Being "hardcore", a "hardcore wannabe", or "hardcore enough"

This article made me think of my middle school years and the time it was cool or be hard or as we called it, "ghetto". I could definitely relate to the different labels that she described and could think of a person that fit each ideal back then. Now looking back I see how silly it was for people in my school to act that way when we did not live in a tough urban area. I guess that means that everyone was a hardcore wannabe but in reality some students were involved in criminal activity. The criminal activity and wannabe status of some of these students pushed them out of school later on. The author also noted the importance of pushing the students out rather than saying they dropped out. I think the most important aspect of her research is the impact that these labels have on students.

As she noted, the hardcore students are those that are involved in crime and live in rough urban areas. The hardcore wannabes act and dress the same as the hardcore students but they do not live in tough areas. Also, hardcore wannabes act this way to gain popularity while hardcore students act that way to protect themselves on the streets. Lastly, the hardcore enough students live in tough neighborhoods and know how to be hardcore but choose not to act that way in front of other classmates. Hardcore enough students have the ability to protect themselves if need on the streets but only use that when necessary rather than to impress their peers. All of these students have different reasons for acting the way they do but in reality most people treat them all the same. This is where problems arise for these kids, especially in the classroom.

What the author is trying to show with this research is that these ideal-types have an effect on how these students do in school and in the real world. The sad truth is that most teachers and people in society do not know the difference between these types of kids. Most people look at what is on outside, baggy clothes, rough language, and overall gangsta appearance and judge them based on what the media shows about gangstas. They generalize that these students must be involved in criminal behavior. This is definitely an issue in the classroom if the teachers believe the stereotypes they see on tv. These students tend to be left behind and don't get the attention they need in the classroom. One students she interviewed even said this and that was why he was pushed out of school. Articles like this are important for teachers to read so they can understand that if they have faith in the student they may be able to change the students life. What I will take away from reading this is not to discriminate against my students based on their appearance or upbringing. Everyone has a chance to do great in life and with a little motivation these harcore students do as well.