Objectification Of African American Women
...19, and they spend $153 billion dollars a year (Teen Market). Most of their money is spent on clothes. Clothing is a language; a nonverbal system of communication that conveys information about the wearer to the viewer. Many opinions are formed and based solely on a person's outfit. This is especially true in schools across America. Adolescent dress represents teenage values of identity within a particular group, which causes discrimination between other groups of teens.
Before people speak to one another, their clothing makes a statement that expresses their occupation, origin, and personality, gender, age, and class. People often send messages such as conservatism, flamboyance, sophistication, or toughness through their clothing. This form of communication appeals to teens because it gives them a way to express themselves through their clothing.
Teens are preoccupied with social acceptance, social affiliation and "coolness" attached to make the "right" clothing choices. They judge other teens buy the clothes they wear. Teenagers wear certain clothes to fit in with other teens. The initial sign in identifying a group is through their clothing, since it is most visual. The clothes define the group and its members. Clothing selection signifies their attitudes, how they interact with other groups. For example, in gangs, members have to wear a certain color and dress in a particular way to be associated with that group of people.
On May 5, 2001, Javier Hernandez was washing and waxing his car. He was wearing baggy shorts, had a shaved head and tattoos. He was not a gang member. But his look may have gotten him killed. "Somebody may have thought he was a gang member," said Detective. Mike DePasquale, homicide coordinator at LAPD's Pacific Division. "That's the only clue we have right now, the way he was dressed ()." Because Javier was wearing a certain type of...
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