Research in the community: I already posted about my findings in the local book store, so I focused less on that portion and more on the observations I made in the local Library and ad's inspired by children's stories.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, when I went to the Barnes&Noble, I was surprised to see so many adults with children in the kids section. I was happy to see bonding through literature, and that these adults utilized public spaces to grow with their children. While I did notice parents choosing gender “appropriate” books for their kids, I think that its more the thought that counts.
When I went to the public library, I also saw a lot of parents or guardians with children in the kids section, but there were more individuals here. Most looked sheepish, annoyed, or inquisitive. I can relate to these feelings: I feel embarrassed when I don’t look like I know what I am doing, and I get annoyed when I can’t find a book I am looking for, but I am curious to see what selections the library has to offer. While I feel that the book store was busier and had more families in it, I do think that the library is just as inviting to those same people. I think that because I went to observe during a school day during business hours, my results were different than they would have been at a later time or on a weekend. Most of the people who came didn’t stay: they got what they were looking for, or returned their books, and then left. Although, some did stay to study or spend time with their children/families in the library, most seemed to have other things to do during the day.
When I went to look into different types of commercials that drew ideas from children’s stories, I was shocked to find so many from all areas of marketing. From soda commercials, to flooring, and even perfume, children’s stories were the central themes. I thought the ads would mostly be for costume shops or events, but it seems that this theme can relate to a wide audience: gets kids attention, and it brings adults back to their child hood. In my Psych of Education class, we discussed that things will stick in your head if they have context. Since these ads relate to just about everyone, they stick inside the consumers head, making people remember their product and be more likely to buy it. It is a genius scheme. Some of the specific ads I found include:
- A Pepsi commercial that plays off the Frog Prince
- A Doritos commercial that plays of the Frog Prince
- A Nokia ad inspired by multiple fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty
- A Burger Kind ad inspired by Little Red Riding Hood
- A Honey Nut Cheerios ad inspired by Little Red Riding Hood
- An entire Barbie genre and commercial set inspired by Swan Lake
- A Flooring ad by Armstrong Flooring that revolves around themes from the Frog Prince
The sheer number and availability of these ads also surprised me. I thought that I would be hunting these down, but they were really easy to find: I saw a bunch on TV because it is holiday season, and I looked on Youtube for the rest. There are at least 100 separate tabs to click for this section: who knew children’s stories are so popular!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Blog 6 October 11
Blog Post 6:
Read your notes (the data you produced) from having engaged in the various research in the community observations. What are some issues that stood out for you? What surprised you? What are some new insights that resulted from the experience?
I went to Barnes&Noble in Friendship Heights to collect my observations of a local book store. I was surprised so many people were there on a Tuesday afternoon. I went to observe from 3-5, so when I first arrived there were many more younger children, and as it got later the age group shifted into high school/college students.
Many of the parents who brought their young children (elementary level)actually stayed and read to their kids for a little. I always assumed people would get in trouble for reading a book they hadn't bought yet, but the parents read 2-3 books (short with pictures) before settling on a book to actually buy. I didn't realize that bookstores could be used as tools to bond with children.
What I also noticed during my earlier observations was that not just parents would come with their kids: nanny's, babysitters, and grandparents would sometimes be the ones bringing children inside.
The Barnes&Noble where I live has an entire section (a very large one) for kids to play in, but I have never seen it used. This made me wonder why there are so many more children present during this observation here in DC than there have ever been at home in New Providence. I think there are many socioeconomic reasons for this including: there are more "yards" where I live (and they are huge), so the children have a different kid of outlet to let loose. Also, this book store may be closer to some residents than the library. My town is under 4sq miles, so everything is close. Another difference is that here many families hire help or ask a relative to watch their children whether or not both parents work, which could explain the different types of adults chaperoning the children.
Read your notes (the data you produced) from having engaged in the various research in the community observations. What are some issues that stood out for you? What surprised you? What are some new insights that resulted from the experience?
