Case Study: Terms of Endearment

Take a position on whether or not Anthonys explanation of why he was using the n-word made his actions less of a problem.

The n-word is relatively associated with the slavery of the African Americans in which individuals who identify with the history view it as an insult. Be that as it may, it has become a common endearment term of the descendants of individuals who struggled with it. Most of the young people in the current generation, both African Americans and Caucasians, view the n-word as referring to a friend. From my perspective, the explanation by Anthony on why he was using the word was more of a problem in regards to how other students and individuals in the environment felt about the word. Reggie might have been comfortable with Anthony using the word to refer to him but Stacy was the opposite as she viewed it as racist. It is perceived that most young individuals, both Caucasians, and African Americans, have identified with the hip-hop culture which includes plenty of use of the n-word. It is factual that Caucasians will use the word as a result of the influence and the African Americans might be comfortable with it. However, the development of the term and its presence in the American society is as a result of a dark culture and still continues to be a major issue in regards to racial inequality. Therefore, inasmuch as Anthony explained that it was a term of endearment and that Reggie was fine with it, using the term was a problem from a societal perspective.

Take a position on whether or not there are any circumstances in which it would be appropriate for someone to use the n-word or any variation of it in a classroom or school, and explain those circumstances. Provide a rationale for your position

From my perspective, there are no circumstances that would make it appropriate for an individual to use the n-word or any variation of it in a classroom or a school setting. It is viewed as normal when an African American refers to his or her fellow African American using the n-word while it is an offense when a Caucasian uses the word to refer to an African American. This presents a double standard which when tolerated does not solve the issue of promoting diversity in the classroom environment. The idea is to eliminate its toleration in the classroom environment by educating students about it and explaining to them why its use in the school environment is inappropriate.

Suggest at least one (1) alternate way that Ms. Lawson might have decreased tension in the class following the incident instead of chastising Keisha and ordering her to sit down. Analyze how the way you suggested would have addressed Keishas comments, and the feelings underneath them, more effectively.

On alternative that Ms. Lawson might have employed to reduce the tension in the class rather than chastise Keisha and commanding her to sit down is to use a calm voice on her and provide her with the opportunity to explain why she thought Anthony was wrong in using the term. Chances are that Keisha might have felt powerless and neglected with the view that Ms. Lawson did not provide her with the opportunity to defend her ethnicity. Keisha might have also viewed Ms. Lawson as racist due to the tone used on her. Therefore, to create an understanding between her and Keisha and the rest of the class, Ms. Lawson could have provided her with the opportunity to present her views. This would have also reduced the tension in class in addition to providing Reggie with the confidence of sharing how he felt when Anthony used the word. Later, she could invite an African American individual, either a fellow teacher of a parent such that they collaborate in informing the class on the history and the implications of using the word.

Examine at least one (1) other way that Ms. Lawson might have checked in with Reggie following the incident instead of calling attention to him in front of the whole class and causing him embarrassment

One other way that Ms. Lawson might have employed to check in with Reggie after the incident is having a meeting with him after class. She could then develop a rapport with him such that Reggie felt comfortable talking about his opinion on Anthonys frequent use of the word to refer to him. I believe that talking with him privately would be an effective strategy as it eliminates cases of fear and embarrassment when compared to the attention that Ms. Lawson had brought on him when questioning his views. Alternatively, she could use a fellow teacher who is African American to have a talk with him for him to feel free and open up to an individual with whom he can identify with. The idea is to establish an understanding of why some of the African American students in the school tolerate the term when others feel that it is offensive and racist.

Determine how you would handle the necessary task, after this incident, of addressing the use of the n-word with the class. Provide a list of steps that you would take, as well as a rationale for your response.

A method that I would employ to manage the responsibility of addressing the use of the word in the classroom environment after the incident is getting an individual from the schools external environment who is African American. The individual may be either a parent, an administrator or a public figure is possible in which he or she becomes the center of focus regarding the discussion. I would then inform the individual of the situation in the class and allow them to present suggestions on how they might approach the situation. The idea is to create a collaboration with the focus being on teaching the students on the power of words and how they can be used to cause harm or heal others. The discussion might take place twice in a week in which after, the students would be assessed in form of surveys and observations to check whether the discussion influenced their perspective.