Ha Ha--------- success--------- I have been chosen to run the event-i am now an official Swap-O-Rama-Rama producer for Boone, NC-------- and have a ton of stuff coming---press releases--donor things-- since i am now part of a 501 c nonprofit---- and now i have to get into my volunteer list thing--- and logistics stuff this week and then i can tell ya'll more about what this really is --------but i have linked to the site----- on the right side of this page-so its all right here really
-- so I am now totally in-though-- i wrote back to ask for a small official letter thing--to use for the school-until the bigger stuff comes--- but yayyyyyy
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
about that post
so i was waiting forever to hear back from the head of that project----- but i was starting to feeling it was falling apart------so i've been really thinking about other options-- as far as a paper went-- i really wasn't sure where i would even begin---- however-- i started reading back some older papers as well as a free association i had written----- when i wrote it -i thought it totally sucked--- but it actually wasn't that bad-- so what i have put down is sort of a rearrangment of that paper------ it is pretty abstracty i'd say-----
-----
but if i do the paper--- this about as far as i've gotten --------- i do think that the idea of examining cultural trends in child-raising as it relates to overconsumerism and environmental degradation is a good topic if i keep the scope narrow enough cuz it could go so many ways----
----
---things i want to look at --- The Baby Einstein fiasco---
--- why it is that in places like Raleigh---people-including some i worked for--needed two suvs just because they had two kids.--again-- in Raleigh :,
--- the relationship between children's programming and product branding---especially shows created AFTER the toys-- i.e.-- transformers, care bears, and the like
--- rise in autism and other learning disorders-- esp. those that have proven to be directly related to too much stuff/not enough attention
------and the newer movements ---- like people being eco-friendly because now they only buy the gazillion dollar organic dolls and bamboo toys(i'm guilty of it;but just sayin'...)instead of cheaper things--- as opposed to just using less------ like i agree with the quality---and that it SHOULD cost more because it should last----but alot of people do it--amidst their sprees at SAKs
------
anyways-- thats what i've got-- it would be basically hopefully a better version of much of my prior work---
* however--- i did get an email from Wendy Tremayne*--- and she is getting up with me this week-she even said "i promise"-- so that is still a priority-----
---But- this abstract can be expanded on in the justification of that project--
-----
but if i do the paper--- this about as far as i've gotten --------- i do think that the idea of examining cultural trends in child-raising as it relates to overconsumerism and environmental degradation is a good topic if i keep the scope narrow enough cuz it could go so many ways----
----
---things i want to look at --- The Baby Einstein fiasco---
--- why it is that in places like Raleigh---people-including some i worked for--needed two suvs just because they had two kids.--again-- in Raleigh :,
--- the relationship between children's programming and product branding---especially shows created AFTER the toys-- i.e.-- transformers, care bears, and the like
--- rise in autism and other learning disorders-- esp. those that have proven to be directly related to too much stuff/not enough attention
------and the newer movements ---- like people being eco-friendly because now they only buy the gazillion dollar organic dolls and bamboo toys(i'm guilty of it;but just sayin'...)instead of cheaper things--- as opposed to just using less------ like i agree with the quality---and that it SHOULD cost more because it should last----but alot of people do it--amidst their sprees at SAKs
------
anyways-- thats what i've got-- it would be basically hopefully a better version of much of my prior work---
* however--- i did get an email from Wendy Tremayne*--- and she is getting up with me this week-she even said "i promise"-- so that is still a priority-----
---But- this abstract can be expanded on in the justification of that project--
abstract
Discourse on consumption and child-rearing in relation to current environmental and social injustices
The process of moving towards a more sustainable culture in the United States is a problem requiring a transdisciplinary approach because there are many issues to be addressed from many angles. Our current environmental crisis has its root in our social consciousness, so in deciding how to address the total problem of living a more sustainable lifestyle, one must examine the different reasons for our current situation and the possible results of any major changes in policy or practice. The reasons that many people are feeling the need for changes in our lifestyle have to do with the fact that we are relying on resources that are depleting quickly in an unstable economic situation. Many different organizations are set up to address many issues, but only in coming together can real changes arise.
Economists are currently trained to look at the most pressing issues of the world and decide which one is the most feasible to eradicate quickly for the least amount of money Unfortunately, most of the problems are intrinsically linked to treating symptoms instead of the actual disease. Conflicts arise because there is only so much money to go around, which leads people to focus most closely on issues related to the generation of economic growth; powered by increasing our consumption. Human rights issues are all weighed on an economical scale, because many people believe that if we put money in the right direction towards the best technological and scientific solutions, we can create resources to solve all the world's problems, including world hunger, population density, crime, health and environmental concerns. Most technological innovations are geared towards the ideas of maximizing efficiency and creating synthetic replacements for currently diminishing and/or harmful resources so that we can maintain the world we live in.
When people do realize that many physical problems are social ones, they look for ways to eradicate or combat them in ways that are not always conducive to the target groups. Understanding that global warming and many illnesses are related to certain chemicals in our products makes people look for ways to change or remove those chemicals from the products instead of figuring out which products we should simply stop making.
Our current sentiments are reflected by our treatment of children.People’s concern for better education of children revolves around the fact that we want to be a competing nation in industrial production and monetary wealth. States that have children who score lower on tests than others are encouraged to buy more advanced learning tools that equip them with what is needed to pass those tests to be able to later compete for jobs requiring certain skills. The general consensus is that if we have better television programs and more equipment, children will be more satisfied and have better morals so that they can function optimally within our current system.
However, the pressure to perform certain tasks, to complete certain tests, to maintain higher status and increase income level is the root of the problem. People can be better prepared for the jobs they do perform and guided toward an ethic that allows them to feel good enough about themselves that they will be freed of much of the stress that leads to many issues such as abject poverty, street crime, illness, and malice towards others.
When analyzing these connections between environmental and social injustices we can begin by deconstructing our current consumption patterns to explore a variety of means to transcend our plight. Starting with the exploration of cultural perceptions of the developing child, we can see how people are shaped by what is around them. This information allows us to begin to reshape the models to more effectively enhance their learning experiences, allowing room for growth and to foster more interactive experiences that connect them to one another as well as to the built and natural environments so that the intrinsic sense memories of those bonds can lead them to live fuller adult lives.
The process of moving towards a more sustainable culture in the United States is a problem requiring a transdisciplinary approach because there are many issues to be addressed from many angles. Our current environmental crisis has its root in our social consciousness, so in deciding how to address the total problem of living a more sustainable lifestyle, one must examine the different reasons for our current situation and the possible results of any major changes in policy or practice. The reasons that many people are feeling the need for changes in our lifestyle have to do with the fact that we are relying on resources that are depleting quickly in an unstable economic situation. Many different organizations are set up to address many issues, but only in coming together can real changes arise.
Economists are currently trained to look at the most pressing issues of the world and decide which one is the most feasible to eradicate quickly for the least amount of money Unfortunately, most of the problems are intrinsically linked to treating symptoms instead of the actual disease. Conflicts arise because there is only so much money to go around, which leads people to focus most closely on issues related to the generation of economic growth; powered by increasing our consumption. Human rights issues are all weighed on an economical scale, because many people believe that if we put money in the right direction towards the best technological and scientific solutions, we can create resources to solve all the world's problems, including world hunger, population density, crime, health and environmental concerns. Most technological innovations are geared towards the ideas of maximizing efficiency and creating synthetic replacements for currently diminishing and/or harmful resources so that we can maintain the world we live in.
When people do realize that many physical problems are social ones, they look for ways to eradicate or combat them in ways that are not always conducive to the target groups. Understanding that global warming and many illnesses are related to certain chemicals in our products makes people look for ways to change or remove those chemicals from the products instead of figuring out which products we should simply stop making.
Our current sentiments are reflected by our treatment of children.People’s concern for better education of children revolves around the fact that we want to be a competing nation in industrial production and monetary wealth. States that have children who score lower on tests than others are encouraged to buy more advanced learning tools that equip them with what is needed to pass those tests to be able to later compete for jobs requiring certain skills. The general consensus is that if we have better television programs and more equipment, children will be more satisfied and have better morals so that they can function optimally within our current system.
However, the pressure to perform certain tasks, to complete certain tests, to maintain higher status and increase income level is the root of the problem. People can be better prepared for the jobs they do perform and guided toward an ethic that allows them to feel good enough about themselves that they will be freed of much of the stress that leads to many issues such as abject poverty, street crime, illness, and malice towards others.
When analyzing these connections between environmental and social injustices we can begin by deconstructing our current consumption patterns to explore a variety of means to transcend our plight. Starting with the exploration of cultural perceptions of the developing child, we can see how people are shaped by what is around them. This information allows us to begin to reshape the models to more effectively enhance their learning experiences, allowing room for growth and to foster more interactive experiences that connect them to one another as well as to the built and natural environments so that the intrinsic sense memories of those bonds can lead them to live fuller adult lives.
Monday, January 18, 2010
senior project
1. my first choice for a senior project would be to host an event called Swap-o-rama-rama which basically entails that entrants bring 1 bag of clothes and up to $10 if a fee is necessary- they are then allowed to lay theirs out on tables and 'shop' through other people's things. The point is to encourage people the value of reuse. As well, there would be booths set up where volunteers would do small demos- ie- easy hemming, trimming- and adornment to allow the participants to leave with one of a kind items- a tag could be stitched in afterwards that states "made by me".
----- it is also a community building exercise in that - no mirrors are allowed-encouraging interactions - along with the small group lessons- the Swap-o-rama-rama event is an existing program, held nationwide, allowing hosts the use of the creative commons license, as long as no items are actually sold within.
2. this is a bit further out in that there is no existing model exactly- But another event idea I had was to hold a sponsored tricycle race for local families with small children as a fundraiser for sending bicycles to the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo. there are several organizations that are taking donations of approximately $180 per bike, and sending them to places where they are very much needed- So in this case each child entrant would be 'sponsored' as much as the family could raise- because they would represent one bicycle to be donated--- because $180 is alot to ask, the event would be a mini- field day type thing with a bake/craft sale - with games and things to draw people-- to the main focus------ The big toddler race
----- it is also a community building exercise in that - no mirrors are allowed-encouraging interactions - along with the small group lessons- the Swap-o-rama-rama event is an existing program, held nationwide, allowing hosts the use of the creative commons license, as long as no items are actually sold within.
2. this is a bit further out in that there is no existing model exactly- But another event idea I had was to hold a sponsored tricycle race for local families with small children as a fundraiser for sending bicycles to the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo. there are several organizations that are taking donations of approximately $180 per bike, and sending them to places where they are very much needed- So in this case each child entrant would be 'sponsored' as much as the family could raise- because they would represent one bicycle to be donated--- because $180 is alot to ask, the event would be a mini- field day type thing with a bake/craft sale - with games and things to draw people-- to the main focus------ The big toddler race
more explanatory stuff-- read only if youre bored--
there has been a growing faction of people who are choosing to live more sustainably, however in the most publicized scenarios- what is shown is what we need to do without- or to buy-- to offset carbon emissions, and be greener-and so forth--- well this is quite intimidating a prospect for alot of people of "mainstream American" who can't go to Whole Foods or live off a generator- with their 3 kids in the suburbs--- so they end up ignoring other things they can do-(besides the nearly mandated recycling)----
-
now also --- we are all feeling the pressure of economic discord and the desire for a 'happy life'- or have what everyone else does- regardless of the -should we part--- so what has been happening is alot of people working really long hours unhappily to pay for a bunch of crap they don't need-- and their kids really don't need as opposed to seeing what is they do have- and this is likely at the expense of family time and cohesiveness--- we are essentially moving back to 'the latchkey kid scenario' where families don't hardly see eachother-- complicated by digital communities which further alienate people to a degree--- but not even just for the cost of the basics--- people really do work triple time -so their kids can have freakin' Wii
--
still with me?-
-
now also --- we are all feeling the pressure of economic discord and the desire for a 'happy life'- or have what everyone else does- regardless of the -should we part--- so what has been happening is alot of people working really long hours unhappily to pay for a bunch of crap they don't need-- and their kids really don't need as opposed to seeing what is they do have- and this is likely at the expense of family time and cohesiveness--- we are essentially moving back to 'the latchkey kid scenario' where families don't hardly see eachother-- complicated by digital communities which further alienate people to a degree--- but not even just for the cost of the basics--- people really do work triple time -so their kids can have freakin' Wii
--
still with me?-
relevant courseworks/books/etc
some classes-child dvelopment B-age2
sustainable community develoment
introduction to color and light
social problems in America
gender,race,class
technology and society
(courses that relate people to the larger world)
15 years of in-home childcare experience- focus on children with learning challenges
emphasis on work in 2005-2007
work in 2005 with indigenous peoples of Tarahumara -in the mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico
work in 2005 in McComb,Mississippi and New Orleans(Kenner),Louisiana-with the Red Cross Distaster Relief team after Hurricane Katrina
Books- Resilience Thinking, The Senses Still, History from Things, Technology and the Future, Families on the Fault Line Natural Capitalism, Blessed Unrest, Sensuous Scholarship-
documentary films-
"An Inconvenient Truth"
"End of Suburbia"
"Blue Vinyl"
"Radiant City"
- the Sundance Channel show "Big Ideas for a Small Planet"---probably most of all of the Sundance Green pages
sustainable community develoment
introduction to color and light
social problems in America
gender,race,class
technology and society
(courses that relate people to the larger world)
15 years of in-home childcare experience- focus on children with learning challenges
emphasis on work in 2005-2007
work in 2005 with indigenous peoples of Tarahumara -in the mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico
work in 2005 in McComb,Mississippi and New Orleans(Kenner),Louisiana-with the Red Cross Distaster Relief team after Hurricane Katrina
Books- Resilience Thinking, The Senses Still, History from Things, Technology and the Future, Families on the Fault Line Natural Capitalism, Blessed Unrest, Sensuous Scholarship-
documentary films-
"An Inconvenient Truth"
"End of Suburbia"
"Blue Vinyl"
"Radiant City"
- the Sundance Channel show "Big Ideas for a Small Planet"---probably most of all of the Sundance Green pages
Sunday, January 17, 2010
my major concentration
long story less long--- my self-designed major -is what i titled -" the Social Justice of Environmental Stewardship"--- basically- i just wrote out the point moreso than 'a field'--- so you guys can see where i am actually going with it-- i will pare it down from here though
my point is-- there has been a long running reaction to our stamp on the planet--- and there is a growing movement to have more sustainable communities as well which include the social needs that are lacking-- ie- neighbors knowing each other and whatnot---
----
what is less concentrated on is the American family-- on that micro -level-- the dynamic in which kids grow and impressions of the outside world are actually created- esepcially within the revved up--- well -overdetermined middle class--
---- so i have spent a ton of time with really little kids-
----as well-- i have a background in art and interior design- --- i began to notice how people relate to the things they surround themselves with--
--electronic toys- ipods for 5 year olds- tv characters as life coaches--- but also noticed that for the good intentions parents really do have -- the stuff that they are concentrating on giving their kids-- is not only unnecessary-- it is creating a decline in interactions to the point that preschool children on a wide scale are underperforming--- they are basically not only socially losing out--- if ya don't nurture the little guys in those pivotal years--- they actually stay underdeveloped in spatial relations-critical thinking-problem solving-- etc along with the emotional detachment issues
--- so when i was working with children who had been given alot-- but not always what they needed most-
- i noticed that simplifing play--- and actually removing the excess in their lives(as well as very concentrated one on one attention) helped increase concentration and eventually confidence in their schoolwork and budding social lives because they had chances to practice more in a quieter, safe environment-
ta da--(in the grossly summed up way that skipped most the steps)
plus further results-
when kids became more able to entertain themselves with less-- and stuff was cleared--- the house was cleaner---- parents were happier--- and it actually created more time for them to just concentrate on their kids-interjected with how they relate to eachother--
kids really are not only capable of understanding how they relate to the world and the environment- but they like that kinda stuff----- so making games out of recycling, etc and age appropriately explaining/ role-modeling good eco- habits - can change their WANT pattern----- (you have to be crafty in doing it) but real behavior changes result---
so because i know people want to do environmentally friendly things-- but aren't sure how--- i sort of made 'family formulas' based on their actual needs---- and abilities to commit--- and ended up with a good outcome-- for the family and the environment
my point is-- there has been a long running reaction to our stamp on the planet--- and there is a growing movement to have more sustainable communities as well which include the social needs that are lacking-- ie- neighbors knowing each other and whatnot---
----
what is less concentrated on is the American family-- on that micro -level-- the dynamic in which kids grow and impressions of the outside world are actually created- esepcially within the revved up--- well -overdetermined middle class--
---- so i have spent a ton of time with really little kids-
----as well-- i have a background in art and interior design- --- i began to notice how people relate to the things they surround themselves with--
--electronic toys- ipods for 5 year olds- tv characters as life coaches--- but also noticed that for the good intentions parents really do have -- the stuff that they are concentrating on giving their kids-- is not only unnecessary-- it is creating a decline in interactions to the point that preschool children on a wide scale are underperforming--- they are basically not only socially losing out--- if ya don't nurture the little guys in those pivotal years--- they actually stay underdeveloped in spatial relations-critical thinking-problem solving-- etc along with the emotional detachment issues
--- so when i was working with children who had been given alot-- but not always what they needed most-
- i noticed that simplifing play--- and actually removing the excess in their lives(as well as very concentrated one on one attention) helped increase concentration and eventually confidence in their schoolwork and budding social lives because they had chances to practice more in a quieter, safe environment-
ta da--(in the grossly summed up way that skipped most the steps)
plus further results-
when kids became more able to entertain themselves with less-- and stuff was cleared--- the house was cleaner---- parents were happier--- and it actually created more time for them to just concentrate on their kids-interjected with how they relate to eachother--
kids really are not only capable of understanding how they relate to the world and the environment- but they like that kinda stuff----- so making games out of recycling, etc and age appropriately explaining/ role-modeling good eco- habits - can change their WANT pattern----- (you have to be crafty in doing it) but real behavior changes result---
so because i know people want to do environmentally friendly things-- but aren't sure how--- i sort of made 'family formulas' based on their actual needs---- and abilities to commit--- and ended up with a good outcome-- for the family and the environment
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