N.Y.Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/research/26stat.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin
The percentage of high school students in 2007 who had ever had sexual intercourse declined by 12 percent since 1991, the percentage who had had intercourse with four or more partners declined by 20 percent, and the percentage who were currently sexually active declined by 7 percent. At the same time, condom use increased by 33 percent.
CDC Report:
Trends in HIV- and STD-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students --- United States, 1991--2007
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5730a1.htm
Earlier Study of STD's from the N.Y. Times:
March 12, 2008
Sex Infections Found in Quarter of Teenage Girls
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
The first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases among girls and young women has found that one in four are infected with at least one of the diseases, federal health officials reported Tuesday.
Nearly half the African-Americans in the study of teenagers ages 14 to 19 were infected with at least one of the diseases monitored in the study — human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, a common parasite.
The 50 percent figure compared with 20 percent of white teenagers, health officials and researchers said at a news conference at a scientific meeting in Chicago.
The two most common sexually transmitted diseases, or S.T.D.’s, among all the participants tested were HPV, at 18 percent, and chlamydia, at 4 percent, according to the analysis, part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Each disease can be serious in its own way. HPV, for example, can cause cancer and genital warts.
Among the infected women, 15 percent had more than one of the diseases.
Women may be unaware they are infected. But the diseases, which are infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites, can produce acute symptoms like irritating vaginal discharge, painful pelvic inflammatory disease and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. The infections can also lead to longterm ailments like infertility and cervical cancer.
The survey tested for specific HPV strains linked to genital warts and cervical cancer.
Officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the findings underscored the need to strengthen screening, vaccination and other prevention measures for the diseases, which are among the highest public health priorities.
About 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year among all age groups in the United States.
“High S.T.D. infection rates among young women, particularly young African-American women, are clear signs that we must continue developing ways to reach those most at risk,” said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr., who directs the centers’ division of S.T.D. prevention.
The president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Cecile Richards, said the new findings “emphasize the need for real comprehensive sex education.”
“The national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure,” Ms. Richards said, “and teenage girls are paying the real price.”
Although earlier annual surveys have tested for a single sexually transmitted disease in a specified population, this is the first time the national study has collected data on all the most common sexual diseases in adolescent women at the same time. It is also the first time the study measured human papillomavirus.
Dr. Douglas said that because the new survey was based on direct testing, it was more reliable than analyses derived from data that doctors and clinics sent to the diseases center through state and local health departments.
“What we found is alarming,” said Dr. Sara Forhan, a researcher at the centers and the lead author of the study.
Dr. Forhan added that the study showed “how fast the S.T.D. prevalence appears.”
“Far too many young women are at risk for the serious health effects of untreated S.T.D.’s, ” she said.
The centers conducts the annual study, which asks a representative sample of the household population a wide range of health questions. The analysis was based on information collected in the 2003-4 survey.
Extrapolating from the findings, Dr. Forhan said 3.2 million teenage women were infected with at least one of the four diseases.
The 838 participants in the study were chosen at random with standard statistical techniques. Of the women asked, 96 percent agreed to submit vaginal swabs for testing.
The findings and specific treatment recommendations were available to the participants calling a password-protected telephone line. Three reminders were sent to participants who did not call.
Health officials recommend treatment for all sex partners of individuals diagnosed with curable sexually transmitted diseases. One promising approach to reach that goal is for doctors who treat infected women to provide or prescribe the same treatment for their partners, Dr. Douglas said. The goal is to encourage men who may not have a physician or who have no symptoms and may be reluctant to seek care to be treated without a doctor’s visit.
He also urged infected women to be retested three months after treatment to detect possible reinfection and to treat it.
Dr. Forhan said she did not know how many participants received their test results.
Federal health officials recommend annual screening tests to detect chlamydia for sexually active women younger than 25. The disease agency also recommends that women ages 11 to 26 be fully vaccinated against HPV.
The Food and Drug Administration has said in a report that latex condoms are “highly effective” at preventing infection by chlamydia, trichomoniasihttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifs, H.I.V., gonorrhea and hepatitis B.
The agency noted that condoms seemed less effective against genital herpes and syphilis. Protection against human papillomavirus “is partial at best,” the report said.
REMAINING A VIRGIN
N.Y.TIMES MAGAZINE ARTICLE
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/magazine/30Chastity-t.html?fta=y
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Section1: First Thoughts
OK all--good week and good brainstorming on organizing our thoughts for Section 1.
What do we know for sure?
1. Section 1 should focus on the cultural identity of the adolescent informant. It is written for a reader coming to the material for the first time (not for the professor). Thus, it requires an introduction---or within a page or so if you are working for a more creative opening, enough information and context to identify the informants for the reader. Without being mechanical, remind yourselves of the sociological variables: age, gender,region, class, ethnicity, religion, etc.
2. HOW MUCH SHOULD I WRITE?
It need not be "comprehensive": that is, it is not a full life history, but rather a "slice in time." The portrait reveals the adolescent now: but he or she can reflect on past and future (this will help us understand how they think of themselves in present time).
It is a collaborative portrait, constructed by you and the informant: the reader should hear both voices.
3.WHAT IS "CULTURAL IDENTITY"?
