Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen

Youth subcultures: Phil Cohen A critical evaluation of the work of Phil Cohen in relation to our understanding of youth subcultures According to Cohen (1972), the redevelopment of Londons working-class neighbourhoods which favoured social elites or the gentry resulted in the marginalization of working class residents, loss of community and deterioration of collective power in the East End. Thus, there was a breakdown of socio-cultural interaction and dynamics that led to the development of youth subcultures. The objective of this paper is to examine Cohens perspective on the impact of rapid development in London to development in the 1950s which prompted the subcultures. These subcultures became a critical channel for socialization and political action but also created distance with mainstream society that led to conflict and alienation (Fiske et al, 2009). Cohens (1972) perspectives, which were based on his examinations of the impact of Londons 1950s redevelopment highlights how public policies can have such a profound effect on individual and social order and perception. Today, many cities, not only London are dealing with an influx of migration which has significantly increased intercultural interactions. Though these trends have the potential to enrich society, there is also the challenge of having to deal with increased conflict and greater competition which often threatens already marginalized populations the most. In the 1950s, the city managers of London launched a rapid development project designed to revitalize the capital which still was not able to recover from the damages of the Second World War. This urban renewal project was designed to attract new residents as well as revitalize key areas of the city for trade and commerce. Many of the areas that were targeted for redevelopments were already resided in by working-class families who were then moved to what Cohen describes as fringe neighbourhoods. The areas were settled into by migrants who redesigned the areas according to their individual cultural and social backgrounds. This created a divide between neighbourhoods: the new development was for the social elite, young professionals and affluent immigrants and the suburbs which housed the relocated residents were typically known to be run-down and underdeveloped areas. As the discrepancy of quality of life became apparent to authorities, the city planning authorities sought mitigate th e situation by launching the development of high-rise housing projects specifically for working-class families. City administrators also endeavoured to attract back original residents through encouraging participation in new industries and trade and commerce channels. However, Cohen believes that the effort further marginalized these populations and increased the social and economic challenges of urban life. Cohen also gives particular attention to what he calls the collapse of matrilocal residence, a term which he uses to refer to the tendency of nuclear family extensions to reside in close proximity to each other. This further limits the capacity of families and individuals to sustain social ties and support systems which in turn is associated with the breakdown of shared values, mores and standards of conduct. Cohen also believes that the redevelopment created unprecedented economic and social stress among the working class. He points out that post-World War II, many family enterprises, traditionally the backbone of local trade and industries, were facing severe competition from industries and at the same time, labour and experts were being channelled to these industries from traditional family enterprises. There was even a campaign for the lat ter: it was deemed nationalistic to support the growth on these large-scale private industries that suffered from the war. At the same time, there was also an effort to promote the modernization project as a national development agenda, to reposition the country as the leader of trade and commerce in Europe. The publicity is said to have severely hampered labour supply among community industries creating the notion of labour aristocracy. The population that was most affected by these trends were new entrants to the labour market. The transition between the working environment of their parents and the working conditions brought on by the redevelopment were significant according to Cohen because they required not only the accommodation of new labour conditional but also a new social, economic and political order in very short period of time. To cope with the stress of these developments, according to Cohen, these populations created subculture groups to have a sense of identity and social reference. From this perspective, Cohen characterizes subcultures symbolic structures, not actually representing the individuals who make up the groups, representing a lifestyle or social perspective that does not fully conform to mainstream society. Identification of these subcultures can be made through a set of social subsystems which include their manner of dress, the music that is associated with them, the language or lexicon use d, and the rituals and customs that are coupled with membership or identity. According to a report developed