Critical Pedagogy and Social Inequalities

The American education system is defined by a strong top-down approach towards learning. This form of education relies greatly on lengthy amounts of synthesis and excessive amounts of memorization, while greatly underemphasizing critical thinking. The solution to some seems simple – flock to private schools that encourage service learning, after school activity, civic engagement, and other programs that encouraged critical thinking skill. Unfortunately, the majority of people are trapped by their social status and forced to remain in public schools that replicate systems of classism and racism. This paper will explore the macro level implications of the education system and describe alternatives to our current system.

Different sects of our society have different perspective about the current education system. It is interesting to see how those who are privileged with wealth and elite education defend the idea of a meritocracy and believe that the wealthy have worked hard and the poor just made bad mistakes. Those who are privileged cannot see the system for how it is – rigged. Those who are impoverished can easily see how the education system is rigged, because it uses a property value system to derive the amount of state-based funding a school can get. Certain districts in urban areas inevitably have lower property value and thus an under-funded education system, which then further lowers the property value. The privileged try to “maintain the myth of meritocracy, the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all. Keeping most people unaware that freedom of confident action is there for just a small number of people props up those in power and serves to keep power in the hands of the same groups that have most of it already,”(McIntosh 9) functionally establishing a self-fulfilling prophecy where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In terms of class and education, education proves to be the main determinant of social mobility, and the current system guarantees that there will be an invisible ceiling for the poor to hinder their success, while establishing extra-curricular learning for the privileged with “practices [such] as journal writing, reading, writing, reflection, research, analysis, and observation to develop their student’s awareness of the world around them and to urge students to live more meaningful and justly” (Howard 14). Without a strong primary and secondary education or devoted teachers, many who go to public schools are less likely to develop social capital or community ties that are critical to move them upward in society.

Broad education reform at this point seems to be the only opportunity for effective change. Current policy tactics, such as No Child Left Behind, fail to encourage education reform; they are simply band-aid solutions that encourage diverting funds towards test preparation, which ultimately fails due to the discriminatory nature of these tests. Even though certain parts of standardized tests were reformed (i.e. the elimination of the analogy section of the SAT), the fact is that racial discrimination will “be re-triggered with […] graders [who] will emphasize stylistically and grammatically Standard English, marking students down whose writing style employs idioms, phrases, or merely word patterns more common to communities of color” (Wise Online). These language barriers exemplify the idea of linguistically capital, the theory that states that the language and even the dialects spoken by a person can determine much of their social local. Hispanic students may feel these language barriers grow with the advent of racialized rhetoric that couches these students as threats to the “American way of life” and the English language. “This racialized rhetoric masks an attempt to maintain the pre-eminence of the language of the dominant group over Latinos and thus helps whites to sustain their political-economic domination” (Cobas 2). Xenophobia is transcribed into our education system to use linguistically politics to subjugate immigrant populations.

Education seems to be one of the most important determinants in social stratification. Empirical studies prove that students with greater education opportunity are almost guaranteed more upward mobility and social capital. Such an important aspect of society should not be left to the hands of the elite to manipulate and mold to their own advantage. The constitution states that all are created equal and have right to pursue happiness, and if education is necessary to pursue happiness, then it seems appropriate for state intervention in education. There needs to be a paradigm shift in Washington, fiscal discipline means nothing if our streets are overflowing with the homeless and other nations around the world surpass us economically due to waning American competitiveness. The first step must be the removal of our property standards; once this is accomplished, governmental investment in education must be standardized and regulated.

Education is not neutral. If used correctly, it can stimulate democracy through civic engagement, break down the walls of classism and racism, and establish strong social networks. However, due to disparities in funding and support, certain groups of people, get the short stick and live with an educational system that is bankrupt. We must first learn that education is a universal right and we should not hope that the market fixes these problems. The education crisis will require governmental intervention on a grand scale. The idea of socialized education will foster much animosity and controversy, but it is the first step that needs to be taken to equalize America’s education system.

