“A movement of an energized public to make elites responsible… the taking back of one’s powers in the face of the misuse of elite power (West, 68).”
While doing the presentation, I started thinking more about how much of an impact censorship has on democracy. When we added a few of West's characteristics of democratic citizens (slide 5), I really started to think about censorship as more than just the banning or limiting of certain words, phrases, pictures, books, etc. and how detrimental it has been to social justice. (Some who are reading this may be going, "Well, duh!" and it wasn't as though I didn't realize it before because I did -- I just hadn't really taken the time to really think about it before.) The suppression of ideas and actions has contributed to a long history of social injustices. For example, when I think back to the era of slavery and the illegality of educating slaves (and even free blacks) -- that was a form of censorship. I didn't think of it in those terms before -- I just kind of took it in terms of a demonstration of more ignorance by the oppressors. "The elite of the business community dominate the state according to their interests, while the “population observes quietly (Macedo in Chomsky, 1).” I could go on with more examples from the philosophies of Dewey and Freire here, but I know this blog is going to be way too long already so I'll leave those connections to be made to those interested in doing so.
Interestingly though, Macedo (in Chomsky, 3) also noted, “Far from creating independent thinkers, schools have always, throughout history, played an institutional role in system of control and coercion." And when you think about how a lot of this is done... it also comes down to censorship. Censorship in textbook selection, in what is taught, in what is allowed to be talked about, etc. (I think we also have a tendency to lose learning opportunities because of the overuse of "political correctness;" in a way, it can be a very strong form of censorship as well.) Thomas Sowell spoke out about censorship in education when he wrote, "But for anyone who is serious about wanting to see black youngsters get a better education, the story of what works and what doesn't work is more important than what is fashionable and not fashionable in the education establishment, or what is or is not considered politically correct among the intelligentsia, politicians, the education establishment or the media."
One of the questions from the presentation asked whether education can solve issues pertaining to socioeconomic status. While I think it can open the door to various opportunities, I think we also have to consider the self-determination of the student. Some people have a number of opportunities available through education but choose not to take advantage of it. I also don't think education within the schools can be the sole equalizer when there are so many inequities in our society. Instead, education will need to serve a greater role... a continuous education of all citizens that takes place everywhere. Most learning takes place outside of the classroom; we will need to engage in continual learning through our own questioning, openness, and motivation. Some people have been taught to question, but they make the decision to not do so -- oftentimes going back to what West was saying about people being too caught up in their lives anymore to really participate democratically. And, as I said in class, this extends far beyond just exercising your right to vote. As West also acknowledged, it's about activism and about speaking out about uncomfortable truths. Education can help to facilitate this, but it can't "solve" all the problems because education cannot control the free will of a person.
I think what bothers me most are the people who do not take a stand against anything. And, I don't mean in the terms of chaining yourself to a tree, etc. I just mean using your voice in whatever capacity to speak about a social injustice that you really question. Some people do it by wearing T-shirts, others by talking in class discussions (not just during one class for one semester in regards to an assignment though) and still others by posting blogs or talking with friends and strangers, etc... yet some do nothing. There are so many opportunities to make a difference. Yes, people often feel like one person can't make a difference, but what they fail to realize is that most often, they are not just one person... they are the voice of many; it just has to start somewhere. Maybe the schools are a good place for that though -- it does facilitate the possible meeting of like-minded people. "One of our challenges as educators is to discover what historically is possible in the sense of contributing toward the transformation of the world, giving rise to a world that is rounder, less angular, and more humane" (Macedo in Chomsky, 13).
Since, we asked a question in class about how to try to engage students in learning about and participating in democracy, I found some links that help provide a few suggestions on how to incorporate democratic ideals and values into educational activities and lessons that can be used in the classroom:
The Democracy Project -- Provides examples of lesson plans for K-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grades
Representative Democracy -- I appreciated how this site tries to address some common concerns and myths about democracy (including the "where's my voice?" concerns); however I question some of the answers that were given (which is also why it's a good example/resource, I guess, since it does promote some critical thought.)
President for a Day -- A PBS site which helps to answer "How Does Government Affect Me?" and other democratic activities and information for grades 3-6 in language arts, social studies, and even MATH.
Finally, World Movement for Democracy is a good website to illustrate what is being done globally to promote democracy which pertains to the conclusion of the West chapter which talks about forging democratic identities abroad as well. Since we are a nation of so many cultures, I thought including information about what is going on with democracy in other cultures would be a good way to end the blog this week. :-D
Have a great weekend!
"When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the people fear the government, you have tyranny." -- Thomas Jefferson