by the World Bank (2009), the typical stress of community living are multiplies in urban settings because of the intensification of competition for resources, spaces and opportunities. At the same time, Rothwell (2003) points out that in time of stress, individuals need greater social reinforcement to be able to have a sense of security and belongingness. In the case illustrated by Cohen (1972) of Londons redevelopment in the 1950s, he suggests that the economic, social and political challenges that the working class of the era had to deal with contributed to the increase of urban stress and the breakdown of traditional support systems which in turn created the platform for the development of subcultures. Similarly, Majhanovich (2002) points out that the development of subordinate organizations is an indication that there are populations feel under-represented or unrecognized without necessarily becoming a functional organization. Thus, their organizat ion is a means of collecting power for representation or just recognition. This also supports Cohens (1972) assertion that subcultures are symbolic organizations, where membership is often individually defined and association can be only conceptual. Cohens definition of subcultures can be challenging but studying the examples that he provides is a great resource in understanding his perspective. Some of the challenges in his definition lie in his characterization of the phenomenon as symbolical rather than a collective of individuals. Another area of difficulty is the mechanism how youth membership in subcultures actually delays adulthood. Based on Cohens perspective, there is a suggestion is that there is almost a combative relationship between subcultures and mainstream society. This can be particularly apparent in view of his characterizations of subcultures as having Mohawks or being active in counter-culture movements. New research is more liberal, if not democratic, in its view of subcultures, noting that any group that creates an association with a particular mode of life or belief system that does not fully conform to social precepts can be considered as a subculture (Neuliep, 2006). However, this should be seen in the c ontext of contemporary society were diversity is more widely recognized and is being lobbied for in all sectors and levels of society. Though Cohens paper is supposedly limited to 1950s working class London, he makes significant extensions from this population to include lower and middle class families. Essentially, Cohens main distinction is between what he considers the elite and what he considers as ordinary people. It seems that Cohen is grouping them together primarily because they did not have ready access to the areas that were eyed for redevelopment which implies that the population criteria used by Cohen was not based on socio-economic level but rather a geographic one. This raises some concern regarding the demographic and psychographic homogeneity of these groups. In turn, this may have an implication on the conclusions made by Cohen on the social and psychological impact of the redevelopment project. However, this may not have an impact on his theories regarding the development of subcultures but will challenge the rationale he proposes for their initiation which he generally attributed to socio-economic stress. In parallel studies developed by contemporary researchers such as Rothwell (2003) and Neuliep (2006) regarding the development of sub-cultural ethnic groups, they point out that motivations are more socio-politically oriented. Analysis of the Cohen texts also shows some deficiency in the evidence that he provides for his arguments. These are not to the degree that one questions the authenticity of his assertions but some of his more emotive ideas could benefit from statistics or corollary studies to support the assertion that the 1950s redevelopment in London is a primary reason for the rise in subcultures that developed in subsequent years. However, it should also be recognized that since the text is already dated and thus, contemporary readers may not be able to readily relate holistically to the social conditions and context that are being discussed. Both Majhanovich (2002) and Fiske and associates (2009) point out that these generational divides can have a significant impact on how conditions are perceived and ultimately, how relationships and correlations are going to be recognized. It is also this rationale that Cohen (1972) believes is the reason why some subcultures were constructed and perceived t o be anti-establishment or to be non-conformist. It can also be one of the reasons why the subcultures are being associated with youth cultural and political movements: young members of a society, when thrust into social independence, have to navigate to orientation inculcated to them by authorities whose experience is based on an antecedent social context and may develop a sense of incongruity. At the same time, because younger populations may have less social investments and responsibilities, there is greater freedom for self-expression and in developing subcultures. Moreover, because growth and development are future-oriented and create social stress, younger members of a society who have yet to establish themselves