In chapter one of Green's book, she paraphrases Iris Marion Young in the following quote:
“Both Western theorizing and everyday language exhibit a misguided urge to characterize things in terms of overarching wholes and subordinate parts as way of representing and thus grasping reality. This way of thinking leads inevitably to hierarchical oppositions between the pure and impure examples of things of a kind … giving privileged attention to certain characteristics that are widely shared among favored examples and by marginalizing other characteristics in which things of the kind differ” (2).
In other words, we have a tendency to define particular groups with certain characteristics – at the expense of recognizing internal diversity within the group.
Think about the group or population that your APPLES organization is serving. Do you think that mainstream society defines this group in a way that is simplistic or homogeneous? Is this a negative or positive stereotype? Have your recent encounters with members of this group changed the way that you define or “see” that group? How so?
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For my APPLES service, I am a pre-k volunteer at Carrboro Elementary School. It was a different culture. AS a Carolina student, I am used to thinking of the area as being a place populated by upper-class, pre-dominantly white individuals. This simply is not the case at Carrboro Elementary School. When I tried talking to the children, I realized that many of them didn't speak English. I spent the rest of my volunteer time making labels in different languages to tape around the room. On this particular day, the class was preparing to be reviewed to qualify for funding similar that given to Head Start programs. I think others often see minority students as being disadvantaged. My encounter with this group at the school doesn't make me see them this way. Even without knowing English, the kids enjoyed playing with other kids, singing songs with the teacher, and even learning about healthy teeth. I think some people see public schools like this as being poor and less sophisticated. I worked at an upscale preschool based institution during the summer. Both preschools actually sang some of the same songs and had the same number of staff members working in each class. I have been used to thinking of kids in public schools like Carrboro Elementary as being poor and disadvantaged. On the contrary, I think the school provides these students with a unique education that gives them many advantages that kids at other schools may not have. These kids at Carrboro Elementary are being taught in multiple languages, and they are taught the value of multicultural diversity at an early age. -Jenny
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES Service Project, I am a volunteer with UNC-NOW at St. Joseph's Bread Ministry. St. Joseph is located in a historically-known African-American community. Thinking about Chapel Hill as a whole, a lot of people fail to realize the significant impact that the African-American community has on Chapel Hill/UNC. Most of UNC's housing staff are African American. Most of the staff working in Rams Head and Lenoir are African American. As a volunteer in Northside, I am helping serve a community that is often over shadowed by the greater university community. We tend to view Chapel Hill as tar heel fans, basketball team, and Franklin St, but there is more than that to its story. I wouldn't say that this stereotype is negative nor positive, but that it simply fails to embrace the diversity that makes Chapel Hill the one-of-a-kind place it is. My recent encounters have also influenced the way that I see Northside. With so many of the visitors to the bread ministry being Hispanic, this is contradictory to the African-American image that many people have of Northside. I no longer see Northside as a historically African American community that played a tremendous role during the Civil Rights Movement, but better yet I view it as the students of the university, the African-Americans whom embrace their cultural traditions, and the citizens of Chapel Hill that work for the university/support the university community. - Chris
ReplyDeleteThis semester I chose to volunteer with a Pre-K classroom at Rashkis Elementary School in Meadowmont Village. Before being introduced to the teachers, staff, and children at Meadowmont, I have always heard the stereotype that Meadowmont was a predominately upper-class, Caucasian area. Usually, people would say that most of the people that live in the area were used to high-class living and resources. After my first visit to volunteer at the Elementary School I have learned that Rashkis Elementary School encompasses a larger story than its stereotype portrays. Indeed, there are some children who come from wealthy families, but there are also children who are receiving free education. Even though there is an overarching stereotype about the location, the Pre-K program is teaching children from all areas that all children are friends no matter their background, intelligence, or race.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement, I am volunteering at Glenwood Elementary, just 5 minutes away from campus. Currently, I work with Mr. Kennedy in his first grade classroom; reading and helping the children understand simple concepts from the reading selections. The school system in Carrboro and Chapel Hill are very different from the others in North Carolina. It is truly one of the best. One of the most intriguing aspects that I have noticed is the amount of resources that these very young children have access to. For example, in the classroom I volunteer in, there were two Mac computers. Other classrooms, like McDougle Elementary in which I volunteered at last semester, had four Mac computers and two Mac laptops. The children have a diverse reading selection to chose from and have multiple people helping the teacher in the classroom. Also, the children are very diverse, which was not my original thought of how it would be. I thought it would be mostly of white, with a couple of other people from different races. However, the group is very diverse, including other factors such as background and socioeconomic. The children are most likely part of the middle class, with a few ranging in the lower and some possibly in the higher. Lastly, so far in my placement, I have seen the teacher attempt to not single out any type of students when it comes to the volunteers helping them. I have helped children that were more advanced than other students and vice versa. The school is definitely not homogenous. The children are diverse and are getting along with each other in the classroom. The minority students do not appear to be separated or disadvantaged in the classroom compared to the other students. The students at Glenwood Elementary have by far impressed me with their intelligence at such a young age, regardless of race. I believe this is true because of the amount of resources and aid the school is given and provides to the students.