“There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of generations into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the ‘practice of freedom’, the means by which men and women deal critically with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”
—Paulo Freire

Blind Faith: The Role of Evangelicalism in American Elites

The American power elite is a group of people informally characterized by massive amounts of social capital and wealth. The American elite de facto controls the functions of the country, in a hierarchal manner; however there has been a shift in power distribution. Now an active group of people, with an Evangelical agenda, controls the heads of major sects of society. This paper will seek to describe the nature of the American power elite, the means by which the Evangelical Right came to be integrated into the American upper class, and the far reaching implications of this new system of power.
The idea of an American meritocracy has been ingrained in the minds of many, but hard work and diligence can only go so far, in a society that is truly controlled by external actors. These actors are in fact the American power elite, a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, and access to decision-making of global consequences. Though there are no official requirements to enter this ruling class, there are sets of informal characteristics by which the American power elite are defined. This ruling class is a disproportionate cross-section of society; most of these elites are white, male, upper class, and heterosexual. Moreover, this homogenous group of people “live in the same exclusive areas, wear the same type of dress, attend clubs accessible only to their own circles, and generally tend to have close contacts with each other” (Hartmann 2). What makes the American power elite a dangerous threat to democracy is their ability to side step conventional rules to manipulate governmental policies for their own good and their seemingly infinite amount of capital. We all know that it takes money to make money, but the extent by which this proverb has been tested by the American power elite is astonishing. Sociologist William Domhoff analyzed many statistics and empirical studies and found that wealth accumulation does not come from just monetary inheritance – from an early age executives are primed through a strong business framework. Domhoff concluded that most studies “focus on the occupation of the executive’s father” and show that “between 40 percent and 70 percent of all large corporation directors and managers were raised in business families” (Domhoff 21). It can be further deduced that that these executives inherit their parents “social capital” to further their accumulation of wealth. However, in a democracy, the majority should rule, but we now can see the strings that the American power elite pulls.
Knowing all this, it is critical to understand how the Evangelical Right were able to infiltrate the American power elite. The answer is threefold. First and foremost, we can look to the nature of Evangelicalism to understand their rationale. The goal of evangelicalism is to establish a personal relationship with God, but to be a good Evangelical – members must spread the word of the gospel so that others may experience a similar connection with God. With strict division in church and state, the only appropriate response was to align themselves with the American power elite. We can see the trends, before the seventies, the American elite had some religious influences, but for the most part, it had decreased, afterwards however the “evangelicals saw an opportunity to renew their commitment to public affairs” (Lindsay 6) and they took it. Second, we turn to the perspective of the elites. The idea of religion is very enticing, because it means that our actions on Earth reflect our well being after death. American elites are aware of the consequences of their actions – they understand the tradeoffs with their wealth and the wealth of others and the moral gray area they reside in must not be comfortable. We must understand that the “Evangelical rise to power and the leaders…made it happen” (Lindsay 11). Seeking validation the Evangelical Right gets a functional free pass into the echelons of the American power elite. Not to say that any church official can be jettisoned in to the upper class, it just is easier and it shows that wealth does not necessarily have to be in a monetary sense. Finally, there seems to a mutual understanding between these two groups that facilitated the power redistribution. The American power elite know that they are outnumbered and are on “thin ice” with the citizenry, accepting religion with open arms seemed to be an excellent public relations move for the elites. With god on their side they could not be capable of doing wrong.
Although there are many daunting implications of the Evangelical agenda, including heteronormativity, sexism, and exclusionary politics, the one that this paper will focus on is the HIV/AIDS crisis. Despite literally thousands of peer reviewed studies and unanimous scientific consensus, the Evangelical right still persists on pushing abstinence only plans on American children and in very colonialist fashion – Africa. Prior to the Bush Administration, Africa had an effective prevention strategy to tackle HIV/AIDS – But since the inception of the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program there has been an “over reliance on Abstinence-Only programs” instead of overall prevention causing “massive increases in AIDS cases” throughout Africa and the freezing of Condoms programs through the country (Robinson Online). This is allowing for an evangelical takeover of American and Africa – our abstinence policies are resulting in the global spread of radical Evangelicalism, which is proving to be one of the most deadly actors in society. Without effective intervention, the AIDS pandemic will increase at even greater rates, creating more than “36 million new infections” in the coming years (LaFraniere Online). Another widely cited implication of the Evangelical agenda is the Global Gag Rule. President Bush signed this executive order in his first days of office due to the pressure he felt from the Evangelical right. The gag rule effectively ends funding to any clinics that discuss abortion. The gag rule has caused “massive waves of clinic closures” in sub-Saharan Africa—this undermines health diplomacy and destroys maternal health (Motluk Online). These clinics are quite critical in minimizing AIDS related deaths, because, not only do they provide abortions, they run education campaigns about AIDS and prevent back-alley abortions another leading cause of AIDS, due to infected tools.
As mentioned before the Evangelical rise to power can be attributed to a mutual relationship between the American power elites and the Evangelicals themselves. The AIDS crisis is and epidemic that we have never seen before and it will take collective action to quell the flames of this deadly disease. Though the facts may be depressing, there is still hope. Our elected officials must represent those who put them in power. The state seems like the best tool in the fight against AIDS and inequalities, and ultimately the American power elites. What we see today is a more active citizenry who elects officials who are willing to stand strong against the upper class. On his third day in office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order repealing the Gag rule. Though this is just a drop in the bucket, in comparisons to the laundry list of inequalities we face today, it is a step in the right direction, and all we can do now is take small steps, hoping that some day we can dismantle the reign of terror that is codified by the American power elite.

