Week 10 Weight of the World Analysis

There are many pressures to do well in school no matter what level grade school to higher education. Hearing these stories from the section, “Outcasts on the Inside” and “The Contradictions of Inheritance” out of the book The Weight of the World by Pierre Bourdieu explains the different educational experiences and loneliness are intriguing and heart breaking at the same time. This book discusses major social issues that involve class and different institutional structures when placed with personal stories and interviews causes the reader to contemplate and recognize the stress of these larger issues of society especially the pressure to succeed.

Why is there so much pressure to succeed? What is the cost of failure? Failure has social stigma like the articles discussed in this section. Many times students have low self of esteem, depression, anxiety because they fail and they feel like they cannot fail. An example of this discussion is from “Paradise Lost.” Nadine is a student at the French school Verlaine her hopes are dashed to become a photographer because she is required to take sciences classes. The sciences classes are to do well to get into the university system for photography. She is not very strong in math or science and her grades are very low. She decides to repeat the year, but in repeating the year her grades in math and science are even lower because of the stress of repeating the year. Nadine’s dreams of being a photographer are dashed. “She also felt the full force of failure since for her the science was more a transition which had to be made and somehow kept her from making a timely adjustment of her expectations to her opportunities”(446).

At this time too she did not realize that she needed assistance because in the past she could succeed on her on, but in the end the end she needed the help. In each of these interviews with Claire, Nadine, and Muriel have felt like they do well in classes they are passionate about like the literature classes offered. These students are required to take sciences classes because these sciences classes have more prestige for future career opportunities and teachers push the sciences classes on the students. In the interviews with these students speak about the lack of assistance. Are there measures being taken on to assist the students’ needs? The response to this is it seems the measures being taken are far and few because the students feel at the Verlaine they want to weed students in order to have a school of elite and prestige students. Is the correct behavior of an institution? This kind behavior does put students in isolate and lonely states of existence and extreme anxiety about failure.

One of the other articles I read and want to comment on is the "Solitude" by Gabrielle Balazs. The article and interview directly relates to our project. It is interesting to hear this story of Louise B. who is 80 years old and retired from social work. A profession where other people’s problems are her solely concern. Louise has difficulty looking out for herself. Because of her age Louise does recognize she cannot do things by herself anymore. She realizes her need for dependency on others, but she does not want burden others with her problems. Therefore she chooses to deal with them on her own and the end the end prefers to be in a retirement home, where people can visit here . From this article it seems that she is content to be in solitude. As the author continues in her findings, “she rapidly buries the lucidity that would kill her under the cascade of reassuring affirmations: “I have friends,” “I have caring people around,” “I am lucky” (600).

It is the best interest of Jesus followers to take these kinds of conclusions into consideration extending a hand to someone that is hurting or lonely providing an alternative to loneliness. One thing that Louise may need is someone to bestow kindness and love to her and letting her know that she is included in a loving community not out of burden, but out a building relationship with her. Someone like me can glean what she has learned and experienced in her life.

Week 9 Dialoging with Pop Culture

Popular Culture Analysis

As we seen in our reading Inventing Popular Culture, there are many definitions to what constitutes popular culture. We can study popular culture as well as live it. What I mean by studying it is we analysis what are the theories behind it, such as what is defined as popular in many areas of society like in clothing, electronics, music, movies, and art. We can also study the distinctions already made throughout history. An example of this is through discipline of Art History especially in the discussion about the controversies over distinctions between high and low art. There are many different opinions on the subject, it is hard distinguish which theory is correct. Even thinking about the topic makes my brain hurt because since I have studied in the realm of Art History I feel like I am obligated to answer these questions. Wow I put tremendous pressure on myself to answer these circular questions I guess since this what I want to study this for the rest of my life, I feel like I should be well versed in this area of study. I am realizing that I am not satisfied with the typical answer “ it is all based on interpretations”, which is how I described most things in the artistic realm instead of having a 5 hour conversation based on what constitutes art or is there value to abstract art? So I give people the easiest answer that I can give “it is all based on interpretation” Which is partially true, but there is more to it then that. Reading this book, in a way created angst for me, because it made me realize I truly miss studying art and its theories directly hashing out what all this means

