Leeann Barrett
Final Blog
My time spent in this Introduction to Folklore was interesting. Initially I had that impression that this class would be mainly focuses on fairytale and folktales. I thought this class would be more enriching as opposed to just hearing and learning the fundamentals and what the world of academia already sorted out for us. I thought that maybe we would learn of other cultures and customs through their folktales and stories. Of course I understand that background is important and knowing what folklorist do but I truly hold strong to the idea that we should more get wrapped into the experience rather than know how to do ethnographic research. Coming into this class I thought that we would read and analyze the Disney tales like we did quickly in the mid section of the course. But in addition to that I thought that we would explore every corner of the world and not just focus on American adapted fairytales and the Grimm’s versions. Many of these tales started or are first noted to start elsewhere like in Africa. What about the stories Princess Scheherezade told? Instead of us just getting the option to chose what story we wanted to blog about out of the journal Marvels and Tales, I think that we should have first touched on all the corners of the world being that folklore does not only exist in America ( which in itself is an invented culture). Yes, we talked about customs and rituals that happen in America like what males do to woman during the half time show, and what slightly what happens during the Jazz festival. But maybe if we went into the dance of researched/ explores some of the stories and ghost stories that are told by the second- line performers.
I understand that there is a lot under the umbrella of folklore. Not one element is sufficient without the other. But I feel like this class became a little too much about the theory and then there was no real flow into the ethnographic research. The clamor to get to all of what is essentially folklore, made me lose focus of what the class is about. Being that this is an English centered class I think that the class should have been geared towards the stories and fairytales. Maybe in that beginning of the course we could have practiced small ethnographic research to simply get a feel of what it is and what people have to do in order to retain the information that we now have today.
The part of the course that I enjoyed the most was the section devoted to reading and analyzing the American fairytales; mainly because this was what I was looking forward to. To dissect the fairytales that we, in America, grew upon is what I dreamed I would have done at least once during my college career. I always have found it interesting to find the truth behind the tale and see what is really being embedded into or psyche from youth. (This idea is what captives me in the Zipes article.)
The part that I didn’t enjoy is the ethnographic reach. No t only because my research hasn’t workout as well as it would have if it was done during the fall semester but because I feel as though it and the reading were just thrown at us to get done an as soon as possible. The study I feel is rushed even if it does not intend to be. I felt like all of this reading, plus the deadline, on top of what is expected it over whelming.
In general,i honestly do not enjoy the course as much as i thought i would have. I think that this is mainly because i had many different views of what that classs would have been.I thought that the class would have been more open as opposed to locked in. Class has to have structure but that class was not as freeing as i believed that it would have been.
In my writing i know one of my strengths is analysis and seeing things that would not typically be brought out. Some of my weaknesses are proofreading and the fact that i tend to put myself in the situation with out first elaborating on how the person that is part of what i am writing about is feeling. Also finding the balance between what to elaborate on and how much to elaboration is needed. I do not really think i learned anything in this class that actually taught me how to fix my issues or that improved my weaknesses.
I honestly believe that i should receive a b in this class because i honestly have tried to improve on top of the fact that i have tried my best to do all that that professor has asked of us. I have also always been honest and spoke up and participated in class discussions.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
project proposal #2
Leeann Barrett
Proposal
For my research project, what I intend on studying are the Greek community at Queens College. When I say Greek one my think that I am talking about people who are born or live in Rome but what I am referring to is the Sorority and the Fraternity community; more specifically Queens College Sororities. This society is most viewed as the ‘jocks and cheerleaders’ of college. Just like in High School, where it seemed as though they were in control of everything and no matter what they did they still managed to succeed and do well in school, it is the same with the Greek community; the good version of the ‘untouchable’. The only difference is that this power that they have superiority that they have in college does not end when graduation comes around. Members of these societies are often part of other organizations other than the sisterhood they are a part of. Many of them hold administrative offices in school, and in most cases hold the office of president.They also participate in outside organizations like the Big Brothers of America program for children that need a mentor in their lives because of the lack of a parental figure and the Breast Cancer Association. They are the future leaders of America.
The reason I choose this topic is mainly because I was interested in joining a sorority. I found that not only can this be an interesting group to observe but also that this will be a valuable learning experience for me. Through doing this research I will be able to better educate myself as well as serve as a vessel to maybe impact another individual in their decision of whether they would like to join a sister hood. Their personality and the wonder of their secret society is what caught my interest. They are the over achieves of society. They may be in the background but if one looks at many firms and within congress as well as look at many of our former presidents, a majority of them are part of a brotherhood/ sisterhood or have pledges.
Some questions I would like to answer are:
• How did you first hear about sororities?
• What was your initial view of what a sorority is and what they stand for as a whole?
• What aspects attracted you?
• What are some positive things that you have heard about sororities?
• What are some of the negative aspects you have heard> Did you believe the rumors?
• Why did you chose to be part if this sorority?
• Did you conduct and research before joining? (through conversing, internet, etc)
• What is the general relationship between the different sororities and fraternities? Is there any animosity or rivalry between them?
• Is there a ranking system like in the military?
• How are the rankings determined within and amongst sororities?
• Do you think that sororities are based on popularity now that you are a part? Did you believe this before hand?
• Why do sororities throw parties? what do you believe the reason behind it is?
• How they decide which philanthropy is chosen for them to participate in
• How does one become an honorable member? The head of the fraternity/ sorority?
I have done research by visiting and researching these:
• DeSantis, Alan D. Inside Greek U. fraternities, sororities, and the pursuit of pleasure, power, and prestige. Lexington, Ky: University P of Kentucky, 2007.
• Gordon, Michael, and Stephen Wilson. "Status Inconsistency and Satisfaction with Sorority Membership." University on North Carolina Press 48 (1969).
• Heaton, Margaret M. "Sororities and the School Culture." Journal of Educational Sociology 21. JSTOR. 04 Apr. 2009.
• In the Fraternal Sisterhood: Sororities as Gender Stratergy 2nd ser. 9 (1995). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009.
• Perkins, Glen. "The Elimination of Fraternities and Sororities in the Tucson High School." Chicago Journals 31 (1923). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009.
• Robbins, Alexandra. Pledged The Secret Life of Sororities. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
• Willerman, Ben, and Leonard Swanson. "An Ecological Determinant of Differential Amounts of Sociometric Choice Within College." American Sociometry Association 15 (1952). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009.
I have also visited blog sites and forums to see the feed back that pledges have towards events like rush, why they wanted to join as well as what fist attracted them to rush to join this sorority.
How I intend on doing this research is though the interviewing of different members of Sororities at QC. My first plan in doing this is by getting in touch with some members of Queens Colleges three sororities: Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Phi and Delta Phi Epsilon. I will mainly focus on the reactions of newly entering members but I will also look to some f the older more invovled members. My research will be conducted through research, interview as well as through observation.
Some obstacles I am going to face is the idea of confidentiality. Some aspects of the brotherhood/ sisterhood members cannot express to outsiders. Some things I have to consider is that I am trying to rush also so I have to be careful what I ask and how I present the sorority. Another obstacle I might face is the events that I am planning to attend. If they are scheduled during Sabbath then I will not be able to attend and some of the events may include travel to another campus outside.
Proposal
For my research project, what I intend on studying are the Greek community at Queens College. When I say Greek one my think that I am talking about people who are born or live in Rome but what I am referring to is the Sorority and the Fraternity community; more specifically Queens College Sororities. This society is most viewed as the ‘jocks and cheerleaders’ of college. Just like in High School, where it seemed as though they were in control of everything and no matter what they did they still managed to succeed and do well in school, it is the same with the Greek community; the good version of the ‘untouchable’. The only difference is that this power that they have superiority that they have in college does not end when graduation comes around. Members of these societies are often part of other organizations other than the sisterhood they are a part of. Many of them hold administrative offices in school, and in most cases hold the office of president.They also participate in outside organizations like the Big Brothers of America program for children that need a mentor in their lives because of the lack of a parental figure and the Breast Cancer Association. They are the future leaders of America.
The reason I choose this topic is mainly because I was interested in joining a sorority. I found that not only can this be an interesting group to observe but also that this will be a valuable learning experience for me. Through doing this research I will be able to better educate myself as well as serve as a vessel to maybe impact another individual in their decision of whether they would like to join a sister hood. Their personality and the wonder of their secret society is what caught my interest. They are the over achieves of society. They may be in the background but if one looks at many firms and within congress as well as look at many of our former presidents, a majority of them are part of a brotherhood/ sisterhood or have pledges.
Some questions I would like to answer are:
• How did you first hear about sororities?
• What was your initial view of what a sorority is and what they stand for as a whole?
• What aspects attracted you?
• What are some positive things that you have heard about sororities?
• What are some of the negative aspects you have heard> Did you believe the rumors?
• Why did you chose to be part if this sorority?
• Did you conduct and research before joining? (through conversing, internet, etc)
• What is the general relationship between the different sororities and fraternities? Is there any animosity or rivalry between them?
• Is there a ranking system like in the military?
• How are the rankings determined within and amongst sororities?
• Do you think that sororities are based on popularity now that you are a part? Did you believe this before hand?
• Why do sororities throw parties? what do you believe the reason behind it is?
• How they decide which philanthropy is chosen for them to participate in
• How does one become an honorable member? The head of the fraternity/ sorority?
I have done research by visiting and researching these:
• DeSantis, Alan D. Inside Greek U. fraternities, sororities, and the pursuit of pleasure, power, and prestige. Lexington, Ky: University P of Kentucky, 2007.
• Gordon, Michael, and Stephen Wilson. "Status Inconsistency and Satisfaction with Sorority Membership." University on North Carolina Press 48 (1969).
• Heaton, Margaret M. "Sororities and the School Culture." Journal of Educational Sociology 21. JSTOR. 04 Apr. 2009
• In the Fraternal Sisterhood: Sororities as Gender Stratergy 2nd ser. 9 (1995). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009
• Perkins, Glen. "The Elimination of Fraternities and Sororities in the Tucson High School." Chicago Journals 31 (1923). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009
• Robbins, Alexandra. Pledged The Secret Life of Sororities. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
• Willerman, Ben, and Leonard Swanson. "An Ecological Determinant of Differential Amounts of Sociometric Choice Within College." American Sociometry Association 15 (1952). JSTOR. 5 Apr. 2009
I have also visited blog sites and forums to see the feed back that pledges have towards events like rush, why they wanted to join as well as what fist attracted them to rush to join this sorority.
How I intend on doing this research is though the interviewing of different members of Sororities at QC. My first plan in doing this is by getting in touch with some members of Queens Colleges three sororities: Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Phi and Delta Phi Epsilon. I will mainly focus on the reactions of newly entering members but I will also look to some f the older more invovled members. My research will be conducted through research, interview as well as through observation.
Some obstacles I am going to face is the idea of confidentiality. Some aspects of the brotherhood/ sisterhood members cannot express to outsiders. Some things I have to consider is that I am trying to rush also so I have to be careful what I ask and how I present the sorority. Another obstacle I might face is the events that I am planning to attend. If they are scheduled during Sabbath then I will not be able to attend and some of the events may include travel to another campus outside.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
~Iris~
In a land far away where everyone but know but no one knows. There lived a man and a woman the woman was of Royal blood however, her husband was not. He was a mere pauper. The woman’s family did not approve and felt disgraced but the woman was as happy as ever. Her family disowned her as she married the pauper and destroy all knowledge and family painting which had her in it so that no one would know that she is a princess or that she existed. This upset the woman but she was happy. The young couple lived in where we now call Egypt. They mixed and blended in with the people very well and no one knew that the woman was a princess. The woman did still keep in touch with one of the members of her family which was her cousin Xenicia whom she would send letters to of her new life and for updates in the kingdom. The woman then had a baby whom she named Iris because her eyes were as ice and her skin was a cool as tar. However a great plague flew over Egypt and both Iris mother and father died when she was 10. Iris stayed in the home by herself for she had learned many of life lesson when her parents where alive. She knew how to cook, clean and take care of herself however there was a strange woman that would visit her from time to time giving her money and groceries.
Iris did have friend however. From time to time she would talk to her horse and play with the Conures that had a nest nearby her home. Iris made the most of her days. She went o market and bought clothing and supplies when she needed them. But when she went home is when her imagination went wild. Iris would dream of the stories her mother used to tell her about a girl was a princess and the adventures that she would have in the castle.
As if nothing Iris grew into beautiful young lady who had long flowing black hair and the elegance of a swan. The woman that would visit her from time to time leaving her food and money left her saying that she will be back when she most needs her. Iris had no clue what the woman was referring to but she allowed her pardon and wished her good bye. The woman never mentioned where she was going.
