THE PERSONAL SIDE OF BIAS, PREJUDICE & OPPRESSION

For the past several weeks I have learned, observed, and shared examples of microaggressions and their effects on human development.  I’ve continued my studies of understanding personal biases and institutional prejudices, how they are learned, and how they influence inequities and oppressions within societies.  During my studies I was reminded of the true-story-inspired movie, Radio (2003), starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ed Harris. The movie depicted Robert ‘Radio’ Kennedy [Cuba] as a man with a disability who tried desperately to be a part of the team.  His impedance was viewed by the high school football team players as an invitation for ridicule, cruel mistreatment, and the unprecedented label of incapable; yet the head football coach, Harold Jones [Harris], saw Radio as a human being who was deserving of respect and a fair chance.  The movie portrayed constant incidents of bias, prejudice and oppression toward Radio because of his cognitive/emotional delay—he was treated inequitably by being called a retard and treated as though he could not comprehend. 

Ableism is an attitude, action, or practice of anyone that undermines human and legal rights of people defined as having a disability (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). In the movie, the inequitable acts of classism and discrimination toward Radio were covert; unlike the overt microaggressions that an African American woman experiences from a friend who inadvertently questions her acceptance into a certain college by assuming her admittance was due to her race rather than her ability (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  Whether intentionally or unintentionally, biases are incredibly damaging to the social, emotional, and psychological development of human beings (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010), unless of course a person has indomitable roots of purpose implanted by their family culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b) that enables them to stand with the strength of a cottonwood tree in the face of ridicule. 

Whenever I think about the injustices and internalized oppression inflicted on persons with disabilities, through isms portrayed by dominant groups, it stirs mixed emotions in me.  I usually feel an initial anger from the inequity performed, then sadness about how dismal the task seems in rectifying this overwhelmingly prevalent problem. In order for incidents like those portrayed in the movie to be turned into opportunities for greater equity, it will take a change of heart and mind in the way dominant groups view people who are different from the dominant culture.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer). (2011a). EDUC 6164: Perspectives on Diversity and Equity [DVD].  In Her Own Voice: Nadiyah Taylor. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer). (2011b). EDUC 6164: Perspectives on Diversity and Equity [DVD].  In His Own Voice: Eugene Garcia. Baltimore, MD: Author.

PRACTICING AWARENESS OF MICROAGGRESSIONS

During the course of my recent studies in early childhood development, I’ve learned about Microaggressions.  Microaggressions are brief everyday verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that are communicated intentionally or unintentionally, and which contains an insulting message often causing severe psychological stress and harm to an individual (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

I can recall one example of a microaggression which occurred to me when I was a young adult volunteering for my father’s non-profit organization.  I remember the community being of a Dutch dominant culture that had displayed much prejudice against people of color.  It had even been noted that a few left over Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members were having late night gatherings in certain remote parts of the rural.  My father was  a man of indomitable faith and on a mission for change, so he was never shaken by any threats that the environment may have posed. 

I remember going to the local newspaper to submit an advertisement for an upcoming event that his non-profit organization was having, and there was an elderly woman who looked to be at least in her 90s at the front desk of the advertisement office whose surface culture (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010) showed her to be a white woman.  It was summer time and I was dressed in clothing that clearly depicted my female gender.  As I was relaying my information to the woman, she kept calling me a man; referencing me as sir.  I repeatedly told her my name and that I was a woman, and she continued to refer to me as a man.  I wasn’t sure what to make of her clearly blatant remarks accept that she was being sarcastic in some prejudicial reference to my identity.  Just before leaving her desk, I told her that she was being very rude and that I did not appreciate her calling me something that I was not.  She responded with a smirk and a very intense stare without any verbal retort.  

This scenario of Racial-Gender Microaggression (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) is one of many microassaults (overt deliberate hostile acts purposely made to harm an individual) that I have experienced growing up as a child. Other forms of microaggressions, such as microinsults (injustices that demean a person’s racial heritage) and microinvalidations (the act of downplaying the victim’s experiential reality of the mistreatment) have painted my childhood experiences with persons of different cultures throughout my entire life. The emotions that I experienced from the insults of oblivious perpetrators were those of degradation, inferiority, and insignificance. Understanding microaggressions has helped me to have a refined awareness about the importance of truth in cultural dealings, and how ignorance can be crucially devastating to the social, emotional and psychological development of a child.

