Previously:
As a White professor teaching sociology and diversity at a Historically Black college (Baltimore City Community College), I often dealt with sensitive and potentially divisive issues.
This particular day, one of my Intro Soc students raised a question on the second day of class. Why was the first chapter of our Intro Soc book (by John Macionis) full of racial stereotypes? What ensued was a learning opportunity for all of us.
John Macionis, Professor of Sociology at Kenyon College in Ohio, recently retired from full time teaching. To the best of my knowledge, the 15th edition of Society: The Basics was the last. We were using the first edition in 1992, a little more than two years after the incident dubbed the Central Park Five. Before I continue, I should mention that my sociology colleagues and I felt his text was superior to any other intro soc books on the market.
For the last few years, a great deal has been written about diversity and its place in the curriculum. But what is sometimes forgotten is that if students sense a warm and supportive classroom climate, they are often more likely than their professor to introduce diversity and other sensitive issues into the curriculum.
As I mentioned earlier, Andrea asked a tough, excellent question that I felt merited a meaningful response. In some ways, I think I was being tested since I remember being the only White individual in a class of 25 or so African Americans. And we hardly knew each other. I suggested to the class that given the way they feel, they should write a letter to the author. Class was winding down so Andrea took the lead and said she’d draft a letter and bring it to our next class.
When we met, Andrea volunteered to read her letter out loud.
Dear Professor Macionis:
I am a 22 year-old college student. I am studying to be a nurse. We are using your textbook in one of my courses, Introduction to Sociology. I am writing because many of my classmates and I were concerned with the first chapter and some of the things you wrote. You began with a highly publicized incident in which a woman jogger was attacked by a number of teenage boys in New York City. Throughout the chapter you continued to give an explanation on why the attackers committed such a crime. Using the sociological perspective, you characterized the attackers as young males who were economically and socially disadvantaged minorities. You went on to say that their social background played a major role in their behavior.
The first chapter in this book is like so many other sources of information on minorities. It preys on the negative. I think it is also important to point out that many minority group members do not engage in this type of behavior. These events can also be considered a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some young boys are constantly exposed to this type of negative reporting, so they just act out other people’s expectations of them.
I do not want you to think my feelings toward this first chapter are irrational or inflexible by any means. Hopefully, this letter reflects my dissatisfaction with the constant negativity on any race or minority.
Sincerely,
Andrea and our SOC 101 class
After discussing the letter for a few minutes, the class asked Andrea to send it to Dr. Macionis. Since I knew of John from work I’d done with his publisher, I provided Andrea with his contact information. Then we waited, hoping we would hear from him.
–to be continued
Note: I recently watched Ava DuVernay’s excellent television miniseries (Netflix), “When They See Us,” which got me thinking about this class. DuVernay does an excellent job of humanizing the five boys (now men) who were referred to as The Central Park Five, and years later were exonerated. I highly recommend it.
Check out:
Dr. Bucher’s Web site on Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities
Buy Dr. Bucher’s book – Diversity Consciousness
Dr. Bucher’s Facebook page on Diversity Consciousness Links to more from Dr. Bucher
Dr. Bucher’s Facebook page on Autism
Next blog: Part Three