i) Normative Narratives
After reflecting on our self stories, it has become clear that normative narratives are incredibly prevalent in our society, both inside and outside of the classroom. Oftentimes, it becomes difficult to recognize these narratives because our minds have become so attuned to their existence, making them seem like “common sense” understandings. Harmful narratives surrounding race and whiteness are no exception. What makes these narratives so problematic is that they are easily reproduced, largely because the general population does not have the resources needed to explore key concepts of social justice. Part of our role, as upcoming teachers, is to learn to identify normative narratives as they are reproduced and perpetuated inside the classroom. Part of this process involves listening to, and reflecting upon other stories, as well as our own, in order to create a society that is more just for all.
The most common narrative interlinking our stories was that “whiteness” is the norm, and that anything else is a deviation from that norm. In Brooke Hoedel’s story, it was the simple realization that people of colour exist, and that they “look” different, that exemplified this narrative. In one particular section, Brooke claims that “many in the classroom [were] apprehensive towards Odeon before even getting to know her- when Ryder joined our classroom last year he was welcomed with open arms” (2021). Here, many of our subconscious thoughts are brought to the surface. It is the idea that we, in our “whiteness,” possess the power to decide what makes us “apprehensive” and what does not, that makes this narrative so enduring. A similar situation is conveyed in Emma Sharp’s story, where she unthinkingly asks a classmate (who is not white) for a “skin coloured” marker. In this instance, her fellow student responds by saying, “You mean the peach marker. Not everyone has light skin colour like the peach marker, people can have skin like the brown I pulled out” (2021). In this example, it does not take much effort to recognize how society has weaned us to see the world through a lens of whiteness. I related to this story mainly because I was born into similar racially-charged language, where I did not feel the need to be conscientious as to how I described objects (such as the marker) that challenged my common-sense narratives as a child. Only once I was confronted with evidence that weighed against my personal anecdotes, was I capable of getting a better understanding of my place in socially-reproduced, racial hierarchies. My own story follows this train of thought: I was not able to see whiteness until I was exposed to other schools, where I was then forced to look at the scarce diversity at my own school during a graduation slideshow. In all of these cases, it becomes evident that it is our own willful ignorance that is first produced, and then reproduced through the eyes of what our society deems as “normal.” In many ways, it also demonstrates how marketing is able to affect our perceptions of race and whiteness, such as the clearly subjective title of “skin-coloured marker.” No matter our position in society, it is clear that nobody has been able to escape the normative narrative that “white” is placed on a pedestal as the “norm.”
A common rebuttal that intersects with the aforementioned narrative is that people of colour have the same opportunities as everyone else, and that they simply have to “work for it.” Obviously, there are many studies that can dismantle this narrative, such as when Sensoy and DiAngelo state that “while it is likely true that anyone … can get some kind of work, it is not likely that anyone can find work that pays a living wage” (2017, p. 170). While this statement takes on the discussion of race from a class standpoint, many of our stories took on a broader perspective of social inequality. In my story it was clear that not everyone had access to the same schools, not just because of financial reasons, but because society had found ways of systematically keeping us separated, and therefore keeping us ignorant. In Brooke’s story, it was clear that how hard people work becomes irrelevant, for opportunities to “fit in” will never be the same through the social reproduction of racism. Odeon was never given the opportunity to privacy, simply because of the colour of her skin: “I see that the kids around her are pulling and tugging on her beautiful braids; her braids had colored beads on them and the students wanted to see all the different colors they could find” (2021). Here, the fact that Odeon “made it” into a white school is rendered obsolete, for her peers view her as subordinate regardless. Likewise, the student in Emma’s story was ostracized through the definition of what a “skin coloured marker” was. In all three of these instances, it is implied that racial inequality is reproduced as a social construct, and acts independently of how “successful” any one individual is. It becomes a commonplace ritual that we, as white people, are insensitive to the way that we use language, because we are not the ones being racialized by it. Likewise, we might feel the right to intrude into another person’s personal space, often through microaggressions, simply because were “curious,” and view ourselves as having the power and privilege to do so. In conclusion, the rebuttal that everyone can be equal as long as they “work” for it is rendered ineffective, for it would imply that racial inequality exists only as a monetary value, and not as a socially-constructed division.
