Our Closets as History

Having taught history, I loved bringing in popular culture, music, and clothing of the time periods into lessons. It captured my students’ attention and engaged them with the material; it seemed like all teenagers have something to say about clothes and fashion. In particular, I loved discussing the fashion of the 1920s with my students and helping them understand how clothing of the 1920s was a strong cultural shift against society and prohibition. I would even wear some of my grandma’s old flapper hats and 1930s dresses during class (she was born in 1912) and teach kids the Charleston dance. Flappers were the rebellious teenage girls of the 1920s. They dared to wear the “bob” haircut, wear short skirts, sleeveless dresses, and hats. To help kids understand the 1920s “flapper era," I had kids list all of the popular clothes of today. After having them analyze pictures from the 1920s along with a few video clips, they created a double bubble map to compare and contrast the 1920s clothing with today’s clothing. This made them create some strong generalizations about the meaning behind clothing and helped them realize clothing was a way to express their individuality and in the case of the 1920s, to dance and have fun in speakeasies.

Shift ahead to today and we still see clothing that makes us go “WHY???? Consider clothes (or the lack of clothes) that Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus have worn on stage and in music videos. While some may take clothing as superficial and non-meaningful, I think we can pick up some significant political and cultural meaning in clothing. I also think that clothing goes hand-in-hand with music trends; musicians and celebrities tend to set the stage as to what is popular; and oftentimes, we can link this music back to the politics of the time.

My closet....

When I was in elementary school, it was all about the tight-rolled Girbaud jeans, hyper-color t-shirts, and florescent scrunches. I just had to have the name-brand jeans or else you weren’t “popular.” Those jeans were a status symbol for all teenagers. In high school, I experienced the “grunge” look. Grunge of the 1990s has been viewed as the “return of the hippy era.” The grunge music scene from Seattle pushed ahead into mainstream culture. I just HAD to have a pair of “Doc Martin’ boots. I remember wearing flannel shirts and even raided my mom’s closet to find some pretty cool bell bottoms and wide-legged jeans. My friends and I always took shopping trips to Ragstock and Thriftstores to find baggy and clothes with the “worn-look.” The mid-90s were definitely a “baggy look” and guys and girls tended to look…well….grungy. Perhaps Nirvana and Kurt Cobain influenced our ideas to rebel against looking preppy. Maybe the grunge and hip-hop look of the 1990s was in response to violence of the 90s or the liberal political era??? With a president facing charges of sexual misconduct and school shootings increasing, I think many teenagers lost hope in the government and carried a “whatever” attitude about authority. I think many teenagers in the 1990s wore clothes that would go against any authority, but then again, isn’t that the way it always is? (maybe I’m just over-analyzing the connection between fashion and politics!!)

Britney and Miley show all!

I will never forget watching Britney Spears in a pretty-much naked outfit at the 2000 MTV Video Awards. Watch out! Sex is back and sex sells! I think this contributed to a shift of sexuality, both in music, and with teenage girls. Sometimes I think the clothes girls wear are just too much! The past few years have revealed a more sexual look in girls’ clothing. Skinny jeans, tight minni skirts, and skinny-strap tanks show too much for 13 and 14 year-olds. Skip ahead to today and Miley Cyrus does a Vanity Fair magazine shoot wearing….well….a sheet. For being 15/16, she sure promotes sexuality in clothing choices. Have you seen her “Party in the USA” music video? It’s a hit with the middle-school crowd, but she’s wearing short shorts, shows lots of cleavage and is wearing cowboy boots. Too sexual for a 13 year old to be idolizing, in my opinion.















Prom....a.k.a High School Weddings

Prom takes on a whole new meaning for today’s teenagers. It’s as if they are getting married! Girls spend enormous amounts of money on dresses, hair, make-up, shoes, getting nails done, etc. WOW. I oftentimes wonder if the moms are re-living their high school proms through their daughters…..or trying to create a mini-wedding out of prom. Even more shocking are the dresses….they are shorter and skimpier! I remember a very controversial prom dress that was shows in Seventeen Magazine a few years ago. I remember this because I had a discussion about it with some students in my homeroom. This Prom Dress was just too much with strips of cloth only covering the front; it’s as if they are trying to create an adult out of a teenager….or maybe a stripper out of a teenager! In May 2008, a girl was kicked out of her prom for wearing a too revealing dress. I actually commend the school for taking a stand on prom dresses. High Schools should promote a High School Prom, not a strip-joint. See the article here. It has been noted, however, that proms are shifting towards a more conservative look. More full ball gowns are in style, which illustrates a return to the elegant and classic look. Hopefully dresses are creating more of an innocent look rather than the stripper look. Perhaps we’ve seen the end of the stripper-looking dresses for awhile. We can only hope!

