Category: Role Models

It is said that, “Fiction is a lie through which we tell the truth” (Albert Camus). And it no coincidence that fictional stories have become a massive part of society and sometimes these stories define how society and humans behave. Through fictional stories such as the fun series “Geronimo Stilton” or serious fictional stories like “IT”, the author creates a fictional world for readers, where authors and readers are the masters of their world and are only limited by the imaginations. Through fictional stories, authors and readers form a connection between the fictional world and the real world by expanding imagination, introducing different ideas, as well as creating and following positive role models.

Beginning with the idea that fictional stories provide an opportunity for readers to expand their imagination, “The Fall of a City” and the article, “The Hidden Agenda of Bedtime Stories” support this idea as well as describe the benefits of fictional stories. More particularly, in the short story “The Fall of a City”, written by Alden Nowlan, it describes how essential fictional stories are to a human’s personality development. This short story is about a boy named Theodore, who lives with his aunt and uncle. At the beginning of the story, the readers are introduced to Theodore sitting in the attic with the kingdom of Upalia, that Theodore made out of matchboxes and humanoid figures cut out of paper. In the story, it describes how Theodore imagined that “The armies of the Emperor Kang of Dariova were attacking the fortifications on the Upalian frontier! Teddy inhaled deeply and held his breath, his thin chest pressing against his sweat shirt” (Nowlan 1-2). This quote supports the idea that a child’s imagination and perception is the most influential factor that helps shape a child’s behavior. Although at the beginning of the story, Theodore is seen as a brave and fearless young boy, however, in reality, Theodore suppresses the identity created through the imagination of the Kingdom of Upalia. This is evident at the end of the story when Theodore’s uncle notices what Theodore has been doing up in the attic and Theodore destroys the kingdom, representing the loss of imagination. This loss of creativity could be dangerous for a young child as it inhibits the growth in personality. In conclusion, “The Fall of a City” represents the imagination through which fictional stories such as the story of Upalia are formed, which is essential for developing behavior unique to an individual. The article “The Hidden Agenda of Bedtime Stories” represents the benefits of fictional stories told during bedtime to a child.

Another example that supports the idea that fictional stories provide an opportunity for readers to expand their imagination is the news article, “The Hidden Agenda of Bedtime Stories” written by Andrea Gordon. In the article, Gordon talks about the importance of bedtime stories for a child as these stories provide a relaxation period, as well as a period in which a child’s cognitive skills can be enhanced. It is observed that while reading or listening to bedtime stories, melatonin is released that allows readers to sleep and process information gathered throughout the day and expands imaginations. Among other benefits, the author states that sleep allows the brain to process the information, which in the article, parent Natalie Foy and Ted Betts, “want the books we read to engage the kids, to make their minds work, and most importantly, to capture their imaginations” (Gordon 3). These opportunities given by bedtime stories such as Peter Pan’s Neverland encourages children to imagine by immersing themselves into the story, where the reader can relate to and can become the character to tackle various problems and interact with other characters made up by the reader in the dream world. By reading about a character’s life, readers are transported to a different world, where anything the mind can think of is allowed and readers are also introduced to different ideas.

Continuing from the idea that fictional stories provide readers with an opportunity to increase their imagination, these fictional stories also provide readers with different ideas and perspectives on various topics. Both the article “The heritage of storytelling” as well as the Ted Talk “The danger of a single story”, represents and discuss these ideas. More specifically, the article “The heritage of storytelling”, discusses the idea that all fictional stories follow a similar storyline with repeating messages, however, characters encounter different problems. As told in the article, in earlier centuries, stories were told orally and overtime this method of storytelling slowly transitioned to writing. In the article, it also states, “Stories are the launching pads for the great characters who populate our collective imagination and our language: Scrooge, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein’s monster, Sherlock Holmes, Big Brother, Romeo. The great stories seem to never die but instead refresh themselves with each generation” (Fulford 4). Some examples of stories that have been refreshed for new generations, is the story of Cinderella. As all readers know, Cinderella is about a young maiden, who was forced to work as a slave, as the step-family was jealous of Cinderella. One night, there is a ball happening in the castle, where the prince would choose the bride to be. Cinderella wants to attend; however, Cinderella is restricted from going by the step-family. However, with the help of a fairy godmother, Cinderella attends the ball and the prince chooses his bride to be. At the end after the glass slipper search, the prince marries Cinderella and lives happily ever after. Throughout the story, Cinderella shows different perspectives on problems plaguing the society today, one such example is when Cinderella combats bullying, as Cinderella is teased by the step-sisters, as well as the step-mother. This idea of combatting bullying is huge in today’s age as there are just several mediums available including social media that are used for bullying a person. Through combatting bullying, Cinderella also shows how to remain positive in tough situations. In conclusion, fictional stories provide readers with not only a chance to expand their imaginations but also provide new perspectives on ideas and opinions. This idea is also represented in the Ted talk “The danger of a single story”.

Stereotypes are a major factor in how readers perceive a particular problem, through stereotypes, media audiences are faced with self-doubt about who they are. In the Ted Talk, “The danger of a single story”, by Chimamanda Adichie, the speaker discusses and tackles this issue of stereotypes influence of fictional stories by talking about the effects stories had when Chimamanda was young. In the Ted Talk Chimamanda says, “The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult” (Adichie, “The danger of a single story”). When Chimamanda began reading British and American books, the stories had a profound effect on how Chimamanda perceived the world to be. Living in Nigeria, Chimamanda started writing stories at the age of seven with characters being white with blue eyes. When Chimamanda goes to the United States, Chimamanda sees stereotypes about people from Africa such as the inability to speak English, cooking on a stovetop as well as the songs listened to. In the United States, there is also a perception of troubles faced by the entire continent of Africa, such as drugs, genocide, and corrupt politicians. Because the people (outside of African continent) are told one story and the number of stereotypes exists, then that stereotype becomes the identity of an entire group of individuals who have lived in different stories in themselves. However, reading different novels as Chimamanda did, opens up a new perspective about what the world has to offer and provides readers with role models. Thus, both examples represent how fictional stories present new ideas. Fictional stories also provide readers with positive role models.

Lastly, fictional stories provide readers with positive role models. The story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, as well as Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes, represent this idea. This story is about an innocent man named Andy Dufresne who is convicted of murder but is seen as a very inspiring character for readers. In the story, when Andy is confronted by Bogs Diamond and the group known as the ‘sisters’, Andy says, “Anything of yours that you stick in my mouth you’re going to lose ”(King 19). As demonstrated by this quotation from the short story, Andy is seen as a brave and fearless character that can inspire a lot of readers. Throughout the story, Andy is seen helping the inmates as well as the guards working in the prison. One example from the story is the time Andy helps the guard Byron Hadley by helping with the taxes. At first, the guards are confused by the aid that Andy was providing, however, with hard work, Andy became trustworthy in the eyes of the guards. Because of these actions by Andy’s, no one suspected that an escape was being planned. This example teaches the readers how to remain positive in tough situations, be hardworking, as well as be trustworthy. Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes also represents positive role models.

