[xmca] scripts and discrimination

["White, Phillip" <Phillip.White@ucdenver.edu>]

this is a response for both Mary and Michael - 

attached is a piece of what i think of as ethnographic research regarding scripts, in this case culturally constructed scripts regarding sexual behavior and gay men.

at the same time, i'd like to reference Leonard Mlodinow's book, "Subliminal: How your unconscious mind rules your behavior", in particular the chapters on "Sorting people and things" as well as the chapter on "In-groups and Out-groups".  in support of this is the recently reported research in today's New York Times regarding age discrimination.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/booming/three-men-three-ages-who-do-you-like.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

the point here is that, in Mlodinow's book his theory of mind is that the greater part of what the mind within the brain is "doing" is unconscious, evolutionarily based, and necessarily unconscious in order for human social life to exist.  at the same time there are cultural overlays particularly made evident in both body language and oral language that are unceasingly communicated.  and, i'd relate these communication learnings and practices to Vygotsky's theories of social learning.  

so that, yes, language is an action, an activity, goal directed, and that at the same time we're not fully informed ourselves about what it is exactly that we're doing.

i think that our attempts to explicate whether or not racism can be dealt with through activity or through language must needs be done is a wide-ranging psychological-biological-historical-cultural approach.  

my initial approach was too binary, and i appreciate Mary's wondering about scripts - it pushed my thinking along - and also, Andy's example of folk knowledge - which of course education is replete with - and of course i could still be far out lost in the brush away from the fairway.

phillip




Phillip White, PhD
Urban Community Teacher Education Program
Site Coordinator
Montview Elementary, Aurora, CO
phillip.white@ucdenver.edu
or
pawhite@aps.k12.co.us

Attachment: younggaymen.pdf
Description: younggaymen.pdf