Monday, April 21, 2008

Talking Points #10 on Johnson




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


Premise- This article is about:


  • privilege

  • power

  • acceptance

  • difference

  • community

  • social systems

  • exclusion

  • rejection

  • oppression

  • schools

  • harassment

  • discrimination

  • violence

  • society

  • gender

  • silence

  • saying the words

  • solutions

  • problems

Author's Argument: Johnson argues that the better we educate ourselves on privilege and oppression, the more successful it will be to put the system of discrimination that causes privilege and oppression to an end.


Evidence:


1) "The problem of privilege and oppression is deep and wide, and to work with it we have to be able to see it clearly so that we can talk about it in useful ways" (125). Johnson is explaining that privilege and oppression are significant problems and once we are able to see them we can fix them.


2) "The reluctance to acknowledge and use power comes up in the simplest everyday situations, as when a group of friends starts laughing at a racist or sexist joke and you have to decide whether to go along" (133). Johnson is basically saying that each and every single one of us have the duty to stand up to racism or sexism even if it means going against our friends.


3) "We won't end oppression by pretending it isn't there or that we don't have to deal with it" (137).

4) "Dare to make people feel uncomfortable, beginning with yourself" (145).

5) "In the end, taking responsibility doesn't have to involve guilt and blame, letting someone off the hook, or being on the hook yourself. It simply means acknowledging an obligation to make a contribution to finding a way out of the trouble we're all in and to finding constructive ways to act on that obligation" (153).

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I liked started off the blogs with Johnson, and it is natural for me the enjoy concluding on this author too. It is so easy to comprehend his argument and his message he gives to the readers. I agree with his argument, we must all work together to solve the problem because as they say there is no "I" in "TEAM". One person alone did not ignite the problems with privilege and oppression, so it is going to take more than one person to end it. His readings have made me more aware of what I need to do to help end the problem and he helped me find my own voice so I can be prepared when a racist or sexist situation occurs.

It seems so unreal that this is our last blog, it went by so quickly! FNED 346 really improved my confidence and I have participated way beyond my own personal expectations. Although our topics are sometimes hard to talk about, I always feel comfortable saying what I believe in. All of this openess is really going to help my confidence in becoming a teacher, hopefully!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Thursday's Class 4/17

Everyone in my group showed up and we all accomplished a good amount towards our project and presentation. Having this two hour time just to work on the project really allowed us to discuss ideas and provide feedback for one another.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Talking Points #9 on Orenstein


"School Girls" by Peggy Orenstein
Premise- This article is about:





  • gender


  • schooling


  • inequalities


  • equalities


  • girls vs. boys


  • compare/contrast


  • teachers


  • students


  • education


  • women/girls


  • community


  • parents


  • debate


  • perspectives


  • fairness


  • differences


  • sexism


  • curriculum


  • statistics

Author's Argument: Orenstein argues that teachers need to improve the curriculum by making it more gender neutral, being equally fair to both boys and girls. She goes on to warn about a so called "hidden curriculum" that misguides girls and toys with their self esteem issues.


Evidence:


1) "On a national level, the Gender Equality Education Act, which should be implemented in 1995 includes provisions for improved data gathering, for the development of teacher training programs, for programs to encourage girls in math and science, and for programs to better meet the needs of girls of color."


2) "Women are one-half of the world's people; they do two-thirds of the world's work; they earn one-tenth of the world's income; they own one-hundredth of the world's property."


3) "Curriculum should be both a window and a mirror for students , that they should be able to look into other's worlds, but also see the experiences of their own race, gender, and class reflected in what they learn."


4) "In her book, Teaching Stories, Ms. Logan writes that, during lessons that explore gender roles, which can easily turn into opportunities to cast blame for inequities, emphasizing tolerance is especially important."


5)"Feminist teaching is not about allowing a win/ lose situation to develop between boys and girls."


Questions/Comments/Points to Share:


I found this article easy to read and understand, therefore it was a good experience to read. I felt that the examples of gender in the classroom used by Orenstein really helped me comprehend her main argument. This article made me think of how many times in school I was heard "policeman" or "weatherman" instead of a more gender neutral approach to describing these professions. This article has inspired me in that when I eventually become a teacher, I want to modify my curriculum to be equal to both genders and not female or male oriented.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Talking Points #8 on Wise

"Whites Swim in Racial Preference" by Tim Wise
Premise- This article is about:
  • race
  • affirmative action
  • families
  • racial preference
  • values
  • money
  • minorities
  • privilege
  • incomes
  • society

Author's Argument: Wise argues that racial preference; such as affirmative action as a privilege for whites, has impacted America's laws in a bias manner, affected our public policy, and lastly is responsible for the blatant inequalities that are still present in today's society.

Evidence:

1) "In other words, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that white America is the biggest collective recipient of racial preference in the history of the cosmos" (1). Wise states that whites are privileged in that they have benifited the most from racial preference, and history confirms this belief.

2) "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" (2). Wise is saying that the people who are on the receiving end of racial preference do not fully appreciate the privilege they are getting.

3) "White preferences, the result of the normal workings of a racist society, can remain out of sight and out of mind, while the power of the state is turned against the paltry preferences meant to offset them" (3) Wise believes that racism is a factor of white preference and democracy disagrees with the preferences whose duty is to equalize them.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share: This article was enjoyable for me to read because it was not repetitive and it was easy for me to find the author's argument. He uses metaphors like asking fish what water is to portray examples of racial preference, in addition to examples throughout the text. I agree that many white people in America do take the privileges they have for granted and do not appreciate them enough, but I do not believe it is intentional. I believe we take it for granted just as we take breathing or eating for granted.