Response to Race to Nowhere

*Let me just preface this post by saying it's not exactly "rooted in evidence" as Mr. Bolos and Mr. O'Connor generally prefer. It is more of my response to the documentary, "Race to Nowhere" in the context of our school.

The documentary, "Race to Nowhere", catalogues students, teachers, parents, and experts in education across the United States about the increasing level of stress among teens. Teenagers are not only over-scheduled and over-worked, they also face incredible social pressures to look and act a certain way.

The overarching question of the movie is: Where does all this lead? We take all of these classes and activities only to look good to colleges, none of this guarantees "success".

The messages our school and colleges send about managing this kind of stress are at odds with each other. Our school advocates for a well-balanced lifestyle and yet there is that unspoken stigma against taking the lower level classes. Not to mention, colleges recommend to take the most challenging courses offered while also being well-rounded members of our community, leading in sports and the arts, and giving back through volunteer work.

And you need to look pretty. It is high school, after all.

How are, as teenagers in all of our hormonal rages, expected to know how to deal with all of this pressure and stress? It's easy to talk about cutting some of it out...but when everyone seems to be going at the same pace, it feels impossible to slow down. 

It reminds me of a piece we read at the beginning of the year by Rob Reich (a faculty member at Stanford University) in which he quoted William Deresiewicz (former English professor at Yale). According to Deresiewicz, these Ivy League groomed kids were growing up to be "really excellent sheep" - we know how to follow the rules to get places, but, for example, are we really learning how to think critically?

We're jumping through all of these hoops to look like the perfect applicant to college so that we can go to the right college and look like the perfect applicant for a certain job so we can make the right amount of money to buy the right house...and so it goes on. It's an exhaustive series of conforming with an outcome we can't predict.

I don't have any solutions but I wonder in what other ways you see teenagers being affected by these kinds of pressures? How do you see it affecting the future?

The (American) List

In class, we've been discussing how The Great Gatsby is the American novel, delving into themes it explores about our culture and understanding how those themes are still relevant today. A particularly interesting detail is James Gatz's (Gatsby's former name) schedule (page 173)

We analyzed the list, deciphering how it portrayed American themes. What is important to know, however, is that the creation of the list itself is inherently American. Upwards mobility is an integral goal of the "American Dream" and by attempting to plan his future success he is following this goal.

We are always looking for the next best thing, be it a promotion or degree or relationship, and this list is a manifestation of how someone would try to reach that next station.

In addition, one classmate claimed that this list is like the making of the "All-American Male". Gatz plans to make himself a renaissance man of sorts by playing baseball (America's past-time) and studying inventions (rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit that launched America - a thirst for both money and discovery).

However, and perhaps most importantly, he spends the majority of his day working (from 8:30-4:30). The strong work ethic that defined American progress can be seen in both his dedication of time to working and also how he so allocates his time so purposefully.

There are many other ways in which Gatz's list shows deep-seated American values - which ones can you find?

Marching in the Streets

"Share this, facebook it, pinterest it, tweet it..."

These modes of social networking are fast becoming an integral part of connecting with others in our Internet-centered community. Celebrities use it as promotion, people use it to broadcast their personal lives...really, what can't we use the internet for?

Courtesy of Google Images

During an interview with Deborah Siegel, a leading feminist author, media correspondent, and blogger, she explained how activism, in particular, has been affected by the social expansion that the internet provides.

"It's the new way to march in the streets," she laughed, when comparing feminism today to protests and rallies like that of the Miss America Pageant of 1968.

Activism defined the second wave of feminism (1970s-1980s). When the movement was first percolating, women banded together during the Miss America Pageant to protest the objectification of women and ridiculous beauty standards. By throwing their "instruments of female torture" (bras, curlers, fashion magazines) into a "Freedom Trashcan", these feminists showed society that the days of sexism were coming to an end ("Sisterhood Interrupted" Siegel).

Nowadays, however, although feminism is alive and well, where are the protests, the rallies, the public dissent for social change? They're online. The feminist blogosphere has exploded as internet activism is being taken more seriously after events like the Arab Spring which occurred through internet organizing.

Countless examples, like feministing.com for the modern feminist, to rookiemag.com, an online magazine started by a high school girl who wanted a creative collaborative forum to empower young girls, show how the internet is changing the face of both feminism and activism. The power to reach many sitting at one computer has revolutionized what activists can accomplish in terms of awareness and magnitude of change.

How can such activism affect other realms of social change?

Behind The Scenes

Who are the people working behind the camera - the directors, producers?

Women's Media Center, an organization that advocates for women in the media, conducted a study on female representation in occupations considered "behind-the-scenes" work. It focused both on news broadcasting shows and TV dramas. The jobs included were among directors, producers, writers, etc.

