Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
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The Invisible Knapsack
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Author:  sarah park [ Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  The Invisible Knapsack

I was reading this short article about privilege in society and a quote caught my eye. It states, "I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege." This correlates with the lynching postcards we were asked to look at. I feel like at the time, society felt like lynching was ok to do. People felt like they had a privilege to do that to others. They didn not recognize they were in the wrong, just as some of us do not recognize that we put others down. Because of the world we live in and the things we've grown up with, we don't realize that others dont have the same things we do, and we take advantage of that. Its not like we mean to ignore others or look down on others, but its just our second nature to do it, just as the quote states.

This quote also jumped out at me:
"I began to understand why we are justly seen as oppressive, even when we don't see ourselves that way."
This as well explains that people will see what they want to see , no matter what. Minorities might assume they are always being oppressed and that EVERYONE is against them, while majorities feel like they are doing as much as they can to help those in need. Its just that people will see what they want and nothing can change one's view on life.

Author:  Nicholas Schroot [ Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:48 pm ]
Post subject: 

I feel that the people who went to the lynchings knew they were in the wrong they just did not care. Lynching has been and still is used as punishment for multiple crimes. The people attending these rallies knew this and they also knew that the majority of the people in those photos did not recieve any kind of fair trial to prove their guilt. Therefore if there was no trial, there can not be a guilty verdict, with no verdict there is no punishment. So the cause of these lynchings must have other motives.

Author:  brandi franklin [ Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:45 pm ]
Post subject: 

I definitely agree with Sarah. I kind of feel bad saying it, but that quote really affected me. As a white leaving in a majority white society, it is not often that I stop to think about how I may have more power over others because they are minority. I make an effort everyday to think of myself as an equal with my peers or any diverse group of people I may happen to come in contact with. Sarah says it good when she states, 'its just second nature'. Unfortunately this is the way the world turns sometimes, but I hope as teachers we can establish positive learning environments where open minds are encouraged and acceptance of others is enforced.

Author:  Sarah Magruder [ Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:55 pm ]
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I wouldn't say that nothing can change one's view on life. I think that we all need to be aware of labels that exist in our society, lower class, middle class, upper class. Labels are everywhere, AG, cognitively delayed, emotionally distrubed, and they tend to define a person when they are really just describing one characteristic of a person. Anyway that was a little off topic. However, I do not think that our social standing has to determine what we think or how we view others, we can change our views through experiencing others. In the end we are all just humans.

Author:  leanna kiess [ Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:22 pm ]
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I agree with you Sarah. I really liked how you said that we change by expierencing others. I think that is true in so many ways. I know that the people I have met in my life have taught me so much about life, and how life can be a completly different world through somebody else's eyes. I think we open our minds when we chose to expand our horizons and get to know people that are different than we are. That is one of the things that I get excited about when I think of my future as a teacher. The oppurunties to work with students and collegues that can teach me, and open my eyes, through their life expierences.

Author:  Justin Bulla [ Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:06 pm ]
Post subject: 

I believe I was reading the same article as Sarah was. It was interesting to see the questions posed in there that I have NEVER thought about some of those questions in the reading. Questions like, "I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my reace most of the time." "I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a locations will be neutral or pleasant to me." "I can be pretty sure that if I ask eo talk to the person in charge, I will be facing a person of my race." "If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones."
All of these are interesting to think about. So, do we really wonder why they think the way they do?

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