The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

 

This incident happened to me on Friday, October 12, 2012.  I was at the laundry mat washing clothes when a Caucasian lady came in and was about to add her laundry into the wash and was putting the detergent in wrong.  I said, “Excuse me ma’am but the Tide Pod goes in the drum of the washer and its best to put your detergent in after the water start going into the wash.  She gave me a look like did I ask you for your help. She had a snobby attitude.  As she begin to start another load of clothes she did it the way I had told her previously.  She kept looking at me funny the whole time she was there and she must have realize that I was only trying to help her.  Later, before I left she asked which dryer gets hot.  I told her 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8.  She then told me thank you and walked away.  She seem as though she didn’t like Black people but she must have realized that Blacks are not so bad after all.

 It seems as though the lady was a racist toward Blacks, however she made me felt that she didn’t need my help.  However, the incident changed the way she thought of me and she told me thank you for helping me. 

Awareness of Microaggression

Awareness of Microaggression

            Over the week, I have learned about microaggression.  My cousin (James) came home to visit yesterday for our Homecoming Parade and brought home his Caucasian girlfriend (Sue).  She seemed to be a little uncomfortable but I welcome her to the family and wanted her to feel as though she was welcomed.  However, my cousin (Tony), James brother said, “Here he comes home with this big white country woman.”  However, I told him to stop talking about her because he knows nothing about her.  She was very well manner and she makes him happy so that was all that matter.  My cousin (Tony) was using microaggression.  Although, Sue did not here his statement that he made it still was not a nice or respectful thing to say. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

1^st Person-Kendall

Culture is who I am. It is my background and the heritage that makes me who I am today.  I am an African American my religion is Christian and I was basically raised in the country surrounded by plenty of animals and a lot of work.  I love soul food and I enjoy riding horses as a hobby.  I do not listen to rap, for some reason I like to listen to country music and enjoy being around family.  Diversity is basically the same as culture.  It describes who I am as well as culture. 

2^nd Person-Shaerrecca

Culture is the way we live our lives, learn and teach.  Culture is the way we do things in our world.  Like certain food we eat, the way we teach our children and the way we were brought up.    Diversity just simply mean different.  There are no two things exactly alike. 

3^rd Person-Kelvin

Culture describes me as a Mexican.  I can speak English and Spanish.  My family spends a lot of time together and we are very close to each other.  I love to work and spend money.  I love Mexican food but I like soul food as well.  I have been eating food from the African American heritage for the last five years.  I have been dating  African American women since I was eighteen and I’ve been in my relationship now over two years.  Diversity is my ability to succeed, the way I was raised and the way I live in the community where I reside.  I am Hispanic, 25 years old, have two brothers and I am not married.

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?  Each individual plainly stated culture as being the way one live and what they eat. “Culture is the way we eat, sleep, talk, play, care for one another, think about work, arrange our kitchen and remember our dead,” (Louis Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards).

 

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission? There were no aspects omitted. 

 

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?  After listen to each individual they feel the same I do about culture and diversity.  Culture basically describes who you are, what you eat, your religion, and your background.  It is who and how you live your life and it helps other to know some aspects about you as an individual. 

 

Reference

Sparks, Louise & Edwards, Julie O. Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves Chapter 5,

"Learning about Culture, Language, & Fairness" (pp. 56–60)

My Family Culture

If a major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of my country, and I have been told I could bring three items to represent my family culture I would bring my photo album, my family fortunes if any, and my grandmother’s quilt. 

 

I would like to bring my photo album because it contains history from the older generation until the present.  It shows how each family has came a long way and tells the difference of how we dressed from the past until now.  I would like to carry my family fortunes such as jewelry and golden coins.  The coins and jewelry could be worth something more in another country.  My grandmother’s quilt is wonderful because it tells the life she lived, where she traveled, the number of children she had, and things she encounter as being an African American.

 

If I could only keep one item it will be my photo album.  I will be able to keep the memories and add new memories as I continue to live my life in another country.

 

I did not gain any insights but I have realized that it is a very important decision to make because you never know what life has in store for you.  Remembering where you came from and keeping the hope alive is the main point of it all. Our culture is very important to us all and we need to let our children know exactly where they came from.

FINAL BLOG

FINAL BLOG ASSIGNMENT

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?  I have gain an insight on equity.  Equity lets you focus on the research and treat the participants with fairness and no favoritism is shown when conducting research.  Everyone is treated equally and fair. 

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? My ways of conducting research has changed because I now know the steps to take with conducting my research such having  theories for your study, questions, know what type of method I will use, have a hypothesis, focus on the independent and dependent variables and choose who will participate in my study. 

