Sense-Making Instrument
Incorporating student sense-making in media education: A self-administered
Sense-Making interview of undergraduate students in a university media education
class
by
Christlin P. Rajendram
rajendra@slt.lk
(Please mark: Attention C.P. Rajendram)
PURPOSE:
A brief Sense-Making questionnaire used as a minimum student-centered pedagogical
intervention in a field study whose intent was to illustrate the potentials
for structuring prior student experiences and knowledge as an inherent and
necessary input into the media education classroom.
PUBLISHED IN:
Rajendram, Christlin Parimalanathen (1997). Critical pedagogy and the absent
learner in media education: A Sense-Making intervention. Doctoral dissertation,
Ohio State University. See the abstract of the dissertation in
Dissertations, Theses on this site. Instructions for ordering the dissertation
are given there.
COPYRIGHT AND CITATION INFORMATION:
© Christlin Parimalanathan Rajendram, 1997. The material on this web-site
may be cited as:
Rajendram, Christlin (1997). Incorporating student sense-making in media
education: A self-administered Sense-Making interview of undergraduate students
in a university media education class. [On-line]. Available: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/inst/irajend97diss.html
MATERIALS PROVIDED ON THIS WEB PAGE:
1. The instrument provided to media education students for their class reaction
papers
2. A selection of sample student papers
SAMPLE USED IN STUDY:
92 undergraduates in a media education class at a large Midwestern US university.
The class consisted of three lectures a week for 10 weeks. Students were
asked to submit five reaction papers to class lectures and presentations,
one for each of five weeks out of the ten in the class. The 92 students
submitted a total of 331 reaction papers. In the qualitative analyses in
the dissertation, a variety of units of analysis are employed -- the sense-making
instance (a given instance of thinking, feeling, concluding, questioning,
observing, etc.), the reaction paper, and the student.
THE INSTRUMENT PROVIDED TO MEDIA EDUCATION STUDENTS FOR THEIR CLASS
REACTION PAPERS:
For the topic or presentation which was the focal point of at least
one class session, the student was to write a one-page reaction answering
these questions:
- BEFORE: THINGS I BROUGHT TO THE CLASS
Before entering this class, did you have any thoughts, opinions, feelings,
or conclusions about [X]? If yes, what were they?
- FOR EACH THOUGHT, OPINION, FEELING, CONCLUSION
a. What in your life led you to this thought/feeling?
b. Did having this thought/feeling impact your life in any way? How so?
c. Now that you have been in this class, has the thought/feeling been confirmed,
strengthened, changed, or eliminated? If yes, how? What impact do you think
this will have on you?
AFTER: THINGS I GOT FROM THE CLASS
After being in this class, have you arrived at any new thoughts, opinions,
feelings, or conclusions about [X]? If yes, what are they?
- FOR EACH THOUGHT, OPINION, FEELING, CONCLUSION
a. How does this new thought/feeling connect to your life?
b. What in this class led you to this new thought/feeling?
c. What impact or effect do you think this new thought/feeling is going
to have on you?
-
- THIS LAST SECTION is your opportunity to communicate any difficulties
you are having with the material. Do you have any questions, concerns,
or confusions about the lecture, reading, or video on this topic? If yes,
list and describe at least one.
A SELECTION OF SAMPLE STUDENT PAPERS
A sampling of the actual debriefings turned in by students are included
below. In the presentations, the headings provide the following information
in this order:
a) Respondent #: so you may track the debriefing sheets for a given student
b) Gender
c) Rank: 1=freshman 2=sophomore 3=junior 4=senior
d) Week: indicating which week in a 10-week term the student is focusing
on in a given reaction paper
e) Topic: How the student identified the focus. This usually aligned with
a syllabus heading but not always.
These headings are followed by the student's verbatim answers.
RESPONDENT #001
MALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 6
SEX IN ADVERTISING
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) I have noticed sex in advertising since about the age of fourteen.
a) The first example I noticed was the sexual symbolism on packs of Camel
cigarettes.
b) First is the phallic looking nose of the Joe Camel character. His features
in his facial area resemble the male genitalia.
c) Also the camel on the front of the box, if you look very closely, you
will notice two people engaging in oral sex. A rather graphic form of sexual
symbolism.
2) The impact of sexual arousing advertising has an extremely negative effect
on the younger audiences.
a) Sexual appealing advertising encourages kids that their product will
make them more sexually appealing, and all young teenagers want that.
b) By making these children more sexually appealing, supposedly, kids are
more apt to have sex, and thus more pregnancies, and sexually transmitted
diseases.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) After reading "Sex Sin and Suggestion", by Carol Moog, I have
started to notice that there is some sort of sexual display in almost all
advertising today.
a) For example, the Newport ad on page twenty seven of her essay. This looks
like an ad showing people having show much fun and implying that it is because
of smoking. But in reality it is showcasing a classical sexual position.
b) This type of advertising is very effective, due to the fact that it plays
on our subliminal thoughts of sexual activity.
2) Whether this sort of sexual display is intentional, which I believe it
is, or not it is very effective in our society.
a) I recently saw a Coca-Cola commercial on TV, It was showing an empty
glass of ice and coke pouring into it. Then when the coke was done being
poured into the glass the straw, that was in the glass, began to sigh in
enjoyment and rise up, until completely standing straight in the air. This
commercial is playing totally on our sexual senses. Whether it's the act
of the straw rising or the joy in the narration.
RESPONDENT #001
MALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 6
SEMANTICS IN TELEVISION
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) I am a religious watcher of the Simpson's. Every episode has some sort
of deep seeded meaning or value.
a) Episodes centering around Bart usually deal with some form of deceitfulness
upon his peers or family, basically he is the rebel on the show.
b) Shows dealing with Lisa are centered around women's liberation and equality
for all creatures within the world.
c) Episodes with the main theme around Marge deal with complex issues such
a love, proper schooling for her children, and here support for anti-violent
television shows.
d) Episodes with Homer as the main character also deals with complex adult
issues such as money problems, marital struggles and alcohol.
