Sunday, February 23, 2014

A Cycle of Outrage

I feel like this article was written awhile ago. I also feel like the author was already an adult during the postwar teenager phase. It sounds like the author and probably most adults at that time were looking for someone or something to blame for the teenagers delinquent behavior. In reality they weren't even being delinquent, they were finding themselves in the surroundings the were given. The author suggested almost finding a reason or explanation for the way the adolescents were behaving. Before the war the teenagers were working early than they were postwar and thus had less responsibilities. In the text there was a study done that before the war in the 1930's only about 50% of working class students attending high school. Post war in the early 1960's that same figure was estimated at over 90%. More teenagers were spreading their life out almost, for lack of better word, and pushing life, work and marriage later into life. As much as the teenager employment rate had decreased and as confusing as that was, it then reversed and most high school teenagers found employment after the draft. 

I honestly did not like this article. I had a hard time connecting with it and I don't feel like anything really "hit home" for me. It was kind of difficult to write about if I can't find something to almost make me passionate about it. 

4 comments:

  1. I like that you touched upon the "delinquent" behavior component of teens. I agree that teens are not being delinquent but rather experimenting and trying to be an individual as you mentioned.

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  2. I felt the same way about this reading, it was not interesting to me at all. I couldn't even really read it, it was kind of torture. I had such a tough time writing about something that really didn't catch my attention.

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  3. I agree with you! I did not like how the author put some much attention on "delinquent" behavior with teenagers. Her explanation for why this was, to me, seems incorrect. She gave no historical background what so ever, and I really believe that this plays a huge role.

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  4. The stats are good to know and I agree with you on your thoughts about the author and the time it was written.

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