August-Connections



In Making Room for One Another, Gerri August makes many statements that can be connected to Lisa Delpit’s “Other People’s Children” and Elizabeth Meyer’s “Gendered Harassment in Secondary Schools: Understanding Teacher’s (Non) Interventions”.  August starts out by discussing the “adventure” children embark on each day when they go to school.  She likens circle time to a “public platform” where some children fare better than others.  “Children whose discourse patterns match those of the dominant culture, for example, seem to enjoy longer turns and more meaningful interactions with the teacher.”  This quote reminded me of the “culture of power” that Delpit discussed.  The dominant culture that August mentions is the “culture of power”.  Classmates and teachers may express an appreciation for the story of a student nonverbally.  Students that are part of the “culture of power” will understand this non-verbal expression whereas students that are not part of the “culture of power” may not understand unless they are explicitly taught. 

August also deliberates on the differences of students within a class and how that has an effect on each of the students.  “Differences that make a difference (the particulars vary according to social context) can lead to otherizing and even exclusion.”  This “otherizing” and exclusion made me think of Meyer and the harassment that people that are different experience purely because they are different.  August also mentions studies that have been done to examine “the stressors that attend lesbian motherhood” and how it relates to “their children’s gender identity and sexual orientation”.  “Some attention has been directed at how children of lesbian moms experience school.”  This again relates to Meyer’s “Gender Harassment in Secondary Schools” because these students may fall victim to harassment due to the gender identity and sexual orientation of their parents.  August goes on to share an account regarding a children’s TV show.  An episode of a popular children’s show was supposed to air in which a child with lesbian moms stated that she loves them both very much.  The episode was never allowed to air because Congress did not want to “introduce this kind of subject matter to children and that many parents would not want their young children exposed to the life-styles portrayed in this episode.”  I think Meyer would agree with August that this sentiment “perpetuates and protects heterosexist behaviors and belief systems.”