I had wanted to share some thoughts pertaining to last week’s lecture and address some interesting questions some of you raised after class. It’s been a busy week though, so I’m looking at a slight delay before I can do so.
In the meantime, I share with you this poem by Langston Hughes who, as one of your classmates pointed out, was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. The piece is titled “Ph.D.” and is the opening quote to my doctoral dissertation.
He never was a silly little boy
Who whispered in the class or threw spit balls,
Or pulled the hair of silly little girls,
Or disobeyed in any way the laws
That made the school a place of decent order
Where books were read and sums were proven true
And paper maps that showed the land and water
Were held up as the real wide world to you.
Always, he kept his eyes upon his books:
And now he has grown to be a man
He is surprised that everywhere he looks
Life rolls in waves he cannot understand,
And all the human world is vast and strange–
And quite beyond his Ph.D.’s small range.
For more on Hughes and the relationship between Jazz, language and poetry, you might listen to this Public Radio Exchange podcast, “Jazz and literature”: http://www.prx.org/pieces/78721-jazz-and-literature
Please post your reading responses to the Friedenberg and Delpit readings by Thursday February 21, 2013, no later than 8:30 PM, EST.
Media, Technology and Education 
Lisa Delpit’s (1988) article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” talks about the “culture of power” imbedded in the educational system. Delpit talks about the educational needs of poor students as well as black students by thoroughly examining five rules of power. She emphasizes the need for teachers to teach these rules of power, which can start dialogue and lead us towards a better society. Delpit also discusses the difficulties black children have with regards to white teachers who do not act authoritative, which I found to be quite interesting.
I enjoyed reading Delpit’s rules of power as I found they were really relevant to society and the educational system. When reading these rules, I thought of my first field experience and the students in the school who came from many different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, where many students were white and also several black students. As a future teacher, I wondered how I could teach the rules of culture to students in my class who are not as Delpit describes, “middle class, white, English” students when I have another group of students (“middle class, white, English”) who are aware of these rules and they are already embedded into their daily lives. Personally, I find this question overwhelming and difficult. If this is taught to the whole class there will always be a group of students who already know everything, become bored and rebel when really they just want to learn something more interesting and something they are not already aware of. The only solution I can think of would be to teach this after school but then the issue of will students willingly want to say after school arises.
In “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” Lisa Delpit discusses the issues surrounding white educators teaching non-white students. As I have just finished the 4th season of “The Wire” (a season based on drug dealing and the Baltimore education system), when Delpit mentions “what the school personnel fail to understand is that if the parents were members of the culture of power and lived by its rules and codes, then they would transmit those codes to their children” (286), the quote reminded me of a scene from that season. Namond (son of a drug dealer) is a promising student because the school was able to adjust their curriculum to better suit the more troubled students, however he is conflicted between school success, and the forceful imposition of his mother to work the street corners like his father did. Just as Delpit mentioned, Namond’s mother isn’t a member of the “culture of power” and she is pushing for her son to live a life that is considered normal to her, a situation that is likely far to prevalent in poor inner city school districts.
The education system isn’t perfect, and never will be perfect, but it is reasonable to expect the educator to have the ability to adjust and evolve to the needs of his or her students (just as Prez did in his class room). In classrooms full of diversity, educators need to be able to understand that their process of teaching may not be suitable for all the members of the class. However, technology today enables educators to start “reciting research” (281) if ever questioned, just as the Black woman principal was subject to with one of her professors while in University. Today people can research anything on the Internet and feel as though they are all knowing and possess expertise on certain subjects, which just isn’t the case. People, and educators in particular, should be open minded, and welcome criticism/feedback should it better the overall education of the students.
In the article, “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” Delpit talks about the experiences of blacks in the educational system. In many ways white students from middle class homes have a different relationship with authority figures than non white students from other economic backgrounds. White students learn to question authority whereas non whites respect and obey authority. All in all, it is said that the approach in teaching should be different in that it suits the audience.
When I read this article I automatically thought of my experiences growing up. I grew up in an east Indian middle class home. My father was very strict in the sense that he was very authoritative. I was given rules that I was never able to question and I had to obey him with out asking questions. I remember as a child being reprimanded for speaking my mind as it was considered talking back. Then at school I was taught something entirely different. This was to be a critical thinker, test authority figures and speak my mind. As a child this often left me confused. I learned from an early age to be one way at home and another way outside of the home. It is not that my father didn’t value education; he is an engineer and culturally thinks more about results than the process itself. Therefore he believes in strictness and discipline as a means to success.
Throughout my education, I think I subconsciously had a deep appreciation for strict and mean teachers. I felt that they pushed me and wanted the best for me out of care. As a former science student it gave me the discipline and work ethics needed to succeed in my program. Looking back I don’t believe I would be as successful if it weren’t for my father and these teachers. On the other hand, my first love is art. I had been accepted into the fine arts program many years ago however my father didn’t approve. He had a valid point that earning a livelihood would be difficult. Deep down I am grateful I didn’t make that choice I because I now have a comfortable career which I love and that allows me the time to pursue other interests. I still continue to do my art but it is another side of me, the creative side of me which allows me to be free. I believe that in life you have to learn to roll with different sides of the dice. I truly believe this is the ultimate goal of education regardless if you are white, black or any other color.
Delpit’s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” was an interesting read as it addresses cultural conflicts within the classroom which are often overlooked. Delpit raises awareness in regards to issues that are present between educators, white students and students of colour. The author raises the following question, “How can communication blocks exist when both parties truly believe they have the same aims?” According to Delpit, in order to work towards finding a solution in relation to such issues, individuals need to recognize and give the opportunity to voice/hear alternative viewpoints.
One of the reasons as to why I found Delpit’s article so thought-provoking is given the fact that the conflicts and issues she addresses are those that so many of us may not even consider, but rather disregard unconsciously since we are unaware of their existence. I was somewhat taken aback reading Delpit’s article as I think about how many issues there are in today’s society regarding education between two commonly populated cultures.
On another note, as I was reading through Delpit’s article, I was reminded of the following words by Malcolm X … “A segregated school system produces children who, when they graduate, graduate with crippled minds. But this does not mean that a school is segregated because it’s all black. A segregated school means a school that is controlled by people who have no real interest in it whatsoever. Let me explain what I mean. A segregated district or community is a community in which people live, but outsiders control the politics and the economy of that community. They never refer to the white section as a segregated community. It’s the all-Negro section that’s a segregated community. Why? The white man controls his own school, his own bank, his own economy, his own politics, his own everything, his own community; but he also controls yours. When you’re under someone else’s control, you’re segregated.”
Delpit’s (1983) article The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children, explains educational dilemmas such as “The Black Issue”, “The Silenced Dialogue” and “Culture of Power”. Delpit describes “The Black Issue” as the appropriate education for black children that schools are not addressing. From this issue stems the idea of “Silenced Dialogue” wherein, white educators fail to see that their non-white colleagues do not approve of their logic. Finally, the “Culture of Power”, which identifies five features of power that enforced in schools and society.
Delpit’s (1983) discusses some of the main issues as last week’s Freire reading. In Freire’s work he writes about the pedagogy of the oppressed, which ties in with Delpit’s culture of power. Last week I mentioned a documentary I had watched about a woman in Indian who was struggling to achieve a higher economic status. In relation with Freire’s article I discussed her statement about education being the key to freedom from poverty. Delpit agrees with both the woman’s position on education as well as Freire’s, when she argues that “schooling prepares people for jobs, and the kind of job a person has determines her or his economic status and, therefore, power, then schooling is intimately related to that power” (p. 283). She also, affirms this position when she explains the four other features of the culture of power. She states that children who are already in this culture of power will have a higher success rate than those who come from a differing culture, the only way to accumulate power is by conforming to the codes and rules of the culture of power.
