Mid-America Christian University has become my home in the four short months I have been here. It was a scary and tough decision for me to attend MACU but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Critical thought and popular culture was a required course to take and to be honest, I thought it was going to be a super boring class. But, it taught me a lot about myself and made me examine my calling in life a little deeper than before. In turn, I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Critical thought and popular culture taught me a lot about who I am. These realizations came from class discussions, learning my strengths, and even a little bit from reading Unlikely Disciple. For one, I didn’t know my strengths so that was super interesting and eye …show more content…
I have been able to really figure out in depth what my calling is and what the next step in life might hold for me. During one of our discussions, we discussed homosexuality and how we should treat those who live that lifestyle. I came to the conclusion that although I strongly disagree with that way of living, I do not think that it is our job or our position to try and make them live the way we do. That was something that I went back and forth with ever since I moved to Mississippi. I moved at the end of my junior year, and the only person that talked to me was Colten Nugent, and Colten was gay. We became super close and he knew my view on his decisions but not once did I feel like it was my place to tell him to stop. He believed in the Lord and I think that things like addiction and homosexuality are things that the Lord has to work through with the person, not people. I discovered through this class that this is a social issue that I am passionate about. Although, I do still believe that we should set a good example of what being a Christian should be. This was a topic that was very apparent throughout the book by Kevin Roose, The Unlikely Disciple. I think my biggest pet peeve when it comes to religion is when people call themselves “Christians” but do everything in their power to act otherwise. I always knew that my heart was built around kids, but MACU has helped shape the exact group of kids that my ministry is going to
One of the major points in chapter one is Sociological Imagination which is a connection between a person’s person life and social factors that play a role in affecting someone’s life. For example a young man was just released from prison, he searches for a job. Due to his criminal record employers will not hire him. As a last resort he turns back on his old ways of illegal activity. The personal issue here is that the young man cannot find a job but the social factor is there is not many job out there for felons. I believe Social Imagination is meant to open our minds to think in a wider aspect of why some of our problems occur. Another major point in chapter one is called Critical Thinking. Critical Thinking is the processes of being able to agree with a statement by looking at what facts and evidence can back it up. Wade and Tavis created a simple six plan rule to help us think in a more critical way. It consists of six steps. The first one being able to ask tough questions that other might be afraid to ask tough questions others might be afraid to. Step number to be to be able to think clearly and consider all the evidence to explain your argument. Next is to be opened minded and think of how someone else’s agreement or disagreement might also be correct. After that we should always look at the big picture analyzing a problem and lastly be able to admit when you’re wrong.
After concluding my remaining readings of chapters 7 through 10 from Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, I found my core understanding of the overall theoretical ideas posed by author, John Storey, had become clearer in the rounding up of the semester. Within chapter 7 of the book, popular culture is discussed in relation to issues connected to feminism, gender and sexuality. According to Storey, “Popular culture has been the object a great deal of feminist analysis” (pg. 136), and, as previously discussed in chapter 5, feminist psychoanalyst, Laura Mulvey shared her theory on the ‘male gaze’, which has been acknowledged and studied by many critics and other feminists. Presented in cinema, music, magazines, and other media outlets, it has been well documented how “popular culture plays a role in patriarchal society and that theoretical analysis of this role warrants a major position in ongoing discussions” (Storey, pg. 136), and, in many cases, “the male viewer’s regard for the publicized female body is often objectified and sexualized” (Inquiry 2). With my knowledge and understanding of hip-hop, the misogyny and sexism that culture glorifies is very noticeable. Misogyny has become a sign of authenticity for many rappers who exploit and sexually objectify women in their rap lyrics and videos to assert and prove their own masculinity. Derogatory words such as ‘bitches’ and ‘hoes’ in rap have become common references for women. I was mindful of how one of my favourite songs,
There were some University of Chicago students who were taking summer classes and I often sat down with them for meals and had some of the most genuinely interesting and fascinating conversations. I noticed prominent, prevailing trends of UChicago students. Every single student that I interacted with possessed the resounding trait of passion in craft. Each student demonstrated a degree of drive, dedication, and determination within their passions that was envious and motivational. The passion that each Maroon had for their field of study was outstanding, I witnessed people who were not much older than myself wholly dedicate themselves to niche areas of academic inquiry. Furthermore, each Maroon kept a mind open to all ideas and theories, demonstrating a maturity far beyond their years. This environment of deep intellectual discourse was unlike any other college campus I have visited, so it propelled UChicago to the highest echelon of institutions. UChicago’s tightly knit community of scholars is an electrifying aspect for me. I love the thought of being submerged in the infinite pool of scholarly discussion where I will be constantly learning from my peers, where my personal corpus of knowledge will expand from just a causal conversation, and where my values and perceptions will continue to evolve. Moreover, the incandescent flames of each student towards their passion will further fan the fire for my
Situated in the diverse city of Houston and the only Catholic university in the city, I believe that the University of St. Thomas will provide me with innumerable opportunities to study communications and psychology, as well as prepare me for graduate studies in dance movement therapy, which is my ultimate career goal. St. Thomas seems like a perfect fit for me, especially the smaller class sizes and the individualized attention students receive. I believe that I will be able to succeed there as a student, thriving alongside like-minded students and learning from intelligent professors. I particularly love St. Thomas because of it’s affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church, a religion I have actively been involved with my whole life. Growing up and in the Chicago area, I was privileged to attend a Catholic school. Faith, service, and life’s purpose are a few of the topics I enjoyed learning and discovering. Graduating
In her 1977 book The Damned and the Beautiful, Paula S. Fass displays the post-World War I influence of colleges and universities on the culture at large. Though contemporary times differ greatly from those she examined, nonetheless, colleges and universities still possess almost unrivaled cultural influence. Students move away to college, young, vivacious, and pliable. After just escaping the oppression of their parents’ rules, their minds readily embrace the next social structure that presents itself. Repeated research has shown that students need structure, something to give them a solid base before they can climb the ladder towards self-actualization and learning. Campus cultures provide more than that, they also provides a lens
• Describe a situation in which critical and creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. Describe why it is important to think critically and creatively in similar situations.
