“Yes mom, I promise I am doing fine. No dad, you don’t need to send me more food; I eat plenty and healthy at the dining hall. Mom, I told you already, I’ll be with a group of friends at the party tonight, I won’t go anywhere alone. Love you guys too!” This is just one of the many phone conversations held daily between my parents and I. Although I sound a bit impatient, the truth is, if it wasn’t for their support, I might not make here at St. John’s on my own.
I may only be five hours away from home, but sometimes, on those occasional lonely nights, it feels like I am thousands of miles away from home. However, I know this isn’t true, and if I really had to, I could jump on a bus or plane and go home. This type of reassurance has helped me to better transition into this new life of being a college student. On one hand, things in New York were foreign to me. I was forced to adjust to living in a large city with a lot of unfamiliar people. On the other hand, this was “my country.” I was born and raised here. Aside from the unfamiliar and diverse people, I felt pretty comfortable. My language is spoken here and the beliefs I grew up with in the United States are OK to be practiced here.
As I began to look around at St. Johns, I realized that not everyone was from the United States. In fact, diverse and dedicated, the students at St. Johns represent 38 states and 148 foreign countries. I know and understand how hard transitioning is for any American college student, but what about students who are not American? How will they learn to adjust and how different will transitioning be for them, if it is different at all.
When I reflected on my own college experience, I asked myself if a student’s country of origin affected their transition to college life. Would international students feel out of place in an American school? If students practiced certain beliefs at home, would they be able to, or be willing to practice them here at school? I never considered the fact that despite where a student is from, going to college is a big step, and no one takes it lightly, whether you are American or foreign to the country. Of course, things are not as familiar to them as they are to me, but as I mentioned before, not everything was familiar to me either.
Ira Aleksova, an international student from Macedonia, is quite a distance from home. However, despite the fact that she can’t see her parents on the weekends, their support for her as a student in America stays strong. In fact, it is equally as strong as any American student’s parents. Ira explained that the support of her family and friends back home is helpful. While she is thousands of miles away, her supporters’ back home call everyday, send packages, and send letters. According to Ira, her ability to easily transition to St. Johns has a lot to do with the support.
When she first came to America to attend St. Johns, Ruisa Scheffel, an international student from Brazil, felt lonely and homesick. She left behind family, friends, and a boyfriend. Eventually, over time, she made friends, and adjusting became so much easier. At certain times, she still felt lonely and homesick, but only when a special holiday came around.
After reading these results, a funny feeling came over me. These girls are not alone when they say that they occasionally feel homesick and miss the comfort of home. Is it weird that I feel the same way, even though I am from America? A student from the United States, who wished to remain anonymous, is able to see her family from time to time when they visit New York City. In times when they are not around, they make sure to call and keep in touch through internet, phone, and mail. Despite the closeness is distance, this student feels the pang of being away from home for the first time. This student experiences loneliness on the weekends when no one is around. However, this is common to both American students and international students.
The similarities in the way these three students transitioned into college amazed me. I assumed that distance and country of origin determined how a student would transition into college. When the American student was asked if adjusting to college was difficult, she admitted it was. “I think any change in life can be hard to adjust to.” On the survey, she commented on international students and said, “International students who are thrown into a different culture adjust differently. There is a language barrier and they are in a whole new culture.”
However, surprisingly, the international students did not feel this way at all. Ira felt as though she didn’t have any major problems adjusting to school, just because she was from Macedonia. In fact, she said transitioning was easy and after the first month, she even understood the professors. Some American students still haven’t even conquered that skill of understanding.
Adjusting to college life has a lot of factors behind it. For one thing, a student’s country of origin, as I am discussing, seems as though it would play a big role. However, I am discovering that it does not. According to College Student Development, “students use their values as standards of evaluation in determining what is good or bad, true or false, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, important or unimportant.” I feel this is a major factor in determining how a student transitions to school. In fact, it does have a lot in common with a student’s country of origin, but it overrides that factor. Value plays a big role in transitioning. The book also states that “the values of college students are influenced by family, friends, religion, personal experiences, and societal factors.” For example, the American student I surveyed commented that on the weekends, she enjoys staying on campus and her beliefs play a big role in this decision. Ira and Ruisa both enjoy going out on the weekends because that is what they did at home.
Another factor that plays into transitioning is conformity. Conformity is adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard, and is often the result of group or peer pressure. Usually, the person adopts the new behavior or attitude as his or her own. This statement is true for a majority of students, no matter what country they are from. The two international students made friends once they moved here, and by natural instinct, might have felt pressured to conform to other’s beliefs and values. The American student and international students all stayed true to their beliefs, despite what country they came from. Although they conformed to groups, it wasn’t the country of origin that determined how well they transitioned to college.
My results were quite surprising to me because I assumed things that were not true about international students. In my autobiography about this report, I wrote that “I saw the way my friends transitioned compared to me and I caught on to the fact that the country a person grows up in will determine how they will transition. At this time, I want to know how others feel about this and how their beliefs affect their transition.” Indeed, I did find out how international students transition, and I was wrong to write this in my paper. I did see the way my friends transitioned compared to me, but when it came time to these other students, things were not all that different. I found that just because a student doesn’t grow up in a certain country, doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t adjust the same way as American students, or the students in that country.
Even though a student’s country of origin is important when discussing value and transitioning, it isn’t the determining factor in how that person will necessarily transition. I found that most students adjust to college the same way. At first, they make feel homesick and alone, but eventually, over time, things change. They all make friends and conform to certain groups. Having support from home is also a factor that helps the transitioning process. I found that despite what county a student comes from, transitioning is a developing process that takes time, no matter who you are.
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The Real Difference Between Boys and Girls
“Tyra Banks 161 pounds and overweight?” This was the question posed on the last cover of People magazine. Former Victoria Secret model Tyra Banks is being harassed by critics for gaining a few pounds over the past couple of years. What’s the big deal about Tyra gaining weight? The fact that she is a female and she is famous.
The difference between boys and girls is not a physical difference, but instead, has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between boys and girls, I might have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to five females and five males. We all hear rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did not consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised. This was until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, all of the guys said yes. Most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I gave the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Boys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being big. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. The boys always turned the answer around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey from one of the boys.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. The website stated that “media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances.
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged and so are the ability to think independently and take the initiative” (medialit.com). This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
Through this research, I discovered many answers to my two questions: why do girls care more about things like weight and appearance, and who is more competitive when it comes to things like weight and appearance, girls or boys? I discovered that media has a great effect on the way people perceive themselves and today’s society. Although the media focuses a lot on women, I learned that men too have the same stereotype issues as women, but the world chooses not to focus on them.
References: Five male students at St. Johns
Five Female Students at St. Johns
Peoplemagazine.com
Medialit.com
The difference between boys and girls is not a physical difference, but instead, has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between boys and girls, I might have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to five females and five males. We all hear rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did not consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised. This was until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, all of the guys said yes. Most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I gave the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Boys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being big. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. The boys always turned the answer around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey from one of the boys.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. The website stated that “media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances.
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged and so are the ability to think independently and take the initiative” (medialit.com). This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
Through this research, I discovered many answers to my two questions: why do girls care more about things like weight and appearance, and who is more competitive when it comes to things like weight and appearance, girls or boys? I discovered that media has a great effect on the way people perceive themselves and today’s society. Although the media focuses a lot on women, I learned that men too have the same stereotype issues as women, but the world chooses not to focus on them.
References: Five male students at St. Johns
Five Female Students at St. Johns
Peoplemagazine.com
Medialit.com
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
First Report-third draft
“Tyra Banks 161 pounds and overweight?” This was the question posed on the last cover of People magazine. Former Victoria Secret model Tyra Banks is being harassed by critics for gaining a few pounds over the past couple of years. What’s the big deal about Tyra gaining weight? The fact that she is a female and she is famous.
The difference between girls and guys is not a physical difference. Instead, it has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected a lot with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. “Media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances. In
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged. So is the ability to think independently and take the initiative.” This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
The difference between girls and guys is not a physical difference. Instead, it has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected a lot with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. “Media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances. In
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged. So is the ability to think independently and take the initiative.” This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
Friday, February 23, 2007
First Report-second draft
The difference between girls and guys is not a physical difference. Instead, it has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected a lot with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. “Media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances. In
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged. So is the ability to think independently and take the initiative.” This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls.
As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
Considering the fact that not all my results came out the way I predicted, I think it’s only fair to switch things up and look at things from a new perspective. As I mentioned before, and as the main theme of my paper states, woman are portrayed in the media as having the “it” look. Therefore, they feel the need to fit this idealism because they assume that’s how society will judge them. I also made a surprising discovery in my research that perhaps guys do think like girls, but they are better at hiding how they feel. I decided to go outside of my original research plan and use more than just primary sources. My focus in this half of the paper will deal with how men are portrayed in the media, and how the media affects the way people think.
According to medialit.com, people are stereotyped in the media, and men are no
exception. “Media stereotypes have extra impact because they create images based on these assumptions, helping to shape men's own views about how they should act and how successful they are as men.” Ah yes, this is exactly what I observed in the surveys. Perhaps some of the guys who answered my survey felt they needed to act “manly” so they didn’t really write how they felt. Not even one guy wrote how men are portrayed in the media, or that guys can also feel insecure when it comes to things like appearances. In
“Bravery, adventurousness, being able to think rationally, being strong and effective, for example, are all "manly" traits that are usually encouraged. So is the ability to think independently and take the initiative.” This makes complete sense to me now. Why would any of the guys want to admit to having issues with their weight, or that they feel like they have to watch their portion size if they have been taught to act manly? While woman are encouraged to have a certain type of beauty and sex appeal, men are encouraged to be “strong” in more ways than one.
