One student asked, “Why do we have to discuss teaching minority children the language of power? Why not just teach everyone acceptance?”
The power of language is a system that has been established by people in power. People in power typically lack the ability to see that there is a power system and thus are not willing to adjust their system. To teach acceptance is to change that power system which is not easily done in society. To teach only acceptance is to cause a disadvantage to those students when they enter the "real world" and have to face a system of power. Personally, I feel it is impossible to live without some power system. The best solution is to teach both disciplines of acceptance AND power to provide students with the most knowledge of what they will face in the "real world".
posted by Britta @ 8:46 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I agree that teaching only one way or the other puts students at a disadvantage when faced with power later on in life. I think both acceptance and interaction with the language of power can be effective, especially when those students grow up and participate in forms of power and work to change them for the better if the changes will be beneficial to people.
Well said. I believe that teaching acceptance will merely address the sympton rather than the root issue. I like your proposition to teach both disciplines. It sounds like a dauting task, but one which, if accomplished, would be interesting to watch develop.
If you only teach acceptance, the students will learn from outside sources that they are being prepared for an ideal world that may never come around. However, acceptance in addition to proper instruction of the "language of power" provide every student with an equal oppurtunity to succeed in the face of power and the potential to help change the system.
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