Public Discoursin' (EMC)

Although at times it felt like a lot of what we were discussing was common sense, I enjoyed gaining fresh insight into the ins and outs of public discourse, particularly how it relates to social movements and how it exists online. I found our "Nobody" weeks to be the most interesting and definitely the most important. It feels like we're always learning about things that happened in the past, so it was a nice to learn about how the course related to modern-day issues.  Mostly, I enjoyed all of the discussions that we had online and in class. Overall, I think a lot of really great arguments were brought to the table, ones that really challenged me to think and how to better frame my actions and language in the real world.  Thanks so much for a great term, everyone!

My final project centers around social media feminism and takes a look at whether feminists are more present online or in real life. To get a better sense of what is actually going on out there, I interviewed about ten feminists spanning the ages of 20 to 50, asking them a total of six questions to not onnly gage their thoughts on feminism, but to to get a sense of how they participate in feminism as a movement as well. I was really surprised at the feedback that I received, but what was most interesting was the parallels between the oldest feminists and the youngest ones. Between these two groups, there were some unexpected match ups between their definitions of feminism and whether or not the groups thought feminists were more prominent online or IRL.  Of course, there were some predictable answers, but I found it refreshing that there is less of a generational-influenced divide between older and younger feminists.

Marc Lamont Hill's Nobody  is required reading for everyone, its contents rich and absolutely important. The entire book's purpose aptly instills a strong mixture of fear, disgust and utter disbelief–and for good reason. It goes without saying that every single black life lost has and always will mean something, and they all should still be here. Yes, it may seem strange that Hill is so optimistic in the end given the material he is writing about, but I can't help but take on an optimistic outlook too. Because the brutalization and systematic targeting of people of color has been so prevalent in America's history, it will take time. BUT just because the change is not immediate, it doesn't mean it can't start right now at this very second. It doesn't mean we can't enact change, even on a small scale. It's on us as citizens of this country to speak up and educate those who really just don't get it. I've reflected on this, before this readin

I won't lie to you, I've been sitting here trying to think of media that represents or reflect the real lives of women for a LONG TIME. To me, it seems that a lot of shows either misrepresent women completely or display "half-baked" representations. So much of media show women as flighty, overemotional and very dependent. Jess from New Girl comes to mind. We watch Zooey Deschanel portray a teacher in the early years of the show; the whole premise of the her moving in with her male roommates is due to a bad break-up, which renders Jess useless essentially. All she can seem to do is sit on the couch and cry. Her mood seems to change only when the guys have to peel up off of the couch and force her to stand up for herself. In edition to being super dependent, Jess is the quintessential girly-girl, all polka dots and vibrant colors. Of course, she's built like a tiny pixie with long flowing locks, which only works to reenforce the beauty standards of our day. Even t

Last week, we spent some time talking about social media, social movements/activism, and how the two work and don't work in conjunction. Is it a good tool? Is it not? Here's my take. It terms of disseminating information, I think social media is awesome. It's quick, timely (for the most part), editable/updatable (again, for the most part) and its circulation has a wide birth. Personally, I find that I get my information quickest online, obviously paying close attention to who  I'm getting my info from and when  the info was published. Mediums such as print newspapers and television, while still good sources, aren't as easily accessible or editable due to time-slots, circulation schedules and the fact that you can't re-air or re-print if information is incorrect. Now, it terms of organizing, I think social media has actually cultivated laziness in activists. Everyone likes executing a task when it is easy to do so. What's easier—retweeting your solidarity

If you can’t see something, does that mean it’s not real? We’ve all heard it before. Hell, we’ve all said it ourselves. “I’m so OCD about _______.” Cue collective laughter and affirming nods. Isn’t everyone a little OCD about something? That OCD is a legitimate, mentally-crippling disorder is unquestionable. And yet here I am, advocating for its validity and insisting that we begin to take it more seriously. Just picture this: a child creeps out of bed at ten o’clock on a school night. After descending the staircase quietly, their feet pad across ice-cold hardwood. Frozen in a unique mixture of paralyzing fear and overwhelming exhaustion, the child stares at the lock on the front door. Then, following ten long seconds of stillness, the child moves toward door, touching the lock in six quick, gentle movements, and sprints back up the stairs, careful not to look back. Three. That’s the number of times this child has peeled their tiny body from the comfort of their warm bed. This child is

