Through this unit I have noticed many colleagues’ fear to use the word racist and racism. This is illustrated in White Academia: Does this affect you?, where the interviewee admits ‘ I don’t feel comfortable talking about race’. Witness Unconscious Bias, also addresses the misuse of the term unconscious bias from those afraid to speak of racism. Why is this word so hard to say??
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced“
Baldwin,J (1962) As much truth as one can bear. New York Times
We cannot begin to tackle racism if we cannot label it without fear of judgement. Language around mental health issues, abuse and sexual harassment which were once taboo are now widely accepted. Cultivating a space in which people are comfortable to speak these words is the first step.
Within my teaching practice, creating opportunities to discuss the lack of representation within digital technology spaces and manufacturing, embedded in everyday lessons, can begin to encourage conversations around race. These conversations must be fuelled by language. Building a glossary of terms around digital technologies, manufacturing, privilege, and race will provide students the necessary tools to engage in these conversations.
“What happens through unconscious bias of course is that there is a silencing that is also instantiated….it also enables a white will to forget anti-black racism and anti-people of colour racism”
CriSHET Nelson Mandela University (2018) Shirley Anne Tate | Whiteliness and institutional racism: Hiding behind unconscious bias
I too need to hold myself accountable in this regard. I have noticed that black and Asian female students struggle the most within my specialist area but have never brought this to the attention of my senior colleagues. I will bring my concerns to those within my team to open the conversation around attainment within my practice. The ‘Tell Us About It’ artefact may provide strategies and insight to support these students.
In ‘A pedagogy of social justice education: social identity, theory and intersectionality’, Hahn Tapper discusses the social identity theory. This concept was quite interesting and relates to a workshop idea I have been considering for the Action Research unit. I would like to create opportunities for students to share items of clothing that represent their culture, religion and identity. Achieving this without reinforcing stereotypes, hierarchy, division and relating it back to digital pattern cutting processes is quite challenging – particularly within my role as a technician. Despite these concerns, the topics within this text have provided many factors to consider when planning an activity like this. If I choose to follow this idea through, I will use the core principles of social justice as a framework for planning.
Shades of Noir (2018) Peekaboo We see You. Whiteness |White Academia: Does this affect you? Page 27. Available at : Peekaboo We See You: Whiteness by Shades Of Noir – Issuu
UCU – University and College Union (2016) Witness Unconscious Bias. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XDUGPoaFw
Finnigan,T. & Richards, A (2016) Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design. Available at: Retention and attainment in the disciplines: Art and Design | Advance HE (advance-he.ac.uk)
Hahn Tapper, A.J. (2013) ‘A pedagogy of social justice education: social identity, theory and intersectionality’
5 responses to “Fear”
Very well written Kemi! The interview you speak of highlights the discomfort so many white people feel when discussing racism; for some it can be so paralysing that they whisper the word rather than say it out loud!
Intergrating terms into a glossary of other terms about digital technologies and manufacturing could aim to normalise terms around race and privilege, which sounds like a great idea.
I look forward to hearing how this turns out!
Kemi
This is an interesting blog as it covers and references different perspectives and areas relating to race.
The section that stood out for me was your reference to the attainment of your black and Asian female students that struggle in your specialist area.
I am interested to know, why do you think there is a disparity with this particular group? What are these students like generally, in comparison to the other subjects they are taught.
Do you think if you bring this up to the teaching team, you will be tasked with having to find the answers and solutions yourself because of your own positionality?
Do you think the team would feel uncomfortable at this being highlighted?
I wonder how they address any glaring disparities in attainment within minority groups on their courses?
Sorry Kemi, so many questions!! I am a very practical, literal person so I found this aspect of your blog really important and interesting.
Thank you for sharing!
Great questions Wande! I definitely notice that culture, upbringing and life experience affects these students. They often don’t ask for help and push down/bear with discomfort having this ‘get on with it’ approach. I even see it in myself too! It can be hard to break learnt behaviour- particularly if you’ve had a bad experience after asking for help. I think language plays a part and also being faced with such technical processes and language with computer use which is the opposite to the creative process they may be expecting on the course.
As for my team I think they would agree but may dismiss it as being the student rather than how we teach. In such a technical process you assume race and gender would have no affect on learning. I too had this way of thinking but I’ve started to see the nuance of how teaching environments can reinforce societal structures. I hadn’t raised it before as I had no idea what was causing it or how to begin tackling it. I felt it would go nowhere without some beginning idea to address it. Also, as my team is a subsection within many courses I think there is the worry of overstepping boundaries. We also don’t have data for our particular area so it would be hard to quantify how true this is, even if visually I am able to see this. As we are a sub-department we would need to could collect our own data with the courses we work with the most. It would also be interesting to talk with the wider course teams on how they they address disparity- this is something I have no knowledge of!
You have clearly recognised the challenges in your workshop idea regarding the potential stereotypical representation when using an item of clothing to symbolise a culture. Perhaps it could be localised to the individual a bit more by being something regional, sentimental or a subculture they might subscribe to. Before the workshop, students could analyse the chosen item, taking into account its function, its structure, pattern, construction, and any other design influences it possesses. Utilising your knowledge and experience, you could establish any connections between the selected items and demonstrate how the garments could be created using the digital pattern cutting techniques you work with.
Thanks for those great ideas! I definitely think making it more specific to the student will allow them to bring their personal identity, rather than what they think will be expected of them.