SGO: Power and Control

Power is somewhat of a force. Instead of belonging to people it moves through people. In some cases it is given and in other cases it is earned. In any case, power gives one the ability to influence and create.
Control is similar to power and can sometimes be a product of it. When one directs power and uses its influence to its full extent, one is in control.

First, I'd like to trace the system of power through a continuation schoo.
We have all stepped into a classroom at some point in our lives. We have all experienced the hierarchy that lies within a school system. Usually we do not realize the convoluted nature of this hierarchy, so dependent on attention, power, and ultimately respect, but if one were to step into a continuation school, more specifically a continuation high school, the hierarchy and its many paths would come quickly apparent.
Firstly it is important for us to understand that attending a continuation school is like having detention during recess. While everyone else goes on with their daily lives at normal high schools, those at a continuation school find themselves keeping up with the outside through snippets and shouts from afar. Continuation schools are not ignored, but they are not usually mentioned either. Seen as a place for kids on their last chance, many outside sources such as district administrators view continuation schools as unnecessary or a waste of time and money. A continuation school is a school that lives on the fringes, a place where 'bad kids' go when normal high schools can't deal with them anymore.
In this sort of environment there is a struggle to be seen and heard. The principal struggles for attention from the heads of the schools, the parents, the students and the heads of the districts. The secretary struggles for attention from the parents, and the students. The teachers struggle for attention from the students, and the parents. The students themselves, more often than not, struggle for attention from anyone who will give it to them. It seems as if the only people who do not struggle to be noticed are the janitors whose comings and goings are hardly noticed by the unemptied trashcans.
But the power struggles are not as straightforward as it seems. The balance of power changes on a day-to-day basis. The principal, within the confines of the school, holds the most power. She is the one who cuts deals with students and parents alike. She holds the power to change schedules, and administer punishments from detentions to expulsions. However, it is the part of being noticed that is the hardest for the principal. The principal's primary goal is to deal with the bureaucratic issues involved in running a school, so that these kids can have a decent education. Not only does this require at least some motivation on the part of the student who is many times on his or her last chance, it also involves the tracking down of busy administrators. In a district filled with everything from ambitious AP students to apathetic rebellious students, it is somewhat understandable the administrator's desire to concentrate his or her efforts on the already ambitious students. However this is precisely the sort of attitude that leads rebellious students to become more and more apathetic towards their own education. The principal also struggles to make sure that parents and students alike understand the significance of the school in their own lives. She meets with students and makes calls to parents trying to stress the importance of education, the importance of enforcing rules, and the importance of listening to what is being said. The principal finds herself fighting for all these ideas, all the while attempting to convince the outside world that a continuation school is not a place for easy credits. The principal's fight for attention, her fight for power outside of the school lies with her ability to convince people to take her and her school seriously. Within the school she is the guiding light for the students and parents that pass through there.
The teachers use power in a most unique way. Their power depends partially on the interest of a student, and this is the biggest struggle for a teacher. The teachers hold within them all the knowledge the students must, or want to know. The teachers choose what the pass on and what to withhold. The teachers are able to decide what view of the world, fair or not, that the students see. They can teach their students to be optimists or pessimists. They can teach students to be healthy of unhealthy. Unless one of the students takes their own initiative outside of a classroom, then he or she is going to accept the view of the world that the teacher presents to them. For example, if I were to teach that two negatives equaled another negative, my students would continue to use this faulty knowledge, unless one of them were to speak up and state the contrary. The teacher is put into the position of being able to mold young minds to agree with their own ideals while knowing that they should educate the kids and allow them to make their own decision. In a way, a teacher wields more power than the principal and district administrators combined. If a teacher plays their cards right then they can influence students for the rest of their lives. A teacher also has the power to decide what kind of teacher they want to be. Some teachers, especially at a continuation school, find themselves distancing themselves from the students and maintaining a more unfeeling and frigid attitude. Other teachers choose to integrate themselves into the student lives and become more emotionally involved. Both approaches have their ups and their downs and both allow the teacher different kinds of power over the students. The first method is used by some teachers due to the fact that these kids come and go all the time. It certainly does not help that most of these kids have lives that are a little bit difficult to hear about. The second method allows for more stress and emotional involvement on the part of the teacher, but also allows more personal level of interest with the students. The first allows for a stricter, more structured teaching environment, but the second allows for are more interactive, lighthearted atmosphere in the classroom, but also more difficult to control environment. It is up to the teacher to decide what works best for his or her own abilities and students.
