Sunday, February 28, 2010

Dennis Carlson - Gayness, Multicultural Education and Community


1. “I want to suggest that public schools may play an important role in helping build a new democratic, multicultural community, one in which sexual identity (like other markers of difference including class, gender, and race) is recognized, in which inequities are challenged, and where dialogue across difference replaces silencing and invisibility practices” (p.233)

Ok, it’s just the first paragraph of the reading but I have to say I’m thinking…Just like Delpit and Rodriguez…another job for the Teachers. We need to deliver codes of culture of power for Delpit, English language for Rodriguez, and “democratic multicultural education…in which all voices are heard and truths are understood” for Carlson. Don’t forget…English, Reading, math, Social Studies…Don’t get me wrong, I’m up for the challenge…but it is a challenge right? Really, I believe this first quote is what motivates Carlson’s whole writing in this reading.

2. “One way to rupture the boundaries between groups is to emphasize the multiple subject positions (class, race, gender, sexuality, etc.) we all occupy. Thus, I am not merely a gay person, but rather a gay, white, male with a particular working –class background and middle-class status and occupation.”

I believe he is telling us how important it is as future teachers to instill in students that we are all individuals – with whatever characteristics make up that individual, and we all have many layers. But, it’s how we respond to others and how they respond to us that involve our cultural background, our personal experiences and beliefs and it’s within our ability to recognize this and make our own decisions on how we act upon our background and experience that is so important. He is looking for the same as Johnson in Privilege, Power and Difference p. 6 “you’d think we could treat one another with decency and respect and appreciate if not support the best we have in us”. In addition his message of young people building alliances to have a sense of community is also so important and I hope would contribute to much lower rates in dropout, drug abuse, and suicide

3. “The objective of classroom discourse is thus not so much to achieve consensus on one “true” or “objective” depiction of reality, but rather to clarify differences and agreements, work toward coalition-building across difference when possible, and build relationships based on caring and equity” (p. 252)

He wants Students to be educated as to the realities of all real relationships, marriages, families, and lifestyles in this world and to be open to talk freely about them, in an environment where everyone feels comfortable to have a “voice” to enable clarity of difference and to work toward equity. Again, like Johnson…you can’t fix it if you don’t talk about it.

Although this reading does seem dated on some of the information there are too many valid points and arguments for the need of multicultural education and building a “multicultural community” to not see Carlson’s point of view on this. I enjoyed this reading and all the information it made me aware of such as normalizing curriculum.

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