Morgan (2005) defines positionality as “each subject depending on other subjects to maintain their position” (p339) in a given discourse. By responding to the administrator’s questions, parents are subjecting themselves to the dominance of the questioner. In other words, parents are assuming the position of the oppressed. Within the panopticon, the oppressed are in the periphery, individualized and under the surveillance of the watchful eyes in the tower. In this case, the power of the administrators is dependent on the conformity of parents. Similarly, in schools, teachers, administrators, and peers position children into their roles within the context of the classroom, school, and social groups. Constance Ellwood and Bronwyn Davies (2010) …show more content…
While administrators exercise a great deal of power over student governance, teachers have a more direct and profound impact on students within the panopticon system. Joakim Landahl (2013) offers and interesting insight into the panopticon within the classroom walls and discusses a counterpoint, the synopticon. According to Landahl, the panopticon is physically present in the classroom by the way in which teachers arrange student sitting. Rows of tables and chairs facing forward at the teacher’s ‘stage.’ In this set-up, the teacher represents power and authority from a panopticon perspective. However, by arranging their classrooms in this form, teachers subject themselves to the synopticon system. In this system, those with influence are in the ever-watchful eyes of the people they dominate. Unlike the panopticon where uni-directional windows prevent prisoners from witnessing what is happening inside the tower, in the synopticon the tower serves like a pedestal placing the dominate figure for all eyes to see, similar to a celebrity. In contrast to the panopticon, those in the periphery individualized and scrutinize the dominant figure. In a classroom, teachers are cautious with their actions and words to avoid being seen as a pushover, weak, or prune by their students. In this way, teachers monitor their own behaviors to avoid being the topic of discourse. Teacher evaluations further the conceptualization of the synopticon in the classroom by placing teachers under the surveillance and judgment of the students. While teacher evaluations are specific to higher education, tools like these offer a form resistance for students, which can alter the ways in which they are
Fife is efficient in setting a strong base of pathos from the start of her essay. In her introduction, she appeals to the reader by recognizing the widely-known strain of social media on the student/teacher relationships. Continuing to appeal to the reader, Fife demonstrates her understanding of opposing perspectives of students and teachers-- she does not portray one side superior to the other. For instance, she understands the frustration teachers
Throughout the introduction of Clueless in Academe by Gerald Graff, Graff explores the idea that schools are obscuring students from their lively minds. Education has always had a purpose to serve their students, however, since there is an obvious miscommunication taking place in our schools the purpose needs to be advanced upon. Furthermore, when intellectuals such as teachers have an argumentative discussion, the words they use make their discussion unavailable to those that are listening, specifically students, which again, disrupt students from their minds. These ideas not only relate within all institutions, but also play a large role in research and how repetition, as well as not understanding
We hold these truths to be axiomatic: that all students, no matter their background, ethnicity, or rank, are created equal in status and in identity; no student is higher than the other. Each student is equipped with secure and unalienable Rights; that among these rights are Respect, Rightful Identity, and Freedom of Speech. We also believe that rules are formed to protect these certain rights and that the power of these rules comes from the power of the students; whenever any part of the rule fails to protect these rights, it is the right of the students to change it and to form a new rule that follows such principles which organizes its powers to end in Security and Happiness. Fair judgment, as a matter of fact, will ordain to say that long prevailing consequences should not be changed because of trivial, temporary, or fleeting reasons; and, in fact, history proves that students are more likely to suffer the bullying,
Anyon establishes pathos in her research paper as well, in order to make administrators, teachers, and scholars feel angry and sympathetic towards the curriculum of lower class schools hindering students from elevating themselves out of their poor social class. Anyon reviews her overall experience with the working-class school teacher’s attitude towards the students and explains, “Only three times did the investigator hear a teacher in either working-class school preface a directive with an unsarcastic “please,” or ‘let’s’ or ‘would you.’ Instead, the teacher said, ‘Shut up,’ ‘Shut your mouth,’ ‘Open your books,’”(Anyon 259). Anyon conveys the oppression that children from lower-class schools face compared to how amazing the education is in
People’s identities are formed by what they hold valuable, at a young age, however, those value can be greatly influenced by his/her surrounding society. In all three essays, Cathy Davidson, “Project Classroom Makeover”, Karen Ho, “Biographies of Hegemony” and Susan Faludi, “The Naked Citadel” the authors share their personal experiences with how different educational institutions operate and to what extent they value and echo their surrounding society. It is evident that those institutions can shape, or in the least influence, their attendees' identities by injecting the surrounding society's belief and influence onto them.
A Critical Incident analysis of Symbolic Violence” examines a prevailing theme of symbolic violence within the school system. An important example from the text is when Herr and Anderson examined Mrs. R’s and Mr. Y’s classroom and the environment the students were learning in. To begin, Mrs. R perpetuates that her students cannot be helped, she is authoritative, and operates on this idea of respect, however, fails to give respect back to her students (Herr & Anderson, 2003). The text explains this as she is failing to recognize her students’ abilities, and by doing so created a hostile environment of the students not wanting to be there, or wanting to learn (Herr & Anderson, 2003). Mrs. R was working in a symbolically violent environment that was not working to help her student learn. On the other hand, Herr and Andersons analysis of Mr. Y showed the difference in quality. Mr. Y was respectful to his students. He worked with the students to ensure through their student-teacher relationship was respectful. Through this respect and mutual understanding, Mr. Y was able to push his student to thrive (Herr & Anderson, 2003). Thusly, we can begin to see how schools perpetuate the social hierarchy system (Cruz, 2018). This support for the “dominate” ideology does not allow for others who do not fit into the dominate culture to thrive properly, and as a result has an effect on the level of success people can reach if are
The issue of education provides a battleground for political debate and social issues. Writers such as Rodriguez, Alvarez, and Diaz explore different points of views of school children and how they deal with these issues. In addition, they provide them with a voice in which many children do not have. Looking into the thought processes of the minority children, “Daughter of Invention”, “The Boy Without a Flag”, and “Oscar Wao” look into what education provides for these children.
