to Nelly and from Nelly to the viewer, probably a female, so again the female is the subject of the males gaze.
ReplyDeleteI read "Rewriting the Image" from Chapter 4.
ReplyDeleteThe whole topic of the visual essay was about reworking an existing image to change the interpretation or reputation it has. From the visual essay I thought the rewritten image of the "Girl with the Pearl Nose Ring" encompassed the essays message. The rewritten image showed a woman who look more edgy than the original photo. I inferred that this woman was a more independent thinker than the girl in the original photograph. Just by tweaking a few elements ( the color, placement of pearl, and value) of the photograph I was able to picture an entirely new girl. This encompassed the meaning of the essay because "Rewriting the Image" is not only able changed original pieces of art, but it is about questioning the original art and questioning the stigma it may have presented.
I read the visual essay "Reading Labels, Selling Water". The essay discusses how the same water can cost a lot more in 2 different bottles due to it's brand. The bottle and the name of the brand make the difference. Fancier they are, the more money they cost.This is the truth about everything The fancier the packaging is, the better we think the item is. We are always drawn to more appealing and extrarordinary things. The same top,or a handbag can cost 100 dollars more just because it is in mall and has a famous brand name than the bag for sale in Burlington. Sometimes thinking about this makes me feel stupid, but even when i know this, i am still more attracted to more expensive items. I am probably not alone :))
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how a lot of stuff comes from the same manufacture, off the same line, but in the end they slap a different logo or name on it and the price goes up, depending on that name.
DeleteMy reading for today I picked Rap and the Cotton Club. Bakari Kitwana starts his section off by talking about how the black face in the audience and how there are more and more white people listening to rap. He refers to his time being the Cotton Club because they only sang to white audiences. Boots says that one night when he stepped onto stage and saw an all white audience he thought "they aren't here to see us" but then they applauded. The same thing is happening to hip hop. It then talks about the transformation to how now 1 million units are sold in 4 days for 50 cent. It talks about how the audience is including white , college students who have the time to look up this kind of music. Even though a crowd can be made up of mostly white people it states that if there are not black kids out there buying it you will not make it. They end the section saying that it is a racist thing that they think the white MC's are the originators just because they don't want to hear it being old school
ReplyDeleteChapter 5, Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization by Douglas Haddow
ReplyDelete2. I believe hipsters are casted in a negative light because of how defiant they are of society. Those who are considered hipsters are very non-mainstream in their views, and will go out of their way to prove that they do not believe in that kind of lifestyle. I believe this strong sense of defiance makes people annoyed at those who are labeled hipsters, because they will do anything to prove that they are different than the mainstream and a majority of society. People who get annoyed by this most likely do not understand why those considered hipsters can’t just go with the majority of society and always have to be different. They may also get annoyed with how hipsters push their views on others, and always have to show in a big way that they are different. This negative light may be brought on because they may also put off an attitude to others that says ‘I’m superior’ and ‘better’ because they are living their life so much differently.
Who's a Nerd, Anyway? ~ Exploratory Writing
ReplyDeleteBenjamin Nugent, uses Mary Bucholtz's paper, "The Whiteness of Nerds: Superstandard English and Racial Markednes", to explore the idea of being a "nerd". What really defines a nerd anyway? When I think of a nerd, I think of someone who is very intelligent and may dress in a more conservative fashion, unlike the popular fashion of the time. However, I hate how being called a "nerd" is so looked down upon. All people are placed in a stereotypical category, and all people should realize that we are all unique and talented in our own way. Where would we even be without nerds?
In the passage, Nugent suggests that a nerd is an individual who is "hyperwhite". That is definitely an interesting way to put it. In retrospect, the term hyperwhite coincides with both white and African American individuals. In Bucholtz essay, she defines nerdiness "as a way of using language" (263). In all, so called "nerds" shape their own identity, just like other groups of people. In the text, the author also brings up the differences between nerds and African Americans in which relates to the fact that sometimes their differences interfere with becoming friends. However, African Americans can also be considered nerds, even though the "white nerd" has a very familiar place in society.
I do have plenty of name-brand objects in my house. I never realized it until I actually counted all of them. The few that I will pick for this assignment are:
ReplyDelete1. Apple iPhone
2. Beats by Dr. Dre
3. Colgate Toothpaste
4. Ford Mustang
I'll start with the iPhone. The iPhone is one of most popular cellular devices today on the market besides the Android. I see so many people have iPhones. The one reason why I think the iPhone is so popular is because of how simplistic the layout of the phone looks. Same as their commercials for the phone. There is always a white background and all of the attention is focused on the phone itself with the way it looks. This product tries, I think, to focus on a wide age group. Anyone should be able to use an iPhone because it is easy. My parents definitely get confused with the phone and don't use it to its full capability but I know other parents who do. The images that this product sends off is that it is an everyday tool that will help you through life. You can call, text, take pictures/videos, play games, stay organized, listen to music, check emails, and so on.
Product 2 is Beats by Dr. Dre. I am sure half of the people who bought Beats had no idea who Dr. Dre was at the time. I know I didn't. I don't remember what got my attention of beats and why I wanted them. Pretty sure they were in an LMFAO music video and that's what made me want them. These headphone are stylish which I think is a big reason as to why they sold so well, espcially at their 300 dollar price for the studios. What really sold them to me was the sound of them. These headphone were definitely focused on a younger crowd but for many uses. There were studios, wireless, business travel looking ones. The economic group I'm sure was focused to a higher group since the price was so high. They were also used during sports. When a player was on the side lines, they would listen to their beats so some fan would want to buy them since that player was using them. They have been put in countless music videos as well.
The third item is Colgate Toothpaste. When you think of a toothpaste brand, Colgate is at least one of the top brands you can think of. It is used so much. There is also mouthwash, whitening stripes, and other products that come from Colgate. Their commercials that I see always show everyone having perfectly straight and white teeth. Something that the company wants people to believe that their product is the best. This product spans to everyone at any level in any level of economy.
The fourth product is my mustang which is built by Ford. Ford is one of the most well know brand of American made cars out there. They have so many different kinds of vehicles to support any ones kind of need. Some cars are more expensive like the Mustang but others are affordable for families. They have a good name for their trucks as well.
Women Boxers: The New Warriors
ReplyDeleteby Delilah Montoya
In the beginning of her piece Montoya begins by stating that young women in today's society are stepping up and taking more risks especially in the field of sports such as boxing. The reason behind this undertaking is that most of these young women grew up watching, who they considered, role models. Such role models included: Wonder Woman, The Power Puff Girls, and Catwoman. The one thing these ladies all shared was that they proved to themselves and others that they are some of the toughest fighters in the world. So it isn't that hard to believe that some young ladies wanted to have that same feeling for themselves.
For a long time, also, boxing was a male dominated sport but after facing the ambition that some woman wanted for themselves boxing has become a gender equal sport. In the photographs that were provided in Montoya's work you can see that the women who have entered the world of boxing have the tendency and intentions of being a similar image as their fantasy role models. The common image that they all seem to try and go for is that not only are they proving that they're a tough person to go against but they're still also attractive. So I believe that the idea of wanting to follow in the footsteps of a role model is a good ambition to have, but also you should still know that you aren't going to walk the same path as your role model.