I went to Barnes&Noble in Friendship Heights to collect my observations of a local book store. I was surprised so many people were there on a Tuesday afternoon. I went to observe from 3-5, so when I first arrived there were many more younger children, and as it got later the age group shifted into high school/college students.
Many of the parents who brought their young children (elementary level)actually stayed and read to their kids for a little. I always assumed people would get in trouble for reading a book they hadn't bought yet, but the parents read 2-3 books (short with pictures) before settling on a book to actually buy. I didn't realize that bookstores could be used as tools to bond with children.
What I also noticed during my earlier observations was that not just parents would come with their kids: nanny's, babysitters, and grandparents would sometimes be the ones bringing children inside.
The Barnes&Noble where I live has an entire section (a very large one) for kids to play in, but I have never seen it used. This made me wonder why there are so many more children present during this observation here in DC than there have ever been at home in New Providence. I think there are many socioeconomic reasons for this including: there are more "yards" where I live (and they are huge), so the children have a different kid of outlet to let loose. Also, this book store may be closer to some residents than the library. My town is under 4sq miles, so everything is close. Another difference is that here many families hire help or ask a relative to watch their children whether or not both parents work, which could explain the different types of adults chaperoning the children.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Blog 5: Banned Books Entry
I brought in Speak for my banned book. It tells the story of a young, bright, teenage girl who goes to a party and gets raped by an upperclassmen boy. She calls the police, and the party gets busted, with all her friends inside. She becomes a social pariah because she “snitched” and all of her old friends refuse to speak to her. She finds refuge in art and in an old janitors closet in her school. By the end of the year she is failing every class except art and is severely depressed. However, she makes friends with another misfit and gains the courage to confront her old friends with what really happened. Her very best friend is now dating the boy who raped her. At first no one believes her, but when she is cleaning out her janitors closet, the boy comes and tries to rape her again to silence her, and she breaks a mirror in the struggle causing a raucous. One of her old friends hears the noise, and see’s what is going on: everyone sees’s she has been telling the truth.
I read this for my mother-daughter book club in 7th grade, and I don’t remember being particularly stressed or appalled by what was written, I also don’t think I was influenced to go out and a) participate in underage drinking, b) rape someone, c) partake in self mutilation because of my depression. It is definitely banned because the ALA is worried this will influence students to partake in “unhealthy habits” such as underage sex, violence, drinking, and harming themselves. Like other books that “encourage” children to stray from the “norm”, this book has been deemed “unacceptable” for schools because of the issues.
However, I think that these banned books SHOULD be talked about in school, because they center on real issues that are never talked about. If a student hears their teacher discussing emotional issues in a constructive way, they will be more likely to get help if they, or a friend, are suffering from any of these issues. While I understand these books getting banned at libraries because adults don’t want their kids to randomly pick this type of book up, it should not prevent teachers from discussing these issues in class. Further, I have noticed that these “banned” books are not inherently bad. For example, the Harry Potter series is banned because is promotes “witchcraft”. However, what the ALA did not take into account is the other important messages these books promote, such as equality, overcoming obstacles, and never quitting. Seeing this series on the banned list has solidified my choice to use one of the books for my Podcast assignment.
I read this for my mother-daughter book club in 7th grade, and I don’t remember being particularly stressed or appalled by what was written, I also don’t think I was influenced to go out and a) participate in underage drinking, b) rape someone, c) partake in self mutilation because of my depression. It is definitely banned because the ALA is worried this will influence students to partake in “unhealthy habits” such as underage sex, violence, drinking, and harming themselves. Like other books that “encourage” children to stray from the “norm”, this book has been deemed “unacceptable” for schools because of the issues.
However, I think that these banned books SHOULD be talked about in school, because they center on real issues that are never talked about. If a student hears their teacher discussing emotional issues in a constructive way, they will be more likely to get help if they, or a friend, are suffering from any of these issues. While I understand these books getting banned at libraries because adults don’t want their kids to randomly pick this type of book up, it should not prevent teachers from discussing these issues in class. Further, I have noticed that these “banned” books are not inherently bad. For example, the Harry Potter series is banned because is promotes “witchcraft”. However, what the ALA did not take into account is the other important messages these books promote, such as equality, overcoming obstacles, and never quitting. Seeing this series on the banned list has solidified my choice to use one of the books for my Podcast assignment.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Pod Cast Ideas
I’m not 100% sure about which text I will be using, but I am considering the following texts:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone: is the book I am leaning towards now because is deals with every single issue listed while supporting 3 main characters who are highly relatable and very charismatic.
