In this reading assignment, there was a researcher studying different groups of girls in a high school-like environment. In this study, the researcher was looking to see how different kinds of girls behave at school and what kinds of classes they take. According to the researcher, there were two main groups of girls in the school;there were a few others, but these were the groups that were focused on in the study. There were the preps in the college-preparatory classes and the Mexican-American girls in the lower level classes. The preps were very well manicured and had light colored lipstick, light colored nail polish and wore form fitting, but tasteful clothes. The Mexican-American girls wore dark colored lipstick, dark colored nail polish and very revealing tops and frequently tight pants. In summary of the study, the researcher said that the different types of girls weren't necessarily different in social class but they were more frequently put into different groups based on their sexuality. There is more of different sexual classes than social classes.
I most definitely think that the author/researcher proved their point well. However, they didn't really have that much of a point to make. The study wasn't as much about having a point to make, but about studying the different groups of female students and showing how they were similar and different. I think that the researcher provided enough information from her observances to prove the fact that there are differences in students of different backgrounds and of students that are in different classes and different groups in any particular school. The author definitely makes the assumption at the beginning of the study that students of different types of groups learn differently and have different aspirations. Some questions that I am left with after this study are about the other groups of girls in this school, or in any school. I wonder what the African-American girls do at school and what category would they fall under? Perhaps would some fall under the "prep" category? Also, what about the boys in school?
I have to say that I agree with the researcher in that different groups of girls act, learn, and attend classes differently. The Mexican-American girls don't seem to care, whereas the "preps" are very concerned with their education and how well they do in school. The girls in these groups almost seem to think that these "groups" are predetermined for them. I would say that this study makes me think somewhat differently about school than I did before reading this study/article. However different it makes me think, I, to some extent already knew how there are vastly different groups of, not only girls, but students in general in schools.
My golden line from this article about the study is: "There was, at the school, a symbolic economy of style that was the ground on which class and racial/ethnic relations were played out. Hairstyles, clothes, shoes, and the colors of lipstick, lip liner, and nail polish, in particular, were key markers in the symbolic economy that were employed to express group membership, as the body became a resource and a site on which difference was inscribed."
This is actually two sentences, however, I think that the first sentence goes a long way to explain the second sentence very well. This is saying that the racial and class differences within this school are shone by the styles and behaviors of the actual students. The students do certain things and wear certain things to show exactly what group they belong to with no confusion.
Rachel, I have experienced something like this in my high school, but it was somewhat the opposite.I went to an African-American dominant school. The students who wore all the fancy clothes and shoes, were the ones who didn't value education like those who just wore regular clothes. Even though it was a school that wore uniforms, you could tell who had the money to get all the new shoes that came out or the newest fashion trends.I can't really elaborate on the different social classes because it seems like everybody was middle class or lower middle class. One thing I don't agree with is the fact that you should be able to tell what social class someone is in just based on the clothes that they wear.I also don't agree with the fact that just based on social class they assume the level of education of the student.
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