2) The impact of the Simpson's on the viewers is a very positive one.
a) The writers of the show always end a happy way.
b) Although the show often times makes fun of those in authority, for the
most part their analogies are fairly accurate.
c) Episodes centered around Bart and Homer usually something bad is happening,
such as alcohol abuse or blowing up cars. But in the end they both realize
their mistakes and this instills a sense of values in the viewers minds.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) Now when I watch the Simpson's, every night at 7:00, I watch for semantic
signs.
a) The episodes that was viewed in class (4/27) was packed full of these
items.
b) Each of these signs were full of deep meanings. ex. The signifier - The
aptitude test name: CANT. The signified - The acronym resembles the English
word can't, meaning can not, this signifies to the audience that these sorts
of test usually have no say in what you can do with your life. In our society
children and parents take them very seriously.
2) I know now just how much semantics are used in the development of television
production.
a) Signs play major roles in almost every TV show, commercial, music video.
The reason they are used so frequently is to relay messages and meanings
to the participating audiences.
b) I have also learned to watch for signs in TV shows with negative attributions,
such as the ones portrayed in violent cartoons.
RESPONDENT #001
MALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 8
RITE OF PASSAGE
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) At least once in every bodies lifetime, we are challenged with an event
or struggle known as a "rite of passage".
a) No matter who it is, we all experience an event such as this. Whether
its going from diapers to underwear or being initiated as a new member of
a fraternity or graduation day trying to figure out what we going to do
with the rest of our lives.
2) While involved in this rite of passage you as an individual are supposed
to grow, as a person, during this time period.
a) Native Indians probably have the most widely known form of the passage.
All of male members of any given tribe at one time had to go through some
sort of test to become a man. By passing the test the individual that went
through the test was seen as a man in the society.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) Personally, when I have experienced a rite of passage I have never looked
at it as different stages, rather as one large step within life.
a) As suggested to us in lecture Thursday, A typical rite of passage consists
of three stages. The first is a stage of separation, the second is the margin
phase, and lastly is the aggregation phase.
b) All of these phases are a fairly accurate description of atypical rite
of passage now that I have thought about my own experiences.
2) I also never realized the aspect of Liminality.
a) In all of my tests of will there is always that stage where you are not
quite there yet but almost there.
b) A phase such as puberty, where you are adjusting to the actions occurring
in your body to the point of full maturity is know as the Liminal phase
within the process of "rite of passage".
RESPONDENT #001
MALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 9
MAKE-UP?
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) For years I have wondered why in the world would females want to cover
their faces with make-up.
a) Make up is extremely unnatural looking especially with all of the wild
colors used today. I mean sometimes I just laugh at girls wearing their
crazy color schemes, black lipstick bright orange eye shadow, its ridiculous.
2) I feel that if a person is not naturally attractive then make-up is not
going to make them any more attractive just more unnatural and more trashy
looking.
3) I also think that women spend too much time putting make-up on.
a) Girls take hours to put all their make-up on, some more than others.
It seems to be that it is a lot of wasted time to paint a fake face on.
Life is too short to waste a couple of hours of everyday putting on make-up.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) After watching the video on Thursday, a couple of reasons on why women
wear make-up constantly, were brought to my attention.
a) They wear it for more respect within society, especially within the work
place.
b) They wear it for more attention.
c) They wear it to maintain power over own preservation of self.
2) The video was a critical view of the ideology of "make-up",
it raises the question of why do some feminists still wear make-up.
a) The video offered several conclusions to this question. One of them being
because advertising for make-up products is directed towards to fear of
looks. So much emphasis is placed on looks in our society that women are
fearful of not being externally attractive, and are mentally forced to buy
make-up to overcome this fear.
b) Most women that wear make-up regularly do this as a result of succumbing
to the powers of societal norms. The rest of society is doing it so I probably
should too.
c) Make-up is very time consuming and very expensive.
QUESTIONS:
Because of the fact that there are many different degrees with regards to
the feminist movement; liberal, radical, essentialist, don't you think that
more of their goals would be accomplished if they were all together fighting
for the same common goals for the whole movement?
RESPONDENT #001
MALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 9
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) I believe that different people use the media in a variety of ways.
a) Some people use the media to be informed on what is going on around the
world. To satisfy this need for information, people tend to either watch
the nightly news or read the daily new paper.
b) Another use of the media, which is very poplar in our society, is the
showing of sporting events. People all over the nation tune in daily to
watch their teams go do battle with opposing teams. Every Sunday there are
millions of people watching the favorite football tams during the season.
This also creates a selective advertising scheme geared directly towards
the male viewer, with car and beer commercials heading the field.
c) People also use the media for just pure entertainment. These people usually
are the ones who watch the comedies or the soap operas. There only use for
the media is to be entertained.
2) In today's fast paced society there is a huge demand for programs for
all viewers to enjoy.
a) Since there is a wide variety of viewers there needs to be a sow of channel
to encompass all of the viewers.
b) The cable companies have responded to this need by developing more channels
for the viewers to choose from. They have everything from the cooking channel
down to CNN. This is very important concept for the cable companies because
they want to keep all the viewers happy, to keep that money flowing.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1) I feel that out of all the concepts or theories about media, the Uses
and Gratification model best portrays what is happening within our society.
a) I think it really is a question of what do people do with the media,
rather than one of what does the media do for people.
b) People use the media in a lot of different ways. Whether its for entertainment
or a social utility or a reality orientation or if its for personal identity,
all of these are ways in which people use the media to satisfy their own
needs.
2) I also think that it is good that the media have to compete with one
another, this creates sort of a checks and balance system in the field.
a) If the media did not have to compete then they would be allowed to get
lazy and do a half-assed job. With the competition all the different media
have to strive to be better or they will slowly fade out of the market.
b) This also gives more power to the people. If a certain media is not satisfying
the needs of the audience, well then we just stop using the media and use
one that will satisfy our needs. That is what our society was built on,
"power to the people". That is the way it should be, power in
the peoples hands not the medias.