are more vulnerable to its impact. According to Essess and associates (2001), perceptions of competition, identity and social roles are often issues that become critical to an individuals self valuation and thus, the need for affirmative social memberships. Cohen (1972) acknowledges the rationale for city planners for the redevelopment initiative but points out that they were remiss in mitigating its negative impacts. Worse, the efforts to reverse the resulting problems only increased the problems by the displaced working class families. Essentially, planners were not able to consider how the new social conditions can impact relationships, associations and identification of affected populations. Thus, these groups were not only further marginalized but were not equipped with access to traditional social groups to communicate their co ncerns or to lobby for action. In the article developed by Mueller (2005), peripheral populations are often sacrificed in the name of growth and development, however without the extension of the benefits of growth and development to these populations, quality of life cannot be raised. At the same time, the growth of disparities in social, economic and political status can be a source of conflict can then impede long-term growth and development goals. Cohens (1972) analysis of the impact of redevelopment of London in the 1950s marks a greater awareness of the impact of public policies to social, economic and political dynamics that will prevail. Though the motives behind the redevelopment undoubtedly was motivated by the desire to improve the quality of life of all citizenry, Cohens makes a valid point in citing that he efforts contributed to the urban stress that working class families were already dealing with. However, the research would have definitely benefitted from more extensive empirical evidence or the corroboration of parallel studies on the development of subcultures. In conclusion, Cohens paper provides critical insights on the impact of urban redevelopment to various populations, the changes in stress that can occur, and the responsibility of planners in ensuring that programs benefit the public as a whole and not just a few. In todays context of ever-increasing cultural and socially diversity, subcultures will likel y grow. In the context of its publication, there is no doubt that Cohen provided critical insights into the issue of not only youth culture and politics but also urban, growth and development concerns as well. The challenge now is not so much to control these developments but to be able to recognize such trends as a part of the growing diversity of modern societies and how to utilize them support growth and development. References: Cohen, P. (1972). Subcultural conflict working class community in Gelder, K., (Ed) 2nd edition (2005) The subcultures reader, London: Routledge. Cox, B. and Ephross, P.H (1998). Ethnicity and Social Work Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Esses, V., J. Dovidio, L. Jackson and T. Armstrong (2001). The Immigration Dilemma: The Role of Perceived Group Competition, Ethnic Prejudice and National Identity. Journal of Social Issues 57, 3: 389-412 Fiske, A. P., Thomsen, L. and Thein, S. M. (2009). Differently embodying different relationships. European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 39: 1294-1297 Majhanovich, S. (2002). Conflicting visions, competing expectations: Control and de-skilling of educationa perspective from Ontario. McGill Journal of Education, April. Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3965/is_200204/ai_n9030852 Mueller, A. (2005). Whats Wrong With Economic Growth? Mises Daily, August 10. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://mises.org/story/1877 Neuliep, J. W. (2006). Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rothwell, J. D. (2003). In the Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication. London: McGraw-Hill Humanities World Bank (2009). Poverty, Growth, and Inequality. PovertyNet. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPGI/0,,contentMDK:20263370~menuPK:342777~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:342771,00.html Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Analysis of Modernism: Norman Cantor and Fredrich Nietzsche Enemerio Galvan Introduction: In this essay, an analysis of what is modern, is an inquiry to a broad movement which birthed many Avant Garde styles; and put -ism in Modernism beginning with Impressionism movement, French/ German Expressionism, Fauvism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism to name few. Every movement questioned what is art, and what is Avant Garde, and as Butler suggests, what is going on? (p14). This cauldron of contemporaneousness overflowed into the early 20th century and beyond. Modernism Background: Modernism is an all-encompassing term of any art movements since the late 19th century that forever changed the history of the arts through the 20th century. The changes came about from philosophical views, propaganda, and criticism; widely influencing, more specifically, artists. In the late 19th century, a cultural revolution, and revolt to traditional École des Beaux Arts, in Paris France, where Henri Matisse would hold professorship position. The academy of formal arts had been negating art and artist in the late 1860s. The French Royal Academy, and the bourgeois class rejected art and artists subjectively because their style (pure abstraction) it was non-conforming to formalist conventions and hierarchy of realism. The schools system and hierarchy of categorizing placed historical paintings at the top, and oil paint as the medium of choice, but pure abstract painting was not acceptable at the academy. It was Gustave Courbet, in 1884, who did not accept rejection. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), and Edouard Manet (1832-83) who paved the way for Modern art. However, this rejection birthed what Charles Baudelaire called, Avant Garde.   Initially, with an exhibit known as the Salon des Refusà ©s of 1863. Norman Cantor (1929-2004) In its earliest tendencies, modernist art began the reductive process of Realism to Abstraction otherwise considered a cultural revolution and rise in consciousness pre-modernism are:   Reformation, Enlightenment, and Romanticism (M1_Session 3).   Cantor is responsible for establishing and defining the characteristics of Modernism: Being anti historicist; taking a microcosmic view of things; self-referential; prefers to depict, or explore the non-ideal; embraces the aesthetic of fragmentation; recognizes the randomness found in the world; strongly functionalist and concerned with techne; recognizes the interactive nature of things; Elitist; new openness toward sexuality; fearlessly considers the issues of mass culture; tends towards moral relativism; embraces the very Nietzschean nation that humanity is most authentic when engaged in the arts; pessimistic vitality, and lastly Modernism is opening to pluralism, and multicultural influences. (M1_Session 6). Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900): was a German philologist, poet, cultural critic and philosopher, and Latin and Greek scholar whose profound influence impacted Western philosophy, and its modern history. Nietzsche, had a difficult time growing up, and was frequently plagued with family and health problems. In 1864, he attended the University of Bonn where he met his friend Ritschl, and later, Nietzsche followed him to Leipzig University. It was in Leipzig where his views of religion would never be the same (Nietzche vii). With his rearing, and health issues (of madness) and new perspective on religion was foreshadowing to his world view, and some of his greatest philosophical polemics on Western Culture such as reason, and truth, morality Nihilism and Apollonian and Dionysian; he was after all considered a mad man. The first movement of the twentieth century, is Fauvism and it intention was to project a subjective epiphanic and important experience (Butler p15). Meaning this is the new and now in art. In the early twentieth century was a period philosophers like Kant, Marx and Nietzsche, and the psychology Sigmund Freud where contributing influences which propagated an emergence of genres within the modern umbrella. In Christopher Butlers book, Modernism: A Very Short Introduction, clearly suggests, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and we shall see, epiphanic ways of coming to the truthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Butler p 15). In this statement Butler, affirms the subjectivity pertaining to consciousness, in that art too is subject to, its influences of criticism and philosophical ideals based on truth. Later, in the 20th century is the French Fauvist, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is best known for pure expressive color and exaggerated forms to express emotion, emotive brushstroke cemented Matisse as Avant Garde artist in the early 20th century. In his painting Luxe, Calme et Voluptà ©, 19041.This painting is a departure from Neo Impressionism that sets the stage for the Fauves movement as coined by Louis Vauxcelles. Per Dempsey, with its bright palette and subjective, emancipated use of colour, it creates an atmosphere and decorative surface (66). Meaning that by subjective Matisses colors and style is self -referential according to Cantor characteristics of Modernism, and is further reductive of humanism and more Apollonian way of life, the presumptive mask of calmness. Another example of Apollonian system is his painting, Joy of Life (Bonheur de vivre: Joie de vivre),1905-06.2 The scene depicts the figure in a leisurely and gestural quality, engaged in exhibitionist sensuality; a new embrace of sexuality. The color palette is pure and complementary, mostly middle value. Next, Matisses European counterparts, the German Expressionists are Die Brà ¼cke (1905) and Der Blaue Reiter (1911). The German Expressionist where inspired and heavily influenced, by their native compatriot Friedrich Nietzsche, whose Nihilism, and the Apollonian and Dionysian philosophies characterized a darker view on humanism, truth, and the mask of the personae. Nietzsche believed that was modernity was lacking spirituality, and its all and empty faà §ade, and materialistic (immoral) and heretic, and his method was philosophizing with a hammer metaphorically to reveal the emptiness, and lack of humanistic substance (Delevati). Bold colors, dark lines, and angular lines was another reductive method of realism.