As this is an anthropology class, we should resist trying to "explain" our informants using psychological jargon. Rather, the premise is that identity arises out of particular cultural and social circumstances: we are who we are because our culture and society provide us with a "scenario" of beliefs/values/behaviors/social relationships that we must experience, and from which, forge "our singular identity."
The goal is to show how a person both "fits" within his culture, but also attempts to create something of his own: to be "an individual." And, to show a reader, no matter how different the informant appears to be, in his experience there is something we all share.
4. WHAT DOES YOUR INFORMANT WANT TO SAY ABOUT HERSELF?
It is here that some "I am..." decisions will have to be made. It is here that a "scenario" will have to be constructed. And it is here that the sociological variables come into play. As this is not a class in "adolescent theory," you are simply required to tell your informant's story (the scenario) from a point of view that you believe best allows a reader to understand their voice/experience. You need not say ALL teenagers believe or behave like this.
The "scenario" or point of view should guide the reader's understanding of the informant's experience. Is this the life of a black teen? Is this the life of a female, black teen? Is this the life of an urban, female, black teen? Is this the life of an urban, female, Christian, black teen? How do friends/family/school/work/leisure fit into this scenario?
Remember some of the italicized intros to the teen stories in Adolescent Portraits:
"This Native American woman recounts her experience of living in two worlds." (pg. 15)
"Born into small town life, this college senior describes a life-long confusion about who he is and what purpose his life serves." (Pg. 43)
"Jessie, born in Puerto Rico,.. explores in this case how her strong family ties, others' belief in her, and her own commitment helped her avoid the possible dangers and complications of her urban community." (pg. 69)
"Eager to be accepted by American society and his college peers, Devneesh is devastated by the racist and misogynistic attitudes his first year roommate harbors." (Pg. 98)
"Growing up in a permissive family in Florida, Sarah slips into a pattern of binge drinking, drunkenness, and promiscuity." (pg. 189)
5: THE SUBCATEGORIES
It is here that you will try to achieve the goals of #3 above:
The goal is to show how a person both "fits" within his culture, but also attempts to create something of his own: to be "an individual." And, to show a reader, no matter how different the informant appears to be, in his experience there is something we all share.
There is no one model for this and, since we are not trying to be comprehensive, the subcategories need only illustrate the above.
We have agreed that SUBCATEGORY 2 (after an INTRODUCTION) should be a physical portrait of our informants (this further introduces them to us, and is a good writing exercise for an anthropology student). We have also agreed that the FINAL SUBCATEGORY (or APPENDIX) should be a content analysis of the MySpace sites (and we have added personal statements, poems, drawings, etc.; The goal here is to add another dimension to the the "I am..." story).
After that---let's keep talking (most are doing 3-5 subcategories).
Next week--we'll connect section 1 and 2.
For now--re-think section 1, email me if you want, and I'll see WGs 1 and 2 on Tuesday.
And...if I've left out anything from the four sessions--let me know and I'll post it.
What do we know for sure?
1. Section 1 should focus on the cultural identity of the adolescent informant. It is written for a reader coming to the material for the first time (not for the professor). Thus, it requires an introduction---or within a page or so if you are working for a more creative opening, enough information and context to identify the informants for the reader. Without being mechanical, remind yourselves of the sociological variables: age, gender,region, class, ethnicity, religion, etc.
2. HOW MUCH SHOULD I WRITE?
It need not be "comprehensive": that is, it is not a full life history, but rather a "slice in time." The portrait reveals the adolescent now: but he or she can reflect on past and future (this will help us understand how they think of themselves in present time).
It is a collaborative portrait, constructed by you and the informant: the reader should hear both voices.
3.WHAT IS "CULTURAL IDENTITY"?
As this is an anthropology class, we should resist trying to "explain" our informants using psychological jargon. Rather, the premise is that identity arises out of particular cultural and social circumstances: we are who we are because our culture and society provide us with a "scenario" of beliefs/values/behaviors/social relationships that we must experience, and from which, forge "our singular identity."
The goal is to show how a person both "fits" within his culture, but also attempts to create something of his own: to be "an individual." And, to show a reader, no matter how different the informant appears to be, in his experience there is something we all share.
4. WHAT DOES YOUR INFORMANT WANT TO SAY ABOUT HERSELF?
It is here that some "I am..." decisions will have to be made. It is here that a "scenario" will have to be constructed. And it is here that the sociological variables come into play. As this is not a class in "adolescent theory," you are simply required to tell your informant's story (the scenario) from a point of view that you believe best allows a reader to understand their voice/experience. You need not say ALL teenagers believe or behave like this.
The "scenario" or point of view should guide the reader's understanding of the informant's experience. Is this the life of a black teen? Is this the life of a female, black teen? Is this the life of an urban, female, black teen? Is this the life of an urban, female, Christian, black teen? How do friends/family/school/work/leisure fit into this scenario?