One day when coming how from the market Iris rode her horse home but stopped so that her and the horse could get a drink of water. You see Iris’ horse was rare and Iris tamed him very well so he was very loyal to her. But there was a man in town that would employ young men to buy and capture horses for him. And he had his heart set on Iris’ horse. That day he sent a boy named Kitwane to go and steal the horse from Iris. So he followed her in to the forest in hope to capture the beautiful horse. When he came upon the he began to sneak up on the horse in hopes not to scare the horse. But Kitwane looked up and saw this majestic woman gathering herbs and berries for her dinner. He was mesmerized by her and could not stop watching her as she went from branch to branch. Suddenly he lost balance and the horse sensed him. The horse was startled and made noise pouncing up and down so that Kitwane would not catch him. But he held him by his reins and before Iris could react fast enough; her was gone with her dear friend.
Kitwane looked for to see the woman in town every day from then on and soon grew worried that something happened to her so he went to go and find her. So he went into the forest in search for her. You see the mysterious woman (xenicia) was in town and she knew the boy and also knew he had a good heart. She knew that he would be the one if he came to find Iris. So she laid out a clearing of the way do that he would not lost in trying to find her. So he followed the trail thinking that is must have been the way that Iris followed all those years of going to the market. At the end of the path he found a small house and inside he found the woman he could not take his eyes off at the lake. As he came closer he stumbled on chest with letters inside. He tries to pick it up and fix it before the beautiful woman saw but she rushed and caught him.
“Who are you and what are u doing here? How did you find me”
“I followed the path that you take to the market every afternoon”
“So you’re stalking me how long have you been watching me “
“I haven’t I just..”
“Wait you are the man who took my horse”
Iris then braces him up against a walk in her home completely taking him by surprise. When Kitwane opened his eyes he found a dagger to his neck. Iris knew a day would come when some one would find her in the forest so she would practice and prepare for the day by fighting with trees and long stems.
What have you done to my horse”
“ Nothing”
“Where is she?”
“I’ll tell you if let me down I can’t breathe”
She lets him drop to the floor and he tells her how the horse is still in the village in a shed however, the horse will be shipped to Cairo to a breeder. It also turns out that they horse will be taken there in 2 days time. Iris picks him up and offers him some food. As they sit down and talk the two begin to bond and Iris grows a liking for him. Later that day they plan a way for Iris to get back her friend.
So the next night around ten the two sneak into town. Everyone is sleeping including the guard at the front of the shelter. The two creep into the stable and the horse immediately sees Iris and gets excited but Iris calms her down telling her not to wake the guard and how they will get her out. When the horse hears the word we she looks up and sees Kitwane. She glares at him and is resistant at first. Iris reassures her and comforts her as she allows Kitwane to unleash her from her holding.
They make a great escape into the forest that’s awakens Kitwane’s master. He wakes out of his bed and see the two venturing off into the forest. Enraged he sends out a search party to find them. Three men on horses go out to find them they get lost in the smog. This makes him furious and he sends more people to go and find them. They too fail. So the master thinks what can he do to get the horse as well as Iris and Kitwane to him because now he wants all of them to suffer. So he sends his mistress Aida to go and find them. She was always favored amongst his workers do her told her to go into the forest and seduce Kitwane into coming back to town with the promise that she will be free to go where she pleases and have a riches in a foreign land. She agrees.
Going alone she wanders into forest and the path is revealed to her. It is faint but she can still follow. She soon sees the house and hides both Iris and Kitwane sleeping. She wakes Kitwane you whispering sweet things like” my love I was so worried about you. When you where working for him I always wanted to sneak away with you into great abyss and have a life with you but I knew we couldn’t because he would kill us both. And no I have come to save your. He has sent out searches to find you and soon he will come himself and try to kill you and Iris. If you love her you will come with me to save your life.” Kitwane then looks at Iris as she sleeps peacefully and feels pity on her. He agrees to follow Aida. Aida leads leads him straight into the village without him knowing because of the fog. When the fog rises he finally sees that he is right in the master’s lap. The master snags him up saying “You thought you could upstage me right, for some girl. How long did you think you could hide from me.” He smirks. “ I soon will have her too and the precious horse. I shall make her my new slave. She will probably be more good than you.” Kitwane pleads that he will do anything as long as the master leaves him alone but the master refuses sentencing him to live in the dungeon.
Iris wakes up with an erie feeling knowing for sure that something is certainly wrong. Iris gathered up all that she could include in the small chest that was on the floor because she knew that she had kept her dagger in there as well as other weapons. She got on her horse and rode into the village. When she got there she went around ducking seeing would hopefully find Kitwane carrying only her dagger with her. Then she heard a familiar voice in one of the floor windows she went closer and found Kitwane telling another cell mate for his story. She was overjoyed to see him and signaled for him to come over.
He explained everything to her and tried to tell her to run away and that he will be ok because this is all a trap. But when Iris got up to find a way to get him out she found the master hovering over her. She was cornered. Iris was throw in a room and looked up. Until the master came back and threw Iris down on his bed. “Now I will have you and your horse” he ordered maliciously. She frigates and kicked him off her causing him to fall and hurt his lip. “YOU may have got me now but I would not say the same for your friend” and he left. Iris immediately gets up and knows that he is talking about Kitwane. She remembers that there is a carrier that leads to the stable that she saw before and she goes and finds it hidden behind the grandfather clock. She moves it with all her strength then goes down the chute to her friends rescue. When she got to the stable she saw no one but she hear an up roar of people. When she went outside to see she saw that he friend was going up to the billow to be beheaded. This frightened Iris. Thankfully they had not found her horse yet. So she got on her horse and ran up on the platform trying to stop the master from killing KItwane. She took her dagger trying to kill him or stop him but he quickly grabbed her hand and threw her off her horse. The horse kicked him causing him to fall down and she went and untied Kitwane. The two fought the guards, fighting for their freedom until the master recuperated strength and tripped Iris. Then held a knife to her neck threatening to kill her if Kitwane did not give up. All was lost and Kitwane gave until the mysterious woman appeared from within the coward. She unveiled herself as well as her guard and announced that she was the stand in Queen of Egypt born from the blood of Issac and Persia Zpiseho the inlaws of our past king and Queen. She proclaim that she was the stand in Queen for Iris Kennisha Seleane daughter of Princess Selina and John Cahse, until she becomes of age. Her mother’s dying wish was for her to watch and help raise Iris as a normal girl and not tell her that she was a princess. Just them the horse rocked and all the letters that Xenicia and Iris’ mother would send back and forth were in that chest. The master then tried to hurry away but was stopped by one of his guards and given to the Queens guards to imprison.
Iris could not believe it was true and the Xenicia explained the entire story to her of what happened to her mother and how she is now ready to reign as queen. But hearing her mother story and seeing that she too is serving the same path she told Xenicia that she will not go without Kitwane. Iris and Kitwane we then allowed to live in the palace and Iris finally was able to live in the palace and an experience the adventures that her mother used to tell her. Iris reigned as Queen and was well adored by her people and most by her husband Kitwane.
Iris did have friend however. From time to time she would talk to her horse and play with the Conures that had a nest nearby her home. Iris made the most of her days. She went o market and bought clothing and supplies when she needed them. But when she went home is when her imagination went wild. Iris would dream of the stories her mother used to tell her about a girl was a princess and the adventures that she would have in the castle.
As if nothing Iris grew into beautiful young lady who had long flowing black hair and the elegance of a swan. The woman that would visit her from time to time leaving her food and money left her saying that she will be back when she most needs her. Iris had no clue what the woman was referring to but she allowed her pardon and wished her good bye. The woman never mentioned where she was going.
One day when coming how from the market Iris rode her horse home but stopped so that her and the horse could get a drink of water. You see Iris’ horse was rare and Iris tamed him very well so he was very loyal to her. But there was a man in town that would employ young men to buy and capture horses for him. And he had his heart set on Iris’ horse. That day he sent a boy named Kitwane to go and steal the horse from Iris. So he followed her in to the forest in hope to capture the beautiful horse. When he came upon the he began to sneak up on the horse in hopes not to scare the horse. But Kitwane looked up and saw this majestic woman gathering herbs and berries for her dinner. He was mesmerized by her and could not stop watching her as she went from branch to branch. Suddenly he lost balance and the horse sensed him. The horse was startled and made noise pouncing up and down so that Kitwane would not catch him. But he held him by his reins and before Iris could react fast enough; her was gone with her dear friend.
Kitwane looked for to see the woman in town every day from then on and soon grew worried that something happened to her so he went to go and find her. So he went into the forest in search for her. You see the mysterious woman (xenicia) was in town and she knew the boy and also knew he had a good heart. She knew that he would be the one if he came to find Iris. So she laid out a clearing of the way do that he would not lost in trying to find her. So he followed the trail thinking that is must have been the way that Iris followed all those years of going to the market. At the end of the path he found a small house and inside he found the woman he could not take his eyes off at the lake. As he came closer he stumbled on chest with letters inside. He tries to pick it up and fix it before the beautiful woman saw but she rushed and caught him.
“Who are you and what are u doing here? How did you find me”
“I followed the path that you take to the market every afternoon”
“So you’re stalking me how long have you been watching me “
“I haven’t I just..”
“Wait you are the man who took my horse”
Iris then braces him up against a walk in her home completely taking him by surprise. When Kitwane opened his eyes he found a dagger to his neck. Iris knew a day would come when some one would find her in the forest so she would practice and prepare for the day by fighting with trees and long stems.
What have you done to my horse”
“ Nothing”
“Where is she?”
“I’ll tell you if let me down I can’t breathe”
She lets him drop to the floor and he tells her how the horse is still in the village in a shed however, the horse will be shipped to Cairo to a breeder. It also turns out that they horse will be taken there in 2 days time. Iris picks him up and offers him some food. As they sit down and talk the two begin to bond and Iris grows a liking for him. Later that day they plan a way for Iris to get back her friend.
So the next night around ten the two sneak into town. Everyone is sleeping including the guard at the front of the shelter. The two creep into the stable and the horse immediately sees Iris and gets excited but Iris calms her down telling her not to wake the guard and how they will get her out. When the horse hears the word we she looks up and sees Kitwane. She glares at him and is resistant at first. Iris reassures her and comforts her as she allows Kitwane to unleash her from her holding.
They make a great escape into the forest that’s awakens Kitwane’s master. He wakes out of his bed and see the two venturing off into the forest. Enraged he sends out a search party to find them. Three men on horses go out to find them they get lost in the smog. This makes him furious and he sends more people to go and find them. They too fail. So the master thinks what can he do to get the horse as well as Iris and Kitwane to him because now he wants all of them to suffer. So he sends his mistress Aida to go and find them. She was always favored amongst his workers do her told her to go into the forest and seduce Kitwane into coming back to town with the promise that she will be free to go where she pleases and have a riches in a foreign land. She agrees.
Going alone she wanders into forest and the path is revealed to her. It is faint but she can still follow. She soon sees the house and hides both Iris and Kitwane sleeping. She wakes Kitwane you whispering sweet things like” my love I was so worried about you. When you where working for him I always wanted to sneak away with you into great abyss and have a life with you but I knew we couldn’t because he would kill us both. And no I have come to save your. He has sent out searches to find you and soon he will come himself and try to kill you and Iris. If you love her you will come with me to save your life.” Kitwane then looks at Iris as she sleeps peacefully and feels pity on her. He agrees to follow Aida. Aida leads leads him straight into the village without him knowing because of the fog. When the fog rises he finally sees that he is right in the master’s lap. The master snags him up saying “You thought you could upstage me right, for some girl. How long did you think you could hide from me.” He smirks. “ I soon will have her too and the precious horse. I shall make her my new slave. She will probably be more good than you.” Kitwane pleads that he will do anything as long as the master leaves him alone but the master refuses sentencing him to live in the dungeon.
Iris wakes up with an erie feeling knowing for sure that something is certainly wrong. Iris gathered up all that she could include in the small chest that was on the floor because she knew that she had kept her dagger in there as well as other weapons. She got on her horse and rode into the village. When she got there she went around ducking seeing would hopefully find Kitwane carrying only her dagger with her. Then she heard a familiar voice in one of the floor windows she went closer and found Kitwane telling another cell mate for his story. She was overjoyed to see him and signaled for him to come over.
He explained everything to her and tried to tell her to run away and that he will be ok because this is all a trap. But when Iris got up to find a way to get him out she found the master hovering over her. She was cornered. Iris was throw in a room and looked up. Until the master came back and threw Iris down on his bed. “Now I will have you and your horse” he ordered maliciously. She frigates and kicked him off her causing him to fall and hurt his lip. “YOU may have got me now but I would not say the same for your friend” and he left. Iris immediately gets up and knows that he is talking about Kitwane. She remembers that there is a carrier that leads to the stable that she saw before and she goes and finds it hidden behind the grandfather clock. She moves it with all her strength then goes down the chute to her friends rescue. When she got to the stable she saw no one but she hear an up roar of people. When she went outside to see she saw that he friend was going up to the billow to be beheaded. This frightened Iris. Thankfully they had not found her horse yet. So she got on her horse and ran up on the platform trying to stop the master from killing KItwane. She took her dagger trying to kill him or stop him but he quickly grabbed her hand and threw her off her horse. The horse kicked him causing him to fall down and she went and untied Kitwane. The two fought the guards, fighting for their freedom until the master recuperated strength and tripped Iris. Then held a knife to her neck threatening to kill her if Kitwane did not give up. All was lost and Kitwane gave until the mysterious woman appeared from within the coward. She unveiled herself as well as her guard and announced that she was the stand in Queen of Egypt born from the blood of Issac and Persia Zpiseho the inlaws of our past king and Queen. She proclaim that she was the stand in Queen for Iris Kennisha Seleane daughter of Princess Selina and John Cahse, until she becomes of age. Her mother’s dying wish was for her to watch and help raise Iris as a normal girl and not tell her that she was a princess. Just them the horse rocked and all the letters that Xenicia and Iris’ mother would send back and forth were in that chest. The master then tried to hurry away but was stopped by one of his guards and given to the Queens guards to imprison.