“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
-Sinclair Lewis

Covert Racism

This is kind of an old clip, but I found it funny. Yes, racism can be funny, especially when it comes from a person who is running for the President of the United States. Its interesting how being Arabic and being a decent person are mutually exclusive. Its also interesting how many believe that being a Muslim prevents a person from rationally leading a country.

But, this really doesn’t matter, with Senator Obama widening the gap everyday, a potential for a filibuster-proof majority in congress, and the ability to replace resigning members of the Supreme Court, with liberal judges, it seems like the tide is shifting in America.

No witty comment for today, I think the video is witty enough.

Meet Will

Every Friday I am suppose to write something about my readings in my Nietzsche and Buddhism course. We were reading Schopenhauer and discussed the idea of the Will. You might find this cool if you have read any of the aforementioned literature or maybe you just like the story. Normally we are suppose to talk about our relation to the literature, but I thought that an allegory would serve as a better illustration of the Will.

“Meet Will”

Lying in a chair, Will sat waiting. It had been seven minutes since he had found his way to the room. He still felt drowsy and even a little numb. Seven minutes, he could never have back, but perhaps it was for the good. What was he going to do with seven minutes; help the homeless, cure cancer, solve poverty, bake a cake? Pondering these obviously ineffectual questions, Clark walked in.

Sitting across from him, they talked. They talked for forty-seven minutes, an agonizing forty-seven minutes, and an unaccomplished forty-nine minutes. Was this discussion really going to change anything? Probably not, but Clark didn’t seem to care. Four more minutes, Will thought to himself, only two hundred and forty seconds, until he could leave. It became quite apparent to Clark that Will was preoccupied, trying to salvage what was left of the situation he tried switching topics. They passed through a shallow conversation about his progress, his family, and some politics even came up. He tried to be gentle with the way he worded some of his questions, he didn’t want Will to slide back. Impatiently Will engaged in the conversation. Half-heartedly answering.

The clock turned the hour, and Will callously strolled out. Walking back to his apartment he only had one thing on his mind. It had been the same thing for the last four months. Fumbling with his keys, he violently prodded the slot, until it fit. Turning the knob, he entered and dropped everything on the floor, and went to the kitchen. It was a mess. Dirty pots and pans surrounded him, but nothing deterred him. He pulled out the alcohol swabs and a syringe. He woke up the next day, feeling nothing. Just an urge for more.

Short, but i think it got to the point. I leave you with this
“The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring.”
-Carl Sandburg (American Historian)

Wanted

Let me preface this entry. I don’t really plan to write more movie reviews, but I thought this was especially necessary. For the last few weeks people have been asking me what I thought about Wanted. So I figure I’ll write it here, because I really do have a lot to say about this.

First, for me the movie was good, but not great; entertaining, but forgettable. Now I think most of my disappointment stems from the hype that preceded opening night. Angelina Joliee bending bullets sounded great, and many of the previews made it seem like this movie would have a great underlying theme of consumerism and monotony – very Fight Clubesqu, and I loved fight club. From the previews I was hoping that this movie would be the perfect blend of the Matrix (another one of my favorites) and Fight Club. But, the hype killed it for me – and the truth is hype can always make a good movie seem bad, and I think in this case that’s exactly what happened.

