The film we watched on the Illinois high school whose mascot was a "Native American" chief named Chief Illiniwek was one that I felt could be seen as extremely controversial. On one hand there was Native Americans whose values and beliefs had been damaged due to such an nontraditional mascot in their eyes. On the other hand there was the students, staff, and alumni of the university whose love for their mascot could not be broken.
I believe that if I were to be completely selfish I would be on "the other hand." I would feel so upset if a group of people tried to get rid of my mascot, our very own Sparty. I do not believe that a mascot could be anything more than a loving and traditional part of any school. I felt that the people protesting in the video were somewhat dramatic about Chief Illiniwek and I do not believe that I could fully understand their distress unless I myself was part of the Native American culture. I understood how it could be offensive but not enough to where there was a fight to completely eliminate such a strong part of Illinois University. The students, staff, and alumni would not have a mascot in order to mock Native Americans. They were only unaware and if anything I would have thought that Native American people would feel proud to have such a figure as their mascot; on the contrary this was not the case!!
As I am still learning, my above views may or may not change, however I would never want to offend or hurt anyone and all I can say is that I have the right to freedom of speech and my opinion is based on my own interpretations and thoughts.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Where I Stand (Insider/Outsider Debate).....
The insider versus the outsider debate is one which seems to be an ongoing questioning factor in multicultural literature. Before I began reading articles assigned to the students of TE 448 I believe that I felt as though one must have detailed and experienced knowledge in the chosen topic that they would write about. Therefore I felt that one must have "insider" knowledge in order to create stories of different cultures.
After reading the articles, this debate seemed less obvious. I believe that multicultural literature is literature which is hard to define and is the main reason for such debate. The articles of Shannon, Bishop, Harris, and Cai give different perspectives and answers to the debate. I would have to first comment on Shannon's article and say that it seems to be the most unappealing and least research article on the topic of multiculturalism. First, I do not believe that it was necessary for Shannon to start his article defining his own race, religion, income..etc. He makes himself a victim as stated by Harris. A good writer should be less selfish when it comes to such a strong and at the same time sensitive debate. Although I do agree that multiculturalism is defined by more than just race alone, however such topics are needed in order to better understand these different cultures and experiences. Bishop's article in response to Shannon's makes some great points; points that I agree with. "Culturally conscious books were not defined by authorship but by content," as stated by Bishop"(6). He also makes comments that if multicultural literature is to include literature from all cultures than why not just call it children's literature. He also points out that he believes that the word multicultural functions as "a more desirable term than "minority" or "ethnic" literature"(6). This he states is the reason why Shannon is limited to think that multicultural literature is a synonym for racial issues. People seem to be frightened by what multicultural means and because these people are not part of a certain culture represented in some of these books they tend to alienate themselves from this type of literature.
Cai states that if "discussion stops at seeking out the experiences that the readers has in common with the characters and does not examine closely the social inequality and injustice caused by racism..it misses the point of reading about the Other" (322). I absolutely agree with this comment by Cai. Not every single culture is going to relate to all students in a classroom. This is OKAY! "America is, and has been for centuries, a racialized society"......It is because race matters that people confuse race with culture" (Bishop 7). He further goes on to state, something that I absolutely agree with, that there are potential risks in being all inclusive and that by doing so we are furthermore maintaining the status quo.
In conclusion my stance on the "insider/outsider" issue is somewhat complicated. I feel that with enough information and research someone considered an outsider could create a piece of literature that is not only though-provoking but also informative. I also feel that an "insider" would be able to give accurate information to students and have the ability to connect to their reader through their own experiences. I am on the fence still but this could be the reason for such a debate; it is one that is not easily answered. I do however believe that diversity should not be distinguished between dominated and dominating cultures and everyone should be able to enjoy such literature without it pertaining to all students especially since multiculturalism deals with all different types of cultures.
