M3 Discussion: A Class Divided Response

Please respond to both classmates posts. Peters, W. (1985, March 26). A class divided. Frontline; PBS. https://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/class-divided/ 1. Shannon Desantiago posted: This page automatically marks posts as read as you scroll.Adjust automatic marking as read setting In this exercise you could tell immediately how the children felt based off of what group they were placed in. The children who were held to an superior standard had more confidence in themselves, they sat up high as if they believed in themselves stronger. The children in the other group who are considered lower inferior are bent over in their positioning, appear to be uncomfortable and even sometimes sad. Watching the children in the inferior group and the impact of the project has on them is very obvious in their body language as well as the superior having the feeling of being better than the inferior group. I was somewhat surprised by the groups scores on testing. I never would've thought that someone's grouping or even discrimination would impact them so significantly. The child who was considered superior scores much higher based off of how they feel about themselves and the confidence being in the superior group gave them. It all really depending on what you were given in response to support and really building up ones ego to bring more confidence in themselves so they could score better and apply themselves more then someone who is down on themselves and not feeling like they are good enough. I feel like this exercise is somewhat not something I would recommend with children. Although it is just an exercise and not real life it has to have some long term effect on someone especially with such a young mind that is so impressionable. I wonder if the superior group may try to relive this feeling of being superior and end up discriminating against someone who is different. Features in the exercise included smart and dumb, good and bad listener, aggressive and not aggressive, last and active. I feel like by labeling someone into one of these categories follows someone their whole life. If you are labeled as dumb I feel like you will try and somewhat fit into that category because that's what is already thought of you and if you are smart and maybe don't do well at a certain subject you are letting people down because you are suppose to be so "smart". Being in the inferior group there was really no one thing you could do that would be better or right. Only the things the inferior group did wrong was pinpointed and highlighted for the rest of the group. 2. Stephanie Weinman posted: First, I would like to mention how impactful this video was on me. I am so glad that we were given this assignment as it was informative and eye opening in so many ways. Seeing how this experiment affected these children brought so much to light about the factors that create prejudice, and all that entails. Watching the children’s body language when they were impacted by discrimination was very telling. They would be slouching in their chairs and have their head in their hands and hiding their faces. They were frowning and had a look of disillusionment on their faces. It was clear that these children had never experienced discrimination before, and it was affecting them in tremendous ways very quickly. The negative and positive labels placed on the kids had a snowball effect on them. The kids who were told that they were smarter and better than the others believed it and acted as such. They performed better in their schoolwork, felt better about themselves, and even started picking on the other students. In comparison, the students who were told that they were not as smart, not as liked, and hard to manage became all of those things. They became angry with the other students and acted in ways to show their displeasure. One child even said that he felt like “a dog on a leash”, that really stood out for me. This part was very interesting as it truly shows how so much of our lives is mind over matter, and that we can achieve anything that we believe we can. This is where racism, or any “ism” for that matter is truly systemic in so many ways. I think that this exercise could benefit a lot of children and adults. There is too much division in this country based on fallacies that are promoted through propaganda. I think that the possibility that this exercise may harm children is a better option than living with the prejudice and discrimination that so many people do. And as Elliott mentions, if there is specific training done with teachers to administer this exercise that it would be more helpful than harmful. The features that Elliott ascribed to the superior and inferior groups were smarter and dumber, good and not good listeners, lazy and active, aggressive and not aggressive. These are all traits that comprise certain stereotypes that are still relevant today. This experiment shows us how easy it is to be taught something with no credibility and to believe it just because of who is sharing these ignorant thoughts. The discrimination created a sense of hopelessness and inferiority that made the children feel less than, and angry. They didn’t feel as if they had a voice to stand up for themselves and that no matter what they did, said, or thought, they didn’t matter. Interpreting these behaviors was easy to assess as they directly correlated with what the children were told about themselves regarding the stereotype they were given.