Journal Entry #8: Letter to Monique

Dear Monique,

There were a few things I had trouble on, but those troubles can all be attributed to my lack of time management. I had the most trouble with Journal Entry number 6, only because I did not complete the revision strategy on time. By the time I did complete the revision strategy assignment, it was too late to turn in that journal entry. Also, I felt that if I did attempt the journal entry, that I wouldn’t put much information in it, especially the part that asked for two interesting developments, because I really just rushed through the revision strategy assignment for the sake of getting it done. I’ve always seen how these research journal assignments are useful, so there wasn’t really an “ah-ha!” moment for me. One journal entry that I was a little annoyed with was number 5, where we had to write about our attention grabber, the introduction, rebuttal, support, and conclusion, but I think that’s only because I found myself a bit overwhelmed with work from other classes. But as I was typing it up, I started to see how it was helpful. It was a helpful way to analyze my essay and to sort of outline it.

I’m really comfortable with my writing style, actually. It’s always been something that I’m better at than, say, math or science. Again, one thing that I really have trouble with, though, is my time management. With both of my rough drafts, I literally whipped them up at the last minute. I felt rushed; therefore, I did not have extra time to proof read my papers before turning them in. I know I am able to do a lot better stylistically. Another thing I was struggling with was forming a thesis. I knew what I wanted to write about, I just didn’t know how to sum it up in one sentence. It was actually helpful for me to write out my first draft without a thesis so that I could grab ideas from it and put it into one sentence, being the thesis.

I took really good research notes and surprisingly did well on the research process itself. Normally, when I’m required to research something, it’s less fun to research. But with hippies, I actually enjoyed doing the research and taking the notes. I learned some really interesting stuff from which I was able to form my own opinions. This definitely helped build up my drafts, because hippies themselves are, to this day, controversial. Some people use the term “hippie” in a derogatory manner, while others admire hippies. Forming my own ideas and opinions throughout the paper was another strength. If I couldn’t do that, then my paper would sound more boring. For example, when I mentioned the violent treatment of hippies, I brought up some good points. They were trying to peacefully send a message. It’s completely understandable to try to control drug-induced crowds, but needlessly arresting peaceful protesters and treating them horribly should not be acceptable. I ask the reader two questions in my essay: Is violence and rape the way to communicate with people of different views? And, do you really want to support a system that treats its people this way? This is how I lead into the persuasive tone of my concluding paragraphs, and it really would make a reader think twice about American society.

Near the beginning of the term, when I was managing my time better, I did my best work. I realize the drafts are not my best work, but when I was under pressure to finish them on time, I did a decent job of organizing my paper. My main points seemed to be in a proper order, for the most part. So for working under pressure, they turned out okay. Now that I have 5 days to write my final copy, my strengths as a writer will more easily shine through, since I have completed most work for my other classes.

I have conflicting feelings about the course. On the one hand, I feel that all those extra assignments and research blogs allowed us to really dissect our topic, our paper, and our thought process. This is really helpful in coming up with an amazing final copy. But on the other hand, it did feel like too much extra work at some points. In the last couple of weeks, I have not been able to turn in all the research journal entries or revision strategy assignments. I suppose your class is providing us with good lessons on time management. It’s one of those things that I must frequently work at. It won’t stick right away, especially since I’ve always been a procrastinator. For the most part, I enjoyed this class, because not only do we have an entire term to write one good paper; it felt like we had to eat and breathe our topic. Some people may not like the idea, but it sure gave me more to think about, which was nice, especially since I am very interested in my topic.

I’ve learned that even a poorly-written first draft is worth looking at, not only to find the mistakes, but also to try to find just what exactly I wanted to say (i.e.: the overall message). This has definitely helped me come up with a thesis. Something else that helped me come up with the thesis was in journal entry number 3, when you wanted us to write the “So what?” aspect of our topic. It made me think, “Why do I care about hippies?” Then it dawned on me what it was that I wanted my paper to convey.

This class has helped me take research more seriously. EBSCOhost is a great tool that not enough people use. Obviously, using good resources is what will add to my credibility. Another way this class has helped me is my time management. There was so much work in this class, but it was for a good reason. Time management is, of course, a huge factor in life even beyond school. I thank you for subliminally reiterating the importance of time management in your class 🙂

Sincerely,

Natasha

Journal Entry #5

• Exordium (Attention Grabber): In my rough draft, I used a quote from Michael Branch, who gave a presentation at a sixties conference comparing the transcendentalists of the 1860s with the hippies of the 1960s. As interesting a comparison as this is, I think I might open with a description of how hippies were brutally treated by police and people who considered themselves vigilantes. This information is eye-opening and I will use it to transition into what exactly the hippies’ message was.

