Relation to " The Culture of Power"

Life is filled with written and unwritten rules. For example, the highway has a written rule for the speed limit. The rule here in the United States is 55 or 65 miles per hour; and according to the written rule if you exceed the speed limit you are in violation. What about the unwritten rule??? If you go the same speed limit as the flow of traffic your odds of getting a speeding violation are small.



Our personal lives also have written and unwritten rules. For example one of my written rules is being able to take care of myself so I can take care of my family. The unwritten rule might be sleep, exercise, and a diet might be the first things I would toss aside when the demands of life increase. I believe that my written rule is family first. The unwritten rule might be that my job has me running in circles that I cannot be home when I need to.



I believe that written rules are about intentions, about how we want things to be. The unwritten rules are about reality and how things really are in life. Terri Hamilton a reporter for The Grand Rapid Press states we need to teach students that there are two sets of rules. Their old rules that are part of their culture and if you take away these rules it might hurt the child. But they do have to learn what she calls "the middle-class" rules...they need to know how to fight if you live in a poor neighborhood, but if they bring that rule to a work place they could get fired. It's like knowing the rules of two different games.



Nobody is saying they have to lose their culture, you just have to know how to function in both worlds.....I totally agree.....how does everyone else feel about this statement????

I was raised in a middle class family in East Providence; my friends were from different cultures, Italian, Portugese, Cape Verde, and Jewish. My parents own a diner where everyone would stop in for a cup of coffee or just to get the latest news. My father was very active in the city and still is....he is Chairman of the Heritage Days events that the city hosts every year. Being politically connected he had many fund raising events that the family would need to attend....I would be socializing with all the big wigs of the city...I was taught the rules of power at a very early age. My mother would tell me how I should act in public, what to say and what not to say, and that less is more.....at first I wasn't sure what she meant by that but as an adult raising my own children I totally agree with that statement. My relation to the "culture of power" definitely comes from what I was taught by my parents and what I experienced on my own throughout the years.

Delpit argues that students be taught the "codes" no matter what the color of their skin or what type of culture they come from....everyone must learn the "codes" to live in the "mainstream" of American life. I agree with Delpit but unfortunately not every student gets the same "rules and codes". Teachers can help by preparing a student so that they can achieve the same as those who already know the "codes". As a teacher I want to be able to reach out to those students who don't know the "codes"....the power to educate.

"Other People's Children" by Lisa Delpit

Delpit argues that students be taught the "codes" needed to go with the flow of "mainstream" American life. All students should receive appropriate education, and it shouldn't matter if they come from poverty stricken families or are children of color; everyone must learn the "codes".

Passage of interest

• Issues of power are enacted in classrooms. Theses issues include: the power of the teacher over the students; the power of the publishers of textbooks and of the developers of the curriculum to determine the view of the world presented; the power of the state in enforcing compulsory schooling; and the power of an individual or group to determine another's intelligence or "normalcy". (Delpit 25 )

I agree with Delpit on this particular issue of power. The teacher and the textbooks are there to educate the children to ensure that every student gets a proper education. "My charge here is not to determine the best instructional methodology; I believe that the actual practice of good teachers of all colors typically incorporates a range of pedagogical orientation." The approach Delpit talks about, is the difference between "skill" and "process".

• The teacher cannot be the only expert in the classroom. To deny students their own expert knowledge is to disempower them. ( Delpit 32-33 )

I believe the need for the teacher to be aware of the perspectives that both she and the students bring to the classroom. This does not mean that their understanding of how to behave in certain settings, but the language they use while socializing with others. "People are experts on their own lives." Children know how to behave in public and at home, but when it comes to things that are out of their norm they don't know what to do.

• But parents who don't function within that culture often want something else. It's not that they disagree with the former aim, it's just that they want something more. They want to ensure that the school provides their children with discourse patterns, interactional styles, and spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society. ( Delpit 28-29 )

I believe that we must empower students, we need to encourage them to show them that they matter as individuals...no matter what culture or color they are. But in the same breath, we don't want them to to feel they must lose their culture to be successful. We don't want to turn students away from school, which can happen if they think they don't have power.

