One thing I've noticed with many of these readings (not just for
5300) is this nagging feeling that what we're reading should be common
sense. Of course we, as social workers and human beings, will show
respect for everyone and develop an openness to other cultures. I
already appreciate the complexities of identity, both with oneself and
within a community. Chapter 4 begins identifying some of the more basic
components to working with and understanding a population.
Intellectually, I feel that I understand these concepts. I won't be
dismissive about someone's concerns about being marginalized because of
their identity. I'm an educated, experienced, open-minded person, aren't
I?
This week, I'm already discovering the limits of
theory and intellect when it comes to a real-life situation. At my
school, I have started working with students with emotional, behavioral,
and mental disorders. On Friday,
I had a sixth grader drop in who seemed, at first, to be more
interested in skipping class than coming in to talk about anger. In our
discussion, the student revealed that he felt one teacher, Mr. X,
singles him out. The student readily admits to having a hard time
focusing in class and being one of the talkers. He also feels that while
other students are much more disruptive, he is frequently the first
(and sometimes, only) student the teacher calls out.
When I describe this student to others and to
myself, I say that he is honest, charming, and seems to care deeply
about the other students. What I don't point out is that he is black. I
realized this when he said, in frustration, "I'm angry, because I think
Mr. X thinks I'm getting into trouble because I'm black. And I don't
know if you want to help me because you think I need it or because I'm
black. "
My first impulse was to say, "No, no, of course you
being black doesn't affect how I or Mr. X speaks to you." I didn't say
it, though. I don't know Mr. X and I have not observed the situation
within the classroom. It is possible that this popular teacher focuses
in on this student because he truly causes problems within his class. It
is possible that Mr. X singles him out, consciously or not, because he
is black. It is also incredibly possible that my impulse to help this
student comes from a place of privilege. I told the student that,
honestly, I couldn't deny or confirm what he just said because it was
not something I had truly examined within myself. I pointed out,
however, I liked talking to him. The student nodded and said, "Yeah, I
don't know either. But I like talking to you too."
Am I doing a disservice to this student by ignoring
his blackness? Is his cultural identity as a young black man a key
element to how he sees himself? How can we, as professionals, approach
people of different ethnicities races, and cultures with respect to
their identity without making it a highlight of who they are? I know
that I will never understand this student's experiences. By not
acknowledging his skin color, am I treating him as any other student or
am I ignoring what he might consider to be a key aspect to his identity?
Is there any way to truly broach the subject without confusing him or
making him feel even more singled out? How can we attain cultural
humility and understanding without making it a focal point of our
interactions?
Testing comments.
ReplyDeleteRachel, you make some very important points to consider and really think about. Talking about a person's skin color can be a very touchy issue. Some people are concerned that others will think they need help only because they are of a certain color or that we must feel obliged to help. I know that I haven't been in a lot of diverse settings and I need help understanding other cultures different from my own as a young, white woman. You presented a perfect real life example.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph really resonates with me. I grew up in an all-white farming community and never even spoke to a black person until college. By contrast, I’ve spent the last eleven years sitting on the floor in the homes of black families in some of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas of Alton. My heart hurts at times, knowing that just by virtue of their skin color, my young moms lives are already one degree harder, before any other factors are considered. And yet, I also had a bit of self-pride. I had what I considered to be a wonderful compliment from the mother of a young mom I was working with. She asked if I’d grown up around a lot of black people, because I seemed so comfortable in their neighborhood and home. I basically repeated my second sentence from above. I felt that I’d risen above my early years, that I don’t consider skin color; that I don’t think of that piece of a person first. But, should I?
ReplyDeleteRachel, that is a pretty heavy question. There is no one answer to those heavy questions of race. Each situation is so complex, just as every individual is complex as well. I think you did the right thing in taking the student's opinion as valid, because it is of course, and in doing so you did not bring up the teacher's intentions, because who knows what his/her intentions might be? The student right in front of you needed your mirroring of his situation and you kind words, and that is what you gave him, so I think you handled it very well.
ReplyDeleteIn one of our readings for 5700, a white woman talks about how she realized her assumption that she had no prejudices made her interactions with people of different races and ethnicities rather fake sounding. I'd like to believe I have no prejudices, but I know I do. I really like the phrase "cultural humility"; it makes so much more sense to me than cultural understanding. I don't understand a culture besides my own (and that's one I can't even put into words). Approaching someone else's experience in its entirety with humility puts me in a more receptive frame of mind.
ReplyDelete