Finally, Delpit’s argument of “the silenced dialogue” is synonymous with Freire’s “pedagogy of the oppressed”. Both articles demonstrate the dominant culture taking the voice away from the inferior as a way of keeping them oppressed. Delpit is more subtle in her approach to this topic, but does address it when she writes “White educators believe that their colleagues of color did, in the end, agree with their logic. After all, they stopped disagreeing, didn’t they?” (p. 281).
Delpit’s article brings up the issue of authority versus experience in dealing with race – which side is more legitimate?
Delpit’s shows us that individuals in a position of authority do not necessarily know more about race and racism than those who have experienced it firsthand. How is it okay for a professor – a so-called expert in education and therefore educating Black children – to tell a Black woman that her life experiences do not match up with what the research says and are therefore invalid? Although quantitative research on race and racism can tell us something, it can only tell us so much. It cannot speak of personal experience nor tell the stories of an individual.
Thus, a balance of authority and experience is essential for a cohesive and approachable learning environment when it comes to race and racism. Teachers must realize that they come to the classroom with biases and stereotypes whether they like it or not; realizing this is the first step to creating this inclusive environment. It is much easier, however, to teach a diverse amount of subjects from one viewpoint than it is to teach one subject from a diverse amount of viewpoints. Teaching in a strictly authoritative manner, however, diminishes the legitimacy of student experiences and sets up an “I’m right, you’re wrong” mentality. In teaching in one viewpoint, we implicitly deny that other viewpoints and dialogues exist and ultimately participate in the “culture of power” that Delpit discusses. So, even though we may think we know it all as teachers because we are in a position of authority, we need to recognize that this is not the case.
“Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating other People’s Children” by Lisa Delpit, brings to light to the unfortunate fact that all non-White educators feel like they are being excluded from the debate on the most optimal way to teach non-white students. Furthermore, Delpit indicates that Black people claim the white people ignore they’re opinions on this subjects and do not take their experiences as black students seriously because they are not based on objective research. I find this very appalling because their experiences can be something to learn from, not rejected and ignored simply because they are not belong to the culture in power. The “culture of power”, as described by Deplit, refers to the codes in education related to the ways of talking, writing, dressing and interacting. Additionally, these codes are formed by White middle class people and are geared towards the needs of this group of people that is represented as the majority.
Delpit goes into full detail about the five aspects of power that influence education of non-white, lower class students. She makes the interesting discovery from her data collection of statements from White educators, which is that White people in power do not perceive themselves as having power over non-Whites. However, they maintain their power by providing schooling that reflects liberal, middle-class values. This causes many Black educators to employ, against their desire, many liberal methods of teaching that are effective for White, middle-class students but so pertinent to Black students. I agree with Delpits conclusion that in order to begin to have a more just education system, it is required that educators understand and teach their students the rules of power. This ensures that teachers are aware of the learning differences in all cultures and can employ methods that are useful for all students, not just the majority in power.
Delpit’s The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children examines the loss of dialogue amongst teachers who are from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Teaching methods vary among teachers, and as Delpit states, both the process-oriented and skill-oriented writing instructions are two different teaching approaches that have an impact on students’ education. Delpit explains that students who do not belong to the “culture of power” are put at a disadvantage compared to their peers. Their education suffers because unlike their peers, their knowledge and norms are not in power and are not what the society at large follows. Depit identifies 5 aspects of power which are not only found within society, but in schools as well. Furthermore, Depit explains that progressive programs are only effective for students who belong to the “culture of power” because they are part of the “cultural capital” and understand the codes and rules in power. Therefore, students who do not belong to the “culture of power” are put at a disadvantage because they must learn new content and disregard their prior knowledge (p. 286).
Although society is developing and becoming less prejudice, prejudice still exists, and therefore, I believe that it is the teacher’s role to expose his/her students to the differences that exist among the people of the world. Teachers enter the classroom with biases; however, teachers have to be aware of their biases and disregard them while teaching. The 5 aspects of power that Depit identifies really stood out to me. The first aspect made me realize that power exists within schools in the most unlikely places; for example, in the textbooks students read. As we have previously mentioned in class lectures, any type of text is written with an audience and message in mind. Therefore, students are exposed to textbooks that focus on and express certain ideas and facts. This is why teachers must try their best to have their students deviate from society’s norms and reinforce students’ values, cultures, and beliefs. Unfortunately power does exist within our society, but teachers must aim to have their students gain confidence in their culture, whether or not it is part of the culture in power, and appreciate and be aware of the differences among people. As students will become more open-minded, the loss of dialogue amongst teachers will disappear because discussing controversial topics within classrooms will become an easier task for all teachers.
I found Delpit’s reading interesting and enjoyed reading it because it ties in with McIntosh’s article on “Whit Privilege”. I also covered the issue of “White Privilege” in my Multicultural class. Delpit lists five aspects of power in his article. I found that the fifth power that he states really connects his article with McIntosh’s article, as it states, “Those with power are frequently least aware of-or least willing to acknowledge-its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence”. The idea that whites are more superior to non-whites and that whites should be more privileged then non-whites just because of the color of their skin. Delpit also mentions the notion of families that live in upper and middle class neighborhoods are more privileged than those that live in lower class neighborhoods such as in an educational institution. School should be a place where anyone is allowed to go to learn and communicate with others, to be able to learn about other cultures and share those of your own. School should not be about separating cultures and granting power to anyone because of the notion that if your skin color is white, that you should be more privileged than those whose skin color is not. I believe that school is a place where everyone, no matter what race, has equal power to be able to go to, to become knowledgeable about the world we live in and to learn to work together with others. With that said, I believe society’s goal should be to accept and respect individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds as equals and an example of a place where individuals of “cultural power” can achieve this is in school where they can learn about them in a knowledgable manner.
In chapter one of The Disposal of Liberty and Other Industrial Wastes, Edgar Zodiag Friedenberg explores the problems and clienteles created by the capitalistic socio-economic context. He describes a clientele as being “the persons to whom goods, services and hardware, if any are involved, are delivered; those on whom the praxis gets practiced, whatever its theoretical justification may be.” (Friedenberg, 1976) The author focuses on the contrast between the public and the private –such as it can be observed in the schooling system, the police force or the justice system– and the inadequacy from these public organisations to provide for its clientele as a way to keep the majority (rich to middle class white people) satisfied.
Even though I somehow agree with the view of Friedenberg, I was still overwhelmed with his vision of the public system. I do believe that most public organizations were created to please the “average” citizen –the most convincing example of this for me being the one of the jail system as explained by the author. However, I do not understand how Friedenberg does not address the fact that, even though they are lacking in quality, we still need those public systems (especially since he had been living in Canada for already a few years when this was published). He argues that the public system only serves the interests of people of higher socio-economic background, but I think it still helps a part of the disadvantaged population, who would truly have nothing on their side if it did not exist.
In ‘The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children’, Lisa Delpit’s emphasis is on the “culture of power” and discusses the rules of power regarding the educational needs of Black students, and students of low-economic status. Delpit’s suggestion is that all students need to be taught the explicit and implicit rules of power. Delpit’s conclusion is very similar to an article I recently read by Michelle Fine, which I believe was called ‘Silencing in the Classroom”. Both authors conclude that teachers and students need to talk about these issues within the classroom, rather than ignoring them out of fear of being too controversial.