Questions/Comments/Points to share

Delpit has a lot of good ideas, but I feel she could go beyond diversity in color to other types of diversity. As for how this fits in with literacy, I feel that helping students connect to each other and the classroom teaching style will help them learn better and increase literacy. Diversity can be between anyone, even those with the same culture. There is diversity in interests, knowlege, and learning styles. I found this reading a little difficult, maybe because so many pages were missing....or it just could have been her style......

"Privilege, Power, and Difference" by Allan G. Johnson

Johnson makes it very clear in this book that there are major issues in today's society that relate to racism, gender, sexual orientation, and social class. He links theory with examples so that the reader can make the connection with the consquences of what being privileged is about.

Passgaes of interest:

• The simple truth is that when I go shopping, I'll probably get waited on faster and better than she will. I'll benefit from the cultural assumption that I'm a serious customer who doesn't need to be followed around to keep me from stealing something. The clerk won't ask me for three kinds of ID before accepting my check or accepting my credit card(Johnson 7-8 ).

Johnson is making a great point here. It is true that a white male or female will get waited on much quicker than that of someone of color. How many times have you seen a security guard follow around a white woman with an eight year old? It's unfortunate that a stigmatism has been placed on the color or our skin. You know as well as I that the security guard is going to pay close attention to the young black man shopping. Why? History and statistics play a major role in how we approach the differences in today's society. As Johnson states, "my whiteness protects me".

• The existence of privilege doesn't mean I didn't do a good job, of course, or that I don't deserve credit for it. What it does mean is that I'm also getting something that other people are denied, people who are like me in every respect except for the gender, race, and sexual orientation categories they belong to (Johnson 24 ).

Johnson definitely hits the nail on the head with this statement. Being White in this society automatically guarantees you better treatment and unearned benefits and privileges than minorities. Having white skin means you have the freedom to choose the neighborhood you live in. You won't be discriminated against. You can flag down a cab without the thought they won't pick you up because you are a minority. You can study in school and be assured that your group will be postively portrayed, you don't have to think about race or deal with it. It's sad but true, we can say that society is "color blind" in the sense that we do not see that in this world your skin color is an asset. Johnson states, "being female, or of color, or homosexual doesn't determine people's outcomes, but they are turned into liabilities that make it less likely that their talent, ability, and aspirations will be recognized and rewarded".

• Issues of difference cover a large territory. A useful way to put it in perspective is with the "diversity wheel" developed by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener. In the hub of the wheel are six social characteristics: age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability and qualities (left/right-handedness, height, and so on), and sexual orientation. Around the outer ring are several others, including religion, marital status, whether we're parents, and social-class indicators such as education, occupation, and income.

Wheel? The wheel tells us absolutely nothing about the individual. I think what Johnson is trying to say is diversity is something that is often viewed in too narrow a scope and therefore we must be able to view it in a broader lens. The differences that define us as individuals go far beyond basic demographics like race, gender and age. Traits identified in the wheel are all important pieces to the puzzle. As I see it, the more diverse our environment, the more creative, and the more energized and productive we will be in society.

Questions/Comments/Point to share:

"Privilege, Power, and Difference" has many great parts to it. I think Johnson is able to show how racism and sexual orientation play a huge part in today's society and how we as individuals can over come these problems. He describes in the book how change is difficult but not impossible and how we can "stop supporting" the system that allows this to happen. The only thing I believe missing from this book is an ending....a goal....hmm..something to think about.

About Me:)

My name is Pattie Dyl and this is my first blog. I have a great family, my husband Lance, my son Kyle, and my daughter Mollie. My children are 18 and 8. When I'm not being a Mom, I am a full time student at Rhode Island College majoring in Physical Education. Physical fitness is a big part of my life; I am an avid runner and a novice power walker. My goal is to help others understand the importance of physical fitness.
Right now we have a world wide obesity epidemic that is affecting our children and their overall health. As a Physical Educator I hope to educate the children on the importance of being physically active.
I currently work at my father's diner, Ceba's Diner, in East Providence. I enjoy being around people and have the gift of gab....I've been waitressing since I was 12 years old...so this is second nature to me.