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? I have learned that by using Quasi-experimental designs you may not be able to use random participants.  One will have to use a group of participants when conducting a study.  This design is important to research in early childhood development.  If a researcher chose to use this design, he or she can use multiple and single groups when conducting their studies.  When using the quasi-experimental design one have a better chance in assessing cause and effect on the study at hand.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

There were no challenges for me.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?  My perception as an early childhood professional has changed from this course because when I develop a problem or concern in my class I will know how to conduct a study on the issue and to come up with solutions to help with the problem in the class.

To my fellow colleagues I wish you the best as you further your education in the early childhood education field.  It has been a pleasure of getting to know each other and supporting each other throughout this course.  May God continue to bless each of you. 

Lowering Poverty in America

What can we do to lower poverty?

The most effective anti-poverty program is to get the country back to work. Lower unemployment and lower underemployment translate directly into higher incomes, for families at the bottom and the middle. Lower unemployment and lower underemployment also work indirectly to raise incomes of all workers, by giving them the leverage they need to negotiate higher wages and better benefits. There was tremendous benefits of sustained low unemployment at the end of the 1990s, when wages and incomes at the bottom did better than at any time since the 1970s.

In both the short and the long run, fighting poverty means committing our country's resources to that fight. "The first step is a large-scale stimulus program to breathe life back into a dying labor market.
Economic analysts from the White House, to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, to former John McCain adviser Mark Zandi all tell us that the February 2009 stimulus package has created millions of jobs," (http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/testimony/the-crisis-of-poverty-in-america). Without those measures, poverty would have increased even more than it did in 2009.  But, we now know that the stimulus program put forth in early 2009 was just not big enough.  "The single most important step we could take to combat poverty in 2011 is to implement a large -scale stimulus and jobs program today. Once the labor market is generating jobs fast enough to lower the unemployment rate, the next challenge will be to restructure the labor market so that it once again channels the benefits of growth to workers and their families," (http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/testimony/the-crisis-of-poverty-in-america).
Lowering poverty will help America and the young children of America who are struggling and dropping out of school.  Many parents are unable to give their child or children the best and the children are taking action of their own.  Poverty has caused many of our young children to dropout of school and become imprisoned.  By lowering poverty we may be able to help save our young men and women of the future.

References

The Crisis of Poverty in America.
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/testimony/the-crisis-of-poverty-in-america

MY PERSONAL RESEARCH JOURNEY

Funding Early Childhood Care

            *How to get government assistance

            *Income Eligibility Limits

            * Eligibility for Parents Searching For a Job

            Funding for early childhood education has been a very huge issue in the United States.  In the United States any woman is eligible for childcare assistance.  However, many of them do not know how to acquire the assistance needed for childcare.  Childcare is very important for single mothers to continue working and to take care of their family.  The Human services Child Care Assistance Program may help those families with low or no income at all.

            Mothers of young children can apply for government assistance at the local Department of Human Services where they live.  “They can simply fill out the application and submit it to the Welfare office in their community.  By applying at the local Welfare office parents will be able to talk to a case worker about their household situation and their needs so that they can make an informed choice about any services they may want to receive” (http://bsure.hubpages.com/hub/Get-Government-Help-to-Pay-for-Daycare).

If parents choose to their local Welfare office they need to have the social security cards for each child they are applying for, long birth certificate forms, verification of income, and verification of enrollment if the parent is in college.  “By providing the needed information on hand as they apply for the assistance program will speed up the process.  Once the parent or parents receive a voucher for child care the Department of human Services will give them a list of agencies and individuals who work with the program,” (http://bsure.hubpages.com/hub/Get-Government-Help-to-Pay-for-Daycare). 

The child care assistance program helps many parents who have become unemployed continue to receive their certificate until the parent acquires a new job.  The child care assistance program will also help the parent look for employment by providing assistance so that the parent will have time and ease to search for a job, go on interviews and other activities. “Parents may also want to retain their child care while they are searching for work so it is available as soon as they find a new job, and so that their children have continuity in their care. Child care assistance for parents searching for a job is particularly important given the challenge of obtaining and maintaining employment in today’s economy,” (National Women's Law Center, 2011).

I choose this topic because I want to help the mothers who need childcare assistance in the community in which I live.  I want to help in any way I can and to make sure our young children are able to attend preschool.

References

Free Daycare - How to Get Government Help.  http://bsure.hubpages.com/hub/Get-Government-

            Help-to-Pay-for-Daycare

National Women's Law Center.  (2011). Child care assistance policies in states receiving Early     Learning Challenge grants. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center. Retrieved       January 4, 2012, from             http://www.nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/state_policies_for_elc_grantees_analysis201   1.pdf.

Schulman, K., & Blank, H. (2010). State child care assistance policies 2010: New federal funds     help states weather the storm. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center.Retrieved September 30, 2010, from             http://www.nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/statechildcareassistancepoliciesreport2010.pdf