So throughout Art History is the example I am pulling from, In the Impressionist era of painting, many critics thought this art period was low or popular art was worth nothing. It did not hold to the standards of the Renaissance, where the Great Masters at one time painted. So many critics held the Renaissance as the standard and it has forever been institutionalized into the cannon of art history. The same standard goes for the representational art has more value with in the system than abstract art. Michelangelo supercedes Monet. Carroll in the Inventing Popular Culture defines “mass art from art first of all the way in which the former is produced, reproduced, and circulated by the mass media” (95). I think what he is saying is true because once Van Gogh, Monet, and Edvar Munch reached their peaked especially in the art history cannon. Their art has been massed produced everywhere on mugs, calendars, thank-you cards, prints you can own, and even paint by number. These painters and other artists are in homes who cannot afford a multi million dollar painting which would be as much as the original would cost. These art things are marketed to society because they speak to larger issue of consumerism, buying art at an average price.

Storey speaks about how popular culture drives consumerism. “Consumption is a significant part of the circulation of shared and conflicted meaning we call culture. We communicate through what we consume. Consumption is perhaps the most visible way in which we stage and perform the drama of self formation”(70). Popular culture sometimes defined by what is “in style”. The iPod is one that is redefining technology downloading songs that you can by for less than a dollar, watching your favorite videos on the new Video iPods. You can all the music that you want at your finger tips. You see iPod commercials and there is a worldwide craze for iPods. I feel like I should have an iPod, this is advertising at its best. The thing to do is not get a new portable CD player, but an iPod, the electronic age has dawned. Consumerism through what is popular can shape our identity. What we own can define us

For our group project in terms of ageism, I think some major questions to think about are at both ends of the age spectrum. One question raised is the older population able to handle the advancement of technology? To discredit their capability to access the internet or to operate an iPod is ageism. Some may be really good at handling the internet, I know many grandparents who communicate to their grandchildren through the internet and email. Like others many of us are really savvy at it and others are not no matter what our age. I know there are many classes offered to senior citizens and to other groups about the advancement technology. We as a society can learn many new things from the older population because they are experts themselves advancing through history as the culture around them is changing. This generation has seen TVs installed to the telephone shrunk down to mobile size.

One last comment about consumerism and fandom, “Objects of fandom become a part of our sense of identity; they become embedded in the roots of memory and the routes of desire” (89). Music can be objects of desire I went to a U2 concert for the very first time about almost a month ago. Experiencing the Vertigo tour was amazing. I will always remember the sounds and visual effects that will forever be burned in my brain. I desire to keep seeing them as long as they tour. In this experience, I stood in line all day to get 1st or 2nd row seats on the floor and it was an interesting to stand/sit in line for 8 hours with fans that follow U2 everywhere. It was an experience in itself to see all ages swapping stories of their time at each concert or to listen to conversations about the Bono and the Band like they were our closest friends. For 8 hours that day I was among a ready-made community that would watch your belongings, discuss issues, and I was surrounded by larger U2 fans than I was, but we were all there because we desired to listen to great music that has substance. In a way through U2 music they are trying to empower and transform people make a difference in the world. These are the interpretative practices that Storey speaks about. Popular culture comes in many forms and to understand it is sometimes a challenge, but it part of the world wide culture that makes it tick.

Week 8 Analysis

Week 8 Analysis

What I find most intriguing this week is the class lecture and its comparison to the Sermon on the Mount. Yes it is true that Jesus preached there is a new way to live a part from the law of Torah. As he preached on the Mount he emphasized the need to assist others around us who need help in specific ways. This sermon calls for awareness and compassion It was to many in Jesus’ time a new standard of living for people. For us who are followers of Jesus we are called to the same standards. He calls humanity to be peacemakers, to do the right thing, show mercy and to love one another. The Sermon on the Mount in our specific context of ableism and ageism we may not have all the answers to solve these large complex issues. But we can develop and teach awareness and some practicalities to discuss these two issues and dialogue about equality in both groups, the elderly and the disabled.