RESPONDENT #004
MALE
RANK: 3
WEEK: 5
SEMIOTICS AND AMERICAN CULTURE
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS CONCLUSIONS
1. I believe that TV programming and films were harmless toys that were
consumed by the American public to pass the time between work and sleep.
a. I would watch. and sometimes still do, TV or a film strictly for its
entertainment value, and never consider the implications . or symbols, the
program spat at me.
b. The way this act impacted me is that it made me nothing more than a zombified
couch potato and a potential target to receive other's ideas in a passive
light! It also sent me into numerous debates with my mother and various
others, as to what messages were being sent to our youth and adult public
in general. I, of course--the defender of the First Amendment that I am,
stated that the public was not dramatically influenced by these media, but
were free thinking individuals capable of coming up with their own ideas.
c. Since I've been in this class, I believe I may have to modify my claim
a bit. I am not sure if it was that I never gave thought to the idea of
semiotics in these media, or that it had never occurred to me that "
they," the producers of my favorite shows were slipping a few signs
and symbols in here and there. Nevertheless, after last Week's lecture and
the Simpsons short that we viewed. I realized that I was definitely in the
wrong.
2. I never fully understood the controversy surrounding events such the
burning of the American flag.
a. I mean I understood what the flag represents, but after all it is just
a piece of red, white and blue colored cloth. The ideas and views expressed
by the flag could never die in a flame.
b. This thought had a definite impact on my life, especially through my
father's viewpoint (or was it his loud voice expressing disgust at my angle?).
My father, a W. W. II veteran, had a totally different take on what the
flag meant to him, and consequently, his family. This I understood and could
except, but one experience that I couldn't was my involvement in [in the
government participation program] during my Junior year in high school,
which was also the height of the flag burning controversy. This program
was, in theory, an opportunity for boys to learn about the running of local
and state governments. I soon felt though, that this program became a brainwashing
event for military recruiters and the American Legion, who sponsored the
event. You may ask yourself why I felt this way and all I can offer is this--
when the Pledge of Allegiance becomes a religious experience to hundreds
of sixteen and seventeen year old boys, many of whom were in tears, you
have to question it.
c. I am not so sure that my feelings about the right to burn the flag has
been settled, but after this class, at last I think that I understand why
so many feel as strongly as they do, or did, on this issue. I now understand
that patriotic themes and symbols are planted all around us -in the shows
we watch, the cars we drive, and even in the beer we drink! I feel more
aware, at least, that these symbols are there and they do influence us in
certain ways.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I am learning how culture feeds symbols that we get from our viewing
habits.
a. & b. For instance, the Simpsons short that we watched really amazed
me and made me realize that we as a culture set the "norms" that
Lisa was trying so hard to fight.
c. I think that this revelation is in fact making me a more critical viewer
of all the media I consume. especially commercials and their portrayal of
women and sex.
2. I am also learning how semiotics can develop myth, and used by some to
develop a particular viewpoint.
a. No real big revelation here, but it was an interesting example of the
Algerian soldier to illustrate myth.
b. Again, it was the example of the Algerian soldier.
c. It will affect me in that I will be more critical of the claims by our
government ( and possibly the American Legion), especially when they are
telling the public of our justified involvement in a foreign affair.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
The only question or confusion that I have is regarding the concept of paradigms
in semiotics. Is it strictly a way of dividing signs ? Is the way differentiate
between what the symbols are in a word and the meaning assigned to the word?
RESPONDENT #004
MALE
RANK: 3
WEEK: 7
MARRIAGE -- AN OUTDATED RITUAL?
BEFORE, THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I believed that marriage was a custom that was outdated and unwarranted
in modern society.
a. I looked around me and saw couples committing to each other, without
this ceremony, who loved each other just as much as those who had been married.
b. This impacted my life in that I couldn't understand what the big deal
about this simple, ancient, ritual was and I could not understand why there
was a controversy with people living together out of wedlock.
c. Since I've been in class, my feelings have not changed considerably,
but I know now how culture, semiotics, an even the media play an important
role in illustrating the seeming importance in this ritual. The impact of
this realization though, has sharpened my awareness to things that I normally
just took for granted or ignored.
2. I wondered why and how marriage [could so dominate a society] that consist
of so many diverse groups that can not take part in what is considers "marriage."
a. Everyday, you hear how marriage is discriminatory to gays and lesbians
who want to make a lifelong commitment to each other. I tend to agree that
it is wrong that the law, as well as society, does not see it fit that these
couples cannot be joined in a ceremony and not recognized as a married couple.
b. This particular issue did not directly affect me, but I did see it happen
to several of my friends. The pain and humiliation that this thinking caused
them was almost unbearable. This same mentality also affected me in that
society did not see that living with my girlfriend (now ex) was a legitimate
commitment are socially acceptable to some.
c. Since I've been in this class, my feelings on this matter definitely
have not changed, and if anything have been strengthened. I think it is
time that society should resist the dictations of an old culture, and adopt
a ceremony, or include these into the present ceremony.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
a. I think I expressed in the previous text how this present ritual has
connected to my life. I have seen its effects on my friends, and the belief
on living together out of wedlock in my own experiences.
b. What lead me to see this ritual for what it is, was the lectures and
readings in this class. I saw how the economy feeds this belief in that
a man and a women need to be married to be complete and to function properly
financially in society's eyes. I also see how our customs and media influence
this ritual of marriage.
c. I think that I will not be so quick to judge today's world. I also will
respect any commitment made by a couple and honor it, regardless of whether
a ritual says it is justified or not!
RESPONDENT #006
FEMALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 1
CULTURE
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I assumed that culture was merely a minority issue.
a. I worked with a woman who was Chinese and her husband was African American.
