what are cultural myths essay

Cultural myths and deeper meanings of everyday heroes

During spring semester, Professor George Gasyna assigned the students in his Comparative and World Literature course, “Literature and Ideas,” to submit an essay about a current cultural myth.

It’s not the first time Gasyna has asked his students in this course (CWL 202) to address cultural myth, a term originating from French philosopher Roland Barthes’ theory on myths arising after World War 2. Such myths can pertain to advertising, an everyday commodity or a well-known social practice, he explained.

He asked students to comment on how such myths focus on political and social uses, and concern themselves with exposing hidden networks or covert agendas (of politics or  ideology, for example) where possible, as well as the students’ own reactions to the “myth” and how it can be said to function.

“Student responses to this assignment, both this year and on other occasions when I have taught CWL 202, tell me that such projects help them view cultural production around them with new eyes,” he said, adding, “the eyes of critics of culture, not merely its passive consumers.”

Gasyna pointed out that he is not asking his students to “try to abolish any particular cultural myths, or to radicalize them politically. Rather, on a more universal level, I strive to encourage students to think through some of the ways in which the very society within which they are embedded as citizens, learners, and consumers affects their everyday decisions, and to become more self-aware of their beliefs, assumptions, biases, and choices.”

One essay that caught his attention in particular this term was a piece by Sophia Ebel, a junior majoring in comparative and world literature. Gasyna explained, “Sophia's essay on the deeper meanings of ‘everyday heroes’—workers deemed essential during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and elsewhere in the West—is a perfect embodiment of the spirit of the exercise: to look more deeply and unblinkingly at the language of the representations, and the images that are produced, and try to determine what these conceal to us as well as what they obviously reveal.”

Here is Ms. Ebel’s essay:

During this unique historical moment characterized by the spread of COVID-19, society has seen widespread recognition of workers essential to fighting the pandemic and keeping our central institutions operating. Medical workers have been applauded from front steps and balconies in major cities; thank you messages and images are circulating on social media platforms; TV commercial breaks now feature ads that blur product promotions with messages that hail essential workers as heroes and remind others to stay home. Even Google has produced multiple animated “Google Doodles” to thank these heroic essential workers. These people are doing crucial, life-saving work, and whether in hospitals, grocery stores, public transit, or elsewhere, are asked to put their safety at risk every day. They deserve every bit of recognition possible and increasing numbers are now contracting COVID-19 and dying from its complications. However, the designations of “essential worker” and in particular the use of the word “hero” to describe them have created a rhetoric and Barthesian mythology around these positions that often masks or attempts to justify the risks that people who have these jobs are asked to contend with. This mythology then often takes the place of concrete actions to protect them.

Dissecting this myth begins at the linguistic and semiotic levels. Superficially, the designations mentioned above-- “essential worker” and “hero” --are fairly simple. An essential worker is an employee whose labor has been deemed necessary; today it often refers to those who work in hospitals, grocery stores, public transportation, etc. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage or other noble qualities, and is often responsible for saving others. Reading these terms as Barthesian myths, however, requires recognizing their usage today as part of a second order semiological system with political, social, and cultural implications.

The idea of an essential worker implies that certain forms of labor, industry, or businesses are required for our continued existence, and supports a capitalist bourgeois mindset in which not even a global pandemic that jeopardizes the health of those still working in public settings can disrupt business as usual. Myth transforms history into nature, and posits both motives as reasons and the values of those in power as fact. This is directly reflected in the rhetoric of it being not only natural but necessary for people to continue working in dangerous conditions without proper protective gear, for us to reopen businesses as soon as possible, and for the economy to be protected at all costs. We must ask to what end, and who truly benefits from this system. Most of the people put in danger by this mythology are not members of the bourgeois class which, Barthes argues, benefits most from this phenomenon and the existing power relations. This is masked by the attempted erasure of class differences in rhetoric surrounding COVID-19 and the praise of essential workers by those in positions of power. But real inequalities remain and have created a situation in which those who already tend to be exploited within the labor system are now even more so and are dying as a result.

