College and university rhetoric is devised to supply students with a language to discuss difficult topics at a higher education level. One concept introduced early in many college educations is authority. Students learn to intensely evaluate articles, books, fiction, and other publications to assess the reliability of that source and whether that source is an authority on a subject.
The idea of authority is an on-going discussion on college campuses with the concept often posed by the “authority” in class, which normally is the professor.
Should we inspect this concept of entitlement further? Do students benefit when a white professor teaches them about racism, diversity, or other issues where the instructor has minimal personal experience? Would students learn more about these topics from a minority teacher? Is a professor’s education enough to create the optimal classroom environment for a student on matters like racism? Of course, a professor’s training on the subject is extensive, but is that education enough to cover issues like racism, especially for minority students?
In many instances, the debate over what sources should be delineated as an authority has been influenced by scholars throughout history. The majority of those scholars, until recently, were white males. While they may have aspirations of objectivity when determining what sources to include in the canon of great works to study, professors often choose works that fit into their parameters of scholarly writing as well as their interests. Professors, even with the best intentions, still carry their own experiences when analyzing sources. Their experiences and interests often tend to lean toward writers who are like themselves — white and male.
Historically, minority and women issues had limited representation in the canon dominated by white male publications. Kathryn Kish Sklar, in the article “What Can Women’s History Contribute to This Discussion?” says that women are absent from most accounts of American political culture, not only because the world of scholarship is a narrow one in which we all pursue our own specialties to the exclusion of neighboring specialties, but also because the frequency with which women have historically framed their political participation in moral, ethical, and religious discourse places them outside the frame of reference that most scholars (including historians of women) use to analyze political culture.
While Sklar specifically looked at the absence of women in the canon of scholarly works, minority representation shares the same fate. Both remain dominated by works chosen by white male scholars and based on subjects of interest to them.
So how does this past practice of limiting scholarly works based on personal preference relate to the professor in the classroom who encourages students to question the authority of a source?
Whether the white male or female professor will accept his or her shortcomings when teaching minority issues like racism, lingering limitations remain in both minority and non-minority student’s education. Often, the professor, just like past scholars chooses the sources for study, and some intentional and unintentional partialities occur. Works that the professor is not acquainted with or attracted to limits the diversity of works students receive in their education.
In addition, the presence of a white professor may stymie the discussions of minority students.
The professor’s intention to initiate conversations based on designated authorities may be obstructed by the appearance of the professor’s determined position, of being an authority. Some students may not feel comfortable enough with a white instructor to critique the professor’s sources. Student apprehension may appear during potential conversations that might bring forth an instructor’s shortcomings on the issues experienced by minorities.
Along with students, a professor must be prepared to question his or her selections, and reassure students that his or her choices, along with the works selected, must all be scrutinized. In the article “The Liberal Curriculum and the Canon,” Arthur L. Dirk explains, “To embrace uncritically the traditional perspective is to increasingly inhibit cultural advancement by reinforcing non-dynamic ideas of knowledge in culture.” If the professor is unwilling to challenge his or her own beliefs, the education of these students may become obstructed by the student’s inability to analyze sources and the professor.
Introspection allows students to learn the professor’s potential deficiencies while supporting honest enlightenment. According to Brian Quinn, in the article “Some Implications of the Canon Debate for Collection Development,” “Literary canons have excluded whole groups of people, which have had a major impact on how people view themselves and their history.”
A lack of minority perspectives offers a perception that those issues are not important, which then further disenfranchises minority students from the educational environment. With frank conversations, minority students can realize that the absence of works related to their identities is a loss for them as well as the country as a whole.
Barring white professors from educating minority students, especially on topics of race is just as discriminatory as white professors unwilling to question their choice of scholarly texts. If white professors are excluded from teaching specific topics, such as racism, who would determine what subjects could be taught? Would classes on the holocaust be reserved for professors that experienced that specific ordeal? If that were the objective, the subject of the holocaust would be offered less and less until there were no more survivors to teach the subject.
