Lisa Delpit, The Silenced Dialogue
In the article, the author presents the fact that blacks and other people of color, educators and students alike, feel that their concerns are not being met in the classroom. These minorities realize that they are not part of the culture of power, the white majority. And they want to engage in dialogue with them in order to resolve the issue of inequality when educating minority students. Apparently, the needs of minority students are different than those of whites because the former have not learned the rules and skills necessary to function within the culture of power belonging to the latter. According to the article, until such time as education is equitable to all, blacks and other non-whites need to be explicitly taught these skills.
I have three questions for discussion in class:
First, is the desire of whites to want the same thing for everyone’s children as they want for their own egotistical, or selfish, or just well intentioned?
Secondly, why is it that blacks function better with instruction that is skills-based (explicit) versus process-based (implicit)? The article suggests that blacks do not function as well with implicit instruction because they are unaware of the implicit rules of the white culture of power.
And lastly, would our discussions in class be any different (more inhibited perhaps?) if there were black students in the classroom?
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I was wondering the same thing Joe. I wonder how different our class discussions would be if we had African Americans in class.
ReplyDeleteKelly
Me too. But it would be really interesting if the class was half black or even if the professor was black. All kinds of interesting discussion then:)
ReplyDeleteI have taught this class, and others like it, with a more diverse student body. Truth be told, the discussions are deeper and richer because we are able to talk about experience in a different way. But it can also be very hard to students of color to have to talk about such heated issues in a room with very few visible allies!
ReplyDeleteI find if very interesting that in the article, Delpit discusses that African American students do well with explicit instruction and directives. I think this can be true for many of our learners who do not understand our society and culture, such as our students with forms of Autism, who are also part of the oppressed population.
ReplyDeleteI want to believe that whites desire to give everyones children what they have is well intentioned. Naive yes. Uniformed yes. I know I have come to a greater understanding and I'm white. Do the white people in power have the same benevolence? Same naiveté? I want to believe yes, but having a front row seat to the disparity in educational offerings between the elite and not, I think the prevailing view is demonstrating that elevating the educational status of those not participating in the culture of power is not high on the agenda.
ReplyDeleteI love your question about having people of color in the class and the potential to change the dynamic. It would be nice to hear about their personal experience, and to elicit commentary on things we can not know anything about.
I think that the regard for explicit teaching/communication is twofold, not only to provide clarity in instruction but it also is cultural. There may be regard for absolute power and uncompromising mentors. I believe the example cited here that deemphasizing power did create confusion in the students. However, if the children understand that they are given choices, the teacher may appear to be soft, and lack control.