Additionally, the fact that this bourgeois class had largely considered people now deemed essential to be “unskilled workers” until the intensification of the COVID-19 pandemic--with medical professionals as a notable exception--is largely being ignored in a further replacement of history with nature. The failure to recognize this shift in rhetoric has corresponded with a failure to improve working conditions, pay, recognition, and status for those who are working in now dangerous situations.

Instead of providing them with compensation, sufficient protective gear, or a system of benefits we call essential workers heroes. This is perhaps the weightier and more sociopolitically dangerous of these linked mythologies. While the myth of the essential worker does rest on the fact that even and perhaps especially during a global pandemic people still need to eat, receive medical care, and occasionally move from one location to another, the designation of these workers as heroes--despite good intentions--has been weaponized to justify the risks that they have to contend with along with a lack of protection or compensation. This mythological “heroism” creates a Barthesian form of Einverständnis where the myth harmonizes with the world not as it is but as it wants to create it. The word “hero” is heavily weighted, especially in the American cultural context. It draws on the mythology of the superhero, an individual who possess capabilities far beyond human, infallibly saves the world by the end of the book/film/comic strip, rarely to significant harm themselves, and in any case is selfless and brave enough that if saving the world demanded the sacrifice of their life—as in the case of Iron Man in the final Avengers movie—they would do it no matter the personal cost. Through this adjacent mythology the dangerous aspects of the myth of the essential worker as hero come to light. The Einverständnis, or false world it creates, is one where we can think of essential workers as holding the same qualities, abilities, and positionality as a superhero when in reality they are human and often have no choice but to continue working. They should not be held responsible for saving the world even if the things they do keep society running. They should not be expected to die for the “greater cause” that is in many cases capitalism more than it is humanity. We should not erase the fact that these workers are put at risk of sickness and death by the broken systems that force them to work in dangerous conditions without proper protective measures. The myth of the essential worker as hero, however, instead of addressing these inequalities and ethical issues simplifies and eliminates all the uncomfortable complications and contradictions in favor of easy displays of unity and support, that while not unmeaningful or unmoving bring no change to the status quo or true recognition of the situation. Barthes would classify this as a myth of the right given this insistence on staticity and deployment of inoculation, privation of history, and identification as tools of creation. And this is indeed the side from which much of the pressure for economic reopening and continued business operations as well as pushback to protective measures have come from. This rhetoric and mythology however, are present and influential at the broader societal level.

Again, the work that people are doing to fight the coronavirus pandemic and keep society running during this time is incredible and should absolutely not be minimized. However, where there is the potential to rethink the expectations of capitalist society and make sure that people in these jobs are protected and compensated, we are instead seeing the creation and propagation of a mythology that even as it reaffirms the essential nature of this work attempts to mask or eliminate the need to make concrete changes that protect those doing it but change the status quo.

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Social Class — Cultural Myths: Gregory Mantsios’ ‘Class in America’ and ‘Rereading America’

Cultural Myths: Gregory Mantsios' 'Class in America' and 'Rereading America'

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Wealth inequality as influential cultural myths, gender and racial discrimination - as another form of oppression.

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Sample Essay On Cultural Myths about the United States of America

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: United States , America , Culture , Martin Luther King , Violence , Making , Literature , People

Published: 03/08/2023

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One of the cultural myths about the United States of America is that anyone can become filthy rich in the country and it is the land of opportunity. Popular culture and media does not leave any stone unturned in making people believe it is a fact, as several movies and television shows are made on the same theory that helps in solidifying the myth. The reality is far from this myth as there are many people to come to America dreaming of making it big, but fail and turn to ordinary life or return home. Though there are some success stories too, but behind those success stories are many more hidden failures that remain out of the picture. The 2006 movie, The Pursuit of Happyness is an example of a man making it big in the United States of America. The movie supports the precedent and further develops the myth that anyone can become rich in the United States of America. All they need to do is make sure that they work harder and with time they can amass great wealth. The movie also reveals that ambition of making it big can also lead to failure as Chris Gardner is initially shown as a failed salesman who is incapable of meeting his family’s demands. Reading and awareness of myths of other cultures can help in developing better understanding of the different cultures and ensure conflicts and confrontations are avoided.

