The article "A poverty of the mind" by Orlando Patterson discusses how an individual's race can impact that individual life choices. It mostly focuses on the African American culture in the United States. According to this article many African Americans do poor in school and have children while being unemployed at a very early stage of their lives. The author argues that this is due the poor economy since the 90's. He is certain that economy has an effect on culture.
Monday, January 11, 2010
HW 34 - The Cool Pose and Various Approaches to Life Rooted in Class, Race, Gender, Age, etc.
The poem We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks addresses the very generally known term of what is to be cool. As a reader of this poem I interpret it as being directed to teenagers who are very easily influenced at that point of their lives. I know this because the poem says "we real cool. We left School", which reminds me of the usual phrase, "we are too cool for school". In other words this poem written by an African American suggests that those who consider themselves as cool so not need an education, and as a consequence they will not have a quite promising future.
HW 33 - Cool Paper Outline
Introduction
After this unit I learnt even more how meaningful our own words are to us. We live up to them and act accordingly to their meaning. One of the words that affects us the most is "Cool", and although there and hundreds of different definitions of it each individual narrows to one single idea of what is cool and categorizes everyone including himself to that single idea. There are many different factors to consider when talking about Cool. First, some people are desperate to be recognized as cool and others simply do "not care" about this term at all. In other words people do not consider this term equally, therefore those who are greatly involved with this term are either seen as superior beings for being cool or as confused and lonely beings trying to become something they are not, Cool. Which leads me to my main question of this paper: Why is it that BECOMING cool is so shameful but BEING cool isn't?
Most people think that when referring to Cool they are targeting two different types of people, the "naturally cool people" and "the wanna be cool people". And as we live under this society it is inevitable to be considered as one of this two different categories by the rest. Because uncool people want to become cool is seen as something negative, people who do this feel ashamed of it. Therefore, their attemption to become cool is carried out as secretly and subtle as possible, as if that was their natural way of being. In the other hand being cool from the start is seen as the opposite. People who are seen as cool are people who are followed, respected and admired. Therefore, being cool is not something to be ashamed of, but actually be proud of. In our society, becoming cool is something to be ashamed of because it is becoming something a person is not, in other words it is deceiving others and one self. But being cool is seen as some one's natural way of being that attracts positive attention and represents an ideal model to live and behave.
Arguments
1. Constructivist Exploration of Cool
Define the term "CooL" and based on this definition (s) where, what and to who does it apply?
Who decides what is cool and what is not?
Labeling people based on their behavior, words, style, etc.
2. Informal Research - Interviews and Surveys
What do people think is cool?
How is their definition of cool connected to the main theme of this paper?
3.Cultural sources of insight into Cool.
what does the media communicate is cool and what is not? Considering that these are shown everywhere everyday it is inevitable for us not to develop a one solid general definition of what is cool. When labeling people as cool or uncool, these messages greatly influence our perspective.
4. Merchants of Cool
Can cool be simply something you buy as opposed to become someone else? Or does that merchandise automatically make you someone else, so regardless a person is trying to become cool by purchasing what is cool. How can the cool people cope with things that suggest would make them cool?
5. Methods to aggrandize one self and Presentation of the self
What do people do in order to be cool? What are some of the ways people can achieve being cool efficiently? e.g. Plastic surgery, tattoos, piercings, etc. What is the ultimate price of this?
Connect to...
*Thanissaro Bhikkhu's idea
*Bikkhu Amaru's theory on cool
After this unit I learnt even more how meaningful our own words are to us. We live up to them and act accordingly to their meaning. One of the words that affects us the most is "Cool", and although there and hundreds of different definitions of it each individual narrows to one single idea of what is cool and categorizes everyone including himself to that single idea. There are many different factors to consider when talking about Cool. First, some people are desperate to be recognized as cool and others simply do "not care" about this term at all. In other words people do not consider this term equally, therefore those who are greatly involved with this term are either seen as superior beings for being cool or as confused and lonely beings trying to become something they are not, Cool. Which leads me to my main question of this paper: Why is it that BECOMING cool is so shameful but BEING cool isn't?
