I was raised on clearance racks and two for one specials. My clothes are primarily from Target, or sale racks at various department stores. I’ve never fully understood the point of buying $700 dollar Gucci jeans or a $1000 Louis Vuitton purse.
I also had a very strict childhood. My father was a teacher at the middle school I attended, and it's all business with him and my mother. If I was more then 5 minutes late for curfew, I was groun
ded for a week. I was never allowed to have parties or go to parties, and my parents would never think of buying alcohol for my friends and I.
It’s interesting to me however, that teenagers the same age as me don’t have the same standards. Walking down the streets of New York City you can see girls toting their Prada purses, and having lavish penthouse parties. In today’s day and age, there are countless newspaper and magazine articles telling the stories of parents buying alcohol for their underage children saying that “they’d rather them do it in the house, and not ruin the family name.”
This “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll” teenage culture is something that intrigues me. There are many aspects of the culture that I disagree with, and some that I just don’t understand. Throughout this cross-cultural encounter, I hope to participate in this group in some way, and ultimately gain a sense of cultural relativism when it comes to these teenagers. I may not agree with some of the practices of this culture, but I hope over the course of the next 10 weeks to gain an understanding of just exactly why they do what they do.
Image source: http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/asksam/girls-partying.jpg
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Introduction to My Cross-Cultural Encounter
Posted by Jess at 6:17 PM
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2 comments:
Great stuff. I myself don’t usually buy designer clothing, but occasionally I will spend a considerable amount of my income, not provided by my parents, on a nice pair of jeans or sneakers that are made well, and will last me ages. Its interesting how you state that this “sex, drugs, rock and roll” lifestyle usually only exists among the upper-class. Are you trying to relate your upbringing, as middle class, your decision not to purchase designer clothing along with your reasons for not following a lifestyle involving drugs and alcohol? Although I agree that a great part of this lifestyle stems from money, it also comes from the apathetic mindset that much of today’s youth are experiencing. In my own experience, the kids that are drawn to the life you mention are just as much middle to lower class as they are wealthy, if not more. Your separate entries are really interesting, but don’t tie back in with your argument (if you are trying to make one) very well, the main point you try to make seems a bit vague. Do you discount the lifestyle you examined in the blog because of its said association with the economic elite, or simply because of the lessons your parents taught you as a child? It was great to add the “lifestyles of the rich and the famous” song to your blog; I believe you should elaborate on this “lifestyles” portrayal in the media, especially in music. There were a great deal of bands associated with punk rock in the 80’s which completely personified this life, who never stress the amount of money they had, but their disgust with those with money, the upper class. The addition of your experience in New York City with the handbags melds your blog together, proving your points. However, this did happen in New York City, that if anywhere, is classified by this materially careless youth. As students at college, alcohol and drugs surround us in our everyday lives. It would interesting for you to examine in your blog the reasons why so many students drink and take drugs, and if by doing so they are trying join a certain type of lifestyle, in your case, one that involves money and expensive clothing. Really enjoyed reading this.
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