However the student holds a certain amount of power over the teacher as well. They have the power to learn or not to learn. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Teachers open the door, you enter by yourself.” This is definitely true for a continuation school. Whether students take advantage of the education and opportunity given to them is completely up to the individual. Some students study hard for their education while others would obviously rather be elsewhere. Some students dream of college while others dream of nothing more than the upcoming weekend. But all students, to a certain degree find themselves fighting for attention from the very same teachers they try to gain control over. Whether they want to learn or not they strive to be noticed among a sea of faces. Despite the fact that this is a continuation school with little over 30 students in all, there is still a fear of being ignored, forgotten, or invisible to the people that surround them.
In a continuation school attention equals power. To have attention is to be heard. Like a kid asked to stay in class during recess, any message that may want to be sent to the outside world must be shouted loud and clear. The members of a continuation school know this. They also know that the person closest to the door, the person with the most power, is the one who will succeed in getting their message across. Thus there is a pushing and shoving and scrambling in order to get to the best position possible. Like any society there emerges an alpha male and an alpha female, both of which, in a continuation school, are clearly marked. These are the ones that can shout the loudest, and garner the most respect from the most people. They may not be the best liked, but they are definitely the best qualified for their job. This goes for the students, the teachers, and most importantly the principal.
Respect is another key to power in a continuation school. Without respect, one finds that attention is hard to come by. Some students find that they can garner respect temporarily by acting tough or daring to break rules in a way that no one else will dare. They attempt to emulate the air of indifference surrounding those that actually do hold that respect. As with most situations, admitting that something is important to you is admitting that you have a sense of vulnerability and it means opening oneself up to the manipulations of others. Thus those that lack respect are the ones that are taken advantage of by the ones that have it.
Those that already hold respect are showered with all the attention they could want from people that admire, appreciate, or want to be like them. Many times this sort of power is abused by the students who find themselves at the top of the respect ladder. They manipulate and play games with those that have still not mastered the technique of acquiring respect. However theses sorts of diversions can backfire and lead to a loss of respect.
While respect is important for students, it is far more important for teachers. If a teacher at a continuation school does not acquire respect or show that they are worthy of respect in the first couple days then the students are sure to take advantage of that fact and begin to try and assert their own authority over the teacher’s authority. But how exactly does one go about achieving this respect? For a teacher to be respected at a continuation school there must be an unspoken understanding between teacher and student that this is a two way relationship. In exchange for taking in information that the teacher gives the student, the student must feel like they are able to express themselves and their ideas to the teacher. The students want to know that their teachers understand a bit of their world and that the teachers know where they are coming from. A teacher’s goal is obviously to educate the student and help the student take the next step in life. This give and take relationship usually allows for a more relaxed and easygoing learning environment. Though many teachers will have a more impassive attitude, there still must exist a personal level of communication between student teacher. This will not only garner respect, but trust.
Let’s look at the example of one of the students at the continuation school in which I work. His name, for the purpose of this essay, is George. George is an average student, doing just enough work to get by. He has trouble paying attention in class, and does his best to get his teachers off track whenever he is bored. He too reflects this hierarchy. First he attempts to get attention by disrupting the classroom, or making some sort of ruckus. This of course is much appreciated by the students who would rather be elsewhere and welcome his antics as an alternative to the teacher’s lecture. This leads him to gain a little bit of power. He is the center of attention, but he still isn’t there yet. George has seen other kids like, for example, Tim, who exudes an air of calm and confidence. He attempts to pass of this incident in a similar manner. He nonchalantly tries to brush the incident over, doing his best to sweet-talk and apologize to the teacher. This may or may not earn his respect from all of his peers, but for the students that look up to the power held by people like George and Tim, it is just another layer of icing on the cake.
A continuation school holds within it a strange, and many times confusing, hierarchy. One may note that there is very little mention of the school rules here. This is because at a continuation school, the school rules don’t hold as much power as the student’s ability to break them and the teacher’s ability to enforce them, despite opposition. Thus, the need for power turns into a need for respect, and the need for respect turns into a need for attention. No matter what the situation, these elements prevail and hold true. As in any situation those with power are not willing to sacrifice power for the well being of others, and those without power want it badly enough to play right into the hands of those with power. The dynamic that exists in a continuation school is both unique and to be expected.