I agree with these two authors regarding this subject. If our youth aren’t taught about the various dimensions of these controversial topics, students will never learn about different perspectives and opinions on the issues and simply go about their day thinking in the ‘hetero- normative’ ways. Delpit really emphasized how our daily experiences do in fact deal with discriminatory and prejudiced behaviors, whether we like to admit it or not, or whether we even notice it or not. Our society has socially constructed these negative behaviors, therefore if these acts aren’t being brought to attention to our youth, then students will unfortunately grow up acting in this prejudice fashion without, unfortunately, knowing any better. Being taught the explicit and implicit rules of power is truly a step in the right direction towards a more just society. By starting this proper education at the heart of our youth, our society, in time, will construct a more open-minded and less prejudice way of thinking. An evolutionary and revolutionary attitude starts with the education of our youth!
In their texts, Edgar Friedenberg and Lisa Delpit both look at power relations, each focusing some way on public schooling institutions. Friedenberg’s first chapter analyzes the public service sector while Delpit discusses racial differences in learning strategies and the relation that has to upper-class, predominantly white power.
This is not the first time I have read of a correlation between race, class, and teaching styles. Delpit’s article presents a viewpoint that questions the validity of progressive methods for all children and, similar to McIntosh’s article, makes you reflect on your own teaching styles. Though Delpit does not ask us to change our ways, a greater awareness will offer another tool for addressing a difficult situation before giving up and labeling a child as delinquent. Doing so would be reminiscent of the very process of institutional symbiosis as described by Friedenberg (p. 18). The vicious cycle depicted in his chapter sheds a very bright light on how trapped a student can become in the school system. However, I, as a pre-service teacher, do not feel I am, or shall ever be, united with school administrators “to oppose any rise to power by the reified clientele – either parents or children” (p. 24). I am a firm believer in educational community and the inclusion of all those involved.
This week’s reading carries a similar theme as past week’s Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege. They all discuss about race and cultural preponderance in education.
In The Silenced Dialogue, Delpit writes about cultural power. The author believes that there are 5 issues about power present in the educational environment and she calls it “the culture of power.” Delpit claims that Black and lower class students are being disadvantaged and their opinion is being excluded. Typical Caucasians think that people of color understand their White culture so they teach in their own way. In fact, people of color do not think and value the same way. Hence, people say that schools do not accommodate other cultures. However, I believe that schools do not need to adapt to other cultures, other than their own of the country. Let me make an example using a country where multiculturalism is not part of: China. China is a Chinese culture, and their education follows Chinese beliefs and values. It is not because a Caucasian decides to go to China for study, that the teacher must change their schooling program to accommodate that minority. If that Caucasian does not like Chinese education, then he/she should go back to where he/she comes from. I believe that this applies for Canadian education too: White teachers do not have to accommodate to other minority students and should teach in their own way. Colored students are here to learn Western culture so they should not complain. If colored students feel oppressed or do not like it, then they can go back to where they come from; no one pushed them to attend a school which they feel unhappy. As Delpit states “[… ]children of color can only be devised in consultation with adults who share their culture.” (296) Hence, it is best for them to go where they belong.
In addition, that “culture of power” favours mostly White, upper and middle class people. The problem is that people pretend that it is ok and do not say anything about it even though they are conscious about it. Moreover, Delpit states that people in power pass down their power to people of their kind who share the same culture. I admit that these things happen and not only in education, and it is very hard to change this fact, even impossible. Diversity of culture exists in our society, and prejudice and favoritism for sure follow. As the proverb says “Birds of a feather flock together,” and this is the reality. For instance, I am Chinese and I tend to make Asian friends more than Caucasian friends.
On the other hand, in The Conscript Clientele, Friedenberg’s discuss that today’s students are like involuntary customers of education. The educational program does not try to meet their students’ needs, but control what they learn and students have no say in it. Students are forced to pay the high tuition fees which do not always worth it. Moreover, they are obliged to buy expensive books which are not always useful and which “no man could buy for his personal satisfaction.” Hopefully, technology can replace those paper books and save some resource and money. Moreover, it is people of power, like Delpit’s “culture of power,” who control everything students must do, buy and learn. Hence, nothing is going to change unless another more powerful culture takes over.
In “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people’s children”, Lisa Delpit discusses the challenges Black students and educators face in WASP-dominated classrooms. She discusses the both the side that tries to shove all students regardless of individual differences into the boxes formed for the success of the average white middle-class American, and the side that is nervous of making any student conform to anything. Delpit discusses how both sides can be hurtful for the non-white student, and how one of the most important things is to both listen and hear minorities while giving them the skills they need to succeed in a world built on white structures and rules.
This is one of the first articles on multiculturalism that scared me a bit. I have always thought I was okay in this area, that I was fairly open-minded and sensitive to the needs of others. However, some of the comments in this article alerted me to areas where I could be unhelpful to future students if I do not change. The more I look at it, the more I see the issue of race is one that runs extremely deep. I would never have thought before about the difference between Black and White teachers in how commands are directed; when Delpit wrote about how White teachers often present their requests in a question format, I saw myself immediately. I always just thought I was being gentle, it never entered my mind that this could be unhelpful for some children. There were several other such moments in the article, all which led me to understand the fifth “aspect of power” that Delpit laid out, this being: “Those with power are frequently least aware of – or at least willing to acknowledge – its existence.”
I think she’s right. On just a surface glance, I don’t see the power disparity, to be honest. When I think of non-White friends of mine, I don’t see there being any difference in our everyday experiences – at least not major ones. And to be honest, I sometimes think academic papers such as this one may exaggerate the differences a bit. However, I know now that I underestimate the place that race plays in education. On Delpit’s recommendation, I will try to be careful to both listen and hear when these are explained to me. I will try to teach my students in the ways that are most helpful to them, while also preparing them for a world that will not be as considerate. I will seek to understand and to be truthful, honest, and direct in the situation at hand, sharing my expertise and being straightforward about the authority I as the teacher hold in the classroom, yet expecting students to bring their expertise as well and listening to their feedback on how to lead them in the way that is best for them.
Delpit’s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people’s children” discloses the powers and rules governed by the dominant cultural group. The five aspects of power enacted in the classroom were a relevant theme highlighted throughout the reading. Notably, Delpit references the central role of teachers asserting “the teacher cannot be the only expert in the classroom” (p.288) exemplifying the need for revision in the education system. As future teachers, are we obliged to refrain against traditional methods of instruction? By introducing innovated and creative learning methods, further encouraging learners to acquire knowledge is, in and of itself, a sense of empowerment for all students. As discussed in previous class lectures, rap and other forms of media outlets can be utilized successfully in learning environments. Additionally, demonstrating neutral perspectives on said issues may not be enough; further considerations are needed and thus have been downsized.
In relation to this article is Friedenbergs chapter titled “The Conscript Clientele” highlighting apparent flaws in several systems, including public education, prisons and mental hospitals. Friedenberg even ventures into uncharted territory referencing the sale of illicit drugs and prostitution. The chapter, appearing highly controversial on the topic of illicit drugs, states “Pushing drugs on kids in 1975 is rather like teaching blacks to read in 1855” (p.26) creating a sense of exploitation. Personally, I am unsure about how I feel about this statement. The stigma associated with drug-users differs greatly from issues of race. Drug-users, in several instances, decide to partake in the selling/consumption of illicit drugs, while individuals are born with their skin color.