a) Martin Luther King made it his priority to fight for the voting rights of African Americans as despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African Americans struggled to register for voting. According to King, the vote was the civil right of every African American and their struggle was an indication of the long battle African Americans had ahead of them. The Selma March was an effort by Dr. King and his supporters to achieve their Civil Right through protest. b) Both violent and non-violent methods of achieving goals are effective, especially when the fight is for a good cause. It is immoral to use violence even when you are fighting for a good cause. Legends such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King have shown a way that non-violent methods are the best means to achieve goals. Others, such as George Washington have shown the way violence has to come into play when matters get out of hand. c) Being in the news helps in making sure every action taken is covered by the media and helps an individual or a group to reach out to the their followers. For example, Martin Luther King like many other leaders was able to achieve his goals as the media always covered him and kept his followers in touch with his goals. Media coverage helps in increasing chances of making positive changes.

Question 4. Achebe’s novel presents a perspective on importance of cultures as a tribe and white missionaries have their confrontations and problems on the basis of their misunderstandings of the Christian culture. Culture of Umuofia tribe forces Okonkwo to become a strong and rich man, whereas culture also plays an important role in exiling him from the tribe. The misunderstanding of the Christian religion forces Okonkwo to disown his son Nwoye. Also, the story is also impacted by the kidnap of Igbo chiefs by Christians. Overall, the story depicts the way cultural misunderstandings can have an impact on the life of people as the arrival and prevalence of Christian religion changes Okonkwo’s life and plays an important role in forcing him to commit suicide. Similar misunderstandings are seeing in our world today, especially in case of Islamophobia. Many people all over the world have started to categorize Islam as the religion of hatred and violence on the basis of actions taken by some terrorists. In addition, the book can be related to real life instances as many Muslims who join terror groups have the same hatred for other cultures and religion that Okonkwo had at the end of the book for Christianity. The level of madness shown by many terrorists as they are willing to sacrifice their lives can be related to Okonkwo’s madness while he motivates his clan members to fight against the Whites.

One of the most effective ways has already been identified by Senator Bernie Sanders to improve the American economy, but it is a long term plan with results based on the majority of the state governments approving the changes. To achieve full sustainability in terms of production, some industries need government involvement and workers need to be taken care of by paying a higher minimum wage to increase their purchasing power. Social justice is another area that needs major changes as America leads the world in terms of the number of people incarcerated. One of the first actions that need to be taken is legalization of marijuana that will increase tax revenue and free significant amount of money from the justice, law enforcement and jail systems. Another important action is making changes to Obamacare by introducing single payer system, which would ensure that people pay the same amount of money for medical services in all states.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print. The Pursuit of Happyness. Dir. Gabriele Muccino. Perf. Will Smith, Thandie Newton & Jaden Smith. 2006. Columbia Pictures, 2006. Film. Selma. Dir. Ava DuVernay. Perf. David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson & Carmen Ejogo. 2014. Paramount Pictures, 2014. Film.

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Cultural Myths and Advertisements Go Together

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Introduction

In companies wanting to be successful they have to attract customers somehow into buying their products. The most effective way to do so is to advertise/promote the product through TV, magazines, or billboards. These advertisements later lead to people having cultural myths, “a story or idea that explains the culture or customs of people” (Davis). A cultural myth is a traditional story that holds special significance for the people of a given culture. “Myths are the motivating stories or ideas common cultural practices”, said J. Francis Davis in the article Power of Images: Creating the Myths of Our Time. In this paper, I will identify 2 cultural myths, “your body is not good enough” and “Happiness, satisfaction and sex appeal”, discuss how 2 ads for Garnier BB Cream and Closer perfume by Halle Berry appeal to these myths.