The Analysis of the Struggles of an African-American Man and a Native A

It has long been said that people turn to religion during their most desperate and loneliest moments. This theory was very evident in the lives of two very different real-world people: Black Elk and Malcolm X. Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux Indian, and Malcolm X, an African-American, had many similar experiences despite their differences in geographical location, methods, and religion. Malcolm X and Black Elk turned to Islam and the Sioux’s indigenous religion, respectively, for direction and strength to be liberated from oppression by the United States (US) Government (and the mainstream-American community) and to fight for their respective communities. Malcolm X grew up in a controversial period of racial segregation in American history, causing many African-Americans to lose faith of ever becoming equal to white Americans. X’s father was a Baptist minister; ironically, however, X grew to hate all religions. In fact, once X was sentenced to prison on the counts of larceny and breaking and entering for a maximum of ten years, his fellow inmates named him â€Å"Satan† because of his anti-religious views towards God and the Bible (Haley 171-4, 177). However, as he aspired to be a â€Å"better† person and searched for a purpose in life, his viewpoints on religion changed. In these dark moments of his life, X started to comply to requests made by his converted brothers and sister of not smoking cigarettes and not eating pork (180-1) and to get on his knees and pray to Allah (195-6). After writing a letter and receiving a letter back from Elijah Muhammad, X started to hold the notions that Islam was the origina l religion of African-Americans and that history had been â€Å"whitened† by the white man (208). Overall, X needed an explanation to ... ...ces. Malcolm X can be seen as someone who used Islam as a tool to jumpstart his career and spread his movement, but Malcolm X also practiced what he preached. Black Elk, on the other hand, found commonalities amongst his people and brought his people together to fight the wasichu in an unwinnable war. Nonetheless, both men, whose efforts’ origins traced back to colonial America, were leaders who turned to their faith for guidance in their most desperate moments in life. Works Cited Busby, Brittany, and Andrea Risjord. "Malcolm X." Introduction to Religion 100. Oxford College of Emory University. Alpha 257, Oxford, Georgia. Keynote. Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Book, 1973. 170+. Print. Neihardt, John. Black Elk Speaks. Twenty-First-Century Edition. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1988. 01+. Print.

Bullying: How Can It Be Prevented?

Bullying is a term used to describe a form of harassment perpetrated by someone who is in some way more powerful, physically or socially than his peers or the people in the immediate environment. While there are those who say that bullying is something that children will soon outgrow , there is no denying the fact that bullying has become prevalent in most schools all over America today.Given this alarmingly high rate of bullying, the relevance of coming up with methods by which to deal with this social problem becomes more and more apparent. However, to be able to formulate a process by which bullying can effectively be prevented it necessary to first examine bullying, its elements, types and causes. Only through an understanding of bullying can parents, teachers and schools properly come up with the necessary steps to reduce or totally remove the presence of bullying.BULLYING Main Elements of Bullying The bullying has been identified by researchers as possessing the following chara cteristics or elements: aggressive and negative behavior, repeatedly carrying out of the behavior, existent in a relationship with a great imbalance of power and the behavior as being â€Å"purposeful† (Hazler 1997). When these characteristics exhibit themselves in any relationship that a person has with another person, it is highly likely that there is bullying.The aggressive and negative behavior can often be manifested in other factors outside of the relationship between the bully and the victim such as in the classroom or in the manner that the bully interacts with people in authority as compared to the interaction among his (bully) peers. Bullying is not a single and isolated occurrence. A single case of abuse or aggression, be it physical or mental, is often not a case of bullying as it may just be the result of â€Å"flaring tempers† or â€Å"minor disagreements† among school children (Hazler 1997). Bullying involves constant aggression over a period of t ime.In relationships where there is a great imbalance in power between the parties, bullying is most likely to occur. The more powerful and aggressive person has been found to exercise a certain influence over the weaker party and to dominate the other party. Bullying is not just a series of random acts of aggression. According to a study, â€Å"the acts perpetrated by a bully are not just random acts of aggression but a series of well designed