Museum of the American Project ~ Bullying

TOPIC: Internet Bullying vs. "Traditional Schoolyard" Bullying

Group members: Jessica Harrow, Heidi Samayoa, and myself (Lauren Veyera)

Six potential sources.. found blogs on the topic to be really interesting!

first source

second source

third source

fourth source

fifth source

sixth source

 

Check out this commerical! Lol

A Cyle of Outrage ~ Quotes

a) Name: A Cycle of Outrage : America’s Reaction to the Juvenile Delinquent in the 1950

Author: James Gilbert

b) I chose QUOTES

The first quote I have chosen is on top of page 12. “Look focused on this visual confusion, claiming that the new adolescent subculture of the 1950s looked aggressive, even if not all youngsters were on the way to becoming criminals. Interpreting their new habits required special insight and knowledge; for example, an understanding of the special new language.” As time goes on, the looks and attitudes of people change. This change may be different for each individual, and each individual may have a different experience depending on your race, class, and the time period and location of where you live.  Today we have an idea in our head of the looks of different people…. This includes “goth”. “prep”, “tom-boy”, etc. Each individual has a different vision of what look is “aggressive” or not. People are being judged and put into stereotypes just by the way they look/dress.  This whole topic of “looks” reminds me of Raby’s reading, and the five discourses that she went over.  Throughout our teenage years, we go through different changes and experiences, good and bad, and are risk taking and experimenting. We should not be judged by the way we look by peers and by the older generations, as seen in Gilbert’s reading. When Gilbert talks about the interpretation of new habits require special insight and knowledge such as an understanding of a new language, it makes me think of our generation. With social networking and other types of media, we learn a new form of language that we use in our day-to-day lives. For example, my grandpa would never text me and say “yolo” or use the abbreviations such as LOL, TTYL, LMAO, BRB, ETC. Do you think language is changing with time?

The second quote I have chosen is at the bottom of page 13. “On top of curiosity and worry came the increasing recognition that teenagers had a major impact on the shaping of American popular culture.” I believe this is pretty much talked about throughout the whole article by Raby, and even throughout the previous articles that we have read thus far in the course. It is clear that teenagers DO have a major impact on the shaping of American popular culture.  Changes occurred such as clothing, hair, music, dance, behaviors, etc., mentioned at the bottom of page 14 due to TEENS.  Teenagers have had a MAJOR impact on society and the world! 

The third and last ((LONG, SORRY!) quote I have chosen is in the middle of page 17. “From the middle of World War II into the 1960s, adolescent behavior changed abruptly and distinctly in several categories: sex and marital behavior, work habits, consumption, and attitudes to peer institutions. Much of this new behavior emerged from high schools, which, after World War II, became the universal mold of teenage culture. How to evaluate this institution, of course, depended upon the eye of the beholder. But to many observers, adolescents were creating their own world characterized by a premature adulthood.” Throughout the article, it talks about the changes teenagers were going through as time went on and as different events were happening throughout the media, such as Elvis Presley.  Due to teenagers rebelling against their parents, like many teens do today, high school authorities started banning certain clothing and haircuts. This is even present in some of today’s high schools. I remember girls in my school being sent home because of short skirts or short shorts, or if our shirts were too small or showing too much skin. Did anyone have similar experiences in school? As seen in the reading, adolescents were creating their own “premature adult culture”,(Gilbert, 22). They were creating their own new styles, new appearances, and new culture.

C.  ^^ I posted the questions(s) after quote one and three! :)

A Tangle of Discourses ~ Reflection

a)    Name of text- A Tangle of Discourses: Girls Negotiating Adolescence

Author of text- Rebecca C. Raby

b)   I chose the REFLECTION option

I really could relate to the five discourses of adolescence stated in this article, which included the storm, becoming, at-risk, social problem, and pleasurable consumption.  Everybody may have a different experience with how they experienced their teenage years. I first want to relate “The Storm” to my early teenage years. “This metaphor is used to describe an essentialized, ahistorical understanding of adolescence in which teens are inherently inclined towards experimentation, risk taking and uncertainty,”(431).  In the media, I was always taught that my teenage years were the best years of my life. As seen in the reading, this culture celebrates and idolized YOUTH.  I don’t know about you but I feel that my teenage years were not the best! These were the years that our bodies were changing, there was a lot of self-exploration/self-expression, all different types of experimentation was happening, bullying was occurring, SEX was happening, people and friendships were changing, and life was getting harder and really confusing at times. I just turned 20 in November and can already say being in my 20’s is much better than being in my early teens! My teenage years honestly stunk! In the reading, Raby mentions that adolescence “offers the luxury of making mistakes,”(434). I believe in this statement because we are in a stage our life where we can do and try different things and not worry about the consequences as much as we would in adulthood. We are in a sense, “allowed” to make mistakes.  The “at-risk” discourse makes me think about high school and it does relate to me.  There was a major concern for risks mentioned in the article, which included drugs, alcohol, depression, eating disorders, sexual diseases, etc.  When I entered my freshman year of high school, I was not expecting people to be already having sex and doing drugs. I felt like my innocence was stripped away from me as soon as I went to high school, and I was only 12! I felt so much stress in high school due to all of the pressures that I was starting to deal with. I wish I could go back in time and hang out with a different crowd. Did you guys have any similar experiences?!  What about dances? I was not expecting high school dances to be so disturbing. Due to people literally having SEX on the dance floor, our school created a new rule, which stated: If you BUMP AND GRIND, YOU CROSS THE LINE. We had so much supervision! This relates to the reading when Raby talks about prom….

