Answers to the Required Reading Questions

Q1) What does Margaret Mead say at the start of her 1961 Preface to Coming Of Age In Samoa that is reminiscent of a current Army recruiting commercial?

         Margaret Mead mentions the future of young people which is similar to a current Army recruiting commercial. She mentions how young people are becoming less than they might be because they understand so little about culture. This is just like an Army commercial because they always say how in the Army you will build character and see the world. Both Mead and the Army commercial note how you determine the shape of the world for your children.

Q2) Which of the following issues of the 1920’s are no longer issues today?      

The effects of artificially separating children from a knowledge of  birth, love, and death. 

The issue - effects of artificially separating children from a knowledge of birth, love, and death- no longer is an issue today. No matter where you go or what you see, children will be exposed to birth, love, and death. While watching television, children will see these issues. Every child always asks the question, “Where did I come from?” Most of the time the parent will be truthful. Children will be exposed to these factors in their families. Mom could be pregnant with a little sibling or a relative may have recently died. Whenever the child goes out shopping with their parents, they are bound to see two people showing affection toward each other. If these children see all these factors early on, they  won’t be surprised to see them at a later age.

Q3) Do you agree with Margaret Mead that “culture is man-made and that man is free to design it closer to the desires of his own heart?”  What definition of  “culture” do you find in your dictionary?

I agree with Margaret Mead. If culture wasn’t man-made would we even exist? I don’t think we would because every little thing you do in life makes up part of your culture. Like Mead said, “man is free to design it closer to the desires of his own heart,” people are going to do anything they want to. When one person, for example, wears socks to keep their feet warm, this action may appeal to other people and thus a part of culture is born.

Culture to me is more than just beliefs and customs, it’s a way of life. Without culture we would have no way of living. It’s a freedom of expression. If you want to dye your hair purple, then go ahead. That’s your culture and I have no right to say anything improper to you. I believe that there are not two people with the same culture. Two people could have the same beliefs but their minds and ways of expression aren’t the same.

Q4) In her writings what was Margaret Mead advocating?

I think Margaret Mead was advocating that where you live plays a tremendous role in your life. The environment surrounding you will affect how  you will act. If  someone called you a bad name you would react differently if you live in a city than somebody who lives in the country. I think Mead also was advocating that no matter where you live, teenagers will go through the same physical and emotional changes. All teenagers will have to go through the stages of puberty. Teens will also face issues such as a death, birth, and love.

Q5) Comment on Susan’s speech. Do you and your peers really want adults to recognize what is going on and enforce “boundaries and structure”?

What Susan said in her speech is what goes on at my school. The students, smoking pot outside of my school, rarely get caught and decide to come to class really high. Sometimes it’s the students you would expect that are smoking pot, but most of the it’s not who you would expect.  One thing that Susan said isn’t true at my school. I never saw anyone come to school with alcohol even if it was mixed with some juice.                                                                               

Parents that just leave liquor laying around are just stupid. They know that their kids will drink some alcohol. Usually the kids will get caught by their parents and then the parents will hide the alcohol.

I think adults know exactly what’s going on but they are to afraid to do anything. For some reason they just sit there and watch teenagers mess up their lives. When they do enforce boundaries, the teens will do it again any way because the punishment wasn’t strong enough. If nothing happens soon to help solve these problems, I’m scared to see what the future will hold.

Q6) Write three things that you “absolutely, positively know, saw or experienced concerning drugs and alcohol” among students at your school.

Students at my school have done drugs. When I drive to the student parking lot, there is always a group of teenagers, from my school, outside smoking pot. This happens everyday before and even during school. Once in a while they get caught and punished but most of the time nothing happens. These students end up going to class when they are high. Why even come to school if you don’t want to learn anything?

Sometimes when I’m out with my friends, one of them will smoke. They started in eight grade and said they wouldn’t get addicted. Well now they are a junior in high school and they are trying to quit. I really hope they quit soon because every time they smoke I get sick from it.

In everyone’s life they will go to some sort of party. Most of the time these parties will have alcohol. With alcohol comes drunk teens. They end up doing stupid things and sometimes they get hurt. I remember this girl standing on top of a table and she started stripping. Of course the guys were persuading her to get completely naked. Thank god somebody pulled her off the table and stopped her from doing that!

Q7) Do you have a solution for the “plight of the black teenager”?

It’s a sad, sad world when everybody stereotypes people by their appearance.  The “plight of the black teenager” article shows this stereotype. Charles never did anything wrong but yet he is always watched. My suggestion for him is that he should always be polite to everyone, even if they aren’t to you, and try to set examples. If people see a black male teenager working at a nursing home helping people, they’ll notice that not all teens are bad and don’t live up to their stereotype. It may not happen right away but by setting examples like these and being polite, hopefully the stereotyping will die down and eventually be eliminated.

Q8) Would it be a relief if all you had to do was “go to classes and learn”? Would you be happy if you were home-schooled or attend a single-sex school where academics were presented in an exciting way and learning was admired even by peers?

It would be a relief to just “go to class and learn”. If that was all I would have to do, life would be easy. I wouldn’t have to worry about what the future holds for me and I wouldn’t have to face the “real world”. On the other hand life would get boring after a while and wouldn’t be as exciting. It would just be the same routine day after day and I believe it’s good to have variety.

I really wouldn’t want to be home-schooled or attend a same-sex school. In home-school you don’t make any friends and all you know is what you’re taught. You would have no experience with people around your age. In same-sex schools you wouldn’t have the opportunity to work and associate with members of the opposite sex. Both of these factors make it harder when you go in the “real world”. I would like my academics to be presented in an exciting way and to be admire by my peers. It would be even better if that was at every school  but we don’t live in a perfect world.

Q9) Comment on the line from Pete Seeger: “Schools are like prisons because they don’t teach you how to live.” and Jonathan’s comment “People in school are dulled by the remoteness to the real world.” Would more classes incorporating community-based learning be helpful?

Pete Seeger’s line, “Schools are like prisons because they don’t teach you how to live” is true. You go to school to learn academics. Can anyone really teach you how to live? People can show and help you but they can’t teach you how to live your own life.

The comment from Jonathan, “People in school are dulled by the remoteness to the real world” is also true. When you’re in school, the teachers and administrators kind of pamper you. Just because you may do something wrong doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be punished. It’s not like you’re five years old.

I don’t think classes dealing with the real life situations would be helpful. Sure they might show what to do in this or that type of situation, but what are the chances of that same situation happening to you. Most teenagers wouldn’t pay any attention to what people would have to say.

Q10) Comment on the “bottom line”.

The “bottom line” is very true. Teenagers are trying to be accepted as adults but most adults stereotype teens. Teenagers need a role model, someone to look up to. All they want is someone to comment on how they are doing in school and someone to be there when they need help, a friend.                       

My dad would always take the time out of his busy day to talk to me. He would tell me all the things he did as a child and how I could avoid making the same mistakes. I listened to every word my dad said and I really feel like my life is a little easier because of him.   

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