Progressive Project
To me, being progressive means that someone is working towards developing a culture to help build and sustain a welcoming environment and accepting people for their differences.
Why i chose LGBT:
I chose the LGBT+ community for this project because LGBT+ rights is becoming a more prominent topic in media and daily life. As someone who identifies as part of this community, I'm very interested in it and wanted to do more research on the subject.
Why i chose LGBT:
I chose the LGBT+ community for this project because LGBT+ rights is becoming a more prominent topic in media and daily life. As someone who identifies as part of this community, I'm very interested in it and wanted to do more research on the subject.
Project Process:
Empathize and Define:
Research: Informative
- Three informative sources:
- “Walking through a hailstorm”
- “Being African American & LGBTQ”
- “LGBT Homelessness
Research: Scientific
- “Gay and Transgender Youth Homelessness by the Numbers”
- "LGBT Americans & LGBT Seniors Face Harder Old Age"
Research: Opinionated
- “Victim of LGBT Student Bullying In Ohio Tells His Story”
Q: Tell me about your general experiences being transgender. A: I think my stepdad doesn’t take it seriously. We’ll be out at a restaurant, and the waiter will say “what does he want” and when the waiter leaves the table my stepdad will be like “Oh, did you like that?” I mean, you don’t have to say it, I’m just trying to live my life. If I’m by myself it’s not a big deal, or if I’m with my dad. I try to just live my life, I don't want any attention |
Q: What - in your mind - makes LGBT+ wrong? A: As someone who once identified as lesbian and no longer does, I grappled with what the Bible has to say about homosexuality. When I realized that God defined homosexual behavior as sin and realized that this mattered to me, I wrestled with what to do with my attractions. But happily, the designer who defined homosexual behavior as sin also made a way to be forgiven. |
Immersion Experience:
For our immersion experience, my group and I decided to head out to Balboa Park and simulate that we were on a date with someone of our same gender, and have secret camera's following us around. My friend Udeema was my 'girlfriend' for the day, and we had a fun time walking around and enjoying the park, regardless of the project. Outright, we didn't see anyone giving us looks and no one said anything negative to us; but once we watched the videos, we could see that some people turned and stared once we passed by. All looks were aimed at our backs.
Interrelationship Diagraph:
Human Centered Problem:
Multiple cases of even minor or unintentional discrimination can lower one's self esteem greatly, making them unwilling or unable to to express themselves freely.
Multiple cases of even minor or unintentional discrimination can lower one's self esteem greatly, making them unwilling or unable to to express themselves freely.
Prototype:
Brainstorming:
When we started brainstorming for our prototype, we were at first told to come up with crazy 'unrealistic' solutions. As you can see, we did well doing that. The next step was using those crazy ideas to come up with a more reasonable solution. It took a while to come up with something, but our first idea was to write a children's book. After a couple days, we changed our idea to a bookcase. It would be a rolling bookcase full of LGBT+ children's books, and it would move to schools around a district. It would stay at an elementary school for a month or two before moving to the next, so that lots of kids could get to read the books. The idea was giving the kids 'early exposure' to something that shouldn't be censored in the first place, and so they can grow up thinking what they want to think and not just going off of what they see from the media or relatives.
Building:
The bookcase is made out of three crates screwed together, with planks nailed in to keep the books from falling out. I then painted the inside of each crate to resemble three different pride flags: Gay Pride, Transgender Pride, and Bisexual pride.
Progressive Day:
On Progressive Day, Nigel, Eliott, and I went to a 5th grade class and did a mock reading, then asked them what they thought about the books and their thoughts on our prototype in general. We got a lot of great feedback from the kids, and they all thought highly of the project. It was really nice seeing these kids being so supportive of our cause. After the fifth grade class, we went and did a full reading to some first grade classes. The kid's asked lots of questions and payed attention to us the whole time. When I was about to read 'My Princess Boy', one little boy said something to the effect of "Princess boy, thats weird!" but by the end of the book, he said he loved it and would never make fun of a boy who likes to be a princess. It was great reading to the little kids because their excitement can really brighten your day. The last class we went to was another fifth grade class. We ran the same drill as the first fifth graders, and all the kids were super engaged and loved the books. This day was super fun because we got to visit multiple age groups and they all loved the prototype and gave us tons of feedback on how to improve.
