[RSCT] resources on discussing social class?

[mckenna0307 at comcast.net]

I have found success with the following activity:

Have students write in response to the following:

What % of time in a typical/average day in your life is defined by or affected by issues of class?  Choose a percentage between 0 and 100 and provide a brief explanation as to why you chose that figure.

Give folks about 3 to 5 minutes to write.  When finished, pair students up and ask them to discuss their answers.  Move to large group sharing.  Reflect on answers, observe patterns in responses, i.e. who tended to choose numbers at the low end, who at the high?

Now pose a second issue to consider: suggest to the class that the answer for everyone is 100% and that the number folks wrote down in step one reflects their awareness more than it does reflect how much they are affected by class.  Ask participants to discuss their reactions and move towards seeing what conclusions can be found.

I often follow this up with something like a critical examination of statistics that show gross inequalities in wealth, income, education level, etc.

Or, in my university class, we read the introduction to MIchael Lewis's book, "The Culture of Inequality"
 where he introduces the term "the individual as central sensibility" as a fundamental underpinning of inequality.

Bill Bigelows' "High School Role Play" from Rethinking Schools is also an effective way to explore class as manifested in institutions like schools through tracking.

Tom McKenna

--
3343 NE 128th Ave
Portland, OR 97230


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "mbrookes at netzero.com" <mbrookes at netzero.com>
> hi
> i would add to the list "blue collar" (richard pryor in a serious role) 
> silkwood, and the great but little known "daens", early 90's best foreign 
> language academy award nominee from belgium, available on video, don't know 
> about dvd.
> 
> -- Jennifer Schmitt <schmittj at MIT.EDU> wrote:
> Hi Shanti,
> 
> You should take a look at the New York Times' "Social Class in the  
> United States of America."
> 
> It has a number of interactive and graphical representations of  
> "class" (or what people perceive to be class), and some terrific  
> articles about people across a wide spectrum of socioeconomic  
> backgrounds. In itself, it could be a very engaging unit for high  
> schoolers:
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/
> 
> For films, you might want to consider:
> 
> Fast Food Women
> Roger and Me
> Real Women Have Curves
> Bread and Roses
> Bastard Out of Carolina
> Monster's Ball
> Cradle Will Rock
> Erin Brockovitch
> School Ties
> Stand and Deliver
> The Wedding Banquet
> Angela's Ashes
> My Fair Lady
> Working Girl
> Silent Films — "cross-class fantasies" that coincide with the  
> Depression Era (like Charlie Chaplin's "The Tramp")
> 
> Another possibility is to critique media "branded" as "blue collar",  
> such as:
> 
> Roseanne
> Blue Collar TV
> Family Guy (blue collar family in New England)
> The Simpsons (blue collar family in the Midwest)
> 
> Best,
> Jennifer Schmitt
> 
> On Oct 28, 2008, at 11:39 AM, Shanti Elliott wrote:
> 
> > I'm looking for films/film clips and short readings to help high  
> > school students discuss social class in America and in their lives.   
> > Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> > Thanks,
> > Shanti
> >
> > Shanti Elliott
> > Upper School English Teacher and
> > Director of Community Action
> > Francis Parker School
> > 330 W. Webster Ave.
> > Chicago, IL 60614
> > (773) 797-5402
> >
> > Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like  
> > bread, remade all the time, made new.
> > --Ursula K. Le Guin
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > This is a mailing of the Rethinking Schools critical teaching and  
> > writing listserv. If you would like to subscribe to this listserv  
> > send an e-mail message with the word "subscribe" in the subject  
> > field to rs-request at criticalteach.org. The list is open to all  
> > Rethinking Schools subscribers and focuses on teaching and writing  
> > for justice in K-12 classrooms.
> >
> > To unsubscribe send an email message with the word "unsubscribe" in  
> > the subject field to rs-request at criticalteach.org.
> >
> > Check out Rethinking Schools Online at www.rethinkingschools.org.
> > 
> ________________________________________________________________________________
> _______
> > RS mailing list
> > RS at criticalteach.org
> > http://mail.criticalteach.org/mailman/listinfo/rs_criticalteach.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> This is a mailing of the Rethinking Schools critical teaching and writing 
> listserv. If you would like to subscribe to this listserv send an e-mail message 
> with the word "subscribe" in the subject field to rs-request at criticalteach.org. 
> The list is open to all Rethinking Schools subscribers and focuses on teaching 
> and writing for justice in K-12 classrooms.
> 
> To unsubscribe send an email message with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject 
> field to rs-request at criticalteach.org.
> 
> Check out Rethinking Schools Online at www.rethinkingschools.org.
> ________________________________________________________________________________
> _______
> RS mailing list
> RS at criticalteach.org
> http://mail.criticalteach.org/mailman/listinfo/rs_criticalteach.org
> _____________________________________________________________
> Click to become a master chef, own a restaurant and make millions.
> http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4t0DWdke007emOxtMpWnYjw2kuz
> VtxeXDBkx8imgeni3LY4I/?count=1234567890
> 


-------------- next part --------------
An embedded message was scrubbed...
From: "mbrookes at netzero.com" <mbrookes at netzero.com>
Subject: Re: [RSCT] resources on discussing social class?
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 14:25:34 +0000
Size: 9877
URL: <http://mail.criticalteach.org/pipermail/rs_criticalteach.org/attachments/20081104/2a2a3476/attachment.mht>