Blog Post 4 - 02.11.24
Reflection on “The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies” by Christine Sleeter
Capitalism kind of sucks. In Western culture, capitalism dominates every aspect of our existence. Everything is bought and sold, the TV shows you watch are littered with advertisements, the streets are lined with billboards telling you to buy, and the schools you attend prepare you to join the working class. Often, especially in spaces with leftist political views, we hear a lot of dialogue around systems. Systematic oppression, broken systems, the capitalist system - the list goes on. If you’re anything like me and politics are a recent yet fixating new discovery, the first thing you realize about the current political landscape is it all comes down to systems. Also, nothing is user-friendly - the discussions around these systems are polluted with lengthy vocabulary and feigned academia. This frequently leads to repeating the same phrases with no understanding of what these “systems” are and therefore no understanding of how to dismantle them. In this short essay, I attempt to break down the intertwined relationship between our capitalist society and our school systems.
What is a system, in the political sense? Definition-wise, a system is the way a government is organized and the process that governmental officials must go through to make a decision. Essentially, the system is how lawmakers decide which laws are in favor of their political ideology and therefore which laws get passed. This can change depending on a few variables, including but not limited to who holds the presidential office, which party is in control of the House or Senate, and what the political climate of the country looks like at a given time. Systems are politically designed processes that govern how you and I live our lives. Take the phrase, “the capitalist system” for example. This phrase refers to the social organization of work and education that filters the general public from school to the working class. In ClassDismissedMovie’s video on the history of American schools, he explains how this system was put in place.
The education system is flawed and designed to be flawed. Horace Mann himself described the education system as the “great equalizer.” It is intended for students to learn that work is long, arbitrary, and boring but required. It is intended to dissuade students from asking questions. It is intended to encourage students to be controlled, to be quiet when not spoken to, and to learn that they are always wrong next to their superiors. It breeds perfect workers for a capitalist society.
There is a key importance in recognizing that you are part of a system. The only way to break free from oppression and make real change is to understand that you are not a person, you are a cog in a greater machine. Everything around you is created to keep you subordinate. So, what can you do? How do we dismantle and rebuild these systems? I believe the answer is education.
Education is the root. From the moment you are old enough to communicate with others, you are thrown into the school system and become part of this system. As future educators, however, we have the opportunity to dismantle these systems from the inside out. As we enter our careers, I urge you to ask questions, to break the rules, and to educate others on the system they are a part of. The more we learn, the harder we are to control.
Within this post, I’ve included a link to an incredible video essay on capitalism and Christian culture, which is a great watch if you are looking to learn more about how these “systems” are upheld.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZo4x0NbbI&t=2760s
To Share: What is a capitalist system? How can we dismantle systems? What is the importance of education when discussing capitalism and the intersectionality of oppression and education? How does the current school system teach obedience?
Your thoughts in this post are powerful! Our school systems definitely teach obedience and compliance in so many different ways, I've never thought to reflect on them all. Movement signaled by bells, raising your hand to speak, needing permission to go anywhere, even the bathroom, lack of personal freedoms (snacking, dress code, seating arrangement, etc.) It is very much so about control and connects back to the topic of power.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by how well you word your thoughts and ideas! Your writing is very entertaining to read and your idea that education is the only way to dismantle the system is powerful. Amazing job
ReplyDelete