Blog Post #5: Literacy with an Attitude by Patrick J. Finn (Connections)

    Literacy with an Attitude by author Patrick J. Finn puts forth the idea that working class people receive domesticating education in school, which is education that leads to functional literacy-- the basic capacities of being literate. On the other hand, the rich, a part of the upper class, receive empowering education, which results in the kind of literacy that can instill brilliance and dominance within someone. Finn shares his personal experiences as an educator, saying that he is a white man that has taught in schools in Chicago where his students were primarily working class. The relationship he has with his students is one in which he can learn from them, even calling them "hard-bitten teachers," due to their toughness and firm insights. Finn says that his students taught him to not "be so damned superior. Don't look down your nose at people out there teaching real children in real and sometimes dreadful circumstances. Don't question their intelligence, or their commitment, or their motives (Finn, 8)." It is common for educators, specifically those who are white, to enact their authority in a condescending way, perhaps with the belief that since they are the one with the degree, and the one standing in front of the classroom, that they are the expert. However, Lisa Delpit, in "The Silenced Dialogue" from Other People's Children, makes it clear that "The teacher cannot be the only expert in the classroom. To deny students their own expert knowledge is to disempower them (Delpit, 32-33)." The knowledge that a student has, particularly those within the working class, is unique, and stems from their individual background and culture. Having pre-conceived notions of groups from different races, and academic and economic standings, results in barriers, rather than a relationship that is more mutual. Listening to, and incorporating, unique information from students can be useful in a classroom setting, as it provides perspectives on an array of distinct communities. It also brings power to those that have continually been silenced and dispirited.      

    Finn also highlights the disparities within working class schools, in comparison to those in middle class, and above, focusing on curriculums and procedures at the fifth-grade level, as studied in Jean Anyon's work from a few decades ago. Alfie Kohn, a significant speaker and author, identifies "What to Look for in a Classroom" in his book The Schools Our Children Deserve. He includes good signs and instances that may be a cause of concern. The classroom environment that Finn describes is evidently more worrisome than satisfactory, for example, in the working class schools, there was little room for choices and freedom to improvise. Instead, it was standard to adhere to the set routine, and follow directions as given, with no exceptions. This even often involved teachers making derogatory remarks. In the middle class schools, work meant getting the correct answer, with little room for mistakes. There was also minimal creativity. Kohn conveys that instead of an "emphasis on facts and right answers," there should be an "emphasis on thoughtful exploration of complicated issues." Additionally, the educators shouldn't be "controlling and imperious," but rather respectful and genuine. These flaws work to impart a skewed idea of learning in the minds of the students, and overall does not give them the skills and qualities necessary to be prepared for "real life," and for jobs that are more desirable and "powerful." 

Point of discussion: If the "best" education will consistently cost the greatest amount of money, then this cycle of inequalities between social class and academics will continue. If the elite are receiving education shaping them to be "excellent," while the working class are receiving education causing them to be "resistant" to learning, and to success, then that makes it nearly impossible for the poor to make it from the 'bottom' to, truthfully, any place higher on the social 'ladder.' This reminds me of Delpit's point that- if you are not already a participant in the "culture of power," it is difficult to be, unless you are explicitly taught the rules and codes of that "dominant culture."

        Hyperlink:  Jean Anyon Full Study of Social Class in Schools