ReplyDelete--Hakeem Rizk
I am currently signed up to volunteer at Carolina Apartments this semester. I have yet to begin my work there and from my understanding us students will be playing an important role in building up the program there. The fact that us students are going to play such an important roll in building this program, as opposed to a government instution tells me that some of the needs of this community have been ignored. They have been marginalized and disregarded in certain areas, such as educational support. I think they have been negatively grouped and disregarded in certain aspects. I am eager to get started and see how my assumptions of this community and program will align with the reality of the community and project, however last semester I was a volunteer at Abbey Court and given the close proximity of the two communities and centers, I feel as if I will encounter a similar atmosphere and my views of these "groups" will continue to evolve in an even more positive light through our work.
ReplyDelete--Chelsea Journigan
I am coaching soccer at the Human Rights Center and will be working with primarily Hispanic children and children from low income families. Using my sociological background, I think that our society most definitely defines Hispanic families in a homogeneous way. Thinking about news reports and things that I hear people say everyday, our society stereotypes the Hispanic community as illegal immigrants who have little education and are not worthy of being in the US. Our society is known for using stereotypes to simplify how we see the world, but when we use stereotypes to apply negative attributes to a whole group of people, we are being incredibly presumptuous. I haven't worked with the children yet, but I have experience in coaching soccer to underprivileged children (mostly Hispanic) and have seen that they are far more cooperative that most kids I have met in upper class elementary schools. These children from low income families were so appreciative and happy that we were helping them that the adults seemed to get more out of the experience than the children.
ReplyDeleteThis semester I am going to be volunteering in Chapel Hill-Carrboro city schools as an ESL volunteer. I have yet to be assigned a specific location and have not met the children that I will be working with. I come from a town where English as a Second Language courses are comprised of mostly children of Hispanic origin. Our society has placed unfair, negative stereotypes on the Hispanic community. These children are often seen as one of many children in a large family of illegal immigrants whose parents have come to this country for work. By placing these stereotypes on these children we do not give them the credit they deserve as being talented, and gifted children just as any of our children would be considered. I can say that just from the information flier I received at the sign-up station in the Student Union, this experience will be much different than I initially imagined it would be. I have learned that these are not necessarily the only children that I will be working with. The flier says that these students will come from many cultures and speak 58 different languages. I am excited to learn about these different children and help them learn and interact with one another, with respect and appreciation for diversity.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES project I am volunteering with the UNC Hospital's platelet center as well as the Oncology Inpatient department at the UNC Cancer Hospital. Most of the people that come to volunteer platelets are college students. I guess the main stereotype towards our generation is that we are lazy and too preoccupied with technology and other things to care about other people. However, we are also known for being some of the most proactive and service-oriented generations. Keeping that in mind, I guess it doesn't surpise me that most of the platelet donors are college students. Furthermore, the fact that it is on campus, they provide food/drinks, and it is a 1.5-2 hour process, probably makes it more convenient for students than any one else. However, I found it interesting when I talked to the director of the program when she estimated that only about 1% of those who donate platelets are minorities and that only one African American male comes in every month to donate. I thought these statistics were interesting, and it will be interesting to see throughout the semester what happens.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement, I am volunteering with Mr. Kennedy's first grade class at Glenwood Elementary. During my placement I help the students with improving their reading skills and their sounding out of difficult words. The school system in this area is very different from the one that I use to attend when I was younger. The children have a diverse reading selections and a lot of resources that aids the teacher in the classroom. The children in Mr. Kennedy's classroom are really diverse and I guess the stereotype for a school in this system would be for them to be upper class seeing as they have Mac desktops and all of these resources in class. However, the group is very diverse, including other factors such as background and socioeconomic. I have observed Mr. Kennedy's teaching styles and I originally thought that I would only receive the students who worked at a slower pace to help read, but to my suprise Mr. Kennedy rotates the students so that they all have a chance to improve in their work. The minority students do not appear to be separated or disadvantaged in the classroom compared to the other students. I have really enjoyed my time in Mr. Kennedy's classroom and I look forward to learning more from the students by how they interact and work together in the classroom.