She talked about her children losing both of their cultures. I assumed that
since I don't have one specific nationality that I didn't have a culture.
b. Yes, I felt like I was missing something because I wasn't in touch with
my heritage like those around me are.
c. My assumption has been altered because I learned that there are many
definitions of culture besides the definition of national identity.
2. I also assumed that "culture" was used to describe a highly
educated person who attended ballet and opera. Someone who was really wealthy.
a. I'm not sure if there were any single events that caused me to feel this
way. As a child I remember thinking this, I probably got the idea from my
parents.
b. I remember talking my mother into getting tickets for the opera and pretending
I thoroughly enjoyed it so that we could increase our cultural awareness.
c. I've learned that high art is only a small part of material culture.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I learned there are many facets to culture besides the traditional ones.
For example, high culture, anthropology definitions, ethnic and national
definitions. Culture also involves the study of activities and interactions.
a. Culture surrounds us everywhere. Anthropologists say culture is everything
we do in our everyday lives.
b. The book "Questioning the Media" devoted it's entire first
chapter to the definition of culture. Our first lecture also discussed the
definition of culture. The argument in the first chapter was about the different
senses of the word culture and how they're tied to social and political
viewpoints.
c. I think the new ways to look at culture are going to allow me to expand
my knowledge of the world around me and help me to better understand it.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS Ideology confused me when I read about it
in the book. If I'm to understand it correctly all ideologies cover up the
truth. Then when i reviewed my class notes they said an ideology is a world
view or philosophy. In general, I found chapter one easy to understand .
RESPONDENT #006
FEMALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 2
THREE PRODUCTIONS
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I didn't have opinions about the mode of production although I understood
that the US is an industrialized nation and that the rich own the companies
and the poorer people work in them.
a. Society must have shown me this but possibly my parents helped. A good
friend of my fathers owned the company my father works for. The friend sold
it for several million dollars.
b. Not really except my father was very concerned with making the most money
he could.
c. I see that economics is not a simple thing. Base and superstructure are
closely related to the three productions. It was interesting to see the
impact a few wealthy people have on the population through TV, radio, fashion
etc.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. 1 learned there is a lot more to the ways of the economy besides just
owners and consumers. We are affected in almost every facet of our lives
from paper thin models to the "coolest" cars on the market.
a. My new thoughts show me the reason for why I want to buy that certain
brand of shampoo or lose those unwanted pounds.
b. This new thought came from learning about the mode of production and
its relations to base.
c. I think I will listen to radio, watch TV and observe advertising in a
whole new way.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
I'm confused about the social psychology and how it relates to critical
theory. I understand that an individual is used to interpret the group but
how does social Psvcholoay relate to it?
RESPONDENT #006
FEMALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 6
THREE SIGNS
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I never really thought consciously about Icon, Index or Symbol. I know
that I recognized they exist because my father used to take me for walks
in the woods and show me footprints belonging to a deer and that let us
know that the letters d e e r corresponded to that traditional big brown
eyed animal I saw in the movie Bambi.
a. I think my father taught me about deer but I never understood the picture
of a deer in Bambi to be the Icon, the footprints to be the Index and the
letters d e e r to be the symbol.
b. Although I didn't know that I knew what these three things were knowing
them gave my the ability to understand things and how they relate to each
other.
c. I think the knowledge of Icon, Index and Symbol show me that the relationship
between each of these is arbitrary.
AFTER: NEWTHOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. In the reading "Semiotics and Television" by Ellen Seiter,
the author mentioned the fact that since these relationships are arbitrary,
learning foreign languages can be difficult.
a. This fact gave me renewed hope that my difficulties in learning French
aren't all my fault. There is hope!
b. The reading "Semiotics and Television" by Ellen Seiter lead
me to this feeling and also the lecture on Peirce's three kinds of signs.
c. It gives a new perspective on language and the relationship between Icon,
Index and Symbol and how those relate in our everyday lives.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS The problem with turning in a reaction paper
the day of an exam is that any questions one has should have been answered
before the exam. With that in mind here is my question. In the lecture we
learned that Peirce defines signs in a way that resembles Saussure except
that he brings up the representament and the interprent. I don't remember
seeing these in the text. Is the representament the actual thing in the
world that the icon, index or symbol refer to?
RESPONDENT #006
FEMALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 8
RITUALS
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Whenever I heard the word ritual I thought of a group of people like
witches having some kind of a gathering.
a. I think I watched to many horror films when I was a kid. Every Saturday
night I'd watch Bob Wilkins double feature horror films.
b. I don't think it really effected my life very much.
c. This thought has been eliminated from my way of thinking since taking
this class. I have learned that a ritual can be just about anything that
is a routine or a habit like baptism or a rival football game.
2. I also thought that a ritual could be a habitual action.
a. I must have learned it in school somewhere. Or for example, we habitually
visit our family in Ohio every 4 years. (I'm originally from the western
US)
b. No real impact that I can see.
c. A ritual is not such a limiting thing as a habitual action.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The definition that was given in class read that a ritual is any routinized
and repeated speech acts, gestures, or other behaviors that presuppose the
existence of "others" or as enactments of roles can be taken as
signs of affinity or estrangement. This definitely rules out the idea of
witch gathering around a fire casting spells on people.
a. This new definition of ritual helps me to see things in society in a
different way. Helps me to re- evaluate those things I just took for granted.
b. The lecture on Thursday May 11, 1995 lead me to this idea of ritual.
c. I hope I can start seeing things with a different set of glasses.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
We only had about half a lecture on Thursday with the exam that was on Tuesday.
There wasn't a reading for this week so consequently I don't really have
a question for this reaction paper. I realize this question is going to
be rather stupid but I'll ask it anyway. Does a ritual have to be a repeated
action?
RESPONDENT #006
FEMALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 8
LIMINALITY
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1.Before entering this class I did not know what liminality was, although
I did know of such things as rites of passage. However liminality is only
a part of the phase of a rite of passage.
a. Watching documentary shows on public T.V. taught me that many African
tribes have rites of passage from childhood into adulthood.
b. Having knowledge of other cultures improves the quality of my life and
makes me less ethnocentric. This I believe is very important.
c. This feeling has been changed because now I can apply this idea to other
areas of my life.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I now realize that liminality is the phase which changes the individual.
