Final Performance

I really, really enjoyed seeing all of the final performances last night. At some points, I couldn't stop laughing and at others, I wanted to burst into tears. I've really enjoyed my time spent with this class, and I feel like I've learned so much, not only from the curriculum but also my peers. 

We've spent much of the class identifying different perceptions and stereotypes about every socioeconomic class. We've seen what situations they can lead to, and how to fight them. But what we haven't had a chance to touch on is where they come from. So this is what our group chose to focus on for the final performance. In our presentation, we talked about the media and how it perpetuates stereotypes about certain groups in regards to class, race and the American Dream. We also discussed how easily children are influenced by these media stereotypes, and how they continue to grow up with these negative, often exaggerated stereotypes. To do this, we provided examples of media which portrays different people in certain lights. To conclude the presentation, we offered suggests on how to resist media bias, in an effort to alleviate negative perceptions. We also included a fun animated clip about the going ons of ESem and the consequences of our disinterest in moving the tables! 

For me, the project provided a deeper insight into how many of the problems and negative representations of class that we have discussed came about. The fact that it begins at such a young age is very unsettling, but now that we now what we can do about it, we are in a better position to fight it.