Last Blog

Privilege, Power, and Difference: What Can We Do?By Allan Johnson

Premise

· Power
· Privilege
· Race
· Acceptance
· Change
· Discrimination
· Differences
· Solutions
· Problems


Johnson argues that change in our society can only be possible if we become more aware of the problem and issues concerning privilege and power in today’s world and the best way to make change is to change your own ways first.


Evidence:

1. “Rather than trying to change people, the most important thing we can do is contribute to shifting entire cultures so that forms and values that support privilege begin to lose their “obvious” legitimacy and normalcy, and new forms emerge to challenge their privileged place in social life.”
2. “In many ways, the biggest challenge for members of privileged groups is to work with one another on issues of privilege rather than trying to help members of subordinate groups.”
3. "Once we can see and talk about what's going on, we can analyze how it works as a system. We can identify point of leverage where change can begin" (126).


Points to share:

I think this last piece that we have read was a perfect and extremely powerful wrap up to a great semester. This piece wrapped up everything we have learned. We have the power and now it is time for us all to enforce change in the world by teaching our students about privilege and power. I think this piece was a great choice for our last blog.

YAYYYYYYYYY

we worked on our main arguments and are finishing up our slides

should be done soon

:)

Bernard Lefkowitz's Our Guys

Premise:

· Cruelty
· Mistreatment
· Rape
· Disability
· Privilege
· Lack of respect
· Anger
· Friendship
· Advantages
· Friendship
· Laws
· Defend
· Jocks
· Rules
· Status

Argument:

Lefkowitz argues that affluence and privilege can inflate the self-importance of otherwise unremarkable young men, not always with good results.

Evidence:

1. 1. "I began to frame Glen Ridge as a story of power and powerlessness: the power of young males and the community that venerated them, and the powerlessness of one marginalized young woman-" (2)

2. “But I also recognized that even with all these advantages, kids don’t always fulfill their parents’ expectations. Some people have the benefit of wealth and nurturing parents and a good education, and still wind up morally and financially bankrupt. There are no fool proof master plans for success. I knew that because of what had happened three months before in this town”( 4)

3. “But these glen ridge kids they were pure gold every mother’s dream, every father’s pride. They were not only glen ridges finest but in their perfection they belonged to all of us. They were Our Guys”(5)

4. “Millions of Americans discovered that Glen Ridge was not a foreign and alien culture, but all too closely resembled their own communities. Glen Ridge’s test of character became America’s test of character… Like Glen Ridge, America has been forced in recent years to define what are fair, just and principled relations, between men and women. That has not been easy for Glen Ridge to do. And it hasn’t been easy for America either.”

Thoughts to share:
This story truly shows the privilege of white wealthy males in our American society. Reading this made me cringe. What those boys did to Leslie was awful and what made it worse was that people in the town were blaming her for it. The boys knew better without a doubt in my mind. This type of incident I am sure happens throughout America. And I think that it’s sickening that people who have power and privilege just dismiss it and think it’s ok and that it’s a tragedy to the perpetrators and the victim was asking for it. this is a prime example of what we have been talking about all semester

Whites Swim in Racial Preference
By Tim Wise

Premise:

§ Race
§ Whiteness
§ People of color
§ Power
§ Inequalities
§ Racial preference
§ Rights
§ Privileges
§ Lack of privileges
§ Laws
§ Families
§ Fair vs. unfair
§ Opportunities
§ Change


Argument:

Wise argues that “it is hardly an exaggeration to say that white America is the biggest collective recipient of racial preference in the history of the cosmos. It has skewed our laws, shaped our public policy and helped create the glaring inequalities with which we still live.” and we don’t even realize it.


Evidence

1.“White families, on average, have a net worth that is 11 times the net worth of black families, according to a recent study; and this gap remains substantial even when only comparing families of like size, composition, education and income status.”

