Sunday, February 22, 2009
Nymphet Fantasies
American society has it's fair share of unique issues, one being child beauty pageants. Personal opinion: not such an attractive facet to put your young child into. Let your children play in the mud, not become some poster child "nymphet" that some weirdos have photos posted of in their bathrooms. Yet when these young girls are murdered or missing, they are still posted all over the media. I believe that these pageants are some form of child abuse. Yes, I'm sure some girls enjoy pageants and mothers are careful to respect their child's wishes, but it seems most of the time these children are forced to dress up and walk around on stage when they would rather be playing outside with friends. Isn't there some show on t.v. now called Tiara Toddlers or something? The commercials showed the poor little girl crying because she didn't want lipstick on. I was forced to play the piano my entire adolescent life, and I know many times I did NOT want to play recitals or competitions. I just wanted to play with my friends. Not the same thing, but I can relate to the possible feelings.
Bashing Youth
Most of the article on Bashing Youth and Wild In Deceit was reporting statistics from media sources on problems being caused my adolescents in our society. The media focuses on what the youth in our society are doing wrong, whether it be STDs, violence, and unplanned pregnancies. The media isn't seperating adult behavior from youth behavior. These articles that are reporting these youth myths do suggest how media responsibility could halt today's political assault on youth and heal spreading among the generational hostility.
Journalists continue to add fuel to the fire with their articles on youth agression. Statistics seem to be reported on the rise with violence among youth. Their articles mask the real issues. The articles only publicize the tough measures that will be taken to improve youht agression, such as prison time for younger ages, instead of programs that are designed to help these youth. Articles will talk about how to "treat" a problem, instead of the facts, such as most of the youth that are "causing" poverty were already born into poverty.
Journalists continue to add fuel to the fire with their articles on youth agression. Statistics seem to be reported on the rise with violence among youth. Their articles mask the real issues. The articles only publicize the tough measures that will be taken to improve youht agression, such as prison time for younger ages, instead of programs that are designed to help these youth. Articles will talk about how to "treat" a problem, instead of the facts, such as most of the youth that are "causing" poverty were already born into poverty.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Objectivity by V.N. Parillo
When we are talking about people, usually those who differ from us, we commonly offer our own assumptions and opinions more readily than when we are discussing some other area, such as statistics or biology. But if we are to undertake a sociological study of ethnicity, we must question our assumptions and opinions-everything we have always believed without question. How can we scientifically investigate a problem if we have already reached a conclusion?
Sociologists attempt to examine group relationships objectively, but it is impossible to exclude their own subjectivity altogether. All human beings have values-socially shared conceptions of what is good, desirable, and proper, or bad, undesirable, and improper. Because we are human, we cannot be completely objective, since these values influence our orientations, actions, reactions and interpretations. For example, selecting intergroup relations as an area of interest and concern, emphasizing the sociological perspective of this subject, and organizing the material in this book thematically all represent value judgements regarding priorities.
In fact, value neutrality may be impossible to attain, since we are all members of groups and have been infulenced by many others in our perceptions and experiences. It is nevertheless important to try conscientiously to maintain an open mind in order to examine this subject as objectively as possible. You must be aware of your own strong feelings about these matters and be willing to examine new concepts, even if they challenge previously held beliefs. To study this subject properly, you should attempt to be a stranger in your familiar world. Look at everything as if you were seeing it for the first time, trying to understnad how and why it is rather than just taking it for granted. In addition, you should recognize that all of us are members of groups; consequently, the debate about and study of inter-group relations is itself part of what we are studying. As part of an ingroup, we find all other outgroup members unlike our reference group; for this reason, our judgements about these "outsiders" are not as fully informed as the ones we make about known "insiders." Because many individuals have a strong tendency to tune out disagreeable information, you must make a continual effort to remain open-minded and receptive to new data.
Sociologists attempt to examine group relationships objectively, but it is impossible to exclude their own subjectivity altogether. All human beings have values-socially shared conceptions of what is good, desirable, and proper, or bad, undesirable, and improper. Because we are human, we cannot be completely objective, since these values influence our orientations, actions, reactions and interpretations. For example, selecting intergroup relations as an area of interest and concern, emphasizing the sociological perspective of this subject, and organizing the material in this book thematically all represent value judgements regarding priorities.
In fact, value neutrality may be impossible to attain, since we are all members of groups and have been infulenced by many others in our perceptions and experiences. It is nevertheless important to try conscientiously to maintain an open mind in order to examine this subject as objectively as possible. You must be aware of your own strong feelings about these matters and be willing to examine new concepts, even if they challenge previously held beliefs. To study this subject properly, you should attempt to be a stranger in your familiar world. Look at everything as if you were seeing it for the first time, trying to understnad how and why it is rather than just taking it for granted. In addition, you should recognize that all of us are members of groups; consequently, the debate about and study of inter-group relations is itself part of what we are studying. As part of an ingroup, we find all other outgroup members unlike our reference group; for this reason, our judgements about these "outsiders" are not as fully informed as the ones we make about known "insiders." Because many individuals have a strong tendency to tune out disagreeable information, you must make a continual effort to remain open-minded and receptive to new data.
Anti-Oppressive Education
Educators need to use an objective view when working with students in the classroom. Social oppression will exist in society forever. Students should come into a classroom with a reduced amount of social oppression to have a better learning environment.
People, including students, look at the "other" and begin to create assumptions and expectations about the "other." Harmful treatment is created when approached with somone that is different than others. Some researchers suggest that assimilation is the key to prevent problems that may go on in society.
Students may react to oppression in many ways. They may overcompensate and hyperperform in academic, extracurricular, and social activities. These students may succeed academically while still maintaining a connection to their culture or community. Other students may turn to drugs, starving/scarring themselves, or attempting/commiting suicide. These students may appear to fail and drop out of school. All of these students experience oppression.
Schools and educators need to provide seperate spaces and supportive spaces to respect the individuality of every student. Teachers need to embrace the individuality of every race, gender, and sexuality of students. Teachers that are culturally aware and respectable should empower these ideas in classroom settings.
People, including students, look at the "other" and begin to create assumptions and expectations about the "other." Harmful treatment is created when approached with somone that is different than others. Some researchers suggest that assimilation is the key to prevent problems that may go on in society.
Students may react to oppression in many ways. They may overcompensate and hyperperform in academic, extracurricular, and social activities. These students may succeed academically while still maintaining a connection to their culture or community. Other students may turn to drugs, starving/scarring themselves, or attempting/commiting suicide. These students may appear to fail and drop out of school. All of these students experience oppression.
Schools and educators need to provide seperate spaces and supportive spaces to respect the individuality of every student. Teachers need to embrace the individuality of every race, gender, and sexuality of students. Teachers that are culturally aware and respectable should empower these ideas in classroom settings.
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