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Marlee White June 9, 2013 EDF 2085-02 Self-Reflection Essay Word Count: 1,100

Racial/Cultural background I was born and raised in a small western, New York farming town. The majority of the town was white, including my family and I, and I remember only two black families living in the town. Fortunately, the lack of racial variety didnt negatively impact my views on different races because my family and those surrounding me have always been very open and accepting to all others no matter the color of their skin or money in their purse. Therefore, watching movies, TV shows or reading books that had racial or ethnic slurs did not really influence me; especially since my parents tended to keep me away from those that blatantly displayed discrimination. I know this isnt a worldly view and that there are many today who still hold one race or ethnic group as superior to all others. Specifically, that the white race is the dominant race and culture followed by Asian, Hispanic, Black and then Middle Eastern. I feel that this standpoint is unfair and we should instead have the melting pot of races and ethnicities be dominant in our society with acceptance to all those involved and the multitude of cultures that come with it. The year I turned 12 my family and I moved down to Florida. This move helped me grow in many ways; a main one being that it opened my eyes to the diversity that did not exist in

my small hometown. The schools I attended in Florida introduced me to many Blacks, Hispanics and other races of people that became my friends, boyfriends, teachers and mentors. Now I had not only what my family and friends in New York had taught me, but also experiences I got to go through myself and supported what I had already believed- all should be equal. Gender I am female in all the biological and mental ways-I have all the right parts, associate myself with the female gender and am heterosexual- so I guess that would make me typical for my gender. Growing up I was taught that boys were supposed to be tough and play in the dirt and girls were to be the docile and play house with their baby dolls. I was also taught girls are just as smart as boys and some sports were just meant for boys-football- and others for girls-field hockey. I tend to disagree with the archaic female stereotypes that say women should be taking care of the three Cs (cooking, cleaning and child care) and favor the 21st roles of women who can and do raise children, take care of the house and have a career with or without the help of a man at her side. A lot of the media, as weve discussed in class through our ad presentations, still portrays the female gender to be passive and limited to being stay-at-home moms/house wives. For example, the Hasbro Rose Petal Cottage commercial that seems to be telling young girls to let their dreams only lead them to being a stay-at-home mom still in 2007. Due to being a part of this gender, I think I was able to break away from the negative stereotypes and become an independent woman who can stand her own in many different scenarios; while the women around me have taught me how to be strong and survive even the toughest of circumstances. Today, women still face some challenges because of our gender and

I think even more so when were talking about the career world. Women are still a minority, so we still must fight for total equality just like many of the racial and sexual orientation minorities. The only way my beliefs will impact the classroom is that all will be given equal chances and be treated the same; girls can do just as well as boys. Stereotypes Due to my upbringing I did/do not hold any negative stereotypes or beliefs about any groups. I have some friends today that hold differing views, though I certainly dont let them affect me or treat others badly while Im around. I have always been attracted to black men and have had some friends in the past who didnt agree with this; they claimed not to be racist, but then didnt believe in interracial dating. It affected our friendship because I wasnt going to be friends with someone who looked down upon me or whomever I was dating just because of our races. Other than that I have been fortunate enough to have never been presented with any other challenges due to other peoples stereotypes. Yet again, my beliefs will only reinforce the equality I make sure is present in my classroom and will not allow any discrimination to occur between my students and myself. Socioeconomic Status Up until I was 14, I was raised in the middle class and lived comfortably. People expected you to dress reasonably good, live in a nicer part of town with a decent sized house and afford to do a few extra things here and there- such as baseball or gymnastics and field trips. Parents tend to have the basics when it comes to college education and kids attend public schools that are in the nicer neighborhoods. When my parents divorced we dropped down to lower class. The house was left with my mom, my four siblings (three were under 5) and I. My mom had to

start waitressing and I had to step up to help take care of the kids every day after school till late at night. We had to get help from local charities to pay bills and get food from local food banks. The three years that we had to live with this routine had matured me and helped me grow more than any other experience in my life and for that I am grateful. Obviously it was hard at times, but also not many knew about our new SES level. Neither I nor my mom told many others about our financial situation because of the beliefs that some held about the lower class being people of lower standards. At that time I may have even believed it and was embarrassed to tell all of my friends or teachers. I quickly outgrew that since I had seen two different lifestyles and learned that people cannot always help their situations; whether lower, middle or upper class people have different lives. If anything, I may try to give a little extra help to those in my classroom who are in the lower SES because I know some of the struggles that they face. Ultimately, through all of my experiences I have learned that not all people believe or treat everyone as equal. I would like to work with younger children who can still be taught equality, rather than some of the negative stereotypes those around them may try to instill. The mind grows by what it feeds on (J.G Holland)

Reference 1. Gollnick, D. & Chinn, P. (2009). Multicultural Education In A Pluralistic Society. New Jersey: Pearson Education.