The Changes in Representation of Teenagers in the Media Essay Example for Free

The Changes in Representation of Teenagers in the Media Essay Since the birth of the subculture teenagers, these stereotypically rude, rebellious and rowdy young adults have been included and represented in movies, plays and any other type of entertainment. In studying two separate films from two separate time frames, I have found that they depict teens in many different ways, although the root of their problems, values and attitudes are very much the same. This essay will explore and discuss these changes in representation, and will strive to discover the core reasons for this development. The two movies I have studied; Freedom Writers 2007, directed by Richard LaGrevense) and To Sir with Love (1967, directed but James Clavell), will be my main examples in this report, while also using other materials as backup evidence. Paragraph one will address how teenagers are represented today, and how they were in the past. Paragraph two will explore the reasons behind the differences in portrayal, and paragraph three will decide on whether or not this is a realistic representation of teenagers in society. Throughout the years, the ways teenagers have been depicted have changed ramatically in some areas, while staying completely the same in others. An example of this is the values of the teenagers in the two movies I have viewed. In To Sir with Love, the teenagers were valued relationships and being disrespectful, whereas in Freedom Writers, the teens valued respect and acceptance, but on the flip side, both movies represent the teenagers as rebellious, loud, hostile to those not of their social group, or those they do not accept, who are in search of an identity. These values and attitudes stem from broken homes and violence in both movies, as well as the want, nd in some cases need, for respect. No matter what decade you look at, you will find that this is a common basis of problems in the bulk of teenagers. In both movies, and many others beside, you will find that a majority of the teens have a problem with authority, and seek to disobey all powerful fgures at any possible time. Also, in almost all teenage movies, you have an antagonist, or one person who tends to make more trouble than the others. Sometimes its fairly obvious, an example being To Sir With Love, where the antagonist is clearly Denham (one of the students), but other imes it is not, an example being Freedom Writers, where there are certain students who make more trouble, but no defined antagonist. As you can see, over time values and attitudes may change, but the core root of where these problems have stemmed from does not. The main reason as to why the representation of teenagers has changed over time is because tha values and acceptances of the audience have changed dramatically. The media has to release entertainment suitable and appealing for its audience, otherwise it would receive no money because nobody is watching it. This means that Hollywood, and other people who make movies, must shape the content of their films as the values and interests of its viewers changes, so that it keeps the audience I have viewed are so different, is because the values and attitudes of the people in the decades they were released in were so different. For example, in To Sir with Love, there were almost no swear words, except for the occasional bleedin, whereas in Freedom Writers, there is a whole range of swear words used. This is but one example of the many differences in the representation of teenagers in movies. In my opinion, the way teenagers are depicted in the film world can be both realistic and unrealistic. Some examples of this in my two movies is the fact that To Sir With Love is a very sexist movie, which is a very real mirror image of London in the 60s (where it was set). Also, in To Sir With Love, it is very unrealistic that none of the kids swear, because the children of 1960 London would have sworn all the time. This also shows how the media shapes itself for the wants of its audience, as swearing on film was frowned upon. In conclusion, teenagers can be depicted in many different ways, as I have shown you n this essay, by use of examples, but the core root of their problems, as well as some values, attitudes and beliefs, tends to stay the same throughout the entire teenage history. In this report I have; addressed how teenagers are represented today and how they were in the past, explored the reasons behind the differences in portrayal and decided on whether or not this is a realistic representation of teenagers in society, also giving direct examples from the two movies I have done a study on; Freedom Writers and To Sir With Love.