Women Boxers: The New Warriors
ReplyDeleteAt the end of this piece it mentioned how some woman grew up with role models such as the powder puff girls, cat woman, and some working mothers. Then the author asked to look at the pictures in the text and see how they are new role models. When looking at the pictures of the boxer it shows how strong women are. Before, we cleaned houses and cooked dinner. Much differently today, we work the same paying jobs as males and have gained rights to make us equal to males.
As you flip through commercials you see a lot of ads with women working out. Healthy is the new "thing". Women can be tough, strong, and athletic now. The boxers in the pictures on pages 212 and 213 show how tough we can be. We can also participate in the same sports as males. Times have changed and our role models are now healthy athletic figures and not so much powder puff girls or cat women.
Chapter 5, Against Exercise by Mark Greif
ReplyDelete1. One section in this passage I found interesting is where Greif was talking about how we call the gym a health club, even though it’s not a place where people meet other members to discuss things. Rather, the gym is a place where individuals go by themselves to do their exercise and routine in a more privatized manner. “Modern gym exercise moves biology into the nonsocial company of strangers” (Greif, page 253). In the gym everyone has their own way and order of doing things and keeps to him or herself. If you look around, almost every person has headphones in, and there is little to no conversation ever.
My personal experience with the gym has almost always been a little awkward. My friend and I will meet up sometimes and go, but when we do, we never really get to talk to each other. I feel that as soon as you step inside, it’s almost rude to talk to not distract the other people, and people will give you funny looks. I think it’s so silly, you’re running next to your friend and you acknowledge each other’s presence, but you just continue to run next to each other for forty minutes with your headphones in, not speaking. I’m not the biggest fan of the gym; I’d rather run outside on the streets rather than on a track. But, I’ve always thought it funny they call it a health club, because the name doesn’t really fit it’s description.
Woman Boxers: The New Warriors ~ Writing Assignment #2
ReplyDeleteWomen's boxing has opened up a whole new realm for females. Even thought it has been categorized as a male sport, females have taken it on. Many are influenced by their families and are driven to succeed in this sport. I admire these women who have the determination to take on another opponent and fight for victory. However, I have no desire to ever become a female boxer.
Similar to the significant female boxers mentioned in the passage, I have also been influenced greatly by my family. My parents encourage me to fulfill my dreams and help guide and support decisions I make. I'm thankful to have such support, much like the women boxers experience in their athletic careers.
Women Boxers: The New Warriors
ReplyDeleteAs I think about the readings I think about the image women boxers portray for young girls. They wish to become like these athletes. These athletes demonstrate crucial characteristics like commitment, dedication, and team work. Women boxing allows women to compete in a strictly masculine sport. The image provided by pop culture of what a woman should do is challenged. At the time these women participated in boxing, the woman's place was in the house. Often woman were depicted as the housekeeper, always cooking and cleaning.
To be able to compete in the sport of boxing, athletes must have certain muscles. Women develop muscles that the typical woman does not focus on. American culture at the time, portrays women with bonnets and baking apple pie. Women wanted to be thin, not seen as muscular and manly. Today I think we still see a focus on the thin body shape, but are moving towards the acceptance of the curvy woman. The new woman has shape and figure to her body. A healthy woman is the woman of now.
Ariel Levy: Female Chauvinistic Pigs
ReplyDeletePart 1 - Girls Gone Wild is about feminism and liberation.
A woman should feel proud of herself and her body, so there’s nothing wrong with wanting to share it with others. To freely express the love of yourself is empowering. Men sexualize women’s bodies—there is nothing sexual about a woman’s breasts. It’s nice knowing people are admiring you. “Self objectification can be fixed through sexual liberation.” If guys can go shirtless in public, why can’t women? Who cares what they think.
Part 2 - Girls Gone Wild is about objectifying women.
A woman should feel proud of herself and her body, so she should be conservative in wanting to share it with others. Why is there even satisfaction in looking at boobs? Self-objectification can be detrimental to a women’s mental health. This overly sexual behavior is embarrassing and slutty. You’re giving women a bad image if you show your breasts. No one will respect you.
http://feministing.com/2010/10/12/sexual-liberation-vs-self-objectification/
Chap 5: Reading Labels, Selling Waters
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how consumers love bottled water, even though they have it for free in their own house. Many people prefer bottled water and sometimes that is the only water they will drink. When in reality, Philadelphia tap water is more beneficial for you than bottled spring water. Tap water had fluoride added which is good for your teeth.
The article mentions "fancy" water bottles like Bling and Pellegrino. People buy these products because the fancy names and labels, but in reality it's all H20. Don't get me wrong, bottles come in handy sometimes. On the soccer field or while hiking where tap water is not accessible makes it very convenient to have bottled water.
This whole water bottle culture amazes me. When you visit someones house and they have bottled water ready baffles me. On another note people that only drink bottled water are going doomed when the Zombie Apocalypse.
Dec 29th Reading
ReplyDeleteIn Benjamin Nugent’s essay Who’s a Nerd, Anyway? he talks about Mary Bucholtz’s research on what nerdiness is. He states that Bucholtz has been working on this question for 12 years. This essay was written in 2007. Nugent states that she has concluded that nerdiness is largely a matter of racially tinged behavior. People who are considered nerds tend to act in ways that are “hyperwhite.” Bucholtz understands it first as being as a way of using language. Most “cool” white kids use some African-American vernacular English, slang. However, nerds punctiliously adhere to Standard English and they often favor Greco-Latinate words over Germanic ones. They use their distinctive way of speaking as a badge of membership.
Nugent also mentions how in Bucholtz research she claims that “symbolic resources of an extreme whiteness” can be used elsewhere. A lot of our trends in music, dance, fashion, sports and language are traced to African-American resources. However, in nerdiness, African-American culture does not play a role. Bucholtz states that by cultivating an identity that is excess whiteness the nerds are denying themselves the aura of normality. Bucholtz also observed that the code of conspicuous intellectualism in the nerd cliques could shut out black students who chose not to openly display their abilities.
For today's reading, I read Women Boxers: The New Warriors. Montoya has photographed three woman boxers and included them in this work. Looking at these pictures, you see three physical strong and tough women. These photos reflect the three women's more aggressive sides because as we know, boxing is an aggressive and violent sport. These are great shots to show future female boxers. We want to see our role models at their best. Role models are supposed to inspire us and Montoya provided inspirational and motivational pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like most about this story is that it exposes the other sides of female boxers. These women cannot make a decent living from boxing as men can. They have to work normal jobs and live normal lives. Many woman boxers are single parents. They still have to take care of their families. Some are nurses, social workers, and some are even students. Many of these women are great role models because although they are participating in a violent sport they are showing that they can still be gentle and human.
Today I read about the article: Female Chauvinist Pigs; Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. Ariel Levy starts this section saying that years ago on TV she started to notice that women were being more provactitive and wearing less clothes. She then goes on to discuss Charlie's Angels where women are said to be strong and empowered and were more like dressed like porn stars. Even when she walked down the streets she could see that females were wearing less and less and some even wore shirts that said porn star on it. Her friends then at that time started to go to strip clubs and there were night marches on campuses. What was more surprising to her were the responses she got after interviewing men and women. Some of the women's answers were shocking. They said that they wanted to be experienced as a man because they were not girly girls.