ii) Creating Counter-Stories: Disrupting Normative Narratives
Throughout my reflection, I noticed a number of stories that challenged the normative narrative above. A perfect example can be found in Keyan Ding’s story. Being Asian, Keyan’s story took on a different perspective because she was the one that was being discriminated against. In her story, she has an awkward encounter with a boy who makes a racial comment, not initially realizing that she is Asian because her back is turned. When he recognizes his racial comment, he becomes clearly embarrassed: “At this time, the boy noticed me and my skin color. He was also a bit stunned. When he realized what his saying (sic), he hurriedly apologized and ran into the wash room” (2021). This detail disrupts the narrative that racism exists as a binary between “good” and “bad” people, and that there is no overlap. On one hand, the boy said something that was clearly racist. However, as Keyan notes, he also realized that the comment was immoral. This rapid change in behavior suggests that some people consciously recognize that whiteness is the norm, and are not necessarily keen on embracing this narrative, even if it benefits them. In a sense, even Emma’s story can work to disrupt this narrative: she did not initially realize that her language was racial, but she worked hard to never use that language again.
Throughout all of these stories, it is clear that different racial “truths” are being challenged. The children in Brooke’s story appear unapologetically racist through their treatment of Odeon, even if they were too young to realize it. However, in the other three stories (mine included), racism takes on a much subtler quality, where the persecutor is not aware, or is otherwise ashamed of their behavior. This contrast proves that there are different “truths” to racial treatment: while some of us are unintentionally racist, there are others whose racism is entrenched in their beliefs, and is therefore much harder to work around. Regardless of the internal motivations of racism, it is clear that everyone has become complicit in racial persecution. This is not meant to shame people who try to treat everyone equally, but rather to expose a racial subtext that has been embedded in our society for generations. Through the stories that I read, I have come to understand that whiteness can only be combatted by bringing the ugly subtext into the open, which is essentially what social justice aims to do. Only by giving everyone a unified understanding of race in our daily lives, can we begin to dismantle systems that work to perpetuate both privilege and persecution.
Part of the reason why I chose to discuss the normative narratives that I did is because they each contribute to an unhealthy depiction of Canadian compassion. Many of the perceptions of Canada can best be summarized in a quote from Melanie Delva: “Part of how we are able to deny and ignore these injustices to such an incredible (and terrifying) extent is our national narrative identity that we are nicer, kinder, and more compassionate than other countries/peoples” (Mr. Kristof, the caricature is dangerous, 2019). This quote impacted me because it relates to many of the narratives I was noticing throughout our stories. We like to depict ourselves as being the unapologetically “nice” country, when in reality, we are just as prone to the idea that “whiteness” is the norm, and that we may accidentally use racial language without even realizing it. In essence, what Delva had to say is important to the growth of any nation. If we already view ourselves as “perfect,” then that means there is no room for self-betterment. As displayed in Keyan’s story, it would be ignorant for us to believe that we have worked ourselves into a position where we no longer need progress and reform, simply because constitutional racism is not as blatant as it once was. This is not to say that Canada has not made efforts toward greater social equality. However, viewing the struggle as a thing of the past dilutes our sense of reality, and gives leeway to laziness and inaction. As is the case with all normative narratives, they discriminate against a certain group of people, whether we realize it or not. Part of our role, as future educators, will be to take these narratives and deconstruct them within a classroom environment. Only once people learn to critically analyze the narratives that are presented to us, can true change occur.
References
Delva, M. (2019, February 7). Mr. Kristof, the caricature is dangerous. https://medium.com/ministrymatters/mr-kristof-the-caricature-is-dangerous-d4feada80694
Ding, K. (2021, February 9). Self-Self Story #2. https://edusites.uregina.ca/keyan/2021/02/09/self-story2/
Hoedel, B. (2021, February 8). Self Story #2. https://edusites.uregina.ca/brookeecs102/2021/02/08/self-story-2/
Kilgour, M. (2021, February 7). Writing the Self 2: The Graduation Ceremony. https://edusites.uregina.ca/morgankilgour/2021/02/07/the-graduation-ceremony/
Sensoy, O. and DiAngelo, R. (2017). Is Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Sharp, E. (2021, February 8). Self Story 2: The Peach Coloured Marker https://edusites.uregina.ca/emmasharp/2021/02/08/self-story-2-the-peach-coloured-marker/
