HW 57: Initial Thoughts on Prom

My experiences with prom aren't really that interesting. I have never been to prom, so I guess you can say I have not gone through that rite of passage. At this point in my life, prom is not really something that I'm looking forward to. This is partly because I'm only a junior, I'm sure next year I will be much more exited about prom. I regret making the decision to not attend prom this year, because I feel as though it could have really helped me with this unit, and prepared me for the experience in the best way possible since I would have first hand experience.


The way I've been taught to think and act towards prom is really similar to the social norms that men and women normally play in America. This comes at no surprise to me, the women get asked to go to prom for some reason, men don't show that much skin since they have to look very gentleman like, and women show more skin so they can look better than the other girls in the room and attract more attention to themselves. Not only do people fall into gender roles during prom, they just naturally fall into them because everyone wants to fit in whether they realize this or not. Prom is simply a modern idea, that could be defined in three words aspirational, approximation, of adulthood( as Andy put it together in class today). 


As far as social norms go around the treatment of prom in our culture, the woman is essentially a passive object of male desire. Women are sought out and competed for by men all throughout prom. Prom is just a rite of passage that is supposed to help make you a man or woman. There are the fancy clothes, slow dancing, alcohol, hotel rooms which you pay for, and last but certainly not least there are possible sexual opportunities.

List of Interesting Questions:

1. Did past cultures and civilizations have prom and if so how does our modern idea of prom compare and differ from theirs?

2.  Are the alternative social practices more difficult to attain as they have been in previous units?

3. Has there been much movement to prevent the nightmarish industrial atrocities, and if so how are we comparing to other world superpower countries with this atrocity?

4.Would simply not going to prom be a way of beating "the system" of prom?

5. How can alcohol be allowed into prom when clearly we know the drinking age is 21 and most of the people at prom are 17-18 years old?