ReplyDeleteI read this article too. I'm curious to know what you think about it...
DeleteI read “Against Exercise” by Mark Greif on page 251. In the beginning of his essay, he says compares the modern gym with the environment of a factory. He points out the similar conveyor belts and bench presses. That part is interesting. I’ve never considered how closely they resemble each other. I do however, hold the opinion that exercising in modern gyms with machines and dumbbells are wasteful. People use their energy to power these machines which in turn, do not produce anything. He mentions the farmer who uses a pulley, cable, and bar to lift heavy loads. Now this mechanism has been transformed into an exercise machine. Then he ponders why exercise is not a private activity like eating, sleeping, defecating, cleaning, grooming, and masturbating. Well thats a silly question. All of these activities are private for some people and public/social activities for others. Not one of them is only done privately or publicly. Then he says exercisers make faces and noises associated with pain, tears, and orgasm. And exercisers wear tight lycra clothing. More generalizations. I prefer to exercise in loose cotton clothing, with other people, outside in the grass, without machines. What would Greif say about that? Then he says exercisers are dependent on numbers and counting. Again, this statement is not all inclusive. I do not count reps and keep track of weight. I play sports and tag and games. The only counting we do is to keep score, if we even do that… Another generalization, “Women strip their bodies of layers of fat to reveal a shape without its normal excess of flesh...the task of the women exerciser remains one of emanciation” (255). I am a woman. I like to exercise. I like my strong muscles and I like my fat. Furthermore, he says that men aim for a fully developed six-pack, which associated exercise with the “masculinity of drinking”. That may be true, but specifying this as a masculine desire is unnecessary because women like having six-pack abs and women love to drink. Ugh I hate sexist generalizations more than anything!!! I can't believe this was published in a textbook!
ReplyDeletePage 202 writing assignment
ReplyDeleteVictoria's Secret typically uses very "skinny" models in their advertisements. This relays the message that only smaller women can look good in their lingerie, which is false. I feel that they should include models of all sizes, and not just the typical "plus size". They should have normal women in their ads, instead of models to give a more realistic approach. Ads that feature women of typical stature boots self confidence in others, because they see that other women like them can pull it off too. Using models who are below average for their weight is extremely unrealistic for some. I feel if they use regular women, their sales and ratings would boost because they will be targeting the majority of the audience.
Post for 12/28: Page 248 Question 1
ReplyDeleteThe nude photographs of Kim Kardashian of her recreating a monumental photo from the past has gained quite the popularity. This picture, to me, says a lot about our culture today because it's more acceptable for a woman to be naked in public than years ago. At one point in America, a woman could been killed for being nude in public. Now that we have the internet and other forms of media, these things are more accessible and frequently viewed. Some negative aspects about this picture was that the history of the original was not taken into consideration and was seen to some as a mockery to recreate it. Also, some view women to be seen nude publically is immoral. It can be seen as raunchy and not right to do since she is a mother as well. On the other hand, the picture also got great reviews in the fact that even after having a kid, she could pull something like that off. It showed confidence and that's why some may admire her. Another positive was that everyone got a lot of profit from it from magazine sales. All in all, our society may have mixed views about women's sexuality, but in today's world, I feel that it is a lot more accepted and even expected of women to be "sexy". I didn't agree with the picture and I thought it was a little extreme, but I wasn't surprised by it's raving reviews.
Chapter 4: Women Boxers: The New Warriors
ReplyDeleteReading Response
The article focused on the driven women boxers that have emerged into sports and the definition of the word malcriada. Malcriada is a who will do what she wants. I think the authors way of introducing that vocab and tying it into the women boxers was unique and a good addition to his main point. Bringing up Title IX and all the civil rights movement also helped show how far women have come. The article suggest that these women boxers are fighters not only in the ring, but in the area of female rights. They do what they want even when society frowns upon it. Society does not like seeing girls get punched in boxing rings, but women boxers do not care. They are truly malcriadas.
Chapter 5, Geek Culture
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how the term "geek" has changed from a carnival performer who bit the head off a live chicken, to most recently associated with an obessive interest in high-tech computers and video games, science fiction, and the Harry Potter series, but keeping the connotations of weirdness and freakishness. Also saying that they are in a way moving up in the world with TV shows such as Revenge of The Nerds.
After reading a similar article called Who's A Nerd, Anyway? by Benjamin Nugent, it got me thinking. What makes a nerd a nerd? Who decides who the cool kids are and the nerds are in high school and other places as well. Is it the clothes you wear, the way you talk or the things you do? Is it related to academic success? To me it is all relative. It is all a matter of opinion. In Nugent's article it says that nerds would say something like "it's my observation" instead of "I think." Also how language plays a big part in the label you receive. People should worry less about labels and little things like that and more about character, especially since this whole topic is so subjective.
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteI think people tend to classify others as 'nerds' or 'geeks' because there are groups out there called 'geek squad' that represent a techy batch of people with glasses who fix computers.
I chose to explore Adam Rogers article, “Geek Love.” When traveling through the diagram, answering yes and no at different intersections. I explored the different paths and I began to understand the qualities these ‘geek’s’ have which either lead them to girls, chat rooms, or on second life. The different paths have shown me the qualifications, if you will, to be a ‘geek’. It seems geeks like computer games, sci-fi, books, yoda, and hot pockets. Geeks just seem to be like anyone else—we all have our own special thing about us. Whatever it is computers, sports, school, skateboarding, it just makes us dynamic. And if calling someone a geek just means they are human and have a passion, than I’m a geek.
ReplyDelete"Ways of Seeing"
ReplyDeleteBy John Berger
Today I chose to read this article because it related back to the essay that I am writing for this topic. This article was all about how women are portrayed in the media and how differently men are portrayed. Berger makes a few statements where he claims that women are portrayed in a sexier manner because the media believes the audience that will be viewing that piece will be mostly male. Think about it, if you were to visualize a mans body where a woman's body is, the effect would not be the same. I think it is an important topic to talk about because it is true, women are portrayed at on a much different scale then men. Women are portrayed in a sexy manner, although yes, men are always made out to be sexy in some cases, the ideal audience will always be targeted for men.
The way that the media distorts images is downright disgraceful. Nowadays they change entire bodies to fit the right viewer, but most of the time you know who is viewing those pictures? Women. Women are viewing those pictures and those women have unrealistic expectations for how they should look and then they resort to drastic measures. It is not right the way that the media portrays women. Now, there are cases where celebrity women fight back to the media and make a point to the public about not changing who they are to fit roles and such, but these are rare and hard to come by. Most of the time, in magazines, newspapers, really any ads, the women are not real people at all. They are an outline, a very rough outline, of a true person, but then then are captured in such a way that they need editing. Is it not the job of a company to higher someone who "has it all"? Then why, if that is true, are these women begin airbrushed and photoshopping. Makes no sense to me.
