My final farewell blog!

I am a 21 year old female and am currently studying Social Policy and Social Care.
This module does not link directly to my other modules however this is a good thing as it is adding variety to the course .I think that all topics were appropriate apart from religion, however I did find it the most interesting and I think that 'being bad' is st an appropriate level. . Additional topics could be Swearing and 'Streaking'(nudity/naturism).I think the format of classes worked well however the content for some topics meant that the lecture only lasted for just over an hour which is great for some students however for those that have to travel in the evening for the lecture it seems a bit of a waste!
Overall the module team was really good, but it seemed that some staff put more effort into the lectures than others. For example the lecturer for the infidelity topic put in a lot more work in with additional information and handouts than a few of the others did.Relating to this then is that there could have been a bot more information from some of the lecturers for some of the topics.
I think that it is vital for the module to be inter-disciplinary to enable it to cover the range of topics and I think it is a good idea to have somethink different in your studies.However i do think that one per year is enough as personally i prefer to have routine and structure with my other modules.
I would definatley recommend to a friend!
Blogs are a good idea as people have to research the different topics aswell as to share their opinions. It is good for people that may be too quiet to do so in a lecture.
Assessments?I think that it is good having too short pieces rather than one long as you get to assess two topics rather than one, otherwise people may do the first topic and not turn up for the other lectures!
I learned a lot of stuff for example the body modification and the masturbation topics were not what i expected and rather interesting. I thought that the creative writing and blog workshops were very useful and there wasn't really anything that was a waste of time.
Further Comments?
The module is good as it enables students to develop and share their opinions which is very usefull for the future either and university and society.

Lying!

I think that it is a fact that everyone tells little white lies. It may be to get out of a situation, for example i cant come out tonight have got to wash my hair or got the flu!Or a lie can be used to ensure that you do not offend someone. For example I can i tell a close friend that top dont look right on you, however someone i donot really know i would not feel so comfortable being so honest with them, id just say it looks ok!http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php is a site that tells you the tell tale signs to look for to see if someone is lying to you.

However lies that are used to manipulate a person or situation or get someone in serious trouble is bad and i would argue not acceptable. An extreme example is the mother of Shannon Matthews.A woman who has alledgedly lied to the media,the law,friends, family and neighbours by stating that her daughter went missing when in fact she knew where she was. Many believed she did it for financial gain, for example for every story she had printed in the newspaper!

www.independent.co.uk/Matthews is a link to an article for those that maynot have read about the incident in detail.

COMMENT!

In relation to Being Bad2 by Elizabeth Carr!
I think that swearing can be unacceptable but i do agree with you that when a comedian swears
it is usually funny, or maybe it is not the language itself but the context within which they use it in

Religion!Religion!Religion!

Traditional verses the new 'alternative' religions!

As we could indentify in the lecture, religious beliefs and practices can offend others that may be from a different religion or those that are just not 'into' religion at all. It can make people feel uncomfortable and distressed.

It is argued that today we live in a rather secular society due to science and the emphasis of individuals having the right to choose their own fate. This may be why some religions go to extremes to protect followers from themselves and be tempted by the different 'choices' on offer. Also within religions such as Jehovas Witnesses, they argue against scientific and medical developments such as blood transfusions.

On the other hand, there are many new religions being registered, for example, UFO cult and the celebrity scientology.The more traditional religions argue that these 'alternative' views to religion down play and make a mockery of religion.

http://www.scientology.org/home.html is the scientology website that discusses what the religion is about.

http://altreligion.about.com/cs/cults/bl_ufocults.htm is a link to site that discusses the UFO cult as an alternative religion.

Is too much religion bad?yes it can be if used as a tool to offend, for corruption and terrorism.

Litter!

Is dropping litter bad?YES!

If you visit some other countries within the rest of Europe one of the things you can identify is the cleanliness. Not in all places I know!This is probably to do with the area wanting to attract tourists however if it can be done why cant we do it! It makes the place look, scruffy,untidy and dirty!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article3745738.ece is an article that describes how other countries deal with litter and asks the same question as me, why can other countries do it and not us!

