Module Questionnaire

Age? 21

Sex? Female

What is your degree subject (both if joint)? Creative and Professional Writing/ TESOL

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
Not really, was a recommended elective for CPW

If so, how? And if not, why not?
I guess its good for understanding behaviours and therefore crafting characters

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
Appropriate

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
Yes, I thought they were good

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Gangs? Politicians? ‘role model’ celebrities?

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Yeah I think so, a lot in a class though so difficult to get much time with lecturer to go over anything. Marking of first assignment took long time because of the amount of people in this module.

What did you think of the module team? Do you think it would have been better to have had more?
Was ok, I like to have one lecturer throughout and relate to one but this is not possible due to number of students I guess.

Small group discussions?
Group work would have been good to get to know others as there were so many and because its such an opinionated module. Would have made it better for weblogs too if we had had small group discussions and interacted with people we would normally have.

Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
There was not much of this really I felt. We could have had debates- maybe as our assignment; in groups take one side and present our argument against another? Again though, maybe there was too many students to do this.

Information and talk from lecturers?
Very informative. Lots of facts and history with each topic.

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
I think it covers a lot to do with these and creates a better understanding. Human nature/behaviour affects every subject area.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
Yes but there are too many students, if classes could be made smaller it would be better. It was annoying how many students seemed to not be bothered- talking and walking out was annoying! Perhaps they had taken the module as ‘an easy option’

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
Maybe a little

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
Yes it was interesting

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
Maybe but it would depend on the requirements for CPW and TESOL. It didn’t really help me with my TESOL course. I know its not meant to but I would need to see what other modules I have to take to do with this half of my degree.

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
Depends on what they are studying; writing, film, social studies, phsycology then yes.

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
Yes. It was a refreshing change to other essays I had to write. Its also good because you can choose how you want it to look. Criteria and grade guidelines we were given were good because we knew what was expected of us and what we were aiming towards.

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
Maybe a bit short, 600 words is difficult to get point across in. And then 300 words for short story is not enough really and its hard to analyse it in 300 words.

What have you learned from the module?
Different views on a wide range of topics, to be more tolerant of other people’s culture/life decisions etc.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
Hard to pick parts out.

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
Suggestions for field trip- too many people to go on one!

Nasty Comedians

This subject was quite a tough one, simply because I think we are all guilty at having a giggle at someone else's expensive at some point in our lives are we not?! I think its true that these comedians play on the stereotypes of society and people should be able to take it lightly by accepting that everyone has stereotypical qualities! I think being able to laugh at oneself is a good trait to have! A great modern example of this is 'Little Britain' it could be argued that there is race, age social, weight, disability discrimination etc etc. but I think thats just for politically correct synics! It doesn't set out to harm anyone and doesn't leave any group out- everyone gets a fair ripping because its purely for comedy value. As humans, we watch other people and are 'aware' of people's differences so why not talk about them and find fun in ourselves?! Its like the Catherine Tate show- everyone knows at least one person in their life similar to one of her characters and thats exactly what she set out to do! There is a line that some people don't like comedians to cross, but if these people are offended nobody is forcing them to carry on listening/watching; they can make their choice to switch off but don't tell other people what to like/dislike. Everybody has different tastes!

Response to opinion on Kids film

http://balebale88.blogspot.com/
I think this response at the above link is very true. Yes some films like ‘kids’ are extreme but if young people are made aware of the dangers of what they do it will encourage them to make the right decisions and keep them ‘on the right track.’
What I don’t agree with is when this is done too young. Kids should be able to keep their childhoods as long as possible but maybe then if we make them aware (once they are ready) they will choose to be children longer and not get involved with such bad activities.

Telling Lies

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1485

The above link is great I found it when researching 'telling lies' on the internet. It is from a kids site explaining the do's and dont's of telling lies- when it is ok and when you should never tell a lie. It explains very well and is great for kids as they often get confused about what is right and wrong. They don't understand about emabarrassment at a young age. For example on the site is a bit about a child saying "Mommy hopes you don't stay long." when her mother's friend calls round to their house. Obviously, to the child this is the truth but they don't understand what impact it will have.