In “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people’s children”, Lisa Delpit discusses the culture of power that is present within educational systems. Teachers and educators are debating on the best way of educating children in schools. They argue about how educators from different ethnicities have different methods when educating children. Educators of white and black skin color have different point of views regarding teaching and transmission of knowledge to students. The author points out how black people are often left out of the dialogue about how to best educate children of color. Thus, black people are more aware of the fact that they have less power than non-black educators. As Delpit mentions in the article, “those with less power are often more aware of its existence”. Non- white educators are alienated from this type of debate. In addition, the author explains how white teachers have the authority to establish what they reflect as the truth no matter the opinion of people from different cultural backgrounds. The issue is that white and non-white educators have different opinions as to what is most efficient for teaching students. Black people say having experiences where they feel that they are no longer being listened to and that their experiences are not generalized and only apply to them.
I find that this article opens our eyes to the perspective of unfortunate educators in the school system. It has showed us how teachers of color had experiences when transmitting knowledge to students. I find it very interesting and I agree with the fact that when people have power, they are not necessarily conscious that they have it. Individuals who do not have power are able to perceive it in these kinds of situations where they are left out of the dialogue.
In the article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” by Delpit, the author talks about the cultural issues that often arise in classrooms. Delpit brings about arguments, made by different cultural communities, that the educational system, as it is now, caters first and foremost to white students. Delpit claims that problems arise because the culture of power, which exists for the cultural majority, is being implicitly taught and therefore reinforced in the classroom.
In my opinion, teaching is beyond a doubt one of the most challenging careers out there because educators must constantly check themselves to ensure that they are reinforcing positive points of views and behavior. All individuals, including teachers come with their own set of values and partiality. Educators, who are in a position of power, must challenge themselves to teach in an inclusive and impartial manner. It is important to realize that certain methods of teaching are geared towards to majority and can be ultimately harmful to those who do not fit the mold because their cultural differences make it difficult for them to benefit from certain teaching styles.
In Delpit’s piece, “The Silenced Dialogue,” I could see many similarities between her point about a “culture of power” and McIntosh’s theory of white privilege. The idea of the differences between cultures but the lack of recognition of these differences lead me to reflect on some of my own experiences working with both black and white young children, and how I have witnessed examples of both points.
I worked in the child care center of an inner city Minneapolis at a homeless shelter. Most of the children we were teaching were black or latino, and all of them were obviously were from low income families. I have also worked at the McGill Childcare Center, where most of the children were caucasian, and most were from middle to upper class families. In my experience, what Delpit said was completely applicable to me: the black children would only listen and respected you if you were direct, and the children at the McGill Childcare Center would react only when they believed some one had power, even if the person in power did not use a “powerful” voice. It was really interesting to hear Delpit’s rational for why this was, because I had never been able to completely put my finger on it, and nobody ever really talks about it, reinforcing the problem of a silenced dialogue.
In Lisa Delpit’s article: “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” she speaks of the “blacks” as being poor and their experiences in the educational system. She also speaks of their educational needs and addresses cultural conflicts in the classroom between educators, white students and other colored students. The author speaks of these conflicts and makes us aware that as educators we usually ignore these conflicts because we are unaware and don’t know how to address them.
I very much enjoyed reading this article as it made me think twice about certain things, as well as made me reflect back to my childhood. I had and still have to this day very strict and authoritative parents. Every time I wanted to speak up or voice my opinion on something I thought twice about it because I knew I would be punished for it. I either had to write lines or balance things on my head (mainly my dad’s cigarette packs). Although when I started school my teachers and peers taught me the opposite, they told me that I should stand up for myself and not only speak when I was spoken to. You can only imagine how confused this left me. I’m not saying that my parents don’t value education it’s that they strongly believe that the key to success is discipline and rules. Now in my first year in University at McGill, I can look back and say that I appreciate the strict “mean” teachers because they set rules in place, and you knew what they wanted so you had no excuse to not do what was expected of you. I actually usually better with teachers who are strict because they put me in place.
Then I think about my parents, and realize that they are just like strict teachers, they push me and only what the best for me. Looking back, I don’t think I would even be in University in this position if it weren’t for my parents being so strict! Although my parents don’t approve of a lot of my choices when it comes to my program or choice of job, although I still appreciate their strictness because they make me think about both sides of the coin, and want me to have the best. So what it all comes down to is: whether you are black, white, or another color you should always look at life as if where several paths. We should teach our children this as well, because yes sometimes it does help to speak your mind, but sometimes you have to learn to shut your mouth and go with the flow.
In Delpit`s article “The silenced dialogue: power and pedagogy in educating other people children“, she discusses the issue of different cultures in schools. At one point she explains that schools mostly value white middle and upper class students. These students usually tend to do better in school because their culture is more valued and seen in the educational system. Despite call this idea “culture capital“. Therefore, it is harder for other students from different cultural backgrounds to do better in school.
Personally a quote that I found quite interesting was “I want the same thing for everyone’s else`s children as I want for mine“. When I first read through it quickly I believed that it was logical and I did think that way. But when I was done reading the article I though and new that I would be falling into a trap. Yes I do want every child to have what I believe mine should have but in a sense, I would be implying my cultural view and opinion on children who may value other things. And I believe that this is one of the hardest parts of being a teacher. A teacher is there to lead and guide but must not interfere with other cultures in a sense because we do have many different values and ideas about life. But in a setting where middle class and upper class whites make up most of certain school systems, it will be difficult to move away from that ideology. However, as a teacher, i do want what is best for my students and I will have to figure how to incorporate different cultures in my class, to insure that everyone is comfortable and has an equal chance to success.
In the article entitled “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” Delpit discusses the silencing of different races within the education system. She talks about the fact that teachers attempt to be more passive in order to not be seen as authoritative or as the one in power. Consequently, they misunderstand students of other backgrounds other than white, who are brought up in a more authoritative household. In many instances, students are not aware of how society works, often seeing the teacher as being incompetent, rather than understanding their method of teaching. Delpit suggests the following solution, she emphasizes on teaching students the “codes” of society (p.296). They must also be able to seek help when necessary from teachers are willing to further share their knowledge and allow students to use their own knowledge as well. Finally, and most importantly, she suggests that students learn the “culture of power” and understand the organization of society, and how this may affect them (p.296).
What becomes evident in this situation is that the silencing of certain pertinent issues, such as the power distribution and functioning of majority groups in society, has led to a miscommunication between the teachers and the students. Teachers draw false conclusion on the students and students create their own incorrect assumptions about the teachers. Therefore, if the goal of silencing certain issues in the class is to create a more equal playing field for the students and to create a better atmosphere through less controversy, then the act of silencing the issue of race is stopping students and teachers from ultimately understanding each other’s behavior. Therefore, this only leads to teachers having greater difficulty with students who have “behavioral problems” and students disliking their teachers. What has to occur is that teachers must work to open up the communication lines with students. This means discussing the reality of things. As we have read in earlier articles, there is a hidden white privilege that white individuals would rather ignore the issue than admit to allowing such inequality of power in society, but no matter what, that unequal distribution of power is always there. The teachers have to recognize this, and rather than try to avoid the discussion of power all together, they must tell the students about it. In not discussing it, they are setting their students up for failure, as they allow them to go out into the world, believing that anything is possible for them when in reality, it can be very difficult. However, if teachers can show their students how to make the best of such a situation then they will be more likely to succeed. Although, I talk about teachers informing the students of the unequal distribution of power it does not mean that I agree with the present situation. In fact, I find it to be very unjust. However, as Delpit states, it is a problem that must be resolved through a top down approach, therefore; the role of the teacher presently is to make the students aware of the situation.