Formal mechanisms of control: School rules, teachers, principal.

Informal mechanisms of control: Parents, peers, age.



[This turned out a bit longer than I intended....]

Essential Outcomes: Perspective and Experience, Ethnocentrism

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

1) Define ethnocentrism in your own words.

Ethnocentrism is the idea that one views the world through his or her own culture. This belief can be both positive or negative depending on how a situation is handled.

2) Define cultural relativism in your own words.

Cultural relativism is the idea that though we may see the world ethnocentrically, we must observe without making judgement in order to truly understand a culture.

Now apply these concepts to an example. Let’s use the practice of female circumcision. Read some of the information provided, discuss with classmates and then respond to the questions below:

3) What is your initial response to the practice of female circumcision?

To be honest, I was kind of revolted. I had no idea that anything like this existed, but I wanted to learn more about the justifications for it, if only to develop counter-arguments to them.

4) What is an ethnocentric perspective regarding this cultural practice?

From the perspective of those who support this practice, FGM is probably meant for the best. It is a sure way to guarantee a woman's honor and secure her a good husband, which is very important in Islamic societies.

From an outsider's perspective, FGM is a horrible process. One can assume that this is meant to control a woman, not protect her. An outsider may not consider the importance of honor and securing a good husband.

5) What is a culturally relative perspective regarding this practice?

As mentioned above, one might assume that FGM is a way of controlling a woman. However, this allows us a different perspective. By looking at the justifications for the support of FGM one can better understand the origins of the process, though one's opinions on the subject may not change. If we were to live in a society that put a woman's honor and finding a good husband above all else, we might be more open to understanding this practice.

6) What are the problems with thinking ethnocentrically in this context?

Of course one runs the risk of being too close-minded on the matter. If one were to think ethnocentrically, then the idea that cultures that practice FGM are somehow primitive might arise. One may look at countries that practice FGM and draw negative conclusions about their view or treatment of women.

7) What are the problems of thinking relativistically in this context?

If we think relatively we might miss key aspects of the culture. With FGM it is vital that the observer come to some concrete conclusion about the true motivation behind this practice. If one does not do that it becomes difficult to further understand any rituals associated with the culture.

8) In your view does cultural relativism necessarily mean ethical relativism? Why or why not?

Though, like culture, ethics are learned, they are harder to ignore. If one were confronted with, cannibalism for example and their sense of ethics tells them this is wrong, it is difficult to think otherwise. Though one may still understand the motivations behind a practice, their opinion is still controlled by their system of ethics.

9) What, if anything, do you think should be done? Why?

In the interest of not imposing my own beliefs on others, I feel that FMG should be legal but only under specific (anesthesia, steralized setting, etc.) conditions and consent of the woman involved.

10) What does ethnocentrism reveal about the power of culture to shape the way we view things?

Ethnocentrism can drastically alter our view of the world. If one goes on thinking that a certain culture better than all the rest, then any difference from one's own culture automatically becomes a flaw. The problem with seeing the world this way is that it can lead to hate and prejudice by the grouping of people into hierarchies based on your own culture. Our culture tends to be what we view the world though, but if we are not aware of it, our culture can easily distort rather than clarify the things we see in the world.

Essential Outcomes: Language and Culture

1. Identify a specific speech event and site where you’d like to conduct an “ethnography of speaking.” What is the site?

Coffee shop.