I think telling lies is another one of those things we all do at some point and can't help it! Sometimes its better to lie than to tell a friend that actually she looks terrible in that mustard colour designer dress she loves so much, paid a fortune for and can't return!

Many people tell lies to cover up bad things they have done... "no i didn't gamble the shopping money away... no I haven't been smoking... of course I would never cheat on you... no I didn't steal it... etc etc" This is simply because they don't want to get found out by people and have to take responsibility.

I think its strange how some people tell lies just for the sake of it but looking up compulsive lying on the internet it is actually a mental health issue. Follow link-

http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=153

I think for major issues its always best to tell the truth as you'll only get found out in the long run- as it said on one website "you have to have a very good memory to be be a good liar." Meaning that its easy to forget what you have said to someone and trip yourself up. With regards to a relationship, I don't see the point in being in one if you are going to lie to your partner and keep things from them.

Response to graffiti post by Luc

link http://www.luc-badlog.blogspot.com/
Luc mentioned in the post on graffiti that many of the people who do it are very talented and artistic which I agree with- its true they must have some talent. But the issue is that they shouldn't be doing it on property that does not belong to them as this is criminal behaviour! If they have their own walls they want to spray paint on then fair enough but if they don't then they should buy some paper and express their talents like that!
The following link breaks down the cost of cleaning up graffiti in America- believe me, its expensive!
www.graffnews.com/?cat=39

Gambling

I found the ideas raised in this lecture very interesting! I would never have thought for a second that car insurance was a form of gambling! But I guess thats right! There is of course one major difference and that is that, legally all car drivers have to have insurance so are forced into it! Then I thought, we don't have to have cars- there is our choice! I agree with many peoples comments that gambling is only a problem when it gets out of control, but thats like many other topics from the module. I enjoy going to the races I think its great and very social. I have had a great time getting together with groups of people and travelling to a big race meeting accross the country!
Its always good to limit yourself as you can get carried away with the 'buzz' but thats human nature- we all want a bit of excitement! I have found this true with poker- its easy to get carried away thinking "just one more ace and i'll win it all back" but you have to know when to walk away! (isn't that a country song?!)
Anyway, I believe the National Lottery to be quite a good thing- again as long as you don't get hooked and throw vasts amount of money at it every week! It has helped many good causes around the country.
In conclusion, isn't every day a gamble for everyone?! Crossing the road, driving or using public transport, breathing in germs, going out of the ouse; if we all thought about the odds of something happening to us during all of these everyday activities we probably wouldn't do any of them- living is one big gamble but its better than the alternative so I think ill stick to gambling!!

I checked out some popular gambling websites like Ladbrokes www.ladbrokes.com, totesport, foxybingo etc. and they all have warnings/statements in the small print about responsible betting. I believe this is law.

Also, when typing in 'gambling' to a search engine, the main thing that comes up is help/advice sites like the ones at the bottom. This suggests what a problem gambling can be for those who get addicted.
http://www.gamcare.org.uk/
www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/

Bandits and Outlaws 2

I watched Pirates of the Caribbean today and thought I had to add to my blog in relation to bandits and outlaws and looked up Pirates and piracy and sure enough this is the same thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy But don’t we all love these films and the character Captain Jack Sparrow?! He is bad- not law abiding at all but we like him because secretly we all like a bit of rebellion- its in our nature! Guys want to be the captain and girls want to go out with him! We have all grown up with pirate adventure stories (Treasure Island, Peter Pan) and how great they all were!

