Election Day 2012

Ann Cooper

WST 4022

November 5, 2012

Meredith Tweed        

Election Day

            As this election cycle comes to an end it is impossible to not think about all that it means.  Yes, today was a day that millions of Americans expressed their opinions, but the fact that I even had that option today is amazing.  As a middle class white female I have been priviledged to many things, but even my predecessors did not always have the right to vote. 

            I am often disappointed when I find out that people, especially women, do not vote.  This election season brought about many issues that are important for women to take notice of and to be concerned about.  Unfortunately, many women don’t feel that certain issues, such as amendment 6 or even the financial stability of the country, are important for them to take notice or take action.

Today, as I stood on the sidewalk in front of my local polling location and held my sign I was surrounded by others partaking in their rights to freedom of speech; it was rather moving.  Whatever your political affiliation it is amazing and important to take a stand, it is important to take your stand.  Everyone should get out and vote!

  

Service Learning Journal

Ann Cooper

WST4022

November 16, 2012

Meredith Tweed        

Service Learning Journal Entry

            I believe this experience has been one of growth for the whole group.  While it is not always best to speak for others, I personally have seen growth in the group.  Initially we all had high hopes and expectations for the project and the days, sometimes it seemed we might be getting a little too out there with our ideas.  We initially started out with things too theoretical and too mature for 12/13 year old girls; to be honest it seemed to be a contest to see who could be the best “feminist.”  Throughout the process we learned to reign ourselves in and to also understand our audience.

            We have learned a lot about dominant discourse about saving the cheerleader and saving the girl, but I think that these girls saved us as a group.  We spent so much time trying to prove who we are as feminist and that we could “save” these girls that we sometimes forgot what the whole point was.  It took a pause and a step back to realize it didn’t have to be that hard, it needed to be FUN!   Our activities, most recently the Alumni Day, were fun and active.  The group took a step back and realized that we needed to remember what we wanted to do when we were 12 and 13; obviously it wasn’t to sit and be lectured about feelings and how hard life is and how hard it could be. 

            As we wrap up I have thought about what it was like being 12 and 13 for me.  It was actually pretty hard and I often struggled with group dynamics and where I “fit” in.  A group like the YWLP would have been so great.  Watching the girls together made me feel good.  No, their dynamics weren’t always perfect, and it was obvious that there were the more outgoing girls and the more reserved girls.  The neat thing was that the group has a need for each kind of girl and there wasn’t any “leaving out.” 

            A last note, and one that I really want to add, was the “zap that” technique was awesome.  This is something that I personally am working hard on and I found it refreshing to see how the girls were “calling each other out” on putting themselves down.  Girls and women are their number one worst critics, so starting at a young age to nip it before it becomes even more toxic and detrimental is great!

           

Judy Blume Literature

Tuesday, November 13

Teen Fiction for Girls by Judy Blume

http://suite101.com/article/teen-fiction-for-girls-by-judy-blume-a70964

Thursday, November 15

Using Literature to Help Troubled Teenagers Coper with Societal Issues

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=SENjg_QeWn0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA79&dq=society%27s+impact+on+adolescents+and+their+sexuality&ots=5V73myhf4F&sig=LXknDdPF1eZiEBpoUDIrZ7T8VNw#v=onepage&q=society's%20impact%20on%20adolescents%20and%20their%20sexuality&f=false

Is Puberty A Dirty Word?

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals

Tuesday, November 20

Guys Read Judy Blume Too, and Not Just for the "Dirty Bits"

http://jezebel.com/5899849/guys-read-judy-blume-too-and-not-just-for-the-dirty-bits

Rationale for Body Appreciation

Ann Cooper   

WST 4022      

Meredith Tweed

November 9, 2012

 

Rationale for Body Appreciation

            Physical, mental, and emotional health are major components when it comes to body appreciation.  As a group we would like the girls of the YWLP to understand that body appreciation does not simply just involve like the way one looks from the outside.  As a class we have read many texts on the body being all encompassing and exhausting projects of maintenance and upkeep.  As a group we want the girls to understand that “feeling good” and appreciating the body comes not from following the “rules” and “guidelines” set by society and the media; “feeling good” comes from following their own “guidelines” and also from supporting each other in this tough world.

            Nomy Lamm may be an unusual role model for the girls of the YWLP, but she makes some excellent points on body appreciation, “feeling good”, and individual differences in both.  Lamm’s comment “good health is not about being thin; it’s about doing things that are good for your body” (p.81).  While it is great to read and hear about a young woman with the strength of Lamm there are girls on the other end of the spectrum who are struggling and it is important for us to all us look at the results of this too.  Leonard Sax wrote about the abundance of young girls who are obviously not “feeling good” about themselves and as a consequence of this are cutting their bodies.  There can be many reasons why a young girl would cut themselves, but clearly there is something missing in their physical, mental, and emotional health.

 Our goal on the day of the body appreciation workshop is for each girl to understand the multi-dimensions of appreciating themselves and “feeling good.”  We would like for them to take away new ideas of what they can do to “feel good.”  Whether it’s joining a crew team like Allison Torres, dancing with friends like Nomy Lamm, or stripping (well perhaps not for 12/13 year old girls) like Diana Courvant.  With the activities we have selected, dancing, cheering, crafting, we are hoping to give the girls new avenues for building their appreciation of their body.  We would also like for them to be understand how important it is to share these with and be supportive of their friends.