You aren't what you were and are not yet what you will become.
a. This new idea allows me to put a name to a phase that I never thought
much about before.
b. Talking about the Rocky Horror Picture Show helped me to see this idea.
I've been to the show several times and had a friend who performed in front
of the audience but that's all I saw it as.
c. I think I will be able to evaluate things better and not just take everything
at face value.
2. I realize that there are a variety of liminal phases that exist.
a. Allows me to see things in a new light.
b. The discussions we had and the examples that were given in class. For
example marriage, pregnancy and barmitzvah can all be considered liminal
phases.
c. I will have the tools to examine things in my life as changes.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
I understand antistructure as mocking the establishment. What exactly would
be an example of an antistructure? Sit ins in the 60's? Do we always need
antistructure to break the old structure in order to get a new structure?
or do new structures suddenly appear?
RESPONDENT#007
FEMALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 10
MASS MEDIA AND OUR ROLES AS AN AUDIENCE
BEFORE: THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Audience can be deemed active or passive
a. I feel as though I fit into the active realm of an audience.
b. Yes, I feel it is very important for individuals who compromise the audience
to take the time to interpret their own messages from the information that
the media delivers. c. My feelings have been confirmed by realizing the
importance of the public controlling the media rather than the media controlling
the public. It is obvious that mass media plays a role in "our everyday
lives".
2. We are surrounded by media more than we think.
a. By the flip of a channel, turn of a page, or twist of the dial, Americans
are being overwhelmed by the media and its messages everyday.
b. Yes, because these are things that go unrecognized and impact our lives
without even knowing it.
c. My feelings have changed, basically because the information which I now
know concerning the audience and mass media has acted as a wake-up call.
AFTER: NEW THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I learned how the audience functions in many ways.
a. The audience is compromised of many different and diverse backgrounds.
This may explain the different appeals and targeting techniques used towards
the audience.
b. By reading chapter ten and examining approach of "uses and gratifications"
has opened many doors to understanding the role of the media and the audience.
c. I feel I'm only impacted by way of becoming a more aware and informed
audience member.
2. I learned how the media is linked to appealing to the members of the
audience by "uses and gratifications".
a. The media realizes that the audience members have different expectations,
which may explain the categories within " uses and gratifications".
b. The analyzation of needs and reasons for use lead me to think this.
c. Same as before, feel as though I'm an aware and informed andience member.
RESPONDENT#007
FEMALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 5
ROCK AND ROMANCE
BEFORE: THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. How music influences and effects our society
a. Music does effect large audiences and often seems to convey negative
and positive messages.
b. Music is basically another market which targets particular audiences,
such as the youth of today. c. Music influences our social and political
factors which can contribute to the success or failure of a record/song
d. This particular section seems as though it would focus to the many different
cultures which can be reached through music by means of another mass form
of communications, which is music.
AFTER: NEW THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
2. What exactly the music industry wants and is trying to portray to its
many audiences.
a. Elvis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry opened the door to a wide range
of music variety or contributed "to the world in giving music space
(p.310)
b. Music is more then just a favorite pastime, but a form of mass communication
which is used to communicate with large groups of people the ups and downs
which different societies encounter on a daily bases.
c. Musicians are now given more freedom in the music they write and the
audience they are trying to reach
d. This particular section in the book seems to be focusing on the current
music industry and how new ideas and styles are creating the current musical
trends. Musical trends are currently growing and changing, but yet contribute
and generate new musical sounds which are able to reach a large variety
of people and cultures.
COMMENTS
Music is one form of communications which is universal and virtually appeals
to all audiences. Music today is influenced by sounds past and present and
is a representational form of art which artists use to express their ideas
and experiences. There is a tendency to limit communications in the sense
of just talking, but music is widespread and seems to be taking the world
by storm.
RESPONDENT#007
FEMALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 6
DOES SEX SELL IN THE MEDIA
BEFORE: THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Commercials/Ads which place women in inferior positions in order to sell
certain products.
a. Every time you turn on the t.v. a woman is shown half-naked or portraying
"susie homemaker".
b. Commercials seem to be targeted towards men. Why? Because they're the
majority.
c. It's infuriating to think that positive images cannot always ho ; 1 1
llstrated to sell a Droduct.
2. Will equality ever be met?
a. Equality will never be met as long as women are shown halfnaked while
men are always being portrayed as the power structures.
b. Yes, women are now in the work-place and aren't always walking around
in a swimsuits trying to entice a group of guys drinking beer.
c. Men need to be shown in inferior positions, so that they can see how
degrading it is for a women and recognize that they are contributing to
the divisions within our society
AFTER: NEW THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Going beyond the obvious with commercials and ads
a. It never really dawned on me the sexual overtones which commercials have
that primarily target the male audience.
b. I learned that it is not just beer and liquor commercials that live by
the motto "sex sells", but cosmetics and clothing advertisers
as well.
c. As a consumer I think it's really sad that as a society we have been
reduced to using sex to sell products.
2. I believe that there is hope for change.
a. Yes, I do believe that there is other ways of advertising, but I see
marketing not changing as long as there is a demand.
b. Considering that I plan to major in public relations/ marketing, I may
be the one voice who will assist in the advancement of change within marketing.
c. Maybe the change should also involve having half-naked mon snstosd of
women and see how well the product sells.
COMMENTS
As a woman I find it very offensive to see women being portrayed as sex
objects and happy homemakers all the time. The male dominated industry fails
to see or portray the dynamic sides of women which we all possess by constantly
portraying women in such inferior positions. Society does not have to be
reduced to this, so why do it? Whether men chose to believe it or not behind
every great man stands a woman, and we shouldn't lose sight of this.