We as believers are called like Jesus to work within in the existing structure or powers, which may not be exactly bad to strive for bettering the systems. We are called to be fair and just in all that we do. Many of the elderly and the disabled feel included and excluded from our society. To the ones who feel marginalized, as it states in the Power Practice and Redemption Methodology Welcome all, include, and encourage in their gifts. For example, encourage the elderly to get involved with their surrounding communities like helping first graders learn how to read. Encourage the people living with a disability that they too can participate; they can be taught to water ski, downhill ski, and to drive a car. These examples can prove to people who do not have a disability that the disabled are just as able to do societal things as people who are do not have a disability. As Jesus as said from time to time the kingdom of God is not just filled with one people group. It filled with many people groups, young, old, disabled, not disabled, men, women, of all different ethnicities. The Kingdom is rich filled with unity through diversity.

Diversity in the Kingdom is much like the book what Globalization and Culture is trying to decipher what is necessary for global change. Is it through hybridization or not? Hybridity would change especially in the western sense of individualism and emphasis more on a mix of themes like interculturalism instead of multiculturalism. Out of hybridization produces global mélange which has many different meanings to many different cultures. It very important to understand these differences and one final point is to understand that “we are all mixing cultural elements and traces across place and identities (109).” These cultural elements have become ordinary experience in our rapid transforming world.

Week 7Chapter 3 and 4 Analysis of Global Transformations

Week 7 Chapter 3 and 4 Analysis of Global Transformations

I honestly had a hard time this week connecting the two reading chapters to the team project. The reason I had a hard time making connections to the two chapters Global Trade and Global Markets and Shifting the Patterns in Global Finance they both do not directly relate to our project, ageism and ableism. There is no discussion on the affects that ableism and ageism had on the global market? Also or how do the global markets affect these two issues? Both of these chapters wanted the reader to know and understand the background of the global markets and the shift of finance patterns in the world. I have to say these two chapters were hard to read at times if this is your first introduction to detailed economics, which it is for me. I do not have a background in micro or macro economics and I think the book is calling the reader to have a background in this discipline. This discipline would help the reader absorbs and critique the information which is being presented to the reader.

Both chapters give a strong historical account of what has gone on throughout periods of financial influence. There is a question is the global market really global or it is regionalized to specific continents? There are three areas that help with global trade, the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. There is skepticism to whether trade is actually global or regional. “Regionalization as opposed to globalization implies that trade flows are clustered between similar countries which tend to be geographically contiguous and that markets within a region are (at least) partially insulated from the rest of world.”(168) Japan exports their cars and technology to the United States as much of the coffee trade comes to United States from the South America. The United States export much of the many soft drinks to other countries as well as the example of MacDonald’s starting in the US and moving to global market. Through all these imports and exports to different parts of the world, the world is continuing to grow at a fast rate. We literally have to the power and luxury in the western world at the touch of a button to talk to someone at the other end of the world without any difficulty. This is a great convenience, but I wonder with all these advancements in the global markets is the world getting smaller? Will oral traditions become obsolete because we as a people group do not have the patience to sit and listen to others around us? Will the older generation be more engaged in the practices of ageism around them because the youth have lost value in them as great teachers and the importance of the elderly giving back to society? These are the questions which arose as I was reading these two chapters in Global Transformations.

Week 6 Global Transformation Analysis

Week 6 Global Transformation Analysis

I think what is important to focus on in these two chapter of Global Transformation is the expansion of the globe changing society and the way of life especially for ageism and ableism. I tried my best connecting the reading to our project. The two chapters do not directly relate to our project, but I did my best to make a clear connection. Like we were talking in class as the industrial revolution occurred many families left the farm and went to the city to work. The older population was left to the farming community to continue working on the farm or to sell the farm. But if we realize much of our farming before industrialization was a source of income and a necessity for livelihood. As the East coast began to boom with industry, the Midwestern states continued to farm.

Globalization was beginning to effect society in all aspects of living. The First World War described this change.