 

Work Cited

Lamm, Nomy. “Fishnets, Feather Boas and Fat.”  Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image. Ed. Ophira Edut. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2003. 78-87. Print.

Sax, Leonard. “Why are so many girls cutting themselves?”  Psychology Today. Psychology Today Mag.,  14 Mar. 2010.  Web.  18 September 2012.

 

Service Learning Journal

Ann Cooper

WST 4022

November 8, 2012

Meredith Tweed

Service Learning Journal

            With the Body Appreciation Workshop coming up we have had many discussions about what is “healthy” as a group to get ourselves prepared to discuss it with the girls.  I think that this has actually been a bonding and eye-opening experience for the members.  As someone who is interested in the differences in women and what makes them “feel good” it was really moving.

Working as a team we need to grow stronger and it is important for us to break down some barriers and get a little more personal.  Most importantly a stronger team can only do better for the girls of the YWLP.

            I have previously mentioned in my rationale and other Service Learning entries I think that it is important for us, as young women, to be role models for the girls of the YWLP.  In the Body Project’s first chapter, which was not actually assigned, Brumberg discusses how important the system of young women mentoring younger girls is as a social interaction which both sides profit from.  Being young women we are different than their mothers but more mature than them (p.19).  While we are still trying to “figure” ourselves out we can also be beneficial role models for the girls; we can show them that it is okay to be confused and have questions.  We are also living proof that you CAN survive your adolescent years.

            This project and class, as a whole, have been eye-opening to me.  In the future I would very much like to work with females between the ages of 18-28 and I know their pathologies and problems do not just start at 18.  By spending time working on activities for the girls and with the girls I am learning about the different experiences that can lead to issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and cutting in their later years.  One can only hope that our information and experiences can reach the girls on some level and possibly quell future issues.

 

 

Work Cited

Brumberg, Joan J.  The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1997. Print

 

           

Service Learning (I forgot to post, but I've had it!)

Ann Cooper

WST 4022

October 28, 2012

Meredith Tweed

Service Learning Journal

            It has definitely been a struggle for us to communicate as a group throughout the semester and the past two weeks have really put us to the test.  I have learned from Professor Tweed that there is an ongoing issue with women’s studies groups, and those of similar beliefs, struggling with leadership roles.  It would appear that sometimes are worst adversary can be ourselves when it comes to working as a group to teach others about the plight of girls and women. 

After several false attempts to get the group going we have had to re-assess our internal communication, as well as with our community partner.  As a result of the changes in our communication I do feel that there has been some growth in the honesty of our communication as a group.  While everyone is “adults” and working for the same cause it is still sometimes difficult to share and take concerns and constructive criticism with group dynamic and individual work.  I personally have grown in my comfort with taking criticism and standing up for what I think needs to be done for the better of the project and the group.

I found a connection to our groups struggle with leadership in our in class movie “Miss Representation.”  The video gave the experience of a young girl running for a mock presidential race and the responses from her, as well as her competitors were interesting.  Not only did she find that she was having a difficult time getting support from her female counterparts, but also her male competitors recognized that the girls were harder on a female running for the position.  While we were not running for a political position amongst our group I do think that it is important that we be supportive of each other, especially when being role models for the girls of the YWLP.

The Allison Torres reading, which was used as a part of my rationale for the lesson plan for UCF days, writes about the importance of building strong and supportive relationships (221).  I noticed that while we struggled at first, that we have grown through this experience and are working on our group relationship.  At the actual event we were all working well as a team, working well with our community partner, and with the girls. It was important and is important for each individual to see herself as an essential component of a well-oiled machine (Torres, 221).  In addition to watching our group grow and build relationships I was able to watch the girls at the human pyramid work as a team, literally have to build a strong and supportive structure as a team.  Each girl was an important component to the pyramid and they all realized that they were each important, particularly when we were debriefing.

In the end our efforts, though not always consistent, did pay off.  I feel that the girls enjoyed the experience as well as learned from it.  I also feel that each of the group members is learning something about themselves.  For me it is taking feedback and giving feedback at the appropriate time, as well as the importance of time management when working individually and as a group.

Work Cited

Torres, Allison.  “At Home in My Body.” Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image. Ed. Ophira Edut.  Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2003.  219-224.  Print.

Newsom, Jennifer S., dir.  Miss Representation.  Girls Club Entertainment, 2011.  Film.

 

Teen Focused Website

As I was searching Google for websites I tried different keywords phrases: how should my body look?, teen fashion, how do I get a guy to like me?  The last phrase brought about the most results.  Interestingly I first went to a bizarre website with more quizzes like the ones we discussed earlier in the semester.  After some digging I found this website http://www.girlslife.com/.  It appears to be a bevy of all kinds of topics from "how to get fit while you babysit", "10 weird boob qs", and "diy sugar high", and the list goes on.  This was an interesting website as it does not intially appear as "bad" as some of the others, with a "safe" look, but clearly some of the topics are just as destructive.