“Risky behavior, Bad rewards”: Debating Teenage Rebellion in an Urban Legend

Open publication - Free publishing - More behaviour

Adolescents and Reading: Reasons Why they Dislike Reading

Open publication - Free publishing - More education

“Even homeless shelters turn us away”: An Analysis of Sense of Belonging and Social Identity in the Short Story “A Zombie’s Lament”

Students: Gisela Mendez & Nadina González Nomi

"By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier." These words have been written in “The Columbia World of Quotations © 1996, Columbia University Press” by Susan Lieberman, who has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. They make us reflect about sense of belonging, which is a major psychological construct adolescents develop during their school life. This paper will look at an example of fiction to explore the difficult situation the main character of a short story, who feels like an adolescent, finds himself in while searching for his identity and sense of belonging. This short story is “A Zombie’s Lament” which is  about Andy, who after dying in a car accident, revives as a zombie and has to deal with his new appearance. Reviled and discriminated  by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy tries to fulfill his desire to be part of society again.  The short story has been written by S.G Browne. Searching for his social identity, Browne has had different jobs before getting to the conclusion that he wanted to be a writer. Browne used to be a driver and an assistant producer.  And then, while he was attending the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he majored in business organization and management, he eventually started writing. Through the main character’s behaviour, the author reflects his own experience of looking for his social identity as a writer.

This paper will base on psychological theories of sense of belonging, social identity and exclusion. The main character of “Zombie’s Lament” tries to build his sense of belonging and his social identity along the story. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the short story “A Zombie’s Lament” by Browne can be used by teachers to make adolescents reflect how young adults might suffer from a lack of sense of belonging.

As Kiesner, Cardinu, Poulin, Bucci (2002) and Stone and Brown (1999) suggest, sense of belonging is a psychological construct. They have agreed that the sense of belonging is something that is built or made. Other exponent as regards this topic is Tajfel, who defines social identity as people’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s). Other relevant term, which will be used in this paper, is social exclusion. According to MacDonald and Leary (MacDonald & Leary, 2005), it refers to the perception of being excluded from desired relationships or devalued by valued relationship groups.These definitions fit the experiences of sense of belonging, social identity and exclusion that are shown in the story. Complaining about not to be considered part of society, Andy starts looking for people like him and, in this way, he begins to construct his social identity.

The story “A Zombie’s Lament”, published in 2009, is included in ‘Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead’, an anthology of thirty-two short stories about the living. Although the story appears at first to be about a zombie fighting the system for his rights as an individual, an analysis of the story will explore the adolescent’s need for a sense of belonging and a social identity. The main character suffers from lack of sense of belonging and this situation affects his identity. How can he belong to the dead if he is not really dead? How can he belong to the undead if he is not really alive? This situation raises questions about his identity, about who he is, where he belongs to. Although the main character is a man in his early thirties, he can resemble any adolescent because of his way of trying to belong to any group. For instance; trying to belong to the living group, Andy has “taken dozens of showers and even soaked in a tub filled with disinfectant” and he has also “ tried to learn sing language”. In essence, this might be a story about the way in which adolescents must make connections with people.

Adolescents participate in a complex social environment populated by friendship groups. There are lots of benefits to being a member of a group. Teens feel more secure when they know that they have others around them who share their goals and care about their progress.  The desire to belong to a group may influence an adolescent's behaviour well before the adolescent is actually a member of the group. Individuals may change their behaviour in order to gain peer acceptance. This is what actually happens in the story when the main character explains that a famine zombie had to pose as a breather in order to get a hotel room. She had to wear bracelets and jewelry in order to hide scars pretty well, had to add sunglasses, a little make-up, a couple bottles of cheap perfume before a room was given to her.

As it has been explained, the desire of being part of a group is something important for teenagers, but why? Tajfel proposes that the groups (e.g. social class, family, football team etc.) which adolescents belong to are important sources of pride and self-esteem.  Groups give teens a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world. In the story, the main character shows a deep sense of unease:

“I get bored, like a dog left alone in the house who starts chewing on things in frustration- shoes, couches, pillows. And like a dog, I’m starting to feel anxious and frustrated”

In order overcome this situation, he decides to be part of a group, the local chapter of UA-Undead Anonymous.  By doing this, he has the opportunities to feel better about himself, “less estranged from society, more human”.   Having peer relationships is positively correlated with popularity and good social reputation (Cauce, 1986), self-esteem (McGuire & Weisz, 1982), and psychosocial adjustment (Buhrmester, 1990). This is what the main character of “A Zombie’s Lament” perceives inside the group. Inside UA, the members protect each other against the breathers and help each other to feel better about their nature.

