I feel like it's my responsibility as a human being, and especially as a teacher, to educate myself about race, gender, sexuality, ability, etc. Learning about discrimination and oppression is infuriating, but the more I learn, the more I feel like I can help my students become thoughtful adults who try to correct inequities when they see them. Anyway, today's post is about the definition of racism, namely a couple questions I have. My expertise is education, not social justice, so if anyone who does have a social justice background would like to help me out, I'd appreciate it.
Question 1: Why the Definition?
I get pushback from people about "racism = racial prejudice + power." Many people are new to that definition, while others have heard it before, but don't see why the definition is being changed to something other than the dictionary/colloquial use. I feel kind of unprepared, and the conversations tend to go like this:
Other person: "Racism has been used to mean racially prejudiced for a long time, why should we change it now?"
Me: "Because we need to make a distinction between prejudice and prejudice that has power behind it."
OP: "But why didn't they make a new term instead of trying to re-purpose this word? Racism is a charged word, and you can't suddenly make everyone change how they talk."
Me: "Um..."
And that's where I get stuck. I'm cool with redefining words, and I know the dictionary isn't exactly bias-free, but I also recognize that it's hard to change speech patterns. Many conversations about racism that I've had/heard seem to get sidetracked by linguistic arguments, even when both parties are generally in agreement. So, why is it important that we argue for the prejudice + power definition of racism instead of creating a new term?
Question 2: Kinds of Power
Training to become a teacher has made me very aware of how much power I have over students, not only in terms of official things like grades and discipline, but also socially and emotionally (it's inspiring when I feel like changing the world, but scary when I fear saying the wrong thing). What I want to know is, does a teacher's power in the classroom have an effect on whether someone is racist vs. racially prejudiced?
Here's a scenario:
A white student in high school has a black teacher. The teacher has strong racial prejudices against white people (let's assume a "low normal" level of prejudice on the part of the student). Teacher ridicules student's answers, calls student a racist to other students (which leads to threats from these students) and staff. Teacher makes frequent statements about what "all white people" are like, uses student as negative example. Teacher claims "I can't be racist because I'm black."
Can a teacher be racially prejudiced, but racist specifically in the context of the classroom? I'd like to know more about what types of power come into play when the discussion is about an individual vs. society.
If you're reading this and can help answer my questions, I'd appreciate your explanations and/or links to papers, blogs, forums, etc. If I've written anything offensive, outdated, or otherwise counter to my goal of being a decent human being, please let me know. I'll adjust my behavior accordingly.
- Brianne
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ReplyDeleteI think these are very good questions. I personally feel that you seem to be getting hung up on the actual words of racism vs. prejudice rather than paying attention to the structures beneath them. Prejudice is preferring something/someone over something/someone else (there is possibility that no power is involved). Racism (a form of prejudice) must involve power. Because of this power aspect, people of color cannot be racist. People of color hold no racial power or privilege in society, which is a necessity to carry out racism.
ReplyDelete1: It might be important to ask why it makes them so uncomfortable to further the definition of racism to include power. It sounds like they might be resisting the possibility that they might be perpetrators of racism and uncomfortable with the ability that a White person can never be a victim of racism.
I personally think it is important to make the distinction that racism involves power because it brings in the point the power actually exists, and when someone is a victim of racism, it is asserting power over someone who does not have that power, whereas if I am excluded, for instance, from an all black fraternity based on my race, it is prejudice but my racial standing in the structures and institutions of power do not change at all.
2: A teacher in a classroom has influence that can definitely show through with his/her students. This influence should not be confused with societal power/privilege and not confused with the same power involved in racism.
While a Black teacher can be prejudice toward White students and possibly socialize/influence children in that way, this is not racism. The racial identity of the teacher is what is paramount to this whole discussion because if the teacher were White, and I have been witness to many White teachers who display racism in the classroom, then this White teacher could be racist within the classroom. For example, having lower expectations for the students of color, calling on the students of color less because he/she assumes they do not know. These acts influence students greatly, causing them to raise their hand less, and lose confidence. That is the power of racism being displayed.
But when it comes to myself, a white male, I have been told by every teacher my entire life that I could be whatever I wanted to be and accomplish whatever I wanted to accomplish. I was always given opportunities (unearned opportunities). For example, in high school, I was very bad at english. I didn't learn how to read until I was 8 years old, and it left me feeling self-conscious about my abilities in that subject. I decided to take an easier english class, and most of my friends were in it (all of them Black). The final came up and I got the highest grade in the class, an 80 out of 100. Instead of taking this as a sign of poor teaching, our teacher my 80 a perfect score and based everyone off of me.
That right there is an example of what goes on in most situations in our education system, everyone is based off of "the standard, the norm," which racially, are white students. I was taught my whole life that I was the norm. It was continually reinforced. That is the power of racial privilege.
Sorry, I got off on a tangent, but my thoughts on whether or not a teacher can be racially prejudiced, but racist specifically to the context of the classroom depends solely on the race of the teacher. If it is a teacher of color, the only possibility is that teacher could be racially prejudiced. If it is a White teacher, the only possibility could be racism, because of the inherent race privilege that the White teacher is always wielding.
Nonetheless, it is wonderful you are pondering these questions. I still ponder these questions all the time.