Dylan Stasiak Source 5

Question: How does the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) relate to rave culture at music festivals?

Ballantyne, Julie, Roy Ballantyne, and Jan Packer. "Designing and Managing Music Festival Experiences to Enhance Attendees' Psychological and Social Benefits." Designing and Managing Music Festival Experiences to Enhance Attendees' Psychological and Social Benefits. Sage, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.

This source talks about why people go to music festivals and the positives of them. The article makes a point of music giving people as a way to express themselves and attending music festivals gives music lovers an outlet to “connect with the arts” and “discover a sense of identity, meaning, and social intergretation.” Festivals give adolescents the opportunity to experience more psychological and social benefits. The genre of music does not matter, music festivals give people a chance to have unique experiences that he or she might not have another opportunity to do so. It talks about how music festivals are ways to disconnect from the real world and are capable of separating the festival-goer from everyday life. The article talks about how musical festivals have positive psychological outcomes, for example, festival goers said they “felt more positive about themselves, others, and life in general.” An example of this would be that in those big crowds of people, festival-goers have a chance to meet new people and connect with them (as well as their friends) on a different level.

This source was very helpful to my research. Instead of learning about ecstasy, I learned that the experience of a music festival goes deeper than drugs. There is psychological effect to attending music festivals. More importantly, is it a positive psychological effect. I’m happy to see that people don’t automatically compare EDM music festivals to drugs. It’s not just a concert, the festival is an experience in itself. Not only is it about the music, but its about a sense of self-awareness and identity. This source talked a lot of festival culture, but the science behind it was discussed more in this article than my others. It went into a lot of detail about the positive effects that music festivals can have.

This source has me very close to completing my research. So far I have learned rave culture and how raves have morphed into music festivals. I’ve also learned about all the positives of music festivals, not just physical, but emotional and psychological positives as well. I’ve also learned the long and short term effects of the most common rave drug, MDMA. I also read a survey that proves that ecstasy is the most common drug associated with dance music. Since I don’t think I have a full answer to my original question, I plan to find a book that can help me put all my research together. My sources have led me to a lot of information about electronic dance music, the culture of it, and all the great things that come from attending a music festival!

Dylan Stasiak Source 4

Question: How does the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) relate to rave culture at music festivals?

Lim, Megan S. C., et al. "A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Young People Attending A Music Festival: Associations Between Drug Use And Musical Preference." Drug & Alcohol Review 27.4 (2008): 439-441. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.

My fourth source is a survey that takes genres of music and compares it with drug use. It talks about how people who attend concerts and music festivals are more likely to partake in the use of illicit drugs. More specifically, EDM was associated with the most common use of drugs, especially ecstasy. Other genres have also been associated with certain drugs. For example, rap music is linked to crack, metal is linked to alcohol and marijuana, and pop music is linked to no specific drug at all. Survey results showed that people whose taste in music is EDM or rap are at a higher risk for illicit drug use.

This source was not as helpful as the other two because I’m still question why ecstasy is so popular when going to concerts or music festivals. But this article was a survey that actually interviewed people at a music festival in Australia. The reason I used this source was because EDM is just as popular in Australia as it is in America and there are tons of EDM music festivals in both America and Australia. This source was very different from my other sources too because it had concepts and ideas but it also had facts that they could prove.

This makes me think that because EDM is associated with drug use, why is there an increase in the amount of music festivals in recent years! For my next source, I want to know why there are so many festivals if the use of ecstasy is so bad. But I still really want to find an answer to my original question as to how is EDM is related to the culture of music festivals, concerts, and raves.

Dylan Stasiak Source 3

Question: How does the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) relate to rave culture at music festivals?

Dilkes-Frayne, Ella. "Tracing The "Event" Of Drug Use: "Context" And The Coproduction Of A Night Out On MDMA." Contemporary Drug Problems 41.3 (2014): 445-479. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.

My third source follows a college student, Michael, who attends a music festival with his friend and takes MDMA. The article begins long before the festival even begins, four months prior, to be exact. It explains Michael’s thought process for whether he can afford the ticket, who he wants to go with, and if he should even go. After contemplating over whether he should go or not, he decides to go and take his friend with him. They both have a little MDMA left over from a different music festival and decide to take it for their favorite act they’re going to see. The article talks about festival security and how he should go about taking Molly onto festival grounds. The article talks about entering the site of the festival. Michael was nervous about getting MDMA onto festival grounds because he had a fear of sniffer dogs and police being present. Michael says he is expecting there to be sniffer dogs at this festival for two reasons. The first reason he said was because it was specifically a dance music festival and the second reason being it was the middle of summer. He thought it was the type of festival where there would be sniffer dogs. Also Michael said that he had been at music festivals where there had been sniffer dogs looking for illicit drugs (MDMA). Michael and his friend went in through a different entrance where there would be less crowd flow and possibly less security. Michael then talks about when he plans to take MDMA and the effects of it. Also he talks about “coming up, peaking, and coming down” during the day along with his experiences and feelings of all three.