It seems that if a teen successes in being part of a group, this teen will probably raise his self-esteem. However, what would happen if this teen would not achieve his goal of being part of a group. The truth is that the development of adolescents’ identity emerges thanks to the connection a teenager achieves in society ( Aloise- young, Graham and Hansel, 1994) . Participation in the social world of adolescent peer relationships can have its costs. Social exclusion has been systematically associated with problems in adjustment to society. Although the main character tries to be accepted by society, the fact that he does not belong to any group is perceived from the very beginning. There are two clear examples of this social exclusion:

“The undead, however, have more grief to deal with than southern blacks in the 1950's. Talk about civil rights issues.  The undead can't vote, get a driver's license, attend public schools, apply for unemployment, go to cinemas or theaters, and find a decent place to live or get a job.”

“My parents let me stay in the attic, but they avoid me, and none of my old friends want anything to do with me.”

Exclusion and social isolation are perceived as painful and are associated with a variety of negative affective experiences including anxiety, depression, anger, and shame (MacDonald & Leary, 2005). This is clearly expressed by the main character of the story when saying the following:

 “…When I get lonely I get bored. When I get bored, I get anxious. When I get anxious, I get frustrated. And when I get frustrated…”

In some ways, adolescents’ lack of sense of belonging can be reflected in “A Zombie’s Lament”. The way Andy tries to be part of a group resembles the way teens tries to belong to a group of friends. Groups give teens a sense of social identity, a sense of belonging to the social world. One of the most common places, where adolescents might spend most of their time, is school.  Adolescents who have positive sense of peer group belonging might have significantly fewer behavior problems at school than those who do not have positive sense of peer group belonging.  Loneliness might be the central reason why some adolescents are unhappy and distraught (Buhrmester, D. 1990) It is important for adolescents to be aware of the relevance of being part of a group because of the benefits this means, such as improvement in self-steem.

REFERENCES
• Aloise- young, Graham  & Hansel.(1994)  “The Role of Self-monitoring in Adolescents Susceptibility to Passive Peer Pressure”, Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 37, Issue 8.
• Browne, S (2008) http://sgbrowne.com/bio/
• Buhrmester, D. (1990)  “Child Development”, Volume 61, Issue 4.
• Cauce , M (1986) ‘Social Networks and Social Competence: Exploring the Effects of Early Adolescent Friendships’, American journal of community psychology, Volume 14, Number 6
• Jeff Kiesner, Mara Cadinu, François Poulin & Monica Bucci (2002) ‘Group Identification in Early Adolescence: Its Relation with Peer Adjustment and its Moderator Effect on Peer Influence’,  Child Development Vol. 73, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 2002) Published by: Blackwell Publishing Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3696439
• Lieberman, S. Importance of Building a Classroom Community.  http://stefaniemckoy.com/BuildingCommunity/CommunityImportance.Html (accessed  1/7/12)
• MacDonald, G & M, Leary. (2005) ‘Why Does Social Exclusion Hurt? The Relationship Between Social and Physical Pain’. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 131(2)[ Journal Article ]
• Mc Guire, K & J, Weisz.(1982) ‘Social Cognition and Behavior Correlates of Preadolescent Chumship Ghild Development’  http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~jweisz/pdfs/1982a.pdf (accessed 1/7/12)
• Stone, M & B, Brown (1999). ‘Descriptions of Self and Crowds in Secondary School:  Identity Claims and Projections’.   The role of peer groups in adolescent social identity: Stability and change San Francisco. In Jeffrey McClellan (Ed.)
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The Social Identity Theory of  Intergroup Behaviour. Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chicago, S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.)
• The Columbia World of Quotations © 1996, Columbia University Press


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Jugate conmigo - revival (TV show proposal)

Mr Yankelevich:

We are writing this letter as a response to your advertisement looking for new ideas for a teenagers T.V show.

Taking into account the characteristics and interests of teenagers nowadays, we are pleased to present you our idea about the revival of one of the most famous entertaining  T.V programme of the nineties in Argentina: “Jugate Conmigo”

This show, which will be broadcast weekly, will include different sections in which participants, arranged in two teams, will have to demonstrate their abilities in singing, dancing, acting and playing games. The winner will get a Prize: a trip to Brazil.

As regards singing and dancing, participants will have to recreate a video clips from pop artists chosen by the opposite team.

As for acting, a few members from each team will pick a card where they will find the explanation of the situation they will act out.

Each of the previously mentioned performances will be judged by four celebrities, all of whom have great knowledge about acting, dancing and singing.