RESPONDENT#007
FEMALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 7
THE STUDY OF RITUALS
BEFORE: THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Examining thoughts on rituals
a. Rituals in my opinion have always been viewed as actions which are performed
in a particular way and at a certain time.
b. I believe everyone engages in some sort of ritual.
c. Rituals may often be determined and developed by one's race, sex, class,
and environment.
2. Too much importance and expectations are often placed on rituals.
a. I feel as though individuals can be trapped into repeating the same actions
and will not allow for change or difference.
b. Yes, because rituals seem to set a boundary for compromise and one should
never limit themselves.
c. My feelings have been strengthened solely on the principles of how many
studentBs appeared to have rituals and were set on them occurring at a set
time.
AFTER: NEW THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Varied factor effecting rituals.
a. I learned that the term ritual can be interpreted from many different
angles (time, space, object, etc.)
b. I not only came to this conclusion from the standpoint of class discussion,
but also by reading Beginnings in Ritual Studies, which as a reader forced
me to look deeper.
c It forces one to look beyond the obvious when interpreting and analyzing
the term ritual.
2. I learned how rituals effect the lifestyle of those in New Mexico (Fiesta).
a. After reading this particular article it only supports my point which
I made earlier on how different cultures engage in varied rituals
b. It was each factor which played in the development of rituals- time,
space, objects, sound, language, identity, and action where emphasis was
placed on these particular factors which were demonstrated through different
aspects in the fiesta held in New Mexico.
c. Hopefully some of the information that I have encountered will help me
to re-think how rituals effect my life and how it goes beyond an action
performed at a particular time. Beginnings in Ritual Studies has opened
my eyes and helped me to look deeper and find the significance of the word
ritual (like race, class, sex)
RESPONDENT#007
FEMALE
RANK: 2
WEEK: 9
FEMINIST'S VIEW
BEFORE: THOUHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1.Thoughts concerning the feminist's perspectives on popular culture and
how effective it is towards progress.
a. The feminist perspective appears to involve women's liberation on particular
issues and their influence on popular culture.
b. This could impact me by means of helping and supporting the advancement
of African-American women within the social structure
c. My feelings have not changed and probably never will until there is some
sign of advancement among women and especially women of color. Women have
always been placed at the end of the totem pole and women are now striving
to reach a level of equality among themselves and men as well.
2.The unknown about women's representation
a. Women are usually exploited or placed in inferior positions when portrayed
in commercials, TV shows, movies, etc.
b. I feel that portraying women in such ways, sends mixed messages and stereotypical
images to society and our children.
c. My feelings have not changed and won't until media and society take a
different approach towards representing women.
AFTER: NEW THOHGTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1.I learned that the representation of women cannot only help them, but
hurt them as well
a. This connects to my life because the feminist movement is suppose to
work for all women, but yet only includes white, middle class, passive,
domestic, and pretty women. This creates a problem and division among women
when they are suppose to be fighting for the same cause, but are forgotten
because they do not fit into classifications listed above.
b. I was lead to believe this because of how the author explores all angles
of feminism and to who it appeals to.
c. I hope that feminism will create or establish equality among women, so
that it may also be passed on between men and women, which is fundamental
not only by race, but by society as well.
2.I learned the importance of acknowledging the contributions of women.
a. I feel as though if attention is brought to women's achievement's then
this sets the foundation and poses role models for younger girl's and women.
b. The author devotes a section to acknowledge women's creative efforts"
which are numerous, but are overlooked and unacknowledged.
c. It makes me feel good as a young African-American woman to know that
there are individuals to help with the advancement of women and women of
color.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 3
THE EVER GROWING WEB
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The internet, information super highway, and world wide WEB have all
become buzz words in the media.
a. I hear the terms mentioned everywhere. You can't watch a news commentary
on something without an internet email address being listed at the bottom
of the screen afterwards asking for comments.
b. I believe so, but indirectly. The increase in the mention of these words
has caused the internet to grow at an even faster rate than ever before.
So by consequence I have more sights to get information from.
c. This class has made me wonder how the internet will continue to grow.
Will outside influence from business and the media shape how the internet
grows as it shaped how television, radio, and the newspaper have grown,
or is it so large already that these influences will not affect it as much
as they have affected the others?
2. The internet is becoming increasingly commercialized over the past couple
of years.
a. If you look around on the WEB, you'll find sights with information on
most of it, but adds of all sorts on the bottom of the pages, and some of
these sights are now starting to charge to access the information which
is on them.
b. The adds didn't really bother me, but the fees upset me a little since
I always thought of the internet as a free place to post and get information.
c. Actually the class has made me think of creating some "flak"
for The San Jose Mercury Times, which is my particular source of information
that I am describing. Therefore, I think I will send them email on the matter,
I might even post something on a newsgroup suggesting that others do the
same.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I learned what economic pressures may cause.
a. The evolution of the internet will determine what kinds of things are
accessible to me on it.
b. The lecture on the 5 filters the News led me to this thought.
c. If an opportunity arises for me to possibly help shape what might happen
to the internet, I am more likely to take such actions. eg. As stated above
in the Before 2c.
2. In my opinion I believe the internet has a good chance of escaping the
effects of commercialization because of its already enormous size. Currently
it is primarily funded by those who pay to get connected. And these are
mostly universities and research facilities around the world.
a. As long as these are the organizations that control the internet, I believe
it will stay mostly unrestricted and free usage if you can get connected:
however, if this changes the internet may gradually change to a communications
medium more like TV, Radio, and the Newspapers.
b. The reading on the 5 filters of the News.
c. Similar to that of the previous thought.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONCLUSIONS
Can't think of any right now.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 4
THE LAW OF THE LAND
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The extent by which Lawyers have control over writing and interpretation
of our written Law has disturbed me.
a. I've looked at law books and contracts, and noticed that the law is written
in a form not very readable by the average person, and it disturbs me that
I need an interpretation of the law's to look up something as simple as
housing codes.
b. Yes, I had some landlord problems last year, and I wanted to know exactly
what their obligations are and what I could do about it if they fail to
meet their obligations. It angered me that I couldn't just look at the laws
and understand them. I had to go to a reference that interpreted them.
c. The class has strengthened my anger a little now that I see that those
who can read and understand the law well have a great deal of power over
those who can only ask them what it says.
