Power, Politics and Pedagogy

Power, Politics and Pedagogy

            When politics meets education you get a Labor Union.  There was a time when labor unions were necessary to protect the rights of workers as well as ensure their safety.  Yet as society progresses, the kind of safety and security the unions provide is standard in almost all companies.  Because most of the safety issues are no longer a problem in today’s society, the Labor Unions primary job purpose now is job security.  This makes it extremely difficult for someone to get rid of a union worker.  In the case of education this would make it extremely difficult to get rid of an unqualified teacher.  Due to the cause that most of the elementary and high school teachers are involved in a union, this makes this issue very prevalent.  One of the main causes of the education crisis in America is due to the formidable power of the Teacher’s Labor Union.  Because of their desire to maintain their power, they will not allow even the unqualified teachers to be removed from their job, but this is far from the only problem.  The public education tenure system causes a damper on the success children have in school.

            Suppose a teacher looks at you and states, “I don’t care if you learn it or not, I get paid anyways.”  One of the mothers presented in the film Waiting For Superman had this very situation happen.  She was underneath a tenured teacher who did not care about her success or future at all.  It was all about the money, and because she had tenure, there wasn’t anything she could do. 

            Mankind is broken.  This is the root cause of many wrongs in society such as murder, rape, thievery and dishonesty.  No matter what rules a person changes, people will always find ways to abuse and take advantage of each other.  The only hope is in a changed heart through Jesus Christ.  If our society would turn and embrace Him, we would not have many of these self-destructive issues.  He is the only hope for a shattered world.

Self Empowerment; Malcolm X

.       Last week our class looked at education and empowerment and how it relates to the social class.  Students who were found in lower income schools generally received a much poorer quality education that those who attended a school with higher funding.  Morale was higher at these schools as well as student learning ability.  The question was raised, is the secret to an empowering education in attending a higher income school?  Obviously every student who attends a high income school does well.  Effort plays a large factor in the education process.  Yet what about students who are home schooled, or not schooled?  Malcolm X had only finished an eighth grade education before leaving school and then getting arrested later on in life. 

.       While he was in prison, he became inspired to learn words by reading a dictionary.  H eventually mastered those words and then moved on to read book after book.  He taught himself to be literate, and is probably more-well educated than some college students.  He achieved this through self-empowerment in education.  Many schools today fail to empower children with a successful attitude.  This could be due to a lack of teacher support and encouragement, but also to a general lack of student enthusiasm.  I believe that the best chance for an empowering education lies not in a better facility but in enthusiasm to learn because a student who learns avidly has the greatest chance of being empowered through it.  Yes, some people are not as smart as others, but they still have a chance to better themselves.  Yet I must say as I do every week, an empowering education is not the answer to the problems in each society.  Only Jesus can mend the issues which plague our society.  By turning ones heart to him completely, Jesus will change the person for the better.  This ripple of change could potentially reshape whatever society turns.  Let’s pray for a revival.

Education, a Hidden Objective?

Education, a Hidden Objective?

            A history forgotten always repeats itself.  It is the opinion of several smart and educated men such as John Taylor Gatto and H. L. Mencken, that the public education system is not designed “to make good citizens, people and people their best” as it claims.  Instead, they believe that the schooling system is geared toward generating convenient citizens rather than individual thinkers.  This model follows that of a Prussian society, where the education system is engineered to stow away the populace at a manageable level of intellect.  While our society may not be the extreme of Prussia, it does share similar qualities.  For instance, almost all public schools denounce the existence of God.  They aim at removing any kind of moral authority while under the guise of promoting tolerance.  They do this by eliminating any essence of deistic knowledge such as a creation theory.  Christians need to take a stand against this or history will repeat itself.  During the reign of Hitler, the German schooling took the same approach.  A society which has no moral authority is easier to manipulate.  So the question is this, is our educational system here in America political? Is it for the people’s benefit? Could it be that the lack of educational quality is due to a shortage of funding?  These are all questions which need to be posed to discover the cause.  Clearly the answer is more complex than it would seem.  I believe that a major issue is that the society in America is plagued with social discrimination in schools.  People who have little money are forced to attend schools which are not funded as well as other richer schools.  The problem with schooling is due to the social barriers of money, and also the increase of political influence in schools.

Solutions to a New Problem

                Transgender is becoming a more common phrase in the United States today.  Being transgender means being one sex, yet having many of the feelings and desires which pertain to the other.  This week in class we observed a little boy named Brandon who was born with these traits.  Ever since he was a little boy, he believed that God had made a mistake in making him a boy.  He expressed this by playing with girls toys and wearing his mother’s clothes.  As his mother became more and more worried about Brandon’s situation, began to look for more information about her child’s ailment.   She looked at many different sources, but after watching an episode of 20/20 she discovered that she was far from alone.  In fact many people in America were having this issue.  Of all the parents who were having this issue there were several different responses.  Some of the parents were considering therapy to help the child cope with the mental illness.  Others took a more accepting approach to the situation and proposed that the children should be allowed to become whatever gender they decide.  Upon puberty, the latter parents would provide the children with hormone blockers.  The blockers would stop the natural changes that happen during puberty, and keep them from happening.  Many parents see the issue as purely physical difference, and get the hormone blockers while others see it as a mental illness and want to receive treatment.

