Teaching Inclusively

In a recent correspondence with a German Professor that I met at the Left Forum in March 2012, she presented me with an inquiry about the intellectual challenge of finding ways to get my students to critically go beyond basic concepts. The younger generations have been exposed to a far more manufactured understanding of history and reality under the tools of corporate technology: media, internet, film, and one can even bring in standardized tests failing to create critical thought but how to study to merely pass.

Getting my students to pull away from iphones, cellphones, computers, and headphones is an utter task. Working with international students, who may be in more affluent positions than their poorer counter parts from their own countries, have been exposed to the same manufactured bubble of the 'universal middle-class', which means they have as well not analyzed the role corporate development has exposed them to, this is a necessary task that may be neglected. 

In the classroom, I discuss a wide range of topics of global issues, whether they want to discuss the topics or not. Rather than being apathetic and ignorant of the topics, I at least make them aware of the issues, so that they are no longer ignorant. The next step is to go away from apathy. I don't know if it is possible in a short-term exposure of a single semester; but I have at least made my contribution to the academic scene by changing the voice of the institution regardless. 

I address a lot of Postcolonial Theory and enmesh it into my course work. Ngugi wa Thiongo, a Kenyan writer, discusses the idea of 'decolonizing the mind'; no more than in former colonies, but here in affluent western civilization, the masses need to decolonize their mind most from corporate 'manufactured consent' as Noam Chomsky calls it.

Students can only handle small doses of theory at a time, or it goes over their heads, just the same with most average individuals, particularly in the US. I think that in certain European countries, there is still a level of critical thinking, (from my overseas experience). But the US system nurtures 'infantiled adults'. The US system prefers childish adults who can be consumers for life, than mature adults who can solve real problems. Some of the key intellectuals that influence me at this time are Ngugi wa Thiongo, Edouard Glissant, Julia Kristeva, and Gilles Delueze. But the list is endless. Some of which appear significantly in my writing. 

In my discussion with the German Professor, I could see the similarities she mentioned in my own classes recently. In particular, my classes with middle-class economic level students at my one school are far more 'unmovable' at times. Many of these students care little about most things political or social. How to get them to talk about real issues beyond headphones, cellphones and entertainment is really tough. Visual aids, like documentaries work best. But there still remains a passivity.

More important, however, in my low-income multi-national classes with students trying to get beyond the poverty level, I feel like I am making the most impact. I have been bringing in essays written from all walks of civil rights and human rights the past two weeks. Some of the essays ranged from Martin Luther King on 'tolerance of oppression is immoral', Ngugi wa Thiongo on 'culture', Barbara Einheirch on 'maintaining the crime supply and the US prison system', and just the other day about 'Nepal acknowledging legally a third gender.' The class has been focusing on the Argumentative Essay, so by bringing in critical arguments, the students can see varying forms of presenting arguments.

I admit that my topics may appear risky and unconventional for some, yet because the syllabus required students to engage in the writing of an 'argumentative essay', I created arguments in class (yet I always respect all students right to stand by their argument and belief).  This session wasn’t to prove any one wrong or right, but to allow students to form an argument and support their position with facts, sources, and reflective analysis.

Some key moments in the class were when my class openly discussed the recent Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida. My African-American students were frustrated with racial profiling in the US. One of the male students mentioned that this could have been him. Later in class, I began discussing the 9/11 2001 attacks and how in the US since then, Muslim Americans have been racially profiled. One of the African-Americans, who earlier mentioned his anger at profiling, did not realize his own bias and mentioned how he still feared Muslims. Then my five Muslim students in class were taken aback and argued their frustration with his response. 

I began to slowly awaken some of the students bias, 'information is power'. I made my students aware that some of the most famous American athletes during the 1960's converted to Muslim teachings due to Malcolm X and as a protest to the Vietnam War. Some of the infamous athletes noted were Muhammad Ali, the boxer, and Kareem Abdul Jabar, the basketball player. This got the students curious to know more.

The following class we discussed the idea of 'culture'. Somewhere in the middle of the class time, one of my older students mentioned how 'women no longer want to stay at home and cook.' He had no clue how old fashion and outdated his response was, because my female students made voice and stood up. Even after class, my students were still discussing the arguments in the hallways. This is when I feel that I may have opened student minds and gone past the standard class time. When students continue to think about the topic after the class ends, then I feel I have started a lit fuse to ignite challenging ideas and social standards.

My last class may have been over the top. Since the previous class had ended on the gender note, between culturally imposed gender roles reflected by different generations; I attempted to discuss the idea of a third gender. The open argument and discussions were excited. Even for most Americans, the idea of societies having 'legally accepting Third Genders' as in Nepal and Thailand, challenges imagination. However, historically transgender, intersex, hermaphrodites, and eunuchs have been around societies since the start of human existence. Indigenous and tribal communities have had different roles for mixed-gendered individuals. Recently the United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon made a great speech in March available on-line about protecting the rights of homosexuals and those who are transgender. The class discussion most likely did not change the most 'conditioned by normalization' terms, but now those students are at least aware and not oblivious. 

After class, one of my Muslim students told me she did not believe in such ideas, but when I discussed briefly with her about the historic role of Eunuchs in Islam, she did not know the history. Now she is aware, and she can search on the internet and find countless resources referencing the topic. If you give eager students who have an opinion, just a little bit of information, some of them seek outside of the class more data.  One may not have taught the student more than he or she had before class, nor have impacted them to think critically. But one can at least try to share information to create the possibility to think more inclusively.