Delpit’s article brought up an important aspect of teaching: indirect statements as direct commands. Delpit explains the difference between how different groups of students, depending on their parents’ social standing, reacted to indirect statements as direct commands. She gives the example of a mother who tells her child to take a shower by clearly saying: “Boy, get your rusty behind in that bathtub” (p. 289). Delpit goes on to say that by first-hand accounts, she knows the mother loves her child. The type of direct command is not intended in a rude way; it merely gives the boy an order with the expected outcome to be that the boy takes a bath. Delpit continues by writing that had the mother “suggested” to her son that it was time to bathe, the child would not necessarily do so as “suggestions” are not true commands. This applies within the educational environment because depending on the instructor’s method of instruction, a (working-class) child will not necessarily do as “suggested.” Personally, this issue resonates with my own experiences both in school and outside of it. I feel most capable on assignments when I am given direct commands and requirements. If an instructor provides a clear rubric with what is expected on an assignment, I am able to refer and insure myself that every necessary task is met. However, when instructors give general rules or suggestions on what is expected, I am lost and unsure of my work. As Delpit suggests, this is the way working-class students learn best – by direct commands. I would fall under the “working-class student” category as not only are both my parents “working-class” but I have always been told by them, directly, on what I need to do. Working as a cashier/cook at a crepe shop, it always stunned me to see parents walk in with their children (0 – 10 years old) as ask them what they wanted to eat. These parents would suggest them to choose something with substance instead of a sweet crepe. But because these children were not literally told what to eat, they always chose a sweet crepe. I never quite understood how parents could allow such a thing. Remembering my childhood, I was never asked at restaurants what I wanted to eat; my parents chose and I ate it. After reading Delpit’s article, it is now clear to me why this occurs. More importantly, it helps me question my future teaching style. Will I be direct or suggestive? Perhaps I will be able to form combination of the two, depending on the student or situation. In any case, Delpit raises an important question: When will white/non-“working-class” teachers understand the needs of the black/working-class student?
As soon as I started reading Lisa Delpit’s article, “The silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” I thought that her ideas of power and decisions concerning the content of curricula for example could be applied to a more global scale. In a previous education class we discussed the effect of international aid and organizations in promoting education in developing countries. It is a very different context from what Delpit is talking about, but some similarities emerge. There is no doubt that providing any kind of textbook is helpful and crucial for providing education to children, however in some subject matters such as history and even language, as Delpit was explaining, the content and point of view from which the textbook is written can cause conflicts due to relations of power resembling those during the colonial era. Furthermore, Delpit conveys that within a community there are conflicts between ethnic groups: Whites and either Blacks or Indigenous communities in her article that could be compared to relationships of power between the country providing aid and the one receiving it. Therefore, issues such as the way a teacher should impose authority is maybe not one of the main concerns yet matters concerning gender and young girls attendance to school could be seen as causing similar discussions between schools and communities.
From this text, I understand that being “Black” undermines that you are
● Poor
● underprivileged
● culture-less
● ghetto
● don’t achieve well in school
● speak differently
I felt like I couldn’t properly form a response without explaining the stereotypes of what being Black are. Aren’t we all striving to do well in this world? Granted, some do better than others. However, this should not determine whether or not one is better than another. From what I understand from the Freire reading, a dialogue cannot occur when one party feels superior, as well as when one feels inferior. The way Delpit describes that people who identify as Black talk, behave and fuction in a different ways than the others. Therefore, a lot of teachers “of colour” feel this “hegemony,” a sort of implicit power. They feel like they should be able to teach their own culture, and not what they feel “is being imposed to them.” To have “power” therefore is to have the right to teach what is deemed “right” to the right students of a certain culture. And this is what these teachers are advocating. In my opinion, the “white educators” depicted in the text do not feel that the “students of colour” are any different. My questioning mostly goes towards who should have the power? Those who like to group people based on the colour of their skin? Or should it be the ones who think they represent everyone in saying that eveyone is the same, or should behave the same as the majority?
Delpit’s text, “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children,” addresses the skills vs. process approach and how it can negatively impact the students who are not part of the “culture of power”. Delpit states that only the children who belong to the “culture of power” can benefit from the progressive programs that are implemented as they already have an awareness of the rules and values that are set in place. The author also goes on to discuss the five rules of power. Delpit writes that it is “essential that teachers ensure and incorporate strategies that are appropriate for all students in the classroom” (p.286). This idea is one that is pertinent in today’s society and it is also an idea that has become progressively difficult for some to grasp. After having volunteered and completed field-experiences in schools, Delpit’s text, does in fact, confirm the importance of meeting the needs of all the children in the classroom. As teachers, we will have many students who will come from different walks of life and many who will have to overcome different obstacles and these circumstances can affect the way a student learns in the classroom. It is important for teachers to collaborate with one another in order to ensure the well-being of all the students. It is also important to explore and pursue different resources to make sure that all students will all be able to reach their maximum potential. There are on-going debates as to which programs are best for students. Contrary to what some may believe, students each learn differently and learn at different paces. Not one approach is going to effectively work for all students. Teachers need to get to know their students in order to better understand how they learn ,as well as, build a respectable and open community with other teachers in order to effectively discuss and share ideas about ways to better educate students and make sure that all the learning strategies used in the classroom are suitable and applicable for their students. All children have the right to learn regardless of which “culture” they come from.
In the Silence of Dialogue, the author speaks about three dilemmas. The Silence of Dialogue, the Culture of Power and the last one that caught my attention is The Black issue. The Black Issue is the dilemma where teachers do not know the suitable education for Black children because all of our education is associated with the dominant White culture. Teachers must learn how to alter their teaching instructions and methods to include all children. Teachers of the dominant culture believe that they do not have to alter their methods to serve students of color which means that they are excluding half of their students. It was interesting to read that many of the “progressive“ educational strategies imposed upon people of color and the poor are based on the desire for liberals` children to have access to the American jobs ( Delpit,p.285). It surprised me because the main concept we as future teachers learn in school is to treat everyone equally and give all our students equal opportunities. Does this notion shows that teachers are rooting for the success of the dominant culture and the failure of the minorities?
In The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children, Delpit “concludes that teachers must teach (…) power as a first step toward a more just society” (PG.280). This Silenced Dialogue is the reality of non-White teachers being left out on dialogues about how to teach non-White students – They are silenced when talking about their teaching methods, which, to me, would seem more effective than the first… They would know better about their own cultures after all! She begins with a few accounts of black teachers who feel like their white colleagues hear but do not listen to their suggestions on how to teach their own children: “They think they know what’s best for everybody’s children” (PG.280). She talks about the difference between research and experience, where white teachers use research done by other white people to teach instead of using a non-white person’s actual experience.
Delpit brings up how, usually unintentionally, white teachers teaching black students not only reinforces the status quo, but also adds to the “culture of power”. Our schools today, she says, only teach children, white or non-white, how to be successful in a white person’s world. This, she adds, is the problem. It is important to take the students’ cultures into account when teaching, because different cultures call for different good teachers.
One good example she gives toward the end of the article is that of language and its importance. Each child has his own language, and the right to it. Who are we, as teachers, to impose our culture’s language as the right one in the classroom? What is a “right” language anyway? She then goes on to say that sometimes, however, some teachers act too much as though power cultures do not exist that they, on the contrary, reinforce this power culture. Delpit concludes that this dichotomy must be forgotten. It is important to first see color, in order to embrace it. Unlike usual theories in pedagogy, she talks about change from the top down. Teachers need to change this reality of power. One cannot, or actually should not, educate other people’s children like they would educate their own, because everyone’s child is different, with different cultures, a different language, and different rights and wrongs.
