GROUP A: MIND MAP
This entry reflects on small group work done by students in Stanford and Sydney in an April 29/30 video conference. For more the video conference, see this entry.
In group A's research project Stanford sophomore students Michael, Jennifer and Lara Sofia collaborated with students from the University of Sydney, Austrial to analyze "The Homeless Guy" by Kevin Babieux. Surprised by our findings on the website, we decided to create a "Mind Map" on stereotypes of homelessness.
As a basis for our engagement with the blog we addressed our own cultural stereotypes and defined terms such as "the American Dream" and "Battler." Trying to demystify some of these stereotypes we expanded upon Barbieux's education, family life, and lifestyle. We were surprised by his interest in technology (he reported the use of SecondLife and raised $1,000 for a laptop), reading (his favorite books include American classics by Hemingway and Steinbeck) and his fascination with the humanities. Another area of his life that we found intriguing was his family background. Barbieux has a son and a daughter. Ultimately, our Mind map used key words to visualize, structure and classify ideas about the often over-looked complexities of homelessness.
Comments
We compared levels of homelessness in the United States and Australia, and we discussed how they are higher in the U.S.
I was particularly interested to learn about the notion of the “battler†and the “larrikin†and to compare them to the American dream.
Also, we discussed the issue of homelessness as a choice. We noted how the homeless guy suffered from anxiety and depression, which made it hard for him to hold a job.
Posted by: Michael Hornstein | October 23, 2008 05:52 PM