Carl Jung’s theory on archetypes also demonstrates the idea of how fictional stories can provide a role model, that readers can look up to. According to Carl Jung, there are different classifications of an archetypal character, including a ruler archetype which has some form of power and can influence how other characters behave. One great example of this classification of an archetypal character is Mufasa, from The Lion King movie. In the movie, Mufasa says to Simba, “A king’s time rises and falls like the sun. One day Simba, the sun will set on my time and rise with you as the new king” (Lion King). Not only is Mufasa very brave and fearless, but also wise and virtuous, who is always willing to do the right thing. As a role model to Simba, Mufasa is seen as a wise king, who will lead Simba as well as viewers to a positive future. Throughout the movie, it is seen that Simba is trying to live up Mufasa’s legacy and personality. Thus fictional stories provide readers as well as viewers with role models to look up to.

In conclusion, through fictional stories, a connection is formed between the fictional world and the real world by expanding the readers’ imagination, introducing readers to different ideas, as well as providing positive role models. The story, “The Fall of a City” written by Alden Nowlan, describes how essential fictional stories are to a person’s personality development through the character, Theodore. The article, “The Hidden Agenda of Bedtime Stories”, written by Andrea Gordon, discusses the idea that bedtime stories provide readers (or listeners) with a relaxation period which can increase a child’s imagination. In the article “The Heritage of Storytelling”, the author discusses how stories through generations are refreshments for young audiences as it provides solutions to problems faced by society today. The Ted Talk “The danger of a single story” by Chimamanda Adichie identifies the dangers of stereotypes because of single stories. As these stereotypes fill the minds of readers or societies with particular narrative and causing readers and viewers of media to not develop a new perspective. Lastly, In the story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, the character Andy is seen as a role model because, Andy is seen as brave and fearless who teaches audiences to be responsible, hardworking and kind. The ruler archetype theory, represented by Carl Jung, also represents how characters like Mufasa are seen as role models. Even if fictional stories are lies as said by Albert Camus, fictional stories that are essential to the development of society, as well as the development of a person’s behavior and perception of the world humans, live in.

One of the areas in contemporary society of great concern is celebrity culture, authenticity and the ‘perfect’ body. This essay will therefore critically evaluate the role that celebrities play in shaping our ideas today about consumption and identity, focussing on childhood, ethical consumption and mobile phone usage.

Firstly, the background of consumption will be addressed. Furthermore, an analysis will explore whether the role of celebrities is either positive or negative to identity construction, and an emphasis on how celebrities can act as positive role models. Secondly, the discussion of the topic childhood will also be addressed, where Hill argues that childhood is ‘endangered ‘as younger generations in contemporary society are likely to express their identity through social media platforms and clothing. They are argued as manipulative consumers who copy trends from certain celebrities to ‘fit in’. Finally, a conclusion will then be drawn from the analysis on celebrities influence on consumption and identity.

Background of consumption

In contemporary society, consumption can be defined as ‘what individuals and households do when they use their incomes to increase social status through certain kinds of purchases’. (Environmentally Significant Consumption: Research Directions, 1997) This could suggest that there is a relationship between consumption and celebrities who are argued to advertise certain products to their audience as they have a high social status in society. The term celebrity endorsement defined by Keller (K.L. 2012) as ‘a type of a brand promotion where a famous person is used in the marketing campaign to advertise the product or service by using his or her fame and place in society, ‘suggests that celebrities shape our ideas and influence our spending on materialistic items. For example how celebrities can promote veganism and make up industries. This could result in consumers being more likely to focus on healthy diets and having the ‘perfect’ body image.

Role of celebrities

The concept of social comparison occurs when we learn about our abilities and skills, about the appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and about our relative social status by comparing our own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours with those of others. These comparisons can be with people who we know and interact with, with those whom we read about or see on TV, or with anyone else we view as important. However, the most meaningful comparisons we make tend to be with those we see as similar to ourselves (Festinger, 1954). This links to how we compare ourselves to celebrities which can shape our ideas in relation to consumption and self-identity.

It can be argued that celebrities are highly significant individuals when it comes to shaping identities and consumption as they are manipulative positive and negative role models, especially to younger generations. It could be suggested that celebrities have also increased the importance of ‘self-identity’, individual agency and choice where Beck (Risk Society 1992:131), for example, illustrates that in the new ‘risk society’ all people become much more personally responsible for their own biographies. This links to celebrities as positive role models who have created a sense of acceptance towards our body image, where Ferguson (1997a, 1997b), for example, argues that there has been a shift from a relatively well-defined, singular and closed body image in the 19th century to a more open and ambiguous sense of body image. This suggests that some celebrities have become encouraging role models as they adopt a body positive attitude; meaning there is an increase of populations accepting their personal identities as consumers take an active role in using celebrities to help them build their own identities and self-images.( Science Daily, 2012)

Furthermore, you can also link to the topic of ethical consumption, where there has been an increase of celebrities that have adopted a vegan diet. In 2013, Forbes announced ‘high-end vegan cuisine’ as one of the Top Ten food trends of the year (Bender, 2013), marking a significant shift in media representations of vegan food in recent years from dull to desirable (Gold, 2014). This movement is considered as mainstream and this perspective of vegetarianism and veganism is considered a ‘social deviance’ today, that is more accepted. When a person chooses to resist the social norm, they are therefore known as a social deviant (Lindquist, 2013). Vegetarianism and veganism can be considered a social deviance since it actively resists the social norm of eating meat. Celebrities have supported this idea of social deviance as they have made it more ‘normalised’. They play key roles in the cultural politics of food and ethical consumption, helping articulate and define the types of ethical lifestyles that we should live (Littler, 2008; Lewis, 2008; Johnston and Goodman, 2015).

This could increase social identity and Durkheim’s (1903) sense of solidarity where these individuals are part of a subculture of similar interests. For example ethical consumers such as those who buy beauty products from Body Shop can associate themselves with the ethos of supporting community fair trade, protecting the planet and against animal testing. Likewise, famous vegan sports personalities such as Lewis Hamilton and the superstar Madonna who follow a super strict vegan macrobiotic diet consisting of cold pressed juices, fruits, vegetables and quiona. (Glamour, 2019)

However, it could be suggested that celebrities are negative role models when it comes to self- identity as the materialistic commodities they buy and promote through the media, are increasingly important for constructing identities today. For example celebrities such as the Kardashians who are normalising changing your image and using plastic surgery, this may lead to influencing mostly younger teens and adults focusing on what they look like and body image.

Furthermore, celebrities have a persuasive role when it comes to their impact on consumers while buying things. Consumers have a ‘desire to feel as prestigious and famous as their idols’. (Poghosyan, 35). In fact, sometimes ‘consumers buy or intend to buy the products promoted by their favourite celebrity even if they do not have an actual need of the particular item. They feel comfortable and positive while purchasing prestigious and quality products’ (Poghosyan, 34). By doing so consumers feel more connected and can relate with their favourite celebrities. Also, if you look at it in a different perspective, it is an easier way for people to change their class and status. When consumers buy the things celebrities endorse, or own, they feel as if they are in the same class because they are able to possess and afford what that celebrity possesses. Additionally, consumers want to fit into something they believe is ‘right’. They want to wear the ‘right’ clothes, drink the ‘right’ beverages and use the ‘right’ fragrances (Khatri, 25). To put it in another way, consumers follow what the majority of society finds as acceptable or appropriate fashion and style.