Reading Culture: Dec 29th
ReplyDeleteI read “The Female Nude: Surfaces of Desire” by Richard Leppert. In his writing he quotes Kenneth Clark, who says “nakedness describes a state of being without clothes; while nudity, by contrast, is a category of artistic representation.” I know that in the art world, nudity is a beautiful form of art. This made me wonder why when people take pictures of nude people, why is that wrong? Berger says, “ to be naked is to “be oneself”; but to be nude is to be seen by others”. This makes me wonder, can you be yourself when you are being seen by others? I feel like people are always covering up like they have something to hide, but if nudity is beautiful then why does everyone act like it is a terrible thing unless it is in the form of a painting or mural.
DECEMBER 29 POST
ReplyDeleteI read the visual essay "Public Health Messages". This essay states that public messages appear everywhere, anywhere frim billboards to magazine ads. Like advirtising, they are intended to persuade us. Unlike the the advertisements, not to have us buy something, but to live a healthy lifestyle. Even the public health messages use pictures that will grab our attention.
The posters that were used suring world wae 2 are mean and ate accusing women. Women are not the only gender yhat have STDs, but they are being pointed out.
Chapter 6, The Center of the Universe by Tina McElroy Ansa
ReplyDelete1. I believe I do carry the place where I grew up with me. I notice it more now that I am in college, because where I grew up and Millersville are two very different places. I grew up in a suburb right outside of Philadelphia, so my childhood was more city like than the farms of Lancaster. I basically grew up in Philadelphia, I’ve been there a million times and my parents started letting me go by myself with my friends in middle school. I can see the skyline from my house; the city has always been a part of my life and childhood. Since being in Millersville for college for the past three years, I feel like I enter almost a different world when going back. Being surrounded by farms and vast amounts of open land is very different. It’s a nice change from the fast pace life I usually have a home, but sometimes it’s too country for me and I don’t like it. At school when I meet someone I’m able to tell right off the bat whether they grew up in Lancaster or not, I can definitely see differences in those who have and have not.
I read “The First Job” by Sandra Cisneros on page 383 at the beginning of Chapter 8 about Work. I can relate to Cisneros’ first workplace experience so I chose to write about the third prompt on page 385.
ReplyDeleteFor my first job, I worked under the table at a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm. I was 12 years old. I drove my dirt bike a mile up the road every Saturday at 7 AM and usually stayed until about noon. The work was hard and the sometimes the conditions were miserable, but my young feminist self was determined to endure. I worked at this farm for about 3 years until I got lazy, got my first boyfriend, and like Cisneros, I got creeped out by my older male coworkers.
Since then, I’ve had a few babysitting jobs. It paid well and was easy enough, but I’ll never forget when the father of my favorite pair of kids crossed the professional line and how uncomfortable that situation was.
After that incident, I took a full time job at a small engine warehouse. This was by far the worst job I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I stuck it out for a whole year. I’ll never force myself to work under those conditions again. I packed orders in boxes on an assembly line for 8 to 10 hours a day. After my second day, my hands were chapped, fingernails broken, and my cuticles were cracked and bleeding. There were computers that timed our progress and counted our orders. Every packer was supposed to be able to pack 50 orders per hour. One of my coworkers could manage to pack 80 per hour, whereas I could only manage 40 if I really tried hard. It was a simple job, but the standards seemed impossible to reach. At the end of every work day, my supervisors gave us the numbers and singled out people who did well and those who were not carrying their weight. Workers with outstanding performances were rewarded with little freebie gifts and those who were not up to par were threatened to be fired. After being told several times that I was too slow, I figured that the computer generated numbers were calculated by a ratio of orders to seconds. I found a way to cheat the system to make my packing rate faster than it actually was by logging out of the computer system in between orders. Amazingly, my supervisors were fooled! My numbers were above the bar and I was rewarded for it. Two days later, my supervisor noticed the change in the pattern of my packing numbers, watched how I implemented my new method and then told me that I was not allowed to do that anymore, but commended me for finding a loophole in the system. Instead of repossessing my freebie gift or firing me, I was promoted from packer to picker and quickly after that I was moved upstairs to learn inventory control. I became the apprentice and friend of an unpleasant, misunderstood, and intelligent man named Tim. Partnering with Tim was the only reason I lasted there as long as I did. He taught me the inside ropes of the business and gave me more responsibilities to keep me occupied. He showed me how bad management and lack of accountability can ruin the success of the business. He instilled in me the importance of minor details and workplace morale. We liked to vent about our coworkers to each other and quite a few times we were pushed over the edge and felt like walking out. Tim and I made bets about which one of us would be fired first, knowing that it would never happen because our responsibilities were to important to the warehouse. Because of my frustrations, I became a more careless worker, took more breaks, and didn’t worry if I was a few minutes late. Tim always told me to call out if the weather or the roads were too bad. He always said this job is not worth your life! That philosophy really resonated with me. One morning I woke up and got dressed for work and then realized that today was the day, so I called my boss and said I won’t be returning.
Now I work at a family owned orchard and farm market. The pay is low and its a customer service job, but my bosses are respectable and they feed me well.
Chapter 6, D.C. Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about homeless people. Ideally I wouldn't want to see anyone in the streets. Some people have bad luck and are mentally ill so it's not their fault. But a lot of homeless people got their by the choices they made. I am immuned to homeless people, being from a big city. I never give money to them because it's to hard to decipher what the intentions for the money are. Some people really want it to get help, but you know others take that money and buy drugs and alcohol with it. I am all for buying a homeless person outside of McDonald's a burger but that is why I never give money.
Kathryn Baer talks about the debate on whether homeless people should be allowed in public libraries or not. I have to say both sides make good arguments. On the one hand the public library is free to all, but at certain point when they are overrun by the homeless kids aren't going to want to go libraries to study and do work with smelly homeless people swarming. I think homeless people should be allowed to visit libraries to go to the bathroom or warm up in the winter, but they shouldn't overstay their welcome by staying all day and night.
I read "Calling Him Back From Layoff," by Bob Hicok. This was a poem about a business owner who was inviting a worker back after being laid off. The business owner then felt bad because he knew allowing this man back in the business meant that the others who had applied for the job would sit and wait to see if they received the job. I think a lot of people could relate to this today. Jobs are hard to find and we wait around to see if we have been hired. Instead of having people wait by the phone business owners should explain why they did not get the job. Yes, this may take a lot of time but it would help those who were not hired. I thought that this was an interesting piece and was much different from the readings previously read for this class.
ReplyDeleteI read "From Middle East to Madison, Justice Depends on Public Spaces"
ReplyDeleteThis article is something we think about everyday, but we don't even realize what we are thinking. Whenever we want to meet up with a group of friends we tend to pick a public space such as a town center or common area. This place would need to be public and free for all to access.
Whenever people need to gather to celebrate, or more importantly, protest there needs to be a public space which is available to everyone to participate. These public spaces have been pivotal in protests in the Middle East. People know of the space and are able to gather there. The world needs more of these spaces to unite people of similar causes and even just to create community in the area they live in. I think what Project Public Space is doing will have a major impact on the world by allowing people to gather and get their ideas heard.