2. I'm disgusted when Law's are brought out of context and used for things
that they were not originally intended to be used for.
a. The recent addition to the Drunk Driving Laws that can prosecute a person
under 21 for DUI if they have over a .02% blood alcohol level. A person
isn't impaired to much to drive a vehicle if they only have a .02% blood
alcohol level. The Law is out of context, it's used for the wrong purpose.
b. The particular example above hasn't affected my life, but I don't like
it because if they get away with this one, what will the next addendum be?
Where is the line drawn?
c. My anger is lessened a little, since in class we learned that writing
can have this affect.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The Law is written in a special way to attempt to only allow one interpretation
for the Law, the writers.
a. I realize that the system's not perfect and the writer doesn't always
do a perfect job, but they could probably make it a little easier, if they
would completely rewrite laws sometimes rather than adding large amounts
of addendum.
b. The section of the book that talks about how writing in the middle ages
affected society, those who could read had power over those who couldn't.
c. I'm still upset, but I don't really know of a better way. It would probably
better if interpretations were more easily found. Perhaps the WEB or some
other form of new electronic medium will supply this in the future.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
I'm a little confused as to the differences between the communication cultures,
especially the differences between oral culture and electronic medium.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 7
THE BIG TOW, ONE
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Before turning 21, alcohol consumption did not feel acceptable when I
was around parents or other older adults, although it seemed perfectly acceptable
while around my peers.
a. Family events and parties I went to with friends led me to feel this
way.
b. Yes, I felt uncomfortable any time the subject matter came up around
my parents.
c. This thought has pretty much remained unchanged since I entered this
class. This will probably lead me to attempt to tell my children how I feel
about subject matters as this one. A great deal of my discomfort was because
I didn't know exactly what my parents thought about alcohol other than they
drink on occasion.
2. After turning 21, I still felt a little uncomfortable for a month or
so, but I quickly seemed to adapt as though It had been acceptable for me
to drink for ages. The way I drank even changed. Now, I probably drink a
little more often than I did before I was 21; however, I drink much less
per sitting than I did before turning 21.
a. Family events and social occasions outside the family occurring after
turning 21.
b. Yes, I'm now more comfortable with the subject around family members,
and I think I understand why countries without age limits for drinking have
fewer problems.
c. Yes, strengthened some because of the lectures on rituals and liminality
I have thought about the subject matter more. This probably strengthen the
impact from lc.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The process of turning 21 is a kind of liminal experience. Beforehand,
your in a type of "boyhood" state. Then there is the 21st birthday
bash, the in betwixt state. Afterwards, drinking becomes socially acceptable
among older adults in general. However, while it is acceptable, it takes
a little time before the "manhood" state fully sinks in.
a. It connects to my life through the two thoughts before entering the class.
b. The lectures on rituals and liminal experiences, and the reading on Symbols
in Nbembu ritual led me to this thought.
c. This thought will cause me to analyze some of the events in my life.
I may not let societal pressures influence me quite as much. I'm sure they
still will, but maybe not without me analyzing them a little first.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
None at the present time.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 7
RITUAL WRITING
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. Paper Writing is a Ritual for me, especially reaction type papers. First,
I dwell on possible ideas to write on. Then I probe a few sources to narrow
the idea's down and possibly come up with a new one. I pick one and write
out a short outline by hand. Then, I sit down and begin typing, letting
my thoughts and feelings flow naturally. Next, I read it over once and check
for grammatical errors, run the spell check - this may take a few minutes.
Finally, I print out the paper and turn it in. Occasionally I'll get a few
hours sleep during the last stage.
a. All the reaction type papers I wrote in religion classes throughout high
school.
b. Yes, This ritual allows me to communicate my thoughts and ideas well
on the subject matter I'm writing about.
c. The class has strengthened this thought. I like my method of writing,
and it works for me. The reaction papers in this class disrupt my writing
ritual, and I don't feel my papers are as good.
2. Changing my ritual writing format results in my thoughts not flowing
as well, my ideas don't seem to come across as clear, and the assignment
tends to take longer.
a. English 110 forced me to write multiple rough drafts, and I thought that
always screwed up the flow of my papers. In an attempt to make them more
suave, I messed them up.
b. Yes, I believe the quality of my writing suffers when I am forced to
change my ritual writing format.
c. Strengthened, same reasons as first thought.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I learned in class that a ritual presupposes the existence of "others".
That statement made me think about why my writing process is a ritual. Before,
I felt it was, but I didn't know why. It's because my writing is a process
in which I communicate ideas to "others".
a. I have found that the more my ritual writing process is forced to be
altered, the more my ideas I want to get across suffer.
b. The process of writing reaction papers in this courses strict format.
I find myself attempting to follow my ritual format, and then adding two
steps. One, I always complain about the format for a few minutes, then I
attempt to translate my format into the classes format. Only the transition
doesn't ever come out as clear.
c. In the future, I plan to express my concerns to whomever is causing me
ta change my ritual writing format and express my concerns.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONFUSIONS
I'm still a little confused as to the exact definition of a ritual. The
multiple definitions given in class are a little hard to follow, and the
first reading assignment didn't help out very much. The next lecture on
this subject may clarify the meaning though.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 4
WEEK: 9
WATCHING TV AGAIN
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. When I'm on co-op every other quarter, I seem to watch TV after work
when I'm tired and/or a little bored. I tend to watch mostly comedy where
you don't need to pay a great deal of attention to understand what's going
on. At least half the time I wind up falling asleep on the couch.
a. My life on co-op in Dayton I tend to watch TV more in the winter, especially
if my roommates don't become friends of mine.
b. The more often I was bored, the more often I seemed to watch television.