An example of a group of individuals who can arguably change the behaviour of their consumers is the Kardashians. For example, in 2016, Kim Kardashian posted a nude mirror selfie on Instagram. This post was littered with comments from teen girls saying things like, “Why can’t I look like that?” and “Wow I am fat.” Kim Kardashian has an Instagram following of 133 million, Kylie Jenner 130 million, where their audience are mainly younger consumers which is a great technique when it comes to making profit as the more expansive and active a celebrity’s following, the more in demand they become for endorsements, and the more money they can make by using their name or likeness as an advertising platform. (Kirst, 2015)

According to McCormick (2016), it is crucial for companies to choose the right celebrity endorser in order to have a successful advertisement campaign. The celebrity personality must align with the product image to attract the most attention to the advertisement. They have to recognizable enough to get attention, but not upstage the product itself. The product should be the main attraction, not the celebrity. (McCormick, 2016) Scholars argue that celebrity endorsement could damage the brand image if the celebrity endorser has a negative reputation, are included in scandals or other types of bad publicity.(White, Goddard, & Wilbur, 2009; Till & Shimp, 1998) The risk of damaging brand image is especially high for new brands or brands that have a strong association with the celebrity endorser (Till & Shimp, 1998). This can be illustrated with the example of Kate Moss in 2005, she lost not one but three endorsements with Burberry, Chanel, and H&M after a photo surfaced of her snorting cocaine. Keeping up a certain image which was in line with these brands was imperative for this celebrity partnership to work. It was evident that she was giving a negative label and she reportedly lost $4 million pounds of earnings as a result.

Similarly, the role of celebrities can also link to the topic of childhood. This group are particular vulnerable to advertising because they lack experience and knowledge to distinguish between reality and fantasy. It could be suggested that ‘children who compare themselves to celebrities develop greater desire for money and material possessions than children who do not compare themselves to celebrities’ (Chia and Poo, 2009). Also, ‘children feel that their relationships with celebrities are quite real, in the sense that children view them as actual interpersonal relationships’. In other words, celebrity endorsement brings a child to a world in which the child shouldn’t be yet. It matures them too quickly, this creates bad influences and promotes materialistic things in life at such a young age. Therefore children’s identity can be transformed through consumption, as Palmer (2007; 2010) suggests that children in contemporary society are experiencing ‘toxic childhood’ as they are being polluted by the range of technologies and lifestyle choices offered by the modern world. In addition, this may shape identities as they are exposed to an increase of violence emotionally and physically, unhealthy behaviour such as consuming drugs and alcohol and unrealistic body image.

The Playstation game Fortnite has recently become the most played game in the world. Many celebrities such as Drake, who is a Fortnite icon plays this game, where many children copy the behaviour of these celebrities. He played a battle with another online YouTuber called Ninja, who has around 22 million subscribers, earning around $500 million dollars a month. Their last match on April 10 drew in nearly a quarter of a million viewers. (Kirkland, 2018)This suggests that the role of celebrities is influential mainly among young boys. The game is also increasing the amount of consumption, as it is free compared to other games such as Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto. In addition, players can spend money on cosmetic items for their online characters such as costumes, called ‘skins’, meaning the role of celebrities such as Ninja and Drake are negative in shaping children’s identities as it has become addictive and therefore it is hard to concentrate in schools for example at a young age. (Wright, 2018)

It is evident in a number of primary schools have been affected by the rise of violence because of students copying influential celebrities as in Gloucestershire they sent out letters to parents and events have been held talking about the effects the game is having on pupils as young as six. Widden Primary School, in Gloucester, held daily sessions telling parents the game was becoming ‘all consuming’ for young children, who risked becoming ‘addicted’. (Wright, 2018) Since its release last year the games popularity has exploded and it announced this month it now has 250 million players. (Iqbal, 2019). Consequently, it is questionable how these video games have influenced children and how they come to view society and the world and the health consequences of having children play violent games for long stretches of time.

A young person’s social identity is often influenced by their social group, and by their desire to fit in and be part of the ‘crowd’. Peer pressure involves encouragement from others who are of similar age to participate in certain behaviours or activities. It is therefore a massive factor as to whether or not a person will engage in risky behaviours, which includes underage drinking. (Palmeri, 2019) As well as this celebrity influences, have made some forms of antisocial behaviour appear acceptable and, some would argue, even attractive, largely stem from the authority which is attributed to fame. (Friedman 1990). It is evident that teenagers who binge-drink are often influenced by celebrities who endorse alcohol, this suggests they are negative role models as this may potentially influence underage drinking among young individuals. The most common sources of marketing awareness were TV adverts, celebrity endorsements and special offers. (Mail Online, 2019) This can therefore lead to celebrities having influence over teenagers when it comes to drinking as there may be a perception that ‘everyone is doing it’ and this therefore may lead an increase of peer pressure among younger individuals.

Take rapper Diddy for example, who may be argued as a negative role model that influenced the increase of Ciroc bottle consumption. In 2007, he joined Ciroc Vodka’s creative team, when Ciroc’s yearly case production only amounted up to 60,000. By 2011, the volume is at 1.5 million cases. It’s not just Diddy’s presence in TV and print ads that drove production higher. The rapper also used his Twitter account – a nine million strong community for promotion, and this led to a 35 percent increase in Ciroc’s Twitter followers that year alone. (Einhorn, 2015) This suggests that because of Diddy’s popularity this may have spiked the amount of teenagers consuming this type of alcohol as they could look ‘cool’ in front of their friends for example.

You could also argue that the media play an important role as well as celebrities when it comes to ideas about identity. When it comes to teenagers they are a vulnerable group, and as celebrities are not only envied by our society but their images are splashed across magazines, social media, television, and movies, it’s natural for teens to use them as role models. (Pejakovic, 2011) The quest for ‘body perfect’ is a good example of how the media creates ideals that are unattainable for the majority, leading to potentially damaging effects for girls and boys as well. Media therefore plays a significant role in how individuals construct their own version of material and bodily norms, and hence identity (Miles, 2000). This is as the media exaggerate and create an unrealistic body image. For example, there has been a rise of photo shopping, cosmetic surgery and transformation of the body in general.

