The American teenager is an individual created by growing multiple cultural changes in our society. In his book The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, author Thomas Hine describes this stage of life as energetic and exciting, adding that teenagers carry qualities our culture simultaneously loves and fears, such as boldness, greed and being idealistic (Hine, p. 10-11).
The behavior of teenagers is influenced by a multitude of factors. One of those factors includes social class, which can influence how teenagers socialize, as well as how they are treated in their education endeavors. As Hine notes, money plays a large role in the actions of teenagers, dictating how students are perceived and the trends these children support (p. 226). As …show more content…
In dealing with teachers and educators, Walsh is at the top of her class and follows the school’s directions on a majority of occasions, earning respect from both teachers and administrators. However, her friends are often judged differently than her because they do not tend to fall in line with the school’s status quo, often coming into conflict with upper class students. During one scene in the movie, Walsh’s friend, Jena Hoeman, is expelled from a class after getting into a vocal disagreement started by an upper class student, who was not punished in any manner. However, after Walsh supposedly gets into a similar disagreement with this student in front of the teacher, she is not given any level of punishment by the school’s administration, who believe she is a fantastic student who represents the school in a decent manner. In addition, Walsh, using her good standing, pleads to the principal to get Hoeman out of trouble, to which he relents and drops all lengthy punishments that would have resulted from this …show more content…
Looking at the effects of extensive economic growth in the 1950s, we can see how wealth and prosperity brought on a slew of cultural changes (Hine, p. 277). Students are often driven to associate themselves in groups that share their same values, which can include being friends with those from a similar social class. As a result of schools promoting middle class values, students raised in cultures against these values often are punished more than those who better fit with the system. In addition, subcultures can easily form with a feeling of keeping one’s social dynamic homogenous, which can result in students treating others unjustly because of the social differences that are present. Much like the moments Andie Walsh went through during Pretty in Pink, students from various social classes often are forced to fit into certain groups based on their upbringing, which impacts not only how they socialize, but also how they are perceived in class, which may result in harassment or punishment by those who feel they are not fitting the culture of the education
The behavior of teenagers is influenced by a multitude of factors. One of those factors includes social class, which can influence how teenagers socialize, as well as how they are treated in their education endeavors. As Hine notes, money plays a large role in the actions of teenagers, dictating how students are perceived and the trends these children support (p. 226). As …show more content…
In dealing with teachers and educators, Walsh is at the top of her class and follows the school’s directions on a majority of occasions, earning respect from both teachers and administrators. However, her friends are often judged differently than her because they do not tend to fall in line with the school’s status quo, often coming into conflict with upper class students. During one scene in the movie, Walsh’s friend, Jena Hoeman, is expelled from a class after getting into a vocal disagreement started by an upper class student, who was not punished in any manner. However, after Walsh supposedly gets into a similar disagreement with this student in front of the teacher, she is not given any level of punishment by the school’s administration, who believe she is a fantastic student who represents the school in a decent manner. In addition, Walsh, using her good standing, pleads to the principal to get Hoeman out of trouble, to which he relents and drops all lengthy punishments that would have resulted from this …show more content…
Looking at the effects of extensive economic growth in the 1950s, we can see how wealth and prosperity brought on a slew of cultural changes (Hine, p. 277). Students are often driven to associate themselves in groups that share their same values, which can include being friends with those from a similar social class. As a result of schools promoting middle class values, students raised in cultures against these values often are punished more than those who better fit with the system. In addition, subcultures can easily form with a feeling of keeping one’s social dynamic homogenous, which can result in students treating others unjustly because of the social differences that are present. Much like the moments Andie Walsh went through during Pretty in Pink, students from various social classes often are forced to fit into certain groups based on their upbringing, which impacts not only how they socialize, but also how they are perceived in class, which may result in harassment or punishment by those who feel they are not fitting the culture of the education