Remember some of the italicized intros to the teen stories in Adolescent Portraits:
"This Native American woman recounts her experience of living in two worlds." (pg. 15)
"Born into small town life, this college senior describes a life-long confusion about who he is and what purpose his life serves." (Pg. 43)
"Jessie, born in Puerto Rico,.. explores in this case how her strong family ties, others' belief in her, and her own commitment helped her avoid the possible dangers and complications of her urban community." (pg. 69)
"Eager to be accepted by American society and his college peers, Devneesh is devastated by the racist and misogynistic attitudes his first year roommate harbors." (Pg. 98)
"Growing up in a permissive family in Florida, Sarah slips into a pattern of binge drinking, drunkenness, and promiscuity." (pg. 189)
5: THE SUBCATEGORIES
It is here that you will try to achieve the goals of #3 above:
The goal is to show how a person both "fits" within his culture, but also attempts to create something of his own: to be "an individual." And, to show a reader, no matter how different the informant appears to be, in his experience there is something we all share.
There is no one model for this and, since we are not trying to be comprehensive, the subcategories need only illustrate the above.
We have agreed that SUBCATEGORY 2 (after an INTRODUCTION) should be a physical portrait of our informants (this further introduces them to us, and is a good writing exercise for an anthropology student). We have also agreed that the FINAL SUBCATEGORY (or APPENDIX) should be a content analysis of the MySpace sites (and we have added personal statements, poems, drawings, etc.; The goal here is to add another dimension to the the "I am..." story).
After that---let's keep talking (most are doing 3-5 subcategories).
Next week--we'll connect section 1 and 2.
For now--re-think section 1, email me if you want, and I'll see WGs 1 and 2 on Tuesday.
And...if I've left out anything from the four sessions--let me know and I'll post it.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
9-12 Is The New Teenager
The New York Times
April 3, 2008
Skin Deep
A Girl’s Life, With Highlights
By CAMILLE SWEENEY
LEXI JAMES, 11, a sixth grader in Hope Mills, N.C., had been asking for a hair treatment, any hair treatment, ever since her older sister, now 13, first had her hair chemically straightened by her mother three years ago.
“Lexi’s hair wasn’t the right type for that treatment because it was too curly,” said her mother, Lisa Stasser, a cosmetologist. “It just drove Lexi crazy. Lexi found her own hair so boring so I gave her a few highlights and for a while, that was fine,” she said.
But, last fall, Lexi begged for more. “I wanted highlights, you know, and the salon thing,” Lexi said, explaining that the idea of being pampered seemed fun.
In her case, “the salon thing” meant a couple of hours at Toadly Kool Me, a children’s hair salon in nearby Fayetteville. For $45, Lexi would receive six caramel streaks of permanent color along her part, for a look she described as “a little punky,” followed by a blow dry and flat ironing.
“Lexi works hard, gets good grades,” her mother said. “I feel like she deserves a treat.”
Most adults want their highlights to look natural, as if they had just come from a wind-swept beach. But highlights that make a bolder statement, like chunky strips of contrast color, are in vogue among 8- to 12-year-old girls.
Hair treatments like shiny glosses or full-color dye plus highlights, once reserved for women with salaries and mortgages, have increasingly become the norm for pre-pubescent girls as more busy parents with discretionary income are willing to pay salon prices for what used to be done at home.
“We’ve had girls as young as 6 in for highlights, but 9 and 10 is more the norm,” said Tammy Currin, the owner of the Toadly Kool Me. “If it’s not a relaxer, highlights are usually the first step mothers will allow. Once the girls’ friends see them, they’re in the next week getting streaks of their own.”
No one tracks how many girls 12 and younger go to professionals to receive lowlights that darken, pale tints of color, straighteners, curl-inducing permanents or full-color dye with highlights.
But, “the trend is definitely there,” said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for the National Cosmetology Association. “It’s a lucrative niche market for the industry that is beginning to be addressed at trade shows and other association events.”
Mark Goodman, the vice president of the association and owner of Hair Designers, a salon in Hilton Head Island, S.C., estimated that his preteen clientele now makes up about a quarter of his business.
“I’m hearing similar stories from stylists around the country,” said Mr. Goodman, who conducts color seminars nationwide. “Five years ago, the rule of thumb was 15- to 16-year-olds would come in for their first color. Now, that girl is 10.”
In his seminars, he now addresses how to market to preteens and even discusses how to keep them entertained in the chair (a wireless laptop or DVD player). “I tell stylists to get more involved in school and community events to reach out to these younger girls,” he said, adding, “they may not want to think in those terms, but these girls are our future business.”
Parents of this generation’s preteen girls may have been more likely to experiment on their own hair as teenagers, using at-home relaxers, color kits and spray-in bleaching products like Sun-In, according to stylists and colorists.
Today’s girls often want to their locks professionally handled, and salon-styling, even for 8-year-olds, no longer denotes beauty queen.
“It’s outsourcing,” said Nina Kovner, vice president for marketing at John Paul Mitchell Systems, a line of hair products marketed to salons. “Moms and daughters do it together. Friends do it together. We’ve become a salon culture.” She thinks heightened awareness of fashion and style motivates girls to seek salon hair treatments, as well as peer pressure — the desire both to fit in and stand out.
“Let’s just say it’s a great time to be in the business,” she said.
The professionalization of hair care means young girls across the multicultural spectrum can pay to get the sleek blond hair of Paris Hilton, the glossy black curls of Vanessa Hudgens or the white-blond skunk highlights of Hannah Montana, or to create a unique look that’s then the subject of instant messages long into the night.
And some stylists nationwide make it a point to be able to distinguish Ashley Tisdale of “High School Musical” from the singer Ashlee Simpson.