The study found that women comprised only 25% of these jobs in the 2010-2011 TV season. With TV and movies being a primary source of media and heavily influential in our society, these statistics are worrisome.

The study found that movies or TV shows with at least one woman in an influential occupation, like director or producer, were more likely to have a more equitable representation of female characters. The way women are perceived through the media is highly influenced by the people producing the media and this study shows that having female representation is a vital factor.

How else do you think female representation behind the scenes might affect the media we consume?

That's A Man's Job

The debate over the place of women in the workplace has been going on since for centuries, evolving with the times but an issue that never seems completely resolved. Feminism during the 20th century was a strong social force, urging women to enter the workforce and end sexist stereotypes that women's only job was that of a homemaker. However, as more women did begin entering the workforce, the debate shifted from whether or not they should work, but which jobs they should hold.

Courtesy of Google Images

In Don DeLillo's satirical novel, "White Noise", he lampoons the stereotypical differences between men and women in the workforce through the jobs held by the character Jack and his wife, Babette.

Jack is a Hitler Studies Professor at the University. All of his academic peers are men and any of the academic programs the book discusses are all related to men: Hitler Studies, Elvis Studies, the Study of Car Crashes, etc.

However, Babette is another story. Jack describes her work, saying: "Basically, she is teaching them how to stand, sit and walk. Most of her students are old" (27).

The wife is relegated to the job of teaching old people, commonly stereotyped as infantile, how to do basic physical actions, such as walking (an activity mastered by a three year old). DeLillo is commenting on the stereotype that women should stay in "nurturing" positions, in which they put maternal instincts to good use.

Although DeLillo is stereotyping jobs held by women, a survey done by AOL shows that the top three jobs held by women are secretaries, nurses, and elementary school teachers. There are women holding top executive positions, typically "male" jobs. However, there are only 12 female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies.

Are DeLillo's satirical jabs hitting a little too close to home? Despite all the progress since the second and third waves of feminism, why are women still facing such challenges in the economic sphere?

I'm No Feminist

Why do women shy away from proclaiming themselves feminists?

This is a question that Deborah Siegel addresses in her book Sisterhood, Interrupted, analyzing second and third wave feminism and how politics and pop culture played a role in how they developed.

According to a TIME/CNN poll that Siegel cites, 94% of women said that the feminist movement helped women become more independent and 82% said that it was still improving the lives of women, but only 33% of women identified themselves as feminists (115).

Of the many factors contributing to public attitude that Siegel analyzed, one that kept jumping out at me was comments made by celebrity icons. She quotes Shakira saying: "I'm not a feminist, no. At least I wouldn't like to hang that sign around my neck" (23) and Jennifer Anniston, who reassured she wasn't a "bleeding heart feminist" (9).

Siegel also quotes a line from Bridget Jone's Diary, a highly popular and no doubt influential novel: "Nothing is more unattractive to a man than a feminist". Young women like to identify with celebrities and follow pop culture ideas. With all kinds of media pushing this negative feminist stereotype of crazy, undesirable women, this generation's women are bombarded with warped ideas towards feminism that are hard to break.

How can girls be expected for formulate their own opinions if popular culture is effectively deciding it for them?

Who Are You Voting For?

I recently saw this picture on the side of an internet page I was visiting:

Regardless of my own political opinions, I found this particular ad campaign intriguing. 

We've recently discussed in class how politicians (or anyone in the public eye) strategically construct a public image of themselves. Target audiences is a subject we've also discussed, and how companies will construct their image to appeal to a certain demographic.

Courtesy of the Obama Campaign

This image is promoting Barack Obama's run for presidency but the first real words are "Join Michelle". First off, the use of the presidential couple's first names gives off a certain casual air - as if you're talking about your joining your neighbors for some random event. This technique makes the presidential couple seem much more relatable and accessible. 

By telling the public to "Join Michelle", it is implied that she somehow has some influence in the political sphere. Interestingly, Barak, the one person who actually can change things, isn't even pictured. However, Michelle has no official power over the policies of our nation although she has been active with campaigns for social change like her "Let's Move" campaign against childhood obesity in addition to keeping up public appearances. It is important to remember, though, that voting for Obama does nothing more for Michelle's power except to keep her living in the White House. 

It is clear that this ad targets the female demographic of the Obama vote. He has done an amazing job characterizing himself as the family man by keeping his wife and children by his side throughout the campaign trail and his presidency. This ad further emphasizes that Obama can appeal to the female demographic because he has such a strong woman by his side. 

What other messages do you pick up from the picture?