Body Is Not Good Enough: “Instant Perfection”

One cultural myth is your body is not good enough. Not being pretty, young, smart, thin, tall, tan enough are some that go with this myth. Which are ultimately to buy a product to be good enough. J. Francis Davis mentions, “…in our culture pictures have become tools used to elicit specific and planned emotional reactions in the people who see them.” There are so many things in the media that could make even a confident person not feel good enough after seeing all the advertising about it.

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An example in Cosmopolitan magazine is a Garnier BB Cream ad. On the left side of the page there is a white woman, possibly 30’s, a huge smile on her face. Before and after shots are divided down the middle of her face. In the before shot she has different blemishes, in after shot skin is clear, looks perfect. On right side of ad there is a description of product which states that the product evens tone, hydrates, renews, protects, and brightens.

I personally took the time to go purchase this product because I was a little unsure that this BB Cream would actually do all the things it says. After trying it out on my face I would say that this product does in fact even skin tone, hydrate; it made my skin feel fresh after application, brighten, and protect. After trying it out for a few days there was only one thing I did not notice which was; renew. Overall I was somewhat satisfied with the Garnier BB Cream: Skin Renew, but just like how this ad convinced me to want to try the product that is basically how it is with other women when the ad is pretty much saying that you have to change in order to be accepted.

Happiness, satisfaction and sex appeal: “The New Scent of Attraction for Her” The majority of women make being attractive, looking good at all times or having all attention on them a big priority. They would all want to look perfect like super models or actresses. For example in Cosmopolitan Magazine there is an ad for the famous actress Halle Berry’s perfume “Closer: The New Scent of Attraction for Her”. Halle Berry is the main focus on the ad; she is wearing a white button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, completely unbuttoned, somewhat open where her bra is visible. She also has a black tie around her neck and what looks to be a shirtless man holding her by her waist. While on the bottom right corner is the perfume bottle.

The ones selling this product obviously want to grab your attention by Halle Berry being practically the main focus. People viewing this advertisement will only be focusing on the attraction of the image, how they would love to look like her and by buying the product it might boost up their confidence. Sometimes one could be too focused on the image that they forget what the product even was.

In the article Jesus is a Brand of Jeans by Jean Kilbourne she states that, “Women’s bodies – and men’s bodies too these days – are dismembered, packaged and used to sell everything from chainsaws to chewing gum, champagne to shampoo. Self- image is deeply affected.” This advertisement is showing that one of the only ways to be happy is by sex appeal.

In conclusion, I think images play an enormous role in advertising. Images are what help sell, nut they also can affect how people see themselves.

Works Cited

• Jean, Killbourne. “Jesus is a brand of jeans.”(2006) n. page. Print. .
• Davis, J. Francis. “Power of Images: Creating the Myths of Our Time.” Center for Media Literacy. (2002-2011): n. page. Print. .
• Garnier BB Cream: Skin Renew. Advertisement. Cosmopolitan. October 2012. 65. Print. Closer: By Halle Berry. Advertisement. Cosmopolitan. October 2012. 129. Print

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National Hispanic Heritage Month highlights cultural diversity of Spanish-speaking Americans

FILE - Dancers with the Ballet Folklorico De San Antonio carry flags from different Latin countries as they participate in a ceremony celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month before an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 25, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

FILE - Performers participate in halftime actives in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, Sept. 21, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

FILE - Members of a Ballet Folklorico perform outside AT&T stadium as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 28, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)

FILE - Folklorico dancers and entertainers participate in a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration before an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, Oct. 1, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)

FILE - Festival volunteer Mary Vasquez, of Winchester, Va., dances in a costume that features the flag of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico during the Celebration of Winchester, Sept. 27, 2014, in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star via AP, File)

FILE - Members of a Ballet Folklorico perform as part of NFL Hispanic Heritage Month prior to an NFL football game, Sept. 28, 2014, in Houston. Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration recognizes contributions made by Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority according to the Census, and with a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Patric Schneider, File)

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PHOENIX (AP) — Hispanic history and culture take center stage across the U.S. for National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The celebration recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans, the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority, according to the Census.

It includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

With a U.S. population of over 63 million people, there will be a plethora of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations all over the country starting Friday.

HOW DID IT COME TO BE?

Before there was National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week, created through legislation sponsored by Mexican American Rep. Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The annual celebration was to be held the week that included Sept. 15-16.

The weeklong commemoration was expanded to a month two decades later, with legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point, to coincide with the anniversary of the “Cry of Dolores,” or “Grito de Dolores,” issued in 1810 from a town in central Mexico that launched that country’s war for independence from Spain.

The Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate their independence on Sept. 15, and Mexico marks its national day on Sept. 16, the day after the cry for independence.

Performers participate in halftime actives in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, Sept. 21, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Also during National Hispanic Heritage Month, the South American nation of Chile observes its independence day on Sept. 18. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, previously known as Columbus Day, is observed in the U.S. on the second Monday of October.

The four-week period is about honoring how Hispanic populations have shaped the U.S. in the past and present.

WHAT IS THE SOCIOECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR LATINOS?

Latinos account for the fastest-growing portion of the national Gross Domestic Product, said Luisa Godinez-Puig, an equity scholar with nonprofit research organization Urban Institute. The GDP of Latinos was an estimated $2.8 trillion in 2020, compared with $2.1 trillion in 2015 and $1.7 trillion in 2010.

It’s a contradiction to the fact that Latinos still face obstacles with personal finances. Surveys show median wealth is five times lower for Latino families than their white counterparts. Less than half of Hispanic families own their own homes, Godinez-Puig added.

Members of a Ballet Folklorico perform as part of NFL Hispanic Heritage Month prior to an NFL football game, Sept. 28, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Patric Schneider, File)

“Their needs are not being met,” Godinez-Puig said. “Not having access to banking products, not having access to investment, not having access to credit — all of these things impact the wealth, building opportunities of families, which are passed from generation to generation.”

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM HISPANIC?

Hispanic was a term created by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures, said Anita Huízar-Hernández, associate director of Arizona State University’s Hispanic Research Center. But for some, the label has a connotation of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain. It sometimes gets mistakenly interchanged with “Latino” or “Latinx.”

“I think the most important thing to acknowledge is that people have their own definition of those terms,” Huízar-Hernández said. “They don’t always match. And that is very dependent on your generation, it’s dependent on the part of the country that you live in.”

For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America. So you may see some celebrations referred to as Latinx or Latin Heritage Month.

Latino Americans are not a monolith. There are a number of identifiers for Latin Americans, depending largely on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the 1960s Civil Rights era may identify as Chicano. Others may go by their family’s nation of origin such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American.

Folklorico dancers and entertainers participate in a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration before an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, Oct. 1, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)

All those various cultures have unique differences when it comes to music, food, art and other cultural touchstones.

“That is what makes this community complex, difficult to describe, difficult to create just one term about and yet, a really dynamic part of the story of lots of places, including the U.S.,” Huizar-Hernandez said.

WHAT ARE SOME CELEBRATIONS HAPPENING?

From Los Angeles to Tampa, Florida, there is no shortage of festivities. Most are touting traditional Latin foods and entertainment like mariachi bands, folklórico dancing and salsa lessons. The revelry doesn’t just showcase Mexican culture but Puerto Rican, Colombian and a host of others.

There are also events spotlighting Hispanic Americans in various industries like Suave Fest, a Latino Craft Beer Festival in Denver on Sept. 30, and the New York Latino Film Festival, which runs Friday through Sept. 24.