Eco-Fashion: Trend of the Future?

Our culture and society today is definitely trying to create a more sustainable and earth-friendly environment through recycling of products. We promote reusable materials, such as reusable grocery bags, and encourage energy efficient light bulbs. There is also a greater shift in buying local, organic foods. Have you noticed this trend is starting to take hold in clothing? We can express our political and social beliefs through buying organic and fairly-traded clothing. Organic and natural clothing is much more readily available, particularly with cotton t-shirts. Why not wear sustainable clothing to help the environment? You can even buy recycled bags that are made from juice cartons! If you feel strongly about the environment, make a statement about it through clothing!

Socially-Conscious Teens=Socially-Conscious Clothing

The millennial generation has been noted to be the most progressive, most socially conscious, and most likely to make world change since the baby boomers. I have noticed that young people’s attitude to “make a difference” has transgressed into clothing. Some young people are buying and wearing Tom’s Shoes. If you buy a pair of Tom’s Shoes, another pair will automatically go to an impoverished child in need. So, now, teenagers and adults can shop for a cause and purchase clothing that is meaningful and makes a difference. You can showcase your concern for world issues through your footwear.
Check out Tom’s Shoes Here: http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp

While I think that clothing definitely reflects personal attitude and individuality, I think one can easily pick up some cultural and social meanings in clothing. Teenagers’ worlds tend to revolve around wearing the “latest” clothing item. While they may experiment with their sexuality and adult-roles through clothing, we can also hope that some clothes can reflect more meaningful considerations, such as with Tom’s Shoes. I look forward to telling my grandkids about the clothes I wore in high school! I have definitely saved a few shirts and accessories that epitomize the time….our closets can be history!

Toys: Multiculturalism, Gender Roles, and Politics

This week’s readings and blog entry was a flash back in time! I immediately began thinking of my childhood toys and the influence they had on my development. I started by thinking of all the toys I played with growing up--My Little Pony, Barbie, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Rainbow Bright, and She-Ra Figurines-- to examine the role that toys have on defining gender roles and children’s views of the world. Toys peak kids’ imagination and act as their link to the future jobs, roles, friends, and fantasies. So what do these toys reveal? How do these toys create stereotypical gender roles or help ‘break’ kids from stereotypical roles? I decided to pick a few toys which I believe have strong messages and meaning. Most are geared toward my childhood experiences with "girl toys."



I recall my experience getting my much anticipated cabbage patch doll at Christmas when I was 6 years old. I remember going to the store and picking out my doll with my mom. She figured I would want a blonde-haired, blue-eyed cabbage patch doll that looks like me. Viewing the Cabbage Patch commercials from the 1980s, it’s as if little girls were supposed to choose a doll that best resembles themselves and care for it as if it were a miniature version of themselves. Why wouldn’t a little girl want a doll that looks like them? When looking at the huge display of all kinds of cabbage patch dolls in the store, I pointed to the African American Cabbage Patch Doll and boldly stated “I want that one.” I don’t think my mother knew what to say or think. I remember her asking me, “Are you sure you want that one, Gina? Don’t you want one that looks like you?” I responded with a strong, “NO. I want that doll.” I couldn’t wait for that doll for Christmas! Thinking back to this experience, I am not sure where I got the idea of wanting an African American cabbage patch doll, since I am from European decent (Good ol’ German and Norwegian). I didn’t have any friends of different ethnicities than me and I didn’t play with other African American dolls. Looking back on it, I’m glad my mom bought me that doll. I believed it carried a strong message. Even at 6 years old, I think it taught me respect for others and encouraged me to be accepting of everyone. Dolls teach girls strong messages….girls play with dolls as if they were their own. Girls develop caring and nurturing skills that definitely help create a “motherly” instinct. With my cabbage patch dolls, I like to think it revealed my strong future values of diversity and multiculturalism.