Bandits and Outlaws

I was thinking about this bandits and outlaws topic and yes some were really bad- they stole and murdered purely for personal gain and yes, in some ways were glorified by the media; I’m not even going to try and understand why or work this one out. But what about some of the other well known outlaws in our country’s history-
Robin Hood; he wasn’t so bad was he? Surely he did what he did for the right reasons else people wouldn’t have got behind him as they did. That wouldn’t be accepted today no, but then laws are also different today. We live in a time where people are protected, they have rights.
William Wallace- he was a Scotsman who was outlawed by the English and later hung, drawn and quartered for his troubles. And why? Because he wanted freedom for himself and for the people of Scotland- what a BAD man!! Well no actually, he too was only fighting for his rights and he had everyone behind him. He believed it was wrong for the English to be free to burn their homes and take wives of Scotsman on their wedding night and surely he had a point?! This is the true BAD behaviour in the first place. They say two wrongs don’t make a right but I think in these cases it works for the better of mankind.

Response to comment left on blog- Being Bad by Jess

See link- http://brumsfinest.blogspot.com/ and read 'prostitution' entry and its comments.
I read a comment left on this blog written by nemesis. They made the point that prostitution was not much different to a model/actor/popstar 'selling their bodies'. I have to say that I disagree- there is a big difference in having sex with someone for money and having pictures taken showing off 'a bit of flesh' to sell your record or to promote a product, wouldn't you agree?!

Body Modification- Piercings

Personally, I only have my ears pierced- one piercing in each ear. I feel that this is ok and not really taking body modification to the extreme (unlike above pic- ouch!) perhaps that’s because ears are the most socially accepted part to have pierced in my country/culture. After the lecture, I realised that this may not be the case for everybody.
I may be hypocritical by saying the next thing I’m going to say as I have ear piercings but I think some things that were shown in the lecture and that I found on the internet www.bodypiercingblog.com/entry/strange-piercing/ look really hideous and unnatural and I don’t understand why some people do it (for example having bolts put through the skull.)
The link below takes you to an interesting website where you can find discussions on the different opinions on this subject.

http://www.gostudents.net/site/c.ejINI5PNKpG/b.309429/k.A774/Body_Art_or_Damage.htm

Infidelity

I think this is always wrong- if you are with someone, then you shouldn't want to go off with anyone else behind their back! If you do, fair enough but finish with them first as you're obviously wasting their time being in a relationship with them?! And if you're doing it to get back at them because they did it to you then why didn't you just dump them in the first place as soon as they had done it?!

I might be wrong here but I think its the person in the relationship who cheats that is more to blame than the 'other woman/man' bacause they are the ones who have made a commitment to their partner and should not go against this!

Prostitution

It is illegal in this country and this is the way I think it should be. It can be argued however that if a women is willing to give up her body for payment and a man is willing to pay then surely this is something just between themselves, what does it have to do with anyone else? It is when women are forced into this way of life when it becomes wrong as well as dangerous. See link http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/uk.htm for facts on Global Sexual Exploitation.
In the Netherlands where prostitution is legal, sex workers pay income tax as it was given the same status as any other labour in 1999. They are free to advertise their services and health care is readily available to them.
I am unsure of my opinion on this, it is a difficult one to summarise, probably because I am unfamiliar with the topic and don’t understand it on a personal level. There is a whole section about prostitution in the Netherlands on Wikipedia which I found very interesting to read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_the_Netherlands

Body Modification - Tattoos

I was reading though my weekly edition of LOOK magazine today when I came across an appropriate article to do with this subject. Unfortunately it is not online so have no link for you but you can find it in the issue dated 9th April 2007.
Anyway, the article was entitled "The A-listers' New Obsession: Tattoos" investigating 'troubled' celebrities and their tattoos. The phsycologist very much played up the celebs' troubles as being a reason for why they had had their tattoos as they believed them to be a sign of their "inner turmoil" and a "cry for help" after battling through "horrendous life experiences"
Well I have to say that it all seems a bit extreme to me and they have just exaggerated this point to make an interesting article. Yes, the celebs featured had all been through some tough times (divorce, eating disorders, rehab etc.) but this doesn't mean its related to them getting tattoos does it? Maybe they just like them?!
Personally I don't have any tattoos just because Ive never been interested in them or wanted to get one, partly because I know Id be stuck with it for life and Im always chopping and changing with trends etc. But having said this, I know people with them and they are happy enough so thats all that matters, yes there are health risks- (see linkhttp://www.biblebelievers.com/watkins_tattoos/health.html) things can go wrong as with many things but thats a decision they have to make- whether or not to risk it. I wouldn't have one but if others do Im not gonna frown upon them because they feel differently to me!
Live and let live!!