• Narratio (Introduction): I plan on briefly describing the beatniks (their ideology of simply eluding American society, not eliminating it), who led to the onset of the hippie movement. I will attempt to describe how they did so (there are a couple of theories as to how hippies came about).

• Propositio (Claim): I want my claim to be something along the lines of the following: “Hippies have had a lasting and (mostly) positive influence on American culture as it is today, yet their message still needs to be heard and strongly considered in these trying times.” Or, “Hippies have had an enormous impact on American culture by teaching us to question authority and to embrace freedom.”

• Partitio (Statement of Division – Optional):

• Confutatio (Rebuttal – Optional): I definitely want to touch on the Evangelical Movement, which occurred soon after the Hippie Movement began to die out. The proponents of the Evangelical Movement had views that were almost opposite that of the hippies, so I certainly plan on comparing the two movements. I also want to briefly describe how they have influenced some aspects of today’s culture. For a “rebuttal,” I may briefly describe how values from the Evangelical Movement might be seen as “better” than those of the Hippie movement.

• Confirmatio (Support): 1) The hippie movement was brought about by the Beatniks; took Beatnik ideals and protesting to a higher level; 2) the role of music in the hippie movement (personal accounts); 3) compare the hippies to the transcendentalists (I might combine the Beatnik and transcendentalist topics); 4) some internal struggles and ironies of hippie culture (statistics & personal accounts); 5) their accomplishments and demise; 6) why a hippie way of life can be successful, if done right (will give real-life examples).

• Peroratorio (Conclusion): My conclusion will have a persuasive tone. I want the reader to remember that no type of society is perfect (including the hippies), but to strongly consider what life would be like if we applied some hippie values to our culture as it is. I want to state that if people (both civilians and leaders) weren’t so greedy and just tried to communicate issues peacefully and transparently, that life might be better for everyone. Basically I want people to know that hippies still have something to say.

Journal Entry #4 (Lead-ins)

1. Imagine being persecuted for having different views. This is an all too common theme of civilization throughout history. A lack of understanding one another – whether it’s between individuals or between nations – usually leads to violence. Yet, the Hippie movement appeared to demonstrate just that. They had an idea of peace and harmony, which they expressed peacefully. Policemen and vigilante-wannabes, however, tried to stomp them out via beatings and rape, respectively (“The Anti-American Generation,” pg. 101). By enduring this awful treatment, all in the name of standing up for their beliefs, hippies demonstrated to the world how fear and ignorance too often overpower the need for peaceful interaction between different groups.

2. Michael Branch, a professor at the University of Nevada at Reno, opened a presentation that he gave at a Sixties Generation conference with the following: “The movement was a form of idealism which involved a reliance on the intuition and conscience. Adherents of the movement generally believed in living close to nature… They placed great emphasis upon the importance of spiritual living. They decided moral and religious questions by reference to the individual rather than to institutions such as school or church. They urged strongly […] the idea of one great brotherhood.” He’s talking about the hippies, right? Actually, he reveals that this is, in fact, a description of transcendentalism, a movement that flourished during the 1860s. It then occurred to me that the transcendentalists of the 1860s and the hippies of the 1960s had much in common. Although transcendentalists came first, it was the hippies that really took off with a new way of protesting and changed American society forever.

3. We hear their music on the radio. We say their phrases in everyday conversation. We are voting on marijuana use rights, a trend that boomed with the onset of this group. We sometimes even dress in similar ways to these people. The hippies have had a huge impact on American culture. Yet, the one message they truly wanted to get across has not made enough of a difference in our lives today. It may sound cliche, but world peace was their message, and with the circumstances we currently face in the world, perhaps we could learn a thing or two from this message.

Comments:

Research Journal Entry 4

Journal Entry #4

Journal Entry #3 (Exercise 4.2)

Fastwrite:
I was thinking that I would find a lot more information on their style – like their clothing, jewelry, being called “flower children,” etc. etc. but I found a lot more information on their ideologies than anything so that’s probably for the best. I naively thought it was one big happy thing that happened for a decade. But I was surprised to find out that it was only for about five years or so. I also did not know that the beatniks sorta inspired the hippie movement to happen. As i continued my research, I was learning more and more not only about their ideologies, but also their lifestyle and how they were treated by other people, particularly the police (violence) and those who considered themselves “vigilantes” (more violence and rape). That disgusted me, but I guess that’s how protesters are treated sometimes. My preconceived notions about the hippie movement have flipped a bit. I didn’t know that the police treated them so badly, and it never occurred to me that not all hippies were actually acting peaceful. I knew that music was a huge part of it, but one of my sources suggest that the change in popular music is what started the change in protest. Hippies, as peace-loving and free-spirited as they were, were a lot more stubborn about change than the beatniks. I will definitely compare the two movements in my paper, but I will not go into too much detail about the beatniks, since they are not the focus of my research. I will also discuss music’s role in the Hippie movement, for sure. One thing that I may need to research more is why it “ended” or whether or not it actually ended (I know of a few people who are living the hippie lifestyle today) so I think it’s a legitimate thing to question.

