The first thing to note is that survey-takers were quite willing to question the meaning of the questions themselves. That was especially true with the equality value, which included the term “brotherhood” as a clarifying term. Several survey takers found an obvious irony in using the term in such a female-focused series!
I agree, actually, and I hope that you’ll continue to think critically about the questions asked. But I don’t want to change the terminology for several reasons.
First, I’m not a sociologist. The advantage of the Rokeach Value survey is that it’s an approach tested over the decades and found to be a valid tool. So, I doubt my ability to “fix” questions without undermining the survey itself with a new bias.
Second, I want to avoid introducing my own biases to the survey wherever possible. This is about your opinions, not mine.
Finally, leaving the terms alone means we’ll be able to compare apples to apples when we get through the surveys on Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible and season 8. To my mind, that’s an important benefit to sticking to the existing terminology.
So, I’ll note where people questioned the survey’s terminology here, because it’s useful to know where people question the question itself. But I won’t be changing survey’s terms.
Finally, I think it’s important to understand why people write comments. While only you can tell us why you wrote, I can guess from reading them all why some people did chose to write as well as click dialogue boxes. One reason is clearly explanatory. The writer justifies their choice or explains how their interpretation of the question produced their response. This might explain why the number and length of comments dropped off for questions where there was a lot of consensus and thus the answer was obvious to them. (Or, as one commenter put it, “duh?”) Others seem to have used the comments box to think through the question or take notes. Others wrote rhetorically for posterity, knowing that their responses were being recorded. A few liked to find the perfect quote to illustrate their point. Finally, some seem to be in dialogue with the survey-creator, leaving comments that are playful, ironic, chatty, or critical. Perhaps you can engage them in our comments section here or at your own site.
For the blog posts on these questions, I’ll post a summary, then your comments, corrected only for spelling.
Question 1: It is important to be ambitious [hardworking, aspiring]
Survey-takers questioned the terms of the very first question. Several commented that they thought the series showed the virtues of being hard-working much more than the value of ambition. Some observed that the these two terms might be at odds.
Many observed that these values were directed towards the research and training involved in saving the world or self-improvement, but more rarely in a capitalist or corporate sense. Buffy and Willow were discussed mostly in the former sense of the value, perhaps because they were both college drop-outs. Willow and Xander received a great deal of attention, looking at how the value of her ambition and his work ethic changed over time. Anya, Xander and Cordelia were thought of in the more capitalist sense of achievement. The villains discussed in terms of ambition were D’Hoffyrn, Willow, The Council and Mayor Wilkins.
Manny's eyes just go straight to your soul.[screencap credit: buffyworld.com]
Here’s your comments:
I would say "hardworking" more so than "ambitious"
I feel like Buffy's training is taken very seriously, as are her efforts at a career, but the show reminds us that even hardworking people don't necessarily meet their goals or get ahead, which is very true to life!
The Scoobies work very hard to save the world and it's shown as important work. But I wouldn't say the show has a nose-to-the-grindstone, work-hard-to-get-ahead vibe. Also, though characters do aspire to many things, the emphasis is more often on obstacles that get in the way of that and how to handle setbacks.
Admittedly, not when it comes to schoolwork in Buffy's case…But through slayage, she proves that hard work is a reward in its own, and if you work hard you gain second chances (i. e. coming back from the dead)
some characters worked hard to fulfill ambitions but I don't think it was a universal thing, in fact even Giles became a bit of a lay-about.
With the exceptions of Willow and Anya, I didn't see the characters as being ambitious. And given that I only think of Willow and Anya as being ambitious, I wouldn't call it a value or a virtue in the Buffyverse.
Ambition in BtVS is treated as a good thing and all of the characters try to push themselves forward even though it doesn't always work. Xander is probably the best example of this in seasons four through seven…. It's never enough to just be who you are, you always have to be working to better yourselves. Even if you're the Slayer and you're saving the world on a regular basis.
No - I think the show shows it's more important just to keep going and always be as honest to yourself as you can…. It's not about being "the best" in fact, it's about being as you.
Buffy is not always hardworking(in high school) but when there is something important on the line, she always pulls through, and there is always a lesson.
I think immediately of Xander, the one member of the Scoobies who had to work hardest to be seen as an equal. He proved, time and again, that hard work pays off, eventually becoming legitimately good at what he chose to do, despite the lack of powers that would have given him a leg up. The lesson is driven home when we see Willow and Dawn face consequences for cutting corners, Willow with magicks and Dawn with stealing.
I don't think ambitious and hard working are the same. I think Buffy shows the fruits of good work, but not always of being elite or perceived as elite
While portrayed as a positive trait, being ambitious was often "rewarded" with bad luck or straight up failure, but characters still seemed to recognize that it was important.
Xander is the only character that portrays this, and mostly only in the later seasons. And, although not in the traditional sense, Buffy does too, but more from a sense of duty, not ambition.
Following your dreams is different from being ambitious. No one's ambitions as far as working hard (at the Counsel, Double Meat Palace, Wolfram & Heart were always punished and never rewarded.)
In more of a self improvement/self empowerment way than the traditional capitalistic "I have to work myself to death" way.
Willow dropped out to help Buffy, Buffy dropped out, Xander became a builder, Anya worked in a shop...
Buffy is very hardworking, but that is more because she feels responsible. She is never very aspiring beyond wanting as ordinary a life as possible ("Remember when things were nice and boring?"). Cordelia, who is, usually gets into very big trouble for it. It seems that ambition in the Buffyverse is only ever good when it is altruistic; hardworking seekers of power usually end up chained to a wall in a fraternity house (Cordelia) or wanting to destroy the world (Willow).
Not always represented in the traditional work hard in school kind of ways, but in the work hard at life/being a good friend, your job, responsibilities is always represented.
I think of "ambitious" as "working toward a clearly defined goal," e.g., becoming rich, famous, president, prima ballerina, etc. BtVS seems to me to have been focused more on, "Always do the best you are capable of doing."
To me, the show illustrated how hard one must work to achieve a short-term goal, (research night, training, etc.), but unfettered ambition leads to great loss (The Mayor, Darth Rosenberg, etc.)
Buffy and Anya were the only main characters that exhibited a solid work ethic. Later Xander chimed in with a decent work ethic. Everyone else seemed to be slackers.
I had to go midpoint on this, because while persistence & self-improvement *is* valued on Buffy, ambition & aspirations (prestigious job, becoming famous) in a worldly sense less so. The question using both "ambitious" and "hardworking" made it unclear which was meant.
It seemed to treat that as far secondary as to whether you were working hard at the right things.
Ambition is not necessarily the key in Buffy but hard work I think is. None of the scooby's come by anything easily.
Probably best exemplified by Willow in the early seasons of the show (S1-4, maybe 5 too). She got the Scooby Gang out of quite a few tough scrapes using just her intelligence and knowledge. Also, Buffy in S3 who worked hard and by the end of the season achieved good grades - it is interesting to juxtapose this with Faith (Buffy's 'dark shadow') who dropped out of high school, and eventually went down a dark path. Oz as well is presents an interesting case: someone who clearly possesses a high natural intelligence, but is not ambitious in any way. Although there are some throw-away comments about his apathy towards academic achievement, he is never punished in the way that other characters might be for their flaws. Compare this to Xander, someone that has never achieved well academically, who ends up not getting into any colleges and working odd jobs (bartender, ice cream man...etc). However, by season 5/6, through his hard work and perseverance, he now possesses a stable job in construction, and presumably towards the end of the series is doing quite well judging by the suits he's wearing.
Buffy almost always stresses achievement in the early seasons mostly through Willow's academic dedication or Cordy's drive to be the best in all ways. Later Buffy pushes her Slayer acumen to the limit in and order to be stronger and better at her job. The flip-side is the underachievement of Xander and the wrong focus of Faith and Spike.
Ambition is important but only for the "right" things - shallow individuals who are ambitious for glory get short shrift. Status is about moral worth, not popularity, wealth or renown.
While I think the show emphasized the importance of hard work & diligence, as demonstrated by the hours of library research needed to gain necessary & important information, I don't think that it champions ambition per se.
Hardworking at your calling. (Buffy)…Also, Willow illustrates this more than Buffy
Buffy tries to improve herself in her calling, and Willow becomes better to help as well (except for when she went evil).
If season six showed us anything it's that you don't get to quit just because the job is done.
Like most teenagers, the characters on Buffy were very much about figuring out what they wanted to aspire to. This varied greatly between characters, but a consistent motif was the fact that they were in high school, and school was important - at least to a point.
Not in a monetary or commercial sense.
Xander and Giles both struggled with feeling unimportant in season 4 and the rest of the gang often wonders if Buffy really needs them. They are definitely invaluable to her but I don't know if their valued traits are always ambitious.
Mostly only if your hard work benefits others as well.
Buffy Summers was always running away from responsibility and avoiding hw.
Buffy is always unrelenting in her duties, even when she would least like to be.
Willow is hardworking, as is Buffy in her dedication to her slayer role. But in general the show doesn't promote the usual "get ahead" mentality.
There is an emphasis "hard work," especially in Buffy's constant intensive training and the countless hours the Scoobies spend poring over research materials. But personal ambition is always presented as subordinate to immediate, communitarian duties; Buffy, against her own wishes for a normal life, stays in Sunnydale after HS, and eventually drops out of college to lead the Potentials full-time.
In fact, ambition seems to regularly lead to bad things - as seen by Willow's magical ambitions and almost every villain's ambition. Buffy, Xander, and others seem to do the most good with little attention paid to their future goals.
Not necessarily ambition about career, but ambition about being more than a job title.
Buffy was dedicated to slaying, but she whined a lot.
ambitious is very different from hardworking. Many hardworking people aren't ambitious, while many ambitious people aren't hardworking.
Even if your goals are completely off the mainstream. However, corporate values are best represented by D'Hoffrin, the head of a bunch of vengeance demons and The Mayor - who wants to be a true demon.
While I feel the show definitely promotes the idea that it's important to be hardworking, that hard work doesn't exactly go to ambition, or ambitious enterprise. Buffy doesn't aspire to be the richest slayer ever, for example, just works her hardest to make it through the fight.
I think it's more about taking responsibility, and perseverance.
The series actually spends more time exploring the road-bumps and detours people encounter in life. Consider Buffy's aborted college education and her repeated failures to find a career (beginning with the disastrous career day in high school, her season 6 fumbling, and her season 7 part time job). Xander and Giles also struggle to figure out what they want to do at various points in the series. And even Willow is willing to give up traditional academic achievement in favor of her friends and her magic. The most consistently ambitious characters - Anya, Cordelia, even (in his own way) the Mayor - are often painted as crass or laughable for their ambitions. Over and over again, Buffy seems to reinforce the idea that it's not about the destination; it's about the journey.
More faith
Buffy works very hard for what she wants. That's why she was always so successful.
There seemed to be little room for ambition, or for looking to the future, due to more immediate concerns. ;)
While many of the characters show that working hard is good, what about Xander? He was loved, even though he slacked on his school work, and couldn't really provide a great deal of help overall.
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