How brave and smart is this girl?

[SpringchickenGoldBrass]

Astoundingly. I wish I had had the nerve to do something like that in my teens.

I wouldn't trust her if she were my social worker.

but to me the whole thing means nothing because it was "pretend"

it would be like me blacking my face up and saying now i know how racism feels.

but its pretend, you can take it all off and go back to your life the day after, of course it has no value as an experiment. why not talk to people, real people, and document their real experiences?

it doesnt say anywhere that its about hispanic girls or the steroetypes about them - its about teenage pregnancy, gossip and rumour. very teenage, and of course the prom takes priority over the social experiment...not very feminist! or experimental for that matter. sorry but still not getting it.

I'm with SGM. I would like to see the results of the project.

The nature of these social dynamics unfortunately means that people in privileged groups have voices which are heard more than those in the not-privileged groups. Unfortunately in order to change attitudes you need to change the attitudes of the people with the privilege. Look at our government - do they listen more to people like themselves or people "outside". Do they give more of a monkeys when "bad" things happen to people who are like their own children, or people who are totally far removed. Miserable as it may be - the fact that this girl carries white middle class privilege means that her experience will be listened to - while the experiences of all of the girls in non-privileged groups who fall pregnant will not be so, they are seen as other. This is the whole problem with bringing about social change I think? The people in charge don't have the problems so they don't "get it" and they don't care.

I think it's interesting although I can see some of the objections.

"It doesn't need to be said literally because implicitly, in the American context, teenage pregnancy is problematic for Hispanic and African -American teenage girls not middle class White girls."

What do you mean, StewieGriffinsMom? I don't understand.

Do you mean middle class white teenagers are less likely to get pregnant?

It doesn't need to be said literally because implicitly, in the American context, teenage pregnancy is problematic for Hispanic and African -American teenage girls not middle class White girls."

Thats true , but 'white trailer trash' (their words not mine) also have very high rates of teen pregnancy.

horrible for the dp's parents and for his/her siblings that didn't know the truth.

What if they'd made decisions based on the fact she was pregnant? Like moving to a bigger house/taking out a loan/giving up work etc. Don't like the deceit.

so what did she achieve or prove by this?

i really think it was a silly little girl playing at being some big shot social psychologist, until that tight fitting prom dress just got in the way of course...

Seems like an attention seeking stunt to me. The quote from her friend about her changing, but maybe having been anoying all along doesn't seem like a great example of an insightful finding.

I am surprised the school let her carry out this charade for so long. It's not an experiment at all and just an exercise in teenage narcisim. If you want to know about the experience of teenage pregnancy, interview some people who have been through it. I don't see that it is brave or smart to do this.

Sardinequeen - she is a Hispanic teen. I am not sure what you are getting at with her bringing white middle class privilidge to the experience. The article doesn't give you any information on her class background at all.

Oh, but she is Hispanic, so she must be from a low income family.

Social experiment - pah! Publicity stunt to earn her an internship at a tabloid newspaper or a bursary at university, maybe even a film script, more like.
Her fucking prom dress - I ask you.

If my daughter did this to her boyfriend's family I'd be bloody well ashamed of her. If she actually did get pg at 17 I dare say I'd be initially pissed off and disappointed but no shame would be involved and she'd have my full support.

I think it's badly reported, I didn't quite understand exactly how and why she conducted the experiment.

But it's true that people listen more to someone who is experimenting, than tey do to someone who is living it. Polly Toynbee's Hard Work (? Is that what ti's called?) is testament to this.

Interestesting that when a woman does this a whole load of reproach is thrown at her because of the emotional upheaval she will cause. When a man does it, I'm not sure condemnation comes from that angle; people might question the results of the experiment, but very rarely is his right to do it called into question.

so the next troll on MN with a story thats a lie should:-

A) reveal their sex so we can decide whether they are beyond reproach or not
and
B) return to tell us their findings and call it a social experiment.

noted.

Herbeggs

I haven't read the Polly Toynbee book, but did read the excellent Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich which was a similar approach I think, in the US. She set herself some fairly strict criteria in terms of only lying (or being economical with the truth) only as much as was strictly necesary about her life story and living the minimimum wage life as truely as possible (not touching savings, using her contacts etc...)

From what I can make out from the article i don't think this
'experiment' had any of that rigour and it sounds unethical to allow the
deception. I think if the Head let someone come into the school and pretend to be a transfer student and pretend to get pregnant it would be unethical to let that deception be carried out by a student.

I am not sure why you think the focus on the emotional impact is because she is a girl. Playing out a fantasy of teen pregnancy with your peers, DPs family, teachers, is in large part about their emotional reactions, no? I would feel equally betrayed to find a male or female friend had been living a fake life.

Is anyone reminded of the teen film 'Easy A'??

I rather think the thing about the prom dress is a way of the reporter slapping the girl down and going 'See, she really is just a silly teenager, no need to take her findings seriously.' If she mentioned it at all, it was probably a throwaway comment that is suddenly being used to undermine her.

SGM - yes all power too her, I'm sure she'll go far.

But still ethics comittees are there to protect the SUBJECTs of experimentation (and the researcher and sponsoring organisation against risk). In this cas it sounds like the subjects of the experiment were her peers ( it sounds like it was about their reactions, gossiping and stereotypes amongst Hispanic teens about teenage pregnancy, not about stereotypes about Hispanic teens amongst WASPS or whatever).

Look at it this way - if the principal of a White middle class school had been approached and asked to facilitate a deception of their staff and pupils for the sake of research they may very well have said no, on ethical grounds, and because they know the parents would be able to make a fuss if they didn't like their children being the non consenting subject of experiment.

There are many Hispanic teens in this story, not just the girl who got the glory. In saying there was no need for an ethics committee type decision you are writing off their rights (ie to consent to be part of a study) too easily.

I don't really get it either. To be of any value I think there should have been a record of the comments, if any, made to the boyfriend. But as a record of attitudes to teen pregnancy -- I don't think that can really be quantified. DD1 had some falling outs with friends in the course of her hs career that were quite spectacular and had nothing at all to do with pregnancy. Catty and horrible things were said by all.

A recent incident at the high school my oldest DD graduated from involved a male student with massive insecurities/ misogyny issues publishing on the internet a list of what he saw as promiscuous girls in the school. The girls were from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Sexual policing occurs in every community. There's no news there. Nor is it news that people with massive insecurities/ screws loose will use information or rumour-spreading as a tool for one-upping. No news either in the fact that teens gossip and can be cruel.

I think its shameful