ReplyDelete- Lorenzo
For my APPLES Service Learning Project, I am volunteering with UNC-NOW at St. Joseph’s Baptist Church Bread Ministry. The Bread Ministry is located on the Northside of Chapel Hill, off of Rosemary. From what I have heard through my Afro-American courses that I have been privileged to take at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, been that this community is noted as a historically African-American Community but by volunteering at the Bread Ministry once before I noticed that now-a-days it is more heavily a Hispanic/latino community. The mainstream society has no clue that Chapel Hill has an area such as Northside. I have heard many people say that if they knew about “Northside,” they would be committed time to volunteer. To me this stereotype is neither negative nor positive, but with the population of Chapel Hill and with the University of North Carolina being the heart and soul of the city, I think that Northside should not be overlooked in no way. Through my recent encounters by volunteering at Northside, I now see the group of people that are volunteering are a community of one. Everyone helps each other to make sure that Chapel Hill becomes a better place as well as support their historical communities.-Phillip
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES project, I chose to continue working with the kids (mainly Hispanic) that I worked with last semester at Abbey Court, Human Rights Center. Before I started last year, I was not so sure that I would like working there since I had heard bad things about the neighborhood, things like drugs, drunks, etc. Our society has labeled Hispanics as illegal immigrants, uneducated, and drug related. This is a negative stereotype since it labels them as dangerous, not approachable, or isolated. This could cause other people less likely to help them and bring them out of the stereotype. After a semester of volunteering there, I realized how warm, cooperative, and appreciative these children are. I was looking forward to go there every week, and the experience got better and better, that I wanted to spend more time there. We built a pure friendship among each other, and we loved to work, play, and have fun together. At first, I thought their parents might not like us since we might be intruding their community or group, but they opened their arms and welcomed us. I helped them in Math, Reading, and Science last semester. The impression I have on them now has totally changed from the stereotypes. I think they are all very smart students, and they deserve equal opportunities as other racial group kids do. We as Carolina college students should bring the human rights awareness to them and help them. All of them have bright futures and all they need right now is a little help.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement I am working with a program called Communiversity, which operates here on UNC’s campus through the Sonja Haynes Stone Center. The program offers homework help and cultural and technological literacy to local under-represented minority elementary school students from McDougle and Raskish Elementary Schools. On a given day, the program has an attendance of about 25 students, most of which are Black. Given that majority of the counselors for the program are also Black, there is a level of comfort for the children, which at times is a hindrance to the goals of homework assistance and cultural literacy; as much of the time is spent trying to maintain order and discipline the children. In answering one of the posed questions, I find that mainstream society does homogeneously and stereotypically define Black people. These groupings are negative because for one, all Black people are not the same and it is at times difficult to combat the negative stereotypes that are posed on the group as a whole. Unfortunately, in this volunteer setting, I see many of these stereotypes being played out in the children in areas of behavior that is an emulation of (inappropriate) mainstream popular culture. Not to mention the fact that majority of the children come from a lower class in which education and enrichment are not number one priorities. Despite the negative attributes that may affect the children as a group, there are those who seem to break the mold and have an actual desire for learning and improving their condition, even at this young age.
ReplyDeleteMy APPLES Placement is at St. Joe's through UNC-NOW which provides a food pantry service to low-income members of a historically African-American neighborhood. Many times people hold untrue stereotypes about lower income minorities who patronize places like St. Joe's. More privileged people tend to think that people living in poverty are poor because they are too lazy to work or that the circumstances of their poverty are a result of poor invdividual choices. This may be true in some cases, but it was not the case of the people with whom I interacted in my placement.
ReplyDeleteFor example, one woman was nice enough to open up and share her story with me: She was married and gainfully employed up until the time that she had her second child. Her daughter is mentally handicapped and because she needs constant care the mother had to quit her job becuase there were no day cares that could properly look after her daughter. Shortly after, her husband was laid off which led to a lot of stress in their marriage and ultimately their divorce. Now, she must rely on services like the one at St. Joe's in order to ensure that her family has enough food to eat. This woman arguably works harder at caring for her two daughters than most people do at the office from 9-5.
