Josephine Kwhali eloquent take on unconscious bias (Kwhali, 2017) has finally made my confusion about unconscious bias clear in my head. What I have always struggled with, is how can we be unconsciously racists in today’s society. Are we hiding behind this excuse? Are we purely racist but are too ashamed to admit it? Supposedly intelligent people from higher education, inundated with communications from social media, papers, books, articles on this subject and we still treat people differently based on their skin colour. How is that possible?
Paul Freire suggests that education is the key to enacting social justice (Freire 2006). Freire claims that education provides venues for students to achieve freedom, both intellectual and physical—the “indispensable condition for the quest for human completion” (Freire 2006, 47). This, he says, should be a primary pedagogical goal of all educational activities. But how is this possible with the power that teachers hold and their potential unconscious bias? This term of power, needs to be challenged and transformed according to Freire (Freire and Faundez 1989). In his own words, “It is impossible to think of education without thinking of power . . . the question . . . is not to get power, but to reinvent power” (cited in Evans, Evans, and Kennedy 1987, 226). We as teachers have this power and we need to be able to use it in the right, inclusive way and not hide behind the unconscious bias.
In Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2006), Freire further explains the role that identity plays in the shaping and implementation of education. One of his most important arguments is that students’ identities need to be taken into account in all educational settings. They should not be approached as if everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, is starting from the same place in terms of social status and identity. Teachers’ and students’ identities are thus tied to one another in an interlocked relationship (Rozas 2007).
This has lead me to conclude that one of the most important aspects of my teaching is learning about my audience. Listening, learning, engaging and understanding the students and then relating the subject I’m teaching to these students. Every aspect of my teaching needs to be relatable to them, to make it meaningful and applicable. We share the power and we need to start from the same place of social status and identity to build a strong and meaning relationships and offer a safe place for students to learn.
Another concept that struck me whilst learning and reflecting on racial inequalities and conscious or unconscious bias, is the Contact hypothesis: (Allport 1954). Based on this idea, if two individuals or groups interact in a positively structured environment, they have the opportunity to re-evaluate their relationship and possibly one-time enemies can become acquaintances or even friends. When people are able to deconstruct and even eliminate the negative stereotypes about each other, the conflict between them can be resolved. One real life example of this is my son and his bully in school. The school and parents have worked hard to educate the boy and his family about the negative misconceptions they have. Over time through affirmative contact the boy and his family have overcome these negative perceptions and the two boys turned out to become best friends. They play football together, they chat all the time and are even going to go to the same secondary school. The parents have also worked through their misconceptions and have built a meaningful relationship with my son and us. The positive structured environment of the school and education for both groups has proven the Allport’s Contact hypothesis.
Reading through Shades of Noir I was struck by the alarming data. I will be using the text to further improve my teaching practice and show my the path to the right way, more inclusive way of being and subsequently teaching. It is a powerful tool to dip in and out.
Josephine Kwhali Ted talk video “Witness Unconscious Bias” 2017 [online] _[Accessed 23 June 2023].
Freire, P, (1972), Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, Herder and Herder
Shades on Noir (SoN)
Hi Silva, thank you for your post. I love the way you linked Josephine Kwhali’s critique of unconscious bias with Freire’s writing about power – I feel like you’ve unlocked something there. Perhaps this is how critical pedagogy works in action, the fact that we as educators can think critically about a system that so affects our societies and educational contexts and make better decisions about how we then move forward with our teaching practice. For example, if we are truly engaging with understanding our students (or colleagues, or peers) and deconstructing notions of power, how can we then say we weren’t conscious of our bias towards them? My question then is about how to actively enact the contact hypothesis in our teaching practices? That’s a question I will ponder the answer to. Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2006) appears to be very interesting. I think I will read it as well. The central thesis of this book, as you have mentioned, revolves around the argument that students’ identities need to be considered in all educational setting. I think I agree, but I really struggle with this as well; to what extent should the cultural identities play a role in education?
For instance, as I was teaching Fashion Design, I had a student who kept drawing traditional garments from her own culture, but we (the teachers) look for something more innovative. It’s not that there is anything wrong with being culturally traditional; but in Fashion Design we simply require the students to create something more experimental and risk-taking. How do I convey this message to the student without appearing to undermine or devalue her cultural heritage? If the student’s primary aspiration is to design culturally traditional garments exclusively, how could we push her to do experiments on shapes, forms, patterns, or textiles? A more fundamental question arises – what is the purpose of education?
I don’t think I have any answers, but honestly this course is just making me ask a lot more questions.
Thanks for commenting
Fiere text has been my favourite in this unit, I feel as a technician, it solidifies my position that I am a listener and then a doer to help, to explore and to help guide. Something that has helped shape my proposal in talking about identities in the classroom, as an Irish immigrant, my identity with my country transpires in my social life and professional, it’s who I am. Something I feel is missing from the classrooms that I teach in, or that education has neglected recently!
You have built a great understanding of the race blog and I thank you for your insights and for allowing us into this part of your consciousness.
I think your son’s experience with the contact hypothesis is a great example. Thank you for sharing.
And I think this blog post was a great insight into your gentle personality based on your real life experience. I was able to sense from your text that you naturally understand the essence of cuddling with others.
I strongly agree with Freire’s saying; “to reinvent power”. As you said, I think it is a proposition for those of us who are in the field of education how we can appropriately navigate our power as tutors from the standpoint of our students.
I think your son’s experience with the contact hypothesis is a great example. Thank you for sharing.
And I think this blog post was a great insight into your gentle personality based on your real-life experience. I could sense from your text that you naturally understand the essence of cuddling with others.
I strongly agree with Freire’s saying, “to reinvent power”. As you said, I think it is a proposition for those of us who are in the field of education how we can appropriately navigate our power as tutors from the standpoint of our students.