Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Dr. Sue (2011) has effectively helped me to understand how sensitive and aware we need to become about the dangers of Microaggressions.  Microaggressions as discussed by Sue (2011), whether carried out in the form of racial, gender, or sexually-oriented insults, do have the power of harming people severely and psychologically. They also have the power of creating segregation, feelings of uncertainty, inferiority, supremacy and marginalization even though no offense may have been consciously intended (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

A microaggression that I can remember happened earlier in the school year in our pre-k 4 classroom. I can clearly recall as I was supplying a group of students with construction papers of different colors, that I noticed that the boys whenever they were given pink construction papers, they were rejecting these and were requesting colors like blue, orange and green.  My interest was aroused and I soon received a shocking eye-opener as to why the boys did not want the pink construction papers when one other boy decided that he was going to take the pink color. He was devoured by remarks/questions by the rest of the boys. “That is a girl color.” “Are you a girl?” “Choose another color.” They also rained on him giggles and laughs. I had to intervene for them to stop and allow him to choose the color pink he desired to do his project.

As I reflect on this scenario, that took place during the school year, I really never thought of microaggression because I was not introduced to this terminology and how serious it can impact the lives of others. Now that my awareness has been awakened, I now realize how seriously our four years old have been socialized and how deeply entrenched their gender biases will become if they are not schooled in accepting people for who they are. Certainly I have to start looking deeply inside of me too and start assessing how I would feel if someone mocked me or jeered me because of who I am or because I have chosen to be different in my lifestyle, or any other choices that I may make.

I know that our students were not aware that they were actually practicing microaggressions. Yet, at the same time if they are allowed to continue to carry out these micro insults/micro assaults and micro invalidation continuously, I perceive that they will grow into discrimination, prejudices and or other stereotypes to the point where they start damaging not only other children’s self esteem, but even their own integrity. Other children will not even want to be around those children who like to hurt others and these children can even become bullies in their later years.

Looking back on what I have learnt so far on microaggressions and what I have observed and experienced, “it [Microaggression] is inescapable.”  It is also "arrogant for us to think that we are immune" as Sue (2011) has pointed out, for we have all “inherited some part of [the] failed social, psychological conditioning processes [of microaggressions] that have already occurred” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Thus as we become more aware of what microaggressions can do to ourselves and others, we need to work on our interactions, our interpersonal relationships skills our co-operative skills, support skills  and our shared sense of human interconnectedness(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) so that we can treat others as we would want them to treat us.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [video

webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3398176_1%26url%3D

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

It was an exciting experience to gain insights from the following three acquaintances on “Culture and Diversity”:

Ike M. (male) country of origin (Nigeria)

Culture is a man made agreement of people on how to bring themselves together.

Diversity: These are the things that make one group of people different from the other.

Idaudu (female) country of origin (USA) whose parents migrated from Africa

Culture is shared beliefs, attitude, language and way of life.

Diversity is difference in culture

Vanessa H. (female) country of origin (USA)

Culture is the enrichment of one’s life, following the same steps as one’s ancestors in for example, preparing the same foods, telling old stories and the wearing of clothes etc.

Diversity: This is the intermixing of different people from all different walks of life.

Reflecting on the answers that I have received on culture that have been included in our course of studies are those that the speakers on the video (Laureate Education, 2011) uphold as “external manifestations” such as food and the telling of stories. However, my three acquaintances also saw culture as language, attitudes, agreement-an enrichment of one's life.

For all three persons, an acknowledgement of diversity as “differences” that distinguished one group from another was a common concept that ran through the definition. However, a deep understanding about, showing respect for and valuing cultures and diversities in terms of things like  abilities/disabilities, family structure/ roles of the family, ideas on education and the impact of religion  among other ideas that would influence our thinking, actions and perceptions  were not  discussed in any depth by my three acquaintances.