2. “Yet few whites have ever thought of our position as resulting from racial preferences. Indeed, we pride ourselves on our hard work and ambition, as if somehow we invented the concepts. As if we have worked harder than the folks who were forced to pick cotton and build levies for free; harder than the Latino immigrants who spend 10 hours a day in fields picking strawberries or tomatoes; harder than the (mostly) women of color who clean hotel rooms or change bedpans in hospitals, or the (mostly) men of color who collect our garbage.” I think this quote is really powerful I never think of these jobs as racial but when you really think about it you never see a white individual doing the “dirty jobs” unless they are truly forced too. And the sad part is that many of these indivuals aren’t even getting the pay rate that they deserve.

3.” We strike the pose of self-sufficiency while ignoring the advantages we have been afforded in every realm of activity: housing, education, employment, criminal justice, politics, banking and business. We ignore the fact that at most every turn, our hard work has been met with access to an opportunity structure to which millions of others have been denied similar access. Privilege, to us, is like water to the fish: invisible precisely because we cannot imagine life without it.”


Points to share:

I think this peace is an incredibly eye opening read, it was very straight forward and presented many facts very frankly think as a white individual I do take many of these things for granted and personally I really have never thought about them. This class has opened up my eyes to the struggles that all races have to deal with on a daily bases. And I am really glad that I am not so oblivious to them anymore.

Charles Lawrence “One More River to Cross"

Premise:

o Race
o Rules
o Inequalities
o Misunderstanding
o Hope
o Differences
o Power
o Privileges
o School
o Laws
o Whiteness
o Color
o Students
o Separation
o Fairness

Argument:

Lawrence argues that the Supreme Court’s reasoning in striking down an interdistrict desegregation order in Detroit was flawed in that it misunderstood the true nature of the institution of segregation. The Court’s failure to recognize and articulate the true nature of racial segregation was more the product of an intentional, knowledge decision than the result of any inability to comprehend.

Evidence:

1. “segregation’s only purpose is to stigmatize and subordinate rather than to simply separate is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that the whites in the antebellum south had no aversion in commingling with blacks as long as the institution of slavery made their superior status clear.”(pg 282)
2. “ black children are injured by the existence of a system of segregation, not merely by particular acts that result in the segregation of schools”(283)
3. “ segregation is self-perpetuating: once established, it will not disappear of its own accord, and its elimination requires affirmative action by the state”(284)

Thoughts to share:

This reading was one of the toughest readings we have worked on so far. I found myself continuously rereading and feeling still confused. I looked up many words. And even now I still am confused. I looked at the brown vs. board before but they way this was presented just didn’t interest me very much. However I believe it is an important topic that we need to look at.

Tracking: why schools need to take another route
By: Jeannie Oakes

Premise:

o Needs
o Schools
o Grouping
o Individuals
o Controversy
o Success
o Weakness
o Ability
o Tracking
o Differences
o High
o Low
o Performance
o Uneven opportunities

Argument:

Oakes argues that schools need to find another route other then ability grouping because students in the lower ability classes are not receiving the same education or the same opportunities as those in the higher ability classes.

Evidence:

1. These differences in learning opportunities point to fundamental and ironic school inequities. Students who need more time to learn appear to get less; those who have the most difficulty learning seem to have fewer of the best teachers"
2. "In low-ability classes, for example, teachers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and behavior and less on academic learning"
3. “Students in the low ability classes were likely to have little contact with the knowledge or skills that would allow them to move into higher classes or to be successful if they got there.”

Thoughts to share

At first I found this reading to be a little hard and confusing but I think by the end I got the main point of it. I can relate this too my middle school in 6th grade it was mandatory for the highest level of students to do a science fair project where the other levels were not required or even offered to do the science fair. I’m sure many of the students would have loved to do a science fair project and probably would have done a better job than I did. I think all students should be given the same opportunities to succeed in the classroom no matter what their abilities might be.

