Provenzo Chapter 10Provenzo Chapter 10

Education and Dominated

Education and Dominated

Cultures

Cultures

1.1. Our nation has Our nation has imperfectly imperfectly championed ideas of championed ideas of freedom, freedom, democracy, equality.democracy, equality.

2.2. We are a nation that We are a nation that was founded on the was founded on the conquest of native conquest of native or indigenous peopleor indigenous people—and slavery has —and slavery has played a critical role played a critical role in our historical in our historical experience.experience.

3.3. We have assigned privilege and We have assigned privilege and power to groups based on their power to groups based on their origins, economic, power, and origins, economic, power, and geography: whiteness and geography: whiteness and privilege have dominated our privilege have dominated our culture. culture.

4.4. As teachers and border crossers As teachers and border crossers it is essential that we it is essential that we understand the experience of understand the experience of dominated cultures; not to do so dominated cultures; not to do so is a basic error that diminishes is a basic error that diminishes us not only in our work but also us not only in our work but also as a culture and society. as a culture and society.

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5.5. Privilege and oppression are not Privilege and oppression are not limited to those addressed in limited to those addressed in this discussion.this discussion.

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Dominated cultures:Dominated cultures: People conquered as part

of European settlement of North America

People brought here as slaves

Colonized as part of the U.S. global expansion

Perceived as inferior by the dominant culture

Not provided equal rights Physically segregated Taught by members of

the dominant group

Language, traditions, and values are trivialized, considered inferior

Limited access to social and economic opportunities

Deculturalization: when the dominant culture strips away the culture of the dominated group

Segregation and isolation

Forced change of language

Curriculum reflects culture of dominant

group Textbooks reflect

culture of dominant group

Dominated groups not allowed to express their culture and religion

Teachers from the dominant group

Colonized people are directed, they do not direct themselves

Methods used in educational settings

Native Native AmericansAmericans

2 million people2 million people About one percent of the U.S. About one percent of the U.S.

populationpopulation 7% in BIA schools 7% in BIA schools 5% in private schools5% in private schools 88% in public schools88% in public schools ““To describe Native Americans To describe Native Americans

with a single descriptive term with a single descriptive term is like describing Italians, is like describing Italians, Greeks, Norwegians, and Greeks, Norwegians, and Russians as Europeans.”Russians as Europeans.”

Speak at least 200 different Speak at least 200 different languages.languages.

Primary goals: “civilize” the Primary goals: “civilize” the savages and convert them to savages and convert them to Christianity.Christianity.

EducationEducation 1879: first federally

sponsored school, the Carlisle Indian School

Captain Richard Pratt: “All the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”

In 1928, federal report: Native American children be educated in their own communities not boarding schools.”

Self-determination: late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Funding decreased under the Reagan administration.

Puerto Rican Puerto Rican AmericansAmericans When taken over by the U.S., When taken over by the U.S.,

Puerto Rico was well on its way Puerto Rico was well on its way toward independence.toward independence.

Puerto Rican independence was Puerto Rican independence was brought to a standstill with the brought to a standstill with the invasion of the country in 1898. invasion of the country in 1898.

The Puerto Rican population, The Puerto Rican population, despite its Spanish, African, and despite its Spanish, African, and Native American roots, was Native American roots, was forced to assume U.S. forced to assume U.S. citizenship.citizenship.

Hawaii and the Philippines are Hawaii and the Philippines are other examples of colonial other examples of colonial expansion in the late 19th expansion in the late 19th century.century.

African African AmericansAmericans

When importation of When importation of slaves outlawed in 1820s, slaves outlawed in 1820s, over 10 million Africans over 10 million Africans had been brought to North had been brought to North America.America.

In a slave society, Africans In a slave society, Africans viewed as tools for benefit viewed as tools for benefit of owners.of owners.

Essentially, compulsory Essentially, compulsory ignorance was the policy ignorance was the policy established for African established for African children under slavery.children under slavery.

Opposing Models of Opposing Models of African American Education:African American Education:

Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. Washington

Washington supported policy of Washington supported policy of accommodation.accommodation.

Rejected idea of social equality Rejected idea of social equality between African Americans between African Americans and whites. and whites.

African Americans “as separate African Americans “as separate as the fingers” from the white as the fingers” from the white population population

But, like the fingers on a hand, But, like the fingers on a hand, inevitably linked.inevitably linked.

W.E.B. DuBoisW.E.B. DuBois

DuBois argued for the training DuBois argued for the training of the “talented tenth” of the of the “talented tenth” of the African American population African American population

Serve in positions of leadership Serve in positions of leadership in education, the ministry, in education, the ministry, politics, and business.politics, and business.