“These girls want flexibility to imitate the styles of their idols, and they need it to look right,” said Ouidad, who owns a Manhattan salon where she is also a stylist. “Girls as young as 10 come in with little support groups of friends who wait with them hours. And when I turn them into Hannah Montana or whoever they want, they literally jump and cry and scream,” and their parents are willing to spend $200 to $400.
And yet Ouidad said she feels conflicted: “I wonder what message we are sending the girls.”
Nancy Amanda Redd, a former Miss Virginia who was educated at Harvard, is wary of that message.
“I was never allowed this stuff growing up, and, there’s a reason,” said Ms. Redd, who wrote “Body Drama.” “Pregnant women can’t get highlights, what makes it safe for little girls? These girls are going from baby to mini-adult. They feel naked without their highlights. I think we need a giant dose of realism here.”
At-home treatments aren’t always a good compromise, especially when a mother’s efforts at playing Frédéric Fekkai fail.
“Oh, I’d never try it on her at home,” said Robin Bernstein of Manhattan, whose daughter, Tessa, 11, has the golden waves of grain look, with a few subtle salon highlights, any blonde would splurge on.
In a recent forum on Weary Parent, a child-rearing blog, one person admitted in a post that she had tried to give her 11-year old daughter the blond on brown look of Jamie Lynn Spears of Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101.” “But that was a disaster,” she wrote. “I had to pull her out of school for a day so I could fix it.”
Many of those who made comments, however, echoed the sentiments of the blog’s founder, Charlene Polanosky of Fredericksburg, Va., who has refused to allow her daughter, now 13, to get a single highlight.
Ms. Polanosky said she will not give her consent until her daughter is in her late teens.
“To me, it’s like makeup for hair,” Ms. Polanosky wrote in an e-mail message. “I don’t let my tween wear makeup on her face either.”
Today’s parents must decide earlier on when is the right time to allow their daughters to take part in grooming issues like eyebrow shaping, upper lip hair bleaching and hair treatments.
Jane Ordway, a real estate broker in New York City, went to the Sally Hershberger Downtown salon last month to receive highlights, allowing her daughter to tag along. Ms. Ordway was a little taken aback when Ruben Colon, who was putting in her highlights, suggested that he add a swath of burnt orange to the bangs of her daughter, Olivia, 12.
Ms. Ordway eventually acquiesced.
“Originally, we went to the salon because Olivia wanted me to have my hair colored to cover the gray, which I did. But then it turned out she wanted a highlight herself,” Ms. Ordway said. “She does have a really good fashion sense and some of her friends have done it, and I felt we were in the right place to have it done well so I let her.”
But Olivia, who is thrilled that her bold stripe adds a “vintage-ish, rock-ish” look, might not secure her mother’s permission next time.
“Even now, if you were to ask me, ‘Would I let her get more?’ ” Ms. Ordway said, “I’d have to say, ‘I’m sure she’d love to, but that takes me to another place I’m not sure I’m ready to go.’ ”
April 3, 2008
Skin Deep
A Girl’s Life, With Highlights
By CAMILLE SWEENEY
LEXI JAMES, 11, a sixth grader in Hope Mills, N.C., had been asking for a hair treatment, any hair treatment, ever since her older sister, now 13, first had her hair chemically straightened by her mother three years ago.
“Lexi’s hair wasn’t the right type for that treatment because it was too curly,” said her mother, Lisa Stasser, a cosmetologist. “It just drove Lexi crazy. Lexi found her own hair so boring so I gave her a few highlights and for a while, that was fine,” she said.
But, last fall, Lexi begged for more. “I wanted highlights, you know, and the salon thing,” Lexi said, explaining that the idea of being pampered seemed fun.
In her case, “the salon thing” meant a couple of hours at Toadly Kool Me, a children’s hair salon in nearby Fayetteville. For $45, Lexi would receive six caramel streaks of permanent color along her part, for a look she described as “a little punky,” followed by a blow dry and flat ironing.
“Lexi works hard, gets good grades,” her mother said. “I feel like she deserves a treat.”
Most adults want their highlights to look natural, as if they had just come from a wind-swept beach. But highlights that make a bolder statement, like chunky strips of contrast color, are in vogue among 8- to 12-year-old girls.
Hair treatments like shiny glosses or full-color dye plus highlights, once reserved for women with salaries and mortgages, have increasingly become the norm for pre-pubescent girls as more busy parents with discretionary income are willing to pay salon prices for what used to be done at home.
“We’ve had girls as young as 6 in for highlights, but 9 and 10 is more the norm,” said Tammy Currin, the owner of the Toadly Kool Me. “If it’s not a relaxer, highlights are usually the first step mothers will allow. Once the girls’ friends see them, they’re in the next week getting streaks of their own.”
No one tracks how many girls 12 and younger go to professionals to receive lowlights that darken, pale tints of color, straighteners, curl-inducing permanents or full-color dye with highlights.
But, “the trend is definitely there,” said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for the National Cosmetology Association. “It’s a lucrative niche market for the industry that is beginning to be addressed at trade shows and other association events.”
Mark Goodman, the vice president of the association and owner of Hair Designers, a salon in Hilton Head Island, S.C., estimated that his preteen clientele now makes up about a quarter of his business.