Microaggressions are deadly and unfortunately prevalent in many, but unbeknownst to most. Why not test yourself for hidden biases (Teaching Tolerance, n.d.) to see where your level of microaggression perpetration lies on the scale.  You could be very surprised at just how offensive you have the potential to unintentionally be towards someone of cultural difference.  Go on…take the test J

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

IAT Corp. (2011). Project implicit. Retrieved from https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer). (2011). EDUC 6164: Perspectives on Diversity and Equity [DVD].  Microaggressions in Everyday Life. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Test yourself for hidden bias. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/test-yourself-hidden-bias

PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY AND CULTURE

Incidentally, I had an appointment this past week with a new physician and it surprised me that at the top of the page of a packet of forms that I needed to fill out, the first four questions asked of me were, “What is your race?  What is your language?  What is your ethnicity? And what is your date of birth?”  I have to admit that my first reaction was indignation.  I wondered what difference my race and ethnicity had to do with anything.  My second reaction was to think how coincidental it was that I happened to be studying these very things in this course of study.  Prior to my studies I would have probably not known how to answer the questions since race and ethnicity have had synonymous meanings to me.  Since that encounter, I’ve embarked upon my own quest to learn how others perceive similar terms.  The answers I received included much Surface Culture, which is the visible differences of a person, and very little Deep Culture relating to the family traditions, intergenerational relationships, family roles and values (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Some of the key aspects that were omitted were the distinction between race (arbitrarily characterized by outward details such as skin color and physical features), ethnicity (relating to a group which is characterized by shared heritage and distinctiveness),  and culture (a distinctive way of life) (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). As I reflected on other people’s definitions of culture and diversity, I didn’t feel as bad about my own ignorance, as it seemed common-place for many people to not know about the deep culture of their own family history.  Perhaps that is why building family trees using online software programs has become such a popular activity—people are starting to get a little bit curious about who they really are.  Take a look at what some folks say about diversity and culture.  

WHAT IS CULTURE? WHAT IS DIVERSITY?

(In order to maintain confidentiality I’ve only used last names and signified male or female)

Smith (F) – I don’t know what culture is, I don’t even know my own.  I guess I could be Indian, Caucasian, Black, and something else.  I have so many things mixed up in me that I don’t even know which one to identify with or call my own.  As far as diversity, I would say that it is a melting pot where everything gets mixed up so that it is hard to determine—I don’t like Indian food, I don’t fit in with Caucasians, I guess I’m Black.

Moore (F) – I would say that my culture is black and Indian; I think my father had some Indian in him  and some on my mother’s side too I think.  As far as diversity, I would say that it is what our ancestors practiced and the legacy from generation to generation—diversity is when something is different—the differences between cultures.

Channey (M) – I would say culture is where you come from or what you have in your blood; I would have Black and Irish in me since my mom had Irish/White in her and I think my dad was Black.  Diversity is the differences between people like their eyes, hair, skin, etc. 

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

INSIGHTS ON FAMILY CULTURE

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.  What would those items be and why would you choose them?  How would you explain to others what each of these items means to you?  If, upon arrival, you are told that you could only keep one personal item and give up the other two, what would you keep and how would you feel?  What insights can you gain about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general as a result of this event?

ANSWER:
  The three items I would take in addition to one change of clothes would be a bible, a pair of glasses, and a picture of my family.  My glasses are important to me for seeing (symbolically, they are a reminder to look at things in the right perspective).  The picture of my family is important to me because it keeps me focused on the most important people in my life.  My bible is the greatest source of support that I have had in my life, and it would have to be my support throughout another challenging time. In the event that I had to give up everything accept one item, I would keep my glasses because I must have them to see what is before me.  The picture of my family I would hold in my mind and the Word of God found in the scriptures of the Holy Bible I would hold in my heart.  I would feel confident in my choice because throughout my entire life I have cherished my family and the Bible, and now it would be the time to put those two things to work in my life in a different way—as the fuel that keeps me going throughout a very different kind of challenge called survival.
 

