Sunday, March 28, 2010
Talking point 6
The videos assigned to us this week were definitely interesting, I think I will try to find a copy of the book to read, but I think that it just reinforced some of the things we have already read about in this class rather than bringing up new issues. I definitely recognized some themes in the videos that we have seen before, such as "obliviousness" and the power that white people have in this country. Before taking this class, I honestly felt that race issues were not a problem in this country anymore, and now I realize that my feeling this way I was part of the problem. Obama is definitely a great role model for young people of color, it just offers another example to them of excellence in their race, but it definitely would be nice for them to have a wider range of role models in their everyday life, such as teachers, doctors, police officers, etc. I think it's sad that some people would use Obama to say that the problem is solved, when race is still definitely an issue when it comes to education, employment, the criminal justice system, and many other places. The statistics quoted by Wise on the video shocked me. I couldn't believe how many white americans still hold on to these negative stereotypes about black people. And if that many people admitted to these feelings, it makes you wonder how many more believe these stereotypes without admitting it.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Talking point 4
Unlearning the myths that bind us - Linda Christensen
"The messages, or secret education, linked with the security of their homes, underscore the power these texts deliver."
I never thought of it before, but by giving our children these books and movies we are giving our approval to the material and subtexts contained in them, giving them even more power in the eyes of our children. We are telling our children that we approve of the messages they are recieving.
"Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising."
This is probably true of students everywhere, nobody wants to view their childhood through a new "lens" and see that some of their favorite childhood memories might not be as innocent as they believed. As with other things in this course, ideas that hit "too close to home", make me feel the most uncomfortable. Especially when I begin to see that things that I have tought, said, or given to my children might not have been the best choice, it makes me question my effectiveness and capabilities as a parent, something that is definitely not comfortable.
"I'm not taking my kids to see any Walt Disney movies until they have a black woman playing the leading role."
Reading this article made my look at my children's shelf full of Disney movies in a whole new way. It left me in a difficult position. On one hand, I want to remove these movies full of obvious stereotypes from the eyes of my children. On the other hand, I have also grown up watching these movies, and they seem almost a part of childhood to me. For some reason, the thought of not allowing my children to see them makes me feel sad, almost as if they will be missing an important part of growing up. Intellectually, that doesn't make any sense, even to me, but for some reason I feel an emotional attachment to these movies. I am taking my children to disney world next week, and I almost wish I would have read this article after we returned, so that I wouldn't have to look at Disney world differently.
"The messages, or secret education, linked with the security of their homes, underscore the power these texts deliver."
I never thought of it before, but by giving our children these books and movies we are giving our approval to the material and subtexts contained in them, giving them even more power in the eyes of our children. We are telling our children that we approve of the messages they are recieving.
"Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising."
This is probably true of students everywhere, nobody wants to view their childhood through a new "lens" and see that some of their favorite childhood memories might not be as innocent as they believed. As with other things in this course, ideas that hit "too close to home", make me feel the most uncomfortable. Especially when I begin to see that things that I have tought, said, or given to my children might not have been the best choice, it makes me question my effectiveness and capabilities as a parent, something that is definitely not comfortable.
"I'm not taking my kids to see any Walt Disney movies until they have a black woman playing the leading role."
Reading this article made my look at my children's shelf full of Disney movies in a whole new way. It left me in a difficult position. On one hand, I want to remove these movies full of obvious stereotypes from the eyes of my children. On the other hand, I have also grown up watching these movies, and they seem almost a part of childhood to me. For some reason, the thought of not allowing my children to see them makes me feel sad, almost as if they will be missing an important part of growing up. Intellectually, that doesn't make any sense, even to me, but for some reason I feel an emotional attachment to these movies. I am taking my children to disney world next week, and I almost wish I would have read this article after we returned, so that I wouldn't have to look at Disney world differently.
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