Blog 1 - Teaching for Social Justice; Alan Johnson
Larissa Guido Swenson
FNED 546 - Summer 2023
Dr. Lesley Bugad
Blog 1: Teaching for Social Justice; Alan Johnson
Option: 3 Quotes
1- “Brazilian educator Paulo Freire writes that teachers should attempt to live part of their dreams within their educational space”. (Introduction: Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice, page x).
From my perspective, teachers have different opinions when it comes to what is their ideology of a dream learning environment according to their own classroom reality.
Perhaps, Paulo Freire proposes education with follow-up, therefore evidencing a cultural pedagogical relationship that prioritizes the students’ participation, above all their autonomy, establishing a dialogic practice in the school.
This quote's relevance to the text suggests that the teacher's role is to establish dialogical relations of teaching and learning, in which the educator, while teaching, also learns. Together, educators and students learn, in a democratic and affective encounter in which everyone can express themselves.
2- “If we take difference and diversity as reasons for fear and occasion for trouble, it’s because we’ve learned to think about them in ways that make for fear and trouble”. (Johnson 2001, Privilege, Power and Difference, page 16).
This quote confirms that fear, ignorance, confusion and insecurity keeps us in the cycle of socialization. It suggests that opting out of vital conversations about diversity and inclusivity is to reinforce messages that were taught to us by institutional and cultural socialization - nurture.
3- “All of us are part of the problem. There is no way to avoid that as long as we live in the world. But we could also make ourselves part of the solution if only we knew how.” (Johnson 2001, Privilege, Power and Difference, page vii).
This quote confirms what I know about why we should interrupt the cycle of socialization. How to interrupt the cycle? Change in instructured, assumptions, philosophy rules and roles.
Building community and creating change are some of the approaches that cycle of liberation suggests. It promotes self-love, self-esteem, balance, joy, support and security.
Point to share in class:
Privilege and power are closely related. Typically people who accumulate privilege accumulate power as well. Our privileges give us the opportunity to relinquish them. Studies have shown that when people from dominant identities advocate for diversity in the workplace, their careers are not penalized, but when people from underrepresented groups take the same action, their careers can be harmed. This evidence shows that it is important for privileged individuals to be allies in combating privilege dynamics.
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