Some of the feedback included:
Some of the feedback included:
- Paint the outside to make it look more welcoming
- Add more books
- More books about different sexualities
- Maybe put doors on the case instead of just the bars
- Attach the 'manual' to the side so it it easier to see
Exhibition:
Reflections:
The most challenging part of the Progressive Project for me was keeping up with the deadlines. It felt like this project was very cramped and everyone had to work very hard to have everything ready for the day it was due. The suddenness of this project especially made the interviews hard to set up, because they had to be done on such short notice which didn't work out with a lot of people's schedules and we had to find someone else to interview. Despite this challenge, my group and I did a lot to overcome it. We stayed after school, worked from home, and spend most classes working towards having everything done well and on time.
The thing that I most appreciated about the work around this project was what we were working towards. This whole project was aimed towards making the world a better place. I love it when I know that what I'm working on isn't just going to be turned in for a grade and then forgotten about, own end project could actually be used out in the world and can help people in their life. It's so much more fulfilling when you having a sense of purpose when you're doing something, and this project did just that. I put my all into this project, and I'm proud of the result.
I have learned and gained a lot so far in our study of progressivism, not only on a personal level but also in terms of an academic understanding. This project was a real eye-opener into the challenges other people face for something they can't help but be. I always knew that the LGBT+ community faced challenges in society (ex. not being supported for who they love, outcast, judged, discriminated against, etc.) but when you sit down with someone and hear their story, it really brings you to their perspective. The same goes for an 'opposer'. I never thought the day would come when I would have to actively seek out someone who was a directer of a conversion therapy organisation and interview them, asking about their life and if anyone influenced them to this path. It was quite the experience hearing all these different views on the topic, and it really made me want to do everything I could to make sure this project worked, and that it wasn't some half-assed product that I didn't care about. In terms of academic understanding, Progressivism means a "support for or advocacy of social reform." I believe we are in a "Progressive Age" because of everything that's been changing. It is now legal for two men or two women to marry, being a part of the LGBT+ community is becoming more accepted, and people are realizing that it's okay for people to be different.
Although our final product isn't a huge world-changing feat, I believe it could change someone's world. With the rolling bookcase, children can learn about respect and that it's okay for you and/or others to feel different. Kid's could make their own decisions on what they choose to think rather than just listening to what the media says which, if I'm going to be honest, is almost always skewed to one person's ideas in some way. I think this bookcase could help as the new generations learn to become more accepting, and therefore make the world into a new, better place.
Some changes I think I'd make to this bookcase is adding more color to make it more attractive so people will come over to it. Paint the wood fun colors, and perhaps put a quote or two on it. In any more professional models, I'd add clear doors so the user could see what is inside it, while also being a better way keep the books from falling out.
The thing that I most appreciated about the work around this project was what we were working towards. This whole project was aimed towards making the world a better place. I love it when I know that what I'm working on isn't just going to be turned in for a grade and then forgotten about, own end project could actually be used out in the world and can help people in their life. It's so much more fulfilling when you having a sense of purpose when you're doing something, and this project did just that. I put my all into this project, and I'm proud of the result.
I have learned and gained a lot so far in our study of progressivism, not only on a personal level but also in terms of an academic understanding. This project was a real eye-opener into the challenges other people face for something they can't help but be. I always knew that the LGBT+ community faced challenges in society (ex. not being supported for who they love, outcast, judged, discriminated against, etc.) but when you sit down with someone and hear their story, it really brings you to their perspective. The same goes for an 'opposer'. I never thought the day would come when I would have to actively seek out someone who was a directer of a conversion therapy organisation and interview them, asking about their life and if anyone influenced them to this path. It was quite the experience hearing all these different views on the topic, and it really made me want to do everything I could to make sure this project worked, and that it wasn't some half-assed product that I didn't care about. In terms of academic understanding, Progressivism means a "support for or advocacy of social reform." I believe we are in a "Progressive Age" because of everything that's been changing. It is now legal for two men or two women to marry, being a part of the LGBT+ community is becoming more accepted, and people are realizing that it's okay for people to be different.
Although our final product isn't a huge world-changing feat, I believe it could change someone's world. With the rolling bookcase, children can learn about respect and that it's okay for you and/or others to feel different. Kid's could make their own decisions on what they choose to think rather than just listening to what the media says which, if I'm going to be honest, is almost always skewed to one person's ideas in some way. I think this bookcase could help as the new generations learn to become more accepting, and therefore make the world into a new, better place.
Some changes I think I'd make to this bookcase is adding more color to make it more attractive so people will come over to it. Paint the wood fun colors, and perhaps put a quote or two on it. In any more professional models, I'd add clear doors so the user could see what is inside it, while also being a better way keep the books from falling out.