Classism: Harry himself has a small fortune while Ron and Lord Voldemort were impoverished.
Sexism: All of the most influential teachers seem to be male, as are all of the notable ministry workers.
Racism: Pure Bloods vs. Mud bloods, Wizards as “wand holders” vs. all other magical creatures (non-wand holders).
Con: I don’t want to ruin the series of my generation by a) digging around and ruining the pleasure of the book and b) not doing it justice in my podcast.
The Hundred Dresses: focuses on classism and gender issues. I read this for a book club when I was in elementary school (4th grade), and I remember being deeply saddened by the way girls treat each other. I would bring up different classroom management styles that could be used to prevent this type of issue from happening, and how important it is for both parents and teachers to lead by example and prevent a child from being singled out.
Monday, September 13, 2010
"Quotable Quotes" September 14th
"Sugar rationing would begin Tuesday. She folded the paper in half but was careful not to let the ink darken her gloves. At Lundy's Hardware she stopped and looked at the display of victory garden shovels in the window". I know this is a long quote, but I thought all of it was necessary for the best historical context. When you read the sugar rationing section, you know this is a time of hardship. However, sugar rationing has been used all over the world during several crisis', not just during times of war. The glove statement gives a vague time period: 1950's era and earlier. However, it is the victory garden section of the quote that gives the most detailed context: America, early 1940's, World War II effort to support the troops and promote sustainable living. I think this quote gives a host of information on the characters in the story because we can understand their living and social situation by sifting though the layers of text.
"'That's a nice red dress', he called out after her. She stopped and squinted at him over the top of her glasses. 'Thank you,' she said. 'Thank you, Joe.'
Let me start by saying that I didn't include all the background story here, but this business owner during a time of hard ship did NOT ask this lady to pay, and commented on her clothes. The color of her dress could be symbolic: red generally stands for lust or sexuality (ex: The Scarlett Letter). The author could have made her dress any color, but because it was mentioned in this already tense scene, the red could be a foreshadowing of a future relationship with this man. It is also notable that she called the store owner by his first name, a bold statement for the time period.
"'That's a nice red dress', he called out after her. She stopped and squinted at him over the top of her glasses. 'Thank you,' she said. 'Thank you, Joe.'
Let me start by saying that I didn't include all the background story here, but this business owner during a time of hard ship did NOT ask this lady to pay, and commented on her clothes. The color of her dress could be symbolic: red generally stands for lust or sexuality (ex: The Scarlett Letter). The author could have made her dress any color, but because it was mentioned in this already tense scene, the red could be a foreshadowing of a future relationship with this man. It is also notable that she called the store owner by his first name, a bold statement for the time period.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Hello, My Names Are
Gabriella Donisi Luciano: my full name that only gets used by my dad's side of the family (they are traditional and Italian). Recently I have been using this name more and more, because at AU you have to register under the name that appears on your birth certificate. As a result, many of my teachers come to class with this name on their roster. Because there is nothing wrong with my name, and because it sometimes sounds more mature than Gabi, I do not correct them. This can result in an advantage because many of my teachers really like this name.
Gabi: Gabi is my given nickname. My parents have always called me this, and it didn't have any negative affects until I entered elementary school. I hated this name in elementary school because all of my teachers thought it would be really clever and original to say "oh, like Gabi Gabs alot". Generally this is how I introduce myself and what I put on all my assignments. I dislike when people blatantly mispronounce it such as "Gabe-e" or Gab-eye". Neither of those make sense, so its very grating. Sometimes there are also negative affects because a teacher will read this nickname and instantly assume that I will be very talkative. You know what they say about assumptions, and the saying holds true in this situation.
