Our past class got me thinking, and about something that I had never really considered before. The fact that we as a society have greatly changed the way we stand for pictures. Now it is safe to say that anything goes except what was mandatory 50 years back. Back in these times people stood very posed and solemn. It was rare for people to even smile. Now you look like a total idiot if your caught not smiling in a picture! 50 years ago if you where smiling, especially if you were male, it looked odd. Smiling was reserved for children who even were oddly rarely caught in mid grin.
I think the main reason these things have changed because we as a whole have loosened up. We don't stand solemn and posed because we are rarely like this is normal day-to-day life. During these times it was more about who you were perceived to be rather than who you exactly where. Now it is much more acceptable to express you own individuality. Today's generation is also much more willing to get into a picture. I know from my experiences with older people that they will normally avoid pictures at all cost. I think something can be said for all of these trends. Though this is not the way I am going with my essay, it would be interesting to see this all thought out.
A lot of it may also do with the changes we read about in Twenege's book. Each generation has progressively became more entwined with individualistic views and less about maintaining a specific societal norm.
ReplyDeleteBut isn't it now the "norm" to smile? Try posing for a photo and not smiling--people will try to convince you to smile because we now feel that people "should" smile. The same goes for Twenge's baseball game--it isn't as if people are all wearing something different. They are all dressed casually and in very similar ways. Aren't people still conforming--just to different social expectations? How much does smiling for a photo and wearing blue jeans express individuality if almost everyone is smiling and wearing blue jeans?
ReplyDeleteBut is it truly conforming to a new rule or are many people looking at a point of view and agreeing? You keep mentioning jeans, do people wear jeans in order to conform or is it possible that they have found them comfortable? I personally wear jeans that are comfortable on some days and on other days I wear slacks. It's not society making me wear or not wear them, it is a personal choice as to what feels comfortable and is clean enough to wear on a given day. Does this make me rebellious and a noncomformist since I don't wear jeans every day?
ReplyDeleteI think people wear jeans both because they are comfortable and because they are conforming to social expectations. In Scotland, one might wear a kilt because it is comfortable; 2000 years ago, one might have worn a toga; in Arabia, a Thobe. I usually wear slacks, and sometimes wear jeans--but why are these acceptable options? Why not a dress, or a skirt? I wore a kilt in a play once and it was the most comfortable article of clothing I've ever worn--I wouldn't wear it to a baseball game. I also wouldn't wear jeans to a corporate job interview or a tux to a picnic--is this because I've decided what I like best in those situations and everyone else just happens to agree? Or do I know I'm expected to dress comfortably or formally because of my social awareness? If we all just happen to agree, why do we have terms like "overdressed" and "underdressed?" Wouldn't we all just be dressed in what we've chosen?
ReplyDeleteI think that it was looked upon as professional when you took pictures in past generations. Smiling was for your free time and lightheartedness. Pictures however were to compose an idea of a group of people and that was looked upon as professional and serious. However with the change of our society and the upturn in individuality, we have evolved to let go of that idea. In fact, sometimes now people are even more goofy in pictures than they are in real life. This just shows that we are more apt to show ourselves as outgoing and fun than we really are, sometimes or sometimes its true.
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