As I learned of microaggressions this week, the first thought that came to mind is the television show I watch with my boyfriend, The Big Bang Theory. There are numerous accounts of the character of Sheldon belittling Howard for not having a doctorate degree or Penny for not having a college education at all. This makes me feel that those who have doctorate degrees think less of those of us who may not have a doctorate (although I am hoping this is just on the show). Additionally, there are times that the character of Sheldon makes references to the cultural differences of Raj. This makes me think of how often in society we discredit a person because their cultural background is different. *Retrieved from watching the show which airs on CBS and in reruns on another station where I live.
On the other hand, this week in my classroom I had a little girl tell a little boy that he could not go to the kitchen center because kitchen was for girls and blocks were for boys. I quickly explained to her that in our classroom, the centers are all open to both boys and girls. Boys can cook and girls can build towers is the quick example I gave her. However, she is only 3 and it is startling to think that if this is the thought they have this early, what thoughts will be expressed as the children grow up and become adults. We have a big job to do in educating not only the children we teach but the families that surround them if we want to make societal changes to prevent the microaggressions from taking place.
While I want to say I realize these things take place, it really made me question how often they happen without conscience realization? This week caused me to take a hard look at what takes place around me that is viewed as "okay" but can really be causing harm.
Great examples, and I too feel that through this weeks material I have become conscious of this subtle form of racism. The more we educate others on the subtle harmful effects of microaggressions The sooner we advocate and educate against microaggression, and refuse to put up with this form of abuse the sooner we will rid our society of this disease.
ReplyDeleteI would love to think that the examples you give from television shows are not real, but we all know that this is how many people feel/act in real life. The example with your classroom I have also seen and helping our young children to understand that anyone can do anything no matter their race, gender or any other difference is one of our goals as educators.
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