Chapter 6 page 277 question 2
ReplyDeleteThe Center of the Universe
by Tina McElroy Ansa
Tina Ansa writes about a lot about her family and how it helped to shape her into the writer that she is know as today. What you don't look at right away, however, is that background of the places she was raised up in. From a different point of view, one can learn that just as your family helps to raise you, so does the environment that you're brought in. Along the same lines of bringing one up, when a person lives in a specific area long enough they develop habits that become natural to their character just the same as how their family instills qualities of behavior in them. Ansa makes note of this in her piece in the conclusion, but she makes more reference to them in the whole piece than she knows.
In the beginning of her piece Ansa tells how her father brought her to a fountain in Macon, GA where he told her this is the center of Georgia. At that young of an age she went from a kid thinking she's the center of the universe to thinking, "Wow this is the center of my state." She then tells how her father's family is originally from Wrightsville, GA and there they were well known farmers like many other African families who owned farmland at the turn of the 20th Century. Her mother's family was different they were city dwellers from middle state, many worked as schoolteachers, tradespeople and semiprofessionals. One person in particular was her great-grandfather Pat. He worked as a barber and whenever she asks her mother about him she smiles with nostalgia and tells of some of his life stories. That same barbershop was used later by his daughter for a make-shift school where she taught kindergarten by day and illiterate parents by night. So as proud as she is in each of these family members for their achievements in life she also has pride in the places that these events took place in that allowed these accomplishments.
In I Stand Here Ironing, Tillie Olson tells a story of a women standing at an ironing board telling the life story of her eldest child Emily. Who is the narrator? I believe that it could be any mother who has made mistakes raising their children. The eldest seems to be the ones we make the most mistakes with. I am thinking that the narrator’s job is ironing cloths. Who is she talking to? Possibly a psychiatrist. It starts out “I wish you would come and talk to me about your daughter, I’m sure you can help me understand her. She’s a youngster her needs help and whom I’m deeply interested in helping.” But the narrator says “You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that you could use me as a key,” she goes on to say “There is all that life that happened outside of me, beyond me.” She is saying that she can’t open her daughter up to talk. She explains her daughter’s life and the things that happened to her. The narrator is feeling guilty knowing that if she did not have to choose work over motherhood things would be different, but Emily’s father left before she was a year old. She explains the times Emily did not live with her or when she was in an awful nursery school. These are the things that happen “beyond her.” Things that helped develop who Emily is and why the narrator cannot be a key to her daughter. This could be how so many working mothers feel.
ReplyDeleteI read Memorials Cause Controvercy in chapter 6.the essay starts with a family story of how Jim Ward was kid in crash, and his family members put up a custom made cross, which later was the takeb down by public works department. A new policy came out that banned homemade crosses from roads, instead the country will erect round memorial markers that say Drive Safely.Some families were not happy with the policy, I personally like the that idea.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people were happy to see the crosees go. I really liked Ward's quote:"everyone should realize that it is not always someone else facing a tragedy, sometimes it's you". A lot of times we dont think about things like that.
I chose to read the article "D.C. Libraries: homeless Shelters No More?" Fisher begins the article by stating that homeless people have been gathering in public libraries to keep warm and catch a quick nap. However, D.C. library's director, Ginnie Cooper has announced that sleeping will no longer be allowed in libraries along with carrying in more than 2 bags. New York City has even taken action by requiring library quests to present a library card before entering the building. However, federal judge Emmet Sullivan ruled against all restrictions on the libraries. Library directors are calling for the government to provide more homeless shelters in the area. Fisher believes there should be action taken to prevent homeless into libraries. Fisher uses pathos and logos to create his argument. He even allows for the other side of the argument to make an appearance. However, I'm not sure if I would want my child going to a public library where there could be possible homeless people there--they have nothing to loose and everything to gain.
ReplyDeleteThe First Job by Sandra Cisneros is about a young girl who gets her first job, via her Aunt, at a photo developer. Her motivations stem from her father, who wants her to go to a private school that expensive and he puts the responsibility of paying for it onto her. We see early on that she is somewhat of a pushover when she explains how “Tito” pushed her into the open water hydrant, though she “sort of let him”. She wears a “dress that made her look older” to the interview, lies about her age, as her Aunt told her to do, and gets the job. She continues to tell of some events that include immature behaviors which underline why she should not be working alone at this shop. She explains early on that she thought she would “find an easy job” though she describes this job as doing what she was told, which was simply matching negatives to positives. She says “I don’t know” many times throughout the story, which implies that she never asks for help when she needs it. The situation with the old man shows her misjudgment of character though even more of her naivety, as she explains he has “kind eyes”. The fact that it is hard for her to stand up for herself shows that she is not mature enough to work in a place that requires such independence.
ReplyDelete"The Center of the Universe"
ReplyDeleteTina McElroy Ansa
Ansa poses the question; "why would an African American want to live in the south?". When answering this perspective from her point of view she would say there's no place else she did fit in. Ansa has traveled up and down the eastern coast and has therefore experienced all walks of life. She has found that there is "no place else she did belong". She believes she is a part of the history of the south, her father before that and decades more.
On her father's side of the family, Ansa experienced a farmer's perspective of the grand state of Georgia. On the other hand, her mother's family offered a different perspective of the city life of Georgia. Each side offers a new viewpoint of the world. Summer visits to the country became the desired vacation for her and her siblings. Ansa first mentions at the beginning of the piece a fountain surrounded by her first intimate family and then spiraling outward to encompass the entire world.
Ansa speaks about family a lot with her novels and pieces. With her vision of family surrounding her at the fountain in city park, Ansa places heavy emphasis on the idea that the south is her family. Wherever Ansa's family is, is where her home is. Personally I don't think Ansa disconnects all the hate from the past because Georgia is now seen differently. It is seen as a flourishing city for all to thrive in.
I decided to read "The First Job" also. Writing Assignment 3.
ReplyDeleteMy first and only job so far has been working at Panera Bread. When I was close to graduating high school, my father told me that it was about time I start looking for jobs. I would need it for college and also for putting money on the side for myself. To be truthful though, my first experience is lucky. My father, who has been a member and a loyal customer at the store was able to get me an interview as soon as possible, giving me a major advantage to those who had their electronic applications before my own. My interview was very short, I was very nervous at the time. Right after I was hired on the spot. At that time I was just very happy that it happened, and thrilled I finally had a job. When I look back on it now I have to wonder if I Would have been hired without my dad's help, or if I would have had another job elsewhere.
It's hard for me to imagine having a different job outside of Panera Bread because I have been working there for three (going on four) years now. All of my time spent has been filled with laughs, frustrations, and a growing bitterness towards people since (let's be real) we are dealing with retail. I've been exposed to kindness but also rudeness and an increasing amount of impatient customers- some even racist to me.
Even still, I do love my job- and a part of me is afraid of leaving this comfort zone that I have created for myself throughout my time here. I have made wonderful coworker friends, my managers respect me and know I am a hard worker- it's hard to imagine that a job like this is so little compared to jobs I could obtain after I graduate this year. I can only hope for the best, can't I? To save time of course, Could I interest you in a "My Panera" card?