Held states “Unlike fifteen-century warfare, war in the twentieth century in respect of both its prosecution and consequences, had acquired an extensive geographic reach: ‘ war , once conducted by military geniuses on the battlefield of limited scope, had come to embrace whole continents and to involve citizens at the home front in the era of total warfare.’” (97)

Everyone in the global society was involved at these times of war, especially during WWII. Many of the elderly in the 21^st century lived through WWII fighting and helping the war effort. Many of men saw the advancement of globalism through the military construction of tanks and artillery as they were sent over to fight for their country. These advancements allowed precision and accuracy in military targets. The women went to the factories and worked replacing men who worked before the war. Women made many of the military machinery for the war and many in the Midwestern states were in charge of farms. The women worked just as hard as the men tiling the fields and raising livestock for economic profit for their own livelihood and US production. During this time the women were farmers and industrialists and at the same time most likely raising children.

The other thought, I had about applying these two chapters in Global Transformation to ageism and ableism is through the Disabled Veteran Affairs. Many of the older population who fought in WWI, WWII, came home to the United States wounded and disabled not to mention the men and women who have fought since then in other wars. Maybe looking into further chapters in this book will provide some information on the effects of the disabled and the war and effort and how it affects the world surroundings. My questions I will address specifically look at the United States but can also be applied globally. How does the global community take care of their war veterans? Historically when was the Veteran Affairs established? What kind of organizations works with war veterans such as the VA hospitals and the veteran affairs in the US? How are their needs met? Looking at this organization can help our research because we as a group can understand how war affected the disabled and the older generation.

Week Five Analysis: The Ongoing Challenge

Week Five Analysis

For our last week of internet research I have a compilation of resources that speak to both ableism and ageism in a social context. I found sites that were interesting and I was curious about for our group project. These sites either provide resources for people looking for assistance or a commentary on limitations of the hold that society puts on them. What struck me this week particularly is the Disability History Museum. I never knew it existed, I thought it must be fairly new and it is. First, I thought that is was an actual physical museum like in Washington DC, but it is a virtual museum. It is a collection of history through an online database of photographs and articles focusing on disabilities through the United States. One of the mission statements is providing people without and with disabilities to have an in depth understanding of human difference and how it has effected America through history. Throughout the database I found many articles speaking on ageism and ableism

One of the articles is from the Australian Disability Review it speaks about the one man’s (the author’s) frustration how people have been treated because of their disability. Zola discusses how children are not afraid to ask questions when they are younger because they are curious about the people and the world around them, but quickly their parents discourage them from asking questions because the parents think that there on intruding on something which could be very personal. He states, “They are taught to respond globally and not particularistically: to recognize a person with a disability when they see one but to ignore the specific characteristics of the disability. Is it any wonder that a near-universal complaint is, ‘Why can’t people see me as someone who has a disability rather than someone who is disabled? Young children first perceive it that way but are quickly socialized out of it”. Disabilities have become socially invisible; many times disability has been swept under the rug pre se. Outsiders are willing to recognize the adversities that they see and applaud the person with a disability for overcoming these struggles. The person with the disability gladly accepts the complement. Zola speaks further more on this interaction. “We are paid the greatest of compliments when someone tells us ‘You know, I never think of you as handicapped’. And we gladly accept it. We are asked, ‘How did you make it against such great odds?’ And we answer the question. And yet in both the accepting and the answering we further distance ourselves from the problems of having a disability. In a sense they become both emotionally and cognitively inaccessible. I am not using these words lightly. I do indeed mean emotionally and cognitively inaccessible.”

What the author is saying is very true because I have cerebral palsy and the same conversation has happened to me several times. I do say thank-you when some one gives me a compliment, but I always feel singled out like I am the only one that has overcome daily struggles. But I am also one that Zola speaks about, I sometimes in the accepting and answering distance myself from my own disability, because yes I know I have differences, but the differences are hard to accept at moments when our culture clearly socializes its people to be “normal.” I am sharing these comments about my life because it is easy to theorize and come up with conclusions, but in reality to put the conclusions into practice is not easy.