Talking points #5

In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer


Premise
School
Community
Service learning
Community service
Requirements
Help
Learning
Homelessness
Compassion
Kindness
Volunteering
Kids
Classroom
Lessons
Life

Argument

Kahne and Westheimer both argue that service learning is a great aspect to a classroom curriculum but that should not be the only requirement. They feel if you require them to work with the homeless they should also learn more about agencies that help and read about homelessness and also help in their community.


Evidence:

1. "Efforts to integrate service learning activities into the curriculum have great potential and deserve the support they are now receiving." Incorporating service learning into the curriculum not only gives the students the lesson it gives them the hands on experience that they can learn from and better their community with.

2. “These two service learning projects have much in common. Both provide authentic learning experiences, reflection on matters of social concern, and opportunities for interdisciplinary study linked to curricular goals.”

3. “They stress the importance of compassion for those in need, and they encourage children and young adults to find ways to help.”

Points to share:

I thought this article at times was a bit challenging and drawn out however it did have a good point to it. Community service is a great aspect to a classroom and it has been in the classroom for many years. I can remember since kindergarten doing some type of service whether it is collecting cans, charitable shows or just volunteering. The service learning here at RIC is also a great experience. However I think what helps it work is that we talk about it and learn from the experiences of what and what not to do in our FNED class maybe not directly but the things we talk about will be in the back of our minds when we have our own classroom someday. I think service learning is a great part to any classroom.J

Unlearning the myths that bind us

Unlearning the myths that bind us
By: Linda Christensen

PREMISES:
“Secret education”
Books
Children
Movies
Dominance
Cartoons
Stereotypes
Race
Gender
Television
Knowledge
Acceptance
Media
Princess
Disney
Life
Money
Luxuries

AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT
Christensen argues that children are influenced by the portrayals of characters in books, movies and cartoons. She believes that these portrayals are often biased and only present one race or gender as better. She wants parents and young students to be aware of this “secret education” and to think with an open mind about different races genders and classes.

EVIDENCE
1. “Childrens cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential by genre ‘read’. Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again, often from the warmth of their mothers or fathers lap.” This is a great argument parents rarely deny children to watch Disney movies or cartoons and they are learning throughout all of these if parents aren’t aware of the “secret education” the children are being taught about the dominance of one type of a race, gender, and class over and over again. Children are sp influenced by this genre of happily ever after.
2. Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." Everyone wants that happily ever after and it just shows how influenced we are and we don’t even know it. I know when I was little I always wanted a princess a dress or a princess crown sure I still want one now. And parents buy them for their children. We are all influenced and we have no clue until it’s pointed out to us.
3. “‘When reading children’s books, we aren’t just reading cute little stories, we are discovering the tools in which a young society is manipulated.’” After reading this article I can see where we are so manipulated by these movies. Children need to receive more education in this area.

POINTS TO SHARE:
This piece was a very interesting read. I enjoyed reading it because I really never thought about it before. It wasn’t very hard to read and I didn’t have to look up many if any words. A lover of Disney movies I can see where the perception of real life can be distorted of course which little or big girl doesn’t want to be a princess. I can see the dominate culture represented and that being of a higher class in most of the movies are apparent. I liked how she did the activities with the students and how they made real life projects for parents and students to become more aware of the affects. I believe this is an important lesson for us all.

talking points #3

Talking points #3 on Carlson

PREMISES
Gayness
Schools
Communities
Secrets
Misunderstanding
Hidden feelings
Classrooms
Stereotypes
Hate
Lesbian
Culture
Life
Struggles
Respect


AUTHORS ARGUMENT
Carlson argues that public schools should build a community which recognizes and supports not only different genders and races but an individual’s different sexual orientation.


EVIDENCE
1.”gay people have been for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological ‘other’”

2. "Homosexual is an ostensibly neutral category, one designed by scientists; and yet is usage may involve a scientific distancing from the homosexual object of study and a refusal to see the political and cultural elements of sexual identity. 'Gay' and 'lesbian'../ are the most 'politically correct' labels, although their usage tends to further divide and separate men and women when in fact homophobia and oppression are directed against homosexuals as a group"

3. “Three techniques of normalization and (hence) marginalization have been of primary importance in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, (2) the “closeting” and “witch hunting” of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation for gay teachers and students”

POINTS TO SHARE

At times this article was easy to read and at time I found it to be quite challenging. I found myself having to look up a few words and going back and rereading more then a couple times. I thought the ideas the author suggested were really interesting. I thought this article gives great background knowledge to us as future teachers. And many of these ideas I will keep in mind for when I become a teacher in my own classroom.

think piece #2 Aria by Richard Rodriquez

Aria by Richard Rodriquez


Premise:

Confusion
Shyness
Lack of understand
Loss of closeness of family
Frustration
Denial
Americanism
Unfairness
Change
Silence
Hardships
Learning
Life lessons


Author’s argument:

Richard Rodriquez argues that when bilingual children are taught English they lose their ethnic backgrounds and at times tend to be ashamed of them.


Evidence:

1.”one Saturday morning I entered the kitchen where my parents were talking in Spanish. I did not realize that they were talking in Spanish however until, at the moment me, I heard their voices change to speak English”
2.” My mother! My father! After English became my primary language, I no longer knew what words to use when addressing my parents”
3.,"as we children learned more and more English, we shared fewer and fewer words with our parents."


Points to share:

I thought that this article was not a hard read. I didn’t have to go back many times and reread anything. Also I had to barely look anything up. I thought this article was very interesting never having to learn another language at such a young age I never knew what it was like. English was always the spoken language in my home. I can’t even imagine the difficulties this family went through and the hardships caused because of this. Rodriquez was very lucky to have parents that were willing to give up a lot for their children to be able to learn English. Teachers should not try to silence children’s second language but also incorporate it into their learning

Jonathan Kozol. Amazing Grace & Bernard Goldberg. “Jonathan Kozol” from 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America

Premise:
~ Frustrations
~ Awareness
~ Unfairness
~ Disease
~ Decline
~ Life of children in poverty
~ Poverty
~ Drug abuse
~ America
~ Families
~ Tragedy
~ Helplessness
~ Religion
~ Death
~ Tragedy
~ Unlivable conditions
~ Suffering

Author’s argument:
Kozol and Goldberg both argue that declining conditions that children face due to poverty, disease, death and other issues causes them to lack the education that they deserve and the support for their American culture that hasn’t seemed to have treated them fairly.
Evidence:
1. “At the elementary school that serves the neighborhood across the avenue, only 7 of 800 children do not qualify for free school lunches.’ five of those seven’ says the principal,’ gets reduced-price lunches, because they are classified”(Kozol pg3)
2. “ in humid summer weather, roaches crawl on virtually every surfaces of the houses in which many of the children live .Rats emerge from holes in bedroom walls, terrorizing infants in their cribs”(kozol pg 5)
3. “ in 1981, 84 people, more then half of whom were 21 or younger were murdered in the prescient”(Kozol pg 5)

Points to share:
This article to me was a huge eye opener I can’t even start to imagine how hard it is for these children. They not only have to worry about school and playing that normally child do they have to worry about disease and death and everything in between. I can’t even being to comprehend going to bed at night on the coldest winter night and not being able to have heat. These conditions are awful. I thought this article was very easy to read and kept my attention throughout. I liked how this article included personal accounts from many different people throughout the neighbor I believe that their stories help to paint a better picture in my head of the situations that they were living in.

About Meee!!

Hiiiiii i'm Katie and i am a freshmen in my second semester. my major is elementry education and special education. I live on campus and love my suite mates. While I am not at school I work at Target and like to hang out with friends. I love driving my VW bug... one of my favorite activities is shopping I love anything on sale even if i dont need it. This semester i hope to do as well as i did last semester. I am really excited to start my service learning porject I think its going to be a great experience