Scholars and professors should accept the authority their title grants them while also acknowledging the responsibility of generating a learning environment even when the lesson includes understanding their own oversights.
What do you think?
Sources:
Dirk, Arthur L. “The Liberal Curriculum and the Canon.” Current Issues in Higher Education II, Graduate College of Education, University of Mass. Boston, (June 22, 1997) http://webhost.bridgew.edu/adirks/ald/papers/libcan.htm
Sklar, Katherine Kish. “What Can Women’s History Contribute to This Discussion?” Presented at “The Transformation of Civic Life” conference in Middle Tennessee State University. (November 12-13, 1999) http://frank.mtsu.edu/~seig/response_k_sklar.html
Quinn, Brian. “Some Implications of the Canon Debate for Collection Development,” Collection Building, Vol. 14, No. 1, (1993) http://thinktech.lib.ttu.edu/bitstream/handle/2346/1512/Pages%20from%20SomeImplicationsOfTheCanonDebateForCollectionDevelopment.pdf?sequence=1
Comments
Teaching on Racism
I do believe that having a white professor try and teach on a subject that they have no personal experience in will not let the students get the full effect of the lesson. They may be very educated in the areas that they are teaching on, but it takes a personal and emotional experience to really get your point across when discussing sensitive subjects such as racism and discrimination. I do not believe that they are not capable of teaching a certain subject just because a professor has not had a personal experience in an area that they are required to teach. Instead of trying to teach a certain topic or event that took place in history, bringing in guest speakers who have experienced whatever it is you are teaching would be more beneficial. It is hard to teach on the topic of racism and other issues such as these without letting your opinion and true colors show about that certain topic.
Professors' qualifications
In other areas of study if the professor is lacking in knowledge of a subject in the course, a speaker is usually brought in to elaborate on the finer points of the subject that the professor might have missed. This is to give the students a broader learning experience and more information about the subject. Could this concept not also be applied to the subject of racism and cultural diversity? In my experience, yes. I have a white, female professor. As part of the curriculum, we have watched several videos giving testamony of discrimination from various individuals of minority racial heritage. Also, we have had speakers come to the class to join in the discussion. Students have also participated in the discussions describing any experiences of discrimination of their own or of their friends on campus or in life. Texts used in any field of study should be questioned regularly for their vailidity. New research outmodes previously held concepts and pictures and language become outdated. There are many reasons to replace a text. A well educated individual can teach on the subject of racism. If a person happens to have experience in receiving discrimination, then that gives him or her an extra motivation to teach the class in a way that encourages more tolerant behavior towards other races.
The Perspective:
I think this is a really interesting topic. I totally agree with it! Professors who are teaching on issues regarding past and current events surrounding minority and or ethnic groups will really only be able to give accurate information from one side depending on if they belong to that minority or not. The fact that the reading material used for a lot of the classes is also from a majority group members stand point doesn’t help the issue either. My response to this issue is rather simple. A good professor who has the class’s best interest at the forefront of his teachings will be able to deliver the material in an unbiased, open-minded fashion. That way student will be given the opportunity to make their own conclusions on issues regarding race and ethnicity.
Teaching
I believe that this concern can be applied to many more subjects in addition to race and discrimination.There is no clear cut line as to what works, and what does not. In each circumstance there are variables that can not be taken into consideration. For example, what if this white male who is teaching the class has in fact had experience with discrimination due to his religion, or sexual orientation. These are factors that can not be seen, but need to be accounted for. It is at the teachers digression to decide if he needs a video, or a guest speaker to elaborate on the subject because he/she has had no experience. It all comes down to the fact that there are good teachers, and bad teachers. Good teachers will realize that someone with more experience is needed to elaborate on the subject, and they will plan their lesson accordingly. Bad teachers will teach this particular subject just as they teach all the others, which is without much thought behind the lesson plan. Is it not racist in itself to tell a white male teacher that he is inadequate and must find a replacement to teach about a certain subject? I believe that the solution to this problem is adding in core curriculum to get a teaching certificate that deals with these issues that will appear while teaching, giving them different teaching strategies that produce a prime learning environment.