Lisa Delpit’s article is one that I consider extremely interesting and close to my personal beliefs. In this article the words ‘listen’ and ‘hear’ are defined opposite of how I understand them. ‘Listen’ is defined as being the act of hearing something but not necessarily grasping what was said and ‘hear’ is defined as being the act of hearing, grasping and processing what has been said. In my personal experience, I have always expressed to people the same opinion, my line would always be “You are hearing me but you’re not listening to me”, which inverses the terms used here but, in its simplest form, essentially portrays the same kind of frustration. It is obvious that with my skin colour I have always, though unknowingly at first, benefitted from “White Privileges” such as Peggy McIntosh expresses, but this was not apparent to me before I entered my first class on cultural and ethnic privilege or opportunity, often underlying, differences. When reading this, I cannot express that I understand how the participants quoted in this article feel, but I can certainly express that I agree with them. The CEGEP class that opened my eyes up to all types of racism was called “The Myth of Race and The Reality of Racism”. I, by far, recommend this class to all people who wish to learn more about racism, or even better, to all people who believe that racism is not a part of their lives or of Quebec’s present state. Values were a very big part of my siblings’ and I’s upbringing, and listening (or in this case hearing) was ever so present in our crucial values. From a young age I learnt the difference of hearing and listening and I believe that this should be something that is taught to all people in classes. I express this a lot, but most people are so hung up on calculating their next move and making up their response in their mind that they fail to really ‘hear’ what is being said by their neighbour. This makes it extremely hard for all or any people trying to get an important point across, initially creating much aggravation from the part of the one not being heard. This is shown in the text when most testimonies end with the person expressing that it is no used trying to express themselves anymore for they are not being heard and believe that they never will be. When time and time again one is ignored, over powered or merely not heard, one begins to believe that it is much easier to just stop explaining themselves and move along. This is when not listening becomes an extremely important problem, when people who should be speaking up and expressing themselves just stop talking and move along, for nothing will ever be learnt and nothing can change if no one listens therefore creating a vicious circle and leading humanity nowhere extremely fast. Finally, it will always benefit one’s self and others to hear what people have to say, you never know, you may learn something.
Lisa Delpit discusses the issue of white teachers using vague language throughout their teaching, which does not help their black students. In one example, a black student recalls having had a black teacher who was mean, and, as Delpit states, was “proud of her meanness” (p.290). We, as future teachers, would think that being mean, direct and authoritarian with our students is simply unacceptable. We are learning that children must be taught in a loving and caring way, and should steer away from the strict and demanding kind of teacher. However, this article presented us with many examples of black students who wished that their teachers were more direct and controlling of the class, because that is how their mother would speak to them when they were younger and that is what they understand.
I was interested in the following quote by Delpit: “those with power are frequently less aware of- or least willing to acknowledge- its existence” (p.283). I can relate this back to McIntosh’s article on white privilege, because white people often do not acknowledge the privileges they have on a daily basis that others do not. However, black people have more of an awareness of this inequality than white people do. I also enjoyed the fact that Delpit provided examples of what teachers should do to ensure that all of their students learn effectively. She suggests that children’s education should be planned out along with the parents and other members that are close to the child, because they know them best and have their best interests in mind. Individuals who are close to any troubled student can actually be a great resource to a teacher. However, I still question the author’s intentions in this article, because I believe that many generalizations were being made about how teachers of different races teach and how students of different races learn.
Friedenberg’s article discusses a selection of ‘reified clienteles’, including taxpayers in general (especially regarding how their funds are allocated in law enforcement and prisons), prisoners, mental health hospital ‘patients’ (Friedenberg suggests that it is hard to even label the inhabitants as patients since they will likely stay there without personal care or improvement, and rather just receive medication with the purpose of making them easier to handle), and students. Reified clienteles, as I understand, are those who are without choice affected by actions of industries or systems they pay into or just fall under the social category of; they are like objects to be acted upon and formed for a certain function, rather than individuals with unique abilities, drives, and desires. In the consumer industry, Friedenberg suggests, we are all reified clients; there is no spontaneous demand from us (the clientele), rather the industry grows a desire in us through advertising and other media forms, then, we buy their products.
Fortunately, though, as a consumer in the clothing industry, for example, if you find the ads or clothing in the mall do not satisfy your attention, no one is going to prescribe you medication to straighten you out and get your head in the consumer game. Maybe you’ll make your own clothes, or shop in thrift or local-design shops. Students, however, are not so lucky. These alternative-shopping choices might be compared to a student being homeschooled or attending a Big Picture school, but these options are often unavailable to a child. Friedenberg touches on the topic of medication being given to students with attention deficit or other ‘learning’ disorders when he mentions children responding “idiosyncratically to drugs given to students to keep them in line in school” (19).
Schools are a dominant example of systems created to deal with the ‘masses’ of society rather than the individual; Friedenberg highlights the economic advantage of this handling, versus handling each individual and his/her own unique learning style. Schools intend to prepare youth to enter the public working system and prove useful to their employers, not to discover and flourish to one’s own potential. Therefore, we hardly think twice before giving our children medication to change their brain’s natural functioning, rather than rethinking the method of communication and learning in the classroom. If a child struggles to sit still and pay attention to a teacher standing at the front of a classroom writing times-tables on the white board, I hardly think that demonstrates a learning difficulty. Maybe, the student needs to move in order to get his/her mind stimulated, and would thrive in a dance or other movement oriented learning environment. Maybe, the student is distracted by the constant creation and flow of music in his/her mind, and would learn and develop in a musical setting. The point is, the normative way of teaching is very narrow-minded, and there are many alternatives that could exist. As passive members of a reified clientele, however, these alternatives do not seem within our reach or affect. We pay taxes for public schools, so we are unwillingly, but with no easy exit, conscript members of the educational bureaucracy.
When reading “The Silence Dialogue” article by Linda Delpit, it reminded me of the Peggy McIntosh’s article Unpacking the invisible Knapsack about white privileges. McIntosh talked about how white people are taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts them at an advantage. Linda Delpit describes in her article the “culture of power” and how color people for example Black or Native Americans educators’ dialogue about the pedagogy use in teaching other children has been silenced or simply ignored by their white colleague educators. The culture power is how pedagogy, values and ways of behaving in schools are affected by the cultural majority of a population. The cultural power in school is affected by the white culture, so the way people talk, write, and speak. It can be difficult or different for a person coming from a different cultural background to have the same benifits and power compared to a white person who has already been raised in the cultural power. In the article, we see comments coming from black educators talking about their own experiences discussing about “black issue” in school, saying that white people don’t listen to them and only based their knowledge on researches done by white people. Some of my color friends tried to explain me some of the differences and challenges they faced growing up in white dominated school. It was hard for me to picture and really understand their situation. I had a small taste of cultural power for the first time, when I played hockey in Maine, during my first year in junior. I was still part of the white majority, but I was in a minority language wise. I grew up in a small French village, so I did not speak English. I struggled while adjusting to a new language in school, and leaving into a new billet family. At moment, it became frustrating not being able to express myself properly and sometime, I would stop listening to conversations and disconnected from people. Even if my experience is not as extreme as some people might experience daily in their life, it gives me a better understanding of cultural power and how someone can be affected by it a classroom setting. Delpit mentioned that we should let the students express themselves in their own language. I believe as future educators, especially in a multicultural city like Montreal, that teachers should learn more about the various culture and ethnicity that they encounter in their classrooms. It will give them a better understanding and comprehension about their student’s values and personality. This might help decrease cultural power in our society.
Lisa Delpit’s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” talks about educating black students, as well as the five basic rules of “Culture and Power” (as she refers to it). She starts off the article in an interesting way where she has different cases of Black or Native teachers or people who work in schools and are also attending school discussing the education of black students with their professors. The common theme in all the cases Delpit writes about is that both parties (colored and white) have the same general aim but cannot come to a general agreement when it comes to the education of black students.
I found Delpit’s article to be quite interesting as it pertains to today’s society. The article outlines issues and talks about various things that I am sure I will come across as a future teacher. I think it is very important for a teacher to know her students and to understand them. That being said, it is a teacher’s job to assess her class and adjust the course materials accordingly. Not all students are the same and I believe this is an important point for teachers to keep in mind. The teacher must always realize that no two students are the same (whether referring to academics or physical descriptions) and the teacher must take that into consideration when going into a classroom and teaching students. One thing I found particularly interesting while reading the article was at the beginning when Delpit had some personal experiences and stories. I think it is important to be exposed to various viewpoints and experiences. It is always nice to be able to share stories and to read up on other peoples’ experiences because we can often learn a lot from them. Reading about other experiences really helps put things into perspective and allows people to get a better understanding of what Delpit is trying to say and it also helps the reader get a lot more out of the article.
After reading Friedenberg and Delpit’s articles, I came to the inevitable conclusion that power is a persisting issue in our society today. Delpit’s article, ‘‘The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children’’, discusses the culture of power that is prominent in the educational reform and society. Furthermore, she elaborates on how opinions of minority groups are suppressed and how the dominant society has the power to enforce which educational methods are to be taught in classrooms. On the other hand, Friedenberg’s article, ‘‘The Conscript Clientele’’, draws a resembling view of the education system. The author discusses how people have become clientele for services in society, specifically targeting students. School for students is compulsory, and therefore Friedenberg point out they are perfect candidates to be used as ‘‘raw material to be processed for the purposes of others, […] society as preparing the pupil for the advancement within it’’ (p.15). This demonstrates how society has completely disregarded the needs of students scholastically as well as culturally. As a future educator, I believe is it my responsibility to maximize each of my students’ potential by attending to their needs regardless of their socioeconomic or ethnic background. We must deviate from the status quo in order to accommodate these different cultural backgrounds. A teacher should create a classroom environment that does not support these divisions and provide his/her students with the necessary knowledge and awareness about the culture of power.
In her article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children”, Lisa Delpit discusses the issue of power in education; the point she makes, however, is that White educators are not willing to hear non-Whites on the matter of educating non-White students. As a result, Blacks and other disenfranchised groups silence themselves, thus removing their opinions and experiences from the dialogue. She believes that the surest way to reach these marginal students is for those in power to listen to what others have to say on the matter of education, not just trust in statistics.
This article was rather nostalgic for me as I attended a predominantly Black high school. Many were the times I would see Black parents leaving the principal’s office, cursing, saying that if the teacher knew how to teach properly, their child wouldn’t be having so much difficulty. While I don’t think that the “codes of the culture” which Delpit believes are only taught to White, middle/upper class students still holds true today (I’m sure any child can understand an indirect order to mean the same as a direct order), I will concede that there are many instances where indirect teaching has failed to produce the results that a teacher may have expected, and this owing to cultural differences. This is undoubtedly why I believe Delpit’s most poignant observation concerns teacher authority. As student teachers, we are made to learn a number of teaching styles, but because of the QEP, we must ensure that our teaching style is student-centered. This may result in situations where, as Delpit denotes, teachers are not as efficacious in displaying their merit as authority figures, and would simply rely on the authority vested in their title of “teacher.” Ultimately, Delpit touches on an issue that is at the core of the problem: the ability of the dominant culture to determine what is truth. McIntosh would view this as “White Priviliege”; clamoring that White educators use their power to maintain the status quo, while limiting explicit displays of power when they feel uncomfortable (as in the case of the Indian job applicant). I prefer to believe that there are elements of Freire’s view of “dialogue” missing from the equation: love, humility, faith in humankind, etc. For educators to produce the most efficient teaching environment, all parties must be heard: those who’ve published work, as well as those who’ve lived the experience.
In “Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Education Other People’s Children,” Lisa D. Delpit (1988) addresses problematic educational concepts and teaching approaches used towards students from different cultural backgrounds. Using the phrase “The Silenced Dialogue,” she emphasizes the fact that many teachers of color have given up on communicating with white teachers, the dominant culture, due to white teachers’ narrow-minded attitudes on recognizing differences between white and black students. She argues that students of color and low-class students are unprivileged because the teaching methods and approaches are based on “the culture of power”, deterring students who are not raised by the dominant culture from thriving in the educational system; thus making them failures at schools. She further argues that it is important to respect students’ cultural backgrounds in order for them to learn better.
Not only does this writing lead me to deeply consider teachers’ valuable characteristics, but it also provides me a great chance to think about my previous education and teachers’ attitudes. As a future educator in a multicultural society, I found this article both interesting and useful, although I couldn’t totally agree with her ideas. I agree with her that students have to be exposed to explicit instruction the way black teachers have employed; however, I believe this explicitness has to be slowly withdrawn in order to foster students’ independence and creativity. Detailed and direct instruction definitely helps students better learn and keep focusing on tasks at hand, but it is undeniable that these also make students dependent and less confident. No more, no less would be the rule of thumb when it comes to implicitness and explicitness of classroom instructions. However, I truly agree with her support on black teachers’ authoritative teaching style, for it is critical for teachers to be leaders in their classroom since it helps students to distinguish what and when to do. In fact, she clearly states her point of view when saying “Tell them that their language and cultural style is unique and wonderful [……], and if they want to be in on that game there are certain games that they too must play,” (p. 292) I cannot agree more with this idea.
Delpit’s article was very thought-provoking and opened a controversial topic for discussion. I believe that her perspective is one I share as well. Even with so much modernisation with technology and our historical knowledge, there is still so much segregation going on in our society. Not only have African-Americans and Native Americans’ been silenced; we have also silenced those who live in poverty, those who are not able-bodied and those who are overall not considered to be the “norm”.
In class, we spoke about white privilege and in my opinion, with all the knowledge and information we have at our disposal it just seems so backward that we are still facing this issue every day. In classrooms, teachers should take a pedagogic and integrative approach to these issues rather than just raising awareness. I believe that there is just simply no excuse for children to not be knowledgeable about other cultures, traditions, religions, etc. Delpit mentions the term “cultural capital”, which I think every single child should require over the course of their elementary and high school education. As Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power,” and I think that cultural knowledge is just as indispensable as knowledge concerning math or language arts. In my opinion, the key to integration, inclusion and having one’s voice heard is if everyone feels that their culture and traditions are valued which in turn gives them a sense of value, rather than feeling undermined and silenced.
Lisa Delpit’s (1988) argues in her article “The Silenced Dialogue” about how power handicaps people to notice the minority that is being oppressed (often by them). She reflects this thought through the concept of culture of power and comes to explain this concept through five different aspects or rules that demonstrate how even schools are related to “that power”. At the beginning of her article, she reveals many examples in which colored people express how powerless they feel when it comes to discussing about how to educate colored students with white people, because they are constantly shut down and made believe that they (the white) know best or more.
I was very surprised when I read this article because last semester I wrote my final paper on “what does it mean to be well educated” for my philosophy class, and I wrote about all of these aspects of power that are discussed by Delpit. I was aware of this culture of power long before I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I chose to become a teacher. I mean hearing people criticize younger generations for being so passive and careless made me realize that if part of that is true, it is because precisely, schools do not offer an education where students can learn about moral values and how to know themselves better so that they can make the world better. Rather, it is as if we constantly taught students to be competitive and to be effective, or even to do things where they are good at (because that is probably where they will be able to establish a solid future), instead of helping them develop other qualities that could make of them more knowledgeable and actually better individuals.
It is no longer enough to have the intention of making a good change if no action will follow that intention, and unfortunately, this is the reality in which we find ourselves today. Powerful people believe that they are the ones who could make important changes, but their perception of important changes revolves around the workforce and the money-making. What about dreams? What about humanity? Originally, we were born dreamers, so if there is no longer time for accomplishing those innocent and human dreams, where have we left our humanity?
As teachers, it is important to give students a glimpse of what the real world is like; we must push them, be strict and disciplined. But there is a reason why teachers are the pillows of society and that is because our role Is not only to educate people on research or on statics, it is to educate them on how to be aware of the importance of their own existence and to acknowledge the existence of “the other” as well. Maybe Delpit wouldn’t have written an article on the culture of power if education was actually centered on how to educate and form better human beings…. And maybe, if power didn’t exist in our world we would all be the best version of ourselves.
As a student from a small, heterogenous school and community, it is hard for me to see how can learning be different for people from different cultures. To me, being black never meant having a different culture, it was simply a different skin color. I am in University now and discussing racism and minority rights, and it is still hard for me to understand why anything at all should be different for people from a different culture. I still have much to learn and understand on the topic.
But even with this state of mind, I can tell you that a lot of students from my school were unhappy with some indirect ways of teaching. All the favorite teachers, the ones that we learned the most from and in whose class we got the best grades were the strictest ones. They were the ones telling us where we were, where we were going and how to get there. They made no exception to any rule and they were the favorites and most remembered teachers my classmates and I had.
At first, the were scary, because the wanted thing done their way and everything was so precise and strict, but as time went by, we all realized that this was for our own good. Contrarily to this, we also had teachers who were very vague in their explanations, pretending to encourage creativity and self-development or whatever it was, and we disliked them. I personally felt like I learned very little from them. Yes, sometimes, their projects caught me up and sparked a brilliant idea in me. Those times, I did great things and I was proud of my work. But some of those times, even though I had done great things, they did not correspond to what the teacher had “envisioned” or wanted us to do. In his vague explanations, the teacher expected a clear and precise outcome, which was very frustrating.
I think the best is to learn how to properly blend the two methods together- to guide the students consistently trough the tasks, give them a clear procedure to follow, a clear outcome to come to, and to also give them other work where they can be more free and express themselves fully. Give them projects which are clearly structured, but still leave place for innovation. As Delpit mentioned in The Silenced Dialogue, students need a teacher who they can learn from, and that is the most important part, whether or not the student learns on his own is secondary, according to me.
If I might add to this… I also personally never realized that what I I consider to be “evident” might not be “evident” for someone from another culture. Maybe it’s because of my background, but I somehow believed that children all had the same background knowledge. I did not see any point in teaching kids what most of them already know, and what I considered to be obvious. I wonder how it is that educators should teach these things, without boring other students. I volunteer in a school every week. I work with adorable 5 and 6 years olds, pretty much all white middle class students. I rarely ask them something directly, instead, I like to get them to think about what they are doing. Instead of saying, “Don’t run with scissors!”, I will say “Do you think it’s safe to run with scissors?”. Most of the time, the student will realize his mistake and understand WHY he should not do what he’s doing or why he should do something else. I think it’s important for the student to understand the reason “why” as well as the meaning of the interaction. The one thing I dislike the most about being a student and someone’s child, is when I ask why and I am told “Because.”
All of this to say again that, I believe, children need to be in the middle and also that it is hard for me to associate race to this, because I believe that this is true for every student, not only the ones from minority cultures. Is it not? Maybe the ones from minority cultures do need to be explained certain things explicitly once and be taught things that other child are not taught, but every child from every race whatsoever needs an education that will give them enough space to explore and a strict enough environment to learn.
PS: Do you think we could talk a little more in depth about this whole “race” thing? I find it really hard to understand somehow….
Lisa Delpit’s article The Silenced Dialogue addresses some disconcerting occurrences in the ‘white classroom’. What stood out to me in her article was her mention of white professionals thinking that they know what’s best for everyone’s children. When it comes to discussing the black issue, and to talking about how to best teach children outside the white culture, non-white professionals can’t even speak of their own kids if it is not grounded in some fact or research. The dialogue is silenced on the side of the minorities. Thus, emerges Delpit’s main point: there is a culture of power at play in the educational system. As Delpit states: “When acknowledging and expressing power, one tends towards explicitness…” In the classroom, the implicit way of showing power is sometimes detrimental to some students. Whereas, implicit power is understood in white households, it may be understood as an opportunity to disobey in the non-white household where power is expressed explicitly. A non-white child may be seen as troublesome if he/she does not comply with implicit instructions. Not all students can grasp implicit instructions. Many students need to be told explicitly what to do. I know that I am one of those people. I am not one to pick insinuations in the teacher’s instructions. This is the case with many students. They need to be told what to do explicitly. Teachers see this as being the student’s problem to fix, but it must be the schools to be the ones to reorient themselves to allow students to express their own culture.
I believe that Delpit’s words best summarize the article the article when she says that people are the experts of their own lives. When it comes to determining what is best for minorities and children of colour, it is best for the voices of minority teachers and parents to be heard. Everyone must contribute to the dialogue of instructional methodology to ensure that the culture of white power is not being maintained in society.
“They understand the need for both approaches, the need to help students to establish their own voices, but to coach those voices to produce notes that will be heard clearly in the larger society” (Delpit, pg. 296)
I found the two articles to be very interesting and informational. “The Conscript Clientele” article by Friedenberg explained that White people think that they know what is the best way to educate Black students and poor students. If the information is not researched or is not a theory by a famous philosopher (Vygotsky) or researcher it loses its validity. When “[s]tudents try to discuss in class readings beyond those that wee assigned, and call for greater or subtler insights than the teacher stands ready to accept[…] (Friedenberg, pg.2),” they are usually silenced. Friedenberg stresses the point that humans are being treated inhumanely as objects. He uses a metaphor referring to people as Ping-pong balls in games that social agencies play. When a child has a behaviour problem, as teachers we should think about the child’s needs and wants rather than just focus on eliminating the behaviour.
I found Lisa Delpit’s article “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children” very, very interesting and I agree with the points she raised. It talks about the “culture of power” that is often overlooked in the field of education. Some students come to school prepackaged with more cultural capital than others, which makes it easier for those students to succeed. Students who come from the culture of power already understand its codes. There are different attitudes in different cultural groups and the school system needs to understand that students have different ways of responding to different teaching styles. Influence from childrearing in the home and parenting styles can impact a students’ relationship in the school. We can avoid defining kids as having behavioural problems if we examine ourselves as teachers and know our biases about other cultures. It is crucial to not only go by what research says. Consulting parents who share the culture of the students may give teachers insight on how that student learns best. It’s not all about research. Research has proved many things in past generations that have now been proven untrue. “[M]oney [is being] spent providing goods and services to people who have no voice in determining what those goods and services shall be or how they should be administered” (Friedenberg, pg.6). Teachers need to to understand that students have a voice in their own learning processes.
I found the dialogue between the teacher and the Black student child named Joey interesting because she pin-points and questions whether or not it is right or wrong to speaking in a southern-like accent and right or wrong and who sets those standards. Whether we like it or not, we are living in a White man’s world and, for the time being, it is essential to teach students how to function in such a world. Today, classrooms are full of diversity, educators need to connect and consult parents and students in order to connect with students and be able to teach them successfully. Dialpgue is crucial in this process. One must not only listen, one must hear!