This source had me thinking because I have been to music festivals in Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA and there was a lot of security at all three. This source follows a college student in Sydney, Australia. Australia, especially Sydney is a place where electronic dance music (EDM) is loved by millions of adolescents. It’s the same thing in the US, the genre of EDM has taken over in recent years and the clubbing scene has moved its way to outdoor weekend festivals. The article touched on Michael’s thought process of possible security and how he wanted to get MDMA into the festival. His main concern was sniffer dogs being able to smell out his molly. Michael said that this festival specifically would have good security so him and his friend entered through a less popular entrance to the festival. I think that festivals don’t like people using drugs at these festivals. My opinion of this is that these festivals have such strict security because the club culture has made its way to outdoor venues, they don’t want the drug culture associated with clubbing being at these festivals. Simply for the safety of festival-goers. Along with the getting past the dogs, he took precaution while sneaking the illicit drug into the festival. Michael seemed to have a lot of concerns about getting his capsule into the festival.

The moderately-strict security that Michael had experienced, as well as the security that I have had to go through, it makes sense to have worries about being arrested. I haven’t taken illicit drugs onto festival grounds but regardless of that, it is nerve-racking to go through security. I think that most festivals, all around the world want to prevent the use of illicit drugs, but clearly if Michael can sneak MDMA into his festival, their security hasn’t done much. Is that on purpose? Do festival securities purposely to make it easy for festival-goers to bring in drugs? Or do they not want to arrest a lot of people from having a good weekend because they paid so much money for his or her ticket? So far I’ve learned about the rave culture at clubs and festivals, I’ve learned what kind of drugs people are taking at these events. Now I’ve gone through the eyes of a festival-goer and how typical festival securities are. This makes me think about why music festivals are so popular. There are music festivals all around the world and each one has a different genre of music! Dance music seems to be associated with ecstasy and I want to find out why the two are associated with one another.

Dylan Stasiak Source 2

Question: How does the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) relate to rave culture at music festivals?

Hunt, Geoffrey, Molly Moloney, and Kristen Evans. Epidemiology Meets Cultural Studies: Studying and Understanding Youth Cultures, Clubs and Drugs (n.d.): n. pag. Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2 June 2008. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.

This article focuses on what kind of drugs are used in the rave scene. The main drugs used since the rave scene became popular is mostly ecstasy (MDMA). It is a little less common but ravers are also taking hallucinogens and smoking marijuana. Because ecstasy is the most common drug used amongst ravers, this is what the article focuses on. The article talks about the pros and cons of ecstasy. MDMA has a lot of long-term effects that can affect your brain such as depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia. MDMA also increases your heart rate and blood pressure and can also cause hyperthermia, dehydration, or the possibility of a seizures or heart or kidney failure. On the contrary, MDMA is a non addictive drug. The reason that so many people are drawn to MDMA is because it gives users enjoyment. The environment of raves and festivals are fun, packed with a lot of people, loud music, friends or lovers, and good times. Ecstasy is used to just make the user get an even better experience at dance event. It is used mostly by young people who attend these raves or festivals. Adolescents are taking these drugs to explore, to have fun, and to enjoy the music.

After learning more about the rave culture, I was looking to find out what kind of drugs ravers and festival-goers use. I found ecstasy is the most common drug used by festival-goers. I also found the positives and negatives of this drug. This source changed my view of drugs being used at festivals. I think that MDMA can be dangerous simply because of its long term effects. Taking ecstasy mostly won’t hurt you in that moment, but in the future, it can really affect your brain and might affect your life. As of right now, I totally support young people exploring themselves and trying new things for fun. I wish there were ways to make it safer to prevent lives being lost.

Both articles I’ve read so far have helped me get a further understanding of rave culture at music festivals. This article wasn’t as broad as the first one. The first article just mentioned the subculture of ravers. This article specifically talked about the drugs being used at festivals. Now, I understand what kind of drugs are being used at concerts and why they’re used. Since so many ravers are taking these drugs, I’m curious about how festivals think about people taking drugs and how people are preventing it or making it safer!

Dylan Stasiak Source 1

Question: How does the genre of electronic dance music (EDM) relate to rave culture at music festivals?

Anderson, Tammy L. "Understanding the Alteration and Decline of a Music Scene: Observations from Rave Culture." (n.d.): n. pag. Sociological Forum. Blackwell Publishing, 9 June 2009. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.

