RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2010)

There are two things that stick out to me when reading chapter 5; ideas about what’s important, and how boys learn differently than girls. First, I think it is very clear that Jake’s dad has a very different view on education when compared to Jake’s mom. Both parents agree that school is important and seem to want Jake to be successful. Both also state their educational philosophy is that children need to learn from their mistakes and to learn for themselves (p. 102). In contrast, Jake’s mom would like to see Jake go on to college while his father fully expects Jake to take over the family business. His parents have taught Jake (either conscientiously or sub conscientiously) how should education should occur. At home, Jake learns from his apprenticeships. He also sees literacy used for functional and purposes. These lessons and core values are in sharp contrast to what Jake receives in school. The connections to what Jake knows and values as a learner from his family are not made when he is at school. Thus begins Jake’s downward spiral as a student. I can see this same dilemma in my own working class students. One boy that I taught last year has aspirations of taking over his dad’s auto body shop. He, like Jake, sees a complete disconnection from his goals and his family’s goals from what he is being taught in school. He has even commented that many of the things taught in school will not matter when he is working for his dad. In some ways, I have to agree. Yes, he needs to be literate and have the ability to manage the day-to-day operations of a small business. With that said, does he need to know calculus and how to interpret Shakespeare? It would make him a well-rounded individual, but that is not the aspirations of many of our working class students. They do not want to attend college, work in office buildings, or live the white collar lifestyle; they want to be like other members of their family. As of now, Jake wants to work for his dad’s business when he grows up and there is nothing wrong with that. He finds a great deal of success and pride in the learning he receives from his family. This doesn’t mean Jake should stop his formal education and I agree with Jake’s dad when he states on school could be more engaging, all they had to do was connect the students’ interests to the academic tasks. (p. 134) I think some teachers and schools try to do this, but it is done in such a trivial way with no thought as to what the students are really about. Writer’s Workshop seemed to be the only place Jake found some success in his struggle to bridge the gap between his two worlds; unfortunately, that is not enough. I do agree with Hick’s final assessment that Jake will eventually lead a happy and productive life. His strong family ties and support will see to that.
Deborah Hicks uses chapter 6 to discuss how discourses have an impact on both literacy learning and learning as a whole. She discusses Martha’s Nussbaum’s theory of love’s knowledge (knowledge between persons and of persons). She also quotes Nussbaum as saying, “narrative discourses focus readers’ attention on how relations between subjects engender changes in identities, beliefs, practices, and understandings. New relationships can constitute new forms of knowledge- some empowering, some tragic.” (p. 138) I believe what Nussbaum and Hicks are saying is that much of what we learn is caught up in the social relationships we have with others. Hicks thus begins to explain the impact of Nussbaum’s theories on pg. 139 when she writes, “If, as Nussbaum suggests, much of what we come to know is shaped by relations with concrete others, then attentiveness to those relations may be important for shaping educational theory.” Deborah Hicks writes, “Therefore, it is important for literacy education that we, as educators, work to empower the poor and working-class students we teach. There must be a moral shift and a willingness to see others that are different from use. (p. 152) I thought Rose’s excerpts were particularly powerful as he explains the differences from his life and the life of his middle-class school. As he explains, in his neighborhood were no role models of higher education, love of a career, or passion for a cause; there was only existence. I suppose for some educators it would seem only reasonable that a student would jump at the chance to better themselves and move forward. But, as Rose explained, this is a scary transition into a foreign world that does not seem all that appealing. Not to mention, it’s hard to want something you don’t even realize exists for you. There is a book, The Pact, which is written by three young African-American men who were able to pull themselves up from the gang violence and drugs of the inner-city and become doctors. It is a very inspiring book, yet it gives a realistic view of what it was like for these young men to move from the only life they knew, to the middle-class world of college and, eventually, to the elite world of being medical professionals. They describe many of the same feelings as Rose and each had times that they wanted to quit and go back to the neighborhoods where they felt they belonged. The only things that helped these young men become successful were each other and teachers who really understood and cared. The final part of the book gives a brief summary of where they are today. One of the young men has since moved back to his old neighborhood and is a dentist nearby. At the time, I wondered why he would do that. Why move back to such a depressing and dangerous place when you could afford so much better? After finishing Reading Lives it now makes perfect sense.

Sally Elliott