Iris could not believe it was true and the Xenicia explained the entire story to her of what happened to her mother and how she is now ready to reign as queen. But hearing her mother story and seeing that she too is serving the same path she told Xenicia that she will not go without Kitwane. Iris and Kitwane we then allowed to live in the palace and Iris finally was able to live in the palace and an experience the adventures that her mother used to tell her. Iris reigned as Queen and was well adored by her people and most by her husband Kitwane.
Argument Comparing Zipes article to "Old Woman Magoun" by Mary Freedman
The article “The Changing Function of the Fairy Tale” by Jack Zipes is basic argument is that the role of a fairy tale as changed so significantly over the years. Fairy tales initially where for the older people for a form of education and then through time it became a way to teach children lessons starting from an early age. Throughout his study he walks the reader through the different time period and explains why they viewed fairy tales as they did. Like for example in the Romanic and Victorian times they did not want their children to listen to fairy tales because they thought that they will lead them astray from the bible and God. Though this study Zipes is able to come up with some basic guidelines of what classifies a work as a fairytale. But does this work with all fairytales or does it tends to change based on different variables like time, place and audience. The tale “Old woman Magoun” tests his model almost to the point that it contradicts the guidelines he sets as qualifications.
The first guideline is that the protagonist is censored from doing something and goes against it. The protagonist in this tale is old woman Magoun. Magoun is not faced by a dilemma until the end of the story. The dilemma that she is faced with is that the child she is watch, Lily, who is also her granddaughter is wanted by her father who is a dead beat father and a drunkard. This dilemma is hinted at when the story mentions the tale of what happened to Lily’s mother and then escalated when characters in the story are bothered by the fact that Lily is almost fourteen and still carrying around a doll. Hinting by the title we can see that the protagonist is Magoun, however the story is centered on Lily. Magoun serves as a substitute because she shelters Lily in such a way that Lily has no knowledge or control of what is taking place. So is it the supporting character or the protagonist that is faced with the dilemma even though the protagonist had no clue of what is going on? From being sheltered Lily is paralyzed from making any efforts to solve the problem she is in. And to make it worse she actually helps it along by telling her father and Willis he age and her name. In doing so they knew she was of age to be wed to Willis which is assumed.
The second requirement is that the protagonist is “banished” or is given a “task related to the interdiction or prohibition” and that the protagonist will be marked by this undertaking. If one is to continue this assessment assuming that Magoun is the protagonist then the point of her having to be “banished” is not being portrayed in the story. The story never clues into Magoun having to move anywhere or having to leave any space because she is given the girl to take care of. The tasks that Magoun is given are two. The first is to shelter and care for Lily so that she does not turn like her mother and the second is given by her father when he requests her. The latter part of Zips rule does fit however. In the conclusion of the story Magoun is found carrying around the dolly that Lily would carry and never let go of. This doll signified the innocence of a child and in Magoun’s neglect and allowed poisoning of the child she is now scarred by this act because when she found that lily was sick she did nothing to cure her. All she did was tell her about heaven so that it would take her mind off the pain and that the child will die peacefully.
Zipes then makes a list of things/ characters in the story which have to present in order for it to function properly. The first is a villain. The villain in the story is spoken of three times. Once when speaking of how Lily became, next is when he sees Lily and then goes to get her from her grandmother and last at the end of the story when he finds Lily dead. The second request is of a mysterious person or animal giving her the protagonist gifts. This is where Lily comes in. While Lily is walking she meets a man who she has never met before how walk with her to the market to get salt. He does not give her a gift however. Unless this gift is company walking to the store, the person who gives her a gift is her father. She knows her father (“Now Lily did not shrink from him. Hereditary instincts and nature itself were asserting themselves in the child's innocent, receptive breast” and "My father gave it to me,"). Yes it may have been instinct but for her to out rightly say that her father gave her the candy justifies that the child knows him. This eliminates him as a mysterious character. Just some one she has not seen a long period of time. They clearly share a bond.
Zipes also asks for animals are creatures which are not present in this book other than the men that she refers to as hogs. Also no one offers her a magical gift. The men who Magoun refers to as hogs are building her a bridge which she is paying for with food and drink and other gifts are received by Lily which is an apple given to her by the lawyer’s wife who gives her milk and sour apples that then sickens her and the candy that’s her father gives her.
The next requirement is for the protagonist to fight their prohibition. Magoun attempts to fight society by keeping Lily as a child as long as she can saying that she will be with God. The other thing that she attempts to fight is the father regaining custody of Lily. She does this by going to the lawyer’s house and asking him to adopt Lily. However she fails. When she finds out that Lily was feed the apples however, she leaves her to die and allows her to eat the wild berries which she would otherwise have scolded her not to.
The fall of the protagonist whether it be Magoun or Lily begins when Magoun allows Lily to go to the store for salt to make the pork. The only problem with this “peripety” is that it seems permanent. I say this because Zipes states that this is a temporary setback. Magoun continues with her life as always, however, she’s still trapped because she is left with the memory of Lily. She keeps, on her shoulder, the doll that Lily kept at all times. And Lily dies so there is no coming back from that. One can make the argument that in her death she is freed from what she was bound to experience if she had lived but in the context of the story she does not prevail and no one is happy at the end of the story. Or at least the story doe not hint at Lily going to Heaven or Magoun being satisfied with her deed.
The last three requirements that are set up for fairytales fail because they are not applicable in this tale. Zipes alleges that the protagonist will us the gives obtained to help them. The candy that Lily receives is never used. On top of this there is no spell to be broken other then the fact that now the Barry cannot have his child and that she does not face her father at all.
The next requirements are that the antagonist is penalized and the end of the story ends in marriage wealth or wisdom. The father is penalized in the sense that he and Willis do not get have Lily in the end. Lily is dead so is this a battle won? And the father does not get what he wants however he does not seem too hurt about it and just gives up. Willis offers to go get a doctor but when Barry tells him that she is almost dead he sees that there is no point in getting one. If the father really wanted her alive, he would have gotten a doctor or sent for one regardless of whether or not she is dead or almost dead. Her dying is not a happy even. Her death prevents her from getting married which Zipes sees as positive. So does her death still qualify? Is dead a sort of emancipation from her father?
I personally enjoyed the story and saw that’s it applied to issues like dead at child birth, the role of a grandmother and the value of family, however it does not fit very well with Zipes’ outline of what a fairytale is. So does this mean that this story is not a fairytale? Also the roles that Lily and Magoun play, as the interchanging protagonist, complicates the list. I still think that this story fits as a fairytale because even though it does not fit the minuscule details of what a fairy tale is, it still teaches children’s the essentials of society and how to coop with events. Some lessons it teaches are do not talk to strangers, obey your guardian and do not accept gifts from strangers. Zipes may disagree with me who ever many other versions of stories that he may think are fairies will contradict all the guidelines he sets down. In saying that I do not believe that Zipes checklist of what is a fairytale is valid because it has the basic guidelines of what is a fairy tale; however his list is not state-of-the-art
The first guideline is that the protagonist is censored from doing something and goes against it. The protagonist in this tale is old woman Magoun. Magoun is not faced by a dilemma until the end of the story. The dilemma that she is faced with is that the child she is watch, Lily, who is also her granddaughter is wanted by her father who is a dead beat father and a drunkard. This dilemma is hinted at when the story mentions the tale of what happened to Lily’s mother and then escalated when characters in the story are bothered by the fact that Lily is almost fourteen and still carrying around a doll. Hinting by the title we can see that the protagonist is Magoun, however the story is centered on Lily. Magoun serves as a substitute because she shelters Lily in such a way that Lily has no knowledge or control of what is taking place. So is it the supporting character or the protagonist that is faced with the dilemma even though the protagonist had no clue of what is going on? From being sheltered Lily is paralyzed from making any efforts to solve the problem she is in. And to make it worse she actually helps it along by telling her father and Willis he age and her name. In doing so they knew she was of age to be wed to Willis which is assumed.
The second requirement is that the protagonist is “banished” or is given a “task related to the interdiction or prohibition” and that the protagonist will be marked by this undertaking. If one is to continue this assessment assuming that Magoun is the protagonist then the point of her having to be “banished” is not being portrayed in the story. The story never clues into Magoun having to move anywhere or having to leave any space because she is given the girl to take care of. The tasks that Magoun is given are two. The first is to shelter and care for Lily so that she does not turn like her mother and the second is given by her father when he requests her. The latter part of Zips rule does fit however. In the conclusion of the story Magoun is found carrying around the dolly that Lily would carry and never let go of. This doll signified the innocence of a child and in Magoun’s neglect and allowed poisoning of the child she is now scarred by this act because when she found that lily was sick she did nothing to cure her. All she did was tell her about heaven so that it would take her mind off the pain and that the child will die peacefully.
Zipes then makes a list of things/ characters in the story which have to present in order for it to function properly. The first is a villain. The villain in the story is spoken of three times. Once when speaking of how Lily became, next is when he sees Lily and then goes to get her from her grandmother and last at the end of the story when he finds Lily dead. The second request is of a mysterious person or animal giving her the protagonist gifts. This is where Lily comes in. While Lily is walking she meets a man who she has never met before how walk with her to the market to get salt. He does not give her a gift however. Unless this gift is company walking to the store, the person who gives her a gift is her father. She knows her father (“Now Lily did not shrink from him. Hereditary instincts and nature itself were asserting themselves in the child's innocent, receptive breast” and "My father gave it to me,"). Yes it may have been instinct but for her to out rightly say that her father gave her the candy justifies that the child knows him. This eliminates him as a mysterious character. Just some one she has not seen a long period of time. They clearly share a bond.
Zipes also asks for animals are creatures which are not present in this book other than the men that she refers to as hogs. Also no one offers her a magical gift. The men who Magoun refers to as hogs are building her a bridge which she is paying for with food and drink and other gifts are received by Lily which is an apple given to her by the lawyer’s wife who gives her milk and sour apples that then sickens her and the candy that’s her father gives her.
The next requirement is for the protagonist to fight their prohibition. Magoun attempts to fight society by keeping Lily as a child as long as she can saying that she will be with God. The other thing that she attempts to fight is the father regaining custody of Lily. She does this by going to the lawyer’s house and asking him to adopt Lily. However she fails. When she finds out that Lily was feed the apples however, she leaves her to die and allows her to eat the wild berries which she would otherwise have scolded her not to.
The fall of the protagonist whether it be Magoun or Lily begins when Magoun allows Lily to go to the store for salt to make the pork. The only problem with this “peripety” is that it seems permanent. I say this because Zipes states that this is a temporary setback. Magoun continues with her life as always, however, she’s still trapped because she is left with the memory of Lily. She keeps, on her shoulder, the doll that Lily kept at all times. And Lily dies so there is no coming back from that. One can make the argument that in her death she is freed from what she was bound to experience if she had lived but in the context of the story she does not prevail and no one is happy at the end of the story. Or at least the story doe not hint at Lily going to Heaven or Magoun being satisfied with her deed.
The last three requirements that are set up for fairytales fail because they are not applicable in this tale. Zipes alleges that the protagonist will us the gives obtained to help them. The candy that Lily receives is never used. On top of this there is no spell to be broken other then the fact that now the Barry cannot have his child and that she does not face her father at all.
The next requirements are that the antagonist is penalized and the end of the story ends in marriage wealth or wisdom. The father is penalized in the sense that he and Willis do not get have Lily in the end. Lily is dead so is this a battle won? And the father does not get what he wants however he does not seem too hurt about it and just gives up. Willis offers to go get a doctor but when Barry tells him that she is almost dead he sees that there is no point in getting one. If the father really wanted her alive, he would have gotten a doctor or sent for one regardless of whether or not she is dead or almost dead. Her dying is not a happy even. Her death prevents her from getting married which Zipes sees as positive. So does her death still qualify? Is dead a sort of emancipation from her father?