“I’m hearing similar stories from stylists around the country,” said Mr. Goodman, who conducts color seminars nationwide. “Five years ago, the rule of thumb was 15- to 16-year-olds would come in for their first color. Now, that girl is 10.”
In his seminars, he now addresses how to market to preteens and even discusses how to keep them entertained in the chair (a wireless laptop or DVD player). “I tell stylists to get more involved in school and community events to reach out to these younger girls,” he said, adding, “they may not want to think in those terms, but these girls are our future business.”
Parents of this generation’s preteen girls may have been more likely to experiment on their own hair as teenagers, using at-home relaxers, color kits and spray-in bleaching products like Sun-In, according to stylists and colorists.
Today’s girls often want to their locks professionally handled, and salon-styling, even for 8-year-olds, no longer denotes beauty queen.
“It’s outsourcing,” said Nina Kovner, vice president for marketing at John Paul Mitchell Systems, a line of hair products marketed to salons. “Moms and daughters do it together. Friends do it together. We’ve become a salon culture.” She thinks heightened awareness of fashion and style motivates girls to seek salon hair treatments, as well as peer pressure — the desire both to fit in and stand out.
“Let’s just say it’s a great time to be in the business,” she said.
The professionalization of hair care means young girls across the multicultural spectrum can pay to get the sleek blond hair of Paris Hilton, the glossy black curls of Vanessa Hudgens or the white-blond skunk highlights of Hannah Montana, or to create a unique look that’s then the subject of instant messages long into the night.
And some stylists nationwide make it a point to be able to distinguish Ashley Tisdale of “High School Musical” from the singer Ashlee Simpson.
“These girls want flexibility to imitate the styles of their idols, and they need it to look right,” said Ouidad, who owns a Manhattan salon where she is also a stylist. “Girls as young as 10 come in with little support groups of friends who wait with them hours. And when I turn them into Hannah Montana or whoever they want, they literally jump and cry and scream,” and their parents are willing to spend $200 to $400.
And yet Ouidad said she feels conflicted: “I wonder what message we are sending the girls.”
Nancy Amanda Redd, a former Miss Virginia who was educated at Harvard, is wary of that message.
“I was never allowed this stuff growing up, and, there’s a reason,” said Ms. Redd, who wrote “Body Drama.” “Pregnant women can’t get highlights, what makes it safe for little girls? These girls are going from baby to mini-adult. They feel naked without their highlights. I think we need a giant dose of realism here.”
At-home treatments aren’t always a good compromise, especially when a mother’s efforts at playing Frédéric Fekkai fail.
“Oh, I’d never try it on her at home,” said Robin Bernstein of Manhattan, whose daughter, Tessa, 11, has the golden waves of grain look, with a few subtle salon highlights, any blonde would splurge on.
In a recent forum on Weary Parent, a child-rearing blog, one person admitted in a post that she had tried to give her 11-year old daughter the blond on brown look of Jamie Lynn Spears of Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101.” “But that was a disaster,” she wrote. “I had to pull her out of school for a day so I could fix it.”
Many of those who made comments, however, echoed the sentiments of the blog’s founder, Charlene Polanosky of Fredericksburg, Va., who has refused to allow her daughter, now 13, to get a single highlight.
Ms. Polanosky said she will not give her consent until her daughter is in her late teens.
“To me, it’s like makeup for hair,” Ms. Polanosky wrote in an e-mail message. “I don’t let my tween wear makeup on her face either.”
Today’s parents must decide earlier on when is the right time to allow their daughters to take part in grooming issues like eyebrow shaping, upper lip hair bleaching and hair treatments.
Jane Ordway, a real estate broker in New York City, went to the Sally Hershberger Downtown salon last month to receive highlights, allowing her daughter to tag along. Ms. Ordway was a little taken aback when Ruben Colon, who was putting in her highlights, suggested that he add a swath of burnt orange to the bangs of her daughter, Olivia, 12.
Ms. Ordway eventually acquiesced.
“Originally, we went to the salon because Olivia wanted me to have my hair colored to cover the gray, which I did. But then it turned out she wanted a highlight herself,” Ms. Ordway said. “She does have a really good fashion sense and some of her friends have done it, and I felt we were in the right place to have it done well so I let her.”
But Olivia, who is thrilled that her bold stripe adds a “vintage-ish, rock-ish” look, might not secure her mother’s permission next time.
“Even now, if you were to ask me, ‘Would I let her get more?’ ” Ms. Ordway said, “I’d have to say, ‘I’m sure she’d love to, but that takes me to another place I’m not sure I’m ready to go.’ ”
Friday, March 28, 2008
End Game Schedule
Good class as usual my anthros: all tattoos will be revealed at the final pot luck lunch (either visually or in words).
Tuesday (April 1): Class canceled for Preceptorial advising
I will be in my office from 10-12, then I have a SOCY/ANTH Faculty Program meeting for an hour, and then, back in my office at 1 or so (if you are coming by, let me know).
Thursday (April 3): BRUNCH WITH THE ANTHROPOLOGIST: 10:30 G-Wing Cafeteria
A rare opportunity to have brunch with an anthropologist who will answer all of life's burning questions.
