As our society as evolved and we have become more diverse, there is less and less bias, prejudice and oppression. That is not to say it doesn't occur, just not on the same level as it once was. One of the prejudices I see and hear on a regular basis in my job is in regards to socioeconomic status. We work with a great deal of legally exempt providers, and the majority of them are very low income and live in poor neighborhoods. I have heard Co workers discuss the way the providers live, talking about the cleanliness of their living conditions and quality of "stuff" they have. There is no consideration to the providers who are not unclean and there is an assumption that the providers know any differently.
In regards to equity, immediately some people put themselves ahead of the providers and forget they struggle with the same issues we all do in regards to paying their bills and making groceries last the week. There is an assumption that they just buy their big screen TVs and iPhones without worrying about paying their rent. Some of the staff assume they would prefer to buy those things than pay their heating bill so they depend on the assistance of the county.
The feelings these incidences brought up in me were mixed. There are times when I think the same things, but I remember that I have been in the same position of not being able to pay my bills but struggleF with still wanting to buy my kids Christmas presents. I have to remind myself and sometimes remind my Co workers that people each deal with things differently, and they can only do what they know and what they were raised with.
Nicolle
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Your comment regarding "less bias, prejudice, and oppression" causes me to pause. I guess it depends on who's lens one is looking through. When I think about the well-documented disproportionality of school suspension rates for African-American children, especially African-American boys, for non-violent offenses I am reminded we still have a long way to go. When I see teachers saying out loud that most of their urban Black students will not go to college so why try, I think we, as early childhood professionals, have a lot of work ahead of us. Classism is definitely pervasive in our society and it looks like its getting worse, but racism is still very much an issue too.
Maybe it's not the lens one is looking through but the location and what you are comparing it to. Compared to when I went to school and looking at when my parents, grandparents, etc. went to school...we have certainly made progress.
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