Cosmetic surgery has increased in the past few years, especially by teenagers who are changing their identities to ‘fit in’. In 2017, more than 229,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients between 13 and 19, including nearly 65,000 surgical procedures such as nose reshaping, breast lifts, breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tucks. (Zuckerman, 2012) This links to certain celebrities who have influenced this rise in statistics. For example, Kylie Jenner could be argued as a 21 year old negative role model may have increased this cosmetic surgical culture. Instead of promoting self-love and appreciation, Jenner has promoted plastic surgery as the answer to all insecurities. Her own lip anxiety left her to take matters into her own hands by resorting to lip injections in order to get plump lips, once again leaving young girls with a prominent unattainable definition of beauty. Except this unattainable characteristic didn’t stop girls from trying, ultimately leading to the start of the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge where girls would suck on shot glasses in order to blow up their lips. Of course such a stupid action backfired and left girls seriously bruised, injured, and insecure all thanks to her. (Buck, 2015) In this case the celebrity influence made young girls drastically change their bodies and they were willing to harm themselves while trying to change their image and identity.

As well as surgical procedures, girls are also exposed to an increasing amount of television culture where they are swamped by ultra-thin ideals not only in the form of dolls but also in figures that appear in comics, cartoons, TV, movies and all forms of advertising along with all the associated merchandising. The synergistic effect of such exposure can have a profound impact on a child’s developing identity. The young girls/women are bombarded by the images produced through consumer capitalism such that their internalized standard of normal is ultimately based on an illusion (Frost, 2005). For example Barbie appears to have a strong and special role in girls’ developing body image, so much so that exposure leads to detrimental effects when girls are young enough to identify with the Barbie doll (Dittmar et al., 2006).

Conclusion

To conclude, celebrities play a vital role when it comes to shaping our ideas, this can be positive or negative. As shown, the topics of ethical consumption, childhood and celebrity culture link to the main hypothesis. Moreover, celebrities define our individual and group identities as they are of high status meaning teenagers especially copy behaviour portrayed by them as shown in the example of Fortnite, alcohol consumption and cosmetic culture. This copycat behaviour shown therefore suggests celebrities’ role is mainly negative to young groups who can be vulnerable. Whereas, the hypothesis may be controversial as celebrities also play a important positive role model when it comes to acceptance of the self. Evidence is shown with the increase of veganism as a new trend that celebrities have adopted to be more environmentally sustainable. This approach has increased consumption of ethical brands such as the Body Shop which is therefore more popular than in the past. Another controversial point to add is that the media also play an important role as well as celebrities in shaping identities, meaning that we have to look at the extent to which other areas also affect consumption and identity. In summary, evidence suggests that celebrities are mainly increasing negatively for younger groups where Postman argues that childhood is ‘toxic’, meaning that celebrities play a highly negative role when it comes to identity construction and identity.

Bibliography

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Conclusion-

In conclusion, the lack of women working in STEM is caused my three crucial factors: gender stereotyping, the lack of female role models in STEM, and less family-friendly and flexible careers in STEM.

Gender stereotyping can limit childrens’ educational choices and the career path that they choose1. Consequently, boys are more likely to work in science and computing industries whilst women most likely pursue careers in nursing and medicine, resulting in the lack of females entering STEM careers2. The media and the way in which toys are advertised play a vital role in childrens’ exposure to gender stereotypes and ideologies. Referring back to my ‘Draw a Scientist’ Test, the majority of scientists drawn by students were male, despite the fact that all of the students participating in the test were female. Many students’ drew scientists that resembled Einstein. It was revealed in my experiment that the students included 96 total indictors, or stereotypical features of a scientist: examples of indicators include crazy white hair, famous scientific sayings/ catchphrases, glasses/ goggles and lab coats. This suggests that gender stereotyping is prevalent in our society, and more needs to be done the challenge these stereotypes.

The lack of female role models in STEM has lead to a narrow intake of females interested in STEM, both at A Level and undergraduate level1. Female role models in STEM are less accessible in the media and school curriculums, and are less documented: the underrepresentation of females in STEM has resulted in fewer females pursuing a career in STEM compared to their male counterparts2. Throughout history, women have struggled to be taken seriously in the world of science. A more accepting path into science was nursing because it was viewed as a respectable career choice for women as it provided a service3. Women have also not been acknowledged for their fantastic contributions to STEM such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and the first general use computer. To add, there very little to no female role models STEM have been included in the UK’s school curriculum, at primary and secondary school. The movie “Hidden Figures” depicted the lives of three African-American women who worked at NASA during the Cold War4. Despite being faced with adversity due to the colour of their skin and their gender, they worked in the male dominated field of aerospace engineering, helping to launch the first man into space4. If more inspirational female role models in STEM were visible in the media and school curriculums, there may be greater interest among female students to pursue STEM relate professions.

There are few opportunities for STEM employees to find family-friendly and flexible jobs; and if they do, they are usually underpaid5. Only 11% of engineering companies provide their employees with flexible working hours6. 60% of women had faced challenges which discouraged them from returning to a career in STEM, after taking a career break due to family commitments7. Many women identified that this was due to the lack of flexibility in the workplace; this resulted in 27% of women choosing not to return to working in STEM after maternity leave7. Flexible working hours can improve and sustain a healthy work-life balance for employees7, and be of benefit to female employees who have children. Employers can also benefit from offering flexible STEM careers as their employees are more likely to be productive and mentally healthy8. More STEM employers need to offer flexible working hours to their employees as this in turn will persuade more women with children to apply for a STEM job.

Recommendations to encourage young females to explore STEM-

1. Challenge gender stereotypes in the classroom:

Teachers should be actively challenging gender stereotypes, and educating their students about the dangers of believing in incorrect gender ideologies9. Gender stereotyping needs to be challenged and minimised in the classroom in order to facilitate children’s ambitions, and in this case allow young girls to become interested in STEM careers.

2. Increase the amount of female role models in STEM in the media school curriculums:

Similar movies like “Hidden Figures” need to be made to accurately depict the lives and accomplishments of key female figures in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. School curriculums should provide young female with real-life examples that counter gender stereotypes. If more female role models in STEM were visible in the media and school curriculums, there may be greater interest among female students to pursue STEM relate professions.

3. STEM clubs:

STEM programs that run inside and outside of school can show young women that STEM careers can be exciting; getting them to take part in fun, ‘hands-on’ activities that show the real-life applications of STEM may result in a greater interest among female students to pursue STEM relate professions.

4. Academic/ guest speakers:

Academic speakers such as Speakezee, a platform that connects academics with non-academic audiences, get invited to schools to discuss and engage with students10. The guest speaker gives students career advice, and connects schools to universities10. They often invite female STEM graduate into schools to talk to and inspire young teenage girls to consider pursuing Stem topics at A-level11.

Introduction

Changes in a countries policy priority is known to change frequently. The United Kingdoms has shifted from a ‘get everyone involved’ ideology to an elite-level focus through the past 30 years (Green. 2004). However, even though this is highlighted by Green, the reason for countries to invest into elite sport still remains unidentified to many. There is no doubt that sport can universally be acknowledged as a positive activity for anyone, however when a total of £266.5 million is being invested into the UK elite athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, then there requires more justification then just that( see all figures at UK sport (2018)). This essay will attempt to give reasoning to this question by stating and developing the 4 main reasons why countries invest into the elite-level sport, it is important to note that these reasons often overlap. These 4 reasons will consist of: (1) develop the countries international prestige, (2) develop mass participation within sport, (3) generate sports role models and (4) host/perform at sporting mega-events. Each reason backed with academic literature, while explaining the impacts of those reasons.