Teaching on the topic of Racism
I am leaning towards the side of white professors’ maybe not teaching about racism due to the fact what would you know about if you have not lived it. You are just merely showing articles, books, and films not really getting to root of the matter. Whereas a professor who has experienced racism and the race of the professor does not have to be black it could be a number of races (Asian American, Hispanic, maybe European) can engage the class on an entirely different level for they can tell personal experiences about their life that may open the eyes of some students but also enrich the class for they are getting a firsthand account of someone who actually dealt or deals with racism on a daily basis. I have no grudge against white professors who try to teach about racism for some are really trying to get the message across and they have the right intentions in their hearts but once again if one has not lived it how would one know how to explain it or teach it.
White Professors Teaching on Racism
I cannot speak for the job that other universities do in educating their students about racism and its effect on the overall population, and of which race those professors are that teach those classes at each of those respected universities. As for our university, I feel that we do a fine job in teaching about race in the class in which we are in at the present time, and yes our professor is white. Personally I do not think that any one professor is any better than the other regardless of their race, or sex for that matter, if they have had the same educational training and have striven to obtain the position for which they are in. I would respect what a white professor had to say about racism just as much as I would an African American professor when it came to talking about the civil rights movement. They both earned their degree through university studies and have worked hard to be in the position to be teaching the class. This is not to say that an African American professor might not be able to provide some examples of how he or she was discriminated against, or might even be of age to be able to recount some of the actual happenings from that era. Those would both be some applicable additions that that professor would be able to provide to the class that he or she would only be able to provide from his or her experiences. Although those would be interesting and worth while, to say that a white professor would not be just as qualified to teach about the civil rights movement I feel is false. The same I think can be said about any minority professor. This goes back to the age old topic of discrimination and how everyone should have equal rights. I am far from thinking that white professors should be the only ones teaching I feel that every professor that has earned the right to teach at their respected university or college should be given the same accreditation as the next regardless of their race or sex. So to answer the question raised by this article of, do white professors limit the education students receive on matters of racism?, I would have to firmly say no.
It only makes sense that in a
It only makes sense that in a class dealing with racism, a white professor is going to present things from a totally different perspective than say a Hispanic or Black professor. A professor is usually going to share and put their own perspective on any subject, to me, that is what makes a class interesting or not interesting. Also, if a Black professor or a Jewish professor presents the information, it is only from how that professor sees the world. If a professor is determined to do so, the class can be conducted with a fare and open mind and all sides of the spectrum can be demonstrated by having guest speakers from all ethnicities that can give their view of the issues. We should not limit what a professor can teach strictly to their personal experiences, especially if they are willing to welcome views and opinions outside of their own. They should merely possess the desire and capabilities to find the most versatile way for a student to learn.
Racism
I think this topic is extremely relatable for my school environment. It makes it very difficult to respect and learn from a professor that doesn’t seem knowledgeable on the issue they are speaking. I think minorities should be looked at like a good source of understanding but not put under the microscope. We all have things to teach each other. The solution to this issue would be for a professor, minority or not, to be real with themselves and the students. If they know about the topic, talk about it. If not, allow others to teach them. We all need to learn to be better listeners. (Myself included)
Which is more racist?
A very simple definition of racism is discrimination based on the color of ones skin. Given such a definition isn't refusing to let a white professor teach on the subject of racism in itself a form of racism? I agree that people from different walks of life can provide equally different and equally valuable perspectives on a subject. However you can not say that a white professor is not as effectual as a black professor in handling a racism discussion. This would be similar to saying only black coaches should be hired by schools to coach football or basketball. For racism and discrimination to be truly abolished the playing field must be completely level, not swayed towards one side or the other. Whoever is qualified to teach let them teach don't persecute them for their background or skin color and automatically assume that they cannot provide as rich an education as someone else. That is discrimination and discrimination is the reason we discuss racism in schools in the first place.
