I was thinking about what was said in class on Monday about how we desire to look/be different than others in attempt to out do one another. Then when Ian said he went to french all boys catholic school...I think that was it, I got thinking about my own school experience previous to University.
I went to an all girls Anglican school. I spent kindergarden to graduation there and up till about a year ago I thought it had given and taught me all I needed to know to succeed in the outside world.
"Promises the future by invoking the past in the present." My school did just that. They pride themselves on single sex education being the best possible way for women to learn and go far in life. They would reference back to how hard it was for women to succeed in a "mans world" and made sure we knew we could do anything and everything we wanted. ---we weren't even allowed to wear pants! apparently it took away from our feminism.
Now coming to university I was confronted by a huge social change...I realized I had been living in a bubble. It's Ironic that I felt like I could totally be myself all through my school career when actually it was the complete opposite. I looked like everyone else!
the "Rules, Regulations and Respect" of my school:
-no pants, shirts tucked in, kilt length was highly enforced, no piercings, cant chew gum or smoke in uniform even if off campus, no nail polish and on and on...
I was conforming to the ideal student and never knew any different.
My favourite high school story is about my friend, she got her nose pierced graduating year because she felt as though it wasn't a huge deal...it was a tiny stud. First day she had it she was called to the vice principals office, needless to say she was told to take it out. Her response was that she was Hindu (which she very obviously wasn't) and it was part of her religion. She questioned why all the other girls who were Hindu didn't have to remove their nose rings. After about 3 weeks of threats and fights they gave up because you cant prove what someones religion is at all. (slightly off topic but it reminded me of our talk about rejecting one culture and embracing another)
I basically just wanted to do a reflective response on competitive consumption, because I went to a school were everything was the same. I never really felt that pressure to conform to be better then anyone else, and coming to university all I can say isI kinda want my uniform back.
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2 comments:
In a way, you're still wearing a uniform - just a different one. Being in university communities is like living in a bubble too, although maybe less now than in the past, because of things like the internet.
Still, there's a lot more variety in the "real world" outside this campus.
I think that your piece is really interesting. The idea of escaping from living in a bubble is one that I can associate with. I came from attending a predominantly white high school to becoming a minority among my close group of friends. I think that entering university has given me the opportunity to understand a little more about how the real world works. I question the last statement of your post. Why do you want your skirt - a symbolism of conformity - back again?
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