Meyer Weinberg's Definition of Racism

According to Meyer Weinberg, “racism consists centrally of two facets: First, a belief in the inherent superiority of some people and the inherent inferiority of others; and second, the acceptance of distributing goods and services– let alone respect – in accordance with such judgments of unequal worth” (p.66). In addressing the institutional nature of racism he added, “Racism is always collective. Prejudiced individuals may join the large movement, but they do not cause it.” According to this concept, what Weinberg called the “silence of institutional racism” and the “ruckus of individual racism” are mutually supportive. It is sometimes difficult to separate one level of racism from the other, because they feed on and inform one another. The crucial point to understand racism, according to Weinberg, is that concept that White supremacy is at the root of racism (p. 66). 

 What surprised or moved you about Weinberg’s definition of racism? What can you do as an individual or part of many collectives to challenge the   ”silencing of institutional racism?” 

           

In  Meyer Weinberg’s definition of racism, he cites two main facets: “first, a belief in the inherent superiority of some people and the inherent inferiority of others; and second, the acceptance of distributing goods and services—let alone respect—in accordance with such judgments of unequal worth” (Bode & Nieto, 2012, p.66).  The first is the more common ideal of what many would consider the criteria for one to be considered a racist.  The second, worded very eloquently, also falls in line with the common criteria but is more dependent on the first.  Bode & Nieto (2012) discuss schools as institutions which reflect the larger society.  Because of this reflection, it is not surprising that racism finds its way into schools, “the same way it finds itself into other institutions, such as housing, employment, and the criminal justice system” (p.66).  To me, Meyer Weinberg was describing the larger ‘institution’ of racism as being silent because a school system, for instance, is just following the pattern of other facets in society.  The school house is not intentionally spreading prejudices and racism, but is ‘silently’ following the greater consensus.

                       Whites are better than Blacks.  Whites are better than Hispanics.  Whites are better than anyone who is ‘different’, whether that be color or religion (non-protestant).  This is what Meyer cites as being the root of racism.  At what point in our society did Anglos assume all the ‘power’ and ‘control’?  I would guess primarily White supremacy came about due to the sheer number of Whites versus what I will call simply ‘others’.  This imbalance of power gave groups of people the idea that they were better in every way because they did not, and were not, able to accept the differences of others.  So, to understand this intolerance, I feel that we should place some, if not most, of the blame on our founding fathers.  They came to this country to escape tyranny and repression yet, once established, created it themselves against those who were not like them.  Over time, the concept of “I am better than you” has continued to build exponentially.  Until the ‘others’ were finally able to stand up and find a voice (and actually be heard), the silent institutional racism continued.

            The ideas of goods and services Weinberg speaks of is more than just serving people in restaurants or riding the same busses.  To me he is referring to all facets of life.  As he mentions briefly respect, goods and services could include things such as hospitality, religious services, education, and the workforce to name a few.  This, the second part of his definition, breeds and grows based on the first part.  The more a person inherently feels they are superior to someone else, the less likely they are to give or even receive the goods and services he speaks of. 

                        In the school setting, Weinberg asserts that for one to be antiracist, it means that they are “mindful of how some students are favored over others in school policies and practices…” (p.43).  For multiculturalism to work in schools at its very roots it must be antiracist.  When teaching students to be more tolerant, educators must do a better job of relaying the entire message to students.  In lessons or practices concerning racism, it is easy to just speak of the positive messages.  The ones that include everyone and teach students how to be inclusive and respectful are only one piece of meeting the criteria to be truly antiracist.  The horrible aspects of our history should be shared and discussed.  The things we are not proud of in the past must be collective.  If we are to move forward as an antidiscriminatory society, then we owe it to students to be informed of where we came from.  If this step does not happen, then we cannot move forward in my opinion.

                       Meyer Weinberg’s definition of racism did not surprise me in the least.  I feel that it is a very appropriate representation of what discrimination looks like in the real world.  As the White population continues to shrink compared to that of the ‘minority’ population, a more tolerant America is going to emerge.  The prejudices of yesteryear no longer apply the same way today.  A good example of this is the racist attitudes of many Americans, of every color, towards Middle Eastern peoples since the September 11^th, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil.  Depending on what is going on in the world there will always be hate and bigotry.  Teaching tolerance in our schools is essential for a better world to become reality.  To me, Weinberg spoke the truth with his definition.  It is a great platform for us to continue turning things around in this country.