Most people think that when referring to Cool they are targeting two different types of people, the "naturally cool people" and "the wanna be cool people". And as we live under this society it is inevitable to be considered as one of this two different categories by the rest. Because uncool people want to become cool is seen as something negative, people who do this feel ashamed of it. Therefore, their attemption to become cool is carried out as secretly and subtle as possible, as if that was their natural way of being. In the other hand being cool from the start is seen as the opposite. People who are seen as cool are people who are followed, respected and admired. Therefore, being cool is not something to be ashamed of, but actually be proud of. In our society, becoming cool is something to be ashamed of because it is becoming something a person is not, in other words it is deceiving others and one self. But being cool is seen as some one's natural way of being that attracts positive attention and represents an ideal model to live and behave.
Arguments
1. Constructivist Exploration of Cool
Define the term "CooL" and based on this definition (s) where, what and to who does it apply?
Who decides what is cool and what is not?
Labeling people based on their behavior, words, style, etc.
2. Informal Research - Interviews and Surveys
What do people think is cool?
How is their definition of cool connected to the main theme of this paper?
3.Cultural sources of insight into Cool.
what does the media communicate is cool and what is not? Considering that these are shown everywhere everyday it is inevitable for us not to develop a one solid general definition of what is cool. When labeling people as cool or uncool, these messages greatly influence our perspective.
4. Merchants of Cool
Can cool be simply something you buy as opposed to become someone else? Or does that merchandise automatically make you someone else, so regardless a person is trying to become cool by purchasing what is cool. How can the cool people cope with things that suggest would make them cool?
5. Methods to aggrandize one self and Presentation of the self
What do people do in order to be cool? What are some of the ways people can achieve being cool efficiently? e.g. Plastic surgery, tattoos, piercings, etc. What is the ultimate price of this?
Importance
Perhaps becoming cool or being cool IS our natural self. We do not understand who we are therefore we try different methods and practice different ideas that would help us know who we are. Being recognized as cool or not depends on how we see ourselves based on our knowledge on what is cool and what is not. Other people's opinions will undoubtedly influence how we think of ourselves. But is being aware of this enough to change our lives and our expectations?Connect to...
*Thanissaro Bhikkhu's idea
*Bikkhu Amaru's theory on cool
Monday, January 4, 2010
HW 32 - Plastic Surgery & The Presentation of the Self
Exploring Plastic Surgery as an instance of cool:
Every year Hundreds of thousands of Americans undergo different plastic surgery procedures. Both men and women find this is a rapid and effective solution to obtain their dream body, or so it is sold to them.
There are three different types of surgeries, plastic surgery, which targets the body for removing fat and shaping it; as well as removing tattoos and acne scars. Reconstructive surgery, which targets burned and accident victims. Also replaces missing "limbs or teeth, or arthritic hip and knee joints". And the cosmetic surgery, which is done on the face. This type of surgery for being the most performed is also known as plastic surgery overall; as long as it is performed for cosmetic purposes, otherwise it would be reconstructive.
Ever since 2006, "nearly 11 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in the United States alone. The number of cosmetic procedures performed in the United States has increased over 50 percent since the start of the century. Nearly 12 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2007, with the five most common being breast augmentation, liposuction, nasal surgery, eyelid surgery and abdominoplasty(tummy tucks).
But why do people choose having their body cut open as opposed to safely losing weight through exercise and an adequate diet?
I consider it the same as making money. Most people, if not everyone, rather win the lottery than working for hours and hours to become rich. As people living under this society we want free time to live the Good life. There are many requirements for this life to even happen. The most known are being financially stable, looking good, and being part of different groups/communities,etc. These characteristics would also represent someone who is Cool.
Plastic surgery would be like winning the lottery, although a great amount of money is being lost at the same time.
The truth is that most people do not like working for what they want, they just want to automatically obtain it. Things such as Hard work, determination, perseverance and commitment are not usually, if not ever, applied to anything we do in life. Does this mean we do not love or respect ourselves that much to dedicate time to achieve what our goals? I don't think so. It is more like we do not actually understand the effectiveness of hard work. And this is because it is uncool to work hard or to try hard(naturally cool). However the good results of it are always cool. So how can people obtain this good results, or good image of themselves, without working hard?