Jean Anyon, author of the article “From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work”, spent one year observing a fifth-grade class in a socially middle class elementary school. In this year, she was able to determine that the teachers taught the students by textbook based lessons and would ask questions that would verify if a student had done his or her reading assignments before coming to class. The students would then receive grades based on the amount of right answers they had given. Through her observations she saw that teachers did not bring up concepts that could be considered controversial in fear that parents would become angry. Anyon noted that the students learned by being given directions that often required some decision making,
Institutional structures have the power to configure adolescent growth through repression and liberation. The capability that adolescents have to create their own destiny and choose their own social institution can be limited, but not impossible. In Trites article, “Do I dare disturb the universe?” the author argues that kids have personal power, whether they acknowledge it and use it to their own advantage or not. Michel Foucault declares that “Power is everywhere; not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere” (Trites). Power is inevitable, there will never be no such thing as power in this world; it will never diminish or fade. Trites also conveyed that, “power not only acts on a subject but, in a transitive
Moreover, he seeks to keep his audience’s attentiveness high as he yearns for them to understand his viewpoint on the issue of education. As the purpose of his writing is to convince the reader of what education really has strived to achieve, it is presumed his audience is of those who have fallen prey to the merciless tactics of individuals who hold a higher social degree. In an attempt to simplify his cause, Schneider employs a tactic that is common in nature, that is: asking a question. His questions are not too overbearing as rather than induce complex thinking, they promote rational ideals that would have been otherwise overlooked by the convoluted sayings of others. For instance, when he solicits the question, “Do they sit in desks? Typically. Do teachers still stand at the front of the class? For the most part. But beyond that, there are more differences than similarities. Again, this doesn’t mean that present practices are ideal—but it does mean that Americans should think twice before dissolving into panic over what is being taught in modern classrooms” In short, this excerpt allows Schneider to create a bridge of understanding between him and the reader as he is thoughtful enough to include the fact that there are still problems. However, the centerpiece behind Schneider’s relationship with his audience is the implementation of the element
On the other hand, Paulo Friere argues about the authority educators exerts over the students, how educators believe they have more power and knowledge than their students. “His task is to "fill" the students with the contents of his narration” (Frierre 1, paragraph 2). We memorize other people’s information and we think we are doing a great job, but what would happen if one of us unfolds and break the boundaries between authority and communication. What will be the consequences for us; are we going to fail the class for thinking outside of the box. We are not empty receptacles to be filled with recited words; we have the right to express our point of view and listen to our way of thinking. When are going to get the benefit of the doubt, what educational system do we have to follow, we are lost between consumerism and the lack of
Apart from her being a minority and being treated unfairly, she has also observed how students in general treat teachers differently due to “the relentless corporatization of the university, a process that has turned teaching into a marketplace”. This technique works to communicate her claim by using emotional appeal, her stories help readers relate and sympathize with her.
Chapter 8 of the Johnson text explains the many ways in which dominant groups avoid addressing oppression, and the most prominent strategy employed by the dominant society in relation to schools is “Blaming the Victim.” Finger-pointing and victim-blaming appears to be a favored approach to avoid thinking inwardly about oppression, the particular example Johnson uses is “If blacks were smarter or worked harder or got an education, they’d be okay,” the idea behind this is echoed by many when the topic of achievement gaps arises. People are quick to accuse minority groups of not working as hard, or not being as intelligent as the dominant group instead of discussing in what ways the education system benefits dominant groups and hinder minorities. So in reality, the United States wants schools to reinforce the dominant perspective without complaint. Chapter 7 discusses how subordinate groups are left with the dilemma of needing to raise complaints about the system, or else have their problems remain invisible, but in questioning the system they are met with the avoidant responses outlined in Chapter
Under social norms, the stigma behind teachers’ is their philosophy of teaching revolves strict social contracts within the classroom to reign control and achieve student success. In Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year by Esme Raji Codell, Esme provides a scope into what thoughts rumble within a teacher’s first-year experience and how there is always a way around to challenge conformity. She accredits her mentor, Ismene as her aspiration for pursuing the education profession and to firmly stand by her beliefs. She echoes Ismene’s words as “she urged me to forgive myself at the end of each day; that no single thing I could say would break a child … or make a child. Still, she taught me not to be too flippant, that, as a doctor cures
The principle of the “panopticon” is simple: a central tower allows jailers to monitor, without being seen, all the actions of the prisoners locked in cells in a ring encircling the tower building. At the periphery there is a ring building; in the center there is a turn; it is breakthrough large windows that open onto the inner face of the ring; the peripheral building is divided into cells, each of which crosses the entire the thickness of the building; they have two windows, one inwardly corresponding to the tower windows; the other overlooking the outside, allows light to pass through the cell from one side. By the effect against the light, one can enter the tower, standing out exactly light, small captive silhouettes in the cells of the peripheral series. There is so many cages, so many small theaters, in which each detainee is alone, perfectly individualized and constantly visible. The advantage of a panoptic device landscape spatial units is that we can be seen all the time and recognized immediately.