Junior Theme REVISED

I've had some difficulties with my Junior Theme, so I have had to reconstruct my map. My "why" question (Why do Americans use their cars as vehicles of self-expression?) is okay, but the body of my essay needs more emphasis on history.

My first bloc will be exploring how America's dependence on cars has come to be. I will be investigating the construction and costs of the interstate, suburbanization, how the interstate is superior to other means of public transportation, and how in many big cities the public transportation is inadequate, resulting in the need for cars.

My second bloc will be exploring cars' accessibility, relating to the postwar spending spree in America. I will also bring up the idea of how, currently, many Americans are attached to their cars.

My third blog will be about the "Americanism" of American cars, and how they are preferred over foreign cars, in many cases. I will also discuss the economic and governmental policies (tariffs, fuel costs, etc.) that have helped shape this realization.

My fourth bloc will be bringing up the idea that, because cars are so prominent in American culture, people use their automobiles as vehicles of self-expression, especially through bumper stickers.

Finally, my last bloc will be about status; you are what you drive. What does your car say about you?

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know. Also, if you are a student whose Junior Theme topic can be connected to mine, please let me know, and hopefully we can cite each other in our papers.

Junior Theme Update

I am well on my way with my Junior Theme. I have already written my introductory paragraph and will soon make an outline for my essay.

Yesterday, I had a telephone interview with Mark Gilman, Chairman of the Board of Gill Studios, which is the company that originated bumper stickers. Since part of my essay will be on bumper stickers and how they relate to Americans' expressions through automobiles, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to interview the head of the company where bumper stickers were created. Overall, the interview went well.

I first asked him, "Why do you think people buy bumper stickers?" He said that it was a "natural progression" and briefly described the history of bumper stickers and advertisement. I then asked him, "What do you think it says about someone if he/she buys a bumper sticker?" He then described some of the bumper stickers his company has been asked to make - some of which are outrageous - and said that some people feel really strongly on certain issues. He then explained how effective they were (not very effective), but people think that they are, which is in some cases why they have them. Lastly, I asked him, "Why do Americans choose to use the bumper sticker to express themselves instead of a yard sign? (What is it about the car?) He responded by mainly saying that, in a car, a person is isolated and insulated, so he/she can put a message on the car and still be protected.

I might interview another person who worked in the car advertisement industry in Detroit, MI. Any comments on the interview described above?

More on Junior Theme

I have been making progress on my Junior Theme. Again, my "why" question is: why do Americans use their cars as vehicles of self-expression? I have found probably around 10 articles and have already selected 3 books.

One element of my research is why many Americans use bumper stickers. A possible interview candidate is a professor from the University of Missouri who wrote a long article on bumper stickers. Another interesting fact I learned was that the more bumper stickers you have, the higher the probability that you'll resort to violence. I will hopefully try to find out more about the psychological reasons for having bumper stickers.

Another element of my research is examining why certain Americans buy certain cars. I think I will be reading a book on pick-up trucks, as well as mini-vans, to try and find out why certain cars appeal to certain people. In many cases, people buy certain cars because of their cultural values. For example, Mrs. Gressel told me that her sister, who lives in the Deep South, bought a pick-up truck, because that is sort of the "Southern culture".

I am reading my main book right now, and that is about car culture in America. It is basically describing the key roles that automobiles have played in American history.

What do you think?

Junior Theme Topic

I have finally narrowed down my Junior Theme topic, and it relates to cars. Specifically, the "why" question I will be investigating is: Why do Americans use their automobiles as vehicles of self-expression? I was either going to do this topic or something about gambling, and this one seems more interesting and applicable to me.

I will be investigating why many Americans personalize their automobiles, almost treating their cars as part of the family, and why certain Americans buy certain cars. I will look into why many Americans put bumper stickers on their cars. By letting the world know that their son/daughter is an "honors student" at ETHS, do they possibly feel the need to brag? Also, why are many people very possessive about their cars, constantly fixing and polishing them? Do they treat the car as a family member? And finally, I will be researching why certain cars, including their color and interior, appeal to certain people. Why don't many teenagers appreciate Buicks? Mrs. Gressel has shown me an encyclopedia of all of the cars in the 20th century, explaining which type of people each car attracted. I will definitely use this encyclopedia as a resource.

What do you think?

Public Transportation

One of my possible Junior Theme topics would be to investigate why humans depend on public transportation. I initially thought that humans depended on cars way too much; however, after I read an article from the Washington Post entitled "Public Transit Ridership Rises To Highest Level in 52 Years", and I was proven wrong.

According to the American Public Transportation Association President William Millar, "Now, more than ever, the value of public transportation is evident, and the public has clearly demonstrated that they want and need more public transit services". As of March 2009 (when this article was written), the amount of people using public transportation services was at its highest in 52 years. According to the above quote, it would behoove the lives of many people to increase the amount of public transportation available. Undoubtedly, less people are using cars - the opposite of what I had initially thought.

I am still amazed that public transportation is at its peak. Why is this? Is it possibly because cars are increasingly expensive? Is it possibly because the quality of many automobiles is declining and many car companies are going out of business? Could it be that people don't want to spend money on gas?

What do you think?

Best Blog Post of the Third Quarter

My best blog post this quarter is the one entitled "Effectiveness of Billboards". We spent a lot of class time reading about and discussing advertisement, so this blog really relates to what we learned in class. Also, I am challenging my beliefs in this blog post - I discuss how at first I believed that billboards were NOT effective, but after doing some research and reading an article from which I quoted in the blog, I changed my mind. I have a claim (that billboards are effective), evidence (quotes from the article), and I explain the evidence that I present.

Effectiveness of Billboards

In class recently, we have been discussing the different methods of advertising. Billboard advertising is very common; I see it on roads and highways. I generally only get a 2-4-second glance at each billboard, so I never really understood why people think they are effective. Our class discussion on billboards, as well as my skepticism, got me to do some research, and I have concluded that they are indeed effective.

I read an article written by Stephen Rampur entitled "Billboard Advertising Effectiveness". Advantages are discussed in the article, including the fact that many major businesses consider this form of advertising because of its "cost effectiveness and saving". Also, because of billboards' "colorful, innovative, and catchy product and service advertisements", billboards "create a brand awareness and a strong name recognition among passers-by". Not only are they economically beneficial to the companies, but billboards also really do capture the driver's attention, even though they are generally seen for only about 2-4 seconds. I can especially see how the ones advertising food are effective; if someone is hungry and there is a big McDonald's billboard, then the person may very well think, "hmm...I want McDonald's now". Also, the billboards advertising TV shows can be very catchy. I remember once I think I saw a catchy one that was somewhat funny, advertising the Bernie Mac Show or something like that.

Well, I guess I was wrong; billboards really are effective. What do you think?