Background:
An essential skill in education, especially in the study of
English, is to be able to interpret and view events from different historical
perspectives, constantly assessing and formulating opinions as you learn. This
week's topic: segregation. For thousands of years, people were separated by
race in a divisive battle of moral, social, and political wills. In the famous
precedent-setting court case, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), it was ruled that
separate but equal facilities are okay. But were they ever really equal? And
was it ever really okay to separate people in the first place?
In Brown v. Board of Education (1954) the ruling in Plessy
was overturned. "Separate but equal" was deemed no longer
constitutionally adequate. Although it was slow to actually be put into
practice, the legal precedent changed the United States forever.
Assignment:
1. Read the article "Pennsylvania school experiments
with 'segregation'" (link below).
2. In 2-3 paragraphs, answer the following questions as
carefully and thoughtfully as possible. Include at least two in-text citations
from the news article. Please write in 3rd person point of view - this means NOT to use the words "I", "me", "my", "mine", etc.
a) What are
some of the effects, beneficial or detrimental, of segregation on American
society?
b) How does
McCaskey East High School's recent "experiment" toe the line between
right and wrong? Given the potential "success", should this kind of
segregation permissible?
c) How could
racism or discrimination shape a person's self-perception? What, if anything,
can be done to alleviate racism/discrimination in the United States?
Links:
- "Pennsylvania school experiments with 'segregation'"
- How to Create In-Text Citations (See Sources from the Internet or Electronic Resources)
Optional, extra credit assignment:
Engage in a meaningful, respectful conversation (at least one paragraph
or more) with at least one of your classmates.
Final due date:
Friday, January 10th
A. Some benefits are the ability to relate more with your peers and possibly feel more accepted by your division. Some negatives of segregation are limited understanding of the other groups is more likely and less diverse opinions and ideas. If you forcefully segregate people, most often some will resist.
ReplyDeleteThis segregation toes the line between right and wrong because it is built off of the basis that students will relate more with people of the same race. While this theory may be true sometimes with "grouping black students by gender with a strong role model can help boost their academic achievement and self esteem", it can be seen as controversial because it doesn't work every time. This segregation should be permissible because it is not a forced segregation and is "voluntarily segregated by the students".
Racism and discrimination can shape a person's self-perception by the prejudice remarks that may come along. When a person is judged by another with a remark on their being, they will begin to analyze its validity regardless of whether it is actually true or not. For example, someone comments on your weight being greater than the average. Regardless of if it is true, you begin to believe the possibility that it might thus altering your self-perception. To combat discrimination one can mostly assist with the promotion of acceptance. If you are constantly excepted, it follows that it should be harder to feel discriminated.
a) What are some of the effects, beneficial or detrimental, of segregation on American society?
ReplyDeleteSegregation has given an entire culture a sense of inferiority, and diminished the importance of that culture’s history. Black students today are still treated differently, and many are inherently thought to be worse students or potential criminals.
b) How does McCaskey East High School's recent "experiment" toe the line between right and wrong? Given the potential "success", should this kind of segregation permissible?
The experiment tiptoes the line between right and wrong in the way that it brings back certain circumstances where black people were treated as inferior and separated from the general population.
c) How could racism or discrimination shape a person's self-perception? What, if anything, can be done to alleviate racism/discrimination in the United States?
Discrimination and racism creates both an inferiority and a superiority complex in either side. The discriminators gain a sense of superiority, which escalates over time to the point of being uncontrollable. On the other end, being discriminated against, especially because of something the discriminated has no control over, causes a sense of inferiority which left uncontrolled leads to depression and other severe mental consequences. In order to alleviate racism and discrimination in the United States, people would need to accepting and tolerant of every person regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. Which isn’t exactly likely, but we can make steps in the right direction just by letting time pass on. As the generation where segregation was acceptable begins to die off, a new generation, one with more tolerance and acceptance begins to replace them as the teachers, educators, and world leaders. Over time the generational hatred and discrimination will die off on it’s own through the passing of time.
Isn't it laughable, in the case of McCaskey, how either saying it's wrong or right gets the same amount of negative criticism. Either you say it's wrong because they're excluding others which makes people think you're against the educational benefits or you say it's alright and people think you're segregating based on race. As for black students being mistreated or percieved unjustly these days, I assume you mean by other students. For black students it is beneficial discrimination in terms of getting into educational programs and universities with racial quotas. I can't really speak personally for the student to student discrimination because I haven't seen it happen in front of me, but I think it's somewhere.