I personally enjoyed the story and saw that’s it applied to issues like dead at child birth, the role of a grandmother and the value of family, however it does not fit very well with Zipes’ outline of what a fairytale is. So does this mean that this story is not a fairytale? Also the roles that Lily and Magoun play, as the interchanging protagonist, complicates the list. I still think that this story fits as a fairytale because even though it does not fit the minuscule details of what a fairy tale is, it still teaches children’s the essentials of society and how to coop with events. Some lessons it teaches are do not talk to strangers, obey your guardian and do not accept gifts from strangers. Zipes may disagree with me who ever many other versions of stories that he may think are fairies will contradict all the guidelines he sets down. In saying that I do not believe that Zipes checklist of what is a fairytale is valid because it has the basic guidelines of what is a fairy tale; however his list is not state-of-the-art
summary of "Old Woman Magoun" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins
The tale “Old Woman Magoun” by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman Starts off with woman named Old Woman Magoun wanting to get a bridge made. She bids some men into making it for her in promises of giving them food and liquor to drink after. Magoun is a smaller farmer who is the caretaker for a little girl named lily. Lily is put in the care of Magoun because her mother had died from giving child birth. Magoun would never allow the child to go out of her home or go very far without her knowing. She kept her as a child; know what happened with her mother. Lily’s mother married lily’s father, Nelson Barry, when she was 16. And when they got married and got pregnant, he left her mother. Magoun’s reasoning for this is that it was in his blood. His father was a cheater also. As a signal of her youth the story constantly mentions a doll which Lily cares everywhere with her on her shoulder as if it is her child. This appears more so when her grandmother (Magoun) sends her to the market for salt to put on the pork when Sally Jink (her friend) recommends that she does. Before she goes on her travel her grandmother tells her not to talk to anyone but if someone greets her, she should act appropriately ("and don't stop to talk to anybody, for I am in a hurry for that salt. Of course if anybody speaks to you, answer them polite, and then come right along."). So she goes and she meets a man whose name we do not find out until after Lily come home from her trip to go and get salt. When she is walking with this man he asks her personally questions like her name and her age and who is her father. Obediently she answers all of these questions. When they get to the Village she meets her father as drunken as ever outside of the shop who kisses her and slightly startles her with the liquor on his breathe so she moves away and buys the salt. He too asks her what is her age. The stranger (Jim Willis), her father and Sally are all alarmed at the fact that the child is of age to get married but is still playing with a doll. The father seeing this comes to The grandmother house the next day stating that he wants his daughter back and that he will want her a week from date. He tells her that she will be cared for by his “half- witted sister” Isabel. Magoun did not approve but agreed regardless.
The story says that the next day she awoke Lily saying that she is going to test the new bridge that she had made for her. And she makes Lily put on her new white dress, gloves, shoes and hat while Magoun wore all black. They make their way across the bridge to the home of lawyer Mason who lived n Greenham. While Magoun was inside conversing with the lawyer, his wife came outside to talk to Lily and offered her treats and sour apples and milk. When Magoun come out and found that Lily had eaten them she got upset but left all the same. We find out shortly after that the reason that Magoun went to then was to get Lily adopted but he said no because Lily was the child of Barry and that was bad news. The wife had lost a child before and pleads to adopt Lily but the husband still refused.
The story focuses back unto lily and her grandmother. They are walking towards home and Lily asks if she can sit down and the grandmother says yes. Lily then eats some wild berries. While they are continuing on their journey Lily sees that her grandmother tone and look has changed and she makes many complaints that her shoes are dirty and her stomach hurts and that her throat is dry. Magoun gives her water once but the second time she asks she tells her that she will get it when they reach the next town. When they get home Lily is lying on her bed complaining about the pain she is experiencing. Magoun does nothing about it and starts to tell Lily about the place that she is going to and how beautiful it will be. She is describing heaven.
The last record that we hear of Lily is when the father and Willis come and find Lily cold dead. They find out the cause when Magoun’s friend Sally tells them. We come to find out that Lily’s mother too ate apples and milk and got sick also.
The story ends tell us that Magoun still runs her small farm and sells her produce but she still carries around.
The story says that the next day she awoke Lily saying that she is going to test the new bridge that she had made for her. And she makes Lily put on her new white dress, gloves, shoes and hat while Magoun wore all black. They make their way across the bridge to the home of lawyer Mason who lived n Greenham. While Magoun was inside conversing with the lawyer, his wife came outside to talk to Lily and offered her treats and sour apples and milk. When Magoun come out and found that Lily had eaten them she got upset but left all the same. We find out shortly after that the reason that Magoun went to then was to get Lily adopted but he said no because Lily was the child of Barry and that was bad news. The wife had lost a child before and pleads to adopt Lily but the husband still refused.
The story focuses back unto lily and her grandmother. They are walking towards home and Lily asks if she can sit down and the grandmother says yes. Lily then eats some wild berries. While they are continuing on their journey Lily sees that her grandmother tone and look has changed and she makes many complaints that her shoes are dirty and her stomach hurts and that her throat is dry. Magoun gives her water once but the second time she asks she tells her that she will get it when they reach the next town. When they get home Lily is lying on her bed complaining about the pain she is experiencing. Magoun does nothing about it and starts to tell Lily about the place that she is going to and how beautiful it will be. She is describing heaven.
The last record that we hear of Lily is when the father and Willis come and find Lily cold dead. They find out the cause when Magoun’s friend Sally tells them. We come to find out that Lily’s mother too ate apples and milk and got sick also.
The story ends tell us that Magoun still runs her small farm and sells her produce but she still carries around.
Friday, March 27, 2009
project proposal
Leeann Barrett
Proposal
For my research project, what I intend on studying are the Greek community. When I say Greek one my think that I am talking about people who are born or live in Rome but what I am referring to is the Sorority and the Fraternity community; more specifically historically black Fraternities and Sororities. This community can be found mainly at accredited colleges around the United States. Some Fraternities and sororities have also opened their wings to foreign countries for example the West Indies, South America and Japan. This society is most seen as the ‘jocks and cheerleaders’ of college. Just like in High School where it seemed as though they were in control of everything and no matter what they did they still managed to succeed and do well in school, it is the same with the Greek community; t he good version of the ‘untouchable’. The only difference is that this power that they have does not end when graduation comes. Members of these societies are often part of other organizations other than the brotherhood or sisterhood they are a part of. They have known to help with student affairs, administration and participate in outside organizations like the Big Brothers of America program for children that need a mentor in their lives because of the lack of a parental figure and the Breast Cancer Association. They are the future leaders of America.
The reason I choose this topic is mainly because I am interested in joining a sorority. I found that not only can this be an interesting group to observe but also that this will be a valuable learning experience for me. Through doing this research I will be able to better educate myself as well as serve as a vessel to maybe impact another individual in their decision of whether they would like to join a brotherhood/ sister hood. Their personality and the wonder of their secret society is what caught my interest. They are the over achieves of society. They may be in the background but if one looks at many firms and within congress as well as look at many of our former presidents, a majority of them are part of a brotherhood/ sisterhood or have pledges.
Some questions I would like to answer are:
• When did this idea of creating Fraternities and Sororities come about
• How does this translate to their everyday (for active and inactive members)?
• How their families deal with them being part of a secret society and not being about to fully explain and tell them what the brotherhood/ sisterhood is about?
• Why do people join?
• What is the general relationship between the different sororities and fraternities? Is there any animosity or rivalry between them?
• Is there a ranking system lie in the military?
• How do overseas branches function in the same way?
• What recruitment events are done? What types?
• Average number of people pledge each year
• How Greek symbols are chosen and what they mean
• Why some fraternities and Sororities step/ stroll when presenting themselves?
• How they decide which philanthropy is chosen for them to participate in
• What is the Elite Eight and how were there brotherhoods/ sisterhoods chosen?
• How does one become an honorable member? The head of the fraternity/ sorority?
I have done some previous research on Sororities and Fraternities by their official visiting websites (for example www.aka1908.com and www.pbk.org) and also by getting some back ground information about their history and other fraternities that they may be a part of or have some connection to. One other thing that I did is to read some of the Greek blogs that are up for people who want to join or get a feel of the sisterhood/ brotherhood.
How I intend on doing this research is though the interviewing of different members of these sororities/ Fraternities. My first plan in doing this is by getting in touch with some people in the community who are apart of a brotherhood/ sisterhood and by visiting the Alpha Kappa Alpha Queens headquarter in St. Albans. I will also research some events that are going on. Another thing I am planning to do is use articles from project muse and jstor.
Some obstacles I am going to face is the idea of confidentiality. Some aspects of the brotherhood/ sisterhood members cannot express to outsiders. Some things I have to consider is that I am trying to rush also so I have to be careful what I ask and how I present the sorority. Another obstacle I might face is the events that I am planning to attend. If they are scheduled during Sabbath then I will not be able to attend and some of the events may include travel to another campus outside the tri-state area or I may have to go upstate.
Proposal
For my research project, what I intend on studying are the Greek community. When I say Greek one my think that I am talking about people who are born or live in Rome but what I am referring to is the Sorority and the Fraternity community; more specifically historically black Fraternities and Sororities. This community can be found mainly at accredited colleges around the United States. Some Fraternities and sororities have also opened their wings to foreign countries for example the West Indies, South America and Japan. This society is most seen as the ‘jocks and cheerleaders’ of college. Just like in High School where it seemed as though they were in control of everything and no matter what they did they still managed to succeed and do well in school, it is the same with the Greek community; t he good version of the ‘untouchable’. The only difference is that this power that they have does not end when graduation comes. Members of these societies are often part of other organizations other than the brotherhood or sisterhood they are a part of. They have known to help with student affairs, administration and participate in outside organizations like the Big Brothers of America program for children that need a mentor in their lives because of the lack of a parental figure and the Breast Cancer Association. They are the future leaders of America.
The reason I choose this topic is mainly because I am interested in joining a sorority. I found that not only can this be an interesting group to observe but also that this will be a valuable learning experience for me. Through doing this research I will be able to better educate myself as well as serve as a vessel to maybe impact another individual in their decision of whether they would like to join a brotherhood/ sister hood. Their personality and the wonder of their secret society is what caught my interest. They are the over achieves of society. They may be in the background but if one looks at many firms and within congress as well as look at many of our former presidents, a majority of them are part of a brotherhood/ sisterhood or have pledges.
Some questions I would like to answer are:
• When did this idea of creating Fraternities and Sororities come about
• How does this translate to their everyday (for active and inactive members)?
• How their families deal with them being part of a secret society and not being about to fully explain and tell them what the brotherhood/ sisterhood is about?
• Why do people join?
• What is the general relationship between the different sororities and fraternities? Is there any animosity or rivalry between them?
• Is there a ranking system lie in the military?
• How do overseas branches function in the same way?
• What recruitment events are done? What types?
• Average number of people pledge each year
• How Greek symbols are chosen and what they mean
• Why some fraternities and Sororities step/ stroll when presenting themselves?
• How they decide which philanthropy is chosen for them to participate in
• What is the Elite Eight and how were there brotherhoods/ sisterhoods chosen?
• How does one become an honorable member? The head of the fraternity/ sorority?
I have done some previous research on Sororities and Fraternities by their official visiting websites (for example www.aka1908.com and www.pbk.org) and also by getting some back ground information about their history and other fraternities that they may be a part of or have some connection to. One other thing that I did is to read some of the Greek blogs that are up for people who want to join or get a feel of the sisterhood/ brotherhood.
How I intend on doing this research is though the interviewing of different members of these sororities/ Fraternities. My first plan in doing this is by getting in touch with some people in the community who are apart of a brotherhood/ sisterhood and by visiting the Alpha Kappa Alpha Queens headquarter in St. Albans. I will also research some events that are going on. Another thing I am planning to do is use articles from project muse and jstor.
Some obstacles I am going to face is the idea of confidentiality. Some aspects of the brotherhood/ sisterhood members cannot express to outsiders. Some things I have to consider is that I am trying to rush also so I have to be careful what I ask and how I present the sorority. Another obstacle I might face is the events that I am planning to attend. If they are scheduled during Sabbath then I will not be able to attend and some of the events may include travel to another campus outside the tri-state area or I may have to go upstate.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
“I can’t explain myself because in not myself, sir… everything is so confusing”
Leeann Barrett
The Story of Alice in Wonderland I never paid too much attention to because I was told that it was a story about a child who is potentially on narcotics. But this theory about her being on narcotics actually feeds in to what is said on page 55 of “Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination” by Deborah Ross. It says, “From that time till the present, conservative authors have used romances and novels to teach girls that their dreams are dangerous and of little relevance to their daily lives.” Being taught that Alice is really having this fantasy, because she is drunk and on mushrooms and that the caterpillar in the story is actually smoking opium, is justification of this being a story to teach me that my fantasies will get the best of me.
The story begins with Alice not wanting to do her studies. He aunt I believe gives her a book which she is supposed to read for school. Alice doesn’t want to read the book and in attempting she falls asleep and this is when the ‘delusion’ begins. Alice starts with singing a song about this magical world that would be the perfect place to live and it will be called “Wonderland.” This is the world that she believes that she should live in where things go as she will like. She sees this white rabbit that leads her into a whole that just happens to be the passage to her fantasy world.
