What did you learn from the articles - Assignment Example

1. What did you learn from the articles? The two articles I have read discussed teen sexuality in two different ways. The first, Red Sex, Blue Sex discussed the incidence of pregnancy among teenagers in the context of socio-political influences while the second article, High School AIDS Outbreak, dealt with sexual education among teenagers.
There are several lessons learned from the articles. First is that there is a glaring distinction between conservative and liberal America in regard to raising children and how they perceive sex and it outcomes such as pregnancy. The values distinction is so evident that each manages to shock one another as if they came from different cultures. Raising children by conservatives is anchored more on morality while the liberals are more inclined to take the practical, welfare-based approach. For example, conservatives would want to keep the baby in teen pregnancy while liberals would want abortion.
Secondly, family values and traditions, whether conservative and liberal, no longer prove as powerful influence on teenagers’ attitude toward sex. The articles, particularly, the first one, underscored how the media reinforced this phenomenon.
Finally, there seems to be lack of sexual education going on in American educational system. Teenagers are getting pregnant and contracting sex-related diseases. These are very serious problems as underscored by the growing number of pregnancies and the spread of AIDS.
2. How does this relate to what you have learned from the text book or in class?
The relationship of the above findings for me rests mainly on the how important effective is the parents’ approach in raising children, in educating them and in showing them the ways of the world. This brought me back to the Socialization Theories discussed in the lectures, particularly about the role of the media in the psychological and emotional development of individuals. The discussion of gender dimensions in the articles was confined to the conservative-liberal discourse and this was only referred indirectly.
3. How does this reinforce or change prior understanding of the topic?
First, I have always believed that a person’s values are important in the determination of his or her future. Such values drive the choices and decisions that we make everyday regardless of the age, peer-pressure, and other outward influences such as those wielded by the media. Whether we have traditional, conservative and liberal approach and perspectives in doing things, we learn and imbibe this from home. The foundation is very important, hence, I place a big weight on the role of the parents in molding their children’s character, behavior and attitudes, and, henceforth, their future. I also believe that education is important, either in reinforcing or eroding values learned from home.
With the articles read, the above thought was confirmed. This is demonstrated in the area of sex education. Conservatives would, according to the article, not encourage sex education. The problem here is that conservative parents do not see the fact that premarital sex is almost an inevitable phenomenon in American society to the point that it has become a norm. Refusing to acknowledge this by discouraging sexual education at home and in school, opens their children to risks such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
References
Talbot, Margaret. Red Sex, Blue Sex. The New Yorker, 2008.
“High School AIDS Outbreak.” October 24, 2008. AllNews.com. Retrieved 16 Feb. 2010 Read More