There are of course other factors to consider about being cool. People who go to the gym everyday or are part of any sports team is considered cool. And this is because they are physically strong and look good. But for those who do not have enough commitment or motivation to work out but want to look good might highly consider plastic surgery, because ultimately we all want to be cool. So this is a contradiction suggesting that being cool or not depends on people's opinion. However, looking -Good- is ALWAYS cool.
Experience
My mother had a breast augmentation and liposuction and she was still not satisfied with the results. It was not only expensive going through this procedure but she took weeks to recover. After experiencing this long and painful experience she realized that it was not the right choice after all. Because even though she was told to that it would make her look great she did not see herself that way. A few years after the surgery she still had the scars which made her even more upset everyday about her decision.
In my mother's case, she wanted to look physically better. Of course after being pregnant three times and breast feeding a woman may experience drastic changes in her body, but its natural. However this type of nature dissatisfies us. Those uncool looking marks and body shape that having a child cause are not something women want, and this is because it does not look good.
My mother decided to have a costly surgery to go back to good old days (before having us) and feel attractive once again. Unfortunately, the results did not meet her expectations and she regretted ever going through surgery. In my opinion she did look fine, even before the surgery because I never considered my mother as cool because of her appearance. And although I did communicate that to her, she still thought the opposite of herself, which makes me think that being cool or not it is something you decide at the end, not other people.
Another experience I had was with my friend Max from Venezuela. He wanted to become a plastic surgeon because he wanted to make women beautiful. I have never been against nor in favor of plastic surgery, therefore, I never argued with him on his idealism. He was really determined to become surgeon so he looked for many different colleges that would give him what he wanted. I lost touch with him and after nearly one year I saw pictures of him on facebook going to medical school studying to become a plastic surgeon.
Now that I think about it I am very surprised he is actually doing it. This is not because i doubted his determination, but because his reason to become a surgeon was ridiculous! I wonder if he ever consider that a woman can be naturally beautiful. And the way I see it all women can actually be naturally beautiful, they do not need to go through something such as surgery. But I just never told him.
So we know that plastic surgery is one of the methods to become cool. But there are other more simple methods that will make one person consider himself/herself as cool. One of these methods is having a tattoo.
Plastic Surgery v.s. Tattoos.
I personally think that going through plastic surgery takes a much more courage than getting a tattoo. Some people have one or the other and others have both, but all of them with the same purpose: Look good according to their own definition of it. Having a tattoo is something that is meant to last for the rest of your life, which is the opposite of having plastic surgery. Although with cosmetic surgery people can have their tattoos removed even if they thought that once it was cool.
In conclusion plastic surgery or any other methods to look good in order to be cool is just one more thing that makes us who we are and live as a society. These methods are just sold to us, our decisions are just making the economy run. A surgeon stops caring about making you beautiful and only about how many pay checks he earns. In my case I would not go through plastic surgery or any related procedure not because I like working hard, but because I am scared of the process. I also think that all that pain and money is not worth it. Even though millions of people out there think it is, we just do not know.
Sources
Plastic Surgery
Answers.com/Plastic Surgery
Every year Hundreds of thousands of Americans undergo different plastic surgery procedures. Both men and women find this is a rapid and effective solution to obtain their dream body, or so it is sold to them.
There are three different types of surgeries, plastic surgery, which targets the body for removing fat and shaping it; as well as removing tattoos and acne scars. Reconstructive surgery, which targets burned and accident victims. Also replaces missing "limbs or teeth, or arthritic hip and knee joints". And the cosmetic surgery, which is done on the face. This type of surgery for being the most performed is also known as plastic surgery overall; as long as it is performed for cosmetic purposes, otherwise it would be reconstructive.
Ever since 2006, "nearly 11 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in the United States alone. The number of cosmetic procedures performed in the United States has increased over 50 percent since the start of the century. Nearly 12 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2007, with the five most common being breast augmentation, liposuction, nasal surgery, eyelid surgery and abdominoplasty(tummy tucks).
