When Race Breaks Out

Summery:
In Chapter 8 of Fox's book When Race Breaks Out, the author suggests that, in order to "break the ice" with ones students, it would be beneficial to have a meeting outside of the classroom. Fox lists some ways in which you could break out of the school environment- by meeting at the teacher's home, going outdoors or meeting at a student co-op. According to Fox, this could allow for a more "friendly, low-stakes interaction" between students and teachers.

Critique:
The classroom environment carries a lot of history for so many students. Sometimes these are positive associations but for many students, their school memories may include negative experiences of oppression, humiliation, fear, competition etc. The classroom, in a way, can easily become a loaded environment where students fall into their usual comfort zones of behavioral tendencies and ways of thinking and acting that may be comfortable for oneself but harmful to others. I do agree that when and even before such harmful actions come up in class, involving racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism etc., it could be very helpful to remove the class from it's familiar environment. Out in the world, beyond the confines of the school, everyone has a better opportunity to shake their usual roles and the almost hierarchical structure of a class. In a neutral environment, equality has more of a chance to surface between all races, genders, personalities, professions and ages.
One weakness in Fox's piece of advice can be found in the more long term effects of such a meeting. The author does not mention how to integrate such an activity back into the classroom context- a task which i would find challenging. In some ways, i feel that it would be more effective to hold a similar community building activity in the actual classroom environment in order to break it's boundaries from within. Being out of context, at someones home or in the freedom of the outdoors, would make difficult the task of applying ones experiences to the classroom. Working to break out of restrictions in the classroom might help the teacher and students to avoid falling back into old habits in the long term.

The Complexity of Identity (2)

Is it important to actively respond to a child's uniformed or offensive comment or action in a classroom and, if so, how would you go about communicating to the individual or class?

As a teacher, it is your responsibility to create a positive and inclusive space in your school and facilitate an understanding and supportive community for the students. It is therefore important to address these issues that come up in class discussions and activities- even on the playground at recess. It can be difficult to proactively respond to a child's uninformed comment or resolve a destructive situation. As children and adults, we all find it difficult to react to a quickly delivered insult or a movement to exclude. It is most important, in these moments, to communicate openly with those involved or effected. Communication is the most important aspect of any community because, as individuals, we are all in need of connection and understanding with those around us.

Communication is also the key to a successful learning and teaching environment. When resolving a conflict between students, i would find it most beneficial to begin with a question- try to find out more, allow the students to think for themselves and communicate to you and with each other. I would try to turn a negative situation into a learning experience for myself and my students by having a class discussion or assigning a task or project that encourages understanding.

The Complexity of Identity (1)

Why is it that those "outside" of the "societal norm" feel more inclined to define themselves by their gender, ethnicity, spirituality, sexuality etc.?

I feel that those who have been categorized as "outsiders" or "abnormal" by our society face a very difficult task, every day, as they live within our communities. This challenge is something that most of those who are within the cultural norm- white, middle aged, middle class, heterosexual, christian, men- do not face on a daily basis. This is the task of maintaining and expressing ones own identity. I find it difficult enough to express myself freely as a Canadian who does not conform to the typical Canadian cultural identity and cannot even imagine the challenge one faces coming from a different ethnicity, environment and community. When oppressed by the masses- defined by stereotypes and excluded by closemindedness- one is forced to identify with and through their differences. In our culture, a female person who is pursuing a career is identified most often by her gender- for example, the female musician- and a male person who is homosexual is most often identified by his sexuality- the gay teacher. When you are a "coulored" person who is a Muslim, listens to the music, eats the food and dances the dance of your culture, then that is how you are known in Canada and you often have no choice but to internalise this constructed identity.

What is Cultural Identity

I believe that cultural identity is the way we identify ourselves with a certain community. Our culture is something created, over time, by the people of our community in the past and still evolving in the present with each new expression and creation. Culture is, essentially, what our community values- language, art, music, philosophy, agriculture, science, religion, cuisine and many other things are important to a community and therefore become part of the cultural identity of it’s people.

For an example, I have chosen a musical performance by Rimpa Shiv- a young Tabla player. I find this video interesting because it clearly represents an evolution in Rimpa’s culture partially due to her own identity. As you can tell from the music, technique and instrument alone, Rimpa is from India. Her playing style and Tabla drums, made of metal, wood and calf skin, are unique to northern India and their sound is distinct to Hindustani music. Otherwise Rimpa’s video is quite revolutionary. Rimpa is one of the first women to pursue a performing career on the Tablas, a musical path traditionally only taken by men. She has also chosen this path at a younger age then most- performing publicly at the age of nine with a talent comparable to most nineteen year olds (Chhibber). In this video, her clothing is a mixture of both traditional Indian and Western styles and her hair is cut short. Rimpa represents a new, more modern, cultural identity based on her own experience and expression of the Indian tradition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-pIH0rRzPM&mode=related&search=

Chhibber, Kavita. http://nripulse.com/Archives/ReflectionsFeb16.htm