Check out these interesting resources and share your perspectives:

• Text: Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
• Chapter 5, “Learning about Culture, Language, & Fairness” (p. 55 only)

• Video: Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer). (2011). EDUC 6164: Perspectives on Diversity and Equity [DVD].  Family Cultures: Dynamic Interactions. Baltimore, MD: Author.
  
  In this program, three early childhood professionals discuss culture, its nature and scope, including family culture diversity, and introduce ways to provide respect, support, and empowerment when working with Family Diversity.

• Article: Christian, L. G. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. Young Children, 61(1), 12–20. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ProQuest Central database: http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1042679491&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD

• Article: Harris, S. R. (2008). What is family diversity? Objective and interpretive approaches. Journal of Family Issues, 29(11), 1407–1417.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SAGE Premier 2010 database.

• Article: Keat, J. B., Strickland, M. J., & Marinak, B. A. (2009). Child voice: How immigrant children enlightened their teachers with a camera. Early Childhood Education Journal,
  37(1), 13–21.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search database.
  
  

PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY AND EQUITY

In the next eight weeks I will be studying perspectives of diversity and equity.  The study will begin with a personal look at social identities and their influence on my professional views and practices.  I will also evaluate the perspectives of various cultures and people to determine why and how people do what they do.    The fascination I anticipate will be the insights I gain on the importance of learning how to handle diversity in the field of early childhood education, while implementing equitable practice.  Looking forward to sharing my journey with you, so stay tuned!

Check out these incredible links and share your perspectives:

• Online Video: Playing for Change: “War/No More Trouble” (alternate site)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgWFxFg7-GU&feature=BF&list=ML4oVf-d_DwKA-bV3PQwJ5xcpVdi7B-TPk&index=3

• Online Video: Playing for Change: “Imagine” (approximate length: 4 minutes)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFLKyAGzzI&playnext=1&list=PLBDE4144BA3E4A0F9

• Online Video: Bob Marley: “War/No More Trouble” (approximate length: 8 minutes)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPZydAotVOY&feature=related

• Online Video: Playing for Change: “One Love” (approximate length: 5 minutes)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xjPODksI08&feature=BF&list=ML4oVf-d_DwKA-bV3PQwJ5xcpVdi7B-TPk&index=1

• Online Video: Playing for Change: “Equal Rights” (approximate length: 3 minutes)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stuNZeCenS0&feature=related

WHEN I THINK OF RESEARCH...

First, I want to thank Dr. Davis for all of her instructional guidance, as well as all of my colleagues for their insightful input throughout these past eight weeks of study.  Your influence has enhanced my professional endeavors immensely.

As I conclude my studies of research, I must reflect on the insights that I’ve gained.  Never before had I realized the magnitude of specificities that are involved in research—various designs, methodologies and inexhaustible terminologies.  Prior to this study I have always had a hesitant longing to do some type of research on the topics that weighed heavily on my mind—things like Sensory Processing Disorder prevalence in early childhood, psychologies of an educator’s or parent’s ontology and epistemology, and how it influences what they do and why.  Today, my ideas about the nature of doing research have gathered much respect for the field and I do not take lightly the extensive preparations that are involved in the creating of a research project.  Some of the lessons I’ve learned that planning is critical to the very success of the research project.  Before choosing the right design a researcher must first determine in what direction they want to proceed, what answers they want to unfold, what equitable concerns may arise as a result of the research, what kind of data they anticipate on collecting, who will be the participants and how they plan to address them (observation, interview, etc.).  All of these concerns must be addressed before a design can be chosen and actual conducting of research can begin.

My greatest challenge was determining which research design to choose.  It took great deliberation in making the decision of whether to pursue explanation (a quantitative approach) or understanding (a qualitative approach) of my topic.  Once I determined this I was able to proceed in deciding what kind of data would be needed and how to go about collecting that data.  My perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course by sharpening my insights on the rigorous involvement and critical specificity that is needed in performing credible research through equitable practice.

Here are some resources that have assisted me throughout my studies of research:

Beck, S. E. (2009). Evaluation criteria. New Mexico State University Library. Retrieved from http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

Bell, A. (2007). Designing and testing questionnaires for children. Journal of Research in Nursing, 12(5), 461–469. Retrieved from the Sage Premier 2010 database.