 References

Bode, P., & Nieto, S. (2012). Affirming diversity the sociopolitical context of multicultural education. (6 ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Social Justice...Freire, Dewey, and Giroux

How have Paulo Freire’s theory of praxis, John Dewey’s philosophy of democracy and Henry Giroux’s view of the “discourse of democracy” influenced multicultural education as a space for social justice?

Education philosophers Paulo Freire, John Dewey, and Henry Giroux have all influenced multicultural education as a space for social justice.  Social justice by its very nature is philosophical.  If one is to be truly deserving of certain unalienable rights, then who will view the person on deserving or not?  Certainly not the peers or family of the deserving person could give such rights to someone.  Freire’s theory of praxis, Dewey’s philosophy of democracy, and Giroux’s personal views of democracy in Schooling and the Struggle for Public Life (1988) each influence education today.  From a social standpoint, each in his own right argues that all should receive the same education and the same level of instruction as everyone else.

                Paulo Freire wrote about social injustices that were taking place in Brazil.  His arguments were very similar to those being made in the 1950’s in America which led to the Brown v. Board of Education decision.  The difference in the two being that Freire wrote in the 1970’s and his work was focused more on the education of the different class systems.  In the United States today, we still have this problem.  Even though there is not segregation in our schools, there is social segregation taking place as we speak.  This is evident in areas where poor minority students live and must attend schools.  The problem is no longer that blacks and whites can go to school together in the same building; it is that the students who live in households in better parts of the city or in higher income suburban areas receive a better education than those that do not.  Freire would be appalled today if he were still alive.  This social injustice is taking place and his works are being cited regularly to help create lines of redistricting and making social class and education a thing of the past.

                John Dewey was a great educational philosopher.  He felt that the government we lived within was a democracy in the loosest sense.  He questioned democracy with a three pronged argument that ultimately led the reader to wonder exactly what freedoms did we really have.  Was democracy nothing more than the ‘masses’ being heard?  What about the little guy?  Were the minorities in America being listened to by those in office?  When considering education, Dewey was a proponent of classical liberalism.  He wanted, like Freire, equality among the ‘masses’.  In education, this take of equality has been of great influence concerning social justice.  His works continue to be used as reference material anytime an argument arises concerning freedom (as it was intended by our fore fathers).

                Henry Giroux, less known that that of Paulo Freire or John Dewey has had a profound impact on social justice and the schooling of Americans.  Like Dewey before him, Giroux aimed his research on that of democracy.  He spoke of teachers having a duty to students, not the ‘authority’ above them.  If someone’s social or political power over you makes you change your beliefs then you should not be in the profession.  Lawmakers make decisions based on what they feel the people who elected them would want in place.  This is the theory of democracy and that which Giroux suggests is not reality.  When education laws are enacted social equality is not taken into account.  Educator’s need to decide what they consider to be right, and then teach it to their students in order for democracy to be socially justified.  They should not base their pedagogy on that which elected officials say (if it is morally wrong). 

                Educator’s today are often faced with that of a two-way street.  We choose where to teach and most of the time what we teach.  Other than these decisions, the choice of how we teach is often left up to the administration and lawmakers that tell us what it ‘really’ takes for student to be successful.  Social justice in education comes in many forms.  Educating every student regardless of race, religion, or gender is one way, but this is happening in most places across the country already.  The piece that needs to be fixed is the ‘how’ they are being taught.  In some instances, minority students are crammed into schools that are run-down and are learning on second-hand textbooks, while the non-minority students across town are in state of the art facilities learning from their iPads.  This is social injustice at its finest.  To fix the problem we must consider the philosophies of such great minds as Freire, Dewey, and Giroux.  Their informative stances on social justice and liberation affect us as educators daily.  Multicultural roots and inclusion are common-place in our schools.  The effectiveness of these tools is where our focus must be on in order for freedom to be truly that, free.

The courage shown by a young teenage girl, Malala, in the face of death, is more than just courageous. Do we as a nation ignore her effort or do we champion her cause in some way? Why and how?

