FNED 346

Dr Bogad

"Other's People's Children, recognizing Cultural Conflict in the Classroom"

In the article “Other People’s Children, Cultural Conflict in the Classroom” Lisa Delpit shares her insight on the debate among many educators on how best to teach literacy to the diversity of children in a classroom.  As students ourselves, we are continually reminded that one of our biggest challenges will be how to address that diversity.  How do we effectively teach every child everything they need to be successful?  To understand this debate, Delpit examines what she refers to as a “culture of power”.  She believes that every culture has a unique form of communication, and that in the classroom one culture dominates all others.  The result is that children who are already products of this dominant culture, middle and upper class white children, have a distinct advantage over their classmates.  The teaching ideology currently used is best suited to the learning abilities of the white children from this "culture of power", and consequently they have access to the best opportunities for future employment.  The rest of the class is labeled.  They are considered not as smart, savvy, or prepared.  But they are simply victims of a troubled educational system.

Delpit continues to help us understand this “culture of power” by dividing it into five categories.  My interest is in the second category, “the ways of talking, ways of writing, ways of dressing, and the ways of interacting”  These are behaviors that those in power understand, respect and reward.  If you already know, or can learn, and apply these rules to your social interactions, you are “playing the game” and you will have a better chance of succeeding in the world of privilege, in this case the workplace.

Delpit’s points are similar to McIntosh’s in “White Privilege” (2001).  McIntosh shows us that if the privileged deny the existence of racism, they are denying responsibility for a problem they are in part responsible for.  Delpit points out that many of the privileged do not recognize the existence of cross cultural problems in the classroom.  They too are denying the existence of the "culture of power", so deny responsibility for a failed system that they helped design.  In addition, if educators of color and the students of other cultures also deny the existence of the culture or “linguistics" of power they are doomed to fail.  As with all problems, nothing can be fixed unless it is recognized and acknowledged first.  And as we have seen in our readings so far, denial is pervasive in our society, although it could be an indication of how helpless many of us feel.  

I am grateful for this article.  And particularly grateful for Martha Demientieff.  A “masterful Native Alaskan” teacher who created an environment where she helped her students embrace two cultures, their own “heritage language” and “Formal English” (the culture of power).   Demientieff  set up visual examples of the contrasting cultures and explained that there were “people, not like those in (their) village , who judge others by the way they talk or write.”  She explained the differences as facts and helped her students see that is was a good thing.  She was teaching her students how to be successful in the real world.  I am impressed by such a simple yet effective model, she has given me something useful, and I am putting it in my toolbox.  I believe that the state of our economy can be blamed in part on this culture of power.  Imagine how different the workforce would look if it was driven by talent and skill.  Instead the judgements keep qualified applicants form securing positions simply because they cannot play the game and communicate in “formal english”.

Demientieff shows that the game can be defined, and the rules can be clarified.  My field work is at the Met Alternative high school.  All of the students are responsible for creating internships and are already learning that playing the game isn’t denying your own culture, it’s being smart about creating opportunities for yourself.  

I would be interested in discussing the power culture in the news media.  Newscasters speak in “formal english”.  Ironically Oprah Winfrey lost her first broadcasting job because she was told she wasn’t Television material.  In spite of that initial setback, she has become one of the most powerful women in this country.  Just listen to how she speaks.  She played the game.  And after achieving her position of power, she began putting programs in place to challenge that culture of power.  Below is a link to a short video showcasing the first graduating class at the Leadership Academy in South Africa in 2012.  It is important to note that Delpit believes that for true change to occur it needs to be initiated at the top.  Oprah's South African Academy is a perfect example of change coming from the top.

http://www.oprah.com/own/First-Look-The-Oprah-Winfrey-Leadership-Academy-Special-Video 

I am including this photo as well.  Look at the sign.  It was created by a graphic designer.  What a great example of someone in a position of "power" helping someone that doesn't have the "linguistic skills" to create this work of art.  How would you react if you drove by this person.  And look at the smile on her face.  I think this is wonderful . . . The little things add up!