Bell, N. (2008). Ethics in child research: rights, reason and responsibilities. Children's Geographies, 6(1), 7–20. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

Fargas-Malet, M., McSherry, D., Larkin, M., & Robinson, C. (2010). Research with children: Methodological issues and innovative techniques. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 8(2), 175–192. Retrieved from the Walden Library using Sage Premier database.

Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A.J., & Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 112–133. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SAGE Premier 2010 database.

Lepuschitz, J.K. (2011). A practical guide to reading research articles. Laureate Education Inc., Baltimore, MD.

Lepuschitz, J.K. (2011). Introduction to variables. Laureate Education Inc., Baltimore, MD.

Lepuschitz, J.K. (2011). Quantitative designs: An overview. Laureate Education Inc., Baltimore, MD.

Lepuschitz, J.K. (2011). Sample research questions and hypotheses. Laureate Education Inc., Baltimore, MD

Mackenzie, N. M., & Ling, L. M. (2009). The research journey: A Lonely Planet approach. Issues in Educational Research, 19(1), 48–60 Retrieved from the Walden Library using Education Research Complete database.

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

NAEYC Code of Ethics—Video “Overview of the Code of Ethical Conduct”. How to use the Code: Overview [DVD] Part 2 of 7. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/ecp/resources/ethics

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Using early childhood research. NAEYC. Retrieved February 1, 2011 from http://www.naeyc.org/research/using

New York Library Association. (2010). Evaluating websites: Criteria and tools. Cornell University Library. Retrieved from http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webeval.html

Ormondroyd, J., Engle, E., & Cosgrave, T. (2009). Critically analyzing information sources. Cornell University Library. Retrieved from http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill26.htm

Ostrov, J. M., & Godleski, S. A. (2009). Impulsivity-hyperactivity and subtypes of aggression in early childhood: an observational and short-term longitudinal study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 18(8), 477–483. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

Overton, J. (2009). Early childhood teachers in contexts of power: Empowerment and a voice. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(2), 1–10. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

Pate, R. R., McIver, K., Dowda, M., Brown, W. H., & Addy, C. (2008). Directly observed physical activity levels in preschool children. Journal of School Health, 78(8), 438–444. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.

SRCD Ethical standards for research with children. (n.d.). Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Retrieved February 1, 2011 from http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=499

Strand, P. S., Cerna, S., & Downs, A. (2008). Shyness and emotion-processing skills in preschoolers: A 6-month longitudinal study. Infant & Child Development, 17(2), 109–120. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Thomas, L.B., Shapiro, E.S., DuPaul, G.J., Lutz, J.G., & Kern, L. (2010). Predictors of social skills for preschool children at risk for ADHD: The relationship between direct and indirect measurements. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(4), 1–11. Retrieved from the Sage Premier 2010 database. Note: You will have to search by article title for this article.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). (n.d.). Special protections for children as research subjects. HHS.gov. Retrieved on February 1, 2011 from http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/policy/populations/children.html

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). (n.d.). Research with children—FAQs. HHS.gov. Retrieved February 1, 2011 from http://answers.hhs.gov/ohrp/categories/1570

Whiting, L. (2009). Involving children in research. Paediatric Nursing, 21(5), 32–36. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD

It is interesting how very different we can be, yet the same.  This week I visited some international websites to learn of international research topics around the world.  The intriguing thing is that even though our worlds are very different, when it comes to children we are very much the same.  The following websites give us a look at Early Childhood in Australia, Europe, and Africa:

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Developed and maintained by the University of Victoria, Canada, this virtual university is the international gateway for early childhood research worldwide. Through the link below, you can access ECDVU’s Sub-Saharan Africa portal. The second link takes you to a list of current early childhood research conducted by students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Early Childhood Australia: This is the Australian equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC. You can access several links to early childhood research from the menu on the left side of the home page.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA): This international early childhood organization publishes a well respected journal. All back issues are accessible from this site and are fully searchable without charge.
http://www.eecera.org/

The surprising insights about early childhood that I gained from exploring ECDVU was that their key focus is indigenous implementations in the formulation of effective EC curriculum, intricate measures to enhance parent involvement (fathers, mothers, and grandparents) in ECD,  and strong efforts towards synergized cooperation towards the curriculum and program development.  A noteworthy find on this website was the impeccable determinations in the promotion of proper professional development of their early childhood leaders.  I was truly impressed.