Yay for class tomorrow!

I really am excited about having class tomorrow! Yahoo for that. As far as responding to the questions is concerned, with regards to the Bruemmer article, I feel as though their is something to be said for biological differences between boys and girls. However, as with any psychological correlation, to infer causation strictly from a correlation is to commit a logical fallacy. Banning the sale of hot chocolate because there is a direct correlation between hot chocolate sales and auto accidents ignores the fact that most wrecks occur in the winter when, guess what, people are more likely to be drinking hot chocolate. Similarly, to say that 80% of all high school drop outs are boys is interesting, but to automatically assume that the sole reason for their dropping out stems from their lack of interest in literature courses implies the same cognitive laziness involved in the hot chocolate scenario. Third, fourth, or fifth variables are almost always involved. I also think the disparity between girls and boys academic performance results (as previously discussed in class) partially from a set of expectations involving what each gender should or should not value. The situation then shifts from one in which boys prefer math and sciend to one in which boys should prefer these disciplines because, historically, men have been the captains of production and, as a result, have established the United States' stronghold in the global market. I think there is a growing fear about the increasing deficiency in our math and science interests with the youth in this country. Articles like the Bruemmer piece which place literature on an equal level with math and science are dangerous because the perception is that they implicitly conflate literature with femininity or, on other words, demasculinize American schools. The feminization of our academic institutions conflicts with the historical precedent of America being governed by masculine science and intellectual superiority and consequently illicits an even stronger push to reinforce masculinity in young men as an effort to, perhaps, ameliorate the situation. In short, we're digging ourselves into a hole from which there may or may not be a clear way out. Efforts to combat this phenomenon such as adapting lesson plans to appeal to the meager attention spans of young men while, on the surface, appear beneficial ultimately beg the question, "what does society gain by catering to the increasing demands of today's apathetic culture of boys?" This brings me back to my first point: what else could be going on with these kids that exceeds the parameters of mere gender distinctions that could more effectively allow teachers to not only evoke an appreciation for literature but also (and arguably more importantly) to reclaim our international stronghold on math and sciences. Clearly boredom in schools exists outside the english classroom. Lord of the Flies is a start, but we can't belittle the value of numbers...(like in a math class...)
Briefly, for this week I read The Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers. It was a graphic novel depicting life on the inner streets of New York. Gangs, drive-by shootings, and poverty shoot themselves unto the pages of this beautifully illustrated text. The first person narrator, Jesse, takes the reader on a journey which begins and ends with the murders of two of his friends. Through Jesse's eyes, we see the struggles faced by contemporary urban youth as they search for an identity among the bullets, corrupt cops, and disfunctional families. I'll chat more about that one tomorrow. Have a great night and I'll see yall soon!