As this case demonstrates, not all of those in poverty are there because they are lazy or because they have made poor life choices; some are hard-working individuals who are there because they are victims of circumstances which are beyond thier control.
For my APPLES project, I am an ESL volunteer at Scroggs Elementary School. I am helping four fourth grade Korean children learn how to read and write in English. I may be wrong here, but I feel that there is a stereotype that exists in America that automatically labels anyone that doesn't speak English in America as unintelligent. We also have the tendency to get annoyed when we cant seem to get our point across. So, I think it is extremely important when dealing with people from other cultures to remember that these people are not ignorant. They are simply having a difficult time adapting to a completely new language and culture. In fact, they could be brilliant! At my ESL training, the instructors simulated a Japanese classroom and spoke only in Japanese. I was completely lost! The purpose of the simulation was to show the volunteers how difficult all of this is for these children. I now have a new found understanding for what these children are going through. I wish everyone that held the negative stereotype that I spoke of could have this experience.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES project, I am attempting to work with the Heirs for a Fighting Tradition project that collects and records archives of social movements so that they can better understand and organize social movements in the future. I have not yet had the opportunity to work with them, however, it does not seem that they are serving any one social group, but attempts to instead unite everyone possible in order to have successful social movements. They especially seem to support grassroots movements that benefit a variety of social groups. By participating in this project, I hope to be able to see how people come together, especially in the face of prejudice or stereotypes each individual might have about another, to essentially effect social change for the greater good of everyone. I am excited to find out more about the project and learn about what my own prejudices might be to the group that they may specifically serve.
ReplyDelete--Chelsea Glenn
Through the Carrboro Human Rights Center, I will be organizing and throwing events and information sessions for the female Hispanic community. I think that many people have a generally negative view of the Hispanic community. Especially in television shows and movies Hispanic people are portrayed as simple and as the lowest class of society. There are a large number of Hispanic people who take on the lowest jobs but this is only because of their citizen status. Many people see Hispanic workers as “useful” or “cheap,” but there are many of them are extremely skilled at what they do and would most definitely progress professionally if their citizen status permitted them to do so. However, becoming a citizen is very hard and takes many years. Also, sometimes a language barrier can keep people from seeing how intelligent people are. I had a professor once that was completely surprised by the intelligence of a girl with a particular accent. I think that people generally underestimate the intelligence of Hispanic people as well since many of them know minimal if any English.
ReplyDelete- Olivia Ramirez
From last semester, I have volunteered with the Blue Ribbon Mentoring Advocate program in Chapel Hill. Through the program, I have been able to tutor a variety of students of different age, race, and socioeconomic background and having the exposure to different groups of people have helped me see and comprehend the implications social prejudice and stereotypes in a local community. It is easier for people to label an entire group rather than try to understand the individuals that make up the group, and this idea of marking a group in a homogeneous manner can have an negative impact. There are Hispanic students that come to the evening tutoring sessions and it is apparent that they are trying extremely hard to learn and become fluent in English. It seems like many Americans believe that Hispanic immigrants (documented or undocumented) can not speak English or do not try to learn it awhile many students are struggling hard to learn it or many are too busy working to even think about it.
ReplyDeleteLast semester, I volunteered with the students in Abbey Court through Dr.Blau's Soci 273 course. Before attending Abbey Court I had no idea what to expect. I assumed that since the stress for tutors was so high that these students were doing very poor in school. This was not the case! In fact most of these students were doing okay in school they just could not get the help they needed at home because most of their parents did not speak or read English. So our help there was essential to their success in their homework. When I think of Hispanic students, I think first about their difficulties in school because of the language barriers as well as the cultural barriers. But the students of Abbey Court have many more barriers, socioeconomic status and a lack of support from their parents. I am interested to see how the students of Carolina Apartments differ or are similar to the students of Abbey Court. I hope to make others more understanding of the true needs of these Hispanic communities to minimize the stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteThis semester I will be volunteering at Scroggs Elementary at Southern Village with the School Reading Partners program. My service will consist of reading a book in both Spanish and English to an ESL student. I attended a three hour training session last Thursday, where I learned a great deal about how to effectively read to students who are at different levels with different skills. The approach that this reading program takes in helping students learn how to read and understand books is very interesting to me. They emphasize reading in both Spanish and English to the student during the thirty minute time span that you are to spend with him or her. While I was growing up, as an ESL student myself, I never once remember reading in Spanish at school. The primary focus was getting me to speak and read in English. No one seemed to be interested in my ability to develop my Spanish reading skills, which simply goes along with