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., is offering a slate of activities elevating Hispanic heritage. Its National Portrait Gallery will be teaming up with Lil’ Libros, a bilingual children’s book publisher for the second Fotos & Recuerdos Festival. There will be story times, arts and craft workshops and gallery tours.

Members of a Ballet Folklorico perform outside AT&T stadium as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys, Sept. 28, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)

The U.S. Postal Service has put its own stamp on the occasion. Earlier this month, the agency released new Forever stamps featuring piñatas . The handmade party favorites are typically associated with parties where blindfolded guests try to crack one open to get to the candy inside. But their history can be traced to the 16th century.

Corporations also partake in the celebrations. Walt Disney World Resort has chosen this week to debut live-action versions at Magic Kingdom Park of Mirabel and Bruno, two popular characters from the animated hit “Encanto.” The movie, about a family in Colombia with extraordinary abilities, is credited with showing a large audience the nuances of Colombian culture.

“It’s not Mexico and you can see them eating different foods and you can see like the music is different,” said Huízar-Hernández, who is Mexican American. “Movies, TV, that’s the way a lot of people learn.”

A future source of learning will be the highly anticipated Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall. In 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to establish the museum.

The legislation also called for an American Latino History and Culture grant program. This summer Urban Institute researchers, like Godinez-Puig, have been working with the Institute of Museum and Library Services on how to dole out federal grants for American Latino museums and their programming. This initiative reflects the growing number of places occupied by Latino culture, she said.

“As s a Latina woman, myself, I’m just very excited to see that we ... not just only talk about where we are lagging, but also celebrate the variety of cultures that we have within our community and celebrate the hard-working people that contribute a lot to the American society,” Godinez-Puig said. “Because they do.”

Associated Press writer Anita Snow contributed to this report.

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Guest Essay

The SATs Will Be Different Next Year, and That Could Be a Game-Changer

By Adam Grant

Dr. Grant, a contributing Opinion writer, is an organizational psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is the author of “ Hidden Potential ” and “ Think Again ,” and the host of the TED podcast “ Re: Thinking .”

A few years ago, I started asking lecture halls filled with students to raise their hands if they had run out of time on the SAT. In each room, nearly every hand went up. I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been.

For decades, educators have seen speed as a marker of aptitude or mastery, forcing students to scramble to finish tests. But a race against the clock doesn’t measure knowledge or intelligence. It assesses the much narrower skill of how well students reason under stress. As a result, timed tests underestimate the capabilities of countless students.

New evidence shows that although smarter people are faster at solving easy problems, they’re actually slower to finish difficult ones. They’re well aware that haste makes waste, and they don’t want to sacrifice accuracy for speed. You wouldn’t want a surgeon who rushes through a craniectomy, or an accountant who dashes through your taxes. Even for the many jobs in which people are judged on speed, there’s no evidence that doing algebra under time pressure is useful preparation. Although it pays to be quick, it also pays to be determined, disciplined and dependable.

Strangely, though, the tests that define students’ grades and help determine their educational and professional fates are rarely designed for deliberation. They evaluate students as if they’re applying to join a bomb squad or appear on “Jeopardy.” Time pressure rewards students who think fast and shallow — and punishes those who think slow and deep.

One fall, one of our daughters was pleasantly surprised by her grade on a math midterm. Despite being the longest and hardest test of the semester, it was her highest score. At first we were puzzled: She hadn’t changed her study habits or made a quantum leap in understanding. Then we learned that it was the first test where she didn’t feel pressed for time. Her teacher had allowed more time per question than usual.

On math tests , one of the few skills in which boys consistently outperform girls is mental rotation — turning 3-D shapes in their minds. But gender differences vary dramatically based on time pressure. Across several dozen studies , the more time students had to finish tests, the smaller the female disadvantage became. Shifting from short time limits to no time limits — or even just allowing more than 30 seconds per question — was enough to cut the gender gap in half.

