Society gives us definitions for how we are supposed to be within our gender.Women are supposed to be weak, unintelligent, dependent.
While we discussed this in class, one example came to my mind, Hillary Clinton.
With the big announcement of the democratic candidate for the election of 2008 looming over our heads me and my friends sat at my lunch table discussing Clinton. When she got brought up I rolled my eyes. For some reason I couldn't stand her, and I never really understood why until now.
Unlike the sterotypical women, Clinton is strong, independent, and intelligent, and now I think subconciously that may have bothered me.
At first I was disgusted at the list shown on the overhead, in my mind I hought "WHO WROTE THIS??? SOME SEXSIST PIG!?" But then I realized how many women do fit into this stereotype, and at some points I admit that I do too. I have seen through the media (books, television, movies...) that women are often portrayed like this, and the fact that Clinton isn't made me uncomfortable because of how much it deviated from the social norms and the definitions for women in society that I was used to.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
college, college, college
Over the summer, the time when school should be the farthest thing from my mind, I was making lists. Lists of the classes I was going to be taking in the upcoming fall as well as lists of the colleges I would start applying to in a few short months.
Ever since freshman year, it's always been about college, college, college... if you don't get an A in this, you wont get into a good college. If you don't take AP classes "good" colleges won't even consider you. Every year, I challenge myself even more.. add an AP here, take accelerated here, take this and that so I can get into a "good" college.
The time came and I frantically filled out transcript request forms, composed fine tuned essays about doing this activity and that trip, and pressed the submit button on 5 different applications. By Novemeber, I had heard back from all of my colleges, and had been accepted to all.
So that means decide on one and cruise through the rest of the year, right?
WRONG.
This year has been the most challenging year thus far, and I know it probably won't get any easier until June 7th rolls around.
School challenges us to see us excell, see us get into the college of our choice, and of course keep up their already high test scores.
Ever since freshman year, it's always been about college, college, college... if you don't get an A in this, you wont get into a good college. If you don't take AP classes "good" colleges won't even consider you. Every year, I challenge myself even more.. add an AP here, take accelerated here, take this and that so I can get into a "good" college.
The time came and I frantically filled out transcript request forms, composed fine tuned essays about doing this activity and that trip, and pressed the submit button on 5 different applications. By Novemeber, I had heard back from all of my colleges, and had been accepted to all.
So that means decide on one and cruise through the rest of the year, right?
WRONG.
This year has been the most challenging year thus far, and I know it probably won't get any easier until June 7th rolls around.
School challenges us to see us excell, see us get into the college of our choice, and of course keep up their already high test scores.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
tuesdays with morrie and dependency
Tuesdays with Morrie wasn't just a movie about the devotion of a student to his teacher, but underneath that, Morrie taught us lessons about life that we could never find in any textbook, one thing he discussed was dependency.
Humans are the most dependent creatures on this earth, the minute we are born we depend on other people to do things such as feed, dress and bathe us, while a baby horse for example can run on its own just minutes after coming out of the womb. As we get older though we learn to do things on our own like walk, eat, bathe and dress ourselves-- through these things we gain the American value of independence. Our culture often teaches us that in the long run, most people let us down.. this is magnified through divorces, breakups, lay-offs and rejections. We learn to be more independent and we fear moving backwards towards the ways of children who can't do anything for themselves.
Although in some situations I am dependent, mainly on my parents. Although I have the ability to go buy my own groceries, I depend on my parents to do it for me, and when I need a poster board for a project last minute, my mom is already at walgreens asking me if I want white or lime green. It does bother me how dependent I am on my parents, especially because I'm going to be moving out in 5 months, and I need to learn how to do things for my own and not rely on people to always do them for me.
Humans are the most dependent creatures on this earth, the minute we are born we depend on other people to do things such as feed, dress and bathe us, while a baby horse for example can run on its own just minutes after coming out of the womb. As we get older though we learn to do things on our own like walk, eat, bathe and dress ourselves-- through these things we gain the American value of independence. Our culture often teaches us that in the long run, most people let us down.. this is magnified through divorces, breakups, lay-offs and rejections. We learn to be more independent and we fear moving backwards towards the ways of children who can't do anything for themselves.
Although in some situations I am dependent, mainly on my parents. Although I have the ability to go buy my own groceries, I depend on my parents to do it for me, and when I need a poster board for a project last minute, my mom is already at walgreens asking me if I want white or lime green. It does bother me how dependent I am on my parents, especially because I'm going to be moving out in 5 months, and I need to learn how to do things for my own and not rely on people to always do them for me.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Stevenson, St. Louis Park, and Me
Every year, I take short trips sporadically to Minnesota to visit one of my best friends, Rachel.
