A bit more on how beauty is perceived in our culture.

I wanted to add a bit more to my post about the stereotypes society places on who is and what is beautiful, and the show that Oprah did relating to it. I am currently working parttime in a local Cnaberra school, and everytime I walk into a classroom or down a hall way, I am confronted by students who are trying to fit in to a certain image. Okay, not all students do and many express their individuality, but so many are trying to find where they fit in, in this school community environment. On top of that they are bomarded by what "society" believes is beautiful and desirable- from magazines, television, other students, advertisments at the local shopping centre, the almost pornographic music video clips (a pet hate of mine), I could go on. Most days they come into class and they are happy but every now and then I hear comments as I pass through the room/hall/quad or I notice glances between the "cool" kids and the no so. It saddens me that this notion of what is "beautiful" and "cool" is stopping students from talking and interacting with each other. Very rarely, (especially in one of my classes where this is almost jumping out and hitting me in the face, it is so obvious) do they attempt to break down this wall and talk to one another in class. What can teachers do when they students aren't willing to do so?