          The courage shown by Malala, a young Pashtun girl from Pakistan’s Swat Valley, was more than courageous as mentioned by the prompt.  Not since Anne Frank has someone been so public about the wrong-doings of others.  Even after being shot in the face by her enemies, she still stands tall and speaks out against those that inflicted her so much pain both physically and emotionally.  As an American, we take so many things for granted.  Our battles for gender equality having been fought for the most part decades ago.  Can you or I change the way Muslims in some Middle Eastern countries repress women, or do we just ignore the injustice?  To me, the teenage girl Malala and her story is a great place for us to start the fight.  Information is a powerful tool, especially to someone somewhat educated as myself.  After reading I Am Malala, I decided to research some of the repression women face on a daily basis and how this backwards radical thinking of some countries could be changed.

            Spreading information and educating others will be the best way for us as Americans to help Malala.  Even the ‘little guy’ has a voice in this country.  A quick search for reviews on Malala’s book provided some very interesting statistics.  Marie Arana of the Washington Post starts her review by breaking down the plight of women across the globe.  She suggests that by speaking with social scientists, to end poverty in the world we must educate girls.  She goes on to say that if girls between the ages of 10 to 14 receive a decent education, a community will change.  Income will go up, infant mortality will go down, economic growth will increase, disease will decline, child labor will diminish, and those women who become mothers will educate their own children (Arana, 2013).  As an example, she cites that the World Bank hypothesized that Kenya’s illiterate girls, if educated, could boost the country’s economy by $27 billion in the course of a lifetime (Arana, 2013)!  This is astounding.  Once again, a little bit of knowledge goes a long way and Malala and her story are no different. 

            The Taliban are considered ‘radical’ idealists in their ‘jihad’ or holy war against the United States.  They do not feel we stand for anything good, period.  Our entire way of life is a slap in the face to the way of life one should live; according to their interpretation of the Koran, or Muslim holy word.  In Pakistan, where Malala lived, her father wanted nothing more than for his daughter to be treated like a boy, like an equal.  She was intelligent, well spoken, and above all, loved.  He was an educator and orator.  These things he instilled upon his daughter.  He taught her to stand up for what she believed in.  He wanted her to be her own person, a good person.  This ultimately led to her near fatal interaction with the Taliban.  These things being taught to her, things she practiced on a daily basis went beyond everything they believed.  When confronted with violence, she did not back down.  This information to me helps convince one to become involved.  It trickles down.  One person reads and learns.  They pass this information on to the next person.  They tell two others, and so on and so on. 

            She did not back down and this is why I am inspired.  This type of violence would make 99% of people in the world back down.  It would silence our voices and cause us to be thankful we were still alive.  This young girl, not even an adult, has more courage than 99% of us.  That is powerful.  She continues to travel and tell her story.  She wrote her book.  She stands at the pulpit, against all odds, staring the evil enemy in the face and saying, “I will NOT be quiet”.  I am motivated, and so should you.

            To help the world, or better yet help Malala, champion a cause against repression of women’s rights and education, step one was learning her story.  Step two was for me to reflect on the situation and educate myself.  Step three will be to continue spreading the word about Malala and her plight.  The story isn’t about a young girl getting shot in the face and living to tell her story.  The message is not that simple.  The message is a strong one that opens the eyes of the world to the injustices women and young girls face every day in countries across the globe.  She is a voice.  By standing up and telling her story, others will be empowered to do the same.  The world is listening and the more they listen, the less likely they will be to allow such atrocities to continue.  I am on board.  Are you? 

REFERENCES

Arana, M. (2013, October 11). Book review: ‘i am malala’ by malala yousafzai. Washington

Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-i-am

malala-by-malala-yousafzai/2013/10/11/530ba90a-329a-11e3-9c68

1cf643210300_story.html

An Ever Shrinking World....Education Goals?

New Course in Multicultural Education (started 1/13/14).

We live in an ever shrinking world. Therefore, from a macro perspective, what does living in a global society mean in structuring our educational goals?