WORKING GROUP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 8: Working Groups 1 and 2 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 1: "I am..." etc. Subcategories for each informant required:
Working Group 1 (10:30): Gina Roseboro, Beth R., Tim, Danielle, Jinnie
Working Group 2 (11:30): Kelly, Katherine Quick, Lauren H., Elizabeth M., Gina Maguire, Jasmina
Thursday, April 10: Working Groups 3 and 4 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 1: "I am..." etc. Subcategories for each informant required:
Working Group 3: (10:30): Gaye, Devon, Sarah, Toni, Laurie V., Jennifer, Katrina
Working Group 4: (11:30): Kait, Cassandra, Kari, Rachel, Kia
Tuesday, April 15: Working Groups 1 and 2 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 2: Subcategories required:
Working Group 1 (10:30): Gina Roseboro, Beth R., Tim, Danielle, Jinnie
Working Group 2 (11:30): Kelly, Katherine Quick, Lauren H., Elizabeth M., Gina Maguire, Jasmina
Thursday, April 17: Working Groups 3 and 4 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 2: Subcategories required:
Working Group 3: (10:30): Gaye, Devon, Sarah, Toni, Laurie V., Jennifer, Katrina
Working Group 4: (11:30): Kait, Cassandra, Kari, Rachel, Kia
Tuesday: April 22: Full class to go over Working group discussions, and to schedule individual office appointments with me.
Tuesday May 6: Final Class, Pot Luck Lunch, selected, brief summaries of final sections (Full papers due on Turnitin).
Tuesday (April 1): Class canceled for Preceptorial advising
I will be in my office from 10-12, then I have a SOCY/ANTH Faculty Program meeting for an hour, and then, back in my office at 1 or so (if you are coming by, let me know).
Thursday (April 3): BRUNCH WITH THE ANTHROPOLOGIST: 10:30 G-Wing Cafeteria
A rare opportunity to have brunch with an anthropologist who will answer all of life's burning questions.
WORKING GROUP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 8: Working Groups 1 and 2 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 1: "I am..." etc. Subcategories for each informant required:
Working Group 1 (10:30): Gina Roseboro, Beth R., Tim, Danielle, Jinnie
Working Group 2 (11:30): Kelly, Katherine Quick, Lauren H., Elizabeth M., Gina Maguire, Jasmina
Thursday, April 10: Working Groups 3 and 4 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 1: "I am..." etc. Subcategories for each informant required:
Working Group 3: (10:30): Gaye, Devon, Sarah, Toni, Laurie V., Jennifer, Katrina
Working Group 4: (11:30): Kait, Cassandra, Kari, Rachel, Kia
Tuesday, April 15: Working Groups 1 and 2 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 2: Subcategories required:
Working Group 1 (10:30): Gina Roseboro, Beth R., Tim, Danielle, Jinnie
Working Group 2 (11:30): Kelly, Katherine Quick, Lauren H., Elizabeth M., Gina Maguire, Jasmina
Thursday, April 17: Working Groups 3 and 4 (TO DISCUSS SECTION 2: Subcategories required:
Working Group 3: (10:30): Gaye, Devon, Sarah, Toni, Laurie V., Jennifer, Katrina
Working Group 4: (11:30): Kait, Cassandra, Kari, Rachel, Kia
Tuesday: April 22: Full class to go over Working group discussions, and to schedule individual office appointments with me.
Tuesday May 6: Final Class, Pot Luck Lunch, selected, brief summaries of final sections (Full papers due on Turnitin).
Monday, March 24, 2008
Reconnecting: Tuesday's Class
Welcome back wayward fieldworkers!
All blogs read, and 1/3 papers done (guess what--they all came in last night!)
Let's re-connect and discuss final sections/blogging, etc.
I'm going to bring several material culture papers to class to read sections for form and language to use for final sections.
We'll start thinking about working groups and meetings.
And here's a short version of the graffiti film (style wars) to discuss the attraction of this style to teens.
And anything else we need to discuss to get us back into the world for the final push.
All blogs read, and 1/3 papers done (guess what--they all came in last night!)
Let's re-connect and discuss final sections/blogging, etc.
I'm going to bring several material culture papers to class to read sections for form and language to use for final sections.
We'll start thinking about working groups and meetings.
And here's a short version of the graffiti film (style wars) to discuss the attraction of this style to teens.
And anything else we need to discuss to get us back into the world for the final push.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Making My Way Through: Slowly
Hey, I'm on vacation too.
But seriously...read the material culture papers that have been sent to Turnitin (lots more coming!), and commented on half the blogs--the other half either later today or tomorrow.
Have a good few more days and see you Tuesday.
But seriously...read the material culture papers that have been sent to Turnitin (lots more coming!), and commented on half the blogs--the other half either later today or tomorrow.
Have a good few more days and see you Tuesday.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Material Culture: Writing Sample
Toni Collins has graciously agreed to share a couple of pages of her paper with all of us. Note the mix of informant voice, her voice, and solid ethnographic description. We get the feeling of "being there":
Her Place and MySpace
Jessica, a smiling sixteen-year-old girl, seemed to bounce out of her front door when I rang the bell at her home. Pulling me inside, phone in one hand and her dog’s pink rhinestone encrusted collar in the other, and I was instantly jettisoned into her world -- a world of laughter, clothes, parties, and phone conversations. I instantly noticed the large yellow lab puppy that she was trying desperately to hold back, all while balancing the phone on her neck and tugging me through the door. Her white cotton shirt was under a zip up hooded sweatshirt that flowed over her dark jeans that ended at the floor with pink socked feet peeking out.