After reading the articles, this debate seemed less obvious. I believe that multicultural literature is literature which is hard to define and is the main reason for such debate. The articles of Shannon, Bishop, Harris, and Cai give different perspectives and answers to the debate. I would have to first comment on Shannon's article and say that it seems to be the most unappealing and least research article on the topic of multiculturalism. First, I do not believe that it was necessary for Shannon to start his article defining his own race, religion, income..etc. He makes himself a victim as stated by Harris. A good writer should be less selfish when it comes to such a strong and at the same time sensitive debate. Although I do agree that multiculturalism is defined by more than just race alone, however such topics are needed in order to better understand these different cultures and experiences. Bishop's article in response to Shannon's makes some great points; points that I agree with. "Culturally conscious books were not defined by authorship but by content," as stated by Bishop"(6). He also makes comments that if multicultural literature is to include literature from all cultures than why not just call it children's literature. He also points out that he believes that the word multicultural functions as "a more desirable term than "minority" or "ethnic" literature"(6). This he states is the reason why Shannon is limited to think that multicultural literature is a synonym for racial issues. People seem to be frightened by what multicultural means and because these people are not part of a certain culture represented in some of these books they tend to alienate themselves from this type of literature.
Cai states that if "discussion stops at seeking out the experiences that the readers has in common with the characters and does not examine closely the social inequality and injustice caused by racism..it misses the point of reading about the Other" (322). I absolutely agree with this comment by Cai. Not every single culture is going to relate to all students in a classroom. This is OKAY! "America is, and has been for centuries, a racialized society"......It is because race matters that people confuse race with culture" (Bishop 7). He further goes on to state, something that I absolutely agree with, that there are potential risks in being all inclusive and that by doing so we are furthermore maintaining the status quo.
In conclusion my stance on the "insider/outsider" issue is somewhat complicated. I feel that with enough information and research someone considered an outsider could create a piece of literature that is not only though-provoking but also informative. I also feel that an "insider" would be able to give accurate information to students and have the ability to connect to their reader through their own experiences. I am on the fence still but this could be the reason for such a debate; it is one that is not easily answered. I do however believe that diversity should not be distinguished between dominated and dominating cultures and everyone should be able to enjoy such literature without it pertaining to all students especially since multiculturalism deals with all different types of cultures.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Issues of Diversity in Children's Literature
Hello everyone! My name is Sara and I am currently a junior at Michigan State University. I am looking forward to getting a degree in Special Education teaching Language Arts. I love working with children and figured that special-ed would be just as awarding if not more to help a child learn.
TE 448 is a course that will benefit my future teachings in my classroom. The world is such a diverse place and I want to be able to not only teach my students but I would also like to learn from them also. Diverse Literature is complex yet interesting. I want to be a culturally aware teacher for my students. I want my students to learn more about each other and those who are "different" from others. Exposure to other cultures I believe will help shape my own students lives. With special education you are not only teaching subject matter but you are teaching the students how to cope or be aware of their social surroundings. Learning about diverse literature will help shape my teaching principles for the better and with my understanding I will be able to understand and appreciate others.
Overall, I am always excited to learn more and to obtain more knowledge. The knowledge I will learn about diverse literature will truly help shape my future. I am looking forward to discussing any issues or challenges that may come up in this course!!
TE 448 is a course that will benefit my future teachings in my classroom. The world is such a diverse place and I want to be able to not only teach my students but I would also like to learn from them also. Diverse Literature is complex yet interesting. I want to be a culturally aware teacher for my students. I want my students to learn more about each other and those who are "different" from others. Exposure to other cultures I believe will help shape my own students lives. With special education you are not only teaching subject matter but you are teaching the students how to cope or be aware of their social surroundings. Learning about diverse literature will help shape my teaching principles for the better and with my understanding I will be able to understand and appreciate others.
Overall, I am always excited to learn more and to obtain more knowledge. The knowledge I will learn about diverse literature will truly help shape my future. I am looking forward to discussing any issues or challenges that may come up in this course!!
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