"The First Job"
ReplyDeleteThis reading certainly ended in a different way than I thought it would when I started reading it. The piece starts off seeming like a somewhat generic description of somebody's first job, I even remember thinking it sounded a little like what I remember about my first day of my first job ever. But in the last paragraph the author goes from this generic description to describing what may have been a jarring life experience, I certainly did not see it coming. The story also ended pretty abruptly after the author's revelation, leaving me thinking what happened next? The ending really makes a story, that begins very benign, to one that 's ending is surprising and creates a sort of panic in the reader.
I read "D.C. Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People." The topic for the article was upsetting. It was about rules in public libraries targeted against homeless people. My first thought was how can you consider yourself a public library? The libraries rules would consider the library to be a "homeowners" library rather than a "public" library. To an extent I understand why libraries are cautious of homeless people loitering in libraries. If homeless people are staying in the library and not using it's resources than the staff should simply direct them to the closest shelter rather than kicking them out of the library. If a homeless person is going to the library to get knowledge then they have no right to kick them out. Even if they may fall asleep, if a homeowner fell asleep I am sure librarians would simply wake them up rather than getting them out of the library. This article was sad, but it discusses an important issue. I think public libraries should rethink their title of "public."
ReplyDeleteI decided to read Worked Over and Overworked. Not surprised one bit that the intro starts talking about someone who works at walmart. The next scenario speaks of the army and how after the army a guy took a minimum wage job but some days was told not to even clock in and if they left it meant they quit. These are just two scenarios that were talked about in this section. It then discusses how this is a long term squeeze. Worker productivity has gone up since 1979 but that doesn't mean the same for the salaries. This has caused more poverty, inequalities, tensions, more time at work etc. It is said that 22 million full time workers do not have health insurance! Many families are not falling behind only because they are working longer and harder. Walmart has been associated to be said to be less caring, less generous, and less law-abiding management style. The average pay for an Walmart employee is 8.50. This article just goes to say how much of workaholics we are becoming and its not even necessarily by choice but a means to survive too.
ReplyDeleteMy First Job
ReplyDeleteBy Samantha Cisneros
This story left me a bit unsettled. I can relate to this story in a few different ways. I was just as nervous at my first job, well any new job for that matter, as she was in this story. I would imitate others actions until I would become comfortable enough to do my own thing. My very first job was at a Subway restaurant in high school. I would make sandwiches and serve customers in anyway that I could. However, I would also be hit on by older men and would be tipped even though it was not something that everyone did. I also had some guys wait for me around the restaurant until I was done, but we had to kick them out. Some people are too creepy. It was a shame that the girl in this story was caught off guard, but I guess it is true what they say, you can't trust everyone that you meet.
At Subway I only lasted a little more than a year. I heard horror stories about my boss before applying, but I figured a job was a job so i went ahead with it anyway. Well, then I began to see her true colors. She was over controlling and just all around overbearing. I had to get out of there, and it was the best decision I could make. It sent me on to better jobs with better opportunities and better money. Everyone's first jobs are exciting new experiences and it is a shame that some people have worse experiences than others.
Chapter 6, Caring for the Woods by Barry Lopez
ReplyDelete3. A place I know well and have seen change over the years is a field in my town that has been open for as long as I remember. Across the street, they recently built a new YMCA, and now across from the field they want to build condos. When I heard this, it kind of made me sad, that field has been there since my childhood, and was a place I’ve gone to so many times just to run around, play, and hang out. Recently, changes to the field have been made which seems like they are preparing it for construction, and every time I pass it and see how it has changed, it makes me sad. I know a lot of people are upset with this new construction, because they are taking away a place for children to go. Almost every day there are people there taking advantage of its final days. I guess there will be benefits to the condos being built, but is it worth sacrificing this field for them? I don’t think so, and I know a majority of the community feels the same way.
I'm sure it has been difficult to see one of your childhood places soon turn into a place of construction and a conglomeration of homes. It is great that there are other people who feel the same way. Maybe there is still hope and plans can always change!
DeleteI live in a development and I also have noticed the changes that have occurred with the land surrounding my home. My now next door neighbors house used to be a place of play, especially during the winter, when a snow mound would form for my friends and I to sled. Now my development is full of houses, completely filled and no place to build any more homes. It is amazing what happens to land as time goes on.
I hope the condos that are going to be built will bring more benefits in your community then you ever thought!
Page 282 #3
ReplyDeleteA place that I remember that changed is Hershey Park. Before 2009, there was a huge water ride called Canyon River Rapids. It resembled a real like river with large rapids, rocks, waterfalls, and lots of twists and turns. You were seated in a large, circular, floatable raft that seated 8 people and at the end of the ride, you got soaked! In the center was a turn table that you could use to rotate your raft. It was my favorite ride in the park and in 2009, they deconstructed it to expand the water park which is now called The Boardwalk. The Boardwalk originally was created in 2007, and now includes 5 main water attractions, with a wave pool, and lazy river. Where the wave pool and lazy river are located, is where Canyon River Rapids was located before 2009. Even though I miss this former attraction, I do really enjoy the expansion of the new water park. Being a former employee of Hershey park, I know that the Boardwalk has been very profitable, and increased revenue greatly for the company. When working there, I worked in a restaurant located in the Boardwalk and everyone I seen were happy and were enjoying themselves.
Ok, I am 41 so I have seen a lot of changes at Hershey. It is funny, we get season passes with our kids and I tell them that the only roller coasters were the Comet and the Super Luper Duper(spelling?), and I actually remember when this when was constructed. The only "water" ride we had was the Coal Cracker. My kids can't believe it. But, yes I like the changes.
DeleteJanuary 4th Reading
ReplyDeleteFor my reading I chose Tina McElroy Ansa's essay "The Center of the Universe." Ansa asks readers why wound any African American love the south with all of its history. Ansa responded by explaining that the south's history is in her. It is what has made her into who she is today. The experiences that she had in Georgia are what led her to become a writer. Her roots grew deep into Georgia before she was even born. Her family made their living in the south by farming, teaching, and barbering. Many of her fondest memories stem from her childhood in Macon.
The history of the south can be seen as good or bad depending on the angle in which you look at it. Some people hate the south because of slavery while others can look past that and remember the relationships they built with their family and the good times they may have had despite their circumstances. This is what Ansa was able to do. She remembered her struggles while also remembering the positive things that have shaped her life.
Chapter 8 "The Real Super heroes".
ReplyDeleteI read "The Real Super Heroes," by Dulce Pinzon. It opened my eyes and made me realize that there are so many heroes that are gone unnoticed. We see heroes as firefighters, police officers, army men/women, etc. What about those who work in terrible conditions just to survive? Mexican workers take jobs that Americans would NEVER do. Americans would rather be homeless rather than working in conditions similar to how Mexicans work. We never consider this. So why do we not give them credit? It seems as if we should. They're doing jobs we would never try.
You bring up such a great point! I've never thought about this before. There are so many heroes in this world that are shoved under the rug and given no credit for their hard work.
DeleteI guess we can help this issue by giving thanks to workers in our community who may be less fortunate. Having gratitude for people who normally do not get thanked would make many people smile, I'm sure.
Thanks for bringing up this point! Many more people should be aware of people who are in similar positions like Mexican workers.
