Observational Learning?

In psychology, there are three ways humans learn; classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Cases involved with children found that children tend to learn how to act from their peers and adults. The classic example is Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment, where children witness an adult attack an inflatable clown and then when it's their turn alone with the doll they also show aggression towards it. While kids not exposed to the adult show little to no aggression towards the doll. Simply put, the expression “monkey see, monkey do.” applies to us as humans and how we learn. However, we do this every day in how we dress, act, and talk.
   
    When I entered the classroom and was asked who we resonated with when we grew up from a movie or tv show, I couldn’t pick just one character. However, I did take bits and pieces of characters and imitated it. This is human nature. I then asked myself who these brave, strong African American women looked up to when they were growing up. And the answer is they didn’t. Women in 50’s and 40’s were only depicted as housewives. The major shows left it to Beaver and I love you, Lucy. And these were also just in black and white so there were shades of skin complexion, or playing any anti-stereotypes, diverse roles.
   
    These three women did not see people who looked like them in the media and against all odds and they did the impossible. It's not only that they didn’t have role models through media but society was also against them, which makes it even more incredible. When all people are against you, at a very young age, it is easy for kids to learn that they can only do what they see around them. Yet these three women were the first to get a man on the moon. The director was the first to believe in her saying, “We are all Nasa, we all pee the same color.” This sank in during the movie because he was focused on a common goal, valuing intellectual ability, to get a man on the moon, regardless of race or gender.