While in Wonderland all the male characters are ridiculed from the start. The rabbit that is always late for nothing, the mad hatter, the caterpillar and twiddle de and twiddle dumb are all portrayed as babbling fools who just talk but never actually listen to what Alice is saying. However the twiddle twins tell her a story which is supposed to be the lesson of the story I believe. Alice would be the Oysters who follow the walrus where their mother tells them that they shouldn’t. This is what will happen to Alice if she does not conform. Its funny how the twiddle twins are the only males that she names out rightly as dumb actually are the ones who feed onto the idea of dreams of another world will be dangerous. The oysters wanted to go to land because the walrus filled their minds with fabulous things. They then started to think about how the outside would be. And in thinking and fantasizing about it they ignored their mothers request for them to stay. In the end they were eaten. So in Alice’s case, if she did not escape and if she did not learn her lesson she would be killed.
The women in the story are seen as mothers, the posh and self- centered ladies of society and the in essence the future Alice. The mother figures always appear when Alice gets a little ahead of herself most obviously with the mother bird. She calls her a serpent because she is too tall after eating the mushroom. For her to call her a serpent is like calling her a demon of some sort. This is something that no one wants to deal with or have in their midst. Something with the self- centered woman of society. The flowers ask her what garden she is from and as soon as they find that they have no clue what she is, they label her as a weed. A weed is something that destroys gardens. The Queen treats her husband as a child and continuously says that thing mush always be “my way”. This echoes Alice’s song at the beginning of the movie. Alice wants everything to be her way but as the cashmere cat says “everyone is crazy here.”
To just lay off Alice’s Wonderland and call it and everyone in it crazy is like saying that she he self is crazy and that this dream that she is having makes no sense and will never be. Woman will never rule, men always make sense even when you may think they don’t and children should listen to the things that their parents tell them. Alice says twice in the story, once in the beginning and right before her third song while sitting on the rock, she always gives herself good advice but she always fails to listen. She might think that this is her giving herself advice but what she is actually doing is echoing something her parents may have taught her.
Ross says “She is saved, not by facing them down with dawning maturity and confidence, like the “real” Alice, but by waking up (57). Alice never gets too save herself. The queen is still running after her. Alice waking up is a symbol for her conforming to society and getting rid of her silly dreams. During the dream she realizes that what she wants is not right for her and the story is conditioned that way. Nothing ever seems to go right in the story. The only thing that goes right is when she learns how to eat the mushroom and judge what will make her tall and how tall (Ross mentions this too). If more events in the fantasy went right, like the queen being nice and the flowers not kicking her out, then I’m sure Alice would have rather stay there than to wake up. Alice would have died if it wasn’t for the door knob, which is a masculine figure also. All the males in the story help her along the way to get this idea that what she is dreaming is bad while the females all help it along.
The Story of Alice in Wonderland I never paid too much attention to because I was told that it was a story about a child who is potentially on narcotics. But this theory about her being on narcotics actually feeds in to what is said on page 55 of “Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination” by Deborah Ross. It says, “From that time till the present, conservative authors have used romances and novels to teach girls that their dreams are dangerous and of little relevance to their daily lives.” Being taught that Alice is really having this fantasy, because she is drunk and on mushrooms and that the caterpillar in the story is actually smoking opium, is justification of this being a story to teach me that my fantasies will get the best of me.
The story begins with Alice not wanting to do her studies. He aunt I believe gives her a book which she is supposed to read for school. Alice doesn’t want to read the book and in attempting she falls asleep and this is when the ‘delusion’ begins. Alice starts with singing a song about this magical world that would be the perfect place to live and it will be called “Wonderland.” This is the world that she believes that she should live in where things go as she will like. She sees this white rabbit that leads her into a whole that just happens to be the passage to her fantasy world.
While in Wonderland all the male characters are ridiculed from the start. The rabbit that is always late for nothing, the mad hatter, the caterpillar and twiddle de and twiddle dumb are all portrayed as babbling fools who just talk but never actually listen to what Alice is saying. However the twiddle twins tell her a story which is supposed to be the lesson of the story I believe. Alice would be the Oysters who follow the walrus where their mother tells them that they shouldn’t. This is what will happen to Alice if she does not conform. Its funny how the twiddle twins are the only males that she names out rightly as dumb actually are the ones who feed onto the idea of dreams of another world will be dangerous. The oysters wanted to go to land because the walrus filled their minds with fabulous things. They then started to think about how the outside would be. And in thinking and fantasizing about it they ignored their mothers request for them to stay. In the end they were eaten. So in Alice’s case, if she did not escape and if she did not learn her lesson she would be killed.
The women in the story are seen as mothers, the posh and self- centered ladies of society and the in essence the future Alice. The mother figures always appear when Alice gets a little ahead of herself most obviously with the mother bird. She calls her a serpent because she is too tall after eating the mushroom. For her to call her a serpent is like calling her a demon of some sort. This is something that no one wants to deal with or have in their midst. Something with the self- centered woman of society. The flowers ask her what garden she is from and as soon as they find that they have no clue what she is, they label her as a weed. A weed is something that destroys gardens. The Queen treats her husband as a child and continuously says that thing mush always be “my way”. This echoes Alice’s song at the beginning of the movie. Alice wants everything to be her way but as the cashmere cat says “everyone is crazy here.”
To just lay off Alice’s Wonderland and call it and everyone in it crazy is like saying that she he self is crazy and that this dream that she is having makes no sense and will never be. Woman will never rule, men always make sense even when you may think they don’t and children should listen to the things that their parents tell them. Alice says twice in the story, once in the beginning and right before her third song while sitting on the rock, she always gives herself good advice but she always fails to listen. She might think that this is her giving herself advice but what she is actually doing is echoing something her parents may have taught her.
Ross says “She is saved, not by facing them down with dawning maturity and confidence, like the “real” Alice, but by waking up (57). Alice never gets too save herself. The queen is still running after her. Alice waking up is a symbol for her conforming to society and getting rid of her silly dreams. During the dream she realizes that what she wants is not right for her and the story is conditioned that way. Nothing ever seems to go right in the story. The only thing that goes right is when she learns how to eat the mushroom and judge what will make her tall and how tall (Ross mentions this too). If more events in the fantasy went right, like the queen being nice and the flowers not kicking her out, then I’m sure Alice would have rather stay there than to wake up. Alice would have died if it wasn’t for the door knob, which is a masculine figure also. All the males in the story help her along the way to get this idea that what she is dreaming is bad while the females all help it along.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Don't Think I Want the Cinderella Story Anymore
Leeann Barrett
“Cinderella in her most ‘perverted’ form- the patient, submissive, defenseless young woman, whose happiness depends on a man who actually defines her life.”(11, “Don’t Bet on the Prince”, Jack Zipes). Jack’s statement when I first read it I thought no this cannot be true but especially in our version of the Cinderella story, this is true.
The Cinderella story fits all the guideline of what it is to be a fairy tale according to the list given in Jack’s other article “The Changing Function of the Fairy Tale”. These rules in reference to Cinderella apply as such:
1) Cinderella is under the ruling of her step mother and step sisters
2) Cinderella’s name comes from the fact that her stepmother assigns her chores like to clean the soot from the chimney and because the soot would get all over her they began to call her Cinder-ella.
3) Cinderella (in the English version) has three villains who are her step mother and step sister but mainly her eldest stepsister. Her savior, which is her fairy godmother, appears from thin air and grants her wish by giving her clothing and transportation to the ball. The animals that Cinderella encounters are the rats and the rats that are then turned into horses and her trenchmen. And after all of this Cinderella promises to come back before twelve.
4) She has been tested of her good heartedness and through toils since her step family came into the picture. The battle that Cinderella faces is that she is being oppressed by her step family and the battle that they fight takes place at the ball where Cinderella takes way all of the prince’s attention.
5) Cinderella being the “bell of the ball’s” good luck suddenly fails when she sees that I is almost midnight and remembers what her godmother warned her about what will happen to her suddenly gained riches. She then rushes home and acts as though nothing happened
6) The Cinderella stories do not break a magical spell but she does get freed from her stepmothers rule. In other versions of the Cinderella story Cinderella gets the chance to meet the prince two time and the last encounter is when she forgets and cuts close with the time leaving the ball at the last minute.
7) The villains are punished by not getting what they wanted. Cinderella won the princes heart and is allowed to move into the palace away from her stepfamily while they have to stay in their home and do all of their housework by themselves.
8) In the end Cinderella marries that prince and lives in the palace where she owns all the rices of the land.
Even though all these pointers focus on Cinderella and he trial and triumphs, Cinderella really does not have an identity before the prince comes into the picture. It’s funny how the prince says nothing but he governs the whole outcome of the story. He is the character that is most in the background.
I see him more as an after though then a main event. The prince is the center of thee story and why this story is worthy to be told. If the prince had a wife already, the ball would have never taken place. Cinderella would still be a maid for her stepfamily, her father still has no say in what goes on in the house (even though the father character is only necessary in the beginning , which is the background of the story),and Cinderella godmother would never have existed. Cinderella would have just been a good girl who got the bad end of the stick.
Women do not hold a high place. The stepmother, one can argue, is a strong female figure. She has money, a husband who she tricked into marrying her and a step daughter who she makes a slave. That all seems like a woman with power, but, how did she get this money? All the money she has is obtained through previous marriages. The reason why she marries Cinderella’s father is because she thought that he had money. He fall is that he tricked her. She had money but was money hungry and Cinderella’s father needed the money as well as a mother for Cinderella. The only reason why the stepmother has this power over the father is because he is weak, financially and probably mental unstable from the death of his wife. The story never shows the stepmother working to make a profit. She is always home to tell Cinderella what to do and to supervise.
The Cinderella story is one of the most popular fairy tales of them all. However this story is what is embedded in my young girls and boys. Bruno Bettelhem in his article "The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales" by Bruno Bettelhem, he says "when children are young, it is literature that carries such information best" (4). Though the undertones of this story are not noticed but they are understood. Woman, if they are submissive, obedient and loyal, will go far in life and if they veer away from this then they will only succeed if they feed off of weak and widowed men. I once heard that the original lesson of this story (other than that your good ways and deeds will get you far) is that it, as well as other fairy tales like Snow White, are used to talk people what will happen if they remarry. Woman will come and abuse you and your children then use up all of your money and leave.
Before i read these articles i was looking to have the Cinderella story of true love and the "happilly ever after". The way i was taught to view this story is totally different than what it actually is. What is the Cinderella story any ways. It is really nothing and has no true substance but to embed lies into young children. This story is here to carry on the myth that they prince charming is always to come and save the damsel in distress. The prince never even knew Cinderella existed before the ball. Much less any of the other girls. The only reason why he came for her is because she looked "bad" at the ball. Come to think of it, he didn't even go out to look for her, he sent his loyal servant to go house to house having girls try on a shoe. Something that is material and that can he reproduced. How can some one find true love out of just a few glances. For all he know she could have had a disease or could have just been out for his money like all the other women. Why does he love her? Because she toggled his mind a little? Mesmerized him with her good looks? I mean come on that is SO not a happily ever after. It's funny to see what we have based true love on.
“Cinderella in her most ‘perverted’ form- the patient, submissive, defenseless young woman, whose happiness depends on a man who actually defines her life.”(11, “Don’t Bet on the Prince”, Jack Zipes). Jack’s statement when I first read it I thought no this cannot be true but especially in our version of the Cinderella story, this is true.
The Cinderella story fits all the guideline of what it is to be a fairy tale according to the list given in Jack’s other article “The Changing Function of the Fairy Tale”. These rules in reference to Cinderella apply as such:
1) Cinderella is under the ruling of her step mother and step sisters
2) Cinderella’s name comes from the fact that her stepmother assigns her chores like to clean the soot from the chimney and because the soot would get all over her they began to call her Cinder-ella.
3) Cinderella (in the English version) has three villains who are her step mother and step sister but mainly her eldest stepsister. Her savior, which is her fairy godmother, appears from thin air and grants her wish by giving her clothing and transportation to the ball. The animals that Cinderella encounters are the rats and the rats that are then turned into horses and her trenchmen. And after all of this Cinderella promises to come back before twelve.
4) She has been tested of her good heartedness and through toils since her step family came into the picture. The battle that Cinderella faces is that she is being oppressed by her step family and the battle that they fight takes place at the ball where Cinderella takes way all of the prince’s attention.
5) Cinderella being the “bell of the ball’s” good luck suddenly fails when she sees that I is almost midnight and remembers what her godmother warned her about what will happen to her suddenly gained riches. She then rushes home and acts as though nothing happened
6) The Cinderella stories do not break a magical spell but she does get freed from her stepmothers rule. In other versions of the Cinderella story Cinderella gets the chance to meet the prince two time and the last encounter is when she forgets and cuts close with the time leaving the ball at the last minute.