I read "My first Job" in chapter 8. It is a story of the narrators first job and her experience there. Narrator's aunt Lala found this job for her and told her to say she was 1 year older than she was. The job was at the Peter Pan Photo Finishers and she was responsible for matching negatives with their prints. The job was easy but she was shy and did not feel comfortable among older adults. One day an older man at her work told her it was his birthday and asked her to give a kiss. She was getting ready to kiss his cheek but he kissed her in the mouth and didn't let go.
ReplyDeleteThis an awkward story that has ended abruptly and surprisingly. The story is about her first job, but the ending doesn't make sense. I am not what the author wanted the readers to think. Why would she even want to include the ending part in her story? I am left with several unanswered questions.
I read "Caring for the Woods" by Barry Lopez on pages 277-281. Question 2 on page 282 refers to how some people would not agree with Lopez's position on environmental preservation. If someone thought Lopez's motive was a selfish one I would argue that they are mistaken and Lopez is not only concerned about his and his loved ones well-being, he is concerned with the overall health of our planet. I would mention Garrett Hardin's economic theory called "the tragedy of the commons" and how preserving the resources shared by all life on Earth is in everyone's best interest. Indeed, like Lopez, I enjoy my wooded home because of the scarcity of neighbors and undeveloped land, but preserving our solitude is not the most important thing at stake. We must encourage sustainable practices all around in order to leave an inhabitable planet for the generations to come.
ReplyDelete"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." - David Brower, environmental conservationist
Reading culture January 5th
ReplyDeleteIn chapter eight there is a story entitled, “The Real Story of the Superheroes.” I thought that this was a fascinating story that depicted images in order to get the point across about what it really means to be a hero. The introduction is something that I have been struggling with in my papers, so I was really paying attention to thins introduction. It reeled in the reader by bringing a major event from US history to the front. Pinzon pulled in the reader this way and said that the people who helped in 9/11 were heroes, but also there are heroes everyday without a huge historical event as the main focus. Mexican immigrant workers in New York city was the example he focused on. He put in different pictures of the immigrant workers where they are from what their job is and how much money they send home every week to their families. I think it is inspiring for these people to work so hard, even though many of them make so little and still they are sending money home to their families and being the main support for them to survive.
I read "The Cocktail Waitress" in Chapter 8.
ReplyDeleteThis article was an analysis of a cocktail waitress's workplace. The article broke apart her work environment from what she did to the people she interacted with. It was very detailed and explained the specifics about customers and her staff. The graphs on pages 420 and 421 are an excellent visual representation of the people that the waitress encounters. It explains the difference between the different terminology the waitress uses to describe people at the restaurant. For example, a party at the restaurant is referred to as a "zoo." The analysis of this workplace was fascinating because to an average observer the restaurant may seem dull or average. However, when looking at the dynamics of this workplace, and other work places, it is obvious that there is a network going on that keeps the workplace moving.
The Center of the Universe ~ Writing Assignment #1
ReplyDeleteTina McElroy Ansa, shares a glimpse of her childhood in the south. She makes known the people that impacted her own life and the places that will live in her heart forever. At the end of the passage she says, "My mama is right. I don't live in Macon anymore. Macon lives in me" (277).
Like Tina McElroy Ansa's childhood, I also have had childhood experiences that will never leave my memory and always hold a special, significant place in my heart. I will forever carry my grandparents old house and times spent with them. My grandparents old house was my favorite place to go as a child. There was no place like it. My grandma would let me garden with her, bake with her, explore the attic with her, and play hours and hours of pretend. My grandparents old home has given me a view of what a grandparents house should be like. Even though their new house is still special, it is nothing like the former one. Unfortunately, many people are not as lucky as I have been with having such loving and caring grandparents.
The media also plays a big role in the ways people envision a "good place". In my life, the positive portrayal of grandparents in television shows and movies is a reality for me. However, for others, grandparents may bring heartache. Overall, the experiences you have as a child affect what places and memories you carry with you as an adult.
I read the visual essay " The Real Story of the Superheroes." The essay is about heros that sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for a good of others but go unnoticed.The essay focuses on Mexican Immigrants that work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages and send money to their families due to the poverty in Mexico.The project consists of color photographs of Mexican immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular American superheroes. Each photo pictures the worker in their work environment and is accompanied by short text with their name and the amount of money they send to Mexico. I really liked this visual essay, it brings up things that we do not think about at all. It is very important to be aware of such things because it changes us, and the way we view others and the world. It also affects how we treat people even though we do not admit so.It is not only workers, there a lot more heros in this world than we realize...
ReplyDeleteChapter 8, The First Job by Sandra Cisneros
ReplyDelete3. My first job was paid, and I worked in the doctor’s office my mom works in helping with filing patient’s papers, copying, faxing, shredding, and things like that. I started freshman year of high school and continued until my junior year of high school. My dad would drive me to the hospital three days a week and I would work from 3 until whenever my mom was done work for the day, usually around 6. I absolutely hated it. My mom kind of forced me to take the job since they needed help in the office and it was an easy way to make a little extra money. A majority of what I did was filing papers, which I dreaded. There were two doctors I did it for, and the work was boring, tiring, and so repetitive. It was also weird working with my mom, for the most part it was fun, but then we started spending too much time together, especially the days I worked, then we would go home and be together all night.
I think what I did was in the middle of fitting into the new world. Since this was six years ago, it was still acceptable for doctors to do everything in hard copies. But now, our world has shifted to almost everything digital, and the office no longer had papers, but instead everything is on the computer. I went to the office recently, and it’s much different than when I was there. There are more computers on the desks, rather than folders on folders of papers and charts.
Chapter 8, The First Job by Sandra Cisneros
ReplyDeleteWhen I was fifteen I told my parents that I wanted a job. At fifteen there were not many jobs available. I applied at a restaurant and got a job as a busser. I hated it!! The only thing I enjoyed was getting tips at the end of the night and my pay check every other week. My co workers were not friendly and the job was very unreliable. I would show up and my name would be crossed off the schedule. After weeks of not working I then began to find a new job. I think this unpredictable job helped me to mature as a person and a worker. I had to stay organized so I knew when I was or was not working, and it motivated me to find a new job. Today, I am currently working three jobs and absolutely love all of them!
I read the article named Goths of Tomorrowland by Thomas Hine. This article was very interesting to me. Hine says that young people are "caught in a paradox". He means that all of the things that young people try and separate themselves with, come around and become branded as something to sell. It is just like how baggy pants became an in thing to do. I don't think it is right to take something that someone used to make themselves or a group of people different and sell it to other people as the in thing. Any kind of people should be able to establish their own way of doing things because that is what makes them unique and a person. I think it is more important for young people to have their own way of doing things is because that is when they are discovering who they really are.