2. What are a few of the specific speech acts people engage in repetitively in the site you’ve chosen?

Ordering, conversation, pleasantries.

3. Record some of the statements you and others made below:

Me, ordering: I'll have a caramel macchiatto, please.

Customer, pleasantries: Thanks for the drink.

Customer, conversation: My friend and I are going down to the lake this weekend.

4. How do the statements above reveal important elements of the components of speech acts?

Component	Comments
Purpose	Procuring a drink, social interaction,
Message Content	Ordering a drink, small talk, greetings
Message Form	Question, statement, exclamation
Channel	Customer to employee, customer to customer, employee to employee
Setting	Coffee shop
Tone	Conversational, expectant, maybe commanding
Participants	Customers, employees, people who just want somewhere to sit and work or chat.
Outcome	Customer is given a drink, small-talk or conversation quota is fulfilled,

5. Was the “ethnography of speaking” approach to studying a speech event useful? What did it reveal about the event that you might not have realized otherwise?

It was very useful. By isolating the different types of interaction, I learned that language was a bit more complex than it seemed. The way that one asked for a drink or the way a employee responded varied vastly and changed the tone of the interaction. This exercise allowed me to better understand the complexities of language and the way it is used.

Essential Outcomes: Globalization

Globalization is defined by our text as "A social process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede, and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding(p. 380)." Essentially, globalization is an integration of cultures around the world, from technology to food to architecture.
Globalization has had an interesting effect in the US. The American culture is pretty powerful in the grand scheme of things. (How else do you explain the international success of overpriced ripped jeans?) Thus, the US tends to affect other countries before other countries effect us. For example, the Japanese adopted The Backstreet Boys far before Americans began demanding any sort of Japanese music. However, when Americans allow a bit of another culture to become part of theirs, they seem to completely forget that it was foreign in the first place. Given the origins of the country, this is hardly surprising. Nevertheless, when other countries adopt something uniquely American, they do not forget as easily that it comes from a different country.
But how does this affect the culture as a whole? In America, globalization means sharing American culture with other countries. Yes, other cultures leave their mark, but it is solely about sharing American ideas. In other countries it becomes a matter of preserving one's own culture while trying to adapt to the ever present American culture.
Globalization can definitely be a good thing. It can, in fact, be a great thing. Globalization can, in the right circumstances, promote better understanding of cultures, and help broaden one's horizons. However, it can also be a bad thing, since the ethnocentrism is bound to rear is head.
I can completely understand this fear. The fear that one's culture, which is an essential part of one's life, is being erased. From culture we learn our values, we learn our past, we even learn our fears. The threat of having a culture, however bland or rich, erased can put people on the defensive.
Globalization is a double sided mirror, having the potential to bring out the worst as well as the best.

Edits:
For India, globilization has definitely been a good thing. To many, India is still the overpopulated third world country that we've been reading about in the news for years. More recently, it has been connected with things like outsourcing. Understandably, this is confusing to someone who has not seen the effects of globalization on India. How can a country that has so many economic problems be putting out people that are talented enough to attract attention from abroad? Yes, there are rural areas in need, but India also contains a vast urban sprawl. The fact is, the India of today is nothing like the India of 20 years ago. Before the advent of globalization, India was a very traditional country, now it is a bustling hub. A simple way to look at it would be though acceptable women's fashions. In the late '80s, when I was born, women usually wore traditional clothes, most women never removing the scarf they wore on their shoulders or wrapped around their neck. My last visit to India was six years ago in 2002. Imagine my surprise as I walked off the plane wearing a, by my standards, modest knee-length skirt and my aunt gasped in horror. Though some younger women had begun to adapt western clothing or elements of western clothing, they continued to be very modest. No one ever wore a skirt unless it was either a school uniform or a floor-length skirt. I am planning to visit India again this summer, and this is what everyone's been telling me: "Pack your skirts and tank-tops!" Within the past six years, strict Indian standards have given way to western ideals. While a skirt or a tank-top may have been seen a grossly immodest a mere six years ago, it is now acceptable dress, even in the conservative area of south India.
This sort of situation has carried over to America as well, with the rise of yoga, meditation, and, more recently, ayurvedic medicines.
(Though, to be honest, if I see another horribly generic, badly done "How to do Yoga" book/cd/dvd, I might go into convulsions....)