7) The villains are punished by not getting what they wanted. Cinderella won the princes heart and is allowed to move into the palace away from her stepfamily while they have to stay in their home and do all of their housework by themselves.
8) In the end Cinderella marries that prince and lives in the palace where she owns all the rices of the land.
Even though all these pointers focus on Cinderella and he trial and triumphs, Cinderella really does not have an identity before the prince comes into the picture. It’s funny how the prince says nothing but he governs the whole outcome of the story. He is the character that is most in the background.
I see him more as an after though then a main event. The prince is the center of thee story and why this story is worthy to be told. If the prince had a wife already, the ball would have never taken place. Cinderella would still be a maid for her stepfamily, her father still has no say in what goes on in the house (even though the father character is only necessary in the beginning , which is the background of the story),and Cinderella godmother would never have existed. Cinderella would have just been a good girl who got the bad end of the stick.
Women do not hold a high place. The stepmother, one can argue, is a strong female figure. She has money, a husband who she tricked into marrying her and a step daughter who she makes a slave. That all seems like a woman with power, but, how did she get this money? All the money she has is obtained through previous marriages. The reason why she marries Cinderella’s father is because she thought that he had money. He fall is that he tricked her. She had money but was money hungry and Cinderella’s father needed the money as well as a mother for Cinderella. The only reason why the stepmother has this power over the father is because he is weak, financially and probably mental unstable from the death of his wife. The story never shows the stepmother working to make a profit. She is always home to tell Cinderella what to do and to supervise.
The Cinderella story is one of the most popular fairy tales of them all. However this story is what is embedded in my young girls and boys. Bruno Bettelhem in his article "The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales" by Bruno Bettelhem, he says "when children are young, it is literature that carries such information best" (4). Though the undertones of this story are not noticed but they are understood. Woman, if they are submissive, obedient and loyal, will go far in life and if they veer away from this then they will only succeed if they feed off of weak and widowed men. I once heard that the original lesson of this story (other than that your good ways and deeds will get you far) is that it, as well as other fairy tales like Snow White, are used to talk people what will happen if they remarry. Woman will come and abuse you and your children then use up all of your money and leave.
Before i read these articles i was looking to have the Cinderella story of true love and the "happilly ever after". The way i was taught to view this story is totally different than what it actually is. What is the Cinderella story any ways. It is really nothing and has no true substance but to embed lies into young children. This story is here to carry on the myth that they prince charming is always to come and save the damsel in distress. The prince never even knew Cinderella existed before the ball. Much less any of the other girls. The only reason why he came for her is because she looked "bad" at the ball. Come to think of it, he didn't even go out to look for her, he sent his loyal servant to go house to house having girls try on a shoe. Something that is material and that can he reproduced. How can some one find true love out of just a few glances. For all he know she could have had a disease or could have just been out for his money like all the other women. Why does he love her? Because she toggled his mind a little? Mesmerized him with her good looks? I mean come on that is SO not a happily ever after. It's funny to see what we have based true love on.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
growing upon the internet
Hey guess this is me trying to lend a helping hand to any one who needs it. I have no clue how to upload a powerpoint presentation on this site but i do have an essay i did for my cs12 for anyone who is interested in doing second life or something based on the children and technology here it goes. i can get you the link for the broadcast as well if you would like
Leeann Barrett
Cs12
The PBS broadcast that we were watching is mainly focused on the internet and what is doing to our up and coming society. The documentary targeted some key aspects which are parents not being aware of what their children are doing, children being sucked in and not being aware of the effects of their actions, online predators, the effects of parents taking action and the way their children are responding.
The first thing about the documentary that I find interesting is the comment made about the smart classrooms and how they cannot successfully function or teach a class room of students a lesson without this technology. There is a man that basically mocks the teaching of students with a single teacher and a piece of chalk as insufficient. I personally cannot relate to that because all of my life I have been taught with that board and the piece of chalk. I was and still am able to learn with no problem. A social studies teacher in the documentary said that he has to keep up and entertain his students in order to cut through all the cyber junk and actually get them to learn. With me I think that all of those computers in the room and students basically emailing teachers the answers to questions takes away from: social skills, makes students inpatient and it is encouraging children to be on the computer 24/7. I know that if I were in that class with the computer in front of me. I would not pay attention and would be on AIM or face book updating something or looking at pictures. Something more intriguing than a teacher touching some board that has touch screen notes.
This leads to the other point that the documentary is bringing out. They stressed on the point that children would push everything aside just to go on the internet. There is a High School student in who says that if there was no internet he would not know what to do with himself, however, he goes on to say that he has no time to read a book. He would rather go on a website and read the revised version there. Teachers have tried to stop this from happening by doing things like blocking websites and making students submit papers to websites that detect plagiarism. But, how can you really block a site and to what extent and you justify yourself in telling someone that they are cheating. And this is the problem that the documentary faces. The internet is so unmonitored and free that one cannot tell another what and what not to look at. It is so easily accessible that you can go almost anywhere and get internet access. Even if you tell a student or block the websites the school, nine times out of ten the student will go to some other outlet in order to retain this information.
This does not only make teachers fret but it scares parents. Parents begin to wonder what their children are doing in this private world. Parents lose a sense of control because of the internet. Parents can go as far as taking computers out of their child house and using parental controls but, the children are smarter than the adults. They can hack into to parental controls or they can just simply go to a friend’s house, a library or to school and use the computers there. Internet is said to have caused “the greatest generation gap since rock” and this is because the parents cannot keep up with the children and children aren’t willing to share the knowledge and if they do it is only select pieces of information.
Because of this children see the internet as something that they control. Something made just for them to lash out and express the thoughts that they do not feel comfortable telling anyone else. Children do not really notice that even though no one is listening and the internet does not answer back, people are reading these blogs and watching these videos and come up with judgments of your character. The internet gives the feeling that you are talking to a blank screen when really, instead of talking to no one, you are talking to everyone. Children are sometimes so vulnerable that they write everything about themselves then when someone comments on their blog, picture or video it gives the feeling that they have a new friend that is theirs only that they can say anything to. The begin trusting someone that can be anyone. This is where internet predators come in. The look and feed over children like these. It is found that over numerous conversations with these people children are almost willing and begging to meet with these people. Some even what to run away with them. They tell children all that they want to hear and nothing less. All of this is to gain their trust, gain their liking and to get the child in the position that they want them to be.
In the real world children experience many different things and suffer from peer pressure almost every day. The internet allows these students to become whoever they want to be or wish they were. This can be a good and a bad influence on children. Some children use to the internet as a refuge from the real world. In the case of Autumn Edow, the internet was a form of self expression. The father commented saying that she is “creating art.” In the real world Edow’s was not like and barely even noticed but, when she found the internet it is as though she transformed and became this whole new person that everyone wanted to know and be. It empowered her and gave her self confidence that she never had before. The internet is where she had her time to shine even though it is not who she really is, she became someone that she loved. Who she loves is the model named Autumn Edow.
This freedom of speech can also be taken in a negative way. In the documentary there were two instances of this negative influence. The first is with the teenage girl who wished to be thinner. She talked about how she would go a website where other anorexic and bulimic people would write, comment and compete about how much weight they lost and how little they ate that day. These weren’t only grown people writing but young teenagers. These websites encourage and support these children making them want to harm themselves more and more.
Another instance is with the boy who was suffering from cyber bullying. This is actually two in one. This boy was not being tormented by one person but he was teased by a group whose sole purpose was to tear him apart and bully him. And this group led the boy to want to kill himself. The boy found a way and did kill himself but, not with the encouragement of another boy who has a site all about killing and suicide. So to any question, want or yearning you have, the internet has an answer to it while parents have no idea about what is going through their child’s mind.
But what happens when parents do find out? In the case of Autumn Edows and the High School Senior, the results were not really good at first and really good in the end. I found out that when parents find out the go ballistic and to the extreme. One was so surprised to the point that in one case one parent when and decided to email all the other parents in the neighborhood and this got everyone in trouble. In the case of the high school student he felt and told his mother that she ruined his high school years. She appears as though she doesn’t understand because in her heart she thinks that she was doing the just thing. No she reports that she is quiet and does not really talk or share his feeling. It’s as though he closed up. And this is just like Edows. When her mother found out, she made her delete all her files and pictures in front of her which was basically deleting her from her world. Her parents have come to acceptance of her double life however to this day Edows thinks that her parents will never really understand her. This show that she really does not trust them and that there is a void between them.
There is no real way of controlling teens or to monitor the internet. The internet is pushed so much in our society that it’s almost too hard to remember a time where there were no computers and no internet. What is funny to me in the documentary is when the parents were asking the children to give them the passwords. Parents should be savvy enough to know that their children will say no and is they do give then their password nine times out of ten, it will be a fake password or their child is planning to change it in the next three minutes. My views on the internet are neutral. Yes it could be a little safer however, who is to say who can go on the internet and who is allowed to write what. The accused can easily say that this is them exercising their freedom of speech. I just that it as whatever you seek you will find and the answer is the internet.
Leeann Barrett
Cs12
The PBS broadcast that we were watching is mainly focused on the internet and what is doing to our up and coming society. The documentary targeted some key aspects which are parents not being aware of what their children are doing, children being sucked in and not being aware of the effects of their actions, online predators, the effects of parents taking action and the way their children are responding.
The first thing about the documentary that I find interesting is the comment made about the smart classrooms and how they cannot successfully function or teach a class room of students a lesson without this technology. There is a man that basically mocks the teaching of students with a single teacher and a piece of chalk as insufficient. I personally cannot relate to that because all of my life I have been taught with that board and the piece of chalk. I was and still am able to learn with no problem. A social studies teacher in the documentary said that he has to keep up and entertain his students in order to cut through all the cyber junk and actually get them to learn. With me I think that all of those computers in the room and students basically emailing teachers the answers to questions takes away from: social skills, makes students inpatient and it is encouraging children to be on the computer 24/7. I know that if I were in that class with the computer in front of me. I would not pay attention and would be on AIM or face book updating something or looking at pictures. Something more intriguing than a teacher touching some board that has touch screen notes.
This leads to the other point that the documentary is bringing out. They stressed on the point that children would push everything aside just to go on the internet. There is a High School student in who says that if there was no internet he would not know what to do with himself, however, he goes on to say that he has no time to read a book. He would rather go on a website and read the revised version there. Teachers have tried to stop this from happening by doing things like blocking websites and making students submit papers to websites that detect plagiarism. But, how can you really block a site and to what extent and you justify yourself in telling someone that they are cheating. And this is the problem that the documentary faces. The internet is so unmonitored and free that one cannot tell another what and what not to look at. It is so easily accessible that you can go almost anywhere and get internet access. Even if you tell a student or block the websites the school, nine times out of ten the student will go to some other outlet in order to retain this information.
This does not only make teachers fret but it scares parents. Parents begin to wonder what their children are doing in this private world. Parents lose a sense of control because of the internet. Parents can go as far as taking computers out of their child house and using parental controls but, the children are smarter than the adults. They can hack into to parental controls or they can just simply go to a friend’s house, a library or to school and use the computers there. Internet is said to have caused “the greatest generation gap since rock” and this is because the parents cannot keep up with the children and children aren’t willing to share the knowledge and if they do it is only select pieces of information.
Because of this children see the internet as something that they control. Something made just for them to lash out and express the thoughts that they do not feel comfortable telling anyone else. Children do not really notice that even though no one is listening and the internet does not answer back, people are reading these blogs and watching these videos and come up with judgments of your character. The internet gives the feeling that you are talking to a blank screen when really, instead of talking to no one, you are talking to everyone. Children are sometimes so vulnerable that they write everything about themselves then when someone comments on their blog, picture or video it gives the feeling that they have a new friend that is theirs only that they can say anything to. The begin trusting someone that can be anyone. This is where internet predators come in. The look and feed over children like these. It is found that over numerous conversations with these people children are almost willing and begging to meet with these people. Some even what to run away with them. They tell children all that they want to hear and nothing less. All of this is to gain their trust, gain their liking and to get the child in the position that they want them to be.
In the real world children experience many different things and suffer from peer pressure almost every day. The internet allows these students to become whoever they want to be or wish they were. This can be a good and a bad influence on children. Some children use to the internet as a refuge from the real world. In the case of Autumn Edow, the internet was a form of self expression. The father commented saying that she is “creating art.” In the real world Edow’s was not like and barely even noticed but, when she found the internet it is as though she transformed and became this whole new person that everyone wanted to know and be. It empowered her and gave her self confidence that she never had before. The internet is where she had her time to shine even though it is not who she really is, she became someone that she loved. Who she loves is the model named Autumn Edow.
This freedom of speech can also be taken in a negative way. In the documentary there were two instances of this negative influence. The first is with the teenage girl who wished to be thinner. She talked about how she would go a website where other anorexic and bulimic people would write, comment and compete about how much weight they lost and how little they ate that day. These weren’t only grown people writing but young teenagers. These websites encourage and support these children making them want to harm themselves more and more.
