Mask Project:
Artist Statement:
My mask is about how I am breaking the cycle of socialization as a lesbian. Half of my mask is rainbow, this represents that I am proud to be who I am. In the rainbow instead of an eye is an upside down black triangle. This is a symbol of feminism and lesbianism. The background on the other side of the mask is painted black because I think it creates unity with the triangle on the other side. In place of an eye on the black side is a lambda, this is the international lesbian and gay symbol. When being gay was a crime in many places, gay people would wear this symbol to identify each other. At the bottom on the black side is the equal symbol, this represents equal love for everyone. This is how I have been socialized and am trying to break the cycle.
Project Reflection:
Socialization is how we are taught to be. It starts as soon as we can understand words, and it never ends. Socialization has affected my life because to a certain extent society has shaped me into the person I am today. I have been told by society to look and act a certain way. Although I am not the ideal person of society, I have been made into the person I am today with a lot of influence from society and how I have been socialized.
The mask project is a project where we talked about how we have been socialized. We started with learning about the cycle of socialization, and wrote our essays based on how we have been socialized by our gender, sexuality, race, class, religion, or if we are able bodied or not. After we started on our first drafts of the essays, we created masks that represent our essays. My mask represents my essay because it shows that I am breaking the cycle of socialization by being proud and outspoken about who I am.
Writing our essays was a long, thorough process. The first thing we did was write our four body paragraphs, and we did a lot of peer critique. Then we wrote our introduction, and then our conclusion. Some important ideas and techniques I learned through this process was that I can never get too much feedback about my writing. I learned that in order to make a great piece of writing I have to have a lot of different people read it. It was very helpful to have so many different kinds of feedback.
I am proud of the fact that I am getting better at presenting my work to people I don’t know. This has always been hard for me, but I think being at Animas is going to help me with it. Presenting is something I do need to improve upon, my experience so far at this school has helped me to start being less shy.
The mask project is a project where we talked about how we have been socialized. We started with learning about the cycle of socialization, and wrote our essays based on how we have been socialized by our gender, sexuality, race, class, religion, or if we are able bodied or not. After we started on our first drafts of the essays, we created masks that represent our essays. My mask represents my essay because it shows that I am breaking the cycle of socialization by being proud and outspoken about who I am.
Writing our essays was a long, thorough process. The first thing we did was write our four body paragraphs, and we did a lot of peer critique. Then we wrote our introduction, and then our conclusion. Some important ideas and techniques I learned through this process was that I can never get too much feedback about my writing. I learned that in order to make a great piece of writing I have to have a lot of different people read it. It was very helpful to have so many different kinds of feedback.
I am proud of the fact that I am getting better at presenting my work to people I don’t know. This has always been hard for me, but I think being at Animas is going to help me with it. Presenting is something I do need to improve upon, my experience so far at this school has helped me to start being less shy.
Essay- Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are:
“Oh my god! That guy is so cute!” This is what I heard constantly during seventh grade recess. These conversations would make me extremely uncomfortable because I was afraid of being asked who I liked and feeling like I had to lie about it, I felt like a fish out of water. As a result of not talking during these times one of the girls in the group would call me a lesbian. It would have been fine if the way she said it wasn’t so accusatory, and she made it clear that she would not want be around anybody who was a lesbian. It made me afraid to come out, and I didn’t until I moved across the country, from Appleton, Maine to Bayfield, Colorado, and then to Durango. In society today, we are taught that being gay is something that should be frowned upon. This is another reason why I, and so many people like me, have to build up their courage for months in order to come out. Even though I didn’t have a lot of support from a few people at school and aspects of the media, my parents and friends have always been extremely supportive of me. Growing up, my parents never expected me to be a certain orientation. They have always been supportive of me being myself. I will do the best I can to break this negative socialization and continue and increase positive socialization for me and all other lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Together we will make a change in our society.
Socialization is how people are taught to be who they are supposed to be. Socialization begins at birth. We grow up listening to our family’s ideas and views. Those ideas and views become ours until we are old enough to to think for ourselves, although these views still have a major impact on who we are. Once we start going to school and interacting with people other than family we are exposed to more ideas and views, this is where we are exposed to culture and the media. Through these stages we learn how to act in order to conform to be the people society says we should be. If we do conform, we are rewarded for being the ideal person; if we don’t conform, we are treated as second-class citizens and sometimes treated very badly for being truthful about who we are. People who don’t conform, are sometimes called target groups ¨Target groups include women; racially oppressed groups; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people; disabled people; Jews; elders; youth; and people living in poverty¨ (Baker-Miller and Hardiman and Jackson). These people can be targeted and harassed by people who are not part of a target group. This all results in a cycle where nobody wins; someone is always unhappy, either because they are treated differently because of who they are, or oppressed groups are gaining power and people are afraid and angry about that. The best thing we can do to break this cycle is either be true to yourself, if you are part of an oppressed group and, or make sure you speak up about your views, so people can have better lives.
