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Good Reads: From a Disney makeover, to unethical work conditions, to refusing US aid

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a "Barbie-fied" Disney princess, the most selfish generation, the lack of consumer awareness, expelling USAID, and long-form journalism.

By Cricket Fuller,?Staff writer / May 28, 2013

Disney?s Merida of ?Brave? will get to keep her tomboyish looks and manners.

Disney/Pixar/AP

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Disney makeover

Armed with wit, self-confidence, and a bow and arrow, Merida is a damsel who rescues herself from her own distress. Parents and educators have lauded the fiery red-haired heroine of the Disney/Pixar animated film ?Brave? as an atypical Disney princess.?

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?We wanted our daughters to grow up and be like Merida: brave, strong, resourceful, imperfect but loving,? Karen Dill notes in a blog at PsychologyToday.com.?

But Disney?s ?makeover? of Merida into a sexualized Barbie-esque figure for merchandising purposes has turned fans? praise to outrage. The organization A Mighty Girl launched a Keep Merida Brave campaign and viral Change.org petition in protest. Ms. Dill cites studies that show that sexualizing women in the media leads to low self-esteem in girls, and men ?exposed to sexualized, objectified images of women ... become more tolerant of real-life sexual harassment.? It seems fans? message may have gotten through. Media outlets reported that Disney quietly pulled the redesigned image of Merida from its website.

Me-centered generation

Joel Stein takes a critical look at the Millennial Generation ? those born between 1980 and 2000 ? in Time magazine. ?The Me Me Me Generation? headline implies that Millennial self-centeredness trumps even that of baby boomers. They were raised with greater resources than any preceding generation, are more tech savvy, and were nurtured by helicopter parents who, along with educators, told them they were special. And for better or worse ? they are.?

While Mr. Stein initially dwells on the studies that show Millennials have a sense of entitlement and are lazy, narcissistic, and dependent on their parents, he ultimately acknowledges a more nuanced, redeeming picture. Millennials may not tend toward traditional civic engagement, but they do care about justice. They are more tolerant than any other generation. And while they don?t gravitate toward organized religion, most believe in God and value spirituality. They aren?t rule breakers, but they are changing workplace culture ? for the better. And in spite of the insecurity of their era, Millennials are overwhelmingly optimistic about the future.

Shopping as a moral dilemma

In the wake of the Bangladesh garment-factory collapse in April, Jerry Davis explores in YaleGlobal online the accountability of global supply chains. Technology enabled the now-common outsourcing model that keeps parent companies at a distance from production. But technology may also hold the solution to ending unethical working conditions and production methods.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/53wn_jqQdGw/Good-Reads-From-a-Disney-makeover-to-unethical-work-conditions-to-refusing-US-aid

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