>ON October 24th Bruce Bostwick wrote: > On Oct 23, 2008, at 5:07 PM, Julia Thompson wrote: > > > (No, I'm not sure just how to do that. I think giving scholarships > to > > appropriate colleges based on *zip code* in the US will get around > any > > race-based restrictions one way or the other but will get more of the > > minorities in the door with carefully selected zip codes.) > > I would feel much better about a geographically based solution like > this than I would one that specifically targets "disadvantaged" > classes of people by ethnicity or gender. I'd also feel OK with a > solution that works on an income basis, although that solution is > already in place in some cases. > > And not all of the inequities in access to education are intentional. > Some could be unintended consequences of other acceptance policies. > (Others may be intentional but designed to look like unintended > consequences to provide a convenient excuse, so this works both > ways.) But I still feel that if there is any normalization to be > done, college/university acceptance is the place to do it, if not even > earlier in the chain -- what about providing funding/technology > support for higher teaching standards in primary schools in low income/ > minority districts? Or increasing what's already in place? > > "Grotesque oppression isn't okay just because it's been > institutionalized." -- Toby Ziegler > > > _______________________________________________ > http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.175 / Virus Database: 270.8.2/1743 - Release Date: > 10/24/2008 8:33 AM
Greetings to Brin-L'ers. I have been lurking on this mailing list for several months reading the posts and discussing the ideas with my husband (a list member for many years, albeit one who hasn't posted in a while). Jo Anne Bird suggested that I could (and should) introduce myself to the list and reply to posts if I wish. I am a recently retired secondary school teacher from Australia who has been touring the US since February. It has been fun to immerse myself into US culture, so strangely familiar and yet different from Aussie culture. In reply to the list discussion Re: Racial and Gender bigotry: I would like to suggest that although education (in schools) is an important step in the solution to the problem, it is only part of the solution and should not be seen as the only approach to be taken. Cultural attitudes within the 'oppressed' culture, whether these are within families or within larger communities, are often so ingrained as to the limits of achievement possible, that a child attempting to defy these limits is so ostracised that they tend to give up. The Matilda's of this world ( Roald Dahl reference) are indeed a rarity. Education in its broadest sense is needed within and without communities and the problem still takes several generations to break down stereotypes. In a way US television could have a much larger role in changing stereotypes in this way. Alas, I have not seen any programs that do this in my channel surfing (admittedly limited) this year. Regards, Maree Ludenia _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
