The Most Ballin’ Blog Ever

1. The arguement that I am making about jeans is that their value has changed over time. It used to be that jeans were worn as a sturdy pant that would hold up in treacherous conditions such as mining and things of that nature. But now you can look in any fashion magazine and see that wearing jeans with a sweater or jeans with a sport coat can be fashionable and hip. And refering to their actual value, jeans used to be cheap but now you can spend $100 on a pair of jeans because of the designer that made them. They used to be a symbol of what class you belonged to. If you wore jeans you were lower or middle working class and if you were above that you wore slacks. But now you can come across some of the hottest actors and actresses in a pair of jeans.

2. I expect to learn a lot about the history of the blue jeans as we know them today. Levi was the first to make many advancements in the jean industry such as putting the rivets on jeans for more strength. They are also responsible for the first de-segregated factories as well as the first jeans for women. As a matter of fact Levi desegregated before The jeans first started becoming “fashionable” in the 50’s when they were used in movies and TV shows to give the character a rebellious and “bad boy” role.  In 1966, Rock-and-Roll groups recorded radio commercials for Stretch Levis and White Levis.  I expect to continue to find more and more connections between Levi and the fashion market.

3.  The main source of information that I have used this far is a timeline that I found on the Levi Strauss & Co. website.  It has given me all of the information that I just gave in question #2.  I haven’t really read anything else but I have looked through magazines to find good examples of popular people wearing jeans.

4.   I still need to look at some of Levi’s competition to see if there is anything that has to do with jeans that Levi did not invent.  I would also like to consult some really old catalogues that you could buy jeans from to see how drastic the change of price is.  I guess one thing I’m not clear on is what the goal of the research is.  Should I just be trying to find as much as I can to support my arguement?  And am I using this research to inform just the class? or perhaps the World?

1. “Problem-posing education is revolutionary futurity.” In an English class (like the one we are in) the teacher would have us read short essays about how certain individuals feel. After that we would reflect upon what we read and discuss, not only with each other but also with the teacher, and share ideas. Therefore everyone teaches everyone else because none of us know everything. I don’t think that I’ve ever been in a history class like this. It seems like history is already written and the only thing left for arguement is why something happened but the fact that it happened will remain and cannot be denied. Math is much like history. It has already been done by someone else so you just use the existing theorums and laws to do the math at hand. Teachers can be expected to learn all kinds of things from their students. Anything from new ways to think about things to what’s the latest trends. Just this morning one of my classmates was showing my Calculus teacher how to use an iPod.

2. The use of the term “praxis” refers to our creativity, transformation, and knowledge. He says, “For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human.” Without our ability to be creative, to transform, and to know we are merely animals in this world. In the education system today we are removed from our “praxis” and are forced to sit there and be “filled” with all of the teacher’s knowledge.

3. Freire seems kind of prejudiced against the education system as we know it today. And in talking about making deposits in a bank, he is really depositing this idea into a bank.  While I read this, I never felt like I would be able to get a word in with him.

As I said before, I will do my project on Levi jeans. It is important, I believe, because jeans have got to be the most common kind of pants. Everyone has them. I expect to discover a lot of sexual advertising like we have been discussing in class as well as very important historical information about them.  The value of jeans has changed drastically over the years.  Before, they could be considered as strictly work pants.  Today, they might still be considered that but I have also seen people wear jeans with a sport coat and all of the sudden they are dress pants.  This historical change in value will prove to be fascinating. Some of the sources I intend to consult are the actual Levi website, adflip.com, and other sources like perhaps Levi’s competition.