When the Judge admonished the Jury, he told them they must reach a unanimous decision beyond a reasonable doubt. The "hero" of this movie appears to be Henry Fonda, the first juror to vote "not guilty". He kept challenging the evidence by saying "isn 't it possible?"...that the evidence was wrong. Do some critical thinking on this...using a good paragraph answer if "isn 't it possible?" is the same thing as "beyond a reasonable doubt." Start with a “yes” or “no” and then eleaborate.
We as human only have one life to live. Therefore, we should take advantage of opportunities in our lives and make the most of it and also learn from our past experiences. College years are important stage in one’s life in terms of building one’s identity and exploring new opportunities. The small student body size at Macalester provides a commune atmosphere which gives students the confidence and security of expressing and exploring their interests. Therefore, I strongly believe that the new experiences that I will gain and the positive risks that I will take at Macalester will help build my character and expand my perspectives on life. Besides my personal gains, I truly believe that I can give back to the Mac community. Macalester is a college
There is a question that must be addressed before there is any true exploration of knowledge of any kind. This is a knowledge that will provide the framework for all that is to come after it. What is the self and how is it formed, shaped and guided by the outside world. This is a question that has been attempted, but never really answered in a thorough manner. Many disciplines formulate ideals Sociology being one of many. Taking a firm stance that the self is something that is dependent on the responses and actions of those in question and the society that surrounds them. Four theories in particular grapple with these ideas and how to frame them in a way that enhances people's understanding of the self . William James a Sociologist born
My phone rings. “I got into Vassar!” my brother exclaims. “Vassar?” I respond. That was three years ago. Fortunately for me, I now know about Vassar College and I have seen first-hand how Vassar promotes growth by intertwining a diverse student body with dedicated professors. During my first visit in late October of 2015, I stayed with my brother in his dorm for a weekend. While I formally met the campus through a student-led tour, I found that I truly got to know it after I ate cafeteria pizza for the third meal in a row, and studied in the library for six hours straight (I aced the test when I got home). Acclimated to campus life in seventy-two short hours, I knew that college life - Vassar College life - was for me. While I will be majoring in film with a minor in Arabic language and culture, Vassar’s open curriculum allows me to take courses in different topics I am interested in (and trust me, there’s a lot).
Poldma dissects the Interior Design one element at a time. Her book will assist with the research
The concepts of critical thinking and creative thinking are both gaining increasing importance in the world today. Critical thinking allows people to understand difficult concepts in a manner that is clearer and more defined. They can more readily understand those concepts if they employ critical thinking. In all portions of everyday life, a person is expected to make independent judgments. Those judgments are based on experience and knowledge. Without the ability to think critically, every situation that a person comes across would have to be considered in isolation from all other situations. When a person encounters a problem that is a new one, he or she may be able to use critical thinking to solve those problems.
John Harris’s article “Pussy Riot: The Power of Punk” explains that social change can occur rapidly in popular culture than in politics. The popular cultural process of change is rather a process of creating awareness to social issues than an immediate action. Popular culture, in its various forms, is the essential motivator of awareness of social issues leading to an increase of discernment amongst the masses and lay about the foundation for change to arise. This paper is focused on how awareness can be achieved through certain factors in culture which includes the power of social media to spread news due to the globalization of communicational processes, musical genres that co-exist with countercultures to bring issues into the public eye, and gatherings of people with a common belief that are striving for change.
A young girl may hear a variety of tips on how to beautify herself, but do these pieces of advice make her genuinely happy? That sometimes depends on the music she hears around her, particularly on the radio. Many hit pop contemporary radio singles, generally performed by female recording artists, encourage a distorted perception of beauty that leads to the state of perception, which is usually nearly impossible to achieve. However, a select group of songs by female performers and their accompanying music videos promote the ideology that young women and girls do not have to make dramatic changes to their body or appearance to be perceived as beautiful. This message is widely spread by singers including Beyoncé, Meghan Trainor, and Alessia Cara.
Popular culture is a term that holds various meanings depending on where it 's being defined and the context of its use. It is usually recognized as the language or people’s culture that prevails in a society at a point in time. As social researcher Brummett explains in his book “Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular Culture”, pop culture reflects the characteristics of social life, where the publicly are most actively involved. Popular culture is known as the ‘culture of the people’. This culture is determined by the interactions between people within their daily activities, for instance, dressing styles, use of language, greeting rituals and the ways that people behave in public, etc. are all examples of popular culture. Popular culture is also diverted by the mass media (Abbott and Sapsford, 1987).