Second – was it just me or did the movie feel rushed? I really felt “uncomfortable” by the movies extremely fast pace in terms of progression. The movie could have been so much more spectacular if it was longer and delved into the idea of character development or even plot for that matter. And I understand that its suppose to be an action thriller, but that doesn’t mean you can skirt the most basic component of film. For a matter of fact I felt that if the movie was separated into three, into a trilogy, there would be much more time for creativity and purpose, but the way that it ended seems like that will not be happening.

On that note lets talk about the ending. Other than being quite childish, improbably, and outright silly, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Most of the audience can tell the direction of the movie; I guess a rule of thumb when dealing with secret societies, is that more often than not they are bad. Also, I’m just not a fan of the everybody dying part. And though its suppose to be one of those scifi shootem up movies, I cannot rationally understand how the ending was thought up. It seemed to be just another summer blockbuster that really felt unintelligible. It had so much potential, but it never got to quality I felt it could have.

For the two hours I sat in the theatre, I was really entertained, I might even watch the movie again, but this movie is nothing more than ultra-violent stimulus. Don’t get me wrong, if you are at the movies and don’t know what to watch (and you have already seen the Dark Knight) Wanted is a good choice, but it will be no classic. I leave you with this to think about:
“Never judge a book by its movie.”
-J.W. Eagan (Film Critic)

Mind Numbing

With summer along its way, it seems like I have extra time on my hand. Due to my summer schedule, I cannot hold a job, and this leaves me in an awkward situation. I guess the phrase mind numbing is often thrown around. Though its not like I am on a morphine drip and actually slowing down my brain processing, I actually feel like I am wasting time. Life seems like it becoming a little more prescripted than I would wish it to be.

Each day passes at a slow rate, and I go through the same motions. Getting up at two o’clock everyday, has its benefits, but it feels like time wasted. I start my day in the afternoon eating breakfast at three o’clock, and then engaging in brain cell destroying activities (I am referring to television of course). Leave the house around six o’clock and come back late. I am constantly tired. The next day it seems like I have lived through all of this already, and the previous night seems like it occurred years ago. It actually seems like I have exhausted many activities that I found happiness in. I guess there is comfort in the monotony, knowing that everything is set for you.

But is that comfort really worth it. Its mind numbing. I guess the analogy is pretty simple. While most people have stormy days, it seems like I have entered a drought, and I am just waiting for the rain. And though each day is unique, they are all the same. The funniest part of this situation is that its only been a few weeks since I got back into town, and I feel like this already. I can only imagine the mush that will be left of my brain. I think I just need some excitement. I need this drought to end. I laughed to myself when I first found this:
“Life is never boring, but some people choose to be bored.”
-Wayne Dyer (American Author)

No Excuse

November 2nd is coming up and we all know what that means, election time, but what if you are like the majority of Americans and do not feel the need to vote. Well, The Onion has a great solution for you.

With this you will have no excuse not, not to vote.

“I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way: I don’t vote. On Election Day, I stay home. I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, ‘If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain,’ but where’s the logic in that? If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote — who did not even leave the house on Election Day — am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created.”
-George Carlin (American Comedian)

What Is Beef

Some beef is big, and some beef is small,
But what y’all call beef is no beef at all.

Whether or not you are an avid listener to rap, one cannot help but appreciate songs like this. Blackstar, a hip hop duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, take music to an entirely different level than of the mainstream. As an act of social commentary, Blackstar delves into modern politics of violence, drugs, and racism. What I find to be the most interesting aspect of this song is the open criticism of the prioritization of other conflicts. What we call beef is no beef at all, an explicit reference to the upper class’s “whines” on insignificant problems.

Their capacity for evil so evident, and prevalent.
Ain’t no hesitation involved, a nation dissolved,
While we sit back waitin’ to evolve.
Those who’d trade they freedom for protection deserve neither.
Fuck a name, fuck tradition, religion, you learn Jesus.
Turn the other cheek, Inherit the earth, just stay meek.