I have been negatively socialized by the stereotype of what girls are supposed to be like, including liking boys, impressing boys, and being submissive towards their boyfriends. The message that girls get in society and especially the media is that they have to put all their energy into getting a boyfriend and looking good for him. Television and movies have very big impact on us as children; Disney movies are certainly something that most Americans can can remember from their childhood. These movies can have a huge impact on kids, whether it be good or bad about how they should act. Girls are supposed to be pretty, submissive, dumb, nice, and do anything they can to get a man; and boys are supposed to be strong, smart, handsome, and save the girls. These messages teach kids they have to be straight in order to to lead a great life, society has made being gay a bad thing. Most of the time when there are lesbian characters in TV and movies they are portrayed as either scary or extremely sexualized. These sexualized versions of lesbians seem to have relationships with men as well as women, the relationships with two women don’t last long and seem to exist solely for the entertainment of men. We are extremely underrepresented in the media, “GLAAD estimates that lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) scripted characters represent 4.4% of all scripted series regular characters on the five broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, and NBC. Additionally GLAAD counted 19 recurring characters on primetime broadcast scripted series.” (GLAAD). The media needs to understand that what they show has an influence on people whether it be good or bad. ¨When we’re fighting for representation, we shouldn’t have to rely on little bits pulled out of interviews. If something is that important, it should be stated in the text of the canon.¨ (Quinn Kess). Directors and Authors need to openly represent all kinds of people and, there needs to be more depictions of lesbians in healthy committed relationships.
I have been negatively socialized by peers when they use the words gay or queer when they are complaining about something or insulting someone. When people say ¨That’s so gay¨ it can be very insulting to people around them. They have no idea if someone who is gay is near them when they say it. These kind of comments can keep people in the closet for longer than they would have liked. Saying this can scare people into thinking they will be bullied by everyone because this has become such a common term. If someone says these things, it can escalate into bullying. People may not know how big a toll bullying can be on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer teens (LGBTQQ). Statistics show that “64% felt unsafe at school due to sexual orientation, 32% did not go to school for at least one day because of feeling unsafe, 44% experienced physical harassment and 22% experienced stronger violence.” (NoBullying.com). “As many as 93 percent of teenagers hear derogatory words about sexual orientation at least once in a while, with more than half of teens surveyed hearing such words every day at school and in the community.” (Jane Riese LSW). The only way to stop these terrible things from happening LGBTQQ teens is to make school a safe space for everyone, and have severe punishments for bullying.
I have been positively socialized by my parents because they are always supportive of me being myself. My parents always emphasize that it is okay to be who I am, they understand that being myself is one of the best things I can do for my well-being. “We want you to honor who you are and never be afraid to come to us if you have questions concerns or are experiencing any negative pushback from anyone for you being you.” It is not healthy to live a lie, or to be afraid to admit who you are. I am incredibly lucky to have people in my life who love me for who I am and not judge me for who they think I should be. “We are proud and inspired by your brave commitment to your personal expression to your self in a society that may not always support your outward expression and appearance”. (Krutsky, Anna) My parents have enabled me to be okay with who I am, and not to be afraid of judgement or harassment.
Even though society, people, and the media does not always respect and represent me and people like me, and I have felt like a fish out of water; I am happy with the life I have. I am finding amazing gay role models, and I am aware that there are gay communities anywhere. After writing this essay, I have realized that no matter what people or society tells me to do; there are always people who will support me.
Works Cited
Graham, Jessica. ¨What is Being Gay? (According to The Media)¨, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJyV85J1VhM. Published 4/23/12 Accessed 9/18/14
¨LGBT Bullying Statistics¨, http://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/. Published 2014 Accessed 9/25/14
¨Where We Are On TV Report: 2012-2013 Season¨, http://www.glaad.org/publications/whereweareontv12. Published 2014 Accessed 9/28/14
Fierro, Elizabeth. ¨Media Representation: What it Means & Why It’s Important¨, http://thehpalliance.org/2013/08/media-representation-what-it-means-why-its-important/. Published 9/4/13 Accessed 9/29/14
jonesyy217. ¨Female Stereotypes in Disney Films¨, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-57zKcmrT6M. Published 12/12/11 Accessed 9/18/14
Riese, Jane. ¨Youth Who Are Bullied Based Upon Perceptions About Their Sexual Orientation¨, http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_sexual_orientation.page. Published 2014 Accessed 9/29/14
Harro, Bobbie, ¨The Cycle Of Socialization¨
Krutsky, Anna, Personal Interview, 9/27/14
Socialization is how people are taught to be who they are supposed to be. Socialization begins at birth. We grow up listening to our family’s ideas and views. Those ideas and views become ours until we are old enough to to think for ourselves, although these views still have a major impact on who we are. Once we start going to school and interacting with people other than family we are exposed to more ideas and views, this is where we are exposed to culture and the media. Through these stages we learn how to act in order to conform to be the people society says we should be. If we do conform, we are rewarded for being the ideal person; if we don’t conform, we are treated as second-class citizens and sometimes treated very badly for being truthful about who we are. People who don’t conform, are sometimes called target groups ¨Target groups include women; racially oppressed groups; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people; disabled people; Jews; elders; youth; and people living in poverty¨ (Baker-Miller and Hardiman and Jackson). These people can be targeted and harassed by people who are not part of a target group. This all results in a cycle where nobody wins; someone is always unhappy, either because they are treated differently because of who they are, or oppressed groups are gaining power and people are afraid and angry about that. The best thing we can do to break this cycle is either be true to yourself, if you are part of an oppressed group and, or make sure you speak up about your views, so people can have better lives.
I have been negatively socialized by the stereotype of what girls are supposed to be like, including liking boys, impressing boys, and being submissive towards their boyfriends. The message that girls get in society and especially the media is that they have to put all their energy into getting a boyfriend and looking good for him. Television and movies have very big impact on us as children; Disney movies are certainly something that most Americans can can remember from their childhood. These movies can have a huge impact on kids, whether it be good or bad about how they should act. Girls are supposed to be pretty, submissive, dumb, nice, and do anything they can to get a man; and boys are supposed to be strong, smart, handsome, and save the girls. These messages teach kids they have to be straight in order to to lead a great life, society has made being gay a bad thing. Most of the time when there are lesbian characters in TV and movies they are portrayed as either scary or extremely sexualized. These sexualized versions of lesbians seem to have relationships with men as well as women, the relationships with two women don’t last long and seem to exist solely for the entertainment of men. We are extremely underrepresented in the media, “GLAAD estimates that lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) scripted characters represent 4.4% of all scripted series regular characters on the five broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, and NBC. Additionally GLAAD counted 19 recurring characters on primetime broadcast scripted series.” (GLAAD). The media needs to understand that what they show has an influence on people whether it be good or bad. ¨When we’re fighting for representation, we shouldn’t have to rely on little bits pulled out of interviews. If something is that important, it should be stated in the text of the canon.¨ (Quinn Kess). Directors and Authors need to openly represent all kinds of people and, there needs to be more depictions of lesbians in healthy committed relationships.
I have been negatively socialized by peers when they use the words gay or queer when they are complaining about something or insulting someone. When people say ¨That’s so gay¨ it can be very insulting to people around them. They have no idea if someone who is gay is near them when they say it. These kind of comments can keep people in the closet for longer than they would have liked. Saying this can scare people into thinking they will be bullied by everyone because this has become such a common term. If someone says these things, it can escalate into bullying. People may not know how big a toll bullying can be on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer teens (LGBTQQ). Statistics show that “64% felt unsafe at school due to sexual orientation, 32% did not go to school for at least one day because of feeling unsafe, 44% experienced physical harassment and 22% experienced stronger violence.” (NoBullying.com). “As many as 93 percent of teenagers hear derogatory words about sexual orientation at least once in a while, with more than half of teens surveyed hearing such words every day at school and in the community.” (Jane Riese LSW). The only way to stop these terrible things from happening LGBTQQ teens is to make school a safe space for everyone, and have severe punishments for bullying.
I have been positively socialized by my parents because they are always supportive of me being myself. My parents always emphasize that it is okay to be who I am, they understand that being myself is one of the best things I can do for my well-being. “We want you to honor who you are and never be afraid to come to us if you have questions concerns or are experiencing any negative pushback from anyone for you being you.” It is not healthy to live a lie, or to be afraid to admit who you are. I am incredibly lucky to have people in my life who love me for who I am and not judge me for who they think I should be. “We are proud and inspired by your brave commitment to your personal expression to your self in a society that may not always support your outward expression and appearance”. (Krutsky, Anna) My parents have enabled me to be okay with who I am, and not to be afraid of judgement or harassment.
Even though society, people, and the media does not always respect and represent me and people like me, and I have felt like a fish out of water; I am happy with the life I have. I am finding amazing gay role models, and I am aware that there are gay communities anywhere. After writing this essay, I have realized that no matter what people or society tells me to do; there are always people who will support me.
Works Cited
Graham, Jessica. ¨What is Being Gay? (According to The Media)¨, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJyV85J1VhM. Published 4/23/12 Accessed 9/18/14
¨LGBT Bullying Statistics¨, http://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/. Published 2014 Accessed 9/25/14
¨Where We Are On TV Report: 2012-2013 Season¨, http://www.glaad.org/publications/whereweareontv12. Published 2014 Accessed 9/28/14
Fierro, Elizabeth. ¨Media Representation: What it Means & Why It’s Important¨, http://thehpalliance.org/2013/08/media-representation-what-it-means-why-its-important/. Published 9/4/13 Accessed 9/29/14
jonesyy217. ¨Female Stereotypes in Disney Films¨, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-57zKcmrT6M. Published 12/12/11 Accessed 9/18/14
Riese, Jane. ¨Youth Who Are Bullied Based Upon Perceptions About Their Sexual Orientation¨, http://www.violencepreventionworks.org/public/bullying_sexual_orientation.page. Published 2014 Accessed 9/29/14
Harro, Bobbie, ¨The Cycle Of Socialization¨
Krutsky, Anna, Personal Interview, 9/27/14