Teaching on Racism
Teaching on Racism
Posted 4/25/11
My posting 4/25/11
I think racism is going to be taught differently by each different professor and it will definitely impact the information delivered if the professor is White, Black, Hispanic or of any other race. I do feel that each professor will deliver the most information they can.
I currently have a White professor who teaches Cultural Diversity. I have learned as much in this class as I would one taught by a professor of another race. We bring from our teachings what we want to bring from it. It is for each of us to dig deep to understand and be understood.
Teaching
I think there is more that goes into the value of a teacher's skills than his or her skin color or gender. Just because a teacher is white or black does not mean they will teach racism any better or worse than the next teacher. A white teacher may have experienced racism the same way a black teacher did depending on their life experiences. I also do not feel that the only way for a teacher to know about a subject is firsthand. Someone can witness or hear a testimony about the subject and still be knowledgeable enough to teach the subject. As for the scholarly articles being dominated by white males- maybe it is because few minorities or women rise to the opportunity to have an article published. I am not saying that none do or that they lack motivation but that maybe they focus on other aspects of their career and choose not to write scholarly articles. And as long as the data is accurate it should not matter who delivers the message.
Professors and Racism
Racism can be looked at from many different perspectives. It does not matter what the skin color of the professor is. They could be white, black, or Hispanic. What really matters is how the teacher gets the information across to the students. Teaching style brings a big factor into the picture, the teacher can have past experiences with racism or could have heard many accounts from people who have. For instance, I could understand if a white professor may feel uncomfortable teaching racism in great detail and that it would be acceptable to bring in a guest to share their life story of experiencing racism with the class. To me, it depends on the teacher and how they teach the information to inform their students.
There are definitely certain
There are definitely certain professors who are very passionate about racism and will talk about it more frequently than other professors. How much they know and teach their students depends on their personal experiences, their race, and the history of their race. Racism is definitely a topic that must be treated with respect and sensitivity as everyone has their own histories and opinions. Thankfully in the classes that I have been in, whenever racism has needed to be addressed the professor has always discussed racism appropriately.
White Professor
In my experience, professors of different sexes, creeds, and genders have not varied much in the way they present the issue of racism. The only major variant I see is that the speaker generally puts more heartfelt teaching and has much more information when it comes to their own race. I also believe that racism is a very tough topic to present to any class. These teachers to a great job of treading lightly around the feelings of others.
Stereotyping professors
While this article completely generalizes all white professors to be the same way in practice and teaching, one needs to understand that racism goes both ways. Minorities are not the only victims of racism. Sometimes, they can be the perpetrators and whites may be the victim of a racist event. With that in mind, I do firmly believe that a white professor is capable of teaching a class on racism. The fundamental aspect of a good teacher is that they can keep their minds open on the lessons they're teaching. Yes, there are some professors that teach in a more biased way, but not all of them do. If a white professor is going to take on the duty of teaching a diversity class with an emphasis on racism, they need to be able to realize that there will be negative comments made and that can be contributed to a "learning experience". As long as the professor is setting boundaries in the classroom, such as R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to everyone and their nationalities, the color of the professor shouldn't matter. The article also mentioned that a white professor may not be able to teach this class because of lack of "knowing what it feels like to be the victim of racism". I take offense to that. Although I am white by appearance, I'm mixed with Asian. However, I was born and raised in a big city and all my life, I have been surrounded by more black people than white. Do I know what it's like to be black? I'm pretty sure I have a really good understanding of the obstacles black people face and will continue to face in the future. I have been discriminated against because I continued to be around black people when given the opportunity to change friends to a lighter skin color. That should account for something. Therefore, with an education and a certification, would I be qualified to teach a class on racism even though my skin color is white? I believe I should. If there were less people in the world stereotyping races, maybe this problem wouldn't exist.
Professors teaching race
The main objective for teachers and professors is to provide their students with a good learning environment and give them the ability to understand the material and be able to make a decision on their own. Instructors will always have a certain bias in whatever class they may be teaching but it is more important and evident when that class is on a sensitive subject such as race. Any professor of any gender or race is subject to teach their class in the light that they see it. If it is indeed a class on race, a white professor might play down the race issue saying that it is not a big deal while an African-American professor could see it from the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Professors need to do their best to ignore their own personal prejudices and biases and provide students with the most knowledgeable sources on the subject so that students will be able take the material and choose how they want to apply it in their lives.