Flash forward a few years and I soon became obsessed with Barbie! And I sure had my fair share of Barbies! Barbie family, Barbie Dog, and of course Barbie corvette, house, and beach hotdog stand! Opposite of my multicultural Cabbage Patch Dolls, my Barbie Dolls were pretty much all blonde-haired and wore skimpy dresses and bikinis. Granted, Mattel introduced the “Doctor Barbie” and other occupations to teach girls that you can grow up to be anything. However, I think the overall message that Barbies send is the idea that you have to be tall and thin to be beautiful. Barbie's body proportions could realistically never be possible on a woman. Morever, I look at the Barbie videos with “Barbie and Friends” and I’ve noticed that in everything Barbie, the blonde-haired Barbie is the “leader of the pack” with her other friends being less significant. Brown-haired Barbies, African American Barbies, and Asian Barbies are never featured in commercials or advertisements as much as the Blonde-haired Barbie. I often think this sends such a wrong message to young girls…..that you have to “look” a certain way to be the “leader” or “most popular.”

I was also totally into “She-Ra: Princess of Power!” She-Ra is the girl version of He-Man. While I realize that She-Ra is totally wearing a tight outfit with a mini-skirt, I think it sent a positive message. With a sword in hand, she’s ready to fight off evil and defend her land. I think this taught me that girls can be just as powerful as boys. Girls can do anything boys can do. Women can rule the country just as much as men can.

Toys teach us gender roles at a very young age. When I think of boy toys …Gi-Jo, trucks, figurines, and blocks often come to mind. Toys are often marketed by gender with specifics geared towards girls or boys. Can kitchen sets’ by gender-neutral? My sister bought my nephew a kitchen complete with food…..not sure what I thought about this at first, but glad that he’s able to experiment and play with toys that are not typical boy toys. My sister and brother-in-law are sending the message that boys can have a role in the kitchen. Perhaps he will be called a “Chef” but he should learn to cook up a great meal! Most toys do come gender-defined, so how can society still encourage girls and boys that they can grow up to be whatever they want?

Dora the Explorer. My cousin is a big fan of Dora the Explorer for her children. I love Dora. Not only does she speak Spanish and encourages multiculturalism, but she also does not do your typical “girl doll” things. She climbs trees, loves the outdoors, plays sports, and is up for adventure. She re-defines stereotypical gender roles and illustrates that girls can be as adventurous as boys! Most importantly, she’s smart and encourages girls that they can be anything they want! She is a much better alternative to Bratz Dolls or Hannah Montana.

Lastly….the politics of American Girl Dolls
The latest craze among little girls is the infamous American Girl Doll. American Girls Dolls feature dolls from different eras with their story attached. The Mall of America recently opened the American Girl Doll store where you can buy accessories and get your dolls’ hair done! There are even American Girl Doll parties at the store. I do love the books and stories about history that comes with these dolls. I think they teach young girls to be appreciative of the history and the values that can influence a person’s life. However, the most recent American Girl doll is “Gwen: the Homeless Doll.” She costs $95 and the money does not go to charity, which has caused an stir. While many support the creation of this dolls, kids who are homeless could never afford it. The story that the dolls comes with explains that the father ran out on the family and the mother couldn’t make ends meet, so they end up living in a car. However, most single mothers do make it without ending up on the streets. (with the right kind of support) I wonder if the creators felt that as the American Girl Dolls was somehow needed to dispel myths? What kind of message does this send about fathers and fatherhood? While the company was trying to send a positive message of acceptance, perhaps they should have thought about the messages that this could send. Is it possible to create the identities of people and society through toys? Should we be teaching children about society issues through toys? To what extent? While we can try, there will always be controversy and a better alternative or approach will be argued.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/homeless_doll_costs_hairstyling_4Ic0hC7Lacpfo8HQbczsQM

Caribou, Soda, and Junk Food

I really enjoyed this week’s reading because I could recall many experiences teaching where food direclty impacts my students and school. I’ve had experiences both in urban situations and suburban situations; while they share many similarities, I think there are some vast differences in the role food plays in their culture. I was very suprised that Walker and White mentioned eating disorders also becoming an urban problem, as my immediate thought on eating disorders turns to white suburban teenage girls. I think urban and low-income students have many other factors that impact their health. I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a household where family dinners were the norm. However, the busier Americans get, our health and ability to experience a healthy lifestyle suffers. I’m excited to share many of my thoughts and ideas in this blog.

In my experience teaching in an affluent suburban middle school, popular coffee drinks play a large role in making you “popular.” I admit, I would get my share of coffee in the morning to make it through the school day. With a coffee shop at almost every corner, it's hard to resist. Many times, I would run into my students grabbing a coffee with their parents! Caffeine addiction is starting in middle school. I recall many situations where girls would come strolling to school with a Caribou Coffee in their hand, begging me to let me finish it during first hour class! Many of these girls sported a Caribou Coffee in hand like an accessory. Ironically, these were also the girls concerned with their weight. Many of the girls reminded me of the image of MaryKate Olson with a thin body and coffee in hand. At lunch time, these girls would not eat healthy foods, but choose the fries or pizza at lunch and only pick at it!

Walker and White commented, “If girls come to school hungry, they will not develop to their full potential. When you are hungry, your powers of concentration are not sharep; your attention span is short.” (139) I feel that our education system and culture fails to teach young women about proper nutrition and diet. Many young girls today watch “America’s Next Top Model” and are influenced by the stick-think models. White and Walker stated, “Images of thin, beautiful, and successful women are constantly bombarding us, implying that while being thin begets love and success, being fat, or even average to large, leads to one being unloved, unwanted, and unworthy.” (131)

So what can change this? Do plus-size models have a place in our society? Many “plus-size” (which is really size 10 or 12; the average size of American women) models have been featured in magazines and on the show “America’s Next Top Model.” When they do make the cover of a magazine, the media makes a huge announcement about it as if it’s out of the ordinary to be normal size. I recall when Glamour Magazine featured 20-year-old model Lizzi Miller. I think it was fantastic that Glamour Magazine recognized and appreciated what most women look like. I only wish that this wouldn’t be considered a special feature but be seen regularly in all magazines. Perhaps if the media would show images of normal looking young girls, it would also become the norm for young teens. Perhaps if young girls saw women looking healthy AND happy on the front covers, they would not become overly concerned with being thin themselves….we can only hope.


Soda also played a large role in school. The previous school I taught at banned caffeine drinks in the soda machines. Interestingly enough, I remember the day in which I caught my favorite students selling special edition "Mountain Dew Game Fuel" from his locker for $5 a can! I took it from him and said that he can “look for it on e-bay!” More and more, kids have become addicted to soda and energy drinks and this has a direct impact on their school. They become hyper and wild in class from drinking it, and then by the afternoon crash and become droggy and tired. In addition, these energy drinks and soda can have a direct impact on obesity. Although the school can take a stand on soda and candy by banning it from machines, kids will still find a way to have it.

I have also been very much interested in the Documentary series titled “Unnatural Causes” which looks at how where you live predicts your health. Research shows that those living in urban settings lack the resources to find healthy food options. Within the average urban neighborhood, the only available options are fast food, which has significantly contributed to the health of people of low-income, immigrants, and minorities. If kids want something to eat, their only option is the processed junk food from the local gas station. As a result, school has often become the place where youth receive a healthy meal through free and reduced lunch programs. While cities fail to provide adequate policies about fast-food restaurants within a certain area, schooling and education have to step in and provide for students. Unnatural Causes


Assignment Ideas


When I taught history, I often talked about the role food played during World War II. I discussed invention of SPAM and how it replaced meat for the soldiers. Most importantly, I discussed WWII Victory Gardens and how women and children contributed to the war effort through gardening. I think that organic and locally grown products are making a comeback....slowly but surely. I am very impressed that our First Lady Michelle Obama has brought Victory Gardens back! She has created a community garden at the white house to teach young school children about gardening as well as providing organic food for the White House.

I also think another way to incorporate food into lessons is to explore hunger through a service-learning project. This would be appropriate on both a local and global level. Kids should understand why hunger exists in their own communities and solve ways to prevent it. I think for a geography class, it would be ideal to explore food distribution across the world and explore why there is an inequality of food and resources. In an economics class, kids could try to balance a family household budget and determine the difficult choices some people are forced to make in providing healthy meals to their families. Local Twin Cities Organizations such as 2nd Harvest Heartland and Feed My Starving Children do a great job in educating volunteers about hunger and how kids can help reduce it.