International prestige

There is currently an ideology that sporting success has the ability to make a country stand out from the rest. There is no example more effective than the one of East Germany. They obviously developed a poor image from the events that took place during World War 2, however through the use of sporting success they were able to separate themselves from West Germany. This was done by improving there medal tally from 7 medals in the 1956 Olympics (as one Germany) to producing 103 medals at the 1988 Olympics (independent from West Germany). The medal table acts as a measurement of a countries sporting ability, for many countries (such as the UK) performing well in the medal table takes priority over demonstrating effective political techniques (Bloyce and Smith.2010). Performing well on the medals table is believed to improve the image of that country. However, literature evidence suggests that the

Introduction

Changes in a countries policy priority is known to change frequently. The United Kingdoms has shifted from a ‘get everyone involved’ ideology to an elite-level focus through the past 30 years (Green. 2004). However, even though this is highlighted by Green, the reason for countries to invest into elite sport still remains unidentified to many. There is no doubt that sport can universally be acknowledged as a positive activity for anyone, however when a total of £266.5 million is being invested into the UK elite athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, then there requires more justification then just that( see all figures at UK sport (2018)). This essay will attempt to give reasoning to this question by stating and developing the 4 main reasons why countries invest into elite-level sport, it is important to note that these reasons often overlap. These 4 reasons will consist of: (1) develop the countries international prestige, (2) develop mass participation within sport, (3) generate sports role models and (4) host/perform at sporting mega-events. Each reason backed with academic literature, while explaining the impacts of those reasons.

International prestige

There is currently an ideology that sporting success has the ability to make a country stand out from the rest. There is no example more effective than the one of East Germany. They obviously developed a poor image from the events that took place during World War 2, however through the use of sporting success they were able to separate themselves from West Germany. This was done by improving there medal tally from 7 medals in the 1956 Olympics (as one Germany) to producing 103 medals at the 1988 Olympics (independent from West Germany). The medal table acts as a measurement of a countries sporting ability, for many countries (such as the UK) performing well in the medal table takes priority over demonstrating effective political techniques (Bloyce and Smith.2010). Performing well on the medals table is believed to improve the image of that country. However, literature evidence suggests that the relationship between success on the elite level and the country’s image isn’t as simplistic as that (Bergsgard et al. 2007). The investment into hosting an event has been seen to improve the image of the country; however this effect mainly occurs when it’s a country that has a poor image when they begin hosting. A recent example of this could be with Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup. With many sexuality discrimination incidence and general football fan incidence prior to the world cup, Russia was portrayed in a negative way by the rest of the world. However, the country managed to produce an incident-free world cup and now the reputation of Russia has drastically increased. The same way it occurred for both West Germany and South Africa in 2006 and 2010 respectively.

Mass participation

Currently, in the UK there is a devotion to improve the success of the country at an elite level. It is widely accepted that an improvement in a countries success will also result in an increase in sport participation (Stewart et al. 2005). This is highlighted after the successful 2008 Olympics, which resulted in the UK finishing 4th and earning 47 medals. The CEO of UK sport at that current time stated “the result will hopefully be a more inspired, active and healthy nation” (UK sport. 2008, cited by Grix et al (2012)). Elite sport investment will normally be justified by stating that when a country succeeds in a sport, that sport will see an increase in participation and develops a “feel good factor” for the country. However, as it is highlighted throughout this essay. It is difficult to prove this statement with the evidence that is currently available. Obviously, there is the argument that elite-level athletes can encourage beginners to develop their talents; however, the biggest impact comes from an athlete that is creative within their sport. This meaning the athlete is able to bring something new to their sport (Eisenberg.2006). These types of athletes seem to have a larger effect on the spectator interest into the sport, and the success of these athletes can encourage specific groups of the population of the country. An example of this is the uprising of Tiger Woods. This not only increased interest in golf as a whole but also increased the number African-Americans that engaged with the sport. One of the major factors that need to be asked is whether the levels of participation in a sport are maintained long-term. There is little evidence to suggest that this is the case, with a report conducted by Sports Canada concluding that there is minimal evidence to suggest there is any relationship between observing elite level sport and developing good sporting habits (Bloom et al, 2006).

Two of the key reasons that a country want to increase the sporting participation is to create a ‘feel-good factor’ and develop healthy habits for their population. One of the problems with the ‘feel-good factor’ is that is difficult to identify and therefore it is near impossible to test. However, even though there is a lack of evidence to prove its existence, doesn’t mean it can be ignored. An example that took place recently was the England football national team reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. The spectators began to see positive results throughout the event and gradually began to believe the team could succeed, even going to the stage of resurrecting an old song that suggested that England were going to be victorious. Getting the population to Develop good sporting habits is crucial for the government because increasing the health of the population will reduce the pressure on the National Health Service (Sport England. 2006). There is significant evidence that suggests that an increase in physical activity will also result in an improvement of the health of the individual (Oughton and Tacon 2006). Also, evidence suggests that a lack of physical activity will increase the risk of developing dangerous diseases (Gratton and Taylor. 2005). There are also benefits for the individual through improving their sporting habits. Obviously, there are the physical benefits of improved health and wellbeing; but also an economic benefit of having to pay less for healthcare they require (Wang et al. 2005).

Role models

There is a limited amount of literature evidence to identify the relationship between the performance of an elite performer and the participation of the population in sport (Lyle. 2009). Lyle (2009) then went on to state that the effect of a role model success is likely to be greater in encouraging current participants of the sport then developing new participants. However, even though there isn’t sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a positive relationship between role models success and mass participation, it is still widely accepted by many to be true. An example of this could be the report on Drugs and Role Models in Sport (2004) which suggested that sporting role models “promote highly laudable examples and values in terms of elite sporting achievement, the general benefits of sporting participation and other personal development goals” (Culture, Media and Sport Committee.2004 cited by Grix et al (2012)). However, one of the main issues of this is highlighted by Hindson et al (1994), suggesting that the sporting performances demonstrated by an elite-level athlete could also have a negative impact on mass participation within the sport. This is due to newcomers to the sport believing they don’t have the required skill to become competent in the sport. Some forms of Anecdotal evidence have suggested that people can become inspired by viewing successful moments of athletes. However, this is often people who already have some engagement in the sport.

Mega-events

A longstanding hypothesis is that a country will see significant increases in sport after the hosting of a mega-event. This was the main objective when the UK decided to host the 2012 Olympics. However, research has still not been able to prove that there is a positive relationship between hosting a mega-event and participation in sport. A number of reports have suggested that there wasn’t a noticeable increase in participation of sport after hosting a mega-event (Vigor et al. 2004, Coalter. 2004). Also, the London East Research Institute (2007) stated that it is difficult to measure the effects of hosting a mega-event and there is a clear lack of reliable methods of measuring the outcomes. Weed et al. (2009) stated that sporting events is just one factor in a large number of factors that affect the participation in sport. Therefore, it is impossible to pinpoint the impact of events without a deeper understanding of all the factors. Weed et al. (2009) then went on to suggest that possibly the largest effect of a mega-event would be an increase in repetition from the population that already participate in the sport rather than bring new participants into the sport. Governments have suggested that success in an elite sport at a mega-event could generate numerous social benefits. Some examples of this are; success for an individual/team in a specific sport could boost the population interest in that sport and therefore increase the participation within that sport and success for a nation could develop a ‘feel-good factor’ which would improve both the morale and prestige of the country. This as a result would have a positive impact on the economy of that country (Coe. 1985).

