Overview
Discussion Post #1:
As we've discussed in class, physical appearance is part of our nonverbal communication. We perceive other people through many filters and appearance is certainly one of those. For many of us, being judged by what we look like can cause us to doubt our value. Whether or not we were bullied growing up, we still compared ourselves to our peers, and those images could be quite powerful where our budding identity was concerned. Even as we get older, we continue to compare ourselves to our peers in many ways, and how we present ourselves compared to others remains relevant.
This first discussion post looks at some of the many challenges of physical appearance. First, read the three short New York Times articles (one on "political branding"; one on "Boris Johnson's silly style"; and one on "What different-looking people want you to know"). We manipulate our appearance to make a particular impression on others, embrace a personal style that benefits us in , and even manipulate how we feel about ourselves through controlling our actions. However, some things we cannot alter and must learn to accept about our physical appearance. No matter how much we accept ourselves, we still often face challenges from the outside. People can be clueless or worse, downright cruel. In our current national environment, appearance can both unify us and divide us.
This prompt offers three questions. Respond to the first questions and ONE of the follow up questions. Write a cohesive essay, in proper paragraph form. The discussion post should be 300 words minimum and not more than 500 words. (You will not be penalized for writing a long post, but be succinct.) You must THOUGHTFULLY respond to at least one other person's discussion post in at least 100 words.
Your first Discussion Post is due by Friday, Feb 2 at 11:59pm. Your classmate response is due Tuesday, February 5 by noon.
1). From the assigned articles, what stood out to you and why?
2). According to your text, we dress the way we do for three reasons: for comfort, for protection, and as cultural display. Homophily may also influence our dress choices. Consider the following: How has the current environment in this country impacted ideas of dressing for comfort/protection/cultural display? Are we behaving this way to fit in (homophily) or stand out? Consider such elements as the effects of social media, ongoing protests in many cities, changing views of gender, and so on. Appearance can be a unifying feature. What about it is unifying? What about it has been divisive?
3). Consider how making an impression via our appearance has changed as a result of Covid-19. Much of our life during that period was lived remotely, socially-distanced, or behind a mask. What actions can we take to control the image other people have of us?