According to DuBois, According to DuBois, Washington’s ‘compromise’ Washington’s ‘compromise’ threatened the political power threatened the political power of African Americans, their civil of African Americans, their civil rights, and the possibility of rights, and the possibility of higher education and its higher education and its benefits.benefits.

The Movement for Civil RightsThe Movement for Civil RightsBlack CodesBlack Codes Laws restricting the rights of newly freed Laws restricting the rights of newly freed

African Americans after the Civil War. African Americans after the Civil War. Illegal to marry across racial lines,Illegal to marry across racial lines, Voting dependent on owning property, Voting dependent on owning property, Eliminated Blacks from serving on juries, Eliminated Blacks from serving on juries,

etc.etc.

1954 Brown V. Board of Education of 1954 Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka: Topeka:

Supreme Court decision: Separate Supreme Court decision: Separate facilities were inherently unequal.facilities were inherently unequal.

““Feeling of inferiority. . .unlikely ever to Feeling of inferiority. . .unlikely ever to be undone.” be undone.”

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1955: 1955: Brown IIBrown II Students to be admitted on a Students to be admitted on a

nondiscriminatory basis “with all nondiscriminatory basis “with all deliberate speed.”deliberate speed.”

Resistance throughout the SouthResistance throughout the South Little Rock: first real test of the Little Rock: first real test of the

desegregation laws.desegregation laws. 1957, Arkansas Governor sent National 1957, Arkansas Governor sent National

Guard troops to Little Rock to prevent Guard troops to Little Rock to prevent African American students from African American students from entering. entering.

President Eisenhower sent troops to President Eisenhower sent troops to Little Rock to enforce Brown Decision. Little Rock to enforce Brown Decision.

Process of social change had begun.Process of social change had begun.

Compensatory EducationCompensatory Education Effort to achieve greater educational Effort to achieve greater educational

opportunityopportunity 1965 ESEA: one billion dollars in Title I 1965 ESEA: one billion dollars in Title I

funds funds Assigned to school districts to help Assigned to school districts to help

disadvantaged children disadvantaged children For children whose families live below For children whose families live below

the government’s poverty level. the government’s poverty level. Established in 1965: compensatory Established in 1965: compensatory

education programs (e.g., infant education programs (e.g., infant education, early childhood education, education, early childhood education, basic skills, counseling, and dropout basic skills, counseling, and dropout prevention programs) in nation’s schools. prevention programs) in nation’s schools.

Best known: Head Start--disadvantaged Best known: Head Start--disadvantaged children preschool readiness programchildren preschool readiness program

Dominated Cultures and Dominated Cultures and PrivilegePrivilegeTeachers:Teachers:

Usually white, middle classUsually white, middle class More suburban than urbanMore suburban than urban Cultural references: Eurocentric Cultural references: Eurocentric Moderately conservative Moderately conservative

The The Mercator projection:Mercator projection: Parallels of latitude, which are equal distances Parallels of latitude, which are equal distances

apart on a globe, are drawn with increasing apart on a globe, are drawn with increasing separation. separation.

Greenland and Antarctica: enormously Greenland and Antarctica: enormously exaggerated, although their shape is preserved. exaggerated, although their shape is preserved.

Relative size of the world’s countries are Relative size of the world’s countries are incorrectly represented. incorrectly represented.

Cultural bias is operating when the world is Cultural bias is operating when the world is portrayed using a Mercator projection. portrayed using a Mercator projection.

Maps are useful tools. Maps are useful tools. We need to know the extent to which they We need to know the extent to which they

unconsciously influence our view of the world by unconsciously influence our view of the world by establishing a establishing a normativenormative practice. practice.

This is also the case with issues such as This is also the case with issues such as privilege, and especially what has been privilege, and especially what has been described as described as white privilege.white privilege.

1.1. Our nation has Our nation has imperfectly imperfectly championed the championed the ideas of freedom, ideas of freedom, democracy, and democracy, and equality.equality.

2.2. We are a nation that We are a nation that was founded on the was founded on the conquest of native conquest of native or indigenous peopleor indigenous people—and slavery has —and slavery has played a critical role played a critical role in our historical in our historical experience.experience.

3.3. We have assigned privilege and We have assigned privilege and power to groups based on their power to groups based on their origins, economic, power, and origins, economic, power, and geography. Whiteness and geography. Whiteness and privilege have dominated our privilege have dominated our culture. culture.

4.4. As teachers and border crossers As teachers and border crossers it is essential that we it is essential that we understand the experience of understand the experience of dominated cultures. Not to do dominated cultures. Not to do so is a basic error that so is a basic error that diminishes us not only in our diminishes us not only in our work but also as a culture and work but also as a culture and society. society.

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5.5. Privilege and oppression are not Privilege and oppression are not limited to those addressed in this limited to those addressed in this discussion.discussion.

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