It’s well known that the “girls can’t do math” stereotype can cause female students to underperform on math tests. The fear of confirming the stereotype can lead to test anxiety , draining working memory and disrupting cognitive processing. What we’ve overlooked is that time pressure can exacerbate these effects. When girls are distracted by doubts about their abilities, it takes them longer to finish problems. Having to rush leaves them more prone to choosing suboptimal strategies — and to possibly making mistakes. Even if they’re not anxious, female students tend to work more methodically than male students. When they have more time, they can rethink their approaches and double-check their answers. They also become more comfortable making educated guesses.

I tried this out with our daughter on practice tests at home. She’s an honors math student, but when she was under time pressure, she made distracted mistakes like plugging in the wrong formula on relatively easy algebra problems. It was the math version of a typo, and we ended up coining a term for it: a matho. But when there was no time limit, she excelled on difficult algebra problems — and mental rotation, too.

Time pressure doesn’t just underrate the math abilities of girls and young women. Having to hurry can obscure the abilities of anyone who has reason to worry. That might include boys who are expected to underperform in reading , immigrants who are doubted on verbal aptitude and Black students who face a host of questions about their intellect. It also includes students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and ADHD — or mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

A common solution to this problem is for schools to offer extended time to accommodate students with disabilities. But lately, this has created an accommodations arms race as parents and students try to game the system to get diagnosed with a learning difficulty or health condition. Why not give everyone enough time to complete the test?

I heard from one counselor in the Northeast whose high school experimented with extended time for final exams. After allotting four hours instead of two, they were bombarded with complaints. Students who had previously met the requirements for special accommodations — and their parents — said they ran out of time. Why? The teachers wrote longer exams to fill the space.

This madness has to end. If a significant portion of the students run out of time, it means the test is too long or the time period is too short. That’s why, as soon as I read about this evidence, I started writing two-hour exams for the three-hour exam period allocated to my class. But many other educators still cling to the fraternity hazing excuse: I had to walk five miles barefoot up a snow-covered hill, so you should suffer too! Most teachers, though, say they’re preparing their students for the pressure they’ll face in standardized tests.

It’s a delicious twist of irony, then, that the lifeboat to rescue us from the tyranny of time pressure is being piloted by the folks behind the mother of all standardized tests. I learned recently that the College Board has redesigned the SAT to minimize time pressure.

Historically, the SAT gave students “too much to cover and not enough time to do it,” the College Board’s chief executive officer, David Coleman, told me. But developing a digital version gave them the opportunity to experiment. And the results were so impressive they decided to stick with them. Starting next year, the test is shorter overall, and most importantly, “on average, 97 percent of students complete all questions in a section with up to seven minutes to spare on each section,” Mr. Coleman said. “It’s time we stop confusing quick with smart.”

This could be game-changing for teachers as well as students. If the dominant standardized test no longer creates time pressure, there’s less need to use a ticking clock on classroom quizzes and exams. I don’t expect students to start looking forward to tests, but they should be less likely to dread them. That will give them a better chance at putting their best foot forward. It will also give them a more realistic preview of what it takes to excel in the future.

In school, timed tests teach kids that success is a sprint. But in life, success is a marathon. Wisdom is less about the speed of thought than the complexity of thinking. The students with the greatest potential aren’t always the ones who can rapidly spit out the right answers. They’re often the ones who take the time to ask the right questions.

Adam Grant, a contributing Opinion writer, is an organizational psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is the author of “ Hidden Potential ” and “ Think Again ,” and the host of the TED podcast “ Re: Thinking .”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/music/streaming-is-changing-the-sound-of-music-182dc907

Streaming Is Changing the Sound of Music

To succeed on spotify and other services, songs are getting shorter, albums are getting longer, and artists are collaborating across genres..

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In 2022, on-demand music streams in the U.S. alone exceeded 1 trillion. Starting in the mid-2010s, the success of streaming services like Spotify, Tencent and Apple Music led the music industry into a period of sustained revenue growth for the first time since 1999, the year Napster launched. But the rise of streaming hasn’t just transformed the business of music; it has changed the music as well.

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