Moments, Stories, People, and Scenes:
I remember one of the newspaper articles that I read for my notes was a narrative of a guy who reflected on when he was involved in the hippie movement. He lived in a commune in Tennessee called The Farm, where there was a doctor, a school, a dentist, a farm, and basically all the things that are needed to sustain a community. I asked myself “how was this all funded when hippies didn’t exactly like working for the man?” I’m sure they had no choice if they wanted to survive. Anyway, he says that what he learned from living in that commune is to help other people, to sustain himself, and to discuss differences in a peaceful manner – basically the same hippie values that I have seen in my other sources. I also remember reading an article that compared the 1860’s and the 1960’s (both decades experienced huge changes in social reform and the like). This will definitely be an important part of my paper. I also remember Bruce Cook in his book on the beatniks recounting his experience at Woodstock. He basically said that it was all hyped up and that rock music that was a huge part of the hippie movement (in fact he suggests that it started it) was not good music compared to the jazz that the beatniks tried to call their own. I think I need more personal accounts in my paper because I can only think of three off the top of my head. McQueen, who worked at a park in northern California, remembers the hippies that visited the hot springs there… he remembers that they in fact were not very peaceful and were planning to have an orgy (in public hot springs) sooo this is a good example of hippies just going out of control (or who were just in it for the party aspect of the movement). Anyway, I definitely plan on adding more personal accounts. I have skimmed over some other ones and I am thinking that these help explain why the hippie movement withered out a bit, which I would definitely like to touch on in my paper. These personal accounts that I have described here will also assist me in discussing the good things and the bad things that arose from the Hippie Movement, which is the main question that I want my paper to answer (How did it benefit American society? How might it have been detrimental?)

Quick Dialogue:
Other Person (op): Why did the hippie movement happen, anyway?

Me (m): Well, those who partook in the movement were mainly young college students who, as they learned more and more about American society and the rest of the world, became disgusted or at least skeptical about the way of life that they were told to be a part of. They also were strong advocates of peace. The reason for this was because America was going to war with Vietnam. I’m sure some of them simply wanted to avoid the draft, but those who were truly dedicated and stood for Hippie ideals knew that war was not the answer when it came down to improving the world. They knew that war was usually spawned by greed, whether the warmongers are greedy for money, resources, or simply control. They knew that actions provoked by selfish and material desires would lead to forgetting about the welfare of the people and of Earth. It has been suggested that the infiltration of drugs (such as LSD) into the music scene was a strong factor in beginning the hippie movement.

op: How did they protest American society and war?

m: Lots of stand-ins, or setting up little communities where they lived a simple, self-sustaining lifestyle. The music that they listened to and played were also sending messages to the rest of America, promoting peace, loving one another, and free love.

op: How did the rest of society see these hippies?

m: Some were so intrigued or inspired that they went along for the ride. Others felt a little nervous about this odd new lifestyle that was popping up in various spots in the city. The evangelical movement that occurred soon after the hippie movement began to wither out reassured the more conservative crowd that there are other values (such as work ethic and loving one’s country) to stand for, so some on-lookers found comfort in that. The police in some towns treated the hippies horribly, and for no good reason, either. Yes, the hippies did do some illegal things (the worst probably being drugs), but again, for the most part, they acted peacefully in their protests and did not go out of their way to hurt anybody.

So What?
First of all, it’s important for us to know our history so that we know why things are the way they are today. The hippie movement of the 1960s really influenced how American life is today, from our everyday speech to pop culture to activism about civil rights (not simply civil rights because this is, unfortunately, still a problem even today). Therefore, it was a pretty darn important point in America’s history, and I think that we can (and should) learn a thing or two from their ideals.

Comments:

JOURNAL ENTRY#3 Reclaiming Your Topic (4.2)

Journal #3 Reclaiming your topic

Comments that continue the dialogue:

Journal entry #3

Journal Entry #3: Reclaiming My Topic

Journal Entry #2

I chose two quotes from Bruce Cook’s book The Beats. Both quotes were in the same chapter and pertained to the Woodstock music festival, which is one of the most remembered happenings during the Hippie Movement (my topic).

“The reality of Woodstock mattered a good deal less to everyone – even perhaps to those who were present – than it did as a symbol” (pg. 230).

“What was absent, though, was the sense of open exchange between strangers, of young people coming together and truly enjoying themselves. And yet this was what Woodstock was supposed to be about, wasn’t it?” (pg. 236).

