As I end this course, my hope is that I have learned the things I need to know in order to go forward and serve the families and staff I work with with fairness, equity and honesty. I feel like my perspective on diversity and equity has been expanded and broadened in that I have a clearer picture of how people can feel marginalized and how bias and prejudice can lead to injustice. I have been given some tools to help me navigate these waters and I feel like I have some more tools in my toolbox now. :)
One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in regard to diversity, equity and social justice is to see more senior citizens in the early childhood. I really believe that seniors can bring a great deal to the field and I will try to make opportunities for this to happen in my own environment.
In closing, I want to thank all of my colleagues for their not only their great support during this course, but for the personal information that they shared and for the respect they showed me when I shared my personal stories. It was not an easy course but the interactions with my colleagues made it easier.
Good luck in the next course everyone! Hope to see you there!
BethAnn
Monday, June 23, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Welcoming Families From Around the World
This week, I am to imagine a scenario in which I will be receiving a child into my program whose family has recently immigrated to the U.S. from a country I know nothing about and how we will prepare for this. (In this scenario, I can choose the country). I chose for my immigrant's family Sudan. I chose Sudan because I know nothing about it except that it is in Northern Africa and is a war torn and extremely impoverished country. As I read about Sudan, I learned that its people have been experiencing wars, unimaginable poverty and oppression, and countless other human rights violations. Anyone that is lucky enough to be able to get out of there would probably have a lot of physical, emotional or psychological issues.
To prepare for this family, I would first make sure I understood the region they were coming from and what was happening there. I would then consult a developmental psychologist for advise on children that come from war torn environments. I would not assume they are Muslim, because the persecution of Christians there would lead me to wonder if they were religious refugees. Once I knew for sure their religion, I would make whatever accommodations I could for them if necessary. Another thing I could do is learn a little of their language and about their surface culture so I could teach the children in the program some things about Sudan which would help to ease the transition for the child a little bit. If possible, I would try to locate other Sudanese in the area to help bridge the communication gap, as well as create a more familiar atmosphere for the child and family.
I would hope that all of these preparations would benefit the family and child by giving a sense of welcoming, caring and friendship to the new immigrants. It will also educate the staff by teaching them about a region of the world that they probably never thought about before and that is completely different from the comfortable life they have here in the U.S.
To prepare for this family, I would first make sure I understood the region they were coming from and what was happening there. I would then consult a developmental psychologist for advise on children that come from war torn environments. I would not assume they are Muslim, because the persecution of Christians there would lead me to wonder if they were religious refugees. Once I knew for sure their religion, I would make whatever accommodations I could for them if necessary. Another thing I could do is learn a little of their language and about their surface culture so I could teach the children in the program some things about Sudan which would help to ease the transition for the child a little bit. If possible, I would try to locate other Sudanese in the area to help bridge the communication gap, as well as create a more familiar atmosphere for the child and family.
I would hope that all of these preparations would benefit the family and child by giving a sense of welcoming, caring and friendship to the new immigrants. It will also educate the staff by teaching them about a region of the world that they probably never thought about before and that is completely different from the comfortable life they have here in the U.S.
Images of Sudanese Children
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression
I have been trying to think of a specific time when I have faced bias, prejudice and oppression. I can't think one specific instance, but I know that as a young woman I experienced harrasment by boys; as a Mormon I have dealt with people who are completely biased against the LDS church and have crazy, ignorant ideas about my faith; I have had to deal with negative comments about white people, conservatives, adoption, the military, Americans, women (working mothers, stay at home mothers). The list goes on. Everything that I am, and everything that I identify as, has at some point been the target of bias and prejudice, no matter how slight. I carry with me the frustration of not being able to enlighten people of the reality of the facts, but I do not carry with me pain or anger toward those people. It seems futile to do so.
As I read the blogs of all my colleagues, I read many different accounts of bias and prejudice, from breastfeeding to overt racism. I think that as early childhood professionals it behooves us to be aware that no matter what, biases and prejudice will always exist. We must find a way to deal with it appropriately when we face it, and not dwell on it when it is not present. We need to teach tolerance and appreciation for others to our children more than anything.
I have often felt this way from the men I work with.
As I read the blogs of all my colleagues, I read many different accounts of bias and prejudice, from breastfeeding to overt racism. I think that as early childhood professionals it behooves us to be aware that no matter what, biases and prejudice will always exist. We must find a way to deal with it appropriately when we face it, and not dwell on it when it is not present. We need to teach tolerance and appreciation for others to our children more than anything.
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