            I have gained powerful knowledge from both the definitions and the immersion into the course so far on culture and diversity. I realize that nothing can be taken for granted and that we certainly exist in a very diverse and multicultural world.  The way we think about others, act towards them and form perceptions about the world /society are all parts of our deep culture and each ethnicity, gender, race, religion and even age group, are all diverse from the other based their own heritage of deep culture, family orientation and practices. Thus when we come together to work and live we not only form a community but we also construct a diverse milieu.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).  (2011). Family cultures: dynamic interactions [video webcast].  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3398176_1%26url%3D

My Family Culture

In this assignment we were to give our response to the following:

Scenario

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 – (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

The three items that I would take with me include:

My Bible – This represent the foundation of my Faith

My Folklore “Medicine Chest”- This is a symbol of some of the traditional medicines the have been used for some sickness in our family

My CD-On this CD is a mixture of folksongs, songs of celebration for our independence, religious music and poetry of THE HON. LOUISE BENNETT-COVERLEY O.M. O.J. M.B.E. DIP R.A.D.A., D. LITT (HON), cultural icon and JAMAICA 'S FIRST LADY OF COMEDY.

The Bible is the first item that I have chosen because it represents the foundation of my family culture. It is our motivation for every situation in life. In our Bible too we have photos of our family members situated at different places in the Bible with a promise for each person. We would also need the Bible to anchor and support our family worship which is the first and foremost family ritual/ custom that has been keeping us together.  Christian (2006, p.19) knows this is true when she cites (Fingerman &Berman 2000) in saying that “rituals and customs often keep a family together during times of change and stress” (p.19).We would need our Bible to sustain us in our tragedy.

In my folklore “medicine chest,” one would find packets of Cerrase tea, Fever grass tea, charcoal powder, Ginger tea packets and a tincture of garlic in coconut oil. All of these items are samples of what we use as basic remedies for illnesses at home. In our culture, we are taught how to use the items I have outlined to relieve gas pains, diarrhea, insect bites/stings and fever among other ailments. Therefore, in a new environment I would want my family to have access to these items in case of an emergency.

The third item is my CD. As I have explained before this CD has some invaluable items that help us to stay connected to our roots as Caribbean people and since I will not be living in my country again, this memorabilia would be important to us to keep forever.

As I continue to explain these items, I would hope that my host country would understand their importance and significance to our “way of life,” our “sense of identity” and to the “nest of things” that we would actually like to keep that would be “familiar” to us to give us a “sense of connectedness” to our home culture as we seek, as a family, to rebuild our lives from this devastation (Laureate Education, 2011).

However, since I am asked to choose only one item to keep, I know that I will choose my Bible. My Bible represents the means through which we as a family communicate to our Creator, and connect to our fellow human beings on earth and even though this may not be acceptable in another culture, I would hope that my host country would understand my need to take my Bible with me.

 As a result of this exercise once again I have learnt that acceptance, respect and an awareness of the value of another person’s culture is very vital to understanding who they are  and these will certainly help to nourish and build stable relationships in a world that is growing more and more diverse. Louise Derma-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards (2010 p.55) sustain this idea when they state that “in a society as diverse as ours, maneuvering through its multiple cultures can be complex and confusing, as well as rich and delightful” (p.55).Therefore, the more we value the richness of each other’s culture the better we will be able as professionals to embrace the many cultural experiences in our classrooms.

References

Christian, L. G. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood

practice. Young Children, 61(1), 12–20. Retrieved from:

http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1042679491&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves.

Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).  (2011). Family cultures: dynamic interactions

[video webcast].  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3398176_1%26url%3D

Perspectives on Diversity and Equity (EDUC – 6164 – 6)

Perspectives on Diversity and Equity (EDUC – 6164 – 6)

Blog Community 3 

Sharon Munroe: http://munroeearlychildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/

Quandra Greene: http://quandragreene.blogspot.com/

Brooke Guy: http://greengablesdayschool.blogspot.com/

Kelly Banik:http://www.kellylbanik.blogspot.com/

Rosalind Dandridge: http://dandridger.blog.com