New Errands: The Undergraduate Journal of American Studies
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Surf Rock: Its Portrayal of Coastal Life and Influence on Culture
Full text linkIn the late 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, America was introduced to one of the most well-known subcultures of any coastal region, the surf culture of southern California. For a brief time, this distinct and entirely American phenomenon held the fantasy of endless summer days and permanent vacations across the United States through film, literature, and most popularly, music. This genre of music, known as surf rock, was an amalgamation of influences and ideas that, when put together and finally realized in its distinct geographic settings and local culture, created a form of American music which had not really been heard before and that would have impacts long past its era. Surf Rock is a distinct representation of Californian coastal life and culture, containing a deep and multi-faceted history in both American art and music, as well as beach and coastal culture
The Bachelor Embraces the American Fairytale
Full text linkAmerican society has come a long way over the years to a place where all are equal, but gender stereotypes are still very much alive and in some sense even embraced. Despite being constitutionally equal to A. Areias 1 5 men, Women are not always viewed this way by society the reality television show, The Bachelor, is the best example of this inequality, proving that many women still prefer a fairytale ending of being saved by Prince Charming to equality in romantic relationships. On the show, "women agree beforehand to claim [the bachelor], sight unseen, as their ideal spouse."[1] The bachelor has the absolute power in determining the outcome of the women\u27s future. "[B]y far the most successful of the group (and the model for the rest), ABC\u27s The Bachelor."[2] Even in the spinoff series The Bachelorette, when the roles are reversed and the woman holds the power, weak audience ratings make it clear that society is not as accepting of a "Princess" Charming
The Effects of the Holidays on Eating Disorders
Full text linkThe holiday season, the time from Thanksgiving to New Year\u27s Day, is a period filled with many joyous occasions, including family, friends and food. However, one must also consider the negatives that come along with these moments. Family feuds, financial difficulties and personal issues tend to heighten during the holiday season. For the average person, this provides an abnormal amount of stress. However, for someone suffering from an eating disorder, the holiday season is more difficult than one can imagine. With about thirty million people battling an eating disorder in their lifetime, it is important to remember the ongoing fight these people deal with, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas. While the holidays prove to be difficult for many people, it can be concluded that the holiday season tends to have a more considerable effect on those suffering from eating disorders, due to the significant emphasis on food and elevated levels of stress
Happiness, Womanhood, and Sexualized Media: An Analysis of 1950s and 1960s Popular Culture
Full text linkAmerica during the 1950s and 1960s was grounded in and centered on the conception of the nuclear family. The suburbanization of white middle class families after World War II yielded unique conditions for both media outlets and the U.S. government to push explicit messages on gender roles to preserve the sanctity of the nuclear family. The widespread affluence of millions of suburban, white middle class families served as a marker of success for the U.S. in the international community, which was a matter of national security during the Cold War. The preservation of the nuclear family, however, was highly dependent on women in their traditional roles as wives and mothers. Women across the nation were responsible for raising the next generation of Americans, approximately 76 million baby boomers from 1946 to 1964. 1American greatness was to be determined in the choices and actions of these baby boomers and therefore many messages on gender roles were strictly dictated to ensure that the nuclear family and capitalism would be upheld for generations to come
Women\u27s Shakespeare Clubs: Fandom in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century America
Full text linkIn 1929, as recorded and distributed in the Shakespeare Association Bulletin, a member of the Hathaway Shakespeare Club of Philadelphia explained that what drew her and her fellow club members together to discuss and analyze the works of the Bard each week was "the strong bond of fellowship due to our common literary interest and singleness of purpose" (4.4:119). Meanwhile, in her 2000 book, Enterprising Women: Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular Myth, Camille Bacon-Smith detailed the purpose of \u27fandom\u27 communities, stating "the clubs in fandom are run by the fans, for the love of the source products— the books, comics, television and movie series around which fans rally— and for the community" (8). These two women are connected by more than just their "common literary interest"and their "love of the source products." The structures upon which modern fan communities stand and the products they put forth are also found in the women\u27s Shakespeare clubs of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and, vice versa, the comradery of spirit and foundations of female community that women found in Shakespeare clubs continued into the female fan communities of television shows like TheX-Files and Star Trek
Faulty Eyewitness Testimony and its Impacts
Full text linkThe criminal justice system is constantly being reformed to meet the standards of society and safeguard the citizens of the United States. The court system has especially gone through revisions and reformations as the legislative branch of government continues to create policies and statutes that affect it. Within the court system, the jury is charged with defining the facts of each case and rendering a verdict based on the evidence displayed during the trial. The prosecution and the defense attorneys put on a spectacle for the jury within the confinements of the adversarial court system. The prosecution utilizes a “toolkit” in which the prosecutor uses an array of methods to attempt to convince the jury to render a guilty verdict. There are many factors used to persuade a jury. One such method is to use hard evidence found at the crime scene. Evidence such as blood, hair fibers, and fingerprints are valued by those on a jury panel.1 Another is to have witnesses and public officials called to the stand in court to talk about the defendant’s character and criminal history. One method that is frequently used which alters the jury from factfinder to empathetic justice seeker is when the prosecution uses the narrative of the victim or other eyewitnesses.2 Utilizing victim testimony or eyewitness testimony puts an emotional burden on the jury. Eyewitness testimony is a leading cause for convictions used by prosecutors in the United States, however, it is often unreliable due to misidentification.