For one of my op-ed pieces, I will be writing about suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder—why it's just as valid of a mental illness disorder as any other, as well as how the ways that people discuss/react to OCD can be incredibly damaging to those with the disorder. Stepping out of my comfort zone with this one! 😬

Say it with me: polarization is REAL. Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's get started. Yes polarization exists. Yes, it is a bad thing...BUT polarization may also be a good thing. What?? As we saw in this week's online lecture and as evidenced by Jacobs and Townsley, shows like O'Reilly Factor and Hardball are quintessential examples of why polarization is horrible. What good can come out of being cut off, attacked and/or completely dismissed while you're trying to have a thoughtful conversation? What is the point? In situations such as these, nothing is being accomplished. As a viewer, I don't feel I'm gleaning anything useful; instead, I feel like my brain is on fire. If anything, I'm horrifyingly uncomfortable or incredibly annoyed, reactions that cause me to tune out, both physically and mentally. Obviously, this isn't helping to raise political engagement. However, polarization could also be not so bad. Maybe it is within these grue

When I think of fields dominating the media, from social to print to television, I immediately think of Political Science. Coming out of such a major election, I can't tune into any platform without being bombarded by all things politics . So. much. politics. I also think of Sociology, particularly when it comes to the many human rights movements taking place in our country. In both of these arenas, though, we're slowly starting to see less representation of the "old white guy" and instead are being presented with more people of color, different genders, more complex backgrounds, etc.—a necessary step in a positive direction. Fields that appear to be more "under-the-radar" include Art and English/Writing. I received my Bachelors in Interactive Media (with Journalism and Studio Art as minors) and yet I rarely see a whole lot of positive representation of the arts in the media. It seems as though people assume artists and writers shouldn't fall into th

Here are just a handful of public intellectuals that, I believe, are significant in our day and age. Malala Yousafzai At 15 years old, Malala survived being shot in the head by the Taliban while campaigning for girls education in Pakistan. While this event didn't catapult her into a public intellectualism, it only made her advocacy for female education stronger. Malala is still advocating for female education and other major issues that affect marginalized groups (like gun control, for example). Her discourse is widely accessible, poignant and relatable for a lot of people. When addressing groups, she poses questions that provoke critical thinking and move people into action. Malala is also the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient ever, which is just incredibly impressive. "We should all consider each other as human beings, and we should respect each other." Mary Midgley Midgley is an English moral philosopher from London. She has written numerous critical t

That the public sphere is both prevalent today and incredibly value goes without saying. I think, though, that it is tough to say whether or not the existence of the public sphere is toxic or beneficial. Depending on what spheres one subscribes too, it can be either. There are so many diverse public spheres, from communities of color to feminist circles. Certain public spheres can be incredibly rewarding, especially if the discourse within is bringing people together or bringing about social change. I wouldn't say that online platforms are functioning  as   public spheres, but rather as additional "venues" for public spheres to congregate, in a sense, and engage in discourse specific to the sphere's objectives/topics of conversation. Since people from all over the world can subscribe to certain public spheres, blogs and social media make it easier for discourse to take place. However, because communication is screen-to-screen rather than face to face, discourse coul

Hi there! My name is Elaina and I'm from Chicago, IL (no really, I was actually born there). I grew up in the West Dunning neighborhood of the city and eventually relocated to Oswego. I've spent a lot of my life trying to do it all, from band to French club to Academic Decathlon and beyond. I'm still trying to, which is why I'm earning my Masters while working full time and planning my wedding--goodbye free time!! This is my very first term of Graduate school, where I am studying to earn my Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (Editing, Writing and Publishing). Though I started my undergraduate career at Dominican University, I graduated from North Central College in June of 2015 with my Bachelors in Interactive Media (Convergent), Studio Art and Journalism. With my Masters, I hope to expand the scope of my writing beyond blog posts and press releases. I believe that what I am learning could benefit a lot of other people, not just solely myself. In my time since co