I have noticed that I don't watch any television program religiously, and
If someone else asks me to do something else, the television will lose 99%
of the time.
c. The article on the TV audience confirmed that many people watch TV for
this reason. I don't think this revelation will have any impact on me though.
2. When I'm in school I watch Television for a different reason. It mostly
acts as background noise for me while I'm doing something else - homework,
cleaning, or socializing.
a. My Television watching habits at school.
b. The Television seems to be on a lot when I'm home, usually on the cartoon
network. It's on quite often, so I'm sure the experience affects me, I'm
just not sure exactly how.
c. Same answer as 1c.
AFTER: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. The two pieces of reading material on the TV audience experience have
led me to notice some of televisions affects on me. News shows in particular
such as Dateline NBC always make me think about the topics they discuss.
I don't always agree with what they say, and after taking this class, sometimes
I even wonder why they discuss a topic in a particular fashion.
a. Television is a part of my life, it always affects me. It affects me
when I watch it, and indirectly it affects people that affect me when they
watch television.
b. As I mentioned above, the two pieces of reading material on the TV audience
experience were the primary reasons for this thought.
c. This thought will cause me to think more about what is on television
and why. Television will always affect me, but now I realize It affects
me more than I thought it did.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CONCLUSIONS
None at this time.
RESPONDENT#009
MALE
RANK: 3
WEEK: 6
SEXUAL CONNOTATIONS IN ADVERTIZING
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I had always noticed sexual connotations in advertisements, but never
understood the impact they had on people.
a. In the past few years, I have paid more attention to the meaning behind
advertisements as a result of classes I have taken, (i.e. Women's Studies).
b. It impacted me a little. I would occasionally become angry because I
felt that the portrayal of women was usually very demeaning.
c. This feeling has become stronger as a result of reading the article,
Sex, Sin, and Suggestion", in the packet.
2. I had not considered that these types of advertisements were so influential
in people's lives.
a. I do not let these advertisements affect me, (consciously, anyway), so
I did not assume that they impacted other people as seriously as the article
suggests.
b. It did not impact my life as a far as I know. I do not believe that I
have ever made a decision about my life because an advertisement has suggested
it.
c. This idea that I have not been affected by advertising has turned into
a bit of a crusade. I feel that now that I have been educated quite extensively
about the goals of advertisers, I will be able to recognize these connotations
and, therefore, will not be tempted to either buy a product just because
of these connotations, or worse, to make a decision in my life that is detrimental
to my health or my reputation.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I now notice sexual connotations a lot more.
a. I am almost paranoid now. Every time I see an advertisement, I think
about the meaning behind it, and if it seems to not have anything wrong
with it, I usuallyjust make something up!
b. The article, aSex, Sin, and Suggestion", has lead me to this new
attitude.
c. I don't think this is a negative attitude. For me, if an advertisement
can market a product without using sex, it deserves more credit.
2. I am more fearful of the permanent effects these ads will have on young
people.
a. The article had a good argument when associating the AIDS virus with
these ads. I also believe that sexual assault problems can be linked to
advertising, showing men it is aokay", to treat women poorly.
b. I came to this feeling from reading about people who have developed selfesteem
problems because of sex in advertising.
c. This new feeling will motivate me to do two things; first, I will not
feel jealousy toward women in advertisements. I have learned that they are
not typical of the American woman, and we spend too much time trying to
live up to that model. Second I will not make decisions that have been influenced
by advertising. I will never try to emulate a situation that is shown in
advertising, because those sit.uations are unrealistic and unsafe.
RESPONDENT#010
FEMALE
RANK: 3
WEEK: 8
DEFINING FEMINISM
BEFORE: THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. As a result of taking a women's studies class, I had a stereotypicai
view of a '1eminist".
a. In dealing with the Women's Studies Department, I encountered a lot of
"radical" feminists who were mainly interested in male-bashing,
and they centered the term "feminism" around lesbianism.
b. Yes, it impacted my life in a negative way, because I had always considered
myself to be a feminist, until I could not identify with what I was taught
feminism was. It is not to say that i was unaccepting W women in that department,
I had just always thought that feminism was more than, male-bashing.
c. This feeling has been eliminated since lecture on Tuesday. I understand
now that I was taught one aspect of feminism in women's studies, but not
the whole picture.
2. I did not think that a calm, rational discussion about feminism was feasible.
a. There was always that pompous male, all worked up about how feminists
are men-hating bitches, or the hippy woman chanting how women shouldn't
shave their armpits in order to impress men.
b. It impacted me because I did not really learn anything about feminism.
usually just found myself in the middle of a heated argument.
c. My feelings have changed, because I understand that there is more to
learn about feminism now that I can be involved in a calm discussion about
it.
AFTER: NEW THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, FEELINGS, CONCLUSIONS
1. I understand that the Women's Studies Department has a more radical view
than necessary.
a. I can take a step back from it all now. I understand that my TA for women's
studies was probably just too eager to push her views onto her students.
b. The way that Jamie went about discussion in our class led me to believe
this. She basically made us do the defining of feminism, and kept her own
views private. This seems to be the correct way of doing things.
c. It will teach me to do the same thing in discussions about certain issues.
Sometimes it is similar to pick and choose carefully what one is going to
say, before taking a stand just for the sake of being opinionated.
2. This sounds strange, but I have learned something about adulthood.
a. It helps me to understand the responsibilities of being an adult-- being
Calm, rational, and objective. I think the reason I have experienced mostly
heated arguements over feminism is that I have not been dealing with grown-ups.
b. Sure, there was the occasional, "All men suck!", topic in our
class discussion, but that proves my point. Maybe the gentlemen who believe
that is what feminism is have some more maturing to do.
c. This makes me realize that I am, in fact, a feminist. And it does not
make me uncomfortable to claim this. Anyone who believes that I am a lesbian
male-basher as well just has some growing up to do!
Site last updated 2/26/98