Workshop 5 and 6 which explored “Race” were very challenging due to the heavy nature of the content and the fact the session was online (being in Group 3) and only a couple of hours long. It is almost impossible to do into depth within a workshop or an entire unit as this is a topic as messy, confusing, and emotional as the entirety of the human experience! It is no wonder that colleagues including myself did not feel as comfortable to share their thoughts on the microphone because there is a real worry of not wanting to harm anyone’s feelings by using incorrect language or misspeaking. The resources shared to help with this Blog 3 were equally as thought-provoking but stirred up some uncomfortable feelings – I have no answers apart from the importance of listening and respecting one another’s perspectives and backgrounds.
The first video I watched was from Channel 4 where students “raced” based on their privilege. I personally found this very inappropriate for children and quite irresponsible as, given the platform of British broadcaster Channel 4, priority was given on entertainment or “shock” value and to drive up engagement in a social media comment section (which were rather interesting to read through). This though has real consequences on these young people, and we watched a group of happy kids, playing together, quickly show feelings of resentment, shame, guilt, anger. Whether you are in primary school or in university, I personally don’t agree with this teaching practice or with many of the CRT principles which often seem to divide us further, often separating oppressor/victim disregarding many nuances and complexities.
I agree with Sadiq, A. (2023) who in his TEDx talk addressed “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it right” and highlighted the importance of storytelling. He outlined some valid points that are often disregarded in Western, Eurocentric journal articles such as how diversity is different in every culture and there is not “1 way to get inclusion right”. Having lived in 6 countries, I have witnessed these differences, and it is fascinating how different cultures have different ways of addressing racism and embedding inclusive practice. The divide between “far left and far right” keeps getting wider but the key to bridging gaps boils down to sharing experiences and connect through stories. This is something I bring into my teaching practice during our week 1 of term. During a 3 hour session during induction week, new PG students are gathered into a space and we transform a classroom where we are in a circle and we introduce each other. This is followed by playing games highlighting everyone’s interests in the room, favourite food, music, fashion – being a fashion marketing course! We also discuss what we are most looking forward to in the course as well as what we are afraid of. We end the session with some team building exercises which helps create trust amongst peers, some laughs, and a community spirit. Given how international this course is (71 of 73 students are international), being able to create this open culture from the start is essential and creates a foundation for more understanding and inclusion.
References:
Bradbury, A., 2020. A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: The case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2), pp.241-260.
Channel 4. (2020) The School That Tried to End Racism. [Online}. Youtube. 30 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg
Garrett, R. (2024). Racism shapes careers: career trajectories and imagined futures of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, pp.1–15.
Orr, J. (2022) Revealed: The charity turning UK universities woke. The Telegraph [Online]. Youtube. 5 August. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU
Sadiq, A. (2023) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it right. TEDx [Online}. Youtube. 2 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw