emotions

It is always difficult to distinguish between a feeling and emotion. According to "The managed heart" feelings are the initial thing that we feel. The emotion is the underlying and deeper feeling. We think about out feeling and turn it into an emotion. In America, we show are emotions. We "wear our emotions on our sleeves". Now is this normal? Do we really always have to show an emotion all the time. Showing your emotion is especially important for jobs. Also in America, we must FAKE an emotion for the satisfaction of others. An example that we talked about in class was a flight attendant. For many flight attendants, they must smile and cater to everyone's needs and wants. They must portray that they are happy. Their true emotions must be pushed a side in order to make the customer happy. This is also true in the sales world. I worked as a sales associate for two summers. There were days when I would have such a bad day, but I could never show it to the customer. I always had to make sure that they were alright and that they were finding everything to their likable standards. Although this is hard sometimes, I feel that this is a norm for our society. Our society puts up fronts. We hid our true selves in order to hide our true feelings or our emotions for the sake of other people.

abortion, class and race

Going back to wednesdays class, abortion came up in our class. In American society, abortion and teenage pregnancy seem to be major taboos for teenagers. However, for the Mexican-Americans, this was a sign of adulthood. This is what they were aspiring for. Middle class white girls get birth control and often get abortions. This is because a) they can afford it, and b) because like the preps, they want to seem innocent and "pure". They don't want ot be seen as promiscuous. They also have resources that are readily available to them. One of these resources is money. Also, White American girls want to have children later because they want to take the path of college. They want to get a good education because they believe it will create a more comfortable way of living.

However, for the Mexican-American girls a baby would be like a badge a girl scout would get. It's an accomplishment. Abortion is not an option. A reason why this is so is because of their religion. In Catholicism, abortions are looked down upon. A fetus has life, and abortion is killing a life. This is a sin. Therefore, keeping the baby is better than being seen as a sinner.

Clothing and culture

In the book, the subject of clothing and make up became an issue in the book. The Mexican American girls wore darker make up and baggier clothes than the preps. The preps went more natural and wore more form fitting clothing. For the Mexican-Americans, this was to make them look older and help them achieve (or what they perceived to be) an adult status within their community. This appearance of a darker and older appearance pushed away the the child like aspect, even though in reality, they are still really children. Another way that they want to get rid of their "childish" image is by having a child. They think that this will boost them into an adult stratosphere.

However, I feel that teenagers are always trying to look and act older. When I was a teenager, I remember wanting to be treated somewhat like an adult. Teenagers want freedom and parents are reluctant to give them that freedom because they are still just children. I also feel that our society is shifting into a materialistic society which is transcending down into the younger generations. Teenagers focus so much on their appearance and clothing. It's almost an obsession. We want people to think we're cool, so we wear the coolest clothes, nicest scents, etc. I feel like this is also going deeper into the younger generations.

Also, in Latino cultures, having children when you are a teenager is acceptable. It is not something that is shunned out of their society. The Mexican-American girls feels like it gives them a sense of purpose. These cultural upbringings change the way these girls view adulthood. This also changes the way that they may see sexuality. It is interesting because in a way this rejects alot of social norms. For instance, in many situations, a teen pregnancy would look down upon. I know that in Hawaii, it would be taboo to have a teen pregnancy. I feel that girls would be looked down upon by society. However, in the Mexican-American societies, it is widely accepted.

Class culture

Julie Bettie brought up class as a culture. She says that class differences and meaning are shaped by how people, especially girls experience gender and race. She also says that class culture plus gender and race has something to do with inequality.

She says that class identity is shaped through markets and the buying of commodities. Class identity is also fueled by institutions like school, family, peers, and society. I also believe that class identity is formed by the amount of money one person has. Depending on the amount of money you have, you are able to buy commodities for social and personal relationships. Women feel that they must compete with one another to see who can outshine who. Bettie says that women of lower class status contrast themselved to people of higher status. This puts a "hidden injury" or psychological burden on them.