Hester Prynne\u27s Individuality in a Puritanical Community
No full textDuring the nineteenth century, the theme of the individual in opposition to the community was prolific in politics, culture, and literature. In Nathaniel Hawthorne\u27s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the bearer of the scarlet letter, struggles with her community\u27s ostricization of her because she commits adultery, resulting in a pregnancy. Although the isolation is difficult for her, she maintains her dignity through her sustaining strength. Although the community solely blames Hester for the sin because she is the mother of her illegitimate child, Pearl, Hester is not the only one who suffers as the individual excluded from the community. As one of the reverends in the community, Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale\u27s unresolved guilt isolates him from his parish. The community isolates Pearl because she has an irrevocable connection to her mother and her mother\u27s sin. Community is a singular thing, but it is made up of individuals. As soon as an individual rebels from the group, as Hester does, the entire group must denounce the individual because she mars their image as a whole, and as individuals. When it comes to religion, a community must disapprove wholeheartedly, especially of Hester\u27s deviant sin. Ignoring the sin implies acceptance and therefore approval. The community needs to show God and its church that it condemns the sin and the sinner and are more devout Puritans than the individual
By Hook or By Crook: A History of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Chapter 8: Growing Pains
Full text linkInternal debates over the focus of the Clearwater organization again came to a head in 1977 and 1978. During that time, several attempts were made to more clearly define the organization\u27s role in the environmental movement, and in each case controversy erupted. These cases included proposals to align the group with advocates of organized labor or civil rights. The largest issue in question was whether or not the Clearwater should sail to Seabrook, New Hampshire to take part in large protests against the construction of a nuclear power plant. At the heart of each of these controversies was the question of whether the Clearwater organization should identify with the more mainstream elements of the American environmental movement or the more radical elements, as well as whether its focus should be strictly regional or more broad. In the minds of many Clearwater members, the debate went to the core of the organization\u27s mission, and each issue prompted passionate arguments on all sides of the issue. Because these debates came about in quick succession and lasted for several months, it seemed to many that too much effort was spent arguing and a bad impression was left in the minds of many casual participants in the organization. The Seabrook controversy and others hurt the organization in terms of its reputation for uniting people with mixed interests, but at the same time the organization was strengthened by establishing a more clear focus and mission as it approached the end of the Clearwater\u27s first decade on the Hudson River
Phish Fanhood: Phish.net as a Distinct Virtual Fan Community with Offline Significance
Full text linkThe band Phish, founded in 1983 in acollege dorm, holds a strange place in the popularculture of modern music. Known for theirexperimental \u27jamming\u27 style of music, Phish hasnever enjoyed widespread popularity, yet they havea large group of extremely loyal fans, leading totremendous success with live tours. This devout fanfollowing comprises a unique group of individualsfrom geographically diverse areas that share acommon interest and often common values. Usingnewly emergent media and communicationtechnologies Phish fans have created internet-basedcommunities that act as centers for informationsharing and social support. The focus of this essayis one such group, Phish.net, which labels itself as"for phans, by phans." I will determine the site\u27sstatus as a community, explore the norms reinforcedonline, and establish the effects resonating offline.As Henry Jenkins states, "…fandom has both beenreshaped by and helped to reshape cyberculture."1This essay will go beyond looking at how fandomand cyberculture intersect and delve further, intohow this established online fan community andinformation hub generates coordinated action fromits members in the offline world. By first analyzingprevious works on Internet communities, this paperwill establish Phish.net as a legitimate, distinctcommunity. Next, using the structure of and forumposts from Phish.net, I will outline the valuesreinforced by this community. Finally, I will applyresearch on the offline effects of onlinecommunities to evaluate the extent to whichPhish.net influences members\u27 actions offline. Iargue, based on previous research and the analysisof Phish.net\u27s virtual community, that this site is anonline community with defined norms and aconsiderable impact on member\u27s social andpolitical views offline