“The prom is marked as a coming-of-age rite in which young people are expected to temporarily act more like adults (coupled, dressed up, refined). Yet proms are also highly regulated spaces, with a strong presence of teachers’ authority, and many rules to suggest that the students’ fling with adulthood has to be closely monitored and that not all that adulthood has to offer is really open to the students,”(439).  We are being taught independence and that teenage hood is a time of self-discovery but then on the other hand we are being hovered by the authority /older adults.  Being a teenager can certainly be a confusing and irritating time. I felt like this article relates to Unlearning the Myths That Bind us by Christensen. Our society’s culture industry teaches us how we are supposed to act, live, etc., and this is one of the many pressures that adolescents face, as mentioned in Raby's reading. 

c. Something I would like to talk about in class is the expectation(s) teenagers have by adults. We are told to be responsible and act like adults, but at the same time the adults are regulating us and treating the teens like children.

( mentioned on the bottom of page 438-439) 

check out this video!

Pulling apart the effects of the media in "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us"

a).
Text title: Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us
Author: Linda Christensen 

b).  I have chosen QUOTES: Choose three quotes from the text and explain what they mean and their relevance to the text.

The first quote I have chosen is on page 126. “Our society’s culture industry colonizes their mind and teaches them how to act, live, and dream. This indoctrination hits young children hard,”(Christensen, 126). This quote sums up what the whole article talks about. The article talks about how the media, such as the television, gives us the image(s) of how people should act in the world, and how the images portrayed are what is normal when in reality it is not. Everything outside the images are considered to be outside the norm. As seen further in the text, the industry teaches young minds about who and what are the dominant sex, race, religion, class, etc. We learn these things at such a young age, and may not even realize it until we are older. I really never thought about it until becoming a Gender and Women studies major. I am sure you all have seen a Disney show or film, and can point out the distorted views that it can show.

The second (long!) quote I have chosen is on page 128 in the middle of the page. “Many students don’t want to believe that they have been manipulated by children’s media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they’ve been “handled” by the media. They assure me that they make their own choices and the media has no power over them-as they sit with Fubu, Nike, Timberlands or whatever the latest fashion rage might be,”(Christensen, 128).  After reading this, sadly I have to admit I was once manipulated by children’s media or advertising. Were you? There are so many unrealistic images of how women and men should act that are clearly shown in Disney movies/cartoons. Disney movies give an image of what is “beautiful”, who is “powerful”, who gets the guys/girls, and different gender expectations. Disney movies/characters impacts peoples’ self-perception and self-esteem. Since young girls and boys watch these movies, unrealistic ideas begin to form in their minds and they may not understand what is reality versus make believe. Throughout the article it talks about the ways we are manipulated by children’s media or advertising.  Some ways that were presented included the ways in which we “behave, think, react to things,”(Christensen, 129). One example is the way the movies can impact peoples’ self-esteem and self-perception on what defines beauty.  All of the Disney princesses, including Belle, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, etc., all have thin bodies, beautiful hair, and of course end up with a handsome MAN. Why must these princesses all end up with a man?

The third quote I have chosen is on page 130. “Students are quick to find the usual stereotypes on their own: “Look, Ursula the sea which is ugly and smart. Hey, she’s kind of dark looking. The young, pretty ones only want to book their man; the old pretty ones are mean because they are losing their looks,”(Christensen, 130).  This quote is also relevant throughout the whole text.  As young people are viewing these movies/shows/cartoons/etc., they are getting the wrong image in their head on what/who gives you power, what gets you love, etc.  These Disney movies show how the only way a man can fall in love with you, is if you are beautiful. If you are not beautiful, a man will not even pay attention to you. What kind of example is this setting for young children? This may be why there are so many cases of eating disorders in young girls. I still do enjoy watching Disney movies but think since I became a Gender studies Major, it has opened my eyes to the different ways media can affect people. I am now able to point out the effects of gender expectations and how such things like Disney movies may impact people’s self -perception or self-esteem about themselves and other individuals.

One of the points I would like to further discuss in class would be the effects that the Disney movies and cartoons are bringing to the younger generations. Do you believe that the media is giving a good image(s) to the young audience who is watching? Most of the Disney shows/movies that I have watched consist of white, heterosexual women and men.  I believe there should be a more diverse group of characters portrayed in these movies/cartoons. The images that the media is giving are not healthy images. These images include the roles of women, men, people of color, overweight women/men, and poor/rich/etc. Something else that I found interesting in the reading is the idea of having a black Cinderella. How about a black and lesbian Cinderella?  Children should not get this idea that only white women are capable of being a princess and falling in love.  This would create such a social change.