Essential Outcomes: Perspective and Experience, Culture Shock

Culture Shock
Article Review Exercise
“Lessons from the Field” by George Gmelch

1. What is culture shock?
Culture shock is a feeling that people get when they are attempting to assimilate into a culture. It is usually accompanied by feelings of anxiety and perhaps even physiological symptoms.



2. What are some specific examples in this article of encounters or events where culture shock became evident?
Culture shock became evident when the visiting students first came into contact with issues such as race, gender, and wealth.
When they first arrive on Barbados, the students are कल्तुरे taken aback by the conditions the natives are living in. They become reclusive in response to the lack of privacy. They become overly conscious of their skin color. They feel shy about spending money.





3. How did those examples and culture shock in general affect the students doing research in Barbados?
The students began, at first, to withdraw a bit from the society. However, as time went on they were able to use their unfamiliarity with the culture to pick up on subtle cultural customs.





4. Did they experience reverse culture shock? What are some examples?
Reverse culture shock is definitely present in this article. When the students go back to the US they find themselves appalled at the excess in the American lifestyle. They also feel that people in the US are extremely hurried, and the students begin to adopt a slower, more peaceful lifestyle.





5. In what ways can culture shock and reverse culture shock be considered productive and beneficial?
Culture shock and reverse culture shock both allow one to gain a bit of perspective, whether it is an insight into one's own culture or another's। When the students in Barbados are confronted with culture shock they become more aware of their own customs and are, thus, able to easier identify corresponding customs in another culture.
Culture shock can also help create a better understanding between cultures. When the students experience reverse culture shock they are beginning to better understand why the natives of Barbados are happy living a life that most Americans would consider horrible.






6. What do your responses above reveal about the power of culture?
Culture can not only affect our actions, but it can also pervade the mind, controlling the way we think or what we might consider to be important. Culture is, in many ways, a force that moves its way through individuals, and it is up to the individuals whether they want to fight against that force or just go with it.
When looking at culture shock it becomes clear that culture can affect someone individually in the same way that it can affect any group. No matter what, culture tends to grip people, daring them to either accept the culture or find a way out of it.

Essential Outcomes: Enculturation

Ethnographic Exercise—Methodology

1. Think of a local subject or event you’d like to attain a deeper understanding of. What is your subject or event?
Deaf Culture. More specifically, the interaction of deaf people with hearing people.

2. Identify a site where you can witness actions and objects associated with the subject or event you’ve chosen. Where is your site?
Deaf Coffee Social - Held inside a Starbucks.


3. Once you are at the site, describe the physical environment (spatial elements, objects, colors, symbols, etc.).
There isn't much to say about the physical appearance of the place since, like most Starbucks, this place was decorated in warm, vibrant colors with chairs of varying degrees of comfort.
Those attending the social clustered in the corner. One could easily pick out the ASL students from the seasoned signers, who signed easily in a more relaxed manner.


4. Next, describe the actions you observe.
Everyone sat close together, and as more people showed up, they simply latched onto the original circles instead of forming their own. When the space did run out, people stayed close to the group. There was also a slight separation in the circles as well. The students clustered in clumps within the group, while the deaf and the more proficient signers clustered in other parts of the group.


5. Did you hear people talking to each other? What were they saying related to your subject?

Since the entire event was centered on relaxed interaction, there was very little verbal reference to the subject. However, it was interesting to note the changes in conversation going from two deaf people to a deaf person and a hearing person. Usually the conversation was more tentative on the student’s part while the deaf person did their best to communicate their point. While interacting with another deaf person there was, as expected, a faster conversation as well as a lot more humor involved in the conversation.