Binge Drinking

Alcochol is accepted in society, however there is a lot of media and political attention on 'binge drinking'.It's alot easier to identify excess alcoholism as 'bad' however it is not as clear cut to see binge drinkking as bad.

Young individuals may argue that drinking every weekend or fortnightly is not that bad and is the norm. However politicians, emergency services may argue and have research to prove that is can cause accidents increases the levels of criminal activity and can have serious effects on health.A lot of attention has been on women particularly.

I think that individuals do not need to get 'hammered' every weekend. There has been enough media campaigns and adverts to aware people of the risks.

http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/binge_drinking.htm is a site to inform people of the risks of binge drinking.

Bad comedians

Images shownare of some of the comedians mentioned in my blog and some of my favourites!

I do love comedy howver i do not agree with comedy that is within an ethnic context. I think that even if racism is not intentional it may still offend people. There has been a reduction in the acceptance of racial humour and jokes that critises sexuality. The most recent and publicised example i can think of is what happened in the show Hells Kitchen. jim davidson made references to Brian dowling who is homosexual.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=481150&in_page_id=1773 This is an article for anyone that didn't watch the show!

It can be argued however that it is far more accesptable for comedians to critise their own races, sexuality and even hair colour. For example, Alan Carr and his sexuality, Chris Rock and race.Also Leigh Francis (Avid Merrian and Bo selecta) and Cathrine Tate who makes humourous references to their own hair colour.

Swearing!

Although swearing is not as unacceptable with in society today, it still can offend and shock depending on peoples differing views to sweaing and different situations. For example you wouldn't swear in a job interview as it will give the employer the wrong impression!It may also be the person that is swearing that makes it unacceptable and not the language itself. For example, i hate mothers that walk through town and swearing at the top of thier voice to their children, Also i hate kids that are about ten that swear after every other word.Swearing now and again is sometimes unavoidable as it may come out with out thinking, however i think excess swearing can be avoided.

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Swearing is a site to teach people how to stop swearing!maybe its'll work better than the bar of soap idea!

http://www.cusscontrol.com/swearing.html is a site that highlights what is wrong with swearing.

DRUGS

Celebrities and the media hype that they recieve for taking drugs is often blamed for

encouraging individuals to take drugs themselves. Relevant example of this is Amy Winehouse. Thjis may be true to a certain extent however I think that people need to take responsibilities for their own actions. There is information and advetising available to inform people of the risks of drug taking. In addition people are all aware that drugs are illegal.

I think that overall the use of drugs has become quite normalised within society, people do not necessarily think that drugs are bad but identify some drugs to be quite bad. Even the government seem confused, for example in relation to the classing of the drug cannabis.

http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/ is a website that explains what the different drugs are and the risks and effects involved when using them. It does not label drugs are bad but is givimg people information to make their own choices, and hopefully the right one.It discusses drug use in relaion to how they effect communities and how it effects crime rates.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4998522.stm is an article that illustrates how common drugs misuse is within the Uk.

Kids-in relation to bad cinema lecture

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7276939.stm This is a link to an article that asks the questions are children growing up too fast. I think this question links well to the 'Kids' film as some characters in it are children.


I think that the film 'kids' illustrates the activities that young people are doing in todays society. although it may have been more shocking in 1995 I think that the media,families,schools etc are more aware of what individuals as young as twelve are getting in to. The film does go a little over the top and a bit extreme but this is because it is showing how serious the consequences can be it if you make the wrong choices in life and because it is for entertainment purposes.However i do think that the film is trying to deal with too many issues at once such as drugs, alcohol, rape, underage sex, HIV, violence.