Another instance is with the boy who was suffering from cyber bullying. This is actually two in one. This boy was not being tormented by one person but he was teased by a group whose sole purpose was to tear him apart and bully him. And this group led the boy to want to kill himself. The boy found a way and did kill himself but, not with the encouragement of another boy who has a site all about killing and suicide. So to any question, want or yearning you have, the internet has an answer to it while parents have no idea about what is going through their child’s mind.
But what happens when parents do find out? In the case of Autumn Edows and the High School Senior, the results were not really good at first and really good in the end. I found out that when parents find out the go ballistic and to the extreme. One was so surprised to the point that in one case one parent when and decided to email all the other parents in the neighborhood and this got everyone in trouble. In the case of the high school student he felt and told his mother that she ruined his high school years. She appears as though she doesn’t understand because in her heart she thinks that she was doing the just thing. No she reports that she is quiet and does not really talk or share his feeling. It’s as though he closed up. And this is just like Edows. When her mother found out, she made her delete all her files and pictures in front of her which was basically deleting her from her world. Her parents have come to acceptance of her double life however to this day Edows thinks that her parents will never really understand her. This show that she really does not trust them and that there is a void between them.
There is no real way of controlling teens or to monitor the internet. The internet is pushed so much in our society that it’s almost too hard to remember a time where there were no computers and no internet. What is funny to me in the documentary is when the parents were asking the children to give them the passwords. Parents should be savvy enough to know that their children will say no and is they do give then their password nine times out of ten, it will be a fake password or their child is planning to change it in the next three minutes. My views on the internet are neutral. Yes it could be a little safer however, who is to say who can go on the internet and who is allowed to write what. The accused can easily say that this is them exercising their freedom of speech. I just that it as whatever you seek you will find and the answer is the internet.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Can we ever truly escape the hidden transcript?
When I was younger I would always go around thinking, “we live by the masks that we wear.” I thought this was coincidental because this is so true. Like I would literally sit down and think about society and how it governs, molds and makes us seem as drones in our individuality. I’m not sure if that made sense but it is kind of true. In class we talked about the public transcript. This public transcript, one of my questions is where did it come from and who made it so? But besides that we all have a common knowledge or understanding of what the public transcript is. It is interesting about how this “agreement” is so much embedded in us. This performance is automatically triggered without thought or question. For example in class we know that we have to be studious and pay attention and use big words just so that we stand out amongst all other students. But what is all this for? To intimidate the other students or is it to satisfy our oppressor the professor? We masks even when we don’t have to. And it’s crazy because to a stranger we don’t have to act any way but we still condition ourselves. But at another look can we really remove the mask. And in the mask isn’t there a loss of self. In the mask how do we really know who we are? Is it only the thoughts that are trapped in out head our self? What if we lose our identity within thesemasks. Is there a true self after all or are we living in a bubble?
All of these questions run through my head but I don’t think that they can truly be answered. I do not think so because any answer will be tainted or answered through a mask. The person will condition themselves to answer in a way that they think that I will understand and agree with. To an extent that is a mask too.
All of these questions run through my head but I don’t think that they can truly be answered. I do not think so because any answer will be tainted or answered through a mask. The person will condition themselves to answer in a way that they think that I will understand and agree with. To an extent that is a mask too.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
confusion in advertisment and emotion
Howard says “Vanity pages are often placed on commercial servers that mix advertising with the personal content” (194). Earlier this week my professor made the statement “ ‘I’m devastated’ that’s not a Facebook post.”(S. Altschuler) I was funny when she made this comment but it is also true. If someone dies this is not the kind of thing that you post on Facebook. Commonly it would be a time of mourning but to place this statement on Facebook, does it give it a new meaning? As we were talking in class we questioned if this is to be taken as serious as it is or if one should comment asking what happened or are you ok. This broadcasting or advertisement of sacred inside emotions is part of this internet folklore.
The internet, even with its limitations, is a space where anyone can be who they want to and express themselves freely without anyone looking or immediately judging them. To me it is like a world that coexists with the actual world. With social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook you can set up a profile and just let your imagination go wild. Like others I have found these sites to be a way to keep in touch and have a relationship with other people that I would not have if it were in actual life. As I walk though campus I notice that many of these people- some time or another- I have had class with me and are my friend on Facebook. However, I have never exchanged phone numbers or talked to any of these people a day in my life. But as far as Face book is concerned, they are my friend. On these social networking sited you can control how popular you are and how people see you. If you do not like someone or if you want to send them a message to leave you alone all you have to do is delete them as a friend. When this happens it comes off as official that you don’t want them in your life. You do not have to say one word to them unless you chose to.
This informality is what is what seems to be the same thing that is going on with the comment “I’m devastated” but in a different way. Online I feel like, some extent, it is a portal to my mind at times. So things I don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable saying out loud I’ll but as my status. Though this is not the ideal or what these social networking site are for, you cannot help the urge for at least one other human being knowing or questioning your wellbeing or at minimum knowing how u are feeling. In this fast paced world we do not have time to sit down and discuss our day or our feeling to one another. And many of us do not really trust anyone to the point that we will tell then what is going on in our minds. So why not tell a complete stranger or test who really does care about you by just writing a status update.
By doing this it almost opens your life for interpretation and it is a form of entertainment in a weird and awkward way. After people comment you feel good about yourself or content. I would not go as far as to post that someone died and say that I am devastated, everyone does not have to know that. However, I still believe that some things should stay inside and some emotions or anxieties should not be soothed by the internet but the internet is a venue whether it be good or bad. Writing that you are devastated is one for of this blending of advertisement and personal content. You become so intertwined that this posting is an advertisement and you life is played for everyone to see by just the press of a button.
The internet, even with its limitations, is a space where anyone can be who they want to and express themselves freely without anyone looking or immediately judging them. To me it is like a world that coexists with the actual world. With social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook you can set up a profile and just let your imagination go wild. Like others I have found these sites to be a way to keep in touch and have a relationship with other people that I would not have if it were in actual life. As I walk though campus I notice that many of these people- some time or another- I have had class with me and are my friend on Facebook. However, I have never exchanged phone numbers or talked to any of these people a day in my life. But as far as Face book is concerned, they are my friend. On these social networking sited you can control how popular you are and how people see you. If you do not like someone or if you want to send them a message to leave you alone all you have to do is delete them as a friend. When this happens it comes off as official that you don’t want them in your life. You do not have to say one word to them unless you chose to.
This informality is what is what seems to be the same thing that is going on with the comment “I’m devastated” but in a different way. Online I feel like, some extent, it is a portal to my mind at times. So things I don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable saying out loud I’ll but as my status. Though this is not the ideal or what these social networking site are for, you cannot help the urge for at least one other human being knowing or questioning your wellbeing or at minimum knowing how u are feeling. In this fast paced world we do not have time to sit down and discuss our day or our feeling to one another. And many of us do not really trust anyone to the point that we will tell then what is going on in our minds. So why not tell a complete stranger or test who really does care about you by just writing a status update.
By doing this it almost opens your life for interpretation and it is a form of entertainment in a weird and awkward way. After people comment you feel good about yourself or content. I would not go as far as to post that someone died and say that I am devastated, everyone does not have to know that. However, I still believe that some things should stay inside and some emotions or anxieties should not be soothed by the internet but the internet is a venue whether it be good or bad. Writing that you are devastated is one for of this blending of advertisement and personal content. You become so intertwined that this posting is an advertisement and you life is played for everyone to see by just the press of a button.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The Internet Folklore
In the article, “Electronic Hybridity: The Persistent Processes of the Vernacular Web” by Robert Glenn Howard, he says “When “folk” express meaning though new communication technologies, the distinction between folk and mass is, as Dorst suggested, blurred by the vernacular deployment of institutionally produced commercial technologies.” The “folk” that he mentions are us. He people who sign up for these different blogs and add on to what the internet is. When we participate in things like blogs and online diaries, we become part of the folk. As soon as one posts a comment online it is permanently part of the internet. The “Mass” is the commercial part of it all. These are the creator and controllers. They are usually the owners of the sites like Facebook, or MySpace also law makers. They become the mass in that they make the rules as to what can be freely posted unto these sites and what is revoked. They also can create and image into themselves in that they will be seen in society as they want to be portrayed apart from what may really be the situation. We the folk promote this every time we sign up to use these various sites we keep their myth alive. This caught my attention because this is sort of like what James Scott was talking about When he makes mention of the slaves and what was really going on during slavery. The slave owners make it seem as though they were doing a favor for the Africans in taking them in and exposing them to religion. When what really was going on is that the slaves were being battered and burse and mistreated the whole time. But no would have known this till they studied the negro spirituals and the brer rabbit stories. The slaves where always there however they aren’t really seen as the mass rather as the folk that have to deal with what the mass says or the image that they want to portray of them.
Scott says that “the safest and most public form of political discourse is that which takes as its basis the flattering self- image of elites. Owing rhetorical concessions that self image contains, it offers a surprisingly large arena for political conflict that appeals to these concessions and makes use of the room for interpretation within and ideology.”(Chapter 2 page 18,). This is true as we can see with the Kerry blog website in the Howard article and with slavery. Bloggers saw that they were censoring what was going on to the site. So they made their own. In slavery days there was no such thing as internet but there was such a thing as written language and works. Because they were band from learning to read and write, they made song and told stories. And those who knew how to write taught others.
This leads me to think about us and our society. Even though we all have different vernaculars and we are part of the different folk, aren’t we all somewhat controlled be the “mass” which is dictated those who have the money at the time. In a sense the internet has no folklore because it is constantly censored as to what can be posted. But on the other end of the stick, this censorship is part of the folklore and what keeps it alive. Without this censorship there would not be things as blogs, or they wouldn’t be as popular. People wouldn’t fell a compelled to push the buttons of the elites and express their opinions. This “slavery” makes us, the “folk”, want to strive harder. It gives us a challenge and our rebuttal gives more of an impact. I cannot imagine the internet without censorship. I guess being that out lives are tripped by society cannot see past it. We find was too but in a sense we embrace it
Scott says that “the safest and most public form of political discourse is that which takes as its basis the flattering self- image of elites. Owing rhetorical concessions that self image contains, it offers a surprisingly large arena for political conflict that appeals to these concessions and makes use of the room for interpretation within and ideology.”(Chapter 2 page 18,). This is true as we can see with the Kerry blog website in the Howard article and with slavery. Bloggers saw that they were censoring what was going on to the site. So they made their own. In slavery days there was no such thing as internet but there was such a thing as written language and works. Because they were band from learning to read and write, they made song and told stories. And those who knew how to write taught others.
This leads me to think about us and our society. Even though we all have different vernaculars and we are part of the different folk, aren’t we all somewhat controlled be the “mass” which is dictated those who have the money at the time. In a sense the internet has no folklore because it is constantly censored as to what can be posted. But on the other end of the stick, this censorship is part of the folklore and what keeps it alive. Without this censorship there would not be things as blogs, or they wouldn’t be as popular. People wouldn’t fell a compelled to push the buttons of the elites and express their opinions. This “slavery” makes us, the “folk”, want to strive harder. It gives us a challenge and our rebuttal gives more of an impact. I cannot imagine the internet without censorship. I guess being that out lives are tripped by society cannot see past it. We find was too but in a sense we embrace it
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Whiteness of Dance: what is it really trying to say
Leeann Barrett
When I think about the words like “whiteness” and “dance” my mind immediately goes to ballroom dancing. I think this crazy because dance and music are supposed to be universal elements. I think that the idea of white and dancing has been embeded into me over the yrs. When we watch dance competitions on the television, other than the newly made ones, you mostly see white people dancing. Only once in a while will you see a Latino and it is a miracle if a black person is present. I can only remember seeing a Black person once or twice. In the Article “Whiteness and the Performance of Race in the American Ballroom” by Joanna Bosse when talking about ballroom dance says “The social group with whom I worked was predominately white, with East Asian and Asian American dancers constituting approximately one- eighth of the clientele and a very small number of other minorities…. I encountered only six black ballroom dancers and even fewer Latin American and South Asians.” (28).
It is interesting how the North Asians or more present than the South Asians. North Asians are lighter than the ones in the south. So this whole thing is based on color. Not on skill. This actually says something about the larger community Bosse says that “Most of the dancers were members on economic or intellectual elite and both men and woman held positions as entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, CEO’s, small business owners…”(28). In our society many minorities do not get the opportunity to get to these positions. So even dance id for a select few in America. The dance comes off as showing that you have some status or a place in society. It shows that you are so accomplished that you have time to learn this dance just to show how much of a great person you are. Minorities in America are trying to get a degree not busy trying to flaunt their wealth in a dance.