This article mostly talks about the current trends in rave culture throughout the United States. The rave, or electronic dance music (EDM), subculture encourages individuality for adolescents transitioning into adulthood. Ravers show off their individuality through fashion. Bright colors with accessories like glow-sticks or pacifiers were common. The subculture promotes this notion of “peace, love, unity, and respect” aka PLUR which seems to be the anthem for these ravers. Rave culture began in the US in the mid 1990s as a way for young people to express themselves through music and dance. Raves normally took place in big fields or abandoned warehouses with tents or room separating one DJ from another. The government started to interfere with these raves so DJs started having shows at venues, then promoters began to put together EDM music festivals which are the very popular in the United States. The heavy base and catchy beats have ravers dancing through the night. The most common trend is the use of club drugs. Ravers are taking these club drugs in order for the user to have a better experience.

I’ve been to music festivals, concert venues, and raves, and what I’ve noticed is that each one is completely different. My opinion before doing any research of rave culture, is that I think it’s cool that these people come together for their love of music. Regardless of their excessive use of drugs, everyone is incredibly nice and respectful. After I read this article, I learned more details about rave culture, where it came from, and how it’s changed. It also got me wondering about these club drugs and why they are so popular. For my initial question, rave culture is all about self expression through dance and drugs that help them do so. Now I need to look for an article that touches more on details of how club drugs make EDM more enjoyable.

This article led me to more questions in order to find the answer to my question. I am curious to find out what kind of drugs are being used. Also, how are people getting these club drugs? I’m also looking to figure out of the festival or rave promoters know about the drug use and how they feel about them.

Jessica Ranstead Source #5

Step 1:
A) How does media rather than social media influence body image?
B) Cole, Ellen, and Jessica Henderson. Daniel. Featuring Females: Feminist Analyses of Media. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2005. Print.

Step 2: 

The book I chose is called Featuring Females, and it's all about women's perception of the media. The argument is that the media puts too much emphasis on the value of physical appearance and an unrealistically thin ideal. Evidence shows that tv shows and media purposely chooses women who are unrealistically thin or heavier than the ideal, they do not portray "normal sized" women. After looking at social media women start the self-comparison process, it is in our nature to naturally compare ourselves to others, and the media fuels that. There is also a strong connection between music video and soap opera viewing leads to more frequent dieting.

This source further proves my thinking that media does influence eating. It was also interesting to see the other side not of social media, but just plain media. I agree with the source about eating and body dissatisfaction, but I don't agree with the assumptions about sexual relationships. Yes this source completely answers my questions that social media does indeed influence body dissatisfaction. 

This source agrees with my other sources. This source does have a different spin than my other sources because this book is older and it is referring to traditional media rather than social media. Although they can both portray the same effects, I think social media can be worse because you are able to see your friends, and people you know, whereas traditional media is more celebrities and people you don't know. I would definitely put this source into conversation with my first source, because that source talks about how women purposely go seeking pictures and websites to knock themselves down, and here women start the comparison process once they see a picture that they think looks better than them. I agree with both sources because they both provide evidence that women feel dissatisfied about their bodies upon looking at media. 

This source has led me to ask and wonder about the timeline of media influence. Has media always influenced women negatively in regard to their body image? Or does social media spark this more than traditional women? The answers that I have so far are that media and social media have a heavy influence on the female body image. It leads women to compare themselves to others and lowers their self esteem. It often leads women to turn to disordered eating, and sometimes full-blown eating disorders. 

Paul Oliver Source 5

Will there be an end to this gender inequality?

Ore, Tracy E. The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. 6th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print.

The book deals with inequalities in many social categories. This particular chapter deals with inequalities in sex and gender. The chapter explains that society structures women to have jobs "appropriate" for their gender and these jobs tend to be lower paying. Men dominate positions of authority and leadership in society, even domestically. Men and women are separated by roles and this reinforces the differences and inequalities they have. Gender inequality has a long history. The chapter explains that these inequalities were purposefully built in the social structure so that men can always be in power just as whites did slaves.

I think it is over the top to compare gender inequalities to racial inequalities. It has similar patterns of oppression but not nearly the same issue. It is true that men have always been the powerful figures through history and women are always painted as the sidekick. This article makes me realize that there are so many other inequalities behind gender. Until those inequalities are fixed, salary will be the last thing that will be take care of. There will be no equality in salary until every other issue with gender inequality is taken care of, salary is just one of the many components on a giant to do list.

This book can make my other sources seem like a pity party. The book is deals with the inequalities in gender in so many more areas than wage. It gives historical reason and background as to why my other sources are even being discussed.

It answers my question and this inequality will never end until the others are taken care of. Is it okay that men make more than women? It really depends.