DeleteI don't think the class brings about negative discriminatory feelings as it tries to help the students in it. What I feel skeptical about though is that they are giving positive discrimination. They tell the students if they try they have better chances based off racial statistics. Like you say, how much of racism and discrimination is based off of the discriminated being inferior? and how much is it based off the discriminator believing they are superior?
"Time heals all wounds?" I'm not to sure of that working in this situation. As you say, black students are still being discriminated against. Isn't this like picking at the wound? How long does it take to heal? All I can say is I hope it's deep enough to leave a scar that isn't repudiated or omitted. Perhaps it is a flaw in the person and not the society. In current times it often seems these discriminations are used as conduits for a different hatred.
a) What are some of the effects, beneficial or detrimental, of segregation on American society?
ReplyDeleteBeneficially to have someone that you can look up to and relate to is great, but if someone who is not African American is having problems or is struggling then I think they should be offered help as well. This could be detrimental to these students education because if they are putting them in a program just with other African American people then they could assume what is wrong with them that they can’t just be in a regular class with other high school student.
b) How does McCaskey East High School's recent "experiment" toe the line between right and wrong? Given the potential "success", should this kind of segregation permissible?
It hits the line between right and wrong because when they are offering help to these African American people they are segregating other people and not giving them the same opportunities. I don’t think this type of segregation should be allowed because they are being unfair to the other students that might need help.
c) How could racism or discrimination shape a person's self-perception? What, if anything, can be done to alleviate racism/discrimination in the United States?
Racism and discrimination could shape one’s self to believe that they are lesser than everyone else and that they don’t deserve the same treatment as other races. They could demolish this whole program about just black people being able to receive help because it could also teach other diversities that they aren’t deserving of the opportunity to receive help just like everyone else.
Agreed. It doesn't really sound fair to exclude a group that would want to join in on the sessions, but I don't really believe someone is worrying about not being able to be in a regular class. I would view this as a kind of studying session for the students who are behind making it unpreferable to be in this class in the first place. It seems only idiotic, at first, to put an extra label on here such as black students only, but given that it can help improve test scores, it can become harder to debate.
DeleteSo I have a question. Program for helping black students who are falling behind, or none at all? I know it doesn't really make sense why you couldn't just have it be non-discriminatory, but I believe at times it is still a valid question in regards to the topic. I don't really believe any of this debating matters anyway because I'm sure if any student asked they would let them join.
a) What are some of the effects, beneficial or detrimental, of segregation on American society? none of the effects are beneficial, some historians say that segregation was a main reason that the biggest gangs were formed, like the bloods and the crips but without segregation martin luther king would have just been a pastor huey and bobby would have just been people that we would of never heard about.
ReplyDeleteb) How does McCaskey East High School's recent "experiment" toe the line between right and wrong? Given the potential "success", should this kind of segregation permissible? never why would we ever want to take a step backwards in time . this is STUPID
c) How could racism or discrimination shape a person's self-perception? What, if anything, can be done to alleviate racism/discrimination in the United States? just look at the blue eyed brown eyed expirement cunducted by that teacher all the students in that class formed prejudice thoughts against their friends and only based on the color of their eyes only because they themselfs believed they were better than each other
So your reason for it being beneficial is that Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn't have been famous otherwise? Is fame that important? Or perhaps you are trying to refer to the matter of discrimination being better bad enough to be brought to light instead of mild enough that it stayed a minor offense. In the case of the gang related segregation, that is based mostly off of territorial segregation and is sometimes chosen discrimination instead of forced segregation.
DeleteThe article states that the segregation was chosen by the students in an effort to have more in common with their peers, which is different in comparison to the segregation I believe you have in mind. I don't believe that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" applies too well here.
That teacher, Jane Elliot , conducted those experiments in order to teach her students what discrimination was like, but I'm going to say it's a weak comparison because the experiment is built off of a wiser adult abusing her class of youths to teach a lesson and I think your teacher telling you you're better or worse than someone else with her own premise of causing discrimination, would have a great affect on the result of the experiment as well. I do like the concept you might have been hinting at with making people walking a day in another's shoes though, but if only the implication was easier. I don't believe holding a class for experiencing another's life would be too effective or efficient and I feel acknowledgement of the intent can hold back some of the participation.
I'm reminded of another experiment that was made to find out more about the prisoner guard relationship. What I feel these two experiments have in common is that they are more about a group "in power" discriminating against the ones "without power." In both experiments the ones given power or authority abused the group without any power or with less privileges. Therefore I suggest that these experiments core factor driving the discrimination is based mostly off of the ability or authority to inflict it, as opposed to a prior racist belief.
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