“Males are discouraged from pursuing many positive traits that are perceived as unmanly. These include the ability to feel a range of emotions, including fear, hurt, confusion or despair. Even talking about these feelings is considered unmanly. Men are also not encouraged to learn to work cooperatively without the need for control…” This single quote can be used to support the reasoning behind the guy’s answers on the survey. How in the world can they admit to having competition with their friends when they have been told that it’s their job to always be in control? That’s exactly right…they can’t.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The difference between boys and girls--First report, first draft
The difference between girls and guys is not a physical difference. Instead, it has more to do with the characteristics and a certain mind set that each gender carries. In my research, this mind set is connected a lot with the physical aspects of males and the physical aspects of females.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls. As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
To decipher the real difference between guys and girls, I would have to research and observe more than just the students at St. Johns. However, I wanted to get an idea of what goes on in the heads of my peers here at school. Before I started my research, I had the idea that girls care more about things like looks and weight. This is my first research question I want to answer. My second question asks who is more competitive with their peers when it comes time to the subject of appearance. To help answer my questions, I conducted a survey that was given to 5 females and 5 males. We all here rumors as to why girls care more about looks and why girls are more competitive than guys when it comes to the subject of appearance. In spite of what we may assume, do you think there is really another answer to these questions? This is exactly what I set out to find.
On the question of why do girls care more about things like looks and weight, I discovered in the surveys that guys may care just as much as girls, but they don’t openly admit it as well or as much. For one thing, it isn’t everyday that you read in the tabloids that Brad Pitt has lost a lot of weight or has gotten fat, but on the front cover, you may discover how his wife Angelina is anorexic thin or has gained 35 pounds. In any case, on the survey, when asked if they heavily care about their appearance, all the girls said it depends on where they are going and who will be there. One girl even mentioned she is ok with being late to class as long as she is “properly” dressed and looking good. The guys, on the other hand, were not so concerned. One said he does care about his appearance, but the others said no, it doesn’t matter to me. Why don’t they feel the need to dress to impress?
On the subject of weight, I wanted to see just how these teenagers were dealing with their weight. I wanted to see how many of them ate healthy, or thought they were eating healthy to maintain a certain look. Only one of the girls said she ate healthy, and all the others did no consider themselves healthy eaters. When I read the girls portion of this survey, I was surprised, until I turned to the guy’s surveys. Three out of five of the guys considered themselves healthy eaters, yet when they answered the next question, do you indulge at dinner time, most girls said yes, while a few said they watched portion sizes. It was all of the guys who said yes. Guys said they ate healthy, yet they said they indulged. The girls who indulge said no, I know that’s not healthy…why do guys think it’s healthy to eat that way, but girls do not?
This struck me as funny. I would also like to mention that one of the girls put on her survey that she is concerned with portion size because she is afraid of how people will judge her based on how much she eats. However, she didn’t fail to mention that other people eat more than her. In other words, as long as people eat more than her, she has nothing to worry about. This proves one of my points that girls care more about things like appearance, even when on the subject of food.
One last point I would like to make is about weight. This seems to always be a touchy subject when girls talk about it, but less when guys do. Four out of five of the girls said they would like to weigh less than they do now. One was even concerned that she was getting extremely heavy due to stress. A girl who took the survey emphasized my point and wrote that not many girls want to be gain more weight these days. It’s all about losing weight. Before I have the survey out, I thought I would read that the guys wanted to gain more weight because this is what I have observed in the past. However, only one said he would like to gain about 20 pounds and the others didn’t worry about their weight…so they say.
So the big question still stands: why do girls care more about things like looks and weight? I was not surprised to read the answer on all of these surveys. Every survey mentioned that girls stress more because of what’s in the media. They see things in magazines and on TV that say you have to be skinny. In today’s society, there is a certain “ideal” look and if you don’t have it, then you won’t be the “it” girl. I read in one survey that “Girls definitely stress more because there is a greater pressure on them from society.” Another survey mentioned that “Women are expected to live up to expectations that are unattainable and therefore are more concerned with unachievable goals.” These are pretty powerful statements, and surprisingly, they were quotes from two boys.
Magazines might mention that a female celebrity has gained weight or even that a celebrity has lost too much weight and the critics are mocking her for it. Either way, this is saying that looks matter. You have to look good to the public eye. The pressure is on. When people read this, they assume it’s about them as well, and that the only way to look good is to be perfect. But what is perfect? That is a whole other subject.
Are girls and guys more competitive when it comes time to the subject of appearance? I believe they are both equally competitive in their own ways. Boys may care about different things, but they still care. Guys approach the subject one way and girls go about it another way. That could all be a part of life. I discovered however, perhaps why girls care more about being skinny and why guys care more about being “big.” Most people said the media and I think they may be true. Both girls and guys on this survey said girls worry about those things more, but based on their answers, I think they almost care as much as the girls. A few guys mentioned they don’t talk about other guys weights and appearances but they talk about girls—maybe that’s one reason why girls feel the way they do. It’s weird how that works out. Girls talk about girls and guys talk about girls. As I mentioned before, the competition between same the sex is almost as equal, based on my survey. However, guys are quieter about it. You can tell from their one word answers on the survey compared to the long answers on the girl’s surveys. One girl even mentioned that if guys did openly admit it, they would probably be made fun of. They may not be honest about it, but they probably go through the same thing. They always turned it around to talk about the girls, never themselves. “People stress because they are insecure, and girls stress because guys talk about them. It’s true, we talk about girls appearances.” This is one of the answers I received on the survey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)