Last time I visited, I shadowed her at her high school in St. Louis Park. I went to all of her classes, finding that even some of her hardest ones (AP and IB) didn't seem quite as challenging or demanding as even my regular classes at Stevenson. It wasn't just the curriculum and the difficulty of the class that I saw noticeable differences in, it was also the way the students treated their teachers and just acted in general. When I walked into her spanish class, I was greeted by a kid who yelled "OH SH*T WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" The teacher was standing right there and didn't even react to that comment. Also the kids in that class were goofing off the entire time, making inappropriate comments toward the teacher and overall just being out of control. The whole time I sat in silence, laughing at the occasional joke or comment, but thinking "is this how they really act? This would never happen at Stevenson" Rachel later told me they had made previous teachers cry.
Although I didn't realize it at the time, the culture at St. Louis Park high school is a lot different than Stevenson. At Rachel's school it might be acceptable to treat a teacher like that, while at Stevenson it is seen as a more.
If I were a student at Rachel's school, I might have been goofing off with the rest of them, but because Stevenson has conditioned me to be a well-mannered hard working student, I saw their behavior as strange and wrong to me.
Last time I visited, I shadowed her at her high school in St. Louis Park. I went to all of her classes, finding that even some of her hardest ones (AP and IB) didn't seem quite as challenging or demanding as even my regular classes at Stevenson. It wasn't just the curriculum and the difficulty of the class that I saw noticeable differences in, it was also the way the students treated their teachers and just acted in general. When I walked into her spanish class, I was greeted by a kid who yelled "OH SH*T WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" The teacher was standing right there and didn't even react to that comment. Also the kids in that class were goofing off the entire time, making inappropriate comments toward the teacher and overall just being out of control. The whole time I sat in silence, laughing at the occasional joke or comment, but thinking "is this how they really act? This would never happen at Stevenson" Rachel later told me they had made previous teachers cry.
Although I didn't realize it at the time, the culture at St. Louis Park high school is a lot different than Stevenson. At Rachel's school it might be acceptable to treat a teacher like that, while at Stevenson it is seen as a more.
If I were a student at Rachel's school, I might have been goofing off with the rest of them, but because Stevenson has conditioned me to be a well-mannered hard working student, I saw their behavior as strange and wrong to me.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
affluenza and poland.
This summer (as i talked about in a previous blog) I spent 5 weeks in Israel, but for the first part of that trip I was in Poland.
During my twelve hour flight, I was anticipating how sad Poland would look. In my mind it would be all gray like a dramatically lit movie, and everywhere I turned I would see slums and concentration camps.
When we finally arrived, it was a muggy and cold day, similar to our weather now (50's and rainy). Our counselors gave us time to recuperate from our flight by sleeping and showering before a walking tour of Poland. I was so far from thrilled about that tour it was insane.
Before our walking tour began, we went to a mall for dinner we were given zloty (polish money) and sent off. I was expecting there to be only random polish restaurants and maybe McDonald's, I was so wrong. I opened up the doors and saw woodfield mall. Ornate decorations hung from the ceiling, escalators snaked throughout the multiple floors, department stores with window displays and "SALE" signs lined the long corridors. I finally arrived at the food court and saw Subway, Burger King, and Pizza Hut. I was shocked.
Many countires are trying to follow American's style of living. They see that in America, malls are a big deal and consumerism is on the rise, and Poland has jumped on this bandwagon.
They are becoming more of a americanized culture rather than a unique, individual one.
By the way, I chose Pasta to be different- which it wasn't.
Poland overall wasn't the nightmare I thought it was going to be, some parts were what I expected (slums and concentration camps) but a lot werent:
During my twelve hour flight, I was anticipating how sad Poland would look. In my mind it would be all gray like a dramatically lit movie, and everywhere I turned I would see slums and concentration camps.
When we finally arrived, it was a muggy and cold day, similar to our weather now (50's and rainy). Our counselors gave us time to recuperate from our flight by sleeping and showering before a walking tour of Poland. I was so far from thrilled about that tour it was insane.
Before our walking tour began, we went to a mall for dinner we were given zloty (polish money) and sent off. I was expecting there to be only random polish restaurants and maybe McDonald's, I was so wrong. I opened up the doors and saw woodfield mall. Ornate decorations hung from the ceiling, escalators snaked throughout the multiple floors, department stores with window displays and "SALE" signs lined the long corridors. I finally arrived at the food court and saw Subway, Burger King, and Pizza Hut. I was shocked.
Many countires are trying to follow American's style of living. They see that in America, malls are a big deal and consumerism is on the rise, and Poland has jumped on this bandwagon.
They are becoming more of a americanized culture rather than a unique, individual one.
By the way, I chose Pasta to be different- which it wasn't.
Poland overall wasn't the nightmare I thought it was going to be, some parts were what I expected (slums and concentration camps) but a lot werent:
Old Town Square in Krakow
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Bronx Tale.
The movie, A Bronx Tale, profiles an urban Italian neighborhood in the 1960's.
The main character C, is just 9 years old when he witnesses a shooting right outside his front door. After this event, there are clear parallels between the older (Sonny, johnny whispers, frankie coffee cake) and younger generation (C, Slick, Mario).
