writing and the world around us

There are different ways to shape the world we live in. In particular, the push for social justice and the act of writing share significant ties in how a society morphs and progresses. Both social justice, or Social Action, and writing are most important when it comes to their relationship with youth culture. At an early age, both things become a significant part of an adolescent's life. Young people are just then learning about themselves and exploring who they are, and as I've talked about before here, are working to construct their identity. Writing becomes significant because it is a medium that helps them express themselves and channel their thoughts and opinions. Similarly, Social Action is important because it adds to the understanding of the self and what they believe in, as well as to help them see the change that they want to bring to the world around them.

With that being said, when social justice and writing come together, it becomes even more significant - and not just in that individual's life, either. When young people write, and write about social injustices and oppression around them, it adds to the powerful voice of change erupting from all parts of the world, especially in today's society, and reinforces the movement toward progress and equality as a people. When reading the articles for today's class, it was interesting to see how it stresses on the importance of education for adolescents. It adds to the idea of how real the future is in the hands of each upcoming generation. Thus, exposing them to real issues and having them have a personal investment in the things happening around them adds to that crucial relationship of student and expression.

I like that teachers are letting students express themselves more and more in the classroom. It's impossible to escape from the hell that is the reality around us, and it's great that classrooms are letting students critically think, discuss, and write about things are important and relevant to their everyday life. With that, writing becomes more of that authentic expression as opposed to a chore, and is good for both the student, teacher, and society as a whole- the student's voice becomes real and present, and once it is expressed in writing, it becomes a fact in the world around us.