I think it is important to concerned the on going dialogue the church has combating ageism. Like Jimmy has researched in the past weeks about the church and ageism I found a sermon by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto California that speaks to this issue. The Reverend Darcey Laine wants to know how the UU church can honor the traditions of the elders in when ageism is very prevalent in American culture. People learn many insightful thoughts on life from those who have already gone through it. She gives an example of the Islamic law which up hold parent while they age. “Their laws affirm care, respect, and kindness for parents as they age. This care is not paternalistic however, as the law warns Muslims not to infantilize their elders, but to support them with the respect they are due.” She also considers western culture can learn a lot from the Qur’an. Her suggestions are when people become older we are to come along side and help them as a community. “On the simplest level, we begin by affirming each individual’s right to have basic physical concerns met. We need to make sure that whenever a person begins to experience some of the losses often associate with age that we as a community are there to provide a steady hand. Our laws and social safety net must provide medical care, safe housing, and assistance with food and personal care if that is needed. The difficult question is: who should provide this basic human care? In a perfect world, a family cares for its elder as the Qur’an suggests.”

I think every religious tradition struggles how to care for many demographics of people. What is the correct response? I think if the Christian community starts with forward thinking and compassion rather than negating the physical needs of the older generation (physical needs, the one thing Jimmy and I both found missing between the church and the older population) then maybe ageism will decrease in our communities. As we were talking about church communities in our class lecture on this last Thursday (10-27), I think is important the community understands that every generation from the young to the older has something to offer up as we are all God’s people. As our research continues to finalize maybe we won’t have the answers, but we can give the church concepts to ponder.

Week 5 Resources

Week 5 Resources

1. Individual with disabilities education improvement act This is a site that is helpful to improve the education of students that live with a disability. Part of the improvement act is disabilities and their families and ensure every child with a disability has available a free appropriate public education that: (1) Is of high quality, and (2) is designed to achieve the high standards
reflected in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

2. Mission statement of Faith base Initiative faith base home website I was curious on what was the faith base initiative take on supporting social services. They do receive governmental money to support their initiatives. Some of the work that initiative stands for is they ensure that federal funding social services given by the state and local governments are treaty equally in their provisions. Also the initiative encourages greater corporate and philanthropic support for FBCOs’ social service programs through public education and outreach activities

3. Disability government related information is the website that the American government providing resources on varies subjects, like housing, communities, transportation, technology, and healthcare. These resources support those who are looking for assistance.

4. The disability museum is a new museum based on the historical conclusions about disabilities. There is an archive of articles and photographs based on disabilities through history.

5. This is excerpt is from The Oration: Ageing and Disability: Toward a Unifying Agenda. People who age and people with disabilities have traditionally been split into two opposing camps in the eyes of both providers of services as well as their own self perceptions. By focusing on several cross cutting phenomena -- issues of prevalence, the ever changing nature of chronic conditions, the effects of which I call the technicalisation and medicalisation of services, and the full implications of the home care revolution -- I argue for the importance of their finding a common ground.

6. Communication Barriers in the Disability Review. This is a personal article about an Australian man who desperately want society to think about the interaction they have with a person living with a disability. He has some very good points that could be useful to our research.

7. Challenging Ageism website outlines the varied definitions of the word ageism. It names different support or activist groups that are willing to combat the negativity that comes along with ageism.

8. Unitarian Sermon on Age and how to support those who are aging, this is a sermon coming from the Unitarian Universalist church. The sermon speaks from all religious traditions giving examples of how is important to take care as a church the older generation. It also gives a specific example of the western culture not supporting or caring for their parents in the long term.

9. Betty Friedan’s Book The Fountain of Age located in the Pasadena public library, Amazon link to inside the book. The book embraces aging and proves the myths are wrong about aging. It also gives unique alternatives to aging gracefully and gives empowerment to people who are aging and deserve the respect that they call for.

10. Intervarsity book on Christian Living this is a book on everyday living Christianity. This specific page speaks about ageism and discrimination in the workplace. The book states that are Christians are Naïve to think that they are susceptible to discrimination of all kinds.