I do not believe that white
I do not believe that white professors should be prohibited from teaching about racism, but I do think that a professor of color may have more insight into the subject. Nobody can fully understand racism unless they have experienced it. I am taking a class on racism with a white male professor, and I have learned a lot from him because is is dedicated to learning about the subject himself and changing his ingrained perceptions. He not only teaches the facts, but teaches, and at the same time learns, about our implications in racism. It all depends on the person. Unless it is someone like the professor I mentioned, latent prejudices that all whites have been immersed in may affect the class.
A few people mentioned that preferring people of color to teach about racism would be racism in itself. Racism is not only about personal feelings, but can also be defined as a system in which one group is privileged over another. A person of color, using this definition, can be racially bigoted, but not racist, because they do not benefit from racism.
white teachers
In my experience as a student I really have no clue as to what this article is suggesting about white professors. Do white professors refrain from teaching racism? I don't really know the answer as for most of my life I have had white teachers and professors. They did teach about racism though and include it into subjects in which it related to. Could they have talked about racism more? I don't really know the answer to that either. Maybe they would rather refrain from talking about racism as it is a touchy subject that is kind of depressing. Then again racism is an important subject to talk about and I believe in general, the white teacher's and professors I've had have talked about the subject adequately. That only speaks for the white teachers I've had, so maybe not all teachers do a good job. There really isn't an answer to this question, However teachers and professors should talk about racism at some point of their lessons and provide an open and comfortable environment for all of the students to discuss it.
I believe that teachers need
I believe that teachers need to strongly ignore then own personal prejudices when it comes to teaching. I dont believe that the color of a teachers skin should affects the way in which he or she teaches. Although this is my belief i also strongly believe if a white teacher, male or female, teaches a class on racism and or descrimination, the students wouldnt get the full affect of learning if the teacher has never experienced it. I do not believe it matters what the color of the teachers skin happens to be, i believe it is more the experiences the teachers have.
I think it is important for a
I think it is important for a teacher to realize in any teaching environment, whether it is a class about social issues to a Biology class where they must teach about creation and evolution, that their personal opinions and bias should be left at the door. Teachers are there to educate and raise questions. Some of the best teachers I have had play the role of the devil’s advocate. They raise questions that students would not normally bring to a situation with out ultimately sharing their own opinion. Any teacher that comes into a class is going to have a personal bias towards a subject. It is their job to provide the leaning environment for a student to become educated about the topic seeing all sides and opinions, so then the student can establish his or her own opinion. This article does bring up a good point about the sources we use to get this information however. How many times when we are doing school projects do we just type in the subject into a google search and run with the top outcomes because we have a deadline without really researching a variety of opinions on the topic or even where the source comes from.
i dont think so.
I believe that the race and ethnicity of a professor greatly plays a role in the students apprehension of the material that is being covered. Race, no matter what way you approach it, is a difficult issue. It also becomes difficult when taught at the college level. What I mean by this is that when you have many different students from different backgrounds, people are bound to butt heads and be hostile towards one another.
I do not feel that a white male would be as experienced in matters of race or ethnic matters as that of an African American or some other sort of nationality. I gained this viewpoint after having several race/ethnic studies classes. Still to this day the most I learned was in a class taught by an African American male from Alabama. When it came to the issues of race I felt that he had the most knowledge and experience being from where he was. I am not trying to take away anything from white or other teachers of different ethnicities, I just feel that perhaps a white person teaching issues of race would be similar to a male teaching a feminist opinion class. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
I see the arguement here that
I see the arguement here that professors of color would be better able to teach about racism but I don't agree 100%. Personal experiences are good to have but in my World Views course we have people from many races. With any question that is brought up we have a personal experience somewhere in the room. I actually think that having a white male professor teach me about racism has had a better effect on me. If I had a colored professor I may have been more inclined to say something like, "It's not that bad." If a white man can admit that these terrible examples of oppression are happening, they are probably true. I am a student of Psychology. For all of my other courses I believe that race and gender have nothing to do with the topic. Basically, who ever is more qualified should teach, reguardless of race.