Conclusion

To conclude, it is clear to see that the reason countries invest so much money into elite-level sport is because there is a wide belief that success on an international level will boost the participation of sport in the population. This is crucial for generally two reasons. Firstly, it develops a ‘feel-good factor’ in the country, when a country performs well at a major sporting event; they then feel better about the country as a whole. The big problem with this is ‘feel-good factor’ is difficult to measure and therefore there currently isn’t any significant literature evidence to suggest that this effect takes place. Secondly, improving the activity of the country will reduce the pressure on the NHS, because regular sporting participation is proven to give numerous health benefits (Oughton and Tacon.2006). These are believed to be achieved through generating role models and investing in mega-events. However, research has shown that there is little evidence to back up either of these improving sporting populations (Lyle. 2009 (role models), Vigor et al. 2004(mega-events)) Therefore, the government are basing their investment decisions on an obvious hypothesis that has no evidence backing it. The only effective reason for investing into elite-level sport that has evidence to back it up is developing the image of the country. With this normally only being effective when the country has a bad image at the start of a mega-event.

‘Alice in Wonderland’ is a film that has been adapted from the classic Lewis Carrol novel by Tim Burton, and it depicts the protagonist – Alice, who defies her societal expectations by running away from a marriage proposal, and after numerous encounters in another world with foes and friends, finds herself and discovers what she wants to do with her life. Alice is a strong role model for young women, having opposed the societal norms that were prevalent in those times, joining a business empire ruled by men and also having defeated the stereotype of the knight in shining armour being a man. This is portrayed throughout the film, and with excellent scriptwriting and cinematic techniques, brings these issues to hand and resolves them. These issues can only be seen in the film though, as the classic novel does not tackle such grown up themes, yet somehow the film stays true to Alice’s nature, a truly cumbersome feat.

Societal norms are prevalent in all societies in one form or another, and whilst nowadays mostly anything is acceptable due to the fact that people have come to the realisation that people have the right to be whatever they want to be, that is not true for the world Alice lived in; one that is almost 200 years old. An example of such is Alice’s actions at the start of the film, when she was unsure of whether or not to marry Hamish, something she tells her mother. Her mother, to this statement, replies that “you don’t get better than a lord”, which proves a few things. The most important thing is that money and power is one of the major driving forces of marriages of that time, meaning that men, at the top of the hierarchical ladder, holding the wealth and power, practically had simply the right to choose whatever woman they so desired, and marry them. This atrocious display of inequality; of the lack of choice that was displayed served as an example of what Alice opposed. Alice completely disobeys these expectations not only with what she does, but what she says. After her mother is discontent with her not wearing a corset, something she states, Alice rebukes this by saying “who is to judge what is proper and what is not?”. She continues her argument with her lack of stockings, which when her mother asks about them she states that she is “against them”, thus furthermore proving the point. This is clear evidence of her battling the expectations and norms set in her society, and can be transferred to our times as well. This is teaching young women that they are free to do, wear, and act as they please, and not to regard what is thought is ‘proper’ for them to do, something that is incredibly important for them to learn.

Alice lived in a world that was dominated by men, who had all the power, managed to acquire any job they so pleased, and brought in the money to their household. Women, on the other hand, were expected to simply care for children, keep the house clean and cook for the family. This structure can still be observed in today’s culture, and this outdated style of thinking simply cannot stand in today’s society, something which Alice evidently combats with her refusal to marry Hamish, yet still proposes a large business venture to Hamish’s father: “Lord Ascot and I have some business to discuss”. This is met with the surprise of Lady Ascot, who states, in a flabbergasted one: “The impertinence!”, which is retaliated with Lord Ascot saying that he “would like to hear what Alice has to say”. Lady Ascot is an example of the duality of the hierarchy that they live in, where everyone enforces the structure, of what is proper, what isn’t for certain people to do and say. Alice combats this by doing improper things, such as joining a business ruled by men. This proves that Alice, once again, is teaching young women that they can work and be whatever they wish, once again something incredibly important to learn.

The stereotype of the ‘knight in shining armour’ can be typically associated with men, as for millennia as the story goes, the brave prince dons the shiny suit of armour and defeats the evil dragon, something that can be seen in iconic pieces of film such as the first Shrek film, subsequently rescuing the damsel in distress and living happily ever after. This stereotype is still to this day portrayed in modern film and television, which gives off the wrong message to young women. Alice proves to the viewers that she is capable of being that knight, and by doing so both defeats the Jabberwocky and the stereotype. An iconic scene that truly depicts this is on the chessboard at the start of the war, where Alice, donning a shiny suit of armour, bravely faces the Jabberwocky, hair flowing in the wind. This scene is symbolic of how Alice is wearing the shining suit of armour, which completely betrays the stereotype. Tim Burton beautifully depicts this with the use of the low and medium shots, which accentuate how large the Jabberwocky is, compared to the high angles that belittle Alice. These angles, throughout the fight, change and by the end of it, make Alice the high and mighty hero. This, paired by the grand music beautifully adapt the iconic book, and is even more supportive of the statement of Alice being a healthy opposal to stereotypes.

Alice empowers young women, she defies all expectations, and becomes a better and truer self in the process. Throughout the film, Alice has empowered young women to be themselves, to disregard societal expectations and norms, and to do whatever they please, work whatever job they so wish, and be whoever they want to be. Such an important lesson has been beautifully taught in this film, by excellent scriptwriting and filmmaking, to achieve a film both empowering and entertaining, staying true to the nature of the novel, yet still implementing adult themes and problems.

Introduction

There have been persons throughout history whose lives have changed the world and the hearts of those they have touched forever. These people uplift, elicit thinking, lead with integrity, and demonstrate resiliency in the face of insurmountable adversity.

Their narratives are sagas of tenacity, resolve, and steadfast vision rather than merely success stories.

A respected person doesn’t have to be well-known worldwide; they might be an ordinary hero, such as a dedicated community worker or a kind teacher. What makes someone worthy of appreciation is not how significant their accomplishments are but the values they uphold and their influence on others.

In this article, we shall examine one such well-liked person’s life in-depth, highlighting their unique traits and the lessons they have to teach us.

Regardless of where they came from—the corner of our street or the pages of history—their tale serves as a reminder of the fantastic potential hidden in the everyday.

100 Words Essay on The Person You Admire the Most

My greatest inspiration is my grandmother, a tapestry of love and knowledge. Her life exemplified joy, patience, and resilience despite setbacks.