“I’ll call ya back! I know, I know, ya gotta tell me what he said! Ya jus’ gotta!” Her infectious laughter rang through the three bedroom home she shares with her mom and stepfather. Her round face was tilted to the left, blue eyes sparkling, and long ash brown hair cascading down her back. “Message me on MySpace later! Love ya girlie!”
“Sorry about that, my girl was tellin’ me bout this boy at school, he is soooo hot! I think she likes him! I know I do,” she giggled sweetly. “So, do ya want the tour, or do I jus’ hang back and let ya explore?”
“I expect the grand tour,” I exclaimed to her as she yanked on my arm babbling on about the new boy in school.
We walked quickly down the narrow hallway past the spare room, laundry area, and bathroom until we came to the door at the far end of the hall, Jessy’s door. The door was nondescript except for the chew marks at the bottom where her new puppy had been gnawing at the small crack under the door. The handle was a simple brass knob that had seen better days, but as she turned the handle I was transported into a new magical world, the world of the middle class teenager in a small town in South Jersey; I was transported into Jessy’s world.
Jessy flitted around the room like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower. As I wondered in behind her I tried to take in the entire room at once to get a feel for how she sees the space. It wasn’t hard to do. As I scanned the room, so many things begged a closer look. The scent of baby powder hung in the air, a reminder of the child that still lingered in this young woman’s body. To the left was the large closet with double doors made of oak, slightly ajar, clothes spilling onto the floor. Bright whites, pastel pinks and purples, and jeans of every description were strewn half in and half out of the closet door. Lacey button up shirts and heavy sweatshirts mingled together. Black sneakers sat propped up against the creamy beige wall next to the closet while pink and white sneakers sat neatly in front of the light oak dresser. The mirror over the dresser was framed with pictures of family and girlfriends all neatly taped to the glass or tucked under the framing. Smiling faces and young girls striking poses as they played in front of the camera peered out from the photos. A black sparkling belt draped carelessly over the mirror frame hung loosely brushing the dresser top softly. I quickly scanned the dresser top for clues to the mystery that was Jessy. Make-up in various colors jumbled together with hair ties and combs and hairspray and half empty gel containers tossed casually across the surface of the dresser area oozing slightly onto the pile of birthday cards saved from several weeks ago, all proclaiming, “Happy 16th Birthday” in beautiful vibrant print. The drawers seemed to leak various articles of underclothes and pajamas.
The far wall was a composite of three sill-less windows with elegant burgundy and gold curtains adorning them. Inches from the wall a neatly made full size bed sat decadently enveloped in the same burgundy and gold material that adorned the windows with 3 perfectly matched pillows arranged at the head leaning still against the fluffy shams. The third wall consisted of a 6 drawer chest with jewelry, CD’s, and movies strewn haphazardly on the top. T-shirts and jeans seemed to creep from the half open drawers onto the beige carpet underneath. The final wall was virtually empty save the pink and cream backpack spilling purple, red, and blue notebooks, gel and sparkle pens, and highlighter markers from its gaping mouth. Papers crumbled up, wrinkled, and folded with initials and names blazoned on the edges, and heart and geometric shapes adorned the crinkled pages of a notebook on the floor half-opened and well-used. Curiously, the light switch was decorated with animals and Noah’s Ark as if harkening to a childhood not quite left behind. There were no posters on the walls, but there were pictures of her sister and nephew taped to the wall next to the light switch.
“Well, this is ma room. That’s ma iPod…O’Ma God, isn’t it cute?” She squealed with excitement as I looked to where she pointed to see a pretty pink iPod with pink gel earphones thrown on the dresser with her makeup.
“Yeah, I love it! Where did you get it?” I tried not to influence her, but her excitement was highly contagious.
“Mommy bought it for me for Christmas. It has a 30 gigabyte hard drive and I have over 300 songs and videos on it. “
“Wow, that’s a lot of songs!” She was so excited that for the next ten minutes I listened to snippets from one song after another on her iPod. It seemed that for Jessy music was a big deal, as well as the name brand mp3 player she used to play it on. Before I had time to digest the iPod incident I found myself being pulled across the room to the mirrored dresser staring at photographs and notes with hearts drawn on them.
“This is my friend Cherish. She is a total goofball! This is Aunt Franny last Easter and Nanny on her birthday. Oh! This is Trisha (her sister) with little Aiden when they came up from Tampa!” She pointed at one picture and then another. “And this is Matt’s number!”
The next thing I knew I was being catapulted to the closet where Jessy pulled out one outfit after another. She didn’t seem to care about the designer, but the style was important. She explained how she shopped for clothes by exclaiming, “I call my friends Felicia and Cherish Boo, and we hit the mall. We like to look in all the windows to see what the stores have out, and then we go back and get what looks good on the mannequin thingies.” Her smile brightens as she talks about clothes and having just the right shoes for an outfit.
