Imagine a classroom where a front-row student raises his hand. The professor continues to speak, ignoring the gesture. Other students are invited to contribute and more than one raised hand is acknowledged. All the while, the first guy’s fingers continue in the air. He stretches higher, waves a bit, and the professor even has to move around the room to be able to call on others while snubbing this student. What would you do? What would you do if you were the guy who was not permitted to participate? What would you do if you were another student in the classroom?
In elementary school we learn the rules and by the time we reach university there is no need to discuss classroom dynamic. It is ingrained. The teacher is like a traffic light that channels the subject and provides space for everyone to partake. The students outnumber the teacher, but allow him or her this power so fair space can be created for learning. As long as the teacher maintains the learning for those who want it, the students afford him or her the needed respect. The dynamic is a relationship and it requires all parties to play their roles.
In the situation described above, the professor has broken the unwritten rules. The student is part of the class insofar as he is aware of what is happening, but –other than through his censored presence- he is unable to influence the conversation. The professor is not only failing to perform his role, but he is purposely abusing the power the class afforded him. He has marginalized a single voice. Would you interrupt if you were the front-row student? Would you simply blurt out what you wanted to say? What about if you were another student in the classroom? Would you take advantage of the fact that the professor is willing to acknowledge your voice to draw attention to the guy with the raised hand in the front row?
My hope is that your answers are affirmative to these questions. Even a limited sense of fair play and justice can feel the discrimination described above. A scene of this nature calls for action. However, what happens when this reduced depiction of a marginalized voice is amplified to a societal level? For years African Americans in the United States have protested imbalanced treatment in regard to their exchanges with law enforcement. Terms such as “Driving While Black” long ago became cliché and have even found their way into academic literature. Despite this, recent events have newly drawn attention to the fact that a substantial portion of our society not only feels that their complaints remain unaddressed, but that they are consistently targeted by a racially discriminating justice system. This position is supported by many simple statistics, such as the fact that African Americans are 13.6% of the population, but make up 39.4% of the incarcerated. Our society has long been reticent to make space for African American voices in our national dialogue. Today their hands are raised and while it is unfortunate that once again they must force their way into the conversation, it is also exemplary. What would you do if you were the person whose voice was marginalized? What would you do if you were another student in the classroom?
In elementary school we learn the rules and by the time we reach university there is no need to discuss classroom dynamic. It is ingrained. The teacher is like a traffic light that channels the subject and provides space for everyone to partake. The students outnumber the teacher, but allow him or her this power so fair space can be created for learning. As long as the teacher maintains the learning for those who want it, the students afford him or her the needed respect. The dynamic is a relationship and it requires all parties to play their roles.
In the situation described above, the professor has broken the unwritten rules. The student is part of the class insofar as he is aware of what is happening, but –other than through his censored presence- he is unable to influence the conversation. The professor is not only failing to perform his role, but he is purposely abusing the power the class afforded him. He has marginalized a single voice. Would you interrupt if you were the front-row student? Would you simply blurt out what you wanted to say? What about if you were another student in the classroom? Would you take advantage of the fact that the professor is willing to acknowledge your voice to draw attention to the guy with the raised hand in the front row?
My hope is that your answers are affirmative to these questions. Even a limited sense of fair play and justice can feel the discrimination described above. A scene of this nature calls for action. However, what happens when this reduced depiction of a marginalized voice is amplified to a societal level? For years African Americans in the United States have protested imbalanced treatment in regard to their exchanges with law enforcement. Terms such as “Driving While Black” long ago became cliché and have even found their way into academic literature. Despite this, recent events have newly drawn attention to the fact that a substantial portion of our society not only feels that their complaints remain unaddressed, but that they are consistently targeted by a racially discriminating justice system. This position is supported by many simple statistics, such as the fact that African Americans are 13.6% of the population, but make up 39.4% of the incarcerated. Our society has long been reticent to make space for African American voices in our national dialogue. Today their hands are raised and while it is unfortunate that once again they must force their way into the conversation, it is also exemplary. What would you do if you were the person whose voice was marginalized? What would you do if you were another student in the classroom?