The film had alot of negative criticism, which can be understandable but they need to see that there is a message underlying the film.Sex is the main issues it is dealing with and it showing that no matter how safe you think you are being you cannot be a 100% sure, unprotected sex is not safe, even if it is for the first time as the character 'Jennie' found out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4295141.stm is an article about US HIV positive teenagers and the risks that they are taking. The srticle states that it is US teenagers that are taking more risks!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4056367.stm states that in the UK there is still a lack of understanding of HIV.

joy riding

Stereotypically joy riding is assossiated with young working class males from socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It is not seen to a serious offence and is often explained in terms of lads being lads, having a laugh. It may give them a buzz and excitement. However it is an illegal offence and dangerous driving can seriously injure and even kill others and those involved.In some cases joy riders maybe under the influence on alcohol and drugs which increases the risks of accidents.

http://www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=816 This site explains the fines and sentences that can be given to joy riders and has examples of accidents that have occured.

http://www.respect.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=7682 is a list of what the goverment is doing to tackile the problem.

Streaking/naturism

This image is from a christian naturist site, i could not find any images i could use!

It can be quite humourous to when someone streaks across a football pitch however this type of behaviour can offend people. In addition you can get arrested for indecent exposure.If you are comfortable with nudity maybe the bast thing to do is go to a naturist location. Although it is still nudity, naturist do not offend people as they are in locations where it is allowed and acceptable such as nudist beaches or resorts. Also they are usually among fellow naturists.

http://www.nudistlaw.com/new_page_5.htm is an article that argues against laws to ban nudity.

http://www.montananaturist.org/Articles%20on%20Nudism%20-%20What%20is.html is a site that explains naturism and gives their opinion for if it is wrong. I would say if you feel comfortable go for it, however i think when involves children it is a different matter, when they are adults and choose to do so is ok.Childrens protection has to be the priority.

Graffitti

Graffitti is often assossiated with teenagers in socially deprived urban areas.The reason the indviduals give for this poinless act is boredom.It can rabge from permanenrt marker on post boxes and spray paint on walls.It can make areas look run down and untidy.
In contrast there are some professional graffitti artists.They use spray paint as tools to create their art work. There is a differenc ebetween the two but anything that defaces public or private property is a deiviant and in some cases illegal act. There are however some designated areas provided by local councils sprecifically for graffitti.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti is a link the provides examples of Graffitti and a definition.

http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/graffitiarticles/graffitiart.asp is a site devoted to graffitti artists and argues why it is an art form and has an brief history of graffitti.

Body Modification

This image is an example of a tongue tatoo and mouth piercings.

When thinking about body modification I only really thought about the obvious ones that I am familiar with such as tatooing and body piercing.Individuals usually do these types of body modification for fashion reasons, artistic/aesthetic and also sexual reasons (such as tongue and genital peircings).These types of modification are now quite acceptable and not seen to be for the rebellious youth.

This image is an example of modification that was being displayed at a Phuket festival!
I had never really thought about the other forms of body modification that was idscussed within the lecture that are really extreme such as foot binding and amputation. These are illegal for a good reason.http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/7/25/221540/674 This link discuses extreme modification and why some individuals do it.

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Special:Allpages/A This link is to an encyclopedia of different forms of body modification, some you wouldn't really think of!

Masturbation

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

COMMENT!

Comment to Masturbation Blog by Claire jones
I did not know about women being given vibrators to treat hyseria, how mad is that considering
masturbation was so seriously frowned upon!It just shows how contradictory it was at that time, and maybe it still is in todays society in relation to masturbation.And the lack of understanding of women!

Portnoys complaint!

I think that the character in this extract takes masturbation to the extreme and is obsessed by it. You cannot deny that he is rather inventive and creative in finding new ways to 'fire his wad!'.

As you read the extract you can begin to understand that he uses masturbation as an outlet to deal with his frustrations.He feels controlled by his family and his mom seems to have an obsessive compulsive disorder herself with healthy eating and cleanliness as she freaks out when she thinks he's ate a hamburger. I do think it is quite a humourous extract but has underlying serious tones as it briefly discusses his religion and the guilt it causes for masturbating.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/20/reviews/roth-greenfeld.html is a review of the novel and goes in to more detail about the novel.