nativist fears reflected in anti-immigrant rhetoric. I remember growing up not being interested in learning how to read or write Spanish and my parents weren’t against it because they wanted me to do well in school. Learning Spanish wasn’t going to help me in school. In the ever increasing climate of Latino immigration into the US, however, it is clear that being bilingual is a huge advantage. I’m glad that readings programs, such as the one I’m volunteering with, acknowledges the importance of having these children read in their native languages. The sad reality is that most won’t want to read or write in Spanish as they grow older. It’s great that this program is enforcing a bilingual reading program so that these children realize that knowing two languages is a good- not a bad- thing. One of the persisting stereotypes of Latino immigrants is that they do not want to integrate into American culture. It is important to keep in mind that most Latino immigrants in this country are adults and come to this country to work and better support their families both here and abroad. They often do not have the time in their schedule to take English classes and perhaps increase their job opportunities. Moreover, they are often at an age where foreign language acquisition is more difficult. If it were true that these immigrants do not want to learn English because they feel like they do not need to integrate into American society, then it would follow that they would also discourage their children from learning English. The truth of the matter is that the reality is quite the opposite. Immigrant parents want very much for their children to learn English and be successful in school. The only way to get ahead in this country is by knowing how to write and speak in English and these parents are fully aware of it. It was comforting to listen to the program coordinator at the training session last week boast about how smart these ESL children are. Often they work twice as hard and are more motivated than their peers when it comes to reading and other types of schoolwork. It was surprising and wonderful to hear the program coordinator and teachers speak good things about these ESL students. I only wish I had the same opportunity, fifteen years back, as these ESL students to read in both Spanish and English and be taught to be proud of my native language.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement, I working with St. Joseph's CME Church and UNC-NOW at the Bread Ministry. This program collects food, that would otherwise be thrown out, from local grocery stores and helps to distribute it to low-income community members through a food pantry. Working with the Bread Ministry and learning about the Northside community that it serves have brought a couple of commonly made assumptions and generalizations to my attention.
ReplyDeleteThe Northside community is predominantly black area in Chapel Hill that is rich in history, pride, and a strong sense of community. Chapel Hill tends to be defined somewhat homogeneously by the University and the people associated with it, but Chapel Hill is much more than that. It extends beyond the University and is an area much more diverse and complex.
Also, I think people tend to stereotype those who use services such as the Bread Ministry and their reasons for doing so. People often assume that those who can't afford to buy their own food can only blame themselves for that situation and think, "It could never be me." St. Joseph's Bread Ministry is a really neat program in that there are no questions asked. Anyone can come, and I'm sure there are as many different stories explaining why people are there as there are people.
I started working at the Bread Ministry at St. Joe’s last week. For the most part, it’s been enjoyable and rewarding, but there are some things I just can’t wrap my head around. For example, people do daily pick-ups from local grocery stores. They mostly donate things that overstocked, misshapen or damaged, or nearing expiration date. Some days, the amount of food brought in is staggering. Loaves of bread overflow the shelves and there are enough fresh fruits and veggies for everyone to have extra. Other days, there is barely enough to go around. This reflection question made me think about those that make up the “overarching wholes and subordinate parts.” While the manifest function of the food bank is to help those that are hungry, other groups benefit as well. People that come to get food are often minorities, more likely male, and they are by themselves. What we don’t see is all of the women and children behind these men, possibly depending on the man to come back with the groceries. What it makes me realize is that if I based my perception of who the hungry people are in Chapel Hill and Carrboro on the people that come to get food, I would be ignoring how large and diverse this group really is. The minority men I see at the food bank may be affected by hunger while at their jobs, but we must also remember the women and children that benefit from the food as well and think of how poverty and hunger affects their lives. Recognizing these hidden groups means realizing that this community is much more interconnected and interdependent than it looks.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement, I am working at the Carrboro Human Rights Center. I am heading up the Women's Circle, which I helped start last summer in another of Judith's classes. The Women's Circle is intended to be a support system for newly immigrated women in the area. We will plan events for the Women's Circle to foster community among the women, as well as share information about community resources and hold discussions about human rights pertaining to women.
ReplyDeleteThis organization serves mainly Latina immigrant women. Our current society groups most immigrants together with a negative stereotype of being illegal, Mexican, uneducated and non-English speaking. While many of the women are from Mexico and speak English as a second language, my previous encounters with the women last summer have taught me that these women are articulate, educated and passionate. They have beautiful families and a rich, proud culture. They are from many different countries and all have unique stories and goals for their new lives in America. I believe I will learn much from my APPLES placement and hope to get to know all of these women.