acts aimed at effectively exercising domination of the victim and being able to extract a certain reaction that the bully is looking (Batsche 1994).When all of these elements are present in a relationship, bullying is most likely to be occurring or to occur. While these elements are not conclusive in proving or showing the existence of bullying, the existence of these elements has been shown to determine to a certain extent the presence of bullying. Types of Bullying Bullying can basically be segregated into two distinct categories, direct b ullying and indirect bullying or social aggression. Direct bullying involves direct physical aggression by the bully over the victim.This type of bullying is most common among males and is exercised by those who are physically bigger than their peers. Indirect bullying is most common among females and younger children. This is done by â€Å"forcing the victim into social isolation through methods such as constant criticism of the victim, refusal to associate with the victim or by making the victim feel left out of any social activity (Batsche 1994). † Bullying may manifest itself in different ways depending on the direct environment and the parties involved.â€Å"Bullying,† according to a recent study, â€Å"is the assertion of power through aggression. Its forms change with age: school playground bullying, sexual harassment. Gang attacks, date violence, assault, marital violence, child abuse, workplace harassment and elder abuse. (Pepler and Craig 1997)†. Reaso ns for Bullying While bullying is caused mostly by reasons personal to the bully, researches have pinpointed certain factors as key to understanding why bullying exists in the first place.Researchers have indicated that people who bully have personalities that are authoritarian, combined with a strong need to control (Kim 2006). The same study indicates that a deficit in social skills and a prejudicial view of subordinates can be particular risk factors. Other factors have been determined to be the following: quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviors, mistaking others' actions as hostile, concern with preserving self image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions. (Kim 2006)TAKING A STAND AGAINST BULLYING Role of Parents, Teachers and Schools Parents, Teachers and Schools should take an active role in remedying the problem of bullying. Bullying is a behavior which often occurs during ones childhood and in certain cases continues in the immediate envir onment of these bullies upon reaching adulthood. One of the keys to solving this problem therefore lies in being able to deal with the problem in its â€Å"infancy† stage (Harris 2006). The following are steps that can be taken to deal with this situation.Identifying the Problem The first step that can be done to properly address the problem of bullying is to be able to properly identify the presence of bullying. Most students or children who are victims of bullying are afraid to report to the proper authorities for fear of being bullied even more if they are found out. The victims are also hesitant to alert the proper authorities because they do not feel that the authorities can do anything to prevent such bullying from happening.For these reason, it is important to be able to determine the existence of bullying based on other factors and manifestations. Some of these signs that a child is being bullied are the following: lowered self-esteem, unexplained broken personal poss essions, loss of money, loss of personal items, unexplained bruises & injuries or stories that don't add up, missing or incomplete school work, decreased success in class, acting out aggression at home, and lack of interest at social events that include other students.At the first signs of these manifestations, steps should be taken to determine if there really is bullying going on and this can be best done by communicating to victim in a proper manner that something can be done about the situation if it is reported quickly. Encouraging Victims to Report the Bullying The second most important step in dealing with this problem lies in being able to show to the victim and to other victims who are unwilling to report incidences of bullying that reporting it to the proper authorities is the proper thing to do.In most cases, victims of bullying are tentative to report any instance of bullying because they are not assured that the problem can be dealt with (Kim 2006). The best method is i n being able to assure the victim that there are people who are there to support him and help him out in this process (Storch 2005). The victim has to be assured of the fact that he is not isolated from any help. The victim also needs to know that the incident will not increase in frequency or gravity once it has been reported to the proper authorities such as teachers or school personnel.In being able to do this, the incidence of bullying can be drastically reduced when other children who have been victims themselves see that something can be done about the problem of bullying (Storch 2005). Assessing the Bully One of the most overlooked aspects in dealing with the problem of bullying has to do with being able to address the problem at the source which means dealing with the bully (Harris 2006).Bullies who are encouraged or not shown the mistakes that they are committing have a high tendency of exhibiting such aggressive behavior outside of the school setting and eventually bringin g them into the other environments which they are immersed in and thus perpetuating this wrongful behavior. The problem of bullying, as mentioned earlier, must be dealt with at its source in other to prevent more acts of bullying from happening.This method however is trickier than it seems because when approaching or confronting a bully it must be remembered that the person may feel that such act is a sign of aggression and may react conformably. The steps with which to deal with a bully must be done in a very non-threatening manner thus reinforcing the idea that aggression is not the best way to deal with problems (Storch 2005). The bully must be made to understand that such aggressive behavior has a detrimental impact on not only the victim but on the psychological and emotional growth of the bully as well.Counseling by an expert or peer counseling has been shown to be highly effective in these instances. CONCLUSION Bullying does not have to be something that society just has to t olerate. Neither does bullying have to be something that a child needs to experience and be able to â€Å"outgrow† in order to become a more mature and responsible adult. As this discourse has shown, there are indeed steps that can be taken by persons in authority to curb the occurrences of bullying. The problem must first be identified correctly.The next step is to properly address whatever feelings the victim may have regarding the incident and ensuring that the aggressive behavior that the victim has experienced does not repeat itself. After this, proper programs to encourage witnesses and victims to report any incidents of bullying that occur have to be done. The final step in solving this social problem is in trying to address the problem from the side of the bully and ensuring that whatever reason the bully had for doing such is given attention and making sure that the event does not happen again.Proper implementation of these measures will surely help in reducing if no t ridding society of this problem concerning bullying. References: Batsche, G. M. , & Knoff, H. M. Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive problem in the schools, (1994) School PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, 23 (2), 165-174. EJ 490 574. Hazler, R. J. , Carney, J. V. , Green, S. , Powell, R. , & Jolly, L. S. Areas of Expert Agreement on Identification of School Bullies and Victims, (1997). School Psychology International, 18, 3-12. Kim, B. L.Leventhal, Y. -J. Koh, A. Hubbard, and W. T. Boyce School Bullying and Youth Violence: Causes or Consequences of Psychopathologic Behavior? Arch Gen Psychiatry, September 1, 2006; 63(9): 1035 – 1041. Storch, E. and D. R. Ledley Peer Victimization and Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Current Knowledge and Future Directions Clinical Pediatrics, January 1, 2005; 44(1): 29 – 38. Harris, S. and C. Hathorn Texas Middle School Principals' Perceptions of Bullying on Campus NASSP Bulletin, March 1, 2006; 90(1): 49 – 69.

Black Men And Public Space - 1609 Words

According to Brent Staples, in his book, â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he articulates about his experience as a young black man, moving from his small hometown to Chicago, to attend the University of Chicago. He shared that one late evening, walking on a deserted street in Hyde Park, which was an upscale neighborhood in the impoverished section of Chicago. While walking alone on the street, he saw a white, well dressed young lady, walking alone on the same street. He was a distance behind her walking, then he noticed her looking worried by the glance she gave, constantly noticing him. She was scare of this dark skinned young man who had a height of 6ft. 2 inches, with hands tucked in his pocked with bearded and uncut hair, wearing a military jacket – possible walking too close for her comfort. The white young lady started walking faster, then running extremely fast, then seemingly disappeared across the street away from him. This showed the judgement in charac teristic this lady had of him, which was typical towards any young black man, especially in Chicago. That experience no doubt affected him in realizing the racial stereotyped identity he came into/being identified as a young black man, in an area that is known for high crime. To be identified as a mugger, rapist, or worse, was not a good thought to have about one’s self. Knowing that is not even close to the innocent personality possessed by him, would certainly cause one to be utterlyShow MoreRelatedBlack Men And Public Space Essay1038 Words   |  5 Pagesthat are an example of that are â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† by Brent Staples and â€Å"The F Word† by Firoozeh Dumas. The stories, â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† and â€Å"The F