Banits/Outlaws and Gangsters!

Are these gangsters or musicians?What do you think?
(The men in the image are from the rap genre)






In todays society, in the film industry humour is often used within the gangster genre. For example the film, 'Lock stock and two smoking barrells' the criminal acts are often shown within a humourous tone which changes the characters from criminal and deviant to 'lads being lads'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock,_Stock_and_Two_Smoking_Barrels (This link is for those that may not have seen the film!)

Within literature, music and film, the gangster and outlaw genre often consists of a struggling working class male (predominantly male but not always) who resorts to violance and crime due to the lack of legal opportunities to get by or are seduced by the notion of quick cash.In addition they canget some status and respect within their social circles. (For example Scarface/The godfather)This is not dissimilar from society. In previous generations bandits and outlaws are not all criminals. Some people maybe outlawed due to religious differences or for living lifestyle that was not criminal but deviant.



This is just an image gangsters from previous generations.

COMMENT TO Li3y88 SMOKING BLOG!

I totally agree with your view on smoking!I cant stand the smell and was glad when the smoking ban came out. There are more than enough health warnings to inform people so its up to them if they want to smoke as much as its up to me not to! I still cant believe that people stand outside in the rain and cold to smoke, surely thats another reason to want to stop!

Clockwork orange is a book from the literary text list. I had watched the film but had not read the book until now. Personally i think the book is better due to the glossary of words and the review at the beginning of the book.

"Is it better for a man to be bad than have to be conditioned to be good."It is argued that in his novel Burgess defends the human rights of the 'disturbed' character Alex rather than glamourising his crimes, especially when the film was made. Alex aswell as the other characters are excerising their rights to free will, it is their choice to commit murder and rape the same as it is our choice not to. They are aware that they may be punished for doing criminal acts but still do it. This is a reason why the book and film was highly criticised aswell as for the 'shoking' content, espeacially at the time it was published. Ive added this to my 'being bad' blog as i think it can be applied to elements in the module. For example we are aware of dangers and punishment of taking or smuggling drugs but in the first confession lecture people had confessed to both. It all down to personal choice and free will, however this novel is taking it to the extreme as the characters go from deviant' lads being lads' bahaviour due to boredom to serious criminal activity.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/clockworkorange/summary.html This is a link to a a polt overview of the novel also the novel itself.

COMMENT- to Being Bad 0 (Lauz)

I am also a non smoker but realise that it is down to personal choice. There are enough adverts
and health warning for people to make an informed choice. In addition there is alot of help available for those who want to stop smoking so its up to them. I know im down playing the addiction aspect of smoking but as i am not a smoker i cant really understand the addiction.

STALKING

(The caption reads'because the relationship ends when you say it does' incase it was difficult to read!)

Taking an interest in a persons life and reading celebrity interviews to get an isight into their life is one thing. The people that take it too far are stalkers. These are the people that following people, obsessively knowing there timetable of where they are going and ahat they are doing. In celebrity cases alot of the time the stalkers have not even met the people they are stalking!I think these people lose touch with reality,it can be argued that some individuals are mentally ill and must have omething seriously lacking in their lives. However what about the press!They sell their 'exclusive' stories (which i am guilty of reading)and make a profit. But isn't it still stalking!


In cases where ex-partners and family become stalkers i think could be more serious as non-celebrities do not tend to have body guards proytecting us from unwanted attention.


sweetness-light.com/archive/about-stalkers-an... This is a link to mare info on stalkers and the arguably different types of stalkers.

COMMENT!
matt ward- bad blogs

I agree that obviously Shoplifting is not like the mugging of an old lady, however is often
assossiated with the same types of people, drug addicts.Im not saying that all shoplifting offeces have been committed by drug addicts but I'd put money on it being a fair few.All they get when they are caught is a slap on the wrists and sent back on the street to go and mug a vulnerable person!I think it should be taken more seriously by the law and organisations!