Concerning the game section, it will include some ball games, such as “Football Tennis”, general knowledge games such as quizzes, action games such as paintball wars.

We look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

We can be contacted at the above address.

Bored Kids: Give them something to do

by Gisela Méndez

One of the biggest tensions between parents and kids is that sometimes kids do not have enough to do. It’s difficult not to feel powerless when our child complains about being bored. We live in a society where children are used to being entertained. We, as parents, tend to believe that if our children do different activities they will be busy and in consequence happy. However, most children may seem not interested in anything we offer them to do. Have parents ever thought that children do not need lots of things to do to avoid getting bored?

The children’s book “Marcela was bored”, by Robert Byrd, depicts children’ boredom such as it was real life. Many parents may be familiar with most of the situations described in the book. Marcella is a cat, who is bored with her usual activities. So she decides to run away from home. Many of us may perceive that the cat stands in for the usual portrait of dissatisfied children.

Children today are so over programmed that they don't know how to actually play .As Marcella is tired of her dance classes, many children complain about their physical activities.

Another characteristic of dissatisfied children is that boredom modifies their willing to eat. Marcella, as most of bored children, rejects food. When she goes to the kitchen, she grumbles “everything always tastes the same”. Forcing kids to eat when they are bored will destroy their sense of hunger. Children will and do eat when they are hungry.

Boredom also affects relationships. Marcella complains about her brothers, her grandpa, and her friends. When children says they are bored, it would be okay to remind them once that it is their job to find something to entertain themselves. Once in a while, they need to learn how to entertain themselves. When children feel secure again he will probably pull away from you and go back off on his own again.

At the end of her adventure, Marcella discovers that she loves her life. Taking into account this, we can realize that it is important to find a balance between children`s everyday and free time activities to let our children enjoy their routine.

Wholesome or unwholesome

Nadina González Nomi & Gisela Méndez

Discrimination has been one of the main sources of unfair treatment towards people. Factors such as social class, race, genre, religion and political ideology generate discrimination and, in consequence, inequality. This situation can be perceived in the result of a survey carried out by UNICEF dated 6th May 2011, where 66% of the students polled found themselves having suffered from discrimination.

Discrimination among children often comes from certain sources which are perceived as innocent and wholesome. At a very young age, many children are exposed to movies, whether at the theatre or on videos at home.  One major producer of children’s movies is the Disney Corporation, which has great influence on children`s ideology. Therefore, it is imperative for parents, teachers, and other adults to understand how such films attract the attention and shape the values of the children who buy and view them. The films by Disney Corporation contain many instances of discrimination. A good example of this is ‘Cars’, which portrays certain races and cultures in a negative manner. Discrimination towards those cars that are non- American and those that belong to lower class is perceived all along the movie.

On the surface of ‘Cars’ there is an inclusiveness of different races. However, the truth is that this is just a thin cover. Foreign cars only act the roles of supporting characters and they receive little attention. This can be perceived in Luigi and Guido’s performances. They are Italian cars who have followed races their entire lives. They are portrayed as people who look up to those famous drivers of racing cars that belong to the high class. A clear example of this takes place when a fantastic, red Ferrari arrives at Luigi and Guido’s shop. Neither Luigi nor Guido can believe the arrival of such an important car. This is the moment when they are characterized as stupid people, as people that the only thing they do is to admire the high class, as people who wish they were like high class people. 

Including cars from different countries, the film portrays the working class in a negative way. The main character looks down on those cars that do not belong to the high society. This can be noticed when Mc Queen makes fun of the rusty cars just because of their physical appearance. This can also be perceived when Tow Mater, which is a well-known stereotype of the working class, is underestimated by Mc Queen the moment this rusty car shows Mc Queen how  he usually scares the tractors.  

Although Mc Queen has a strong relationship with working class characters, the friendship gets stronger once Radiator Spring has recovered its popularity and its economy. It is worth taking into account the fact that the less popular, famous and luxurious the town was, the more Mc Queen looked down on her inhabitants.

The way Tow Mater, Luigi and Guido are portrayed shows the fact that the movie is discriminative. This is what children are exposed to and what they take to school. Therefore, discrimination among students occurs constantly. 

Perhaps discrimination will never come to an end. What is important is to be able to be aware of it and to be critical as regards this situation.

Eat up, Gemma (Review by Gisela Méndez)

Gemma's family tells her that she must eat, but she doesn't like being pushed around. Instead she does what she wants: she throws her breakfast on the floor, pulls grapes off one by one, bangs her spoon on the table and gives her dinner to the dog. When Gemma,the main character in “Eat up, Gemma”, finally decides to eat, she chooses not only an unusual time and place, but also a funny presented meal. Sarah Hayes has written this story with a focus on the difficult stage for parents in which children are not willing to eat anything.