          Structuring educational goals is a constant as an administrator.  We are continually working with and learning from the newest or latest that is considered 'best practice'.  The world we live in as suggested by the prompt is shrinking.  People from every corner of the globe reside in our country and attend our schools.  They deserve the best we can give them regardless of what  the law says we should provide.  World economies are also shrinking.  The students we teach will lead the United States into the future and to be one considered successful we must align our goals based upon the need of every child as an individual.  
Every student that enters a classroom is unique in some way.  The obvious differences are race, language, and sometimes religion.  Those quick to judge will not be successful in the goal to make EVERY student successful.  Americans tend to force these different students into a system of assimilation that does nothing to promote student growth.  The reality of our school systems and workplaces are diversity.  We spend so much time and resources attempting to create students into the image of our white protestant forefathers, that this in turn places students in an awkward position.  They become frustrated, shut-down, or conform.  Any of the previous choices can happen independently or all at the same time.  A true global society will never be obtained if we as a country and as educators continue down the same path of 'righteousness' that we have been leading students down for the past couple of decades.
          In Texas, the population of our students are changing everyday.  The ratio of White students to Hispanic students is shrinking and doing so at a pace that is alarming, yet we are using the same old tactics for educating as our previous mentors.  We must learn to allow students the opportunity to keep some of their identity.  Is it not only fair that they keep what they know and value it as important just as we want them to understand our culture and value it?  Teaching methods must change for this to take place.  Simple etiquette like getting to know students goes a long way.  I am not talking about learning their names and where they come from, but really taking the time to get to know them.  Once a mutual sense of respect is earned (and I use earned on purpose because it must be earned) then we can begin to teach students. 
          Eliminating someones language completely is a mistake.  I am not suggesting that students who come to America should not learn English.  What I am saying is that it is important for students to be able to share with us what makes them special and we need to learn to accept this.  For example, a student coming from Russia could be a gifted student who makes straight A's, become a National Merit Scholar, attend an Ivy league college, and go on to become a doctor if everything was presented in Russian.  This is a bright student.  Is it fair to 'hold' this student back academically because they do not fully grasp the concept of the English language?  We must find ways to help them keep some of their language or we are doing them a disservice.  
          In summary, I have been rambling slightly off topic, but the message is the same.  We cannot continue to plan and teach the way we currently are due to the fact the world is 'shrinking' around us.  Some of the greatest minds in the country are teachers.  Is there no way we cannot come up with better solutions then the current model?  Students who come to Texas from a foreign country and do not speak ANY English MUST pass a standardized test in English within 3 years or the school is considered by the federal government as not doing its job.  This my friends is ludicrous and ridiculous.  Our priorities must change.

Great Educator

The immediate cultural context of children and youth includes family, neighborhood, and youth culture, including media influences.  Dewey argued that social influences are the “great educator” and that schools are only a secondary agency.  What educational problems and possibilities are presented to teachers by these cultural contexts, and why do you see these as problems and possibilities?  What difference can and should teachers make to learners if schools are secondary to the wider society in their influence?  By what means should teachers seek to make the difference, and why?  In your response, consider more than one kind of neighborhood and family context.

   

      Society is constantly evolving and 2012 is no different.  Cultural context brought on to children through family, neighborhoods, and youth cultures are "great educators" as Dewey suggested.  Many things learned in a child's everyday life are not things that can be taught in schools.  Media influences, especially today, play such an important role in the culture of the world's youth.  Access to popular social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, puts instant connectivity in the hands of many adolescents.  Ten to fifteen years ago it would take a day for news to spread around a small community.  Today that juicy bit of gossip is instantly 'tweeted' and everyone is made aware.  If as educators we don't think this influences a child's thinking and learning we are kidding ourselves.

      There are many problems associated with the evolution of society and its impact on the youth of our country.  Speaking from an educational standpoint, teachers fall into two categories.  Those that disregard cultural contexts and those that embrace it.  In order to reach a child in today's digital times teachers should be able to relate to their students in more ways than the pulpit in front of the classroom.  Using the very things that kids use in their daily lives can open an enormous amount of opportunities for teachers to have at their disposal.  Using the internet, whether through the social networking sites or even student friendly blogs, could help catch interest and classroom discussion could take place outside the school building.  Students love listening to their MP3 players and what better way to present a lesson than in the form of a podcast?  Many different aspects could benefit children if teachers are so inclined.

