The Difficulties of Teaching Acceptance Only
Almost all members (and future members) of the "culture of power" have been raised during a time when the problems addressed in Delpit's article run rampant. This means that they have experienced this way of thinking in the home as well as in school. In order for the universal teaching of acceptance to work, that attitude must be held by those the students live with as well as those the students study with. Unfortunately, this means it's hard for me to believe that the simple process of teaching everyone acceptance will work. The opinions and attitudes of everyone need to change together, not separately. It's possible that some students, being "typical" rebellious teenagers, would embrace this new way of thinking wholeheartedly. However, there's no guarantee that it would work for every student. Only a combination of teaching the language of power and acceptance of those who "make mistakes" or, if attitudes are positive, simply speak differently, will work, and even then it must be implemented properly (a discussion many others have admirably addressed).
posted by KJ @ 7:24 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I also believe that only teaching everyone acceptance has a great potential to fail. There must be the combination of both and even then it will still be a complex issue.
It has been shown time and time again in our society that not everyone truly and completely accepts everyone for who they are. We as a society are not at that point. Knowing that, I don't believe that simply teaching acceptance is an adequate strategy, a combination of that with something else is necessary these days.
I agree that teaching acceptance is not sufficient. Looking back in time shows us that inequities have always been present in society (gender, class, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc) and I think that as we advance technologically, we will continue to open new areas where inequalities can manifest themselves. Teaching acceptance is one part of the solution, but I think we also need to be exposed, from a young age, to many different people and opinions. Hopefully these experiences with diversity can teach universal acceptance.
I like how you look at the bigger picture. I don't think you can really "teach" acceptance in such traditional ways. The best thing to do is to expose people to those different than themselves and then guide their thinking into a positive direction. There needs to be a cultural shift in order to all this to be effective.
I agree that there are large issues on the idea of teaching everyone acceptance. No matter what subject there will always be one (if not many) person who is in conflict with the method for one reason or another.
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