Her Place and MySpace
Jessica, a smiling sixteen-year-old girl, seemed to bounce out of her front door when I rang the bell at her home. Pulling me inside, phone in one hand and her dog’s pink rhinestone encrusted collar in the other, and I was instantly jettisoned into her world -- a world of laughter, clothes, parties, and phone conversations. I instantly noticed the large yellow lab puppy that she was trying desperately to hold back, all while balancing the phone on her neck and tugging me through the door. Her white cotton shirt was under a zip up hooded sweatshirt that flowed over her dark jeans that ended at the floor with pink socked feet peeking out.
“I’ll call ya back! I know, I know, ya gotta tell me what he said! Ya jus’ gotta!” Her infectious laughter rang through the three bedroom home she shares with her mom and stepfather. Her round face was tilted to the left, blue eyes sparkling, and long ash brown hair cascading down her back. “Message me on MySpace later! Love ya girlie!”
“Sorry about that, my girl was tellin’ me bout this boy at school, he is soooo hot! I think she likes him! I know I do,” she giggled sweetly. “So, do ya want the tour, or do I jus’ hang back and let ya explore?”
“I expect the grand tour,” I exclaimed to her as she yanked on my arm babbling on about the new boy in school.
We walked quickly down the narrow hallway past the spare room, laundry area, and bathroom until we came to the door at the far end of the hall, Jessy’s door. The door was nondescript except for the chew marks at the bottom where her new puppy had been gnawing at the small crack under the door. The handle was a simple brass knob that had seen better days, but as she turned the handle I was transported into a new magical world, the world of the middle class teenager in a small town in South Jersey; I was transported into Jessy’s world.
Jessy flitted around the room like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower. As I wondered in behind her I tried to take in the entire room at once to get a feel for how she sees the space. It wasn’t hard to do. As I scanned the room, so many things begged a closer look. The scent of baby powder hung in the air, a reminder of the child that still lingered in this young woman’s body. To the left was the large closet with double doors made of oak, slightly ajar, clothes spilling onto the floor. Bright whites, pastel pinks and purples, and jeans of every description were strewn half in and half out of the closet door. Lacey button up shirts and heavy sweatshirts mingled together. Black sneakers sat propped up against the creamy beige wall next to the closet while pink and white sneakers sat neatly in front of the light oak dresser. The mirror over the dresser was framed with pictures of family and girlfriends all neatly taped to the glass or tucked under the framing. Smiling faces and young girls striking poses as they played in front of the camera peered out from the photos. A black sparkling belt draped carelessly over the mirror frame hung loosely brushing the dresser top softly. I quickly scanned the dresser top for clues to the mystery that was Jessy. Make-up in various colors jumbled together with hair ties and combs and hairspray and half empty gel containers tossed casually across the surface of the dresser area oozing slightly onto the pile of birthday cards saved from several weeks ago, all proclaiming, “Happy 16th Birthday” in beautiful vibrant print. The drawers seemed to leak various articles of underclothes and pajamas.
The far wall was a composite of three sill-less windows with elegant burgundy and gold curtains adorning them. Inches from the wall a neatly made full size bed sat decadently enveloped in the same burgundy and gold material that adorned the windows with 3 perfectly matched pillows arranged at the head leaning still against the fluffy shams. The third wall consisted of a 6 drawer chest with jewelry, CD’s, and movies strewn haphazardly on the top. T-shirts and jeans seemed to creep from the half open drawers onto the beige carpet underneath. The final wall was virtually empty save the pink and cream backpack spilling purple, red, and blue notebooks, gel and sparkle pens, and highlighter markers from its gaping mouth. Papers crumbled up, wrinkled, and folded with initials and names blazoned on the edges, and heart and geometric shapes adorned the crinkled pages of a notebook on the floor half-opened and well-used. Curiously, the light switch was decorated with animals and Noah’s Ark as if harkening to a childhood not quite left behind. There were no posters on the walls, but there were pictures of her sister and nephew taped to the wall next to the light switch.
“Well, this is ma room. That’s ma iPod…O’Ma God, isn’t it cute?” She squealed with excitement as I looked to where she pointed to see a pretty pink iPod with pink gel earphones thrown on the dresser with her makeup.
“Yeah, I love it! Where did you get it?” I tried not to influence her, but her excitement was highly contagious.
“Mommy bought it for me for Christmas. It has a 30 gigabyte hard drive and I have over 300 songs and videos on it. “
“Wow, that’s a lot of songs!” She was so excited that for the next ten minutes I listened to snippets from one song after another on her iPod. It seemed that for Jessy music was a big deal, as well as the name brand mp3 player she used to play it on. Before I had time to digest the iPod incident I found myself being pulled across the room to the mirrored dresser staring at photographs and notes with hearts drawn on them.
“This is my friend Cherish. She is a total goofball! This is Aunt Franny last Easter and Nanny on her birthday. Oh! This is Trisha (her sister) with little Aiden when they came up from Tampa!” She pointed at one picture and then another. “And this is Matt’s number!”
The next thing I knew I was being catapulted to the closet where Jessy pulled out one outfit after another. She didn’t seem to care about the designer, but the style was important. She explained how she shopped for clothes by exclaiming, “I call my friends Felicia and Cherish Boo, and we hit the mall. We like to look in all the windows to see what the stores have out, and then we go back and get what looks good on the mannequin thingies.” Her smile brightens as she talks about clothes and having just the right shoes for an outfit.
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