Blog Post #2 on "The Culture of Power"

 Other People’s Children  (1995) By Lisa Delpit – “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children”

Dr. Lisa Delpit’s Keynote Address at PBL World 2022

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown (Read-Aloud by Ki from Woke Kindergarten on YouTube)

QUOTES

1.       “Parents who don’t function within that culture often want something else. It’s not that they disagree with the [goal for children to become autonomous, to develop fully who they are in the classroom setting without having arbitrary, outside standards forced upon them], it’s just that they want something more. They want to ensure that the school provides their children with discourse patterns, interactional styles, and spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society” (Delpit 28-29).

I chose this as my first quote because I feel that it got across one of the main ideas of the reading. It also connects to Dr. Delpit’s keynote address and the read-aloud of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. The “culture of power” in the classroom and in schools has not been put in place by non-white, non-middle class teachers and communities and this makes it more difficult for students from these backgrounds to understand the rules (25).

2.       “School kids versus street kids. It depends on where you get your sense of affirmation and belonging and have relationships. If those are in school, then you become a school kid. If those are in the street, then you become a street kid. Highschool dropouts therefore begin in kindergarten. This means that we have to take time to know the students, to build a relationship, to let them know that we see them” (Delpit minute 9:00 to 9:30).

This portion of Dr. Delpit’s keynote address reminded me of the part in the reading about middle class and working-class speech. In the reading she discusses how in the middle-class speech often phrases directives in the form of a question while working class speech issues directives as a statement of command (p. 34-35). She then goes on to say that when these sorts of commands (as a question) are ignored in the classroom, the student is labeled to have a behavior problem. In reality, that child may just be expecting a more authoritative figure who gives direct, explicit instructions.

3.       “Respectability politics are a set of rules that people have created or made up that tell us that if we act these ways then people will respect us. And they’re not true. These rules have been created to control us in ways that don’t feel good for black and brown people. They’re made to control how we talk, how we dress, how we move in the world, the things that we do, what we say. [These rules tell us] if we do these things then people will respect us. But that’s not necessarily true” (Read-aloud minute 5:55-6:55).

I think that this quote from the read-aloud video of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild connects with Dr. Delpit’s reading. Ki is explaining that societal rules have been created by white people. People of color have been told that if they can just follow these rules, then they will have the respect of a white person. We know this isn’t necessarily true, as Ki states in the video, but the main idea is that these rules exist to have control and so that all people will feel pressure to follow them. Dr. Delpit explains the “culture of power” in the classroom to be the power had by the teacher over students, the publishers of textbooks, developers of curriculum, and the state’s presence in school mandates and rules (p. 24). Much of this power belongs to white people and these are the rules and power of classrooms held over students.

 

https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/ -This website has many book lists about a variety of social justice issues. There are books for children, young adults, and educators.

https://socialjusticebooks.org/guide-for-selecting-anti-bias-childrens-books/ -This link brings you to a “Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books.”

 

Reflection/Questions/Comments

The reading by Lisa Delpit mentions how acknowledging power is uncomfortable. This reminded me of Alan Johnson’s Privilege, Power, and Difference. It can be uncomfortable to discuss and acknowledge issues of race and privilege, but it is important to ensure that we are a part of the solution. By acknowledging that you have power, you can take the steps to give others a voice and make sure they are heard. I also found it interesting to read about how when a child is not familiar with the manner that a command/directive is given, this can result in them not following the indirect instruction and being labeled with behavior problems (34-35). On page 24, Dr. Delpit states that being told the rules makes acquiring power easier and these rules and codes are used for participating in power. Children should not be expected to know these cultural codes and rules, especially at such young ages; we need to give explicit instruction/direction in how to achieve a particular culture (what is expected in the classroom) so they can be successful moving forward and in life.