The causes of self-mutilation; Paper prompt

        For my final paper,  I'm considering researching the causes of self-mutilation. It falls under the topic of body modification, but we never really discussed this topic in class. It's something that I'm very interested in researching, and want to see if I can find evidence which can break the stereotypes that lay behind self-mutilation. The stereotypes being that self-mutilation and depression go hand in hand.

        I think that this topic will cover a variety of categories, because self-mutilation can happen everywhere. I'm interested in finding out what categories seem to have the biggest influence on my topic.It's not confined to one gender, or race. There might be evidence that shows one race self-mutilates more than another, or maybe even a certain social class. I'm interested in figuring out, which groups of people tend to self-mutilate and why. In response to the categories that will shape my paper, I would say the media, race and social class are the top three that will shape my paper. I want to compare and contrast race's, social classes and see how the media effects the perspective on self-mutilation. 

        Self-mutilation is portrayed in the media and movies. Usually in a movie, if a character is depressed they might cut themselves, so cutting is thought of as an action done by people who are depressed. So my question is, does self-mutilation, cutting in particular, mean you are depressed or is it just portrayed that way. Are there people who self-mutilate for different reasons? In the media, you hear about celebrities who are depressed and they cut themselves. Demi Lovato is one that I remember pretty well. She left television for a while because of it. Kids who suffer from depression might hear about instances like this and in effect they might think that because they are depressed they should cut themselves like Demi Lovato. Comparing social classes can help figure that out as well as the effects the media has on people. 

        Another thought I have is where self-mutilation, especially in America, originated. In African tribes, self-mutilation is something that is used for cultural and ritual purposes. At what point did self-mutilation come to America and become a sign of depression. I also want to know that the causes for self-mutilation are.

        When I pick my sources, I want to have hard facts from primary sources. Interviews and videos would be especially useful. I also want to compare those sources to studies done which I can find in online databases like JSTOR of the library. I can also use personal experience as a source.

        In regards to my viewpoint on the issue, I think there is more than just depression that cause self-mutilation. The opposing viewpoint would be going along with the popular viewpoint that depression and self-mutilation go hand in hand.  I'm not sure if that would be considered an opposing viewpoint but It's a place for me to start. I'll be looking for primary sources and studies done as my sources and I will also be using self-experience. 

-Brandon Reilly

 

The Switch

       In the article "How code switching explains the world" by Gene Demby there is a video that gives another perspective on president Obama. The article shows how people switch the way the talk depending on the people they are talking to. The video shows that even president Obama doesn't have only one way of speaking. 
       The video takes place in a small town restaurant, and President Obama is seen talking to the other customers and the cashiers. At one point he says to the cashier "Nah we straight." People don't usually expect that to come out of someone like the presidents mouth, just because it isn't seen as professional. I think it really shows how human everybody really is. No matter how much you try to hide behind fancy clothes and big words, you can't be perfect. "When you're attuned to the phenomenon of code-switching, you start to see it everywhere, and you begin to see the way race, ethnicity and culture plays out all over the place." I love that quote because it shows how you can be part of so many different cultures all at the same time.
      I can think of some examples right away of when I code switch. I am involved in a lot of international clubs and that means that I spend a lot of time with people who have very different accents from me. When I hang out with my Japanese friends from the Japanese SA I find myself starting to talk like them. They don't have the best English and they tend to be missing words in their sentences like Yoda. For example, they might say "we go to store" which I know isn't correct, but I start talking like that after a while too. I think it's so cool that I can switch so easily when I'm with different friends. 
      In regards to the topic of ASL and Black ASL, the video of president Obama is very similar. When he said "nah we straight" I was a little confused. Me being a white american boy brought up in the suburbs of Rochester, I'm not exactly rehearsed very well in slang or street smarts. My room mate is black and I still don't completely understand some of the things he says to me. Like ASL and Black ASL, we can understand each other, but it's just not as clear and it took a little while to start talking the same. 
      It makes me wonder if the same code switch happens around the world. America is known as the melting pot, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I believe that the more rehearsed you are with other cultures, the more aware you become. 
-Brandon Reilly