In the Service of What?

I chose the following quotes from Joseph Kane and Joel Westheimer's "In the Service of What?"

"These two service learning projects have much in common. Both provide authentic learning experiences, reflection on matters of social concern, and opportunities for interdisciplinary study linked to curricular goals. Moreover, the goals of both projects have broad-based appeal. They stress the importance of compassion for those in need, and they encourage children and young adults to find ways to help."

     The two service learning projects being talked about here are those conducted by two different classrooms. One classroom allowed the students to individually pick exactly what they what to do for their projects while the other classroom worked together and focused on helping the homeless. While I was in K-12 school many of my classes did what the second classroom did (helping the homeless) everyone brought in can goods around thanksgiving time, other years we brought in articles of warm clothing to give to those less fortunate. Either approach at service learning projects are both beneficial for the the student and those in need. 


"By contrast, those oriented toward change embrace the importance of political activity. Boyte, for example, believes that service activities should develop students' abilities at "public speaking, recruiting other students, organizing meetings, analyzing problems, developing action plans, and conducting evaluations. "

        Many times people think that service learning projects only help those in need, but Boyte talks about how it helps and teaches the individual when they do such a deed and its more than just the feeling of gratification. Here is a video of another example of service learning in real life:

"Maybe this [community service] is what citizenship is all about, acting in a decent way toward people who live where we live."? Citizenship in a democratic community requires more than kindness and decency; it requires engagement in complex social and institutional endeavors. Acts of civic duty cannot replace government programs or forms of collective social action. Citizenship requires that individuals work to create, evaluate, criticize, and change public institutions and programs. "

          This quote too can be connected with the video above, service learning is not only a kind think to do that can create a change in the community but it is also beneficial for the students who is involve in it.



Question for the class: do you think that service learning is more beneficial for the student preforming the act, or the people in need of the services?

Gender and the 2018 Election.

      The article "Stacey Abrams Didn't Play It Safe. Neither Do These Females Candidates." Talks a lot on the topic of Stacey Abrams and the fact that she is an African American woman running for governor in the sate of Georgia.

     This years election we have seen many more women running. “I feel this year we are seeing far more women who woke up one morning, turned on the TV and said, if he can be president I can run for the state legislature, Congress or governor,” said Debbie Walsh, the director of the center at Rutgers. “I don’t know if this will be an anomaly or this is the beginning of a shift.”. The article also included the follow video: 

   

     I related this New York Times article to the Linda Christensen "Unlearning The Myths That Binds" because it is not so common to see women running for such a powerful position. The stereotype of women is always a stay at home mom, cooking, cleaning. Another previous reading that this article made me think of was "White Privilege Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh. It is obvious that white men are seen as more superior, they have more opportunity and privilege "In proportion my racial group was being made confident, comfortable, and oblivious, other groups were likely being made unconfident, uncomfortable, and alienated. Whiteness protected me from many kinds of hostility, distress, and violence, which I was being trained to visit, in turn, upon people of color." (McIntosh). What these women are doing is a big step forward for women and especially women of color. 

Class 13 LGBTQ+ Vocabulary

ASEXUAL-
    experiencing little or no sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in sexual relationships/behavior.  
      Comedian Janeane Garofalo is asexual she says "I don't have a fear of intimacy, I have sort of a genuine lack of interest." (ranker.com) 
       here is an article about Janeane Garofalo and her sexuality. 

BIGENDER-
   a person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders.
   Ruby Rose, actress, model, and DJ has come out as bigender or gender fluid stating "I am very gender fluid and feel more like I wake up every day sort of gender neutral.”
 

CROSS-DRESSER-
   someone who wears clothes of another gender/sex.
    Rupaul is well known for his show Rupaul's Drag Race, he is a famous cross dresser.

TRANSMAN/TRANSWOMAN-
 Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex.
     Jazz Jennings is a very well known transgender women, she is so famous for her reality tv show "I Am Jazz" she was one of the youngest people to identify as trans. From since she learned to speak she expressed herself as having "a girl brain with a boy body".