-Karyn Shealy
This semester I will be working at the Human Rights Center under Professor Judith Blau. At the site, we will organize events and such traditionally coordinated by the Center and also involve ourselves in the meetings and planning of community groups focused on issues of social justice. I believe that mainstream society would characterize this group as a simplistic and homogenous even though there is a wide diverse range of participants. Though there are member of certain neighborhoods, professions and even ethnic background, society may assume that the volunteers at the Human Rights Center are all of a lower class attempting to advance their individual communities. This is negative stereotype because people from all walks of life seek to resolve issues of social justice simply because it is the right thing to do, not for other types of gains. My recent encounters with the group have not changed because I have always seen injustice as a problem needing to be fixed by the relative local and global community. Therefore, my expectations of the people are the same.
ReplyDeleteAnika Fisher
For my APPLES placement I will be volunteering at the local Human Rights Center under Professor Blau. Our role as volunteers will be that of event planners. We will organize different informational and recreational events for local residents, which are mostly Hispanic. Society tends to view Hispanics as illegal immigrants that work low pay and low skill jobs. I feel this is a negative stereotype because it puts a glass ceiling on Hispanics. This stereotype leads people to believe Hispanics are unable to do more mentally challenging. I am yet to meet the members of my group but I anticipate them being different from this stereotype.
ReplyDeleteMy APPLES site is Carolina Apartments. I have not been able to go yet because of the snow days where the children did not have school. I do not know what type of students go to the afternoon session but I'm assuming that they come from middle to lower income classes. I think society would view those types of students as homogenous. It is a negative stereotype because some people do not see the great amount variation in terms of ability and personality in these students. It's easier to group people into subgroups because it makes it easier to relate or respond to people different from you. This is not ok, but it's how we learn and understand things and people around us. I have not meet the children yet, but I'm positive that I am not like the majority that would prejudge students before I can asses them by their character.
ReplyDeleteBy working at the Human Rights Center I will continue to learn that many of the stereotypes our society holds are untrue. Hispanic people are often frequently characterized as being "all the same". While this presents an opportunity for those who can differentiate themselves from other Hispanics, it is without question hurtful to the HIspanic community as a whole. I can remember last semester in Sociology with Professor Blau she had some guests from the center come visit us in class. This was some of the most sincere contact i have had with immigrants to our country, and I quickly realized any stereotypes claiming Hispanic people are less skilled or knowledgeable than others are completely false.
ReplyDelete“Heirs to a Fighting Tradition” is a truly unique endeavor in the respect that it does not follow a reductive approach to diversity. Rather than asserting a simple opposition to stereotypes, the “Heirs” project focuses on accentuating the impact of various groups and movements within North Carolina, both historically and today. I believe this approach provides a positive impact on stereotypes as a whole by essentially eliminating broad and monolithic classifications and replacing them with fluid and overlapping identities. “Heirs to a Fighting Tradition” works to improve the conditions with North Carolina communities and their approaches to unique groups and individuals. Although my recent encounters with “Heirs” have not changed my perception of certain groups, I am sure that through the course of the semester, I will be able to better understand the viewpoints voiced by many of these social activists. The accounts of participants and the influence of this project on society make the “Heirs” project a learning experience not only for those who the messages are meant for, but also for those who help in raising awareness about social justice and social responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI am working as a student teacher in Mrs. Britton 1st grade class at Crazy Town Elementary School. This will be my second semester working with both Mrs. Britton and Mrs. Williamson (assistant teacher) and the 25 students. The class itself is very diverse; there are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and European students in the classroom. The teaching staff at Crazy Town Elementary School is pretty homogeneous, however. Most teachers are White middle-aged females while the administration tends to be predominately composed of White males (both the principal and assistant principal as well as the grade level chairs are all male).
ReplyDeleteAlthough there seems to be little interaction between the administration - unless to intervene - there is quite a bit of collaboration between the grade level teachers. Every Wednesday they get together to share lesson plans, teaching strategies, teaching mechanisms, weekly goals, and other items. They all seem to feed off of one another and work together to create a uniform curriculum so that all of the students are learning the same things and in the same way. This way when the students graduate and enter 2nd grade, they will all understand certain basic expectations and critical thinking processes. By having all students perform the same basic tasks regardless of whose class they are in, it is thought to equal the playing field for all students.
Despite trying to give all students the same learning experience and opportunity, the system itself fails. Students are ability grouped - tracked - and there is little movement from one track to the other. Tracking was intended to allow those students with like abilities to work together to challenge them; however, the idea also encompassed mobility and the end goal was stated to be that students moved up in tracks as time progressed. This is not what I find. I have found that students are grouped, and once they are placed into these groups tend to remain in them for the rest of the year. Those that are ahead continue to make strides in that direction, while those that are behind slip even further down the learning curve. The groups are to a degree racialized, which increases stereotyping and perpetuates both positive and negative social images. I think this over simplifies the complex underlying problems.
Many of the students that are in lower tracks come from homes with either one parent or two working parents. Many of them are also from public housing developments (working poor and working class families). They were born at a disadvantage and their current school model is only increasing the gap. Many of them come to school stating, "I couldn't bring my report card back because my mom didn't have a pencil." Mrs. Williamson replied, "well then we will tape one to your folder today and send it home so she has one to sign with." How is a student supposed to learn without the proper basic tools? To say that a student is not performing their required tasks is an oversimplification of the problem that they can not afford the necessary tools to complete the tasks. It is not the result of the student being lazy so much as it is the result of the student being disadvantaged.
ReplyDeleteRather than understanding these social problems, administrators tend to classify poor performing groups as "lazy, detached, unwilling, and indifferent." Performance categories are not neat and straightforward. They are very dynamic and the result of many outside and underlying factors. I think that these stereotypes are harmful for the various minority groups. Even the positive stereotypes have negative consequences for groups when they are unable to meet the stereotype. For example, the model minority stereotype pertaining to Asian immigrants is damaging to Asian students that are "average." To say that they are great at math and science places an enormous amount of pressure on Asian immigrants to perform well in those subjects. If they do not, they are then seen as a failure. So, even though the stereotype was intended to be flattering, it has potentially damaging effects.
Working with my 1st grade class, I have definitely become more aware of the social implications of race, class, and gender. Nothing is ever as black and white as it seems at first glance. I also think that working here is helping me to become more aware of how different the definition of "Human Rights" is depending on your ascribed status. Human Rights should be universal, but clearly they are not.
Unfortunately, the members of our society are often hasty in making negative assumptions about a particular group of people. This is heavily due to a lack of awareness and misinformation. Many cross-cultural conflicts arise simply because people do not take the time to understand one another’s perspective and rely on the media for their source of information. Some tend to make generalizations that classify people by placing them into groups that are more familiar to them. Sadly, we tend to emphasize people’s differences when making such assumptions. What people constantly fail to realize is that we are more similar than we are different.
ReplyDeleteFor my Apples assignment this semester, I am volunteering at a Pre-K at Seawell elementary. My main task is to assist Ms. Julie Cureton in helping to academically prepare these children for Kindergarten. This entails helping them develop certain skills and teaching them basic concepts, from distinguishing between colors to brushing your teeth and washing your hands. I also help out with class activities, such as reading and arts and crafts. Before volunteering for the first time, I was expecting a large school full of children, mainly Caucasian, running around all over the place. However, to my surprise, the school was in a hidden area and of average size. Although the Pre-K classroom is fairly small, the loving and nurturing atmosphere was evidently enormous. There were a couple of other volunteers also helping out and each one was so involved with the children. The teacher makes each child feel special and loved, and gives each one her undivided attention. Tne class is in no way homogenous. Several children were of different ethnicities, yet remarkably they all interacted with each other normally and never excluded anyone based on what they looked like. This is why I love children so much. They are not so quick to judge and just accept you for who you are. I look forward to continue volunteering and hopefully contributing to the education of these children.
-Nadeen Al-Ghandour
This semester I will be volunteerig through the Spanish School Reading Partners program at Carrboro Elementary School. I have volunteered with this program before so I am already familiar with the participants and in most regards I know what to expect when entering in the classroom. I will be working with Kindergarteners of various backgrounds and as a whole I think there are few stereotypes associated with this group besides the fact that it may be assumed that they are too young to have any real individual identities. In my experience, however, I have learned that even at the age of five many personality traits have already developed and five year olds can be very dynamic. It is interesting to see how each of the children has been shaped by their home lives and their surroundings already. Generally, people tend to characterize children as one dimensional and naive but it seems to me that there is a lot more to five year olds than may be assumed and how they will develop into teenagers and adults is very much characterized by how they interact with others at a yound age. That being said, if we begin to instill in young children ideas about human rights and social justice as they mature they will be more conscious of these issues and be adults who are more in tune with their surroundings. It is a cliche to say that children are like sponges they are absorbing everything around them but it is very true.
ReplyDeleteI am volunteering with Community Empowerment Fund for my APPLES project, an organization that provides no-interest micro loans to individuals experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing to help with start-up business costs, housing deposits, among other things that help further employment. For my project, I will be working to increase outreach with the Latino population, hopefully through the Human Rights Center at Abbey Court. CEF would like to increase involvement in the Latino Community, and this will be an excellent way of doing that. CEF's target population experiences many stereotypes in our society. Homeless people are typically seen as lazy and are considered to be moochers off of the government and other social services. The American Dream suggests that hard work will lead to success, and many people thus believe that everyone has equal opportunities to succeed. By providing small loans, and most valuably interpersonal relationships, CEF outreaches to individuals that are disadvantaged and need some support getting started or getting back on their feet.
ReplyDeleteThrough my APPLES placement, I will be working with ESL students from Carrboro-Chapel Hill City Schools. I just completed ESL training and will begin working next week, so I have not yet had the opportunity to tutor ESL kids. However, I have worked with ESL children before. In High School I volunteered through a program known as “Kid’s Café” where Hispanic children could come after school to do their homework and I along with other high schoolers would help them. Before working with “Kid’s Café” I bought into mainstream society’s stereotypes about this group of people, believing that they are less intelligent and lazy. As soon as I began working, I quickly realized that I was mistaken. I found that these students actually understood concepts and ideas, it just took a little work for them to communicate their answers. They actually worked harder than the other students because they had to figure out a way to cross the language barrier. At the end of my “Kids Café” experience I realized that I learned as much and probably more from the children than they had learned from me and I also carried with me a greater respect for people whose native language was not English. I’m excited to be working with ESL children again and to know that this program is helping to stimulate diversity within the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI view myself as a pretty open person. I try my hardest not to prejudge individuals or diagnose a situation without the proper research and/or having prior knowledge about what may be taking place. Most people, however, do not operate in this manner. Impulsive decisions are often subconsciously made regarding the character, lifestyle, and intentions of individuals. This semester I will be working with people who have extremely low incomes or are homeless. I believe that most homeless people are viewed in a negative light. They’re often categorized as lazy, incompetent, ex-cons, and even undeserving. From personal experience, I have found that this is not always the case. As with any group, one should not hastily jump to any conclusions. As the book states, we should recognize the relevance and significance of diversity among individuals within a specified group.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer at Carolina Apartments. The group my apples placement targets are definitely stereotyped against, and at time undergo much prejudice. They stereotyped as uneducated, lazy, and unmotivated. These stereotypes are completely false. These kids have just as much enthusiasm to learn as any other group I have encountered. This group of kids is just misunderstood, because if you take even five minutes to talk to them, you will learn how smart they truly are.
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ReplyDeleteI have been volunteering at the Human Rights Center in Carrboro for a few weeks now. Tutoring elementary and middle school students has opened my eyes to a deeper insight of what type of issues this particular demographic has to deal with. In class we talk alot about human rights. We try to define what it is and what particular rights should be officiated under that ambiguous mantra. We would like to think that we try to equalize everyone everyone in this country by offering them the same human rights but certain individuals dont have the same resources as others to take addvantage of these opportunities given through rights.
ReplyDeleteThrough limited ability to achieve certain things a certain outcome becomes prevalent and certain demographics become homogenized in a very simplistic fashion by other demographic groups. I notice through observation throughout my life and interaction with the students at the center that alot of the communities represented at the center are victims of this. These students are probably considered below the curve in terms of intelligence and achievement capabilities. With this misassumption they are placed into situations where support and growth is limited. I am currently a college student at UNC and I can tell you while interacting with these students that they excel more in certain areas of creativity, intelligence, and articulation than even I could have at their age.
I met a nice elderly lady who was a teaching assistant at their school who had dropped by the center one day. Conversing with her confirmed what I alreaady knew about certain primary schooling systems. Inadequate funding and limited resources at school matched with limited resources at home hindered these children's growth like a capable seed that was just planted in the wrong soil and dry climate. I feel alot of observeres from outside this community mostly in more affluent groups tend to generalize these populations as biologically less intelligent and capable and attribute their short fallings relative to other groups as just a part of natural selection. For alot of the kids I work with this is far from the truth, so hopefully I will do my best to enrichen the soil and lessen the drought of where these unfortunate but strongs seeds have been dropped.