Racial profiling and stereotyping are creating negative effects on the racialized students and thus costing some students their education. Profiling can impact the individual mentally, psychologically and sometimes physically. Many schools today have diverse classrooms which means changes in the stereotypes should be made however they are not, causing the students to suffer under the labels placed on them.
School is where most students of colour face discrimination even though education is a human right for all individuals to receive. Our schools are suppose to be a safe place for students to learn, grow and develop for the future. It is a place that provides promising opportunities for social and academic growth. The classroom is the first place that students are able to interact with one another and build connections for their future. Teachers play this pivotal role in initiating respect and trust with students. Thus, teachers are elders of authority and with their guidance, students learn to build a perception of themselves in the future. Yet, there are many concerns of racial profiling and stereotyping within the educational system. Many students including those of African-American descent are stereotyped as being delayed in learning and aggressive with others according to the OHRC article. Therefore, when a racialized student is involved in a fight they are the first ones to be accused and receive punishment. School Boards have recently implemented a Safe Schools Act in which a zero tolerance policy has been put in place. This means when a racialized child is involved with any conflict in the school, they are affected immensely as education could be taken away from them. Loss of education is the biggest impact with this act as the child now experiences a defeat that may cause the student to act out and potentially take part in further negative encounters. This might also cause the student to see individuals of authority in a negative light and will not trust them in the future. If the child gets expelled from school it may potentially damage any success for the future, as the child might not feel worthy enough to receive further education or employment.
I remember talking about racial stereotypes in my university course CHYS 2P38. It is difficult for society to break out of these labels and judgments as they have been around for centuries. Thus stereotypes came from African Americans as they were known to receive inferior education in the past due to fewer resources being provided. Schools were not accommodating as most of racialized students were seen as being from a lower class income family.
As a future educator, I would like to see a change in the stereotypes for racialized students, so that they are not scared or afraid of attending classes. Instead they can be excited to step into the classroom and learn for the future like every other student. It will take a long time before this issue is rectified and I look forward to the day where all students are being treated equally.
Do you think labels and judgments of racialized students could ever change? If so how can we get this racialized stereotype eradicated?
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I think that the stigma behind these racialized labels could be changed, but that there will always be differences among racial groups. I agree with you that there has been uneven distribution of resources in the past that puts racialized people at a disadvantage. However, I believe that culture will, and should, always have an influence over who people are. I think that it is better to recognized, accept, and appreciate that people from certain cultures have different values and different norms. This isn’t to say that some people deserve less than an education. I believe everyone is entitled to equal opportunity. I just think that there will always be differences among cultures.
ReplyDeleteHello Kaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post, and I agree with all of the points you brought up regarding this ongoing issue. I think that the media really affects the way people think and perceive the world, and a lot of the racial stereotypes and and racial judgements are influenced by what we are exposed to through the media. Overall, I think all people of colour are affected by these stereotypes and racial types. I wonder if we will ever all see each other as equal? Maybe if everyone broadens their worldview (as taught in CHYS 2P15), we may be able to over come racial judgements and stereotypes.
Hi Kaitlyn,
ReplyDeleteI found your post to be very interesting. I am from a small town where the majority of the population is Caucasian and as such do not have first hand experience with the racial discrimination in elementary schools that you discussed. I have seen media coverage on this issue and agree that people of different races are the ones that are blamed for starting a conflict.
As for your questions, I would like to think that we can change these views but am unsure if it is entirely possible, maybe in some areas but not in society as a whole. Children will see students that are not of the same ethnicity or race as them as different and treat them as such. I feel as though they would be weary of these different children, but hope that through education from their parents and teachers that they would treat them fairly and equally. Media is also a huge factor with this issue. Often the only information that we receive regarding issues is from the media. Hopefully the media will focus on the issue at hand, rather than the ethnicities or races of those involved; maybe this way we can reduce racial discrimination.
Growing up, I remember having lots of anti-racism and discrimination campaigns at our school. We would have assemblies, activities, and classes aimed at tackling the issue of racism. It was very clear to all students, at least on an explicit, surface level, that racism was wrong and that it wasn’t going to be tolerated. In that sense, in my opinion, Canadian teachers and the Canadian school system has been doing a great job promoting anti-racism.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is, like you argue, that stereotypes, labels, judgments, and discrimination still exists. On a surface level, no, but on a subtle, unspoken level, racism is still very much alive. And like you said, these experiences of discrimination can have extremely adverse effects on their educational experience. So I’m going to answer your two questions with another question -why do these attitudes of discrimination still exist?
In my experience as a racial minority growing up in the educational system, I think that the issue is the predominant view that race is somehow connected to individuals’ cultures. By believing in the reality of this connection, people often attribute meaning to race, which, in my opinion, is the key issue. Even teachers believe in this relationship, and to me, the first step towards eradicating stereotypes is to break the connection between race and culture. However, in a multicultural and multiracial country like Canada, this isn’t going to be an easy task.
To give you some context, I really believe that this race-culture association is a big issue in Canadian society because as a racial minority, I’ve been a recipient of inaccurate judgments regarding my background and culture my entire life. It’s frustrating to me when people assume I speak a certain language, come from another country, or practice certain traditions simply as a result of my race. It’s not only unfair, but uncalled for, and to me, that opens the door for discrimination.
Before we can work on bigger issues, such as removing the labels, judgments, and stereotypes that are still prevalent in the Canadian school system, the general attitude of race and culture being connected must be addressed. Yes, for many students, their cultural identity are tied to their cultural identity. However, by unconsciously associating race and culture, we are opening the doors for discrimination. The change must happen first in teachers – teachers must be the first to understand that they cannot associate meaning with students’ race, and must model a more open-minded, and enlightened, attitude. Then, students will be able to follow suit, accept these enlightened views as new normal, and from that point on, perhaps change in our societal conception of race can finally happen.
Hi Kaitlyn!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog, as it allowed me to reflect on my past experiences. From kindergarten to fifth grade I went to a school where I was considered to be the racial minority. From sixth grade onwards, I went to school in a small town that had a predominantly caucasian population. It’s interesting to compare the two- as I didn’t see much racial profiling in the first school, but a large amount in my middle and high school. I definitely agree that the lack of change leads students to suffering, and with the diverse classrooms, you wouldn’t think it would be such a large issue.
In your blog, you talk about teachers being the pivotal role for students, but I don’t necessarily agree. I feel as though parents and guardians have almost a larger role- who I am as a person was shaped by both my teachers and my parents, but when it comes to my morals and my perception- I believe that this was shaped mostly by my parents.
I do agree though that teachers can influence the stereotypes- especially if they play into them, and unfortunately this is a huge issue in todays society. It’s terrible that loss of education is a consequence. Like you said, this can influence a students perception of individuals of authority, and potentially damage success for the future. Taking away education should never be a consequence- no matter what the conflict was, as education is a pillar of our society.
To answer your questions, I think labels and judgements of radicalized students are already changing. Yes they’ve been around for centuries, but think about the number of changes we’ve seen in the last 50 years. Changes are occurring, unfortunately just not as rapid as they need to be.
Great post!
Ashley Clark