More like: Social learning: it's what we always do.
If we were to reflect on our lives and think about all of the verbs we EVER participated in, we probably wouldn’t think of “social learning” being at the top of the list. But it is. It is that simple. Our generation sees any form of media and we automatically think to imitate it. All forms of media can influence social learning, but to narrow it down, masculinity and femininity play a very large role in shaping how we view and see ourselves, as well as others.
To put it in my own words, social learning equals playing the copy cat card. We see something we like or someone we admire (or even lust for), and automatically wish to live their life. We want to wrap ourselves in their lifestyle and escape our problems and issues we face every day. Little boys see the super strong power rangers and learn from their peers on the playground that if you are not as muscular as the green ranger, then you really aren’t that strong.
As silly as this example sounds, unfortunately it’s true. In lecture we saw the “improvements” made on GI Joe over the course of several years, only to see that his plastic muscles became bigger and bigger as time went on. Through Tough Guise we are taught that boys/men must be molded of muscles and show no fear. If any of these guys lack muscles, then they must turn to the next best thing: weapons (i.e. the terminator; though technically he had both muscles and weapons)
Another example comes through the form of poetry from one of my favorite slam poets, Sierra DeMulder: in one of her poems she writes:
“As women, our worth lives secretly wrapped in lace and panties
Our fragility armored in pepper spray and mace…”
Throughout the poem, entitled “Paper Dolls,” she is talking about women that are sexually assaulted. But to go back to social learning, DeMulder makes a point by saying that even as a young girl she is “taught” that she is as “light” and “collapsible” as a “paper doll.” DeMulder shows us through her intense and amazing poem that at a young age, (“from the moment we leave our pink nurseries”) anyone can witness or even be “taught” social learning. DeMulder is taking a stand against social learning by staying strong even with the poem baring such a harsh topic as rape. Here is a link to DeMulder performing her poem, from youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxQnT9Luqk
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