Week 2
Reflections:
How is our understanding of tweens affected by the creation of middle schools? Are middle schools a good idea?
The development of middle schools was pushed by the increase in population and environmental needs, however the decision to create a transition from elementary school to high school was rationalized by the change in the tweens developmental stages at the middle school level. In chapter 2 of Focus on the Wonder Years, the authors state “Although space considerations and other logistics were influencing the configuration of the schools, new research was showing that young teens of the 1960s were reaching puberty earlier than their peers had in the early 1900s (Tanner, 1962). Not unlike the work of Hall (1905), these findings about young teens’ biological maturity seemed to support earlier transfer from elementary schools.” The transition from elementary school to high school created many social and educational setbacks for many kids causing them to drop out. The establishment of “junior highs” allowed children a smoother transient, from elementary to high school. Middle schools are a great idea, tweens have the ability to develop in a more structured, supported and guarded environment.
How do marketer's presentation of/to tweens impact public perceptions of the age group?
Ann Hulbert draws a picture of how marketing companies and products view children and their evolution into the consumer society; “marketing is not just about peddling products that people need; it's also about creating a society of consumers ever eager for more.” Companies are trying to mold children into shoppers and spenders. Tweens are at an age where they are neither kid nor teen, which works in favor of the marketing companies. Tweens are still close to their parents which supplement the money, but they are also guided by what others think, which promotes commercialism. Tweens are the best of both worlds, they have the money and are eager to buy. Hulbert descirbes this middle stage as “With insidious ads promoting youthful ''pester power,'' marketers have eroded what Freud called latency, the prepubertal phase when children sublimate their urges into creative and cognitive achievement and still admire their parents.”
''kids getting older younger'' process: tweens, if you fill in the sketchy outlines of the firm's presentation, bear less resemblance to rebellious teenagers and more to the conflicted adults whose purses and grudging permission they still count on.
What are the myths of tweenagedom? And what is the reality? Talk to tweens about this if possible.
The biggest Myth that I uncovered is that not all tweens are the same. Tweens are molded by their families, communities, and prior experiences. I questioned two groups of kids; high income, predominately white and another group of low income predominately English language learners. There were similar responses and completely different responses to misconceptions they deal with.
Both groups feel that: many adults view them as being younger or immature than they feel. These tweens want adults to know that they don’t like to be treated like “little kids”; they don’t like the same “stuff” they liked when they were younger (third grade). Parents and adults assume they like the same trends they like when they were younger.
Low income: “they aren’t always being bad.” Teachers and adults assume they are done things they are not suppose to, all the time, sometimes they are not. They do not like to be yelled at.
