Something brought up in class that was of interest to me, was binary opposition. I have heard the term before but haven't always understood it. Now not a scholarly source but informative none the less Wikipedia defines it as; "In critical theory, a binary opposition (also binary system) is a pair of theoretical opposites. A classic example of a binary opposition is the presence-absence dichotomy. In much of Western thought, including structuralism, distinguishing between presence and absence, viewed as polar opposites, is a fundamental element of thought in many cultures." In trying to understand this concept a little better I now consider it to be some of the basis behind multicultural education. If there is a priviliged white student in a class there has to be an underpriviliged black student in a class. There must be a majority and a minority, a student who receives tons of extra help and one who does not. And more specifically for multicultural education a student who can easily relate to what is being taught and be interested and then just the opposite a student who cannot easily relate to what is being taught and is uninterested. For these reasons curriculum in schools need to address a multitude of issues so that all children are educated better on all people of the world. If anyone can help me to better understand binary opposition, please comment and help! =)
A cute video I found that shows obvious, visible examples of binary opposition is,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUlnAjQl8ko
The video uses images to portray clear opposites.
A second issue we briefly touched upon in class is the colorblind approach that was discussed in the Wu book, in the interview with Christine Sleeter. If a teacher looks at a student and purposely ignores a certain characteristic of the child, for example skin color, something that is visibly present, by trying to remove it in their mind they actually ignore part of who the child is. A child of a certain race, culture or ethnicity cannot exist as a whole person without those specific characteristics that come from their culture being recognized. I feel the better way to address students, neighbors, or anyone is actually a color concious approach. If you do acknowledge what the other person is it might be able to facilitate more open communication. A short article I found that discusses this is;
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/361733/have_we_become_too_color_blind_a_look.html?cat=4
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Oooh, I'm so glad someone touched on the Majority, minority binary. I think that deconstructing Structuralist thought is the first step towards creating the understanding multicultural educating system this course is designed to have us envision. That thought pattern trains us to put people, concepts and things in oppositional categories that make unfair essentialisms and renders demographics like the underpriveleged white person or the priveleged black person invisible. Down with structuralism!
ReplyDeleteI am also glad you touched upon it to me binary opposition is a fallacy created to make elite white men seem and act as the all powerful benevolent and sometimes not so benevolent parent of other cultures. Also I like that you touched upon the colorblind approach. As little as four years ago I was in a education class that taught this approach. I never questioned how little of the person we really see and touch upon when we use this approach.
ReplyDeleteI like how you touched upon the issue of colorblindness and how sometimes a teacher can overlook the race of student thinking they are equalizing that student. I feel bad saying what I am about to say...but I probably have done that in the past. However, after reading Sleeter's interview, speaking about it in class and now seeing it again on your blog, I see that it is actually doing the student a disservice. Its important to look at someone's race, culture, religion or gender because those things helps form the people we are. I understand why teachers tend to be colorblind, I think it is because they are so scared of coming across a racist that they end up doing something that shows their discrination. Its important for teachers to reflect on how they are treating their students and see if they are allowing a child's race or ethnicity to effect how they treat that child.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a valid point. It is so true the US society revolves around the construction of binary opposition. In that very way the concept of the "other" was created, rendering the "other" everything the mythical norm is not (see my post if you don't know what I mean). That's is how we get the categories of "the haves" and "the have nots". And we are bombarded with images of what these categories are supposed to look like. And just like your first response states, this makes it hard to imagine anything outside of the "norm".
ReplyDeleteBinary=2 opposition=not in agreement/existing on separate sides.
ReplyDeleteWithout white, there is no black therefore for white to exist black has to not exist.
The irony of multiculturalism is that it assumes that no binary exists but rather a 'multiplicity' of identities are coming together and yet...
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