Wealth and Democracy :: essays research papers

Wealth and Democracy. By Kevin Phillips. (New York: Broadway Books, c. 2002. Pp. vii, 422. ISBN 0-7679-0533-4.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy clearly illustrates and emphasizes the importance of Democracy being endangered. The author Kevin Phillips, America’s leading political analyst since 1968 and a graduate of Harvard Law School appears very informed and credible. Wealth and Democracy outlines and explains the politics of the second half of the 20th century. In this book Phillips primarily explores how the rich and politically powerful often work together to create and continue to take advantages at the expense of the national interest, the middle class, and the lower class. The book contains several interesting chapters on history and an analysis of present-day America that reveals the dangerous politics that go with the concentration of wealth. Finally, Phillips gives warnings of new radicalism and argues that the corruptions of wealth and power are destructing the United States. Wealth and Democracy examines the history of Britain and other leading world economic powers to point out the symptoms that signaled their declines such as speculative finance, increasing international debt, record wealth, income and unsatisfying politics. Many of the signs that led to the decline of Britain were noticeable signs in America as it entered the twenty-first century. One might be surprised at the way Phillips emphasizes the despiteful practices of the rich considering his republican background. However, due to Phillips increased knowledge of the GOP (Grand Old Party; the first Republicans) He has concluded Republicans economic polices and biases of the 1990s and early 2000s betray the legacy of who He considers the two greatest Republican presidents, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy performs a splendid job of convincing one that democracy is endangered and that the practices of the rich and those in power can be deceitful. For the most part the book is easy to follow, fairly organized and has an exceptionally good index. However Phillips could have done better when making references to his previous works because they are confusing and unclear. Wealth and Democracy :: essays research papers Wealth and Democracy. By Kevin Phillips. (New York: Broadway Books, c. 2002. Pp. vii, 422. ISBN 0-7679-0533-4.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy clearly illustrates and emphasizes the importance of Democracy being endangered. The author Kevin Phillips, America’s leading political analyst since 1968 and a graduate of Harvard Law School appears very informed and credible. Wealth and Democracy outlines and explains the politics of the second half of the 20th century. In this book Phillips primarily explores how the rich and politically powerful often work together to create and continue to take advantages at the expense of the national interest, the middle class, and the lower class. The book contains several interesting chapters on history and an analysis of present-day America that reveals the dangerous politics that go with the concentration of wealth. Finally, Phillips gives warnings of new radicalism and argues that the corruptions of wealth and power are destructing the United States. Wealth and Democracy examines the history of Britain and other leading world economic powers to point out the symptoms that signaled their declines such as speculative finance, increasing international debt, record wealth, income and unsatisfying politics. Many of the signs that led to the decline of Britain were noticeable signs in America as it entered the twenty-first century. One might be surprised at the way Phillips emphasizes the despiteful practices of the rich considering his republican background. However, due to Phillips increased knowledge of the GOP (Grand Old Party; the first Republicans) He has concluded Republicans economic polices and biases of the 1990s and early 2000s betray the legacy of who He considers the two greatest Republican presidents, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy performs a splendid job of convincing one that democracy is endangered and that the practices of the rich and those in power can be deceitful. For the most part the book is easy to follow, fairly organized and has an exceptionally good index. However Phillips could have done better when making references to his previous works because they are confusing and unclear.

Is College Worth It? Essay

I think we all can agree that getting an education is a vital process that is crucial for being successful in our society, but does getting a college education guarantee one’s success? I know, with the cost of a college degree rising 1,120% within the past 30 years, many of us do not want to wait and find out ourselves. Although getting a college education may not guarantee one’s success in the job market, one thing that comes with a college education is almost certain; thousands of dollars in debt. 2 out of every 5 loan borrowers are delinquent at some point within the first 5 years of repayment according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. This shows that almost 50% of people who take out loans are having some sort of trouble repaying it. With an accumulative amount of 1. 2 trillion dollars in debt that students get themselves into a year, I am not surprised. This brings up the question: Is College worth it? A College education is an investment all on its own, but will your investment pay off? â€Å"The question is whether or not you will get your return on the investment in actual financial capital or human capital or emotional capital or social capital†, according to Professor Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University (Coleman Korva). Getting a college education does not guarantee you any financial success by any means. In the 2011-12 academic year, the average net cost for a full-time student at an in-state public university was about $15,000 for tuition, fees, room, board, books and incidental expenses, according to the College Board (Clark Kim), and an out of state college is nearly three time that amount. At the same time, only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major right out of college (Plumer Brad). Even though only 27 percent of college grads got a job related to their major right out of college, 62 percent of U. S. college graduates had a job that required a college degree right out of college (Plumer Brad). That is a better number, but there is still 38 percent that either doesn’t have a job, or has a job that doesn’t require a degree. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to end up flipping burgers when I’m done with college. Part of making College a worthwhile investment is picking the right major. The right major can lead to a whole lot of available jobs. I know that we all have different dreams and want to pursue them, but we got to face the facts; some majors aren’t doing so hot right now in the job market. Based on high initial unemployment rates and low initial median earnings of full-time, full-year workers, artistic majors are horrible right now. Recent college graduates of from ages 22 to 26 can expect an unemployment rate of 10. 5 percent, well above the national average (Goudreau Jenna). Those who do manage to snag a job are met with only a median salary of just $28,000. Due to a high unemployment rate and low median salary, most art majors will not be getting much in return for attending college. That is just one of many majors that aren’t doing well too. Other majors that aren’t worth the investment include Sociology, Psychology and Nutrition. Engineering on the other hand is one hot ticket right now in the job market. The top major for achieving a high salary is engineering (Still Daniel). Out of all the engineering majors, petroleum engineering tops out with a salary of $90,000 right out of college. Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering are not too far behind either. Engineering in General seems to be the way to go if you want your investment to pay off. Other worthwhile majors include Computers, Mathematics, and Pharmaceutical sciences. These majors are what makes going to college a worthwhile investment. The current job market is looking for jobs relating to these majors. Even though a job isn’t guaranteed after college, it would still be a good investment. Now we all know that college is a good investment if you make it be, but is there really a difference between someone who has a college education and someone who has a high school education or lower? â€Å"It’s a tough job market for college graduates, but far worse for those without a college education,† says Anthony P. Carnevale co-author of the study conducted at Georgetown University’s Center of Education and the Work Force. During the Great Recession in 2007, Millions of jobs vanished from the job market, but students with bachelors degrees who had jobs did not decline (International Business, Times). At the same time, the 55 percent of high school graduates who did have jobs even before the recession, fell to 47 percent after it (Perez-Pena Richard). As if people without a college education didn’t have it hard enough already. Now the amount of jobs that require a college education is on the rise, while people without a college education are being left in the dust. On average, people with a college education make much more than someone with a high school diploma too. The average income of a high school graduate is around $28,700. Compared to the average income of someone with a bachelor’s degree being $53,800. In a lifetime, someone with a high school education, on average, would accumulate $940,000 dollars of income while someone with a bachelor’s degree makes almost twice that amount at $1. 8 million dollars. This is because employers generally think that people with a college education are smarter than one with a high school education. Making the ones with a college education more prone to learning new skills a job requires. This is why you see a lot of high school graduates and people who never went to any school working at fast food restaurants. The job market is a really important factor when considering if college is worth it, but one has to consider the amount of debt one will accumulate afterwards. With nearly 20 million Americans attending college each year, (Chronicle of Higher Education) two-thirds of them end up graduating with some sort of debt (Denhart Chris). How much debt you may ask? The amount of debt that college students have accumulated by the time they graduate exceeds the 1. 2 trillion dollar mark (Denhart Chris). This makes student loans the second highest form of consumer debt, behind mortgage loans. This can really discourage someone from going to college. It can especially discourage someone from going back to college after dropping out because, most likely, the individual would be in some sort of debt already. Also, one does not want to go to college just to be in debt afterwards with no steady source of income. Attending college is becoming more and more vital with each passing year. A lot more jobs are beginning to look for more people with a college education. The question one needs to ask themselves though would be, â€Å"Is College worth it? † Without a doubt college is expensive. The majority of college graduates end up going into some sort of debt when they graduate. It is up to the student that is attending college though to determine if it is worth it for them or not. They need to ask themselves, â€Å"Will I be making my money back. † It is up to them to choose a major that is doing really well in the current job market. I know we all have different interests and goals, but if one wants a higher chance of being successful they would choose a major that is doing well. They also need to consider the fact that it is getting harder and harder to get a good job that doesn’t require a college education. People with a college education generally make much more too. I’m sure nobody wants to be working at their local McDonalds after they spent so much money going to four years of college. So invest in college, pick a good major, and get a good education because soon a college education will be in high demand and you will be on the top of the list. Work Cited Clark, Kim. â€Å"How Much Does College Actually Cost? † CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Features, Forbes Special. â€Å"How The $1. 2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents And The Economy. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Goudreau, Jenna. â€Å"The 10 Worst College Majors. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. International Business, Times. â€Å"6 Charts On Why College Is Worth Its Cost. † International Business Times 17 Aug. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Kittle, Cameron. â€Å"Degrees of debt: UNH grad says college degree was worth it, but debt burden looms large. † Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH) 14 Aug. 2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. KORVA, COLEMAN. â€Å"Is A College Education Worth The Debt?. † Tell Me More (NPR) (n. d. ): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. PEREZ-PENA, RICHARD. â€Å"Benefits of College Degree in Recession Are Outlined. † NY Times. N. p. , 9 Jan. 2013. Web. Plumer, Brad. â€Å"Only 27 Percent of College Grads Have a Job Related to Their Major. † WonkBlog. N. p. , n. d. Web. Weissman, Jordan. â€Å"How Bad Is the Job Market For College Grads? Your Definitive Guide. † The Atlantic. N. p. , 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Citizenship Contrast - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1295 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Citizenship Essay Did you like this example? In the United States of America, there are several ways to become a citizen, the easiest being born on American soil. You can participate in electing our government officials if you wish and enjoy all the rights we are guaranteed. In the film Starship Troopers, which is based upon the science fiction novel by Robert Henilein, citizenship must be earned. By examining the movie and evaluating citizenship from the American and Terran Federation perspectives, finding the meaning of citizenship was both thought-provoking and enlightening. In the film, Starship Troopers, the setting is Earth, in the future, in an area known as Buenos Areas. The major characters are four young adults, Johnny Ricco, Dizzy Flores, Carmen Ibanez, and Carl Jenkins. The storyline follows these individuals through their journey of obtaining citizenship by signing up for service through the government, known as the Terra Federation. Johnny and Dizzy are assigned to the infantry, Carmen becomes a pilot and Carl is assigned to intelligence. Once this group of friends disperse and enter their training, the prime focus revolves around the bugs of unusually large sizes, whos objective is to colonize all planets, including earth. The main emphasis concentrates on Johnny Ricco, who comes from a wealthy family who is against his decision to join the Federation. His father insists he attend Harvard and orders Johnny to leave when he ultimately chooses service. There are your typical Hollywood add ins dealing with love and loss, particularly with Johnny and Dizzy. There is an accidental death during training which Johnny is partially responsible for. After his harsh punishment, Johnny decides to quit the infantry. Before he leaves, there is word that earth has been attacked by bugs, and Buenos Areas is practically decimated. Johnny decides he needs to stay to fight the bugs that destroyed his home town, helping human civilization prevail. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Citizenship Contrast" essay for you Create order The bugs outsmart the humans several times, destroying many the infantry, wounding Johnny severely. Once he regains his strength and proves hes an exceptional member of the infantry, Johnny is promoted to a higher rank. The humans wise up and come up with new strategies to take the bugs out, partaking in air attacks to lighten the bug load on the ground. Eventually Johnny finds the main bug called the brain bug, with help from two pilots, one of which being Carmen. They find the bug with its army of protector bugs deep inside a cavern in the mountains on a bug colonized planet. The brain bug is enormous and resembles an actual brain. Its pinkish grey hue, slug like movements and googly eyes should not deceive you, as there is a large tentacle that emerges from the bug that stabs humans in the head to suck out their brains. Johnny, Carmen and a few other infantry members escape the brain bug and its army of other bugs, destroying the ones that did not flee deeper into the caves. Once Johnny, Carmen and members of his platoon exit the caves, they discover that another platoon captured the giant brain bug, which ends up aiding in the humans battles to learn how to take the bugs out more successfully. Having American citizenship is something that many Americans do not think about, and toady it is taken for granted. Merely being born in America gives you citizenship. Individuals can also apply if they come from another country, however, this process can be rigorous and time consuming. As discussed by Brown and Maloyed, Americas system is closely related to the imperial Roman model, where citizens are guaranteed equal rights under the law, but how we partake is up to us. We are not forced to vote, it is our right to choose to participate. Individuals who elect to take part in voting are allowing themselves to have a voice in who represents us in our government. We are granted certain freedoms that are defined in our Constitution, which is the law of the land. Our only obligations are to follow the laws set up by the government. We have these rights and freedoms because of our Founding Fathers, who are responsible for obtaining them over 200 years ago. Being a citizen in that era was different then what we see today. Our founding Fathers had to fight for the freedoms we take for granted. Breaking free from King George III required sacrifice, courage, and unity from the individuals who were part of the colonies (Morone and Rogan, 2018). The representatives of the colonies rejected following the Supreme Judge of the world, declaring their independence and freedom from the British Crown (Morone and Rogan, 2018). John Locke was also opposed of the Supreme Judge model, stating absolute monarchy is inconsistent with civil society, therefore it can in no way be a civil society (Locke, 1690). Looking back at what our Founding Fathers went through to obtain the freedom they desired, the freedom that we all are granted today, makes American citizenship something we should be proud of. In the film, Starship Troopers, citizenship is something that everyone must earn. This is achieved through service in the government in an array of fields, the most prominent is joining their military (Verhoeven, Starship Troopers). Completing service (minimum of two years) will guarantee those individuals with citizenship. Then and only then can you run for a political office, vote, apply for a license to have a child and receive financial aid to obtain a higher education (Verhoeven, Starship Troopers). Civilians are not able to participate in these opportunities and they are looked down upon by citizens. Johnny Ricco implies that civilians lack courage when giving a eulogy to one of his fallen soldiers (Verhoeven, Starship Troopers). The act of becoming a citizen is highly encouraged in this society, therefore there is a high enrolment rate. There are obligations that come with gaining citizenship. Citizens can be called back to serve in times of war, to protect civilians and the w ellbeing of the planet. (Verhoeven, Starship Troopers). When observing these two models of obtaining citizenship, there are many areas of similarities and differences. After looking at the design of the Terran Federation, it is quite comparable to our military. We both have a variety of areas for individuals to sign up, there are terms for time you will serve, and you will indeed get assistance in furthering your education if you so choose to. Members of the Terran Federation are proud to serve, much like our military. However, in America we do not have to earn our citizenship by signing up for the military. We are free to have a baby at any time we choose, we do not need to obtain a license. We are able to vote when we are of age and run for political offices. One jarring difference is the crime rate between the two models. In the Terra Federation, crime is extremely low, almost nonexistent. This is attributed to the number of individuals who sign up for service, creating a strong military rule (Brown and Maloyed). In 2017, Our crime rat e in America was an estimated 1,247,321( cite website). This figure was just for the violent crimes in that year, it did not include things such as larceny or property crimes. When it comes to civic virtue, both the Terra Federation and Americans emit civic virtue. We have a wide variety of service members, from military, to police and firefighters, as well as paramedics, doctors, even average civilians who are willing to risk their safety and lives for others. The Terra federation looks at civic virtue from a different lens. It exists, but it is only recognized in citizens, not civilians. Citizens in the Terra Federation have the courage, strength and willpower to uphold civic virtue, they look at it as their personal responsibility (Verhoeven, Starship Troopers).