INFIDELITY

These two images represent how society's views on sex and infidelity has changed. Image one is of the cover of the classic film 'brief encounter'. A film about two married people who thought they were happy until they met each other.They start out innocent however turn into a love affair.The second image of a book called 'brief encounters' Tis book is less romanitc and is about casual sex. Is it worse for a partner to fall in love with someone else?or if you find out they have been having casual sex?are they both as bad as each other?
I don't think that you can argue that infidelity is 100% totally bad and wrong, im know people that have cheated on their partners and understand that it isn't always as clear cut as that and that there are two sides (or more) to every story. In addition there are different forms of infidelity. You have the one night standers and the long term affairs, which one is worse?
Some argue that they are in an unhappy relationships. For example, in the guardian article there is the story of a mnarried man that has not had sex in ten years due to the birth of his second child. His wife will not go to seek counselling with him and doesn't really seem to care. He has not cheated due to fear of losing his children if his wife ever found out.
In contrast to this, a married man statesd that he simply wasn't happy any more and fell out of love so had an affair. In this case i think he should have discussed his feelings to his wife or leave.However i am only 2o years old and never been married so never been in these situations. I am however in a long term relationship and never cheated (or been cheated on that i know of!), no matter how drunk iv'e been like some people use for an excuse!Sometimes all it takes is a little self control!and thought!Infidelity is tricky to label as totally bad as it depends on personal experiences, circumstances, what if the wife of the married man rather he had sex with someone else so she didn't have to, or maybe she's having an affair herself!you never know!
www.meet2cheat.co.uk is a link towebsite that hooks people up who want to have affairs. Is it a site that provides a needed service or simply a reflection of todays morals and people making arofit out of wrecking relationships!

IS SMOKING BAD?

Smoking, especially within older generations has been portrayed by the media to be sexy and cool.(as this image highlights)Attitudes have changed now as there are health warnings on ciggerette packets, non-smoking advertisments and readily available information, advice and support for those that want to stop smoking. The information about the effects of passive smoke has also lead to a smoking ban in public areas.The image above is from a T.V advert that informs people how passive smoke can effect children. As a non-smoker I love this ban as I no longer smell of disgusting, manky smoke after a night out!also I used to hate itwhen eating out, although there are smoking and non-smoking sections, smoke travels!smoke doesn't know it has to stay in the smoking section does it, it cant read the notices!I do think it is down to personal choice!People are aware of the warnings so its up to them if they think it has better benefits than disadvantages, and if they want to waste their money!Also, while i'm on this little rant i think more needs to be done in secondary and maybe even primary schools to inform them of the risks of smoking, not just simply tell them its wrong.http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HealthAndWellBeing/HealthyLiving/DG_4002727 is a government site to inform people of the effects of smoking for yourself aswell as others and how to stop!
http://www.forestonline.org/output/Page1.asp is a link to a pro-smoking site that believes in free choice!Its up to you if you choose to smoke or not!

This is an image of winona ryder being taken into court to be charged with shoplifting. She could afford the clothes she stole, so why would she do it?One theory could be that she did it to be in the spotlight or for the thrill. Many argue that some celebrities think that they are above the law! The reason she gave for shoplifting was that she was on medication that caused confusion, however personally i doubt it.some older people are on strong medication and are confused and you don't tend to hear about them shoplifting very often!

In my area shoplifting is often linked to drug addicts or kids. Shoplifting from the small local shop is seen to be really bad however people do not tend to be bothered too much when its from a larger organisation.However we forget that thieving no matter where from is still thieving.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4477596.stm This is a link to a bbc news article where more than 3.5 million people in the uk had admitted shoplifting in the past 5 years. Matbe this is an example of how shoplifting is not taken as seriously as other forms of theft!

My first blog!

Im not sure what bad place or event to go to for the module trip, maybe the circus of horrors, london dungeons or just clubbing!