She inspired me with compassion, courage, kindness, and tenacity with every tale she told. In years of labor, she had worn her hands, which created not just food but also memories.

Her knowledge was my guidance, and her laughter, my comfort. She taught priceless lessons about life with each handmade dinner and bedtime tale. Many look to well-known individuals for inspiration, but my source has always been closer to home.

My grandmother is my unsung hero in every way; she has taught me the genuine meaning of life’s little pleasures.

250 Words Essay on The Person You Admire the Most

Dr. Jane Goodall stands out among the many inspirational figures as a shining example of scientific brilliance and a personification of compassion and steadfast resolve.

Known for her innovative work with chimpanzees, Dr. Goodall broke with the norms of her day by going into the Tanzanian bush with a determination that did not falter in the face of difficulties.

An observational study that started little evolved into a lifelong quest to comprehend our nearest animal cousins and promote their survival.

What genuinely distinguishes Dr. Goodall is her deep regard for all living things, which extends beyond her groundbreaking studies. She advocates for a comprehensive conservation strategy considering local communities, wildlife, and their environments since she believes all life is interrelated.

Her commitment to making the world a better place for everyone is demonstrated by the founding of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots initiative.

But the quality of Dr. Goodall I respect the most is her unwavering optimism. Despite the planet’s numerous ecological catastrophes, she maintains optimism because she thinks people are inherently decent and can change. She is a perfect example of how genuine strength comes from compassion and understanding rather than domination because of her kind disposition.

I see more than simply a scientist in Dr. Jane Goodall; I see a ray of hope and evidence of the enormous influence one can have when motivated by passion and purpose. She tells us that limits can be reinterpreted, and horizons can be broadened with love, curiosity, and perseverance.

500 Words Essay on The Person You Admire the Most

Few people have such a strong resonance in the vast fabric of human history as Nelson Mandela. Mandela’s life narrative is a tribute to the tenacious spirit of humankind in the face of terrible hardships, serving as a beacon of hope, resiliency, and unshakable courage.

Nelson Mandela is the person I admire the most because of his unwavering dedication to justice, equality, and human rights.

Mandela, who was born in 1918 in Umtata, South Africa, grew up at a time when the ghosts of colonialism and apartheid cast a pall over his country. Most of the population was black, and these racially discriminatory institutions kept them in conditions of deprivation and second-class citizenship. Mandela used these feelings to fuel his relentless pursuit of justice rather than giving in to resentment or rage.

His commitment to the anti-apartheid campaign began having his membership with the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1940s and has lasted his life. Mandela admired leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and advocated for nonviolent demonstrations. He put in endless effort to undermine apartheid’s roots while fighting for equal rights.

However, the savage state-sanctioned violence was in response to the benign character of these early initiatives. Mandela supported violent resistance when his faith in the efficacy of peaceful discussion started to erode.

This tactical change cost many people dearly. During the Rivonia Trial in 1962, Mandela was detained and sentenced to life. Twenty-seven arduous years in jail followed, most of which were spent at the infamous Robben Island prison. However, Mandela’s energy and impact were not bound by the walls of his cell. He became a representation of resistance, motivating countless others both locally and internationally.

His captivity demonstrated his incredible fortitude. The incident didn’t aggravate Mandela but strengthened his belief in peace and reconciliation. He was released in 1990 under intense domestic and international pressure, but instead of harboring ideas of retaliation, he came out having a vision of harmony and peace.

The entire world was in wonder as Mandela, who was once labeled a terrorist by his captors, had calm conversations with the same people who created apartheid.

Mandela’s generosity was most visibly on show in 1994 when he became South Africa’s first black president. He supported the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a platform that allowed victims of human rights crimes to share their tales while simultaneously allowing offenders to ask for amnesty instead of punishment.

Beyond politics, Mandela’s personal qualities revealed his character. His friendliness, kindness, and calm personality won people’s hearts worldwide. He resigned from office after serving only one term as president, demonstrating humility by highlighting the value of a dynamic democratic process over individual authority.

His exceptional character is demonstrated by Nelson Mandela’s journey from a little kid in Umtata to a universal icon of resistance, resiliency, and healing. Instead of giving in to hopelessness in the face of extreme tyranny, he rose, inspiring a whole nation. His legacy, embodied in his unrelenting dedication to justice and human rights, is a constant source of inspiration for oppressed people worldwide.

We memorialize Mandela as a person, but we also celebrate the values he upheld: selflessness, fortitude, forgiveness, and a firm conviction in the equality of all people.

My role model that I chose was Jim Bridger. The reason that I chose him to be my role model is because he was a good trapper tracker hunter and guide. I really like to be outside so it is fit that he is my role model.

Jim Bridger was born on March 17th 1804. He had one sibling whose name was Chloe Bridger. When he was thirteen years old, he became a blacksmith’s apprentice. He was orphaned at the age of thirteen when his parents died. When he was eighteen he quit his apprenticeship when he responded to a fur trapping expedition led by William Henry Ashlyn. Where they were going was to the upper part of the Missouri river. He was one of the many to become famous mountain men. He then began to explore the western part of the United States. He was credited for discovering the Great Salt Lake. Although scientists to this day are not sure if he was accompanied by someone else. So, they then just credited the discovery to him. Although when he did find it, he thought it was part of the Pacific Ocean. He then became one of the five partners in the rocky mountain fur trader company. He soon realized that the furs in that area was starting to be exhausted. So, he and his friend made Fort Bridger. He built it in the Southwestern Wyoming. But they were soon driven out by the blasted Mormons.

Jim Bridger was also a famous guide. He helped guide Captain Howard Stansbury to Utah. He also helped guide Colonel Albert S. Johnston during the Mormon war. The blasted Mormons thought that the government had sent their battalion to annihilate them. They were fearing this because they had faced persecution in other places so they made their own battalion. The blasted Mormons then blocked the way for the army to come in through the Salt Lake Valley. Bridger also lead Captain William Reynolds to Yellowstone Wyoming. He also lead a few trips from Denver through salt lake city. He also guided part of the army that was sent to guard mail carriers. He also guided several expeditions over the Powder River.

Jim was also an explorer. He explored many places that he even has a few named after him. The first one is the Bridger Range in Montana. The second is the Bridger National Forest in Wyoming. The third is Bridger Pass in Southern Wyoming. The fourth is Bridger Peak in Southern Wyoming. He was good at being a mountain man and just exploring. And that is one of the reasons that made him such a good trapper. A good trapper needs to be able to go and find different places where others haven’t been. They also just need to be an explorer and go find their own places.

So, in conclusion, Jim Bridger lived a long and good life. He lived to be seventy-seven years old. He was alive from March 17th 1804 – July 17th 1881. He was credited for finding the Great Salt Lake. He was also a part in the start of the Rocky Mountain fur trading company. He was also a part in a lot of other trapping companies. He was a really good guide and an explorer. He has also been named after a lot of other places. He has a brand of traps that are named after him. He also married three Native Americans. He is now buried at Mount Washington Cemetery in Missouri.

Are Superheroes Positive Role Models?

