"Lost Boyz" in tha Hood

Trey Styles and his childhood friends are definitely more dynamic than your average African American in films. Each individual brings something different to the table concerning life in the inner city. Their friendship is incredibly important to breaking stereotypes in my opinion, their differences show audiences how different black youths can be. Once you break the idea of "they are all the same" you can go on and reverse other misconceptions about their race.

Dough Boy plays the role of the stereotype that the film attempts to break. What the writer-director, Jason Singleton accomplished with Ice Cube's character was to challenge the idea of a drug dealer. D-Boy had limited access to positive male role models while he was growing up and received no love from his mother, this is established early and throughout the film. The film needed a character with no support as a child to contrast with Trey and Ricky to fully teach the value of parenthood.

The film does little to address drugs, the root of all violence in the hood. The only drug deal is early in the morning after Dough Boy avenges his brother. The cinematic decision to save the drug deal scene for the end was a fitting choice and sent a definite message of oppression.

Little Chris has a limited role in the film but is important to the messages the film gives. Violence is a central idea as well as parenthood and Chris represents the possible cost of violence. This youth was taken by the police with Dough Boy and after the time skip he is confined to a wheelchair for unexplained reasons. Only when Trey is contemplating retribution with his fathers gun in his hand does Furious bring up Chris and his disability.

"Boyz in tha Hood" challenges many ideas about race, gives reasons for behavior such as drug dealing and violence, and stresses heavily the importance of parents and positive role models. The message that was most clear to me was the idea of brotherhood and friendship. Never did any of the main characters betray their hommies. Always Chris was given assistance when he was unable to make it up stairs, that image is truly heart warming.

elementary school teachers, a femeniarchy

It is common knowledge that among elementary school teachers there is a woman majority, and this was unjustly offset in the past due to the administrative positions being held my mostly men. In 1964 the civil rights act was passed and those higher paying positions were opened up to all genders, but for sexist reasons the lower paying teacher positions remained mostly women. These positions, held by women, are critical to all youths development and we should be shared by both genders.

There are many experts who will say that men in these positions is a horrible idea, that these men are probably pedophiles. I too had these preconceived notions until read an article on the new york times website about a perfectly capable male kindergarten teacher.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/26/nyregion/a-woman-s-work-don-t-tell-that-to-this-kindergarten-teacher.html?pagewanted=2

This article along with discussions in class has shown me that my preconceived notions that females are more nurturing than males is oppressing males who are capable to teach young children. Only 9% of elementary school teachers are male according to a study released by the National Education Association. Perhaps one day society will look past the "differences" men and women have when it comes to education, just like we have looked past how women are just as good as men in higher paying jobs such as politics and medicine.