Word† are similar because both characters were discriminated against themselves, were not the only ones harassed, and each went through a tough moment. One of the ways the two essays are similar is because both characters were discriminated against themselves. For example, In Black men and Public Space Staples was discriminated againstRead MoreBlack Men And Public Spaces938 Words   |  4 Pagespersonality. Brent Staples is an author and writer for the New York Times. He gives two simple examples of two different people in his excerpts â€Å"Black Men and Public Spaces† and â€Å"Parallel Time† showing their differences and parallelism. â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and â€Å"Parallel Time† show how two black men have been stereotyped. Brent Staples on â€Å"Black Men in public spaces† recited that â€Å"My first victim was a woman- white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on aRead MoreBlack Men and Public Space841 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on theRead MoreBlack Men And Public Space968 Words   |  4 Pagesthe future. Due to the stigma that black men are all thieves, robbers , and criminals, they are more likely to be targeted by the police. If that stigma was magically erased and people stopped viewing Blacks as criminals, the world would be much more peaceful. This can be done merely through education,telling the truth about blacks and less assumptions. This idea derives from Brent Staples’ â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† (Revelatio ns 167) and Meta Carstarphen’s â€Å"Black Versus Blue: Time for a Cease-FireRead MoreBlack Men and Public Space1084 Words   |  5 Pagesrepresented God and all good. From literature we, as a society, have built what later became social rules, giving rise to things such as prejudice. In Brent Staples essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† this is clearly shown by the authors own experiences of antipathy and hostility towards him caused by his own self. In â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, Brent Staples begins by coming to the realization of the way he’d be viewed for the rest of his life. He describes feelings of uneasiness towards his newfound self-imageRead MoreBlack Men And Public Space Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesIn the news we hear stories about how another black male have been sent to prison. The big question that most people ask is â€Å"why?† He was selling drugs. A petty crime like that gets a black male at least 10 years in prison. Whereas, a white male selling drug gets probation. African American are portrayed as thugs who either sell drugs or are always in the streets terrorizing people. For instance, in the article, THE FIGHT FOR BLACK MEN, by Joshua Dubois. A man named Joe, who lived in a typical africanRead MoreBlack Men in Public Space670 Words   |  3 Pages In the short essay, â€Å"Black Men in Public Space† written by Brent Staples, discusses his own experiences on how he is stereotyped because he is an African American and looks intimidated in â€Å"public places† (Staples 225). Staples, an intelligent man that is a graduate student at University of Chicago. Due to his skin complexity, he is not treated fairly and always being discriminated against. On one of his usual nightly walks he encountered a white woman. She took a couple glances at him andRead More Black Men and Public Space in America1804 Words   |  8 PagesBlack Men and Public Space: An Agent of Change African-American men and white men are born and raised within the continental U.S.; each of their own faculty empowered to change the social injustice of a society. The innate qualities of the African American do not compare to those of the white man, yet - â€Å"empowered† they are with character. The foundation for the concept –â€Å"character† is best defined as â€Å"holistic,† meaning of physical, mental and social qualities – A. Adler’s school of thought,Read MoreJust Walk On By : Black Men And Public Space1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe portrait of black men that people have had in their mind for many decades has narrowed their vision about black men and has automatically affected black men’s identity. When it comes to black people, one already has a picture in his or her mind and draws a conclusion about how black people have to look and how they will act. After I read the essay entitled, â€Å"Just Walk on By: Black Men and Pu blic Space,† written by Brent Staples, in which he talks about the fearsomeness mistakenly given to himRead MoreThe Portrayal Of The Young Black Men And Public Space1298 Words   |  6 Pagesthe young black male in the late 1980s has not changed much in the United States. Brent Staples is able to reveal the truths of racial stereotyping in the United States, and the stigmas placed on young black males with the use of imagery in Black Men and Public Space. Appealing to the readers’ senses allows for better understanding of the time period Staples is writing about. Visual imagery is used to contrast how Staples appears to his â€Å"victims† and how these â€Å"victims† appear to the public. The fear