When Bosse is describing the woman in the dance she says “woman modern dancers perform in pastel or sherbet- colored ball gowns, tight in the bodice with fuller, flowing skirt and adorned with feathers, sequins, or jewels. The hair is usually swept high in the head in a French twist or bun and is generally dyed to platinum blonde if possible. Make up, like hair color, tends to gravitate towards extremes of either powdery, porcelain white (if coupled with dark hair) or deep, bronze tan (if couples with blonde hair).”(31). This is what the ideal female looks like in America. Woman should have a tight waist, long hair, blonde, and white. The dress, sequins, feathers and jewels can be seen as the thing that females put on from day to day that is consider high fashion or fashionable. One thing I thought about when reading this part are the Disney movie. The only person of color that you find dancing in a ballroom is Pocahontas. Other than that everyone is white with pale whit skin. Cinderella is the best example of this, (she also reintegrates the idea of the American dream). She has blonde hair, pale skin, jewelry, a tiara and a light blue dress that has a corset built into it. And because of this she is the belle of the ball. Everyone stops to look at her come down the steps as the moonlight gleams on her. With Pocahontas, in the second movie, she is taken to England where she is dressed in a puffy shirt and squeezed into the dress. Her hair is also put up into a bun and adorned with beads and jewels and he face is painted white. Just as the article said it is to be done when paired with dark hair. So even if you aren’t white, to perform or take part in activities that go along side the ballroom dancing , like meeting the king/ queen, as a minority you have to conform to their way in appearance too.
To me this is a way to control other people and conquer them in saying that we are better. This ballroom dance symbolizes “civilization” and the Europeans imposing there ways on others. The dance symbolizes wealth and prosperity. It also shows that you are someone in society to have mastered and to have learnt this dance. To me this dance is somewhat like colonization or reason which was given to justify colonization. This dance is taught in the hopes to bring culture and to civilize the people who are watching. Giving them an example of what they are to be and probably what they will never become.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
My personal tradition Blog
One family tradition that I have personally taken part in is Sabbath lunch. Sabbath known to be observed by the Jews but I am Seventh - day Adventist and we also observe the Sabbath. Being that my family is West- Indian we have a custom where we have a big lunch in the middle of the day and don’t eat any other meal for the rest of the day other than a snack. This tradition has been practiced every Saturday evening since I can remember. What we do is that after the church service is over and we are finished greeting our fellow brethren we go home, stay at church or go to another’s house for fellowship. Fellowship is what we call Sabbath lunch. In the islands usually this would take place, if not some ones house, on a beach out outside. In the states this happens, or came into being because a lot of people would end up being at church all day. After the service is done church is not. There are things like handing out tracks, pathfindering (sort of like an Adventist Boy Scout and Girl Scouts) and bible study. Then in the afternoon there is Adventist youth where it is like church for the youth. So basically people did not want to go home and come back all the time. After a while when churches got too big then it would spread to people’s homes. People will cook large meals and even when times were hard everyone will pitch in when times are rough there seems to be enough for everyone to be fed.
Some foods that are served are mostly vegetarian food (we are usually grown up eating this food because at church this is mostly what is served). But we also prepare meat occasionally. We also have things like rice and peas, the “special” juice and other cultural foods. When it’s a large setting and for visitors we share out food but people are always allowed for seconds and to share for themselves. During this eating time we catch up on the week, tell stories about our families, talk about the service or things that happened in Sabbath school that we did not finish discussing and basically talk about whatever is on our minds or bothering us.
This custom has gone on for years and I believe it will go on for years to come. It has toned down a little because at church they now do fellowship every second Sabbath, and the times are getting cold so people do not really come back to church for Adventist Youth because of personal reasons but people are still going over each other’s house and sharing fellowship with each other. I have always enjoyed this tradition and I hope to pass this one to my children also.
Some foods that are served are mostly vegetarian food (we are usually grown up eating this food because at church this is mostly what is served). But we also prepare meat occasionally. We also have things like rice and peas, the “special” juice and other cultural foods. When it’s a large setting and for visitors we share out food but people are always allowed for seconds and to share for themselves. During this eating time we catch up on the week, tell stories about our families, talk about the service or things that happened in Sabbath school that we did not finish discussing and basically talk about whatever is on our minds or bothering us.
This custom has gone on for years and I believe it will go on for years to come. It has toned down a little because at church they now do fellowship every second Sabbath, and the times are getting cold so people do not really come back to church for Adventist Youth because of personal reasons but people are still going over each other’s house and sharing fellowship with each other. I have always enjoyed this tradition and I hope to pass this one to my children also.
Blog on Lindquist article
In the “’Locating’ The Nation: Football Game Day and American Dreams in Central Ohio” by Danielle Christensen Lindquist says “In attempting this oddly “American” sport, commentators have read foot ball as a metaphoric expression of territorial, sexual, or economic conquest, thus linking the game to national imperialism and war, gendered dominance, or corporate capitalism.”(448). Before reading the article I really couldn’t see how this could be so. The only thing that was obvious to me is that America is the only country that has Football as a sport, (however other countries have something similar called Rugby). Then as I continued reading I saw that football actually immolates all that America is about.
The first point she makes is that football characterized by an invariant structure and deference to authority. This is much like our government (or the idea of our government). Things are organized according to the constitution and according to what the president and his cabinet says. Just like in Foot ball they have a set of rules that they have to follow or else the game cannot go on. The coach is serves as the president but the referee is his cabinet scolding him when things are wrong. The coach has to obey the grand rule and follow it whether or not he likes it.
Something that I thought was particularly interesting is the point that she made about football linking it war. Wars relationship to football can be viewed in two ways. One way it can be viewed is its relevance to the army. The way that football plays are set up on the field is one way. They are set up so that they can fight anything that the other team is coming with. They are come up with these strategies by studying the other teams’ plays and finding a way to build their defense by breaking down the other teams’ defense and vice versa. Just like America. When going to war we do not just jump into another countries territory with no knowledge. We study the landscape. See what they have done in the past to win wars and we find out what kind of technology they have on hand to them. Any advantage that they may have we prepare ourselves for. No team wants to lose just as no country wants to lose.
The point the link that she made between Football and the Puritans also can be seen this way. When they came to America they came to have their own space and their own land for religious liberty and opportunity. But when they found the Natives when they came to the Americas they made it their duty to convert them and in a sense conquer them. Just like in a football game. Teams travel to other teams’ stadiums in order to conquer them. Lindquist quotes Miller saying that it was the Puritans “errand to the wilderness” (447). Teams travel from long distances to challenge the other team and say that they were the ones who made them humble and they now have stance over them. Before, when there was no one else, they did not have any competition and now that they do it’s like their divine right to go and conqueror. Many football players believe that playing the sport is their God given gift and that this is what they were supposed to do in life.
The other way that one can interpret the link to war in the sport itself. Past both teams studying each other’s past and advantages, during the game they respond to each other’s actions. If they see a certain pattern in their play then they will adjust. Just like in war when one shoot then another is going to come with more force and have to beside whether or not they are going to use the heavy artillery. Coaches don’t send out their best players until when most needed. And don’t throw out randomly.
The last point that I think is interesting is the point about “men raised primarily by women sought out models of public maleness”. This is seen in all forms of Americanism. America is all about being strong and doing things for yourself. Boys trying to be strong and become men is a big thing in America. The man being the head of the household is something that we uphold (even though it does not really workout). We even want our president to be a “family man” and take charge of things. Football is all, in a sense, what a man is supposed to be. A man has to be strong, powerful, ready for war, fearless, proud and ready to take control under any circumstance. That is all football is and what a “man” is.
The first point she makes is that football characterized by an invariant structure and deference to authority. This is much like our government (or the idea of our government). Things are organized according to the constitution and according to what the president and his cabinet says. Just like in Foot ball they have a set of rules that they have to follow or else the game cannot go on. The coach is serves as the president but the referee is his cabinet scolding him when things are wrong. The coach has to obey the grand rule and follow it whether or not he likes it.
Something that I thought was particularly interesting is the point that she made about football linking it war. Wars relationship to football can be viewed in two ways. One way it can be viewed is its relevance to the army. The way that football plays are set up on the field is one way. They are set up so that they can fight anything that the other team is coming with. They are come up with these strategies by studying the other teams’ plays and finding a way to build their defense by breaking down the other teams’ defense and vice versa. Just like America. When going to war we do not just jump into another countries territory with no knowledge. We study the landscape. See what they have done in the past to win wars and we find out what kind of technology they have on hand to them. Any advantage that they may have we prepare ourselves for. No team wants to lose just as no country wants to lose.
The point the link that she made between Football and the Puritans also can be seen this way. When they came to America they came to have their own space and their own land for religious liberty and opportunity. But when they found the Natives when they came to the Americas they made it their duty to convert them and in a sense conquer them. Just like in a football game. Teams travel to other teams’ stadiums in order to conquer them. Lindquist quotes Miller saying that it was the Puritans “errand to the wilderness” (447). Teams travel from long distances to challenge the other team and say that they were the ones who made them humble and they now have stance over them. Before, when there was no one else, they did not have any competition and now that they do it’s like their divine right to go and conqueror. Many football players believe that playing the sport is their God given gift and that this is what they were supposed to do in life.
The other way that one can interpret the link to war in the sport itself. Past both teams studying each other’s past and advantages, during the game they respond to each other’s actions. If they see a certain pattern in their play then they will adjust. Just like in war when one shoot then another is going to come with more force and have to beside whether or not they are going to use the heavy artillery. Coaches don’t send out their best players until when most needed. And don’t throw out randomly.
The last point that I think is interesting is the point about “men raised primarily by women sought out models of public maleness”. This is seen in all forms of Americanism. America is all about being strong and doing things for yourself. Boys trying to be strong and become men is a big thing in America. The man being the head of the household is something that we uphold (even though it does not really workout). We even want our president to be a “family man” and take charge of things. Football is all, in a sense, what a man is supposed to be. A man has to be strong, powerful, ready for war, fearless, proud and ready to take control under any circumstance. That is all football is and what a “man” is.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Response to Oring and Wells articles on Folklorists
Leeann Barrett
English 265
Response to Oring and Wells Article on Folklorists
The Elliott Oring article mainly focuses on what a folklorist is. Meaning what they believe in and the ways they go about doing and justifying their research. One way method that is used is that they go about their research through questions starting from more specific questions to open up broader ones
(page 209, Oring). Another way is to embrace the culture you are analyzing and become a part of them. Oring mentions David Kerr who took students to perform plays for the rural people in order for the people to “understand and meditate the socio- economic changes occurring” (208, Oring).
He also expressed that Folklorists cannot simply go into a community and learn a story and say that it has been in this community for years and that this is their folklore. What Folklorists do is look for historical events to justify what is told or shown through their stories or customs. Also they make sure that the same story is told by many and not just by one.
In Patricia Atkinson Wells article “Public Folklore in the Twenty- first Century: New Challenges for the Discipline”, one point that stood out to me out of all the reading is the point made in the Wells article. The point that is made is that Folklorist has a dichotomous decision of whether to disregard all that they stand by so that they can continue and have the resources to practice their profession or they can stand by what they believe in but not be able to practice and have limited access to the “folk” whose culture they are trying to preserve.
Wells defines the folk to be as a “defining or identifying groups of people.” The Elliott Oring continues on this idea and goes further on saying that folk is “a people of a particular, and often marginalized, social class, occupation, religion, or ethnicity.” And folklorists’ main objective is to take the culture of these people and help preserve it being that many of these cultures are oral cultures. They are also meant to serve as a liaison between the community of focus and the larger community (like Kerr was for Zambia to the Chewa people ( 208, Oring). In this they “must put the welfare of traditional practitioners before considerations of sponsorship or dissemination of results.” However where are these folklorist going to get the money. Many sponsors private or from corporations and organizations usually have a second agenda in mind. Wells states that at least 50 percent of folklorists’ are working with the public. But what happened to the other 50 percent. Not all of the organizations are just giving out money just for the furtherance of a certain society. And Wells recognizes this by saying that “Working with organizations that espouse this philosophy can undermine or invalidate tradition cultures or tradition bearers”. The Philosophy she is talking about is the philosopher of marketing where the consumer is most important. These organizations will taint these societies and try to fashion their ways to fit their own. And this is essentially for their profit and not the communities. Wells say that Folklorist must put the wants of the group before these organizations but what if the folklorist is mistaken and then after the group is taken advantage of because of the information that they produced for the larger public?
My question is do these people sue? And who is going to take care of it for them Folklorists’ leave them vulnerable after documenting their ways. Wells states that they are required to tell the people all of their objectives and what they plan to do before they get there (folklorists should be honest about their qualifications, capabilities, and aims, prior to entering into any commitment) but what if that is not enough? Who are they going to sue? The company? But in suing aren’t they taking on the ways of the popular culture which in return causes more damage to their culture than intended. So what is a folklorist to do in this predicament? I assume this is why Wells calls folklorist the “red-headed step child.”
Another question I have is that where do folklorists get the funds to have these exhibits and to teach these k-12 classes with things like budget cuts and second hand knowledge about that rural people that they are portraying in these exhibits and classes. They many times have no funds to go and study people for themselves unless it is their own people.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