But why do people choose having their body cut open as opposed to safely losing weight through exercise and an adequate diet?
I consider it the same as making money. Most people, if not everyone, rather win the lottery than working for hours and hours to become rich. As people living under this society we want free time to live the Good life. There are many requirements for this life to even happen. The most known are being financially stable, looking good, and being part of different groups/communities,etc. These characteristics would also represent someone who is Cool.
Plastic surgery would be like winning the lottery, although a great amount of money is being lost at the same time.
The truth is that most people do not like working for what they want, they just want to automatically obtain it. Things such as Hard work, determination, perseverance and commitment are not usually, if not ever, applied to anything we do in life. Does this mean we do not love or respect ourselves that much to dedicate time to achieve what our goals? I don't think so. It is more like we do not actually understand the effectiveness of hard work. And this is because it is uncool to work hard or to try hard(naturally cool). However the good results of it are always cool. So how can people obtain this good results, or good image of themselves, without working hard?
There are of course other factors to consider about being cool. People who go to the gym everyday or are part of any sports team is considered cool. And this is because they are physically strong and look good. But for those who do not have enough commitment or motivation to work out but want to look good might highly consider plastic surgery, because ultimately we all want to be cool. So this is a contradiction suggesting that being cool or not depends on people's opinion. However, looking -Good- is ALWAYS cool.
Experience
My mother had a breast augmentation and liposuction and she was still not satisfied with the results. It was not only expensive going through this procedure but she took weeks to recover. After experiencing this long and painful experience she realized that it was not the right choice after all. Because even though she was told to that it would make her look great she did not see herself that way. A few years after the surgery she still had the scars which made her even more upset everyday about her decision.
In my mother's case, she wanted to look physically better. Of course after being pregnant three times and breast feeding a woman may experience drastic changes in her body, but its natural. However this type of nature dissatisfies us. Those uncool looking marks and body shape that having a child cause are not something women want, and this is because it does not look good.
My mother decided to have a costly surgery to go back to good old days (before having us) and feel attractive once again. Unfortunately, the results did not meet her expectations and she regretted ever going through surgery. In my opinion she did look fine, even before the surgery because I never considered my mother as cool because of her appearance. And although I did communicate that to her, she still thought the opposite of herself, which makes me think that being cool or not it is something you decide at the end, not other people.
Another experience I had was with my friend Max from Venezuela. He wanted to become a plastic surgeon because he wanted to make women beautiful. I have never been against nor in favor of plastic surgery, therefore, I never argued with him on his idealism. He was really determined to become surgeon so he looked for many different colleges that would give him what he wanted. I lost touch with him and after nearly one year I saw pictures of him on facebook going to medical school studying to become a plastic surgeon.
Now that I think about it I am very surprised he is actually doing it. This is not because i doubted his determination, but because his reason to become a surgeon was ridiculous! I wonder if he ever consider that a woman can be naturally beautiful. And the way I see it all women can actually be naturally beautiful, they do not need to go through something such as surgery. But I just never told him.
So we know that plastic surgery is one of the methods to become cool. But there are other more simple methods that will make one person consider himself/herself as cool. One of these methods is having a tattoo.
Plastic Surgery v.s. Tattoos.
I personally think that going through plastic surgery takes a much more courage than getting a tattoo. Some people have one or the other and others have both, but all of them with the same purpose: Look good according to their own definition of it. Having a tattoo is something that is meant to last for the rest of your life, which is the opposite of having plastic surgery. Although with cosmetic surgery people can have their tattoos removed even if they thought that once it was cool.
In conclusion plastic surgery or any other methods to look good in order to be cool is just one more thing that makes us who we are and live as a society. These methods are just sold to us, our decisions are just making the economy run. A surgeon stops caring about making you beautiful and only about how many pay checks he earns. In my case I would not go through plastic surgery or any related procedure not because I like working hard, but because I am scared of the process. I also think that all that pain and money is not worth it. Even though millions of people out there think it is, we just do not know.
Sources
Plastic Surgery
Answers.com/Plastic Surgery
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