ReplyDeleteMy reasons coming to college was nothing major. I knew college helped you get a better job than if you didn't go to college. But now after being to college for some time now, I realized how important and how much you actually learn in college. The one thing that bothers me is how important credits are in college. Sometimes i feel as if they become more important that your own education, During registration for classes, you become so focused on getting enough credits that you usually aren't able to take classes that actually interest you. I feel like if your education was more important, you would be able to take classes that really specified to your major/interests. This seems to be leading more towards credentialing. An Educating approach would focus on the students knowledge gained. They are not identical at all because they focus on two different things, acquiring knowledge or credits. You do end up doing both but usually the focus ends up becoming on credits.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3 pg. 282
ReplyDeleteBeing older and living both in Baltimore and Pennsylvania I have seen a lot of places go through some major changes. Right now I live in Red Lion, which is still a small town, but growing. I remember about 33 years ago I lived here briefly with my parents and we would go to Cape Horn Tack shop. The store is still around, but not where it used to be. It was on the corner of Cape Horn RD and Lombard Street. At that time they were just barely paved roads with fields all around. The tack shop was a little barn made into a store. I don’t remember much else around it. Now, that store is Cape Horn Western Wear and is several miles down the road, still in Red Lion, but a different area. It is not even on Cape Horn Road anymore. What is there? Weis supermarket, McDonalds, and other stores. Then on one of the other corners is a Giant shopping center, a Sheetz on one corner and Rite Aid on another. And of course now there is a traffic light and several lanes. Before The Supermarkets moved into that area, people would go into Red Lion the town to the store, bank, pizza place, you name it. Now when people say Red Lion, you have to ask where they made because it almost seems like two different towns. The change has affect the older farmers by taking land away. It has also has affected the demographics of the area. Many developments are now being built around the shopping centers and people are moving in from all over.
Today I wanted to read Shopping for Pleasure; Malls, Power, and Resistance. It starts the section off by comparing shopping to a religion by saying that shopping malls are cathedrals of consumption and commodities is what is worshiped. Then it talks about the differences with religious congregations and how it is powerless and how one is forced to buy the truth on offer, all of it. It gives an interesting statistic that 90% of new products fail to find reliable buyers. The next paragraph mentions that religion may help to look into the power of consumerism. I also found it interesting that in a study they found that 80% of unemployed young people visit the mall at least once a week. It talks about how in Australia Thursday nights are the prime shopping times because they have longer hours. It ends the section talking about some tricky users are hoped to eventually turn into economic consumers.
ReplyDeleteI read "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100" by Martin Espada on page 391 and respond to the prompt under Classroom Activity. Music is especially important for many immigrant workers because it reminds them of their home and rings true to their cultural perspectives. Workers of all kinds enjoy music because it provides them with entertainment while they work. Music though, especially resonates with immigrant workers. Displaced in a foreign, unfamiliar environments, immigrants use music to cope with the struggles of being a foreigner.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 "The Center Of The Universe" by Tina McElroy Ansa.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Philadelphia so I am used to more traffic jams, noisy streets and well lite streets. Being in walking distance to restaurants and stores. The way I take my city like with me was when I was observing a teacher in a school, my the girl I carpooled with who happened to be from the suburbs said "lock your doors" when she saw a couple guys walking in the city of York. I found the comment a little strange and told her we were fine, it was 3:30 in the afternoon and it was not a dangerous situation. I think because I was more familiar with cities and the different people in them, I was more calm then her. Media makes the suburbs seem like a perfect place to raise children. With the two kids, a dog and the big yard. They depict the city as a place filled with crime, but this is not the case. Naturally crime numbers go up with the population, and media always focusing on the bad things happening in cities.
I read The First Job by Sandra Cisneros. This piece is about a young girl who wanted to work. Although she was young, she was prepared to take on the adult role of a working. Throughout the piece you could see that she still had childish tendencies. She treated the lunchroom like it was a school setting. She was so scared and nervous that she ate alone in the washroom and then on her break, she sat in the coatroom instead of mingling with her coworkers. Her writing takes a dramatic turn in the last paragraph when she meets an older guy who appears to be friendly. His actions began friendly but ended aggressively and clearly she was startled.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of this story really bothers me because I am sure that there are many young workers out there who experience things like this. Depending on some family's fortunes, or lack there of, their young are forced to work. They are thrown into strange places which strange adults. It is sad because children are taught to trust adults, not fear them. But when children are sexually harassed, that trust is broken. I can only assume that this stranger's kiss has impacted Cisneros's life indefinitely. This piece just makes me wonder how many children are taken advantage of in workplaces where they shouldn't even be. If this incident were to be reported, who would be in trouble? The child who shouldn't be working there or the older harasser?
Chapter 8 "Worked and Over Worked"
ReplyDeleteAmericans work all of the time. Even if you aren't in your office you still have your email programed into your phone, take work phone calls, or work on paper work. Why do we do this to ourselves? In other countries they allow time for vacation, relaxation, and time away from the office. They're also so much happier. Americans are so focused on earning money that they forget to live. I find this to be very sad. Why not work and enjoy your life? Obviously I am not in the real world yet so I probably do not understand, but it seems crazy to me that people do not want to give themselves a break! This article really opened my eyes as to how over worked we are today. I wish people would stop focusing on money and would refocus on themselves. America would be such a happier place.
As I read Tillie Olson’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, the mother in the story relates many of the aspects of herself and her first daughter, Emily, to her work. She begins her tale by explaining how Emily was the most beautiful child, and wanted to spend time with her, except she “worked or look for work and for Emily’s father” (386) and so had to leave her with a neighbor to be taken care of during the days. Because this was not ideal, she found another job “hashing at night” so that she could be with her during the days. But this did not last and she actually sent her to live with her father for a while. She says when Emily finally came back she was no longer as lovely. She explains that she sent her to nursery school because “it was the only way we could be together, the only way I could hold a job,” (386) even though she knew Emily hated it. When she was seven, she was sent away again, to a “new daddy” (387), and was left alone at night. She developed red measles and was then sent to a convalescent home because her mother simply could not take care of her, though she returned eight months later. The mother’s tale skips ahead to a few years ago and says “I was working, there were four smaller ones now, there was not time for her. She had to help be a mother, and housekeeper, and shopper. She had to set her seal.” (389) Emily continues to struggle in school by the end of her tale, and her mother speaks of only slight happiness coming from her daughter. Her mother regrets things from their past where she explains the memories as “so heavy and meaningful in me” (390) and she hopes she has not left Emily to feel helpless.
ReplyDeleteThe mother in the story struggled often to balance the needs of her five children, being a good mother, and earning money. This constant battle left her first born, Emily, behind in her life. It is apparent from her words that she loves Emily dearly, she just made some mistakes that were detrimental to Emily and consequently their relationship. I believe it mostly stems from not spending enough time with Emily, but also the fact that she was shipped around so much on her own. Young children need guidance and support from their parents, and leaving Emily alone allowed her to grow up much too quickly. Her mother see’s that now, as she says “My wisdom came too late” (390) but there is still time for the ladies to forgive each other and move forward in their relationship.
The article I choose to read for today is D.C Public Library Moves to Restrict Access by Homeless People. Kathryn Baer starts off saying that the library has issued proper behavior rules with penalties for violations. They are are to create a more safe and secure environment. It then lists all kinds of things that are not allowed like: fighting, smoking, carrying firearms, harassing, skateboarding etc. It then goes on to say that this includes: no sleeping or lying head down on tables, no more than two bags, and you can't use the bathroom for bathing etc. They question whether this is a rule to prevent homeless people from gathering around. Its because there are complaints about homeless people. But whats the big deal if they can't take books out?
ReplyDelete