Goob: This was my nickname in the beginning of high school that happened by accident and just stuck. My group of friends still refer to me with this nickname, but it didn't carry over to college. I would associate this with some of the crazier times in high school. This name doesn't have any type of connotation, but I wouldn't use it in more mature settings or in a professional atmosphere. This nickname is strictly regulated to only be used in very relaxed situations.
Gab: My best friend of 15 years calls me this, and I would say most of my friends here have used it at one point or another. It isn't as nuts as Goob, but it isn't as boring as Gabi. There is no negative connotation to this name because it is really only used by people close enough to me to be considered family. Its casual so I wouldn't use this in the workplace or as a introduction.
Gabi Girl: My trainer always calls me GabiGirl, so I associate that nickname with my horse Fanny and my riding personality. I get really intense and focused, but the nickname helps lighten things up. My name is an advantage here because no one else has a name similar to mine, so I never get confused as to whom my trainer is referring. I would also say that because of my level, my name gets positive recognition and with the younger girls, admiration.
Hello, My Names are Not
Gabe- I am not a boy, my name does not sound or look like this at all. It puts me at a disadvantage when my name is pronounced like this because it flusters me, and then I have to be the rude girl who corrects the speaker multiple times.
Narrow Minded- I am not a narrow minded person. While everyone makes judgements, I am very open to changing my original opinion if a person proves to be different than I expected. I dislike people who can't see past their own biased opinions or see the other side of the story, so I strive to not foster those attributes.
Gabi: Gabi is my given nickname. My parents have always called me this, and it didn't have any negative affects until I entered elementary school. I hated this name in elementary school because all of my teachers thought it would be really clever and original to say "oh, like Gabi Gabs alot". Generally this is how I introduce myself and what I put on all my assignments. I dislike when people blatantly mispronounce it such as "Gabe-e" or Gab-eye". Neither of those make sense, so its very grating. Sometimes there are also negative affects because a teacher will read this nickname and instantly assume that I will be very talkative. You know what they say about assumptions, and the saying holds true in this situation.
Goob: This was my nickname in the beginning of high school that happened by accident and just stuck. My group of friends still refer to me with this nickname, but it didn't carry over to college. I would associate this with some of the crazier times in high school. This name doesn't have any type of connotation, but I wouldn't use it in more mature settings or in a professional atmosphere. This nickname is strictly regulated to only be used in very relaxed situations.
Gab: My best friend of 15 years calls me this, and I would say most of my friends here have used it at one point or another. It isn't as nuts as Goob, but it isn't as boring as Gabi. There is no negative connotation to this name because it is really only used by people close enough to me to be considered family. Its casual so I wouldn't use this in the workplace or as a introduction.
Gabi Girl: My trainer always calls me GabiGirl, so I associate that nickname with my horse Fanny and my riding personality. I get really intense and focused, but the nickname helps lighten things up. My name is an advantage here because no one else has a name similar to mine, so I never get confused as to whom my trainer is referring. I would also say that because of my level, my name gets positive recognition and with the younger girls, admiration.
Hello, My Names are Not
Gabe- I am not a boy, my name does not sound or look like this at all. It puts me at a disadvantage when my name is pronounced like this because it flusters me, and then I have to be the rude girl who corrects the speaker multiple times.
Narrow Minded- I am not a narrow minded person. While everyone makes judgements, I am very open to changing my original opinion if a person proves to be different than I expected. I dislike people who can't see past their own biased opinions or see the other side of the story, so I strive to not foster those attributes.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Researching the Self: August 27
One of the most eye-opening books I have ever read is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I read it for my 9th grade thesis project. At this time America was at its peak point of investment in the War Against Terrorism, which made reading about how much the Afghani's had lost that much more poignant. I am Middle Eastern (Syrian) so reading about the poverty, loss, and harrowing experiences the characters in the book faced hit home for me. While my day to day life has not been mindblowingly altered by reading this novel, it did shift my perspective and open my eyes to the Afghani side of the war.
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