Taking the next step in life is always tough for most people. Some are eager and excited to try out the new things that lie ahead. Others are anxious and worried about taking that step. One may even feel all types of these feelings. It's my goal to explore the culture that is of those taking the next step. I will specifically compare freshmen. It will be interesting to see how freshmen entering high school compare to freshmen starting their college careers. I have a brother who is starting his freshman year here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a cousin (also male) who is beginning his high school career in Osmond, Nebraska. Both students are going to be amazing sources for this project.
Both steps (high school and college) are there to prepare the mind of the individual for a career down the road. I remember both steps in my life, but it has been so long I don't feel I could do the culture proper justice. I know how hard these steps are, and I'm looking to my next step of graduating college in December, finding a job and getting married in May.
There are certainly different types of communication with both of the cultures I plan to study. Verbal and nonverbal clues tell exactly how certain people adapt to the new situation of moving up in school. In this sense, moving up also means moving back down. The freshmen are technically on the bottom (no other way of putting it). This project would be great information for those taking the new step because it will take first-hand experience of those who are freshmen (in both senses) and possibly of those who were at one time. Some students handle the change great and continue on with success. Others have influences or plain can't handle the amount of change in his or her life.
I think the comparison will be dramatically different between the two subjects. Going to college, some won't know anyone in classes whereas a high school freshman may already have friends before moving up. I feel that this is definitely a culture and that there are studies of stuff like this being done by professionals and psychologists.
This project is fluid, and I'm open to hear of any ideas you may have.
Great idea for the reporter project. I like that you are doing a cross-contextual analysis. There has been some attention recently given to verbal communication and language usage in young adults, boys specifically. Check out that interview with CJ Pascoe that I showed in class. She talks about the role of the "fag" discourse in constructing masculinity and sexuality. I also think about South Park's "The F Word" episode.
ReplyDeleteIf that is of interest to you I can pass along some sources and materials. Here are a few that come to mind:
CJ Pascoe's "Dude You're a Fag":
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2007/06/28/pascoe
The documentary "Tough Guise" by Jackson Katz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ijDA_1FVY
This looks like a really interesting concept and I think it's cool that you've gone outside the mainstream idea of "culture" being racially or ethnically related.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to also include not only high school and college freshmen, but college graduates that are fresh into the workforce. You could also include in your report information about where each group is biologically in their development and if/how you think that affects the culture.
For college freshmen, you could look at differences between people from small schools going to small colleges, people from small schools going to large colleges, people from large schools going to small colleges, and people from large schools going to large colleges. I have known freshmen who had a big "culture shock" coming to UNL from a small school. Don't forget about people who also work with freshman (high school counselors, RA's for college students) who might also be able to provide you with good information.
Something else I think would be interesting is to take Sara's information she gave us with the "fag" discourse and look at how/if it plays out in the context of college freshmen.
Good luck!
Ben,
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a good topic to cover due to the fact that we have all experienced this before and can relate to. It is good that you already know who you will use to interview and gather information from. I would recommend looking at a couple other people rather than just family due to the fact that they may not open up as much as people you are not as close to. Overall your blog is good and you sound like you know what your going to discuss and how to go about gathering the information. Good Luck with your blog and I look forward to reading more about the Freshman experience both in High School and College.
So I swear I've commented on this blog post before but I can't seem to find it so I will comment again. I really like your idea of studying freshmen. I've never really thought of them as a cultural group, but they definitely are. I think it will be helpful that you have your cousin and brother to use as primary resources. You mentioned that they were both male, though, so I'm wondering if you plan on gaining a female perspective as well. It would be interesting to see if there were a difference in freshmen perspectives between males and females. Great first blog!
ReplyDelete