Response to Fran’s Blog entry concerning vandalism

link- http://ffinnegan.blogspot.com

I read Fran’s blog and just had to comment because from reading her entry I felt her annoyance. I entirely agree and feel so strongly that vandalism is mindless and pathetic. This is something that really is BAD behaviour, no excuses, no positive sides and I too hate it! My friend’s car was vandalized- he had his wing mirror pulled of and side panel kicked in by random yobs- this is utterly despicable and there is no need. Fran mentioned that maybe it was jealousy and I’m inclined to agree, people see something that they haven’t got, looking good and so want to take it away from others! As for vandalizing parks and pleasant areas of interest- its disgusting- why bother? We should gather all these people up and put them somewhere in the middle of nowhere with nothing nice around them just a ten foot grey wall around them and let them deface it to their hearts content!

Masturbation

Well, Im going to start by saying that when it came to this subject I thought about passing over it in this blog because I was unsure of what to say on the subject. But then that gave me something to say- it shows that I probably, like many other people have a problem talking about the topic. Maybe 'problem' is the wrong word and perhaps I just mean that it is not something I usually like to talk about. So why is this? The answer is Im not really sure! Because as we discussed in the lecture- it is a perfectly natural thing and something that has happened for centuries! When I first thought about writing this entry I decided to write that 'masturbation was more of a male thing as they are more open about it than females.' Yes men talk about it more but that doesn't necessarily mean that women don't do it as much does it? But, there is one thing I don't understand- women talk about everything to each other; relationships, work, sex, family life etc. so why is masturbation such a taboo subject more so amongst women. The only real conclusion for this that I could come across is that it could just be that it is not considered 'lady-like' to talk about it. Although we have moved on alot from the 'olden days' this is a subject that has just stuck!

I have to say that masturbation is not something that I purposely talk about with friends, mostly because I don't really want to know what they get up to 'in that department' not because its wrong just because I don't want to know- its none of my business and they can please themselves. (so to speak!)

Smoking

I am a non smoker myself but have to admit that it doesn't bother me if other people choose to smoke. Who am I to tell them not to?! Although, dont get me wrong- I dont like it to be blown in my face full frontal!!
Many of my friends smoke and its their choice I really dont mind! However, my boyfriend was a smoker when I met him, he quit about a year later which he found quite hard but he was determined and after some very cranky days he was ok! But what bothers me is that he has now started to smoke socially at the weekends. It bothers me only because it took him so long to quit and so much effort that I dont know why he feels the need to start again!? Surely this will just lead to him smoking regularly again?!

I think the smoking ban thats due to be put in place this summer is good for non-smokers who are really against breathing in other peoples smoke due to the dangers of passive smoking.
When I was researching the dangers of passive smoking, I came accross the website below about whether pets can suffer from breathing in peoples smoke which is something I had never thought of before.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,,-10059,00.html

Being Bad... The Beginning

As we were told to come up with some field trip ideas to suit this module I have been racking my brains for a couple of weeks and to be honest, do not have much to show for it!
I do have a few thoughts though...

• We could go on a gambling outing- perhaps to the races or a casino?
• We could go paintballing- see how much pleasure we get out of hurting our peers!
• Or sod it... we could all just go to a random field get drunk, smoke things we shouldn't and take all our clothes off! Really get involved with the module!