Issue Of The Week
Do White Professors Limit The Education Students Receive On Matters Of Racism? Being white and in the majority group, I feel that I have poor insight on this matter. I hesitate to reflect on an issue that I do not personally experience. However as a student at a higher education institution I experience this at some level and have peers that may experience racism more directly. But to simply answer the question, I believe that students will effectively receive an education of quality no matter what the race of the instructor.
In the background...
After reviewing this post, I feel that most importantly any touchy subject is discussed in the background. By background I mean that the discussions are offered to those who want to attend the seminars or conferences. In basic courses such as sociology or history we are not taught that racism is in our world and what racism really means. Until the course that was offered at my college came into my view of classes that I could take, I personally have never came across a course on privileged or racism.
It appears that just like in the real world, our universities and colleges want to keep the topic of racism and privileged hush hush. As most of the white men and women in this discussion have learned in the beginning stages of their understanding, everyone is living in a white male middle-class world. This is why we are not educated on other races or on the privileged that we have. More courses need to be offered to promote our understanding.
White Professors Teaching Racism
I believe that white professors are able to teach racism. It's plausible, however, that a minority professor may have more insight and a much more personal perspective on the topic, though. It's near impossible to leave 100% of our biases at the door and I think that our biases shape views to create a diverse environment. As long as professors and students alike come bearing respect and an open mind ready to change our previous beliefs, it is good to have a a variety of backgrounds. White professors will most likely not be able to give students first hand experience on racism, but I do think they still have valuable knowledge that they are able to contribute to teaching racism. I agree that it most definitely helps professors when they have personal experience in the subject area they teach, but it's difficult to judge exactly how much this experience helps or if it just introduces a different kind of bias.
I liked another student's comment which suggested they bring in guest speakers to elaborate on a topic. I think this is a fair compromise that will allow the greatest amount of knowledge to be generated in the classroom.
Insight goes both ways
Like any other social classification, there is both oppression and privilege surrounding race. Just as a white professor may not have the experience necessary to fully relate the issues surrounding race, a professor who isn’t white may not be able to understand and relate the intricacies of white privilege. Just as I can’t relate to the experience of being oppressed in daily life, not everyone knows what it is like to be part of the race that has responsibility for the problem. I think that it takes a diverse range of teachers and authors to educate students as thoroughly as possible.
A white person, though having
A white person, though having a different perspective, is able to teach about racism and diversity. Granted, there is going to be a limit to the personal experience that the educator brings with them, but literature can, to a point, help fill this gap. One solution to the ability of students to critique a professor’s sources would be to allow presentations on literature of the student’s choice and have students suggest journal articles or books to be included in the curriculum.
While it is sad to say, a white professor is less likely to be dismissed out of hand based on their race. This is especially true when a teacher is confronted by students who have been raised to believe that racism is no longer an issue. True, a white person will not have the same experiences, but they will be able to discuss what it is like to have white privilege, to feel guilt and concern over what is happening in the world, and help show students how to make a positive change in the world.
White Professors Teaching Racism
I think that a white professor can effectively TEACH racism, but I think that most of them will lack the real experiences of being discriminated against that maybe a non white teacher would experience in their life. I have had both white and non white sociology, political science teachers and all of them could effectively teach me the history of racism. But, I took more away from the classes where I had a non white professor teaching racism because they were able to connect with the class on a personal level. They could share their experiences, their families experiences, and are more connected to their cultural experiences. I am white. I don't have the experiences that others do with race, and if I were to teach a class about it I wouldn't be able to offer much besides the history from the book. My personal experiences would not help the class in terms of teaching racism. Yes, I do believe that a white professor can teach a class about race, but a class with a non white professor will likely have a more personal touch, and maybe a more lasting touch for the learning student.