The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I have hopes of changing the world one child at a time.  If I can change more than one child at a time as an administrator and a person that trains early childhood teachers, then I will.  There is a song by Sanctus Real called "Confidence", I have shared some of the words below that keep me going because this work of quality early childhood education is tough and you can be discouraging at times.    

I’m not a warrior
I’m too afraid to lose
I feel unqualified for what you’re calling me to
But Lord with your strength
I’ve got no excuse
'Cause broken people are exactly who you use

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion’s den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So I can face my giants with confidence

I pray each day for God to give me the strength, hope, heart, and most of all faith that this work is possible.  My goal is to keep making changes wherever I go and whenever I can.  With a new focus to work on equity verses, working on equality.  The image below is one reason separate but equal did not work. 

Thanks to all my colleagues and professor for making this journey of study in diversity, equity, and social justice a trusting and no judgement zone.  It has been supportive, eye opening and meaningful. 

Resource

• SANCTUS REAL | CONFIDENCE - Official Music Video - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9kSBv1QrI

Welcome

My new family enrolled in the child care center from Mexico.

How can I prepare to receive this new family?

1.        Send a welcome letter to the family with their native language and English on the back. 

2.       Include in the letter a getting to know you questionnaire. 

3.       I would have a welcome package with school supply items (if accepting gifts is ok with the culture).

4.       Make sure the classroom environment is labeled and reflects the different cultures of the class.

5.       I would help the class and myself learn familiar words and phrases

6.       Most of all ask the family what is needed to support me in the transition. 

7.       Most of all to be culturally sensitive. Critical teaching requires teachers to admit that they do not know everything. We can learn from our students by listening to them. We need to document, respect, and learn about people from all over the world, particularly those who are dramatically different from us (Hyland, 2010).

I think strategies such as the ones above will help both the class and myself grow in my knowledge and awareness of different cultures.  It also helps in all our efforts to become more culturally sensitive. 

As an childhood professional what would you suggest?

Resource

Hyland, N. E. (2010). Social justice in early childhood classrooms: What the research tells us. YC: Young Children, 65(1), 82-87.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Are there institutional prejudices or microaggression in early childhood settings?

·         What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression?

I worked in a leadership role for a large Early Childhood program.  I witnessed a couple of examples of biases toward men.  I worked at a location that had a male teacher.  A parent complained about him going to the restroom with the girls.  There was not a complaint related to ladies going with boys.  This was a form of microaggression in my opinion.  At that time I was not a manager in the organization, but a lead teacher.  The site administrator at the time just decided to let him take the boys and the co-teacher took the girls. She did not inform him of the parent complaint.  My second example involved a manager in our program who said she did not like working with men. She had gotten rid of two men on her team during my time there.  I was not sure why however her actions were not questioned.  

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·         In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

To me, in both cases, it diminished the equality for men to work in the early childhood field.  It is a field that already does not include many men.  The program I worked for was federally funded for low-income families.  In this program, positive male role models are needed and someone to relate to dads is critical. 

·         What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

The process made me feel a little angry.   I even talked to both the site manager and the supervisor to let them know I had a problem with it. 

·         What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

Both the manager and the supervisor needed to change their own approach to the situations.  We have to face sometimes that we bring our own prejudices to situations that we may or may not have addressed or acknowledged

Microaggression

There are times when verbal behaviors create feelings of uncertainty, inferiority or marginalization even though no offense was consciously intended. Such behaviors are called microaggressions( Laureate Educaiton, 2011).  Sometimes behaviors that are non-verbal can also be considered offensive as well.  

These behaviors are all around us if we just take notice. I went to a store with my daughter this week.  A group of young African American girls walked in soon after.  The store clerk looked strange when they walked in and another clerk kept an eye on them closely.  I can only deduct that they were under the assumption that they may steal something. 

I also observed this week that for a new Hispanic family came to enroll their two-year-old.  The child arrived in footed PJs without shoes and a bottle.  The child also had a disability.  Without a thorough review or knowledge of the full case.  Some staff began to assume his swallowing issues were due to mom was still nursing and on a bottle.  His hearing issues were due to lack of proper health care.  I had to explain to get the complete picture and never begin to make assumptions.  And don’t draw a conclusion based on how we think a culture raises their children. 

I went to another store this week.  A bi-racial( white male/black woman) couple walked up to the counter to pay.  The clerk looked the woman with a displeased look and rolled her eyes.  The man did't even notice.  

In my observations, this week conclusions were drawn based on a superficial look of a person.  The  observations did not give the people involved a level chance.  The girls proceeded to shop and brought a lot of items.  The newly enrolled child will require additional observations to ensure him and the family is treated like all families. 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Age-Sex	What is your definition of culture?	What is your definition of the definition of diversity?
Nineteen year old female	Something you identify with part of your identity.  Such as I’m black, I like upbeat music, Zydeco music spin on country music and has an African American music sound.  I like long hair my mails done.  Like Baptist , Pentecostal church don’t do quiet church	What make you different the difference between people in society
Eleven Year old male	A way of life past down by different ethnicity passed down through generations. How different people live.  Different people do different stuff	People being different.  There are no two people who are alike they are all different, special and unique.
Forty-nine  year old male	Applies to a way of life for a defined region mid-west east coast. Practices of norm with in a region	I look for equal representation of multiple races or things.  I think there has to be diversity not just one a variety.

·         Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

What I have learned was reflected in the answers such as: music, things pasted down from generation, things specific to regions, and ways we do things differently. 

·         Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

In a broad since of what we have studied noting has been left out.  If more time or thought was given I think each person would have added more.  For the most part the definitions was covered.

·         In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

My thinking has not changed. The responses from the 11 year old has given me hope in this world that appears for be going backwards in respect for others cultures and their diversity.   I think sometime we know the definitions but putting them into everyday practices is something totally different. 

My Family Culture

Think:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you.

 You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

I would do the following:

·         A description of the three items you would choose

1.     My Bible – that contains important facts and a bit of family history

2.    Paper/Pen

3.    Small photo album with key family members

·         How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

1.    My Bible – My faith, and guidebook for no matter where I live

2.    Paper/Pen – to write and journal my new experiences

3.    Small photo album with key family members- If asked where did I come from it gives a small history lesson about my-self

·         Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

• My Bible it would keep me going and a reference in tough situations

·         Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

• My faith is what grounds me in tough situations. 
• The exercise has made me think our culture is not made up of so many external items but internally what makes us

How would you as a reader respond and what is the single item you would take?

MY SUPPORTS

Support is all around us if we only tap into it. 

I have a demanding job, I'm a wife and mother of two.  My husband it here, my church, extended family and even my 11-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter help out.  I think we have to ask for what we need.  

I had my second child and was about to crack.  My husband sat me down and said he couldn't read my mind and needed me to say what I needed.  I learned from that to ask for what you need in all aspects of your life.    

In work, you have support departments.

At home you have cookbooks, and devices to support our life to make it easier'

Here at Walden, I have taped into departments to update my resume and tips on writing.  

Support is all around us why do other not tap into them.