Reflection upon situationally is reflection about the very condition of existence: critical thinking by means of which people discover each other to be 'in a situation.' [...] Humankind emerge from their submersion and acquire the ability to intervene in reality as it is unveiled. Intervention in reality—historical awareness itself—thus represents a step forward from emergence, and results from the conscientização of the situation. Conscientização is the deepening of the attitude of awareness characteristic of all emergence. (82)So, with that in mind, my questions become: How do we "emerge" from our "submersion" as graduate students? How can we do the same with our students? How can we help develop true and lasting conscientização both inside and outside the classroom? How can we begin to destroy these systems that oppress? How do we move beyond "mere activists" (Freire 99)? How do we destroy and rebuild with everyone else?
P.S. I would like to apologize if any of this is repeated information from what y'all discussed in class on Thursday, as I was away for a conference.
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteSpoiler: I do not have a concrete answer to the questions you pose. Below is my attempt to answer them.
You present an interesting situation--graduate students are both experiencing submersion while also trying to guide their students out of that submersion. I can feel the difference between sitting in a classroom and standing in front of one. I think we have the "best" opportunity to emerge with out students, for in some ways, we share a similar identity.
What does that look like in the classroom? Of course, that first step is building an awareness of the education system and its strong tie to capitalism, but as you mention, this is "mere activism." If we are just "aware," we still have to operate in these systems, which does not do much good in the long run. I also have to remind myself that my privilege allows me to push against the system. My financial stability allows me to view education as something more than a piece of paper that helps me get a job or better support my family. But what about students who do not have that privilege? I am not sure.
For me, it is changing the nature of the classroom. The number of students who have opened up about the high levels of stress and anxiety they experience because of school angers me. It is normalized, and I strive to create a space (and experience) that values the whole student, not just the work they produce. I want to show them they are not a cog in the machine, and I think the first step is reminding them that I do see them as more than just a student in my classroom. It is similar to how Miller discusses changing the students subjectivity--we need to see them as people who can make change outside of the classroom, not as students who produce a product for use to evaluate.
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteI wish I would've read your post before I had my own existential crisis in class today. My mind is still spinning a bit as I write this.
I also agree that Freire does tend to use more abstract words in his argument, which does not help to define what we should be doing in the classroom to combat oppression. I wish this was a little clearer in his book.
As for moving forward and creating real change inside and outside of the classroom beyond "mere activism", I'm not sure there's a solution yet. We are required to work within this oppressive system of education, and the work we do inside of our classrooms to try to change it can only go so far. Although I want to believe that what I do in my classroom has a lasting impact on my students and will help them fight against oppression as they enter other courses, I feel a bit helpless against the system that will continue to tell them how to think regardless of what I do. I think for now looking at the little victories against oppression inside of our classrooms, such as getting students to see their experiences as valuable in writing, is going to have to be good enough as we continue to advocate for changing the larger oppressive system.
Hi Bethany,
ReplyDeleteTo try to answer your question, I really like the word intervene from the quote you posted. I think it may be fruitful to think of our role as sort of an intervention process. Our students are going down a capitalistic path that sees a degree as a necessary stepping stone towards employment. However, if we let them go down that path without shocking their system of values and beliefs by showing them how structures, interfaces, and ecologies work to oppress, then we are not truly doing what we ought to be. I do not wish to change their beliefs--that is up for them to discover. They do, however, need to be confronted with narratives, experiences, scholarship, and discourse from those they would not normally seek out.
In the book, college of the overwhelmed (2005), Richard Kadison, M.D. and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo mention a shifting identity of college students who enter a new space with students who have different cultural backgrounds and experiences.
“For some young adults, this may be the first time that they have the freedom to recognize the differences between their own upbringing and others…This is an opportunity for growth, but also fuel for confusion and anxiety. When the new life model clashes with the child’s family model, it can cause great internal upset. If the child chooses to shift and adopt new values and lifestyle, he or she may feel the stress of separation and parental disapproval—for example” (9).
I think, if done in a healthy manner in a classroom setting, there is a kairotic moment to challenge students to read, discuss, and analyze these systems of oppression that inhabit our upbringings, behaviors, and culture.
Hello Bethany,
ReplyDeleteI partly agree with Jake on this one. Seeing ourselves as both graduate students and teachers, I think we're able to better "intervene" than say an instructor with 20 years experience. I say this because it's easy for us to relate since we're quite literally students as well.
We can bring our own concerns with education into the classroom and we can try to help our students see their realities more clearly, at least in terms of university life. I recently had my students look at Ball State's beneficence pledge. They were asked to think about it critically, to relate it to their experience at Ball State, and to decide if what is laid out is even possible with the different disciplines and teaching styles they come into contact with. It was not a fun discussion, I will warn. As their instructor, it was hard to not feel like I was also under their scrutiny. However, it was a healthy experience. Many of them want more engagements with their instructors. Many complained that the availability of their instructors--though they had defined office hours--was not upheld and, many times, they were left waiting outside a locked office door. Others complained that there are many instructors at Ball State that simply ignore them for who they are or even look down on them for needing help with a particular concept they learned in class. Another student even said an instructor refused to answer their question because it was "in the book."
It was with these complaints that I realized our class, just by nature, is the only experience they've had where one on one time with the instructor can happen on a daily basis. They want to feel "closer" to their instructors, not as friends, but as humans.
On the flip side, I had a few students who were completely uninterested in being challenged or communicating with the instructor. In fact, one stated they aren't here to make friends. They're here to get a degree and make a living. Again, a problematic viewpoint but you can't force a student to change perspectives.
Critical pedagogy and the "A with B" structure Freire proposes isn't easy. It isn't something I think we can solve solely in FYC. In order to make the changes and answer the questions you propose, the entire super structure must be redefined and scrutinized. I say this because once our students leave our classroom, they'll sit in a lecture hall with hundreds of other students, where the instructor doesn't even grade their work but passes it on to their TA's. We have very little hope, I think, in changing education unless we work together. It's why writing across the curriculum is so appealing to me. It's why I think we must have more unity across disciplines. And these disciplines must see us (English instructors) for more than just gatekeepers. They should value the fact that, if we choose, we have a finger on the pulse of our students. Given our class sizes, we are better prepared to meet the student on their own turf. All we need is the support from the rest of campus.