When the movie jumps forward 8 years, the influence the older generation has had on the younger one is very evident. C and his friends are sitting outside the social club smoking cigarettes and hollering at ladies across the street, just like they had seen it done when they were younger. C and his friends grew up in this neighborhood surrounded by people who intentionally hurt and sometimes killed others with little or no mercy. As they grew older, the younger generation in the neighborhood tried to buy guns to protect themselves.
These weren't the only bad things they picked up from their elders, they also picked up their racist attitudes. In one of the most intense scenes during the movie, C's friends start beating up blacks who were bicycling through their neighborhood. Their racist attitudes rooted with the influence of their neighborhood as well as the time period (the 1960's were the height of the civil rights movement). Their histroy and biography influenced the way that they lived their lives.
The main character C, is just 9 years old when he witnesses a shooting right outside his front door. After this event, there are clear parallels between the older (Sonny, johnny whispers, frankie coffee cake) and younger generation (C, Slick, Mario).
When the movie jumps forward 8 years, the influence the older generation has had on the younger one is very evident. C and his friends are sitting outside the social club smoking cigarettes and hollering at ladies across the street, just like they had seen it done when they were younger. C and his friends grew up in this neighborhood surrounded by people who intentionally hurt and sometimes killed others with little or no mercy. As they grew older, the younger generation in the neighborhood tried to buy guns to protect themselves.
These weren't the only bad things they picked up from their elders, they also picked up their racist attitudes. In one of the most intense scenes during the movie, C's friends start beating up blacks who were bicycling through their neighborhood. Their racist attitudes rooted with the influence of their neighborhood as well as the time period (the 1960's were the height of the civil rights movement). Their histroy and biography influenced the way that they lived their lives.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
gang leader for a day.
In the book, Gang Leader For a Day, Sudhir Venkatesh explores what life is really like in the housing projects of downtown Chicago.
Early on in the chapter, Venkatesh talks about the two different kinds of sociologists, the quantative ones who rely on facts and statistics and the enthographers who use first hand approaches.
Venkatesh, dismayed with all of the mathematics that he sees going on in sociology, decided to take a different approach. Surveys in hand, he crosses the border between the nicer side of Hyde Park and the projects. When he asks J.T. a gang leader the question, "what's it like to be black and poor?" all of the gang bursts into laughter. After kicking back a few beers with him, J.T tells Venkatesh about drug dealing, shootings, different gangs and weapons. At the end of the chapter, J.T and Sudhir become somewhat friends.
Overall the chapter was long, but fulfilling to read. One part that really stuck out to me was when J.T was talking about the difference between African Americans and N****rs and about how certain black people are trying to get into white suburbia but are getting beat down by the police. The reason that stuck out in my mind was because ever since Lincoln freed the slaves (yay presidents day!) Our country has been in a back and forth civil rights battle, and even when people think that we are getting ahead, we're not. The CHA (chicago housing authority) was going to tear down the housing projects that so many people call home to make more room for apartments and condos. Things like that make me question if equal opportunity actually exsists when authorities are blocking you. Yes, we do have a black president, something that I am so happy for, but the fact that do much racism and hatred still exsists really sucks.
Venkatesh went into the projects as a quantitative person, seein groups of people as statistics and nothing more, and came out an experienced person. If more poeple opened their minds like Venkatesh did (not necessairly saying that people should hang around in the projects) that would at least make room for a lot less stereotypes.
Early on in the chapter, Venkatesh talks about the two different kinds of sociologists, the quantative ones who rely on facts and statistics and the enthographers who use first hand approaches.
Venkatesh, dismayed with all of the mathematics that he sees going on in sociology, decided to take a different approach. Surveys in hand, he crosses the border between the nicer side of Hyde Park and the projects. When he asks J.T. a gang leader the question, "what's it like to be black and poor?" all of the gang bursts into laughter. After kicking back a few beers with him, J.T tells Venkatesh about drug dealing, shootings, different gangs and weapons. At the end of the chapter, J.T and Sudhir become somewhat friends.
Overall the chapter was long, but fulfilling to read. One part that really stuck out to me was when J.T was talking about the difference between African Americans and N****rs and about how certain black people are trying to get into white suburbia but are getting beat down by the police. The reason that stuck out in my mind was because ever since Lincoln freed the slaves (yay presidents day!) Our country has been in a back and forth civil rights battle, and even when people think that we are getting ahead, we're not. The CHA (chicago housing authority) was going to tear down the housing projects that so many people call home to make more room for apartments and condos. Things like that make me question if equal opportunity actually exsists when authorities are blocking you. Yes, we do have a black president, something that I am so happy for, but the fact that do much racism and hatred still exsists really sucks.
Venkatesh went into the projects as a quantitative person, seein groups of people as statistics and nothing more, and came out an experienced person. If more poeple opened their minds like Venkatesh did (not necessairly saying that people should hang around in the projects) that would at least make room for a lot less stereotypes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
