WEEK 6
1069 words by jameipie
The implementation of my project is actually going good. At first I was worried about how it might turn out. In case you may have not known, my project isn’t something big like global warming or teen pregnancy or things of that nature. My project is simply about helping those with anger, animosity, and self-esteem issues build up a healthy self image. The reason why I was worried was because I felt like my project was big enough or very important. Growing up it seemed like people cared more about things such as cancer or drug prevention. Never about how a young girl or boy view their self. Nobody takes the time out to talk to their kids anymore. And I feel like this is where we fall short. Kids are left under the influence of their friends. Or some are being babysat by a television set. When this happens they form an image of what they want to be from the media. Maybe the media should change its name to controversy because that’s really all their about nowadays. Just like now, it’s still the same. It is anywhere from 75 to 80% acceptable for a girl to become a mother under the age of 18. Especially when a young girl meets an older guy. They get caught up in their emotions and a false sense of security and don’t thoroughly think things through. Then they end up in bad situations that they have to pay for the rest of their lives.
But to my surprise I’ve be received a lot of positive feedback. So far I’ve only worked with a group of four children ages 11-13. We sit on the floor in an environment that they are comfortable with. I start off by telling jokes to sort of loosen them up first. Then I began talking and asking them questions. To my surprise they are very responsive and smart. And they think just as I thought. Some of them don’t feel good enough. All they want to do is fit in with their friends and not be made fun of. The majority of their parents work long hours to support them and they often are left in the care of older brothers and sisters. They think that what they see on television is right and that that is what their supposed to be doing in life. Three out of the four mentioned that they want to be rappers and be in the videos when they grow up. Two of them secretly confessed of considering having sex with their boyfriend or girlfriend! Can you imagine 12 and 13 year olds having sex?! When I was 12 and 13 all I wanted to do was go shopping and go to the skating rink with my friends. Here it is these children want to fit in and are willing to go to the extremes to fit in all for the sake of belonging. This is sad and a key reason why I chose this topic. I sort of feel like it’s my job to give them some sort of hope or be the voice that speaks out for them no matter how corny that sounds.
As for my profession goals I think that this project fits right in. My major is marketing. And everyone knows that to be a good marketer you must be heard and pitch a good sales plan. And that’s what I’m doing with this project. I’m being heard in a positive and influential way. Letting everyone, especially the youth know that it’s okay to be different and accept you and not be angry all the time. That is what holds us back from accomplishing goals in life. I’m telling them that’s it’s more out there than just money, cars, sex and stuff of that nature. So far everything’s going really well. I’ve seen small changes in some of the children which make me proud. I’m starting to realize that my project does make a difference on and off school grounds. I’m learning just like the kids are learning. I’m learning to speak more effectively without coming off as angry or harsh or ignorant. That’s really helping me.
Feminist Criticism is a useful tool in the way that it helps readers understand the roles of women in society. Gerda Lerner takes a historical approach to understanding the insubordination of women. She makes a point that women have shared equally with men. Yet they do not receive equal recognition in the record backs. Men have never been excluded simply because they are men. Women have because of sex. Lerner responds by attempting to document the creation of patriarchy and it’s subordination of women. She does this by treating the biblical period as a stage in a complex process. She then defines patriarchy as male dominance over women and children in both a social system and an ideology. Though only one stage in this process has established hegemony over women, the biblical periods represents an important stage. Perhaps no other documents has been or will be instrumental such as the Bible in shaping Western culture and influencing ideas about women and the relationship of the sexes. It is fairly obvious that the Bible all about men. The writers were not particularly interested the trials and tribulations of women in this time period. In a strange sort of way this sort of rationalizes why women use sexuality back then and even now in order to get something accomplished. People were only paying attention if they used sex to overthrow an official or tricking someone into doing something else, were they recognized for their bad behavior. It’s still the same now. Every other day someone with a familiar face has a new sex tape online available to watchers. It’s truly disgusting. At least we know that it’s been going on for centuries.
I did horrible on the midterm. I have no excuses either. I didn’t prepare correctly and didn’t read all the required readings. That’s what happens when you procrastinate. But it’s ok, there’s always the final to improve on.