6. Participate (if possible) in the events transpiring and note what you personally experienced.
Not all deaf people took the same approach, and some simply stuck to interacting with other deaf people. The hearing gentleman sitting next to me was particularly helpful and did his best to translate when needed and helped all the students by teaching them new signs.


7. Think of a question you could ask those around you to increase your clarity about what is transpiring. What is your question?

The question I asked of most people was what they thought of the local Deaf community in comparison with Deaf communities elsewhere.


8. Now ask your question to at least 3 people and record their responses below:
The first person I asked was the helpful gentleman I spoke of before. He said that the Deaf community in the Sacramento area was small in comparison to other places, but that he felt welcome as a hearing person in the Deaf community.

Next I asked this man’s wife who is very hard of hearing. She expressed the same sentiment, but pointed out that though they were welcome in the Deaf community, they were by no means a part of it. They were treated kindly, but not like one of the group.

Lastly I asked another Deaf person that I was talking to. He said he felt that the community, though small, was tightly knit. He had rarely had troubles or heard of anyone having troubles within the community.


9. What significant aspects of the event or subject you chose are revealed in the descriptions and statements above?
It is quite apparent that there is a strong sense of in-group and out-group within the Deaf community. Though the community is very welcoming to outsiders and anyone wanting to learn about their culture, they are not quick to assimilate. Some deaf people can be very warm and helpful, but it is still apparent that the distinction exists. For some it takes years and years to be totally accepted into the deaf community. For others, and this is a rare few, it could be a matter of days or months. Nevertheless, there was not even an inkling of animosity between those who were members of the Deaf community and those who were not.


10. After trying it out just a bit, how would you evaluate the ethnographic method?

It was certainly an interesting experience, but kind of fun. The process was a tad more challenging than I expected. It is hard trying to analyze a culture and, at the same time, trying to better understand it while being a part of it.

Essential Outcome: Concept of Culture

Culture is, according to Spradley, "the learned and shared knowledge that people use to generate behavior and interpret experience (2)."
However, culture seems to be far more than that. It is not just knowledge, but actions and thoughts that are shared. The process seems to be cyclical, passed on from one generation to the next, as well as neverending. A person continues to learn and be shaped by culture throughout his or her lifetime.
An example of a cultural event is the act of eating. In Indian, specifically Hindu culture, eating is a serious business First of all, you do not use your left hand to eat. EVER. You eat only with your right hand, and you use your left hand to serve yourself. You should eat with your hands, making sure to keep all but your fingetips clean. Usually meals are taken sitting on the floor and your feet should never be pointed towards your food or anyone else's food. Also, no one starts serving themselves or eating until either the eldest man or woman present has been served and has started eating. Once the eating has begun, the room usually is filled with conversation. After the meal, whoever it was that prepared the meal is the one that takes care of the dishes. The clean up, however, is usually assisted by the younger children.
Most of this is obviously explicit culture, however, many of these customs get carried over into tacit culture. For example, many Indians feel more comfortable sitting on the ground as opposed to using a chair or a bench. These practices are taught to children from a very young age. I have seen parents slap away the left hand of a baby, teaching the child to use his or her right hand instead. By repetitivly reminding a child to adhere to the customs described above, the customs become ingrained into the child's regular behavior well into adulthood.
There is an idea of hygiene and cleanliness behind these customs. There is also the everpresent aspect of respect towards your elders. There is a strong belief in Indian culture, that with old age comes wisdom wisdom and privilege. Thus this idea is carried over to meal times as well. There is also the idea of communal living which is apparent in the importance put upon mealtime conversations.
Hindu's believe that the presence of god is almost everywhere. This is where the idea that pointing your feet toward food is disprespectful, since the food holds blessing of god.
I don't know that there are any real cultural artifacts here. There is nothing particularly significant about the plates used, through traditionally a banana leaf was, and sometimes is, used.
Many different aspects of Hindu and Indian culture manifest themselves at meal times. Their values and beliefs control their actions and the way their view what is acceptable and what is not. This culture is imprinted on children from a young age, and the customs are passed on through the generations.