      If schools truly are secondary to the outside world then what impact do teachers have on children anyway?  This statement presents a fallacy to the educational system as a whole.  Educators may not be able to grab the attention of every single child for every single minute of instruction.  The attentions that they do obtain for however long are the ones that make schooling worthwhile.  Students learn a lot from their environment.  Much like a baby learns to speak in its native language, children learn from the world around them.  When they are in school, learning is taking place in one form or another.  Educators are in a position to really have an impact (hopefully positive) on the minds and attitudes of today's youth.  What they teach and how they teach it is the 'what' students gain from attending school.

      To really make a difference, every educator owes it to their students to provide learning by any means necessary.  If a teacher is located in a lower income school, and another is in a higher income neighborhood, those educators will teach the material differently.  Which way is better becomes the real question.  The answer is that neither is wrong, as long as the material being taught is same.  Delivery is just that, a way for one to present material to another.  Take as an example, a salad bar at your local restaurant.  If two people go to the bar and make a salad, chances are that they will have two completely different products by the time they sit down to eat.  The end product is a salad.  Did both people accomplish that task?  Did they make the exact same salad?  The answers of course bring back the point that the 'how' didn't really matter, as long as the end was the same.  Teachers need to get creative with the 'how' today to really grab student interest and challenge them to think critically.

      Society is still evolving and will continue to evolve forever.  Students who live in the society will immediately change to have their needs met.  Teachers and educators too must change and evolve with them in order for learning to take place and not take a backseat as Dewey suggests.  Will this be challenging for some?  Of course it will, but things have always been this way.  Nothing today is different than yesterday.  Education evolves much as society does and it is the duty of those involved to be aware and open about evolving with it.

Teacher Intimidation...

Many teachers feel alienated from the school reform movement and prefer to remain uninvolved in these issues such as school governance, yet it is argued that true reform will not occur without the investment of teachers, the people charged with actually implementing change.  Why might some teachers choose not to be involved?  What reasons might you offer to encourage greater participation?  What would it take for you to see yourself as a change agent for school reform?

I think that many teachers are intimidated when it comes to school reform.  For many years, we have sat behind our desks and taught to the test just as our administrators indirectly asked us to.  When the budget was cut so drastically in the last legislative session, many teachers watched as their peers were forced to leave the profession.  The realization set in rather quickly that we should all be thankful to even have jobs in education.  This was an interesting feeling, especially since a few years prior the state was practically begging for teachers and calling a shortage. 

For true reform to take place, teachers will have to rise up and stand up to big government.  If we do not, then the changes taking place most likely will not represent our way of thinking concerning the education of today's youth.  I feel as an instructional leader the first place I would encourage my staff to get involved is locally.  By volunteering to be a part of the campus and/or district improvement committee(s), teachers might have a better understanding of the changes that are actually taking place.  If they do not agree with some of the ideas being tossed around it is a perfect place for them to speak up and be heard.  I encourage all to become involved at this level, but often teachers already have a lot on their plate and do not feel compelled to heap on any more.

For me to see myself as a change agent for school reform is something that will take time.  I have my ideas, just like anyone else, but really want to be an educated and prepared individual to address any major issues.  This program is my first step in becoming the person who will have a say in our student's education.  My own children are just entering the public school system and I want to ensure they receive the best as well.

Schooling as I have known it...

Evaluate the quality of schooling as you have known it.  Was it marked by the weaknesses identified by reformers in this chapter, or did you largely attend schools other than those that are being identified as deficient?  Do you have criticisms that school reformers have not identified?  How might schools in different neighborhoods fare in the reformers’ views of what counts as a school in need of reform?  How might the David School fare?  What ideological and political-economic insights might be drawn from this student assessment of the quality of their schools?

      As I have known it, schooling was much better than I really thought.  I went to a smaller school district growing up and did very well.  Once in college, I felt that my teachers did not care too much for students and scraped by doing the bare minimum to earn a paycheck in my little 'podunk' town.  The reality looking back now that I am an educator, is that the teachers in that small school worked their tails off.  We were held to very high standards and a lot was expected of us as students.  The biggest area we lacked was funding.  Some of the much larger schools in the area often did better then us academically (and athletically), but this was primarily due to money.  We could not afford the newest and latest gadgets.  I have not been out of school for that long, and we had five computers in the high school where I graduated from.  Working in a smaller district today, I see the students through the eyes that most of my own teachers looked through.  We make the best of whatever situation we are in.  We don't accept anything less than excellence from students, and they may not realize it today, but they will down the road.