The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I would first like to say thank you to my colleagues for traveling this academic journey with me. Keep going, keep pushing, the end is near.

I hope to be the educator that parents and students adore alike. I want to be the reason a student or a parent feels more comfortable in exactly who they are. I hope to facilitate the cultural competence of my students as well as myself. 

Moving forward my goal is to continue to grow, to keep learning, and to take risks. I feel like the biggest lessons in life are learned through risks. I plan to put myself out there to ask questions and get to know and understand culturally my students.  

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Scenerio:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

If I were to gain a student from another country such as, Germany, I would have a leg up considering I have been there and know some about the culture. 

However, to best be prepared, I would:

1: freshen up on popular/ common phrases

2: begin to get to know the parents and their values and their expectations

3: have the family come in early to help them get familiar with the american way of education 

4: set up a time for the parents to come in and educate the class on german culture

5: implement the things that I learn regarding the german culture to most appropriately interact with the student and the family.

• These preparations help me to learn first-hand information and allows the parents to feel appreciated for who they are as well as helping them to understand the level of self-investment I have in my students as well as their families. 

The personal side of bais, prejudice, and oppression

My mother, being a more masculine lesbian, in her relationship, she has often experienced biases when in a highly professional environment with strangers. The strangers engage in conversations and she is often excluded from the conversation. They discuss their degrees, and it seemed as though she was intentionally excluded from the conversations. Eye contact was often low and so are introductions. 

I have witnessed sometimes being with her, she is treated differently when she is dressed comfortably vs. when she is dressed like a lady.

Until, when in professional environments, she mentions her employer the level of respect is low.

Knowing that my mother is treated differently simply because of the way she decides to dress is sad and pretty pathetic. It says more about the people that prejudge her than herself. 

From my mother's experience, I understand even more how important it is to not judge a book by its cover.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?
• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people.

I currently work as the Army Education Counselor, people come to me to inquire about VA benefits, TA (Tuition Assistance), and the big question..... What should I do with my life?

Recently I had a student come into my office and basically express that they thought I was not old enough or qualified enough to do my job without knowing my credentials, or capability. I can only assume that I look young, he felt that I would be unable to help him.

I felt insulted and was curious on what basis he established these ideas about me. But I did not let it bother me. I have learned to let things roll off my back in regards to things people say or feel about me. 

This weeks lesson got me thinking more about things I should and should not say. I think more than anything this week has made me more sensitive to people and their culture and how I express my ignorance.  

Perspective on Diversity and Culture

Culture is......
Social behavior specific to groups of people
Behavior that contributes to differences

Diversity is......
Differences
Unique qualities specific to a group or groups of people

These definitions are broad enough that they do not omit or exclude anything specifically. However, they are not clear cut in that they are not specific. They leave room for question.
Diversity is essentially just that differences and all of the things that make people uniques. Diversity includes but is not limited to, race/ethnicity, religion, and gender, etc., again all of the things that make us different.

Culture is who we are and the things that makeup who we are. Culture is the music we listen to, the way we dress, the food we eat, and more.

Other people definitions and ideas about culture and diversity are pretty much on the same page. I feel that limiting the definitions and making the definitions more specific would take away and limit all possible meanings of the word.

My Family Culture

• 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.
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• A description of the three items you would choose
• How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you
• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you
• Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

A Bible, a family photo of my husband myself and our children, and a pair of pearl earrings are Items that I would bring along with me if I had to evacuate to another country. The Bible is the tool I use when I am in need of peace and comfort. With my Bible I don't need to have fear in my hear. My Bible reminds me that God is with me no matter where I am or what I happening around me. My family is my lifeline. The picture of my family represents love, unconditional, unwavering love with a splash of chaos. I like to look good and I cannot truly feel like myself without earrings. Earings for me, represent aesthetics and the way I value appearance.

If told I could only keep one personal item I would keep the picture of my family and write my favorite scripture on the back. Without my family I have nothing.


This exercise has helped me understand the value of family and this weeks topic has helped me form the link between family and culture.

When I Think of Research....

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Poverty is an issue that we face on a daily basis everywhere in the world. Research has explained, time and time again, that as a result of poverty school-aged children face a number of challenges. These challenges include but are not limited to poor social skills, self-esteem issues and more.
Literature tells us, “Children who are economically disadvantaged families are more likely to experience socioemotional problems, such as impaired peer relations, low self-esteem, lower levels of sociability and initiative, and classroom externalizing, and internalizing behavior problems than children who live in families with greater financial resources.” (Lichter, Shanahan, & Gardner,(p. 91).)
Conducting my research would help to keep children in the classroom rather than expelled and isolated. If, in fact, the data shows that poverty is the cause of antisocial behaviors rather than treating the behavior i.e., suspension, expulsion, detention, etc. we can treat the cause of the behavior i.e., poverty.

My perception of the field of ECE has not necessarily changed. I still have the utmost respect and adoration for the professionals who work in the field. It indeed is a taxing one.
Additionally, Thank you for keeping me going. This class has been an ultimate challenge and through this course you all, my colleagues have helped me more than you know.

Lichter, D. T., Shanahan, M. J., & Gardner, E. L. (2002). Helping others? The effects of childhood poverty and family instability on prosocial behavior. Youth & Society, 34(1),            89–119.