Superheroes come in many different forms not all of them wear masks, capes, fly, and have supernatural powers, but one thing they all have in common is the fact that they’ve been around for many years influencing children of all ages and will continue to do so for many years to come. Superheroes all have qualities and characteristics that make them relatable to their fans and offer an escape from everyday life. These heroes have the ability to be positive role models for children because they instill hope and confidence in their hearts.

Superheroes build confidence in children because they show them anyone can be a hero. Children go through rough stages of self-doubt, low self-esteem, and little to no self-confidence. Superheroes can help them deal with these issues because they can relate to them on a deeper level. In the book Batman: Year One, Frank Miller shows a superhero to whom children can relate, because he’s human with no supernatural powers, yet he’s the ultimate superhero for those very reasons. This comic sends a message to children if Batman can do it so can we? In the images, Miller shows Lieutenant Gordon and Essan driving together, and you can see by the way they are looking at each other that they are flirting. In the lane next to them is a delivery truck that appears to be driving fast and out of control. The driver of the delivery truck is shown clenching the steering wheel tight, with his head laid back, eyes closed, and his face looks as if he’s in distress. Simultaneously the images show an older woman dressed in baggy clothing trying to pull her heavy metal shopping cart across the wet puddle-filled street. Just when the woman is about to get hit by the delivery truck, the image shows Gordon jumping from his moving vehicle trying to jump through the delivery truck’s window to help get the vehicle to come to a stop. Gordon is shown stretching as far as possible trying to grip the steering wheel, but it’s just out of his reach, and he falls to the ground. The next image shows Batman swinging into the street from a light post to shove the old woman out of harm’s way (41-43). When a child reads that section of the book, it shows them that even though Batman has no supernatural powers he makes up for that by using confidence, bravery, and using his heart and mind to save the old woman. The skills Batman uses are what make a true superhero, and this will reflect and inspire the children who relate to him.

Superheroes offer an escape that children can relate to. At times children need an outlet to escape from their everyday life, and superheroes, comics, books, and movies can help provide that. It’s easy for a child to get lost and escape into a story they’re reading or watching, especially if the character is someone they can relate to, and makes them feel comfortable. In the article “Our fascination with Superheroes” Robin Rosenberg states “Good fiction, and good storytelling of any kind, allows us to become immersed in someone else’s world and in doing so provides us with both an escape and emotional engagement.” according to Rosenberg “We can lose ourselves and temporarily forget our worries and woes, fears and foes” (6). While reading these two statements really helps tie together how superheroes help kids escape, because they love these superheroes and build an emotional bond that allows them to jump into their world. The emotional bond they build with their favorite superhero not only helps them gain trust but also gives them the ability to learn important life lessons from them.

Superheroes offer hope to children who are dealing with trauma, by showing them they can overcome hardships and good triumphs over evil. Superhero storylines have all had their fair share of traumatic experiences, and show us despite the odds they can overcome. One example that stands out in my mind is the book Daredevil written by Frank Miller. While reading this book it explained what a rough childhood Matt Murdock lived through, but to make matters worse something very traumatic happens to him. Miller’s images show a helpless blind man walking across a busy street with only a cane to guide him. The road appears to be very wet and uneven making it harder for him to walk. He then shows the street is packed with cars it appears to be rush hour, and one of those vehicles is an oversized delivery truck filled with heavy metal barrels about to slam into the blind man, but just in time it shows a young Matt Murdock pushing the blind man out of harm’s way, and ultimately saves his life (16). Miller’s next images show Matt being rushed to the hospital by ambulance, and the text states “All he wants to do is die” (17). It’s very clear in the images that his condition is serious because there are eight doctors gathered around him in what appears to be deep thought consulting each other on his treatment. Matt ended up blind as a direct result of his heroic act of saving the blind man because the heavy barrels that were on the delivery truck fell off and spewed radioactive material all over him. At first, his only thought was that he wanted to die, but in time with hard work and determination, Matt overcomes his traumatic accident and becomes Daredevil. This is one of many powerful stories fueled by trauma that children can relate to, and it shows them that they too can overcome trauma with a little hard work and determination.

It has been argued that superheroes are bad role models for children. In the article “Superheroes of Today are Bad Role Models” David Batty quotes Professor Sharon Lamb who asserts “Today’s superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he’s aggressive, sarcastic, and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity” (qt in Batty 1 ). Although it may be true that some people feel superheroes are aggressive and demonstrate violence, I still maintain that superheroes are positive role models, and while they may be aggressive and use violence at times, it’s only used for the greater good while trying to protect others. This shows children it’s ok to be confident, strong, brave, and powerful when it’s necessary to protect themselves and others. Superheroes can be utilized as a great learning tool for children, especially in behavior modification and emotions. In the article “Children’s Attitudes Towards Superheroes as a Potential Indication of Their Moral Understanding” Justin martin quotes K, Bauer, and E, Dettore, who suggest “Different ways on which educators can use children’s fascination with superheroes to teach them how to behave inside and outside the classroom” (qt in Martin 241). This is because children can relate strongly to superheroes which build a great amount of trust, and respect, and helps them see the benefits of doing good things like the heroes they admire. In the article “The Importance of Heroes” Negsun states “Heroes direct children in the right direction, help people around them, and leave lasting impressions on the past, present, and future.” Negsun also states “Heroes stood up for what is right when others sat down, did ten times more than what was asked of them, questioned authority when authority was wrong and fought for the rights of all people.” The main thing people need to understand is that all superheroes have good and bad qualities, but they are only there to inspire children and give them wonder in their life. The parents are the ones responsible for raising the children and teaching them right from wrong.

Superheroes have a profound influence on the minds of children and continue to be Positive role models teaching them how to work through hardships and personal trauma, building hope and confidence, and giving them an escape from their everyday life. These are all important qualities that every child deserves, and sometimes these superheroes are the only thing a child has in their life that they can relate with. The wonder and joy these superheroes bring with them through their stories is powerful and has the potential to help many children who would otherwise be lost. Superheroes have a very important job of inspiring children, putting a sparkle of joy into their eyes, and helping them to be their own heroes in this place we call our world.

Works Cited

1. Batty, David. “Superheroes of Today are Bad Role Models.” The Guardian News, 15 Aug. 2010, P. 1. www.theguardian.com/books/2010/Aug/16/superheroes-role-models-child-psychologist.
2. Martin, Justin. “Children’s Attitudes Toward Superheroes as a Potential Indicator of Their Moral Understanding.” Journal of Moral Education, vol. 36, no. 2, 2007, pp. 239-250. doi.org/10.1080/03057240701325381.
3. Miller, Frank. And John Romita JR. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. Marvel, 2010.
4. Miller, Frank, David Mazzucchelli, and Richmond Lewis. Batman: Year One. DC Comics, 2005.
5. Negsun. “The Importance of Heroes.” Teen Ink Magazine, 2 Dec. 2010, p. 1. www.teenink.com/nonfiction/heroes/article/272229/the-importance-of-heroes/.
6. Rosenberg, Robin. Our Fascination With Superheroes. Oxford University Press, 2013.