The text does not imply race, but its illustrator, Ormerod, extends Hayes’ witty prose with warm and lively drawings of a black family, sometimes frustrated but always willing to understand and care for its youngest member. The little Gemma, is a lovely character: showing in every action the lively curiosity of her age group.

The book will work as an interesting tool for parents to deal with toddlers who are determined not to eat their food.

Exquisite cadaver

Caroline hid behind the oak tree, but her shadow could be seen projected on the field. Therefore the criminal saw her spying on the murder that was taking place and realized she could reveal the truth.

Caroline suddenly burst into tears because she could recognize the man. He was her beloved husband. The closer the man was to her, the more astonished she felt since she could not believe what she was seeing. She felt extremely disappointed.

The criminal was decided to put an end to that situation shutting the witness´ mouth for ever but when he faced her everything changed and she went away without saying a word. 

And she went away without saying a word, after finding her Duckling playing happily in the water.

The beautiful Mother Duck was in the lake enjoying a warm and sunny day with her five yellow Ducklings when one of them disappeared.

“Oh, my God! One of my babies is missing!”, said the Mother.

“Oh, my God! One of us is missing!”, said the Ducklings.

Then they began to look for him. They looked under the Big Tree where they use to play. But he wasn’t there. They looked behind the Old Rock. But he wasn’t there. They looked in Mr. Turtle’s house. But he wasn’t there. They looked in the Three Little Pigs’ house. But he wasn’t there. They looked in The Smurfs’ Village... But he wasn’t there.

The Sun  was going down and Mother Duck was very sad and the Ducklings were crying. So, they came back to the lake... and saw the little Duckling was having a bath at home. Bob Marley was on, and the duck was feeling so relaxed that he thought, “I wonder why the room looks so foggy. It´s almost like being in heaven.”

The little duckling used to take that kind of baths frequently. It helped him forget that everyone consider him the ugly one of the family. He didn’t have any friends, so he usually talked and reflected upon things with his inner duck. It brought peace and comfort to his life.

All of a sudden his mother entered the room and screamed at him, “Stop smoking that shit”, to what the little duckling answered, “I tried to give up smoking weed many times, but the truth is I like it too much," Caroline wrote in her private diary. She started using grass some years ago, in those times she could afford it, but nowadays it is too expensive and she is unemployed. She decided to grow her own plants so she moved to the countryside where legislation is not a matter of concern. Caroline’s friends were so excited to smoke her plants that they would stay with her for ever. On the other hand, her family tried to change Caroline’s mind, and warned her about ending up in jail.

One night, Caroline was relaxing at home when she started listening strange noises, as if someone was forcing the locks, outside, near the gate. Since Caroline had been smoking all day, her blood pressure increased and her heart bits grew faster and faster. Adrenaline ran through her blood stream and desperation took over her. Unable to think clearly she went out through the kitchen door to the garden and got into the oak wood.

“Caroline is not in the house, let’s search the garden”. 

“Look this is legal evidence, let’s confiscate it.”

“She can’t be that far, search the wood”

Caroline ran as far as leopard, sweating and trembling. She looked in her pockets for one last joint. 

The invulnerable oak started firmly among the trees. Caroline went straight towards it, with the lighter ready in her hand. She fell on her knees and lit her precious, mind blogging ciggy.

An aromatic thick, grey smoke filtered through the branches of the oak as the silver moon rays reflected in the mist.

“That’s smell, let’s go right there”

Caroline hid behind the oak tree but her shadow could be seen projected on the field.

Flash fiction

Teacher: You’ll have a zero. Student: Pity you won’t be able to write it.

A priest in need is a kid in danger.

Rastafarian Airlines: take a trip to paradise.

People getting married. Lawyers delivering pamphlets.
(M. A., Natalia Brucciamonti, Camila Chaves, Cintia López, Julián Riobó, Gonzalo Viola)

Growing inside me after such desperate wait.
(Valeria Niell, Nadina González, Gisela Méndez)

Come back. You forgot your life.
(Gisela Méndez)

-“You take it. I’m totally lost!... I can’t read it” –“It’s upside-down”
(Valeria Niell)

Five minutes to evacuate… Get your ticket ready. No ticket, no life.

Can I live in your bubble? Mine is leaking air.

Be clear when you order. Mine was delivered with blue eyes.
(Julieta Acevedo, Gabriela Belitzky, Marisa Gallardo, Betina Ricchezza)

Son: Don’t cry, I’ll be your angel.
(Nadina González)