Blog #2

For your second and final blog, consider how adolescence is figured in cross-cultural contexts. Though our course has focused mostly on the experience of growing up in the U.S., Persepolis gave us insight into the similarities and differences between adolescence in the U.S. and in Iran (as a number of you thoughtfully pointed out in your blog entries). Your entry should consider the ways that the coming of age experience functions for youth who either (1) live in a country outside of the US or (2) have immigrated to the US.

Center your blog around ONE specific object of study, such as a website, an organization, a film, a book, a magazine or journal article, or a song. It could be something that’s produced in the US or elsewhere (i.e., you could look at a foreign film). Some possiblities (which you may use if you want OR find your own) include the films Bend It Like Beckham or Slumdog Millionaire, the website mideastyouth.com, the organization Immigrant Youth Justice League, or this article about teen pregnancy in South Africa: http://www.equip123.net/JEID/articles/5/GirlsEdinSATeenMothers.pdf

Using your chosen object of study, discuss what adolescence is like in a different cultural context and compare it to the coming of age experience in the U.S. (specifically thinking about the ways that we have discussed it in this course). Your discussion should consider the ways that issues of gender, race, and sexuality are represented in combination with age.

If you have any questions about whether a topic is appropriate, feel free to contact me.

Requirements:

--Write 500 words addressing the prompt above.

--You MUST specifically reference TWO articles or books from the course in your response. They need to help STRUCTURE your response—they shouldn’t just be add-ons. You do not necessarily have to use articles from the final section (it would be useful if you want to write about girls, but less useful if you want to write about boys), but be sure to use course materials to organize your blog.

--Address specific ideas in the article/book.

--Use the ideas in the article/book to analyze your pop culture text.

--Be sure to follow proper citation guidelines. You may use any style manual you want (MLA, Chicago, APA), but be sure to properly cite your sources!!!