Believing:
Although I am a bit surprised at Cook’s less-than-amazing experience of Woodstock, it’s not something that should be ignored, seeing as he was there to experience it. Sometimes, the meaning of events or things are amplified by people who either did not directly participate, or (in this case) who were not in a clean state of mind for most of the time that they were experiencing the event. I think that either of those reasons may have something to do with why Woodstock sounds like it was such an amazing event to most people. Until I read the chapter on Woodstock in his book, I had always thought that it really was this amazing event, especially for the people who were there. Now, I’m not so sure.

Doubting:
First of all, Bruce Cook’s book was mainly focused on the beatniks, which were a group of people whose form of protest was more philosophical and less action-oriented (from what I gathered) and somewhat spawned the hippie movement. Nevertheless, they were still a different group. When he introduced hippies, his tone was pretty critical of them, since he stressed the drug use so much and deemed rock-n-roll a dumbed-down and shallow form of music. So, it’s fairly obvious here that he was biased in favor of the beatnik’s movement. I should mention that when he said there was a lack of open exchange between strangers, he was only talking about the trek to the property on which Woodstock happened. He did not say how much open exchange there was once everyone got settled into the location.

Comments:

Research Journal Entry 2

Journal 2 believing and doubting

Journal Entry #1

1. Kinds of sources: [[By the way, I’ve decided on my topic being the hippie movement. The questions I will be answering are: Why did the Hippie Movement begin? How has it changed American society?]]
   The majority of my sources are books. I also have a few EBSCO articles, two Newsbank articles (soon to be more probably), and one article from the Internet Public Library.
   .
2. Types of information:
   Data, facts, news, some opinion, and lots of personal experience accounts.
   .
3. Purpose of publications:
   Most of them were to inform the reader. One of my books sounded like it was ranting, as well as informing (it’s called The Anti-American Generation).
   .
4. Documentation:
   All of my sources document their sources in one way or another. Most of them have a superscripted number at the end of some sentences and then a corresponding numbered list of those sources at the end of the book. Others, which take personal accounts, don’t show documentation, but I think it’s fairly obvious that the interviewees were the sources of information.
   .
5. Credentials and expertise:
   Most of the authors/editors of my sources are journalists, writers, or academics with an undergraduate degree or higher. Those with higher degrees happened to be college professors. One contributor was a head of research at a non-profit organization for preserving history, while another was an army general with a psychology degree.
   .
6. Publishers:
   The publishers of my book sources tended to be either universities, professional societies, or commercial publishers.
   .
7. Dates of publication:
   All but one of my books were published during the 1960s and 1970s. My most current sources are my EBSCO, Newsbank, and Internet Public Library sources. I absolutely do feel that the older sources are still relevant to my topic because I am writing about a cultural revolution that took place during the 1960s and 70s. Some of them even include first-hand accounts of the hippie lifestyle, which will obviously be helpful in my writing about this movement.
   .
8. Objectivity:
   They all seem to be simply informative, although a few do take interesting approaches in presenting the facts. One of my book sources, called The Anti-American Generation, seems to have input from both hippie supporters and hippie haters, which obviously provides for some nice variety in perspective.

Comment links:
http://andreysnurnitsyn.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/evaluating-sources-2/#comment-2
http://lopezteresa.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/research-journal-entry-1/#comment-3

Exercise 1.6: Topic Relationships

Relationships between the Hippie Movement and:

• pre-hippie culture
• people who did not partake in hippie culture/movement
• music
• government
• human rights

Relationships between the India/Pakistan conflict and:

• relationship between India & Pakistan
• other conflicts that are going on in neighboring countries
• each country’s primary religion
• the government and the people in each country
• geographical location of each country (natural resources) and the conflict

Relationships between The Beatles and:

• other bands around the time of their break-up
• their managers/assistants/etc.
• people outside of the band who did not work for the band directly
• American culture

Exercise 1.5: My Focus Questions

Whatever is in boldface are topics that I am interested in writing about. At this point, I am likely going to stick with writing about the hippie movement, but I’m leaving the questions for the other topics, just in case.

The Hippie Movement:
Focus question: Why did it begin?
What was life like right before it began?
When did it begin?
Who/what were some of the driving forces of the movement/culture change?
-(may add more questions… this is the topic I’m leaning towards the most).

India/Pakistan:
When/where/why did the conflict between India and Pakistan begin?
Does religion have something to do with this conflict?
When was each country established?
How did each ethnic group get along before the countries were established? …before their religions were established?
Is there a third party involved in igniting this conflict?

The Beatles:
Why did they break up?
Why did they get together to begin with?
Were their beliefs or personalities conflicting?

Comment links:
http://liya2blog.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/exercise-1-5/#comment-3
http://bethbistline.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/focusing-question/#comments