11 and gender fluid -Erin Zelle

    This article posted by Erin Zelle in the Los Angeles Post is very admirable. Erin Zelle is a mother to an eleven year old gender fluid daughter. This article was admirable because not many parents allow their children to express themselves in the way they want, and many parents would not be as supportive as Erin Zelle seems to be. In this blog I will incorporate quotes that show importance of the topic talked about in Erin Zelle's article.

    3 QUOTES:

   "My 11-year-old daughter Sullivan's style is defined as gender fluid, which translates as a "fluid" shift between masculine and feminine, depending on how one feels."
        It was important for Zelle to define this in the beginning of her article for people who may not be familiar with the term. I think she did a good job describing it in the way she did.

     "She explains to her peers in simple terms: Not all girls wear pink and not all boys wear blue."
         I feel like this was one of the very first gender stereotypes forced on almost all children at an early age. However this is one of the most simplest ways that Sullivan can explain to the children her age of how she is "different". 

     " Hello Kitty printed dresses, purple kurtas and Lilly Pulitzer A-lines were relegated to the back of the closet with ballet flats and anything else pink. I mourned their loss but felt excited by her exploration." 
          At this part in the article I admired the way Erin Zelle handled this part in her child's life. She says she mourned the loss of her "feminine" daughter but is excited to see how Sullivan will express herself in her knew way. This is so important for parents to do. 

             


               "A lightness followed. It was as though Sullivan's skin finally fit, gloriously and   comfortably, and she was finally her own — exactly as she wanted to be."
         

                  
           

Unlearning The Myths That Binds Us. -Linda Christensen

         Linda Christensen wrote a very thoughtful article that talks about something that plays a huge role in almost every one's life. Media feeding the youth ideas on how they should be/look, stereotypes that may not be so apparent to everyone and how they effect us, and how race and gender are portrayed in media such as cartoons.

         Exposing The Myths- Under this subtitle Christensen talks about how media is deceptive and how easily teens are manipulated by this. Christensen gives an example of her students, she says that teens do like to admit that they have been manipulated by the media. "They assure me that they make their own choices and the media has no power over them - as they sit with Fubu, Nike, Timberland's or whatever the latest fashion rage might be." At this part in the article I can relate this to my own self, I always try to say that what celebrities wear or do doesn't affect me. But I have come to realized that if this wasn't advertised than I probably wouldn't have an interest in it. And sometimes this manipulation can go as far as taking certain diet supplements that famous people are advertising. Regular people see these things and think "if they look like that than I should take that pill to look that way" when there is much more to it.

         Charting Stereotypes- This section of the reading talks about the stereotypes that are portrayed in TV shows, movies, and media. Who the main characters are, who are the servants, how a female character acts, how they portray over weight people, etc. These are all exampled of things we may not take in while just casually watching a show. To go back and actually recognize these things alters how you will watch a certain show/cartoon again. "Indians in "Looney Tunes" are also depicted as inferior human beings. These characters are stereotypical to the greatest degree, carrying tomahawks, painting their faces, and sending smoke signals as their only means of communication. They live in tipis and their language reminds the viewer of Neanderthals. We begin to imagine Indians as

savages with bows and arrows and long black braids. There's no room in our minds for knowledge of the differences between tribes. like the Cherokee alphabet or Celilo salmon fishing." This is an example that Christensen gave by one of her students after they took a serious look at a famous childhood cartoon. When children watch the cartoon they form the same stereotype of Native American people because this is the only knowledge they have gotten. And this goes for any stereotype that is portrayed in media, people believe them and they never go away.

       

                A Black Cinderella?-  This section talks about how for a very long time only white women were portrayed as princess' in Disney movies. This could have a very powerful impact on a young girls life especially a young girl of color. They watch these movies and see only white princess' it makes them feel as though they can't be a princess because of the color of their skin. Not until recently has Disney movies incorporated women of color to have the lead role in such a film. I understand why this would anger some people, it angers me too. Another thing the author sees wrong with these princess' is the idea that they need a prince charming to save them, "nor do I want them thinking that the pinnacle of a woman's life is an "I do" that supposedly leads them to a "happily ever after." I don't want my female students to see their "sisters" as competition for that scarce and wonderful commodity- men."

               Discussion-  What can we do to expel these very common stereotypes? Will they ever go away?