Post Class Reflection -Beads Bodies and Trash

I really enjoyed our class discussion today about the book Beads, Bodies and Trash. I have found that my fellow classmates are very insightful, intelligent and interesting. Having not been in an academic environment for many years (at least not at a university level), today was "one of those days" that reminded me of everything that I have enjoyed about being within an academic environment and the intellectual stimulation that results. Not only did I enjoy listening and reflecting on the ideas of my fellow classmates, I also found your (i.e., Angela) experiences with being on a Krewe in New Orleans to be intriguing.

You  may recall my reflection about Chapter Three of Beads, Bodies and Trash wasn't very positive. I had an "aha" moment during our class discussion today as we got onto the topic of theory. Some of my classmates commented about the theory that was discussed in the book and how Redmon related theories to his analysis of the significance of Mardi Gras beads. You (Angela) also made a comment about the a significant aspect of Graduate Studies involves the application of theory and the important role that theory has in expanding our understanding of concepts.

With this in mind, I decided to re-read Chapter Three and intentionally focus on some of the theories within this chapter (example: Durkheim, Simmel, Goffman). I found that by doing this, I was better able to reflect on the importance of the various theories and the role that they played in helping to understand the social significance of the Mardi Gras beads. I could also see how David Redmon used various theories to extend and explain his understanding of concepts.  The reflection made me realize why it is important to have a sound understanding of the various theories related to recreation and leisure studies. This is an area that I am going to focus on strengthening as part of my academic goals.

Source: http://www.permanentculturenow.com/introduction-to-theory-2/