                Hormone blockers should not be allowed unless the person’s life or health is seriously in danger.  God does not make mistakes.  Although some may see their situation as something that is bad, there are things that are obviously unnatural.  The world today is broken, and many things in it are malformed and contorted because of sin.  No human solution such as hormone blockers is going to fix the issue.  Only Jesus Christ can affect people for their good.  There is no hope in anything, or anyone else.

The Problem, The Solution

This week our composition class explored the missing class in an essay by Katherine S. Newman and Victor Tan Chen called "from the missing class."  They explore an aspect of American economy that is seldom discussed.  The missing class in America is defined as people who work and are just above the poverty line.  They work, support their family and are hardly able to support their family.  Yet despite their situation, they receive no benefits because they are technically above the poverty line.  Take for example Valerie Rushing.  She works on a train to support her family.  She generates 13.68 dollars an hour with full benefits to take care of her niece and daughter.  With her situation, it would be extremely beneficial for her to receive some aid to care for her children as a single parent of two.  There ought to be some sort of government assistance for single parents who are above the poverty line.  It is difficult to decide who deserves actual assistance and who is just being lazy, but there needs to be more help for people like Valerie Rushing.  Some would argue that this help should come from the more wealthy people, but I disagree.

Sharing the wealth is a popular concept among people who hold socialistic beliefs.  While the concept is moral, and has tendencies which would benefit society as a whole, it would only be feasible in a perfect world.  People like Valerie Rushing would benefit from a socialistic society, but in a capitalist nation, this would be extremely unwise.  The government should not be a part of the solution. Many of people’s issues need individual care, which a government cannot supply.  Church of Jesus Christ is ideal for this.  People within the church should be on the front of the movement to help people who are struggling through life.  It is our call as Christians to help the widow and orphan.

Severed Opportunity

In America, success is usually described as wealth.  Whoever has the most money, the best job and the most toys is usually considered to be successful.  It is a common mentality that this status can be attained through working hard and determination. Yet despite the common sayings, few people actually attain this goal.  The majority of the people in America strive to attain this goal, but in the end few make it because they were not educated or were prevented an opportunity because of their race. 

            Education is everything.  These days, without a college degree, it is difficult to locate and obtain a job that pays well.  With this in mind, people who have the opportunity to go to college fair much more well than the people who cannot.  People who cannot afford to go to college often end up working risky manual labor jobs or something that pays minimum wage.  Education severely limits you economic opportunity.  Yet is that the only factor?

            In Bambara’s story, Sugar makes the statement, “equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough” (270).  While this is true in the American sense, this idea can be hindered because of race or belief.  In the land of equality, it is hard to believe that a person can be subjected to the chains of their race.  Quality education is seldom available to those who are not a quality schools.  In Bambara’s story, Miss Monroe makes attempts to educate the children in hopes that it will make them better people and give them more opportunities.  While education is important, their class and race has a large effect on whether they can get a quality education. 

            The only answer for the problem of racism lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus, people have been able to lay aside their racism and go to countries of an entirely different ethnicity.  Because of the gospel, people have laid their lives down to save people who do not belong to their race. One who believes in Jesus Christ is able to look past the boundaries of race or social setting.  He is the only way to defeat the limits of social profiling and racism.

Works Cited

Bambara, Toni C. "The Lesson." Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 2001. 270. Print.

Week Three Blog- Myth of A Model Family

A Balanced Perspective

            What are the criteria for a family?  Some would argue that a family is made up of the people with whom you are in a close relationship.  Yet despite the logic of that solution, could there be something missing?  A model family is portrayed consisting of a mother figure, a father figure and children.  While this “formula” for a family may vary in some situations, it tells us something.  Each member of a family adds something special to the family unit that other members could not provide.  A nurturing mother would find it difficult to portray well, the strong leading characteristics of a male father figure and vice versa.  The children in this situation would also be confused as to who they would follow. 

In each person there is engrained a need for both a mother and father figure to compose a family.  Now I do not mean that all families will be perfect if they have a mother and father figure, as we have seen through history individuals fail to fulfill completely their role as a parent.  I am simply stating the need for the mother and father figure.  While there are strong disagreements as to whether a two people of the same sex can fulfill the natural needs for a father and mother figure, and whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry, the true answer must come from the evidence. (Colombo, 84-85)  From my experience, growing up in a two parent home, similar to the model family, I believe that I this protected me from much trauma growing up as a child, several my friends around me experienced.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "Prop 8 Hurt My Family." Rereading

America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1995. 84-85. Print.