(More Than) Grrrl Power! Girls Studies at UCF

   Songs that are written or sang are primarily dominated by the culture around the artist and how they reflect on personal experiences. The domestic lifestyle was a valuable trait for women to possess in the 1950s and 1960s, therefore, most music produced by girl groups was about love or innocence. Today's culture is less prim and female singers, such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Pink and Jessie J characterize their music with sexuality, realistic emotions and a party atmosphere to relate to listeners. However, unlike the pop/hip hop music mentioned, female country singers encourage their audiences to be independent and embrace their inner thoughts instead of pleasing others. The songs and what they are about are listed below to indicate how gender roles in music have changed over the decades.  The McGuire Sisters - "Ev'ry Day of My Life" (1956)      The three sisters croon about being dutiful and loving to their admirer each day, "trying to do wha...

National Geographic    Meet the Hailstone family of Noorvik, Alaska and the National Geographic television show, "Life Below Zero." Each day, Chip, Agnes and their seven children live off the land around them and craft the remains of animals for trade, which supports the lifestyle of Inupiaq Eskimos (Agnes' heritage). From a young age, the Hailstone daughters were taught how to safely and efficiently operate hunting rifles, spot which caribou are pregnant to leave alive for the next season, and successfully skin each animal they kill. As an Alaskan, utilizing the entire prey is vital for survival and the family's business, such as when the oils of an animal's brain are used to clean knives and shine boots.          In the video above, the Hailstones hunt a gray wolf, which is one of the most valuable pelts that can be sold on the fur trade. Agnes discusses the importance of "freeing the soul" of the animal, paying homage to both ...