The fast paced nature of Blackstar’s rhymes requires a profound look at their verses. This part of the song discusses the nature of control in our society. A small percent of the population economically controls the large. And in times of emergency we longer think for ourselves, ignorance quickly become patriotism. We stay meek. Learn Jesus. And most of all do not question authority. And as Blackstar simply puts it: Those who’d trade they freedom for protection deserve neither.

Beef is the Cocaine and AIDS epidemics.
Beef don’t come with a radio edit.
Beef is when the judge’s callin you defendant.
Beef, it come with a long jail sentence,
Handed down to you in a few short minutes.

The insignificant complains that stem from the upper class pale in comparison to real problems that ail the majority of society. Real harms exist all around us and we are unwilling to recognize them. Our mindset blinds us. Drugs, diseases, a flawed legal system, and economic disparity divides, and yet we focus our money and time on new cell phones, clothing, coffee, and other material “needs”. Another frustrating truth about our society.

When a soldier ends his life with his own gun,
Beef is trying to figure out what to tell his son.
Beef is oil prices and Geopolitics;
Beef is Iraq, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip.

I suppose that it angers most of us, when we miss a movie, get a bad grade, have a flat, or even a bad haircut, but what kind of problems are these. We can afford to go to movies, go to school, have a car, this is nothing to get worked about. The focus on materialism shall be our downfall. Entering a new era of politics our focus should be directed towards real problems and real solutions instead of dwindling our time on the most mundane of issues.
“The best things in life aren’t things.”
-Art Buchwald (American Humorist)

Religulous

The voice of reason from Bill Maher, himself, Religulous is a movie documenting religion in the United States, and it shall be quite humorous. Granted Maher will probably take some of America’s most ignorant religious fanatics, I am willing to overlook that, because I love a great documentary.

I can only imagine how much hype and hatred this movie will receive, but really it won’t matter much. I guess if people have the right to practice religion Maher has the right to criticize it. So I leave you with this:
“Religion is the opiate of the masses.”
-Carl Marx (Father of Communism)

Democracy Inaction

Yet, another example of the radical Right hijacking our democracy came to the public yesterday. It seems that the Department of Justice, often cited as the most nonpartisan sect of our government, was subject to discriminatory hiring. The Department of Justice Honors program one of the most sought out graduate studies jobs showed an incredible bias against “liberal candidates”.

A Department of Justice Report, showed that the rejection rate of liberal candidates was 90%, while those of conservative backgrounds, only 8%. Nonsense, I know, but this report went further to conclude that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Our worst nightmares are coming to reality; it seems like for the last six years under the Bush Administration, the Justice Department may have been packed by conservative applicant, the Supreme Court is not alone.

The Justice Department has to maintain its political neutrality; it has prided itself as the crown jewel of American fairness. The nature of political justice demands that this Department be depoliticized, but what is more astonishing is how these liberals were rooted out. “Individuals at the department were rejecting any of our candidates who could be construed as left-wing or who were perceived, based on their appearances and resumes and so forth, as being more liberal,” Kevin Ohlson, director of immigration review states.

Construed or perceived, wonderful, so that is literally anyone. In fact the report suggests that applicants who were members of Green Peace, Human Rights Watch, NAACP, Save the Wetlands, Planned Parenthood, or even any applicant who was affiliated with an environmental protection agency would not be hired for their liberal backgrounds. Well I guess that makes sense, conservatives obviously cannot care about those aforementioned organizations. Harvard and Yale graduates who had even written papers that dissented over Bush Administration policies were deemed inappropriate for this job. The jobs went to vastly under qualified conservatives over Harvard graduates who happened to have some liberal views. Not to say that all of the conservatives who were hired didn’t deserve it, but that the political diversity was obviously bankrupt. Many affiliates of the Department have admitted to this foul play, but due to extenuating circumstances, they may get of scott free, because they no longer work at the Department.

What does this all mean? Well I guess it means we should not express our political opinions if we want to get a job with the government (good thing I don’t plan to work for them). Democracy